Gingernut Cookies
Ah, dear readers! As the brisk autumnal winds usher in the scent of fallen leaves and distant woodsmoke, my heart is filled with nostalgia. Today, I’ll share a story that has become the stuff of legends in my family, a tale intertwined with destiny, drama, and delightful gingernuts. Sit tight with a cup of tea, for this is not your average cookie recipe story.
It all began in the humble English town of Gingershire. Yes, that’s not a typo—Gingershire, a town that incidentally has nothing to do with the hair color. Here, my four times removed great-aunt Priscilla lived. Aunt Priscilla was a woman of great stature and even greater eccentricities. She wore oversized purple hats, had a pet flamingo named Humphrey, and, most notably, possessed a secret cookie recipe.
In 1885, during the Great Gingernut Shortage, Gingershire was in turmoil. People were frantic! Gingernuts were not just cookies; they were the very soul of the town. It was during this tragic time that Aunt Priscilla, after consulting with the local seer, Madame Esmeralda, and perhaps with a touch of her own flamboyant flair, developed her own unique recipe for gingernuts.
As a child, when the family would gather during the holidays, my grandmother would tell tales of how these cookies saved Gingershire from despair. And every year, without fail, she’d bake a batch, filling our home with the familiar, comforting aroma that wafted through the generations.
Years later, when I was in university, I shared a flat with Agatha, an endearing yet incredibly forgetful lass. There was one thing Agatha never forgot, though: the taste of these gingernuts. She claimed they had ‘magical properties’, giving her the ability to recall every lecture note with impeccable precision. I must admit, during exams, our flat smelled perpetually of ginger.
When my own children came into the world, amidst the chaos of diapers and midnight lullabies, these cookies became a beacon of sanity. My daughter, Lila, took her first steps reaching for one. And Tommy, my son, uttered his first word, “Nut!” before correcting it to “Mum” under my semi-glaring expression.
Now, I must mention Rupert. A stranger I met only once, on a train ride from London to Leeds. Sharing a compartment, I offered him a gingernut from my stash. With a single bite, his eyes widened. Tears welled up. He confessed that the taste reminded him of a long-lost love, a woman from Gingershire, and in that moment, I felt the universe’s mysterious connections.
Recently, during a family reunion, a third cousin named Beatrice revealed she’d made a fortune in the stock market after having dreamt of gingernuts guiding her investment choices. Coincidence? Or the power of Aunt Priscilla’s recipe?
As I pen this tale, my kitchen is filled with the aroma of these very cookies. My teenage Tommy is playing the violin (inspired, he claims, by the gingery notes), Lila is sketching the perfect cookie, and my husband is…well, he’s just devouring them.
- 60 cookies
- 15 minutes
- 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 200 g butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup golden syrup
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Directions
- Pre heat oven to 350°F.
- Cream the butter and the sugar.
- Add the golden syrup and the dry ingredients.
- Mix everything together and roll into little balls. Put onto a greased baking tray, pressing the balls down very slightly with a fork.
- Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack and keep in an airtight container once cold.
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