Recipes from Our Newsletter
War Time Recipe -Sugarless Apple Dessert
IngredientsCooking apples, Orange juice, Condensed milk, Nuts or grated chocolate.
Method
Grate raw cooking apple, whip together with the condensed milk, add a little juice. Arrange in little dishes with nuts or grated chocolate on top.
War Time Recipe - Honey Cakes
Ingredients1 teaspoon sugar, 2.5 oz. margarine, 2 teaspoons honey, 6oz. SR Flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
Method
Beat sugar and margarine together, Sieve flour & cinnamon and add to mixture, Mix with a wooden spoon until it binds together, then knead until you have a soft dough. Break off pieces of the dough and roll between your palms into balls. Bake on a lightly greased tray.
War Time Recipe -Apple and Coconut Pudding
Ingredients450g Stale cake, 225g cooking apples, 25g desiccated coconut, 25g margarine, 25g sugar, pinch of nutmeg.
Method
Cook the apples with sugar, nutmeg and a spoonful of water. Cut the stale cake into pieces and cover the bottom of a deep dish. Spoon the cooked apple over the cake and leave to soak for half an hour. Heat the oven to 180° C (gas mark 4). Dot the surface of the apples with margarine, Sprinkle with coconut. Bake for about half an hour.
War Time Recipe -Bread Pudding
Ingredients8oz. stale bread2oz, grated suet or melted cooking fat, 1 egg, 1oz. sugar, pinch of nutmeg, 1 tablespoon marmalade, 2oz. dried fruit.
Method
Put the bread in a basin, add cold water, leave for 15 minutes, then squeeze dry with your fingers. Return the bread to the basin, add all the other ingredients, with enough milk to make a sticky consistency. Put into a greased Yorkshire Pudding tin and bake in the middle of a slow oven for one and a half hours or steam in a greased basin for 2 hours.
War Time Recipe-Rhubarb Crumble
Ingredients1lb rhubarb, 1.5oz. fat, 4oz plain flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, pinch salt, 2 tablespoons golden syrup.
Method
Wipe the rhubarb and cut into small pieces, simmer with the syrup until cooked and place at the bottom of a fireproof dish. Rub the fat into the flour, salt and sugar unti like fine breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the stewed fruit. Bake in a moderate oven for 15-20 minutes
War Time Recipe -Cornish Pasties
Ingredients1lb short crust pastry, 4oz. minced beef, 1 chopped onion, 8oz. diced turnips, 2oz diced carrots, salt and pepper
Method
Roll out pastry into 4 or 5 rounds, mix ingredients together with little stock and season to taste. Put spoonfuls of the mixture into the centre of each pastry round. Brush the edges with water, bring them together and shape into traditional pastie shape. Brush with milk. Bake on a greased tray for 30 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 190°C.
War time Recipe Spiced Biscuits
Ingredients2oz Cooking fat, 2oz. sugar, 1tbsp golden syrup, 6oz plain flour, ½tsp bicarb of soda, pinch cinnamon, pinch of ground ginger.
Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C Gas Mark 3, cream the fat with the sugar and syrup. Sift the flour with the bicarbonate of soda and spices. Add to the creamed ingredients. Mix very well and then add just enough water to make a firm dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board, roll out until ¼ inch in thickness. Cut into 30 rounds. Place on greased baking trays and bake for 10 minutes.
War time Recipe - Eggless Ginger Cake
Ingredients2oz Cooking fat, 2oz. sugar, 1-1½ teaspoon ground ginger, 6oz S.R. flour, ½tsp bicarb of soda, 6 tablespoons milk, 2 teaspoons vinegar.
Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C Gas Mark 5. Cream the fat with the sugar and syrup. Sift the flour with the ground ginger. Rub in the fat, add sugar and milk. Blend the bicarbonate of soda with the vinegar : the mixture will bubble. Beat into the cake mixture. Spoon into a greased, floured 7/8 inch cake tin and bake for 20 minutes. Serve the cake when fresh.
War time Recipe - Bacon and Potato Cakes
Ingredients1 or 2 bacon rashers, 12oz. Cooked potatoes, 1-2 tbspoons milk, 1 tbspoon chopped parsley, salt and pepper, 1 tbspoon flour.
