Acton Gingerbread

Ingredients

• four strained or well-cleared eggs
• a pound and a quarter of treacle
• six ounces of pale brown sugar
• one pound of sifted flour
• six ounces of good butter
• one ounce of Jamaica ginger
• a large teaspoonful of cloves
• the lightly grated rinds of two fresh full-sized lemons

Method

1. 1

   Whisk the eggs to froth, gradually add treacle while beating.

2. 2

   Add brown sugar, flour, and warmed butter in small portions, beating well.

3. 3

   Mix in ginger, cloves, and lemon rind.

4. 4

   Butter a shallow tin and bake slowly for nearly an hour.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Modern cookery, in all its branches (1884) by Eliza Acton, page 480. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

ACTON GINGERBREAD. Whisk four strained or well-cleared eggs to the lightest possible froth (French eggs, if really sweet, will answer for the purpose), and pour to them, by degrees, a pound and a quarter of treacle, still beating them lightly. Add, in the same manner, six ounces of pale brown sugar free from lumps, one pound of sifted flour, and six ounces of good butter, just sufficiently warmed to be liquid, and no more, for if hot, it would render the cake heavy ; it should be poured in small portions to the mixture, which should be well beaten up with the back of a wooden spoon as each portion is thrown in : the success of the cake depends almost entirely on this part of the process When properly mingled with the mass, the butter will not be per- ceptible on the surface ; and if the cake be kept light by constant whisking, large bubbles will appear in it to the last. When it is so far ready, add to it one ounce of Jamaica ginger and a large tea- spoonful of cloves in fi ne powder, with the lightly grated rinds of two fresh full-sized lemons

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.