GINGER CAKES

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CHRISTMAS GINGER CAKES

Looking for an alternative to traditional mince pies at Christmas? Spice up the holiday season with these mini ginger cakes.

Ginger cakes by Dad's Cuisine

 These ginger cakes are part of my rebellion against mince pies. I hate mince pies. There, I said it. I don't hate them completely: I really love the buttery pastry, I love how they smell, and I love the mulled wine that often accompanies them. But I loathe the sticky, sweet stuffing of a mince pie. Despite all my best efforts - and there have been many - I can't bring myself to enjoy them, much to my mother's despair.

 But these ginger cakes are a fantastic alternative - or even a complement - to mince pies. They're not overly sweet, have a nice spicy kick and combine orange zest, ginger and cloves for a real Christmas flavour. 

A few years ago, I offered to host Christmas on the condition there were no mince pies or Brussels sprouts. Mum, being a stickler for tradition, was aghast. I explained that I would be offering these ginger cakes as an alternative to mince pies, but I could see she wasn't happy. Christmas day arrived, the bell rang, and Mum bustled in with a box of mince pies that she had baked, because "Christmas isn't Christmas without mince pies." We decided to compromise and set both the cakes and the mince pies out on the table. As was traditional, I dutifully ate a mince pie and promptly declared my distaste. Mum had a ginger cake, then another, and another. 

 Even though I'm not a big fan, I would give anything to have just one more of Mum's mince pies. But I know that she really enjoyed these Christmas ginger cakes ("just one more," she murmured every now and then), and I know that she would have been thrilled to have them on the table this Christmas - right next to the mince pies. 

Christmas ginger cakes

Ingredients (makes about 15 mini cakes)

90g butter
100g double cream
75g dark brown sugar
25g golden syrup
1 egg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
1.5 balls stem ginger, chopped small
100g plain flour
Zest of 1 orange

 1) Heat a fan oven to 180°C / 200°C for a traditional oven, and grease a candle dish or mini muffin tin.
2) Melt the butter, cream and sugar in a saucepan on a low heat.
3) Stir in the egg, add all the other ingredients and mix well.
4) Bake for 15 minutes. 

 🎄⭐🎅 Wishing you and your loved ones a happy and peaceful Christmas! ðŸŽ…⭐🎄

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