Nigella's Chocolate Gingerbread

FOR THE CAKE

• 175g unsalted butter
• 125g dark muscovado sugar
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 200g golden syrup
• 200g black treacle or molasses
• One-quarter teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• One and one-quarter teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 2 eggs
• 250ml milk
• 275g plain flour
• 40g cocoa
• 175g chocolate chips

FOR THE ICING

• 250g icing sugar
• 30g unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 60ml ginger ale

Don't worry if you don't have golden syrup, runny honey works just as well. Also I used Lebkuchengewuerz (2 tbsp) instead of the spices.

I couldn't find chocolate chips, so I bought normal bars and with the help of two under fives and a rolling pin smashed them to pieces.


Preheat the oven to gas mark 3/170C and tear off a big piece of baking parchment to line the bottom and sides of a roasting pan of approximately 30 x 20 x 5 cm deep.

In a decent-sized saucepan, melt the butter along with the sugars, golden syrup, treacle or molasses, cloves, cinnamon and ground ginger. In a cup dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the water. Take the saucepan off the heat and beat in the eggs, milk and bicarb in its water. Stir in the flour and cocoa and beat with a wooden spoon to mix. Fold in the chocolate chips, pour into the lined tin and bake for about 45 minutes until risen and firm. It will be slightly damp underneath the set top and that's the way you want it.

Remove to a wire rack and let cool in the tin. Once cool, get on with the icing.

Sieve the icing sugar. In a heavy-based saucepan heat the butter, cocoa and ginger ale. Once the butter's melted, whisk in the icing sugar. Lift the chocolate gingerbread out of the tin and unwrap the paper. Pour over the icing just to cover the top and cut into fat slabs when set.

Do not leave unattended.


Rinse off children. Clean up kitchen.

Wolf whistle

I got whistled at! Yes, really. I checked there were no 19 year olds anywhere or other females. It was one of the bin men who had whistled. I almost had to ask if he was sure he meant me.

I realise that my feminist principles should be outraged. I should be worried that I was inappropriately dressed. Now, I have no principles and I was in standard "bring children to school" outfit. So for 15 mins I felt good. Then I started to worry: what if he was taking the mickey? What if it was just a dare from the others to see how I would react? On balance I decided to go for compliment.

Marriage

At breakfast.

"Mummy? Can you marry your best friend?"

"Yes, of course you can. I was friends with your Daddy before I married him."

"Oh good! I'll marry Thomas then!"


After pre-school:

"I told Thomas I would marry him. He said that would be all right with him."


I must ask Thomas' Mummy how she feels about this. I think he will be a lucky man indeed. She's a good catch my eldest; clever and beautiful, if a little stubborn. But maybe they should to wait another 13 years give or take.

School Uniform

Well it is really happening. CS will be going to school in September. My first born, my little blond baby. I am feeling daunted at the prospect of her being "locked up" from 8.50 to 3.00. She thinks it will be a great adventure.

During the course of the summer holidays we will have to buy school uniform. I am not against uniform. I went to a school which did not have uniform and the bitchiness about labels and looks was terrible. Also I will just be able to say: you have to wear it, no arguments.

Things I have so far discovered about uniform:

1. It is shapeless and mostly drab.
2. It is inexpensive but 100% polyester.
   
3. Most shops stock some form of uniform. You do not have to go to a special outfitters.
4. Royal blue is not a standard colour, so you do have to go to the specialist.
5. It is all different than is Germany (or 20 odd years ago when I was at school)
6. Black school shoes are "so my favourite and my best"
7. The youngest is jealous of the uniform.
   
8. Mr Y. is not helping as "it isn't like this in NL" either.