Method
Fry the rashers until very crisp and chop into small pieces. Mash the potatoes and add enough milk to make a fairly firm mixture with the bacon, parsley and seasoning. Form into 8 small round cakes. Lightly coat the cakes in the flour then fry them until crisp and brown on both sides in the bacon fat remaining in the pan. Add a little fat if necessary. Serve with cooked halved tomatoes or heated canned tomatoes.
Pork Stir Fry - Serves One
Ingredients1oz thinly cut carrots, ½ tbls sunflower oil, Small slice of fillet pork, 1 onion finely diced, 1 clove garlic crushed, ¼ yellow pepper de-seeded and diced, ¼red pepper de-seeded and diced, 2 tbls creme fresh, Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Slice pork in finger sized pieces. Heat the oil in a frying pan add the onion and garlic. Add the carrot and pepper strips and cook for 2 - 3 minutes until vegetables are softened. Add the pork and seasoning and toss until cooked. Add creme fraiche.
Pear and Frangipane Tart - A Change for Christmas
IngredientsPastry. 175g plain flour, 25g icing sugar, 100g chilled butter, 1 medium egg (yolk only), 2 tsp cold water, 50g softened butter, 50g caster sugar. Make a pastry blind case.
Frangipane. 50g ground almonds, 1 medium egg, 15g SR flour, 3 small ripe pears. To make the frangipane. Beat sugar and butter until they are light and fluffy, add a tbsp of ground almonds and beat it in. Beat the egg and add to the mixture a little at a time. Add the remaining ground almonds and beat them into the mixture. Sift in the flour, then gently stir until all the ingredients are mixed together. Peel and core the pears, cutting them in half. Put knife marks in the pears. Spoon the frangipane into the pastry case. Spread it out and arrange the pears on top. Bake the tart in a pre-warmed oven 170°C for about 30 - 35 minutes. Put it on a wire rack to cool. Mix the jam 2 tbsp apricot jam and 1 tbsp of lemon juice together and brush over the top of the warm tart.
Sage, Pancetta and Potato Bread
Ingredients175g floury potatoes, mashed, 350g strong white bread flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoons fast action dried yeast, Freshly ground black pepper, 175ml hand-hot water, 105g packet smoked pancetta slices - snipped, 15g fresh sage chopped, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.
Method
Combine flour, salt, yeast in a mixing bowl. Season with pepper. Rub in the potato. Make a well in the centre, add the water and mix to a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for 5 or 6 minutes until smooth. Place in an oiled mixing bowl, cover with a damp cloth and prove in a warm place until doubled in size. Heat a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 2 minutes until it starts to crisp. Stir in the chopped sage and cook for a further 30 seconds. Set aside to cool. Knead the pancetta, sage and any fat from the pan into the dough, drizzle any remaining oil over it and place into a greased baking tin. Cover and prove until doubled in size. Cook in a pre-heated oven at gas mark 7/220°C. for 20 - 25 minutes.
Jam Filled Cookies
Ingredients4oz. Softened butter, 1oz. Cornflour, 2oz. Icing sugar, 1oz. Desiccated coconut, 4oz. Plain flour, teaspoon vanilla essence.
Method
Preheat your oven to 180ºC/Gas Mark 4. Beat the butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add the vanilla essence and sift in the icing sugar - stir well until smooth and creamy. Sift the flour and cornflour into the bowl, add the coconut and stir well to make a soft dough. Sprinkle some flour on your hands and scoop about a teaspoonful of dough into your hands and roll into a ball. Repeat with the rest of the dough and place the balls on a greased baking tray. Push your little finger into the middle of each ball to make a hollow. Bake the cookies for 12 - 14 minutes and when cooked leave to cool on the baking tray. When the cookies have cooled use a teaspoon to fill the holes with jam.
Apricot and Orange Cake
Ingredients8oz. Softened butter, 4 eggs, 8oz. Caster sugar, 1 level teaspoon baking powder, 10oz. Plain flour, juice and grated rind of one orange, 2oz. Chopped dried apricots, Dried apricots cut in eighths.
