Ginger and Chocolate Mini Loaves

In the weekend I did some baking for the painter who is coming to paint our garage – yes, stage one of the major house re-build is well underway with the construction of the garage so that we can store our things in it when we have to move out in a month’s time. These little chocolate and ginger loaves had caught my eye in the first Julie Le Clerc magazine published a couple of years ago.

The mini loaves are moist and sticky like gingerbread, without a really strong ginger flavour, but with cocoa added to give a rich chocolatey taste. The recipe said to use ¼ each of golden syrup and treacle – not having any treacle, I used all golden syrup. The loaves are topped with slices of crystallised ginger, which you put on top of the loaves part way through baking.

These little loaves are delicious. I think next time though I may add more ground ginger and perhaps some sliced stem ginger as well. Also, the recipe only made 4 mini loaves (my mini loaf tins are about the size of 1 ½ standard muffins), so double it if you want to make a decent amount. If you wanted to just make one large loaf, I would also suggest you double the recipe.



Chocolate Gingerbread Loaves (adapted from Julie Le Clerc recipe – makes 4 mini loaves)

½ c golden syrup
¼ c milk
50g butter
¼ c brown sugar
¾ c flour
¼ c cocoa
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp each mixed spice and ground ginger
¼ c sliced crystallised ginger

· Melt golden syrup, milk, butter and brown sugar together
· Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda and spices together, then pour the liquid into a well in the middle, stirring gently to make a smooth batter
· Spoon into greased mini loaf tins and bake at 170c for 20-25 minutes, sprinkling with sliced ginger half way through baking
Cool in tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack