flipGrantham Gingerbreads
Grantham Gingerbreads
Why this dish? Margaret Thatcher grew up above her father Alfred Roberts' grocery shop in Grantham. 'Grantham gingerbreads' are a historic and renowned specialty of that town: these pale, crisp ginger biscuits were the very taste of her childhood and her region.
Small, pale, light and domed biscuits, flavored with ginger, crisp on the outside and tender in the centre. A local sweet that keeps for several days in a tin.
Ah, the Grantham gingerbreads! My whole childhood is in this pale little biscuit. Above my father's shop, the smell of ginger would rise up to our rooms. It's not a flashy pastry, no — it's an honest sweet, which keeps in the tin and lasts the week without spoiling. You serve them at afternoon tea, and believe me, nothing comforts better after a long day than a good cup of tea and a biscuit from home.
- •Wheat flour — a pound (base)
- •Sugar — a pound (sweetness and crispness)
- •Butter — a good portion (binder)
- •Egg — 1 (binder)
- •Ground ginger — generously (signature spice)
Grantham Gingerbreads
Small, pale, light and domed biscuits, flavored with ginger, crisp on the outside and tender in the centre. A local sweet that keeps for several days in a tin.
Why this dish? Margaret Thatcher grew up above her father Alfred Roberts' grocery shop in Grantham. 'Grantham gingerbreads' are a historic and renowned specialty of that town: these pale, crisp ginger biscuits were the very taste of her childhood and her region.
Ah, the Grantham gingerbreads! My whole childhood is in this pale little biscuit. Above my father's shop, the smell of ginger would rise up to our rooms. It's not a flashy pastry, no — it's an honest sweet, which keeps in the tin and lasts the week without spoiling. You serve them at afternoon tea, and believe me, nothing comforts better after a long day than a good cup of tea and a biscuit from home.
Ingredients (period version)
- Wheat flour — a pound (base)
- Sugar — a pound (sweetness and crispness)
- Butter — a good portion (binder)
- Egg — 1 (binder)
- Ground ginger — generously (signature spice)
Ingredients
- Flour — 225 g (base)
- Caster sugar — 225 g (sweetness and crispness)
- Soft butter — 110 g (binder)
- Egg — 1 (binder)
- Ground ginger — 2 to 3 tsp (signature spice)
- Baking powder — 1 tsp (light leavening)
- Pinch of salt — 1 (balance)
Method
- Beat the soft butter with the sugar until pale.
- Add the egg, then the flour, baking powder, ginger and salt to form a firm dough.
- Shape small walnut-sized balls and place them well spaced on a baking sheet (they spread and crack).
- Bake at 170°C for about 15-20 minutes: they should remain pale, puffed and cracked on top.
- Cool on a wire rack: they harden and become crisp.
- Store in an airtight tin.
How it was made : Grantham gingerbreads are said to have originated in the 18th century, supposedly from a recipe mistake that produced pale biscuits instead of the usual dark gingerbread. Pale, light and long-lasting, they were among the products that a provincial grocery like the Roberts' could sell and keep in stock.
The contemporary twist : Stack them in a retro 'Grantham' tin and serve with a smoky tea: a delicious tribute to the Iron Lady's provincial roots.
Margaret Thatcher · Charactorium