Method
Preheat your oven to 150°C/Gas Mark 2. Line a 2lb. Loaf tin with Bacofoil non-stick foil leaving a 5inch frill above the edge of the tin. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour and baking powder together, fold into the mixture alternately with the orange rind, juice and chopped apricots. Mix lightly using a metal spoon until smooth. Put the mixture into the prepared tin and make a well in the centre of the mixture. Place the remaining apricots on top and bake in the centre of a moderate oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Grasp the foil and remove the cake from the tin, allow to cool. Wrap in the surplus foil to store in a cool place for 7 - 10 days.
Italian Style Beef Stew
Ingredients6oz. Beef steak, sliced thinly, 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced, ½ onion - sliced, ½ 16oz. can chopped tomatoes, 1 garlic clove, sliced, large sprig of rosemary, 1tbsp olive oil, handful of black olives if desired.
Method
In a large saucepan, gently cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 5 minutes or until soft and golden. Add the strips of beef, pepper, tomatoes and rosemary. Bring to the boil before simmering for 15 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through. Stir occasionally - you may need to add some boiling water if the beef sticks to the pan base. Stir in the olives and serve immediately with mashed potato or polenta.
Fat-Free Fruit Tea Loaf
Ingredients12oz. Soft dried fruit, apricots, prunes, apples, etc roughly chopped, 7 oz. soft brown sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 eggs beaten, 1 tsp mixed spice, 13oz wholemeal flour, 2 ripe bananas, thinly sliced, 1 Darjeeling tea bag.
Method
Lightly grease and base line a 2lb loaf tin. Soak the tea bag in 12 fl. oz. boiling water for 5 minutes, then discard the tea bag. Meanwhile place the dried fruit in a large mixing bowl and add the tea, soaking for 3 hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 180°C Gas Mark 4. Add the sugar and eggs to the mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and mixed spice before folding this into the fruit mixture. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes or until firm to the touch and a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serve with the sliced bananas on top.
Sausage Savoury Balls
Ingredients1oz. cooking fat, 12 oz. sausagemeat, 2oz. breadcrumbs, 1 medium onion (chopped) little milk or beaten egg, 13oz wholemeal flour, 1½oz. crisp breadcrumbs, 1 small desert apple, peeled, cored and grated, 1 to 2oz dripping for frying.
Method
Melt the fat in a pan, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, taking care it does not brown. Blend with all the other ingredients and form into 8 balls. Coat the balls with milk or beaten egg then roll them in crisp breadcrumbs. Melt the dripping for frying in the pan until hot and fry the sausage balls quickly until brown on all sides. Lower the heat and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Spicy Sausage Rice
Ingredients½ small onion, chopped, 6fl. oz hot vegetable or chicken stock, ½ red pepper, diced, 2 cooked sausages, sliced, ½ tbsp olive oil, 2oz fresh salsa dip, 3oz basmati rice, large handful rough chopped parsley.
Method
In a medium saucepan, sauté the onion and pepper in the oil until tender. Stir in the rice and stock and bring to the boil. Cover and gently simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Stir in the sausages and salsa and simmer uncovered over a medium heat for a further 5 minutes, or until hot. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.
Easy Hotpot
Ingredients1lb. neck of lamb, chopped and 1-1½ cups chicken stock fried quickly until brown 1oz lard or dripping 1 large onion, thinly sliced salt and pepper 1lb 8oz. potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced. Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas Mark 5. Put the fried meat into a casserole dish. Arrange potatoes and onion on top of meat. Season. Overlap the top layer of potatoes. Pour in the stock. Melt lard and brush over the top of potatoes. Cover dish. Bake in oven for 2 hours. Uncover dish and turn oven up to brown the top. Serve with chutney, red cabbage or beetroot.
Ginger Honey Buns
Ingredients8oz. SR Flour 2oz. Margarine ½ - 1 teaspoon ground ginger 2oz. Sugar 2 tablespoons clear honey 1 egg 2oz. Sultanas or dried fruit Little milk Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C Gas Mark 6. Grease 2 baking trays. Sift the flour with the ginger. Rub in the margarine, add the sugar, honey, dried fruit and egg. Mix well. Gradually add enough milk tomake a sticky dough that stands up in peaks. Put spoonfuls on the baking trays and bake in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes until golden and firm. Cool on a wire rack.