Pig-in-cake (Hogweed Gingerbread)

Pig-in-cake (Hogweed Bread)

Despite calling myself a forager for over a decade, this is the first year that I have felt confident in my ability to identify Common Hogweed. Like any good forager I have been wary that I might pick a deadly lookalike and I wouldn't pick Hogweed until I was sure what I was picking.

The seeds can be dried and ground to make a spice that has an orangey-ginger flavour. I used it to make a Gingerbread without the ginger. I'm lactose intolerant but feel free to substitute the margarine for butter and the soya milk for any other milk (hazelnut milk might be nice too).

Wet ingredients:
250g margarine
250g dark muscovado sugar
100g black treacle
2 eggs, beaten
300ml unsweetened soya milk

Dry ingredients:
375g wholemeal plain flour
5 tsp ground Hogweed seeds
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method:

Preheat oven to 160°C

Grease and line a 23cm baking tin.

Heat the margarine, sugar and treacle until saucy and combined.

Add the milk and eggs and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients and mix together.

Pour mixture into baking tin.

Bake for 50mins -1 hour (check readiness with a skewer - prod into the centre of the cake and the skewer should come out clean).

Eat.