Samhain Recipe: Ginger Dumplings

 

Ginger Dumplings

Ginger, a spice long associated with Samhain cooking, is used in this South African dessert that will satisfy any comfort food cravings on a wintery night.

 

Ingredients:

Ginger Syrup

750ml water

250ml brown sugar

5ml ground ginger

 

Dumplings

375ml cake flour

125ml smooth apricot jam

100g margarine or butter

7ml bicarbonate of soda

2ml vanilla essence

2ml salt

 

Method:

1. Place all the ingredients for the ginger syrup in a large (and preferably deep) heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes while the dumpling mixture is being prepared.

2. In a saucepan over a medium heat, melt together the jam and margarine/butter until just melted and warmed through. Remove from heat, and stir in the bicarbonate of soda and vanilla essence. Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt to form a soft dough.

3. Carefully drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough into the simmering ginger syrup. Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer the dumplings for 20 minutes. Do not remove the lid during this time.

4. When cooked the dumplings should be light and fluffy, and the syrup golden brown in colour.

Serve the ginger dumplings warm with cold custard.

 

Tips:

• For convenience, the apricot jam and margarine/butter can be melted in the microwave on medium for 1-2 minutes.