I made this gorgeous loaf ages ago, and then completely forgot to write the post about it! It comes from Rachel Allen’s ‘Cake‘ – a fabulous book which the Bakewell Cake that I made a few months ago came from too. If you’re a fan of ginger then you’ll love this – it didn’t last long in our house!

Ingredients (for a 900g/2lb loaf tin)

225g/8oz golden syrup
100g/3.5oz butter
100g/3.5oz caster sugar
75g/3oz stem ginger in syrup, chopped (plus 3 tbsp of syrup for the glaze)
200ml/7fl oz milk
2 eggs, beaten
225g/8oz self-raising flour
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4. Line the base and sides of the loaf tin with baking parchment, with the paper coming above the sides of the tin so that it can be lifted out easily later.

2. Place the golden syrup, butter and sugar in a saucepan and stir over a medium-low heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside and allow to cool, then mix in the ginger, milk and eggs.

3. Meanwhile, sift the remaining ingredients into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, then pour in the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.

4. Tip the mixture – which will be quite runny – into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

5. Remove from the oven and drizzle or brush the reserved stem ginger syrup over the loaf while it’s still hot. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then lift the cake out of the tin and place on a wire rack. Peel away the baking parchment and leave to cool down fully.

6. Enjoy with a cuppa!

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We bought a gorgeous Le Creuset heart-shaped casserole dish with some vouchers that we were kindly given for our wedding, and I decided to try out a new recipe for its first outing. I found this Rachel Allen recipe on the BBC food website, which is originally meant to serve 12-14 people and would be brilliant for a dinner party! I halved the original quantities because this was for me and Tom, plus a few boxes for the freezer – I’ve given the original quantities here. Although it takes 1 1/2 hours in the oven, it can be made in advance and then reheated.

Ingredients

For the lamb tagine
4 tbsp olive oil
8 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 onions, peeled and chopped
4 tsp grated, fresh ginger
1½ tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
3 tsp ground cinnamon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3kg/7lb shoulder of lamb, boned, fat removed and cut into 4cm/1½in cubes
2 tbsp tomato purée
2kg/4½lb ripe tomatoes or 4 X 400g/14oz can tomatoes, coarsely chopped
4-5 tbsp honey

For the couscous
1 large or 2 small pomegranates
800g/1¾lb couscous
6 tbsp olive oil
2 lemons, juice only
1 litre/1¾ pints boiling chicken stock or water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp chopped, fresh mint or coriander

To serve
1 lime, cut into wedges
bowl Greek yoghurt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 2.

2. For the lamb tagine, heat a large ovenproof casserole or heavy saucepan on a medium to high heat.

3. Add the olive oil, garlic, onions, ginger and spices and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then cook, covered, on a low heat for about ten minutes, until the onions are soft.

4. Add the lamb, tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and honey into the saucepan, stir throughly. Bring to the simmer and place in the oven for 1½ hours, until the lamb is tender.

5. Remove the lid of the saucepan halfway through the cooking time to let the liquid reduce and thicken.

6. If the sauce is still a bit thin, put the saucepan on the hob on a medium heat and without the lid. Stir occasionally and let the liquid reduce until a thick sauce begins to appear.

7. Meanwhile, for the couscous, cut the pomegranates in half and scoop out the seeds using a teaspoon and remove the white membrane around the seeds (or, like me, you can buy the pre-prepared stuff from the supermarket which is much less hassle!).

8. Place the couscous in a bowl and mix in the olive oil and lemon juice. Pour the boiling stock or water onto the couscous and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

9. Allow the couscous to sit in a warm place for 5-10 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.
Stir the chopped herbs and pomegranate seeds into the couscous.

10. To serve, place the tagine on serving plates with couscous and a wedge of lime. Serve alongside a bowl of thick Greek yoghurt. Enjoy!

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