Crunchy Squishy Baconish Umami Tofu Lardons

One pack tofu, smooth and firm as poss. (best brand I've found is Super Tahoe To-Fu from the Netherlands) 

Chilli flakes

Soy sauce (Kikkoman as it's got a sherry/saki-like note to its flavour)

Angostura bitters

Garlic, crushed

Cooking oil (generous quantity shallow fry)

Wok or heavy base pan ideally with (glass) lid

Kitchen towel for oil soaking up

Anything else you may decide to add if this becomes a stir fry base.

 So the key part of the recipe is a prep thing more than an ingredient thing:

Chop the tofu at random angles to get a variety of different sized thin pyramidoids (Think Imperial Star Destroyer rather than Giza). You're aiming for as many sharp, acute angled edges as possible.

Heat oil for shallow frying, using more oil than you think you need. 

When hot, add tofu, sprinkle over a good measure of chilli flakes.

Shallow fry tofu, shaking/ turning occasionally.

Cook tofu until the sharp edges become crispy, the flat areas browned/cooked, inside soft - you're aiming to make tofu chips/sglodion

Drain off any excess oil (most of it will be inside adding yummy chilli fat to the tofu)

Dump garlic, angostura bitters, soy sauce, all in more quantity than you think you should, into the pan. Cover immediately if possible, shake thoroughly to get the flavours spread over all the tofu surfaces.

After a couple of minutes, shake again, open lid and allow any remaining liquid to reduce off, whilst stirring tofu to avoid sticking.

At this point, either 

- lay out kichen roll and put tofu lumps on it to soak away surface oil, use the tofu as others might use cooked bacon

- add the other components of your desired stirfry

Christmas Cake (or mincemeat) (or steamed christmas pudding) no icky icing

(Delia Smith Creole Christmas Cake with glazed nuts by Liz and additional comments by Ben)

Ingredients

For the pre-soaking (or to make mincemeat):
3 tablespoons rum (try a spiced rum like Kraken or Morgan's Spiced)
3 tablespoons brandy
3 tablespoons cherry brandy(decent stuff - sour french cherry not cocktail mix glace cherry flavour not Allens)
3 tablespoons port
3 tablespoons water
1½ teaspoons Angostura bitters
1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 level teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
½ level teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 level tablespoon molasses sugar
450g raisins
225g currants
110g no-soak prunes, chopped
50g glacé cherries, chopped
110g whole candied peel, really finely chopped (feel free not to include this offence against all that is good in the world)
50g mixed chopped nuts


For each day of soaking add:
more rum or brandy or cherry brandy or port
as you prefer or have - vary each day to get an aroma/ flavour you like
(we added at least 2½ cups /  250ml of alcohol in total, so roughly a double measure added per day (err on the generous side)


For the cake:
250g self-raising flour
250g demerara sugar
250g spreadable butter
5 large eggs (can leave out and replace with apple juice and a bit more flour, or apple sauce, will be a more dense and less rich)

Decoration:
Whole nuts and fruits of choice
demerara sugar
nice flavoured spirits (the stuff you used for soaking is ideal)
water

and/or:
marzipan with at least 75% almonds (grind almonds, icing sugar, sprinkle of water if needed or better still decent sour cherry brandy, glycerin or egg white if you're worried about it drying out)

and if you really must:
icky royal icing


Method:
 About 7 days before you want to make the cake, measure out all the pre-soaking ingredients into a large saucepan, ticking them off as you add them as it’s so easy to leave something out!

Now place the mixture over a medium heat and bring it up to simmering point, giving everything a good stir.

Then turn the heat down to very low and let everything simmer without covering for about 15 minutes.

After that remove the pan from the heat and let everything get completely cold. Then keep in a lidded stainless steel pan or transfer the mixture to an airtight plastic or glass container and leave it in the fridge for a week.

Each day, stir the mixture and add a generous splash of alcohol (a double measure or so) - enough to lubricate the whole fruit mix, and stir again. The dried fruits will swell and take in the liquid over time, so the mix should be stirrable and sticky, rather than having liquid sloshing around.

After a week, you can use this mixture as mincemeat for mince pies etc


Making a cake:
When you want to bake the cake, pre-heat the oven to 285°F 140°C, gas mark 1.

Then sift the flour into a large bowl, add the sugar, butter and eggs and, using an electric hand whisk (or a wooden spoon), beat until everything is thoroughly blended. After that gradually fold in the soaked mixture until it’s all evenly distributed.

Now transfer the mixture to the prepared tin, and level with a back of a spoon.

Place the cake near the centre of the oven and bake it for 3 hours, then cover with a double thickness of baking parchment, resting it on top of the liner, and bake it for another hour, until the centre feels springy.

**You may wish to try putting a loaf pan with water in it on a lower shelf  to keep the oven (and the cake) a little moister during baking - this is untried advice **

Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 45 minutes, (or it WILL fall apart)

then transfer it to a wire cooling tray to cool.

To decorate, boil your whole fruits, nuts and sugar with spirits and water, simmering down to a syrup, layer on (caution, hot!) top of the cake.

When it’s absolutely cold, wrap it in parchment-lined foil, and store in an airtight tin or polythene box.


Making a steamed pudding:
Divide the cake batter between lined/ greased pudding basins (fill half full) and steam for 3-4 hours.
Serve with cream, and a white sauce made of cornflour, sugar