Sticky Gingerbread with Pears

Sticky and Cakey

I finally remembered to get some treacle to make gingerbread. Hooray! I decided I wanted to make some gingerbread as I had a bag of pears that were ripening faster than I could eat them. My Grandma used to make a delicious trifle with Jamaican gingerbread, tinned pears, custard and cream. It was all store cupboard ingredients but it was delicious, and so the pear- gingerbread combination is one which will always remind me of her. Next time, I'll up the ginger, (it wasn't quite gingery enough- when I have something ginger flavoured, I like it to be really strong, and I will get around to brewing some ginger beer- crabbies was a disappointment), but in all honesty, it was delicious as it was. 
Ingredients:
8 oz plain flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 oz butter
4 oz golden syrup
4 oz black treacle
2 oz soft dark brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 fl oz milk
1 oz mix candied & fresh ginger
2-3 ripe pears, peeled and sliced
Method:
- preheat the oven to gas mark 4 and line am 8 inch square tin with baking paper
- sift the dry ingredients in to a large bowl and set aside
-put the butter, syrup, treacle and sugar in a heatproof bowl of a pan of boiling water and leave to melt. Stir occasionally and when al combined and smooth, allow to cool slightly
- add the beaten eggs to the milk. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the melted stuff followed by the milk and eggs. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Arrange the sliced pears on top.
-pour in to the prepared tin and bake for around an hour.
-once a skewer comes out clean, leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins then on a wire rack until cold. Slice and enjoy with a cup of tea!