Malted Pumpkin Gingerbread

• 6 T. unsalted butter
• 65 g. dark brown sugar
• 100 g. golden syrup, agave syrup or maple syrup
• 3 T. molasses
• 1/8 t. ground cloves
• 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
• 1 t. ground ginger
• 3/4 t. baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. pumpkin puree or applesauce
• 1 1/2 T. malted milk powder
• 130 g. whole-wheat flour
• handful of candied ginger, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 21 cm loaf tin with a little sunflower oil and then line it with baking parchment.

In a large saucepan over a medium heat, gently stir the butter, sugar, syrup and molasses together until the butter is melted.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cloves, cinnamon, ginger and bicarbonate of soda. Beat in the egg and pumpkin purée, then the malted milk powder, and finally stir in the flour. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 10 minutes. Quickly pull the tin out of the oven and sprinkle the candied ginger down the centre, then return it to the oven to continue cooking for a further 35 minutes. Let the loaf cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 1 loaf.

VERDICT:  I couldn't taste the malted milk powder, which was disappointing.  On the plus side, this was the most consistently-cooked gingerbread I've ever made, and I love the melt-it-together method of mixing.  I used agave syrup, light brown sugar, and applesauce.  From Top with Cinnamon.  Keep.