Scottish Fruited Gingerbread Recipes

SCOTS GINGERBREAD (OLD SCOTTISH RECIPE)

Steps:

• 1. Original version: Beat 8 oz. butter to a cream. Mix with 12 oz. flour, 4 oz. oatmeal, 1/2 gill cream. Stir in 12 oz. treacle, 1 oz. green ginger, 4 oz. lemon peel cut into fine shreds. Work the whole into a light dough. Bake in a greased tin for 45 minutes.
• 2. Modern version: Cream the butter. Beat in flour, oats, and cream. Add in sorghum, ginger, and lemon peel. (This looks like a lot of peel. I wouldn't pack it down in the cup.) Combine well.
• 3. Preheat oven to 350-375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch cake pan. Spread batter into prepared pan.
• 4. Bake at 350 to 375 degrees about 40-45 minutes. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn. Since no temperature was given in the recipe, and temperatures varied greatly back then, it's hard to judge how long to cook it.
• 5. Cool 10 minutes in pan. May cut and serve from pan, or turn out onto serving plate and slice to serve.

SCOTTISH FRUITED GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Grease and line a deep 7-inch square cake tin.
• Sift the flour, ginger, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together.
• Place sugar, butter, syrup and milk in a pan and warm gently until melted and blended.
• Do not boil.
• Add to the flour with the eggs and mix thoroughly.
• Stir in orange zest and apricots.
• Turn into the baking tin and bake at 325ºF for 60-65 minutes or until firm to the touch.
• Turn out and cool.
• The flavour of this cake improves with age.
• Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days before serving.