Easy Old Fashioned English Sticky Gingerbread Loaf

Just the smell of this gingerbread loaf whilst it's baking is redolent of when I was a little girl and staying at my grandparent's old cottage..........and, it is so easy to make. Plus, there are not many ingredients to it and yet, it is the recipe I always turn to when I feel like real old-fashioned sticky gingerbread! My grandmother used to serve it in thick slices with butter; it nearly always appeared on the tea table at least once a week! This is also wonderful served up as a Pudding type cake, warm with custard or cream, delicious! Oh yes, this gingerbread only contains 2 ounces of fat in it, making it low fat as well as very tasty!

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 12 slices

Ingredients

• 8  ounces self raising flour
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1  pinch salt
• 3  teaspoons ground ginger
• 2  ounces butter or 2  ounces margarine
• 2  ounces soft brown sugar
• 8  tablespoons black treacle
• 2  eggs, beaten and mixed with milk to make 1/2 pint
• 4  ounces raisins (optional)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4.
2. Grease and line a 2 lb loaf tin.
3. Mix the flour with the salt, baking powder, ground ginger & raisins if using.
4. Melt the butter or margarine and add the sugar, black treacle - mixing them together very well.
5. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture - and mix with a wooden spoon.
6. Gradually beat in the egg and milk mixture to make a smooth, thick batter.
7. Pour into the greased and lined 2 lb loaf tin and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer when inserted comes out clean.
8. The gingerbread loaf should be well risen and slightly sticky to the touch, although it gets stickier the longer it is kept.
9. Slice and eat warm with butter, or leave to go cold and store in an airtight container.
10. Also wonderful served warm with custard or cream.
11. Keeps very well for a week or more.