Grasmere Gingerbread

1 lb Fine oatmeal

1/2 ts Baking powder

4 ts Ground ginger

1 pn Allspice

1/2 lb Pale muscovado sugar

1/2 lb Butter

2 tb Golden syrup

Line a swiss roll or baking tin measuring about 9 x 13 inches with bakewell or greaseproof paper and grease it well. Stir the dry ingredients together. Melt the butter and syrup over low heat, pour on to the dry ingredients and stir well to make a fairly stiff mixture. Spread the mixture evenly over the base of the prepared tin and bake at 350 F (180 C) gas mark 4 for 25-30 minutes. Do not be alarmed by the fact that the mixture will look a little runny when it emerges from the oven; this is normal. Mark the biscuits into fingers or squares while still warm but leave in the tin until completely cold. Don`t make the biscuits very big ~ they are chewy and very filling. Good exercise for the jaws and high in calories. Source: Philippa Davenport in "Country Living" (British), March 1989.