Pebernoedder (Pepper Nuts) cupcakes

• 120g plain flour
• 140g caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 3/4 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 good pinch white pepper
• 1/4 grated nutmeg
• 40g unsalted butter (soft)
• 120ml milk
• 1 egg

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.

Put in a bowl the flour, sugar, baking powder, all the spices and the butter and mix until it forms a slightly dry breadcrumb like mixture.

Add the milk and beat again until just combined.

Add the egg and beat again for a few minutes until the mixture is smooth.  Divide the mixture out between 12 cupcake cases and cook for 20 minutes or until golden brown and the cupcake springs back when touched.  Leave to cool.

• 250g icing sugar
• 80g unsalted butter (soft)
• 25ml milk
• couple of drops of vanilla extract
• 6 pebernoedder (pepper nuts) optional to decorate

Put the icing sugar, butter, milk and vanilla in a bowl and mix together.  The trick with frosting is the longer you beat it, the lighter and fluffier it gets, so try and beat for at least 5 minutes and then spread on top of cupcakes or pipe on to cakes.

To decorate I used crushed pebernoedder biscuits I'd made and edible gold stars but any sprinkles will do or a light dusting of cinnamon.

Pebernoedder (Pepper Nuts)

• 125g unsalted butter (soft)
• 125g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 - 1tsp ginger (depending on how spicy you like it)
• 3/4 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 good pinch of white pepper
• 1/4 nutmeg grated
• 275g plain flour

Makes around 90 biscuits.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius.

Mix the sugar and the butter together until combined.  Add the egg and mix again.

Then measure out the spices with the flour and baking soda and add to the mix and form a soft dough mixture.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces and lightly roll on a surface to make a long sausage shape about 1-2cm thick.  Then cut the length into pieces about 1-2cm in size, roll each piece between your palms into a small ball and then squash slightly and place on a greased baking tray.  Do this for all the mixture.

Cook for 10-12 minutes and then leave to cool for around 20 minutes to become crisp before eating.

Plum and ginger crumble

• 16-20 plums, halved, stoned and chopped
• 160g sugar
• 1 tblsp lemon juice
• half jar ginger preserve

Crumble top

• 175g plain flour
• 50g caster sugar
• 50g muscovado sugar
• 100g butter chilled and cut into cubes
• 50g porridge oats
• 50g ginger biscuits crushed
• 1 knob grated ginger

Put the plums, sugar, lemon juice and ginger preserve in a pan and simmer gently until the plums start to soften and liquid forms.  Leave on simmer for around 15 mins.  

Put the flour, sugars and butter in a bowl or mixer, if using your hands rub the butter through your fingers until the mixture forms a breadcrumb style mix (not a dough), then finally add the oats, grated ginger and ginger biscuits.

Put the plum filling in a greased dish and cover with the crumble mix and then cook in an over for 35-40mins at 170 degrees until golden brown on top.  Serve with cream or custard.

Lime and ginger cheesecake with a bitter chocolate top

For biscuit base

• 1 packet ginger biscuits
• 1 packet hob nobs
• 4 tablespoons melted butter

For cheesecake

• 900g cream cheese (full fat versions)
• 340g caster sugar (1.5 cups)
• 37g cornflour (1/4 cup)
• 3 limes (zested and squeezed)
• 1 knob ginger grated
• 2 large eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 120ml double cream

For chocolate top

• 100g dark chocolate (70% or above)
• 1 knob of ginger, grated
• 25g unsalted butter
• 120ml double cream

Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Put a tray or pan of water in the bottom of the oven.

Get a 9inch springform cake tin and grease bottom and all round sides.

Crush biscuits with a rolling pin or in a food processor and add butter. Pour into cake tin and smooth out and press down by patting to make a solid base.

In a mixing bowl mix cream cheese and sugar together beat for about 3 minutes until smooth, add cornflour and mix again till smooth. Add lime zest, lime juice, grated ginger, eggs and egg whites slowly and keep beating throughout until smooth. Add the cream and beat just enough until smooth and fluffy, do not overbeat at this point. Pour batter into springform pan and bake for 60-70 mins until golden on top.

Remove from oven and leave to cool (it will sink, do not panic!!)

Once cooled, if you want a nice tidy top, use a very sharp knife and cut of the raised edge to make the top flat.

Then make up the chocolate top. Heat the cream and butter gently in a pan (do not boil) and add the chocolate and ginger. Stir until combined. Then spread across top of cheesecake for form a good thick top layer (the butter stops the chocolate from setting solid so can still be cut).

Apple, plum and ginger chutney

Goes really well with the Chicken Liver Parfait!

• 75g fresh root ginger
• 1.4kg plums stoned and roughly chopped
• 1.4kg Bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 250g sultanas
• 350g light brown sugar
• 2tsp salt
• 1 clove garlic
• 400ml distilled white vinegar (or cider vinegar)
• 1 tsp ground allspice

Peel and finely chop ginger and place in a heavy bottomed or preserving pan with the chopped plums, apples, onions, sultanas and garlic.

Mix in remaining ingredients and bring slowly to the boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to gentle simmer and let the chutney bubble, uncovered for 90-120 mins, stirring frequently until the chutney has a thick pulpy consistency.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees (gas 4) and put jars into oven for 20-30 mins to sterilise. Spoon chutney into jars and cover immediately with vinegar proof lids. Label and store in cool, dark place for at least 2 month before eating.

Keep unopened for 1 year from bottling and eat within 1-2 month from opening, keep refridgerated.

Plums with Gingerbread Crumble and Black Treacle Ice-cream

This tastes amazing, very reminiscent of parkin with the ginger and treacle flavours.

• Enough plums for 2 per person
• Packet of ginger biscuits crushed
• Plain flour
• Demarara sugar
• Butter
• 500ml whole milk
• 250ml whipping cream
• 140g black treacle
• 6 egg yolks
  

The ice-cream must be made 12-24hrs in advance to ensure it's set in time. Pour the milk and cream into a pan over a gentle heat. When they are warm, add the treacle and stir until dissolved. Add the egg yolks and whisk to make a custard base.

Bring the temperature up a little for 3-4 mins to pasteurise the ingredients, don't overheat or eggs will cook. If you have time leave ice-cream to chill overnight, take less time to churn and infuses flavours better.

Once cooled transfer ice cream to an ice cream machine and turn on. Usually allow to churn for 40-60mins. Transfer to freeze proof container until needed.

Can also do without a machine by placing mix into freezer for an hour, take it out and stir well, place back into freezer to freeze again and repeat 4-5 times.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

To prepare the crumbles, cut each plum into halves and remove the stones. Make up the crumble mixture using 1 part of each of the ginger biscuits, plain flour, butter and sugar e.g. 50g of each or 100g of each. Rub all ingredients together until they form a breadcrumb like consistency.

Lay the plums skin side down in a baking dish and then cover the tops with crumble.

Cook in oven for around 15-20 mins or until golden brown on top. Serve on dish, each person having 4 plum halves and a scoop of treacle ice-cream.

Wagamama's Ginger Chicken Udon

All credit to NZgirl for finding out the recipe but just had to post it here!

• 220g (7oz) udon noodles (2 x packets at the supermarket, Chi Yip in Chadderton do these)
• Handful of mange tout, finely sliced
• 1/2 red onion, peeled and thickly sliced
• 4 spring onions, trimmed and cut into 2.5cm (1 inch) lengths
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 tblsp fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
• 2 tblsp vegetable oil
• 330g (10.5 oz) boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat, cut into strips (I have done it with breasts too)
• 2 teaspoons pickled ginger
• 6 sprigs coriander

Cook noodles ina large pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until just tender. Drain and refresh under cold running water.

Put all ingredients except the oil, chicken, pickled ginger and coriander sprigs in a large bowl, adding the noodles last, and mix to combine.

Head a wok over a medium heat for 1-2 mins or until completely hot and almost smoking and add the vegetable oil. Add the chicken and stir fry for 5 minutes, or until cooked.

Add everything from the bowl and stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Check the seasoning, then divide between two plates and scatter over the pickled ginger and coriander sprigs.

Gingerbread syrup for coffees

This is a recipe I found on the internet, and is very useful to have at home when you are not in a reasonable distant of a certain 'red cup' company ;)

• 2 cups water
• 1 and half cups sugar (I mix white and demarara)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in pan with lots of room for it to boil.

Bring mixture to boil and simmer uncovered for 15mins.

Once ready use about 1/4 cup syrup to each latte :)