From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

maddiemay

Hello GP the references to Jamaica Ginger Cake earlier set me off on a trail down a rabbit hole  
I used to make a version of this from a recipe by Elaine then MFIT (mortgage free in 3 on MSE), very tasty and cheap using basic ingredients, and a secret ingredient on most of our shelves,  having trawled through all my recipes and not finding it (her website had become corrupted some years ago) I have done a search on MSE and found that 2 lovely posters had each posted the recipe on Old Style  "Lost Jamaica Ginger Cake Recipe" September 2013

If anyone would like a home made (easy) version with the minimum of UPF's i have the recipe, but have not been able to post link.

Greying_Pilgrim

maddiemay - lovely to "see" you hun 😁 are the recipes that you found from Elaine?  I do have her original recipe - I seem to recall that it was black pepper that was essential for her version.  I've just looked in my recipe index and it's 1/4 tsp.

I've just taken the Christmas cake out of the oven - it smells yummy - and I can see at least one cherry towards the top, so they've not all sunk...... 🤣

We're having veggie hot dogs and 'chips' for tea.  I saw some 'chunky' chips on FQenFrance's vlog - I think it may have been the 1970's food edition, and I just thought they looked so good (skin on).  She has an air fryer though I think, so I may not get the desired effect.  But you've got to give these things a go.  I cut the chips with a knife, and got 9 per potato.  

Ta for popping by 😁  So happy when folks take the time to post.  

Greying X

KajiKita

I now have Christmas cake envy …! 😂 Only I eat it though, so I just need to buy a small slab for me … <bustles off to add to next week’s grocery delivery>

KK

Greying_Pilgrim

With regard to Dearest maddiemay's post above regarding Jamaica Ginger Cake, if anyone would like Elaine's recipe, it is Lost Jamaica Ginger Cake recipe (from the OS grocery challenge).  HTH.  Speaking personally, I tend to do 1.5 x the ingredient quantities, I found 1 x made a too small cake for the tins I have.  iirc Elaine used to make it in a loaf tin.  

Greying X

kayannie

Thank you for the ginger cake recipe GP. I'll make it this week. My OH always claims that my ginger cakes don't taste gingery enough, even though I've used different recipes & added extra ginger. 

You were thinking of options for a meal over Christmas - you might be interested in a chestnut & leek bake that I first made for Christmas a few years ago but make quite often now for Sunday lunch. It only uses a few ingredients, is vegetarian & quick & easy to make. Just an idea if you fancy something a bit different!
KA x

Baileys_Babe

kayannie said:

Thank you for the ginger cake recipe GP. I'll make it this week. My OH always claims that my ginger cakes don't taste gingery enough, even though I've used different recipes & added extra ginger. 

You were thinking of options for a meal over Christmas - you might be interested in a chestnut & leek bake that I first made for Christmas a few years ago but make quite often now for Sunday lunch. It only uses a few ingredients, is vegetarian & quick & easy to make. Just an idea if you fancy something a bit different!
KA x

Do you have a recipe or link to the chestnut & leek bake you could share @kayannie

ladybird1106

Thanks for the ginger cake recipe. The eldest doesn’t like Christmas cake , so going to make them this as an alternative.
love 🐞

Greying_Pilgrim

kayannie said:

Thank you for the ginger cake recipe GP. I'll make it this week. My OH always claims that my ginger cakes don't taste gingery enough, even though I've used different recipes & added extra ginger. 

You were thinking of options for a meal over Christmas - you might be interested in a chestnut & leek bake that I first made for Christmas a few years ago but make quite often now for Sunday lunch. It only uses a few ingredients, is vegetarian & quick & easy to make. Just an idea if you fancy something a bit different!
KA x

Hey hun,  it's Elaine Colliar's recipe (aka Memorygirl on here from some years ago) - so all thanks go to her.  I did find that writing it out again (first into my recipe book and now transferred into my recipe index) helped, as otherwise it's easy to miss ingredients off the list, as they appear to morph into the method.  But that might just be down to my ineptness 🤣

Thanks for the thought about the chestnut bake - I have to admit to not being super keen on chestnuts myself, and LG definitely isn't, so that would probably be a waste for us.  BUT you're definitely on the money regarding using leeks - I specifically chose the MrL box the other week as it had some in, and I've blanched and frozen them for use over the season - particularly in the SC recipe on Christmas Day.  

Greying X

KajiKita

I have never tried chestnuts … And I have never seen them as an ingredient in anything available to eat when out and about so I could sample them …
Can I ask that both a fan (@kayannie) and a not-fan (@greying_pilgrim) share what they think they’re like as that might give me an idea of whether it’s worth me trying them … 😉😂

KK

Greying_Pilgrim

I've only ever eaten vaccum packed chestnuts KajiKita, rather than roasted chestnuts from an open fire in auld Lunnon tarn......... 😉  The vaccum pack variety are 'softer' than conventional nuts.  If you could imagine they blend very easily into a paste/puree - whereas if you blended nuts, you'd have bitty bits, wouldn't you.  The taste is nutty/mushroomy/umami - ish.  I can't think of anything they taste like as a direct comparison - but they are on the earthy/savoury side, but with a hint of sweet on the finish.  I think I dislike the texture most of all, it's a bit like eating something like.....a ball of nut butter, or a ball of marzipan - to me, it has a slight clagginess that I just don't like texturally.  HOWEVER, I have only ever used vaccum-packed chestnuts, the whole nut may be different.  Although they have problems of their own - roasting them is a Elfin Safety nightmare (you roast them in their shells, and they can 'pop' like popcorn, then you have to de-skin them.  Which is wonderful if you're stood in a Dickensian street in a snowstorm - it keeps your fingers warm - but at all other times, I suspect it's a bit of a faff. 

My Uncle (much to my aunt's annoyance), roasted chestnuts he'd gathered from tree in a wood on top of their log burner.  I think iirc he'd got a proper roasting pan from somewhere (I think they have holes in the lid????).  But it was a bit of a messy affair, and I don't know if he's done it again.......ever 🤭

Just my twopenneth, and it is only vac-pac ones I've tried.  

Greying X