This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Anna works in PR for a ballet company in London. She has everything she wants. A great job – no, it isn't as a ballet dancer but it is the closest thing to it – plus a lovely boyfriend and a very expensive wedding planned. Then the hotel where the wedding was booked goes under, taking Anna's money with it. And Anna loses her job. With no money at all, her fiancé gets a job back in their hometown of Nettleton. And to Nettleton she returns, the last place on earth she wants to be.
You see, Anna doesn't have a very good reputation in Nettleton. She's known as spoiled and rude with a mega attitude. And oh how the mighty have fallen. Once used to having other people make drinks for her, move boxes and organise for her, Anna is given a job, extremely reluctantly, by the woman who runs the local antique shop. And Anna's job, after being given a cup of tea and a gingernut biscuit, is to organise everything in the back room of the shop.
Anna is so not impressed.
Never mind, Anna. Have another gingernut…
These gingernuts are inspired by Delia's recipe with a few changes. I like my gingernut very fiery. If you want to tone it down a touch then just use a little less spice.
Equipment
Lined baking tray.
Ingredients
125g self-raising flour
2 heaped teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
50g golden granulated sugar
50g butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 teaspoon black treacle
Method
- Line the baking tray with baking parchment and pre-heat the oven to 170 fan.
- Measure out the flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda and sugar, then stir so all evenly distributed.
- Add the butter in pieces and cover in the spiced flour mix. Then, get your hands in and rub the butter into the spiced flour.
- Once the mixture resembles breadcrumbs add the syrup and treacle.
- Mix together – you may need to use your hands again and squeeze it to come together – until you have a ball of dough.
- Cut the dough into quarters, then make each quarter a ball and cut each quarter into four again.
- Roll each piece in your hand to make a ball then pop onto the baking tray. Make sure evenly spaced. (You may need two trays.)
- Pop into the oven for ten minutes. If not quite the right gingernut colour after ten minutes, bake for a few minutes longer.
- Remove from oven, allow to cool, then serve with a cup of tea.