Gingernut Cookies

Similar to the Oatmeal Cookies I posted the other day, these Gingernuts are a recipe from my Grandma, and they use self-raising flour which is a massive win at the moment! 

I don’t recall Grandma ever making these, but as soon as I gave one of these biscuits to my Mum, she said ‘Oh yes I remember these, this is Grandma’s recipe isn’t it?’. I found the recipe in a folder of loose handwritten and typed up recipes I collected from my grandparent’s place after Grandma died. There was a drawer in the kitchen that housed all her old cookbooks, notebooks and loose recipes and I carefully went through and filed them in a folder for safekeeping. 

Some of the recipes in the folder are things I will probably never make (like the recipe for Curried Seafood Salad!), but having them and seeing her handwriting is always comforting. Then there are gems like this recipe that I think I will be making many times over, not only at the moment whilst we are in self isolation and need to be reasonable about our plain flour use, but after this madness is over too. 

This recipe is really simple, and there is no need for a stand or hand held mixer. I also found that the dough was really easy to roll into balls, and the cookies baked into very consistent looking circles which was very satisfying. 

My Grandma’s original recipe (as shown below) was mostly in cup measurements, but I have converted it into grams as I find it is easiest to bake that way. I also found I did not get the 48 biscuits as per the original recipe, I got more like 30 biscuits in total. I may have made them a little bigger than Grandma did, but I guess I will never know! 

My Grandma’s Gingernut Biscuit Recipe

Gingernut Cookies

Ingredients:

115g unsalted butter

225g caster sugar

2 tbsp golden syrup

1 egg, beaten

290g self raising flour

3 tsp ground ginger

pinch salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line three large baking trays with baking paper.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Once melted remove from the heat and add the sugar, golden syrup and the egg and mix well.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, ground ginger and salt. Add the butter mixture to the flour and mix until combined. If the mixture is warm from the melted butter, allow it to cool a little, otherwise continue on.

Roll teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls and place on the trays. The biscuits will spread as they bake so leave enough room in between each. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. I like the rotate the trays in the oven about halfway through to ensure the biscuits cook evenly. 

Allow to cool on their trays, then store in an airtight container. 

Makes about 30 biscuits/cookies.

Oatmeal Cookies and Thoughts on Social Isolation

I shared this recipe over on Instagram a week or so ago, and quite a few people came back and told me they made them, which was wonderful. So I thought I should post the recipe here on the blog too. 

This recipe is one I remember my Grandma making often, and since it is such a simple recipe I can see why. I don’t know how she came to find the recipe, but in my family these are known as Grandma’s Oatmeal Biscuits. 

I found a handwritten copy of my Grandma’s of this recipe, and she has added cinnamon to it. No doubt when I copied out some of her recipes for myself around the age of 11 or 12, I decided I didn’t like cinnamon (despite having eaten many of these biscuits) as I left it out of my copy of the recipe, and sans cinnamon is how I have made them ever since. 

My Grandma’s Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Beyond being very simple to make, another bonus to this recipe is that it uses self-raising flour! In right now, during the COVID-19 pandemic where all sorts of supermarket essentials are sold out, this is a massive win. Plain flour (and bread flour) all seem to be bought up by those who either had more foresight than the rest of us, or are genuinely stockpiling it. I often wonder about those who have stockpiled food, especially things found in the baking isle. Will they ever really use these items? 

Having the idea to bake your own bread and the like is one thing, but if you aren’t a confident bread baker, having it actually turn out well is another thing entirely. Not to mention to amount of time and effort that goes into baking such things. I would hazard a guess that after one attempt those who aren’t keen bakers (and who don’t actually really have said ‘time’ on their hands), wouldn’t attempt it again. There is also the fact that bakeries are still open (as I write this anyway), and bread can still be bought from supermarkets etc, so baking your own bread isn’t really essential. 

Hopefully being forced to stay home will encourage some to get into cooking and baking and it will be something they find they enjoy. I just hope the stockpiles of things that some have bought don’t end up going to waste.

How are you doing with everything that is going on right now? 

I am finding the constant push for us all to be productive and make the most of this ‘opportunity’ is just adding to the stress of the whole thing. This isn’t an opportunity, it’s a crisis. While some may find unintended uses for all the time we are spending at home, I don’t think we need to get to the end of this time (whenever that may be), and be able to show what we’ve achieved in it. I think the only real achievement will just be getting through it. 

Some days I feel ok, like I can tackle whatever I need to do. Others I feel at a loss as to what I should be doing. I am definitely someone who likes spending time at home, but even I am feeling a bit closed in not having the same opportunities to leave the house as I did. 

I am finding, as I usually do, that baking is what gets me through the bad days and helps me enjoy the good ones more. Obviously taking into account, not being frivolous with ingredients, I am baking every couple of days or so and these Oatmeal Cookies will be made a few times over I think by the time this whole thing has come to an end. 

I am also finding FaceTiming with friends immensely helpful, and just generally trying to be kind and understanding to myself about how I am feeling. I know there will be days were things seem really hard, but I also know that those days will pass. And that there will probably be a slice of cake or a cookie to enjoy regardless. 

Other Things I Have Found Helpful

Reading and Audiobooks

New Cookbooks & Cookbooks in General

Having Access to A Variety of Hand Creams and Moisturisers + Hand Sanitiser

Oatmeal Biscuits/Cookies

Ingredients: 

125g softened unsalted butter, or margarine

180g brown sugar

1 egg

120g self raising flour

130g rolled oats (not instant oats)

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius, and line three large baking trays with baking paper.

In a large bowl cream the butter/margarine and brown sugar with a wooden spoon until combined. 

Add the egg and mix well. 

Fold in the self raising flour and the oats. 

Using a teaspoon, drop rough balls of the mixture on the the trays, keeping in mind the biscuits will spread when as they bake. 

Bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown. 

Allow to cook on the trays, and store in an airtight container once cooled. 

Makes approx. 36 biscuits.