Apple and Gingerbread Stuffing

I bloody love this time of year. All my favourite spices are out in force, and even savoury food has a sweet edge. Dishes are warming, filling and above all, comforting. There's nothing worse than soggy packet stuffing filled out with dried herbs and breadcrumbs. This is a recipe inspired by Nigella, the goddess of festive cookery.

I use Jamaica Ginger Cake in mine, mainly because I think it has the perfect texture for stuffing. It crumbles well but also has a sticky exterior. In my opinion, nothing compares! This bad boy is jam packed with flavour, texture and a little bit of joy! It can be used to stuff your bird, but I prefer to make it in a loaf tin then serve in chunks with festive ham.

Ingredients

• A knob of butter
• 1 tsp oil
• 250g finely diced onion
• 1 pink lady or gala apple - diced
• 350g unsmoked streaky bacon - cut into small pieces
• Zest of one medium orange
• 1 Jamaica Ginger Cake - crumbled
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 beaten egg

Method 

1. Line a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a large pan and soften the onion and apple over a low heat for about 10 minutes (pop a lid on).
3. Add the bacon pieces and cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes.
4. Take the pan off the heat and leave with the lid off for about 10 minutes.
5. Add the crumbled gingerbread, zest, pepper and spices and stir well. 
6. Stir in the egg. This is why it needs to be a bit cooler... no-one likes scrambled egg in their stuffing!
7. Pack the mix into the loaf tin and cook in the centre of the oven on gas 7/220 C for 40 minutes.
8. TIP: I make this in advance of the meal. It even freezes really well. Cut into cubes, pop it in an ovenproof dish and place it at the bottom of the oven when you are making roasties. It warms through and gets crispy on the edges...

Enjoy...

Please leave your comments below... x

Join my blog friends: Join Dolly
Subscribe: Newsfeed
Join me on Facebook
Tweet me @dollybakes
Have a nosy at my pics on Pinterest