This recipe is a favourite from a special uncle who ran a small restaurant in the village town of Beauty Point on the Tamar river in northern Tasmania, way back in the '70s.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup caster sugar
• 1 cup finely chopped crystallised ginger
• 1 cup butter, very soft but not melted
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1-2 tablespoons extra caster sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease and flour the base of a 23cm round cake or flan tin.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl. Stir in ¾ of the ginger and make a well in the centre.
3. Add the softened butter and beaten egg into the well and, using a wooden spoon, combine the mixture to form a soft dough.
4. Use floured hands to press into the prepared tin, making dimples with fingertips. Sprinkle the remaining ginger and extra caster sugar on top.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack to cool thoroughly. Serve in wedges.
6. Store in an airtight container. The flavour improves on keeping.

Cooks Tips

When recipes call for softened butter, the butter should be very soft - but not melted. Once melted, butter changes from a solid fat to an oil and will nto perform as intended in the recipe.