Nigella's Sticky Gingerbread

I wanted to make something Christmassy to take to a friends house for lunch today. This dark, treacly gingerbread certainly fits the bill. I have just lifted the cake tin lid and have been greeted with the most delicious smell. I should have made mine in a slightly bigger tin (I used a square brownie tin) as I felt it was too thick and a little stodgy in the middle. However it still tastes wonderful. The recipe is taken from Nigella's 'Christmas' Cookbook, it's really easy to make and can keep for up to 2 weeks once cooked. A nice homemade Christmas present perhaps?

Ingredients

Makes 20 squares
150g butter
200g golden syrup
200g black treacle or molasses
125g dark muscovado sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, dissolved in 2 x 15ml tablespoons warm water
250ml full-fat milk
2 eggs, beaten to mix
300g plain flour

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a roasting tin or ovenproof dish (approx. 30cm x 20cm x 5cm) with Bake-O-Glide, foil or baking parchment (if using foil, grease it too). In a saucepan, melt the butter over a lowish heat along with the sugar, syrup, treacle, fresh and ground gingers, cinnamon and cloves.

Take off the heat, and add the milk, eggs and dissolved bicarbonate of soda in its water.
Measure the flour into a bowl and pour in the liquid ingredients, beating until well mixed. It will be a very liquid batter, so don’t worry. This is part of
what makes it sticky later.
Pour it into the prepared tin and bake for 45–60 minutes until risen and firm on top. Try not to overcook, as it is nicer a little stickier, and anyway it will carry on cooking as it cools.
Transfer the tin to a wire rack and let the gingerbread cool in the tin before cutting into 20 squares, or however you wish to slice it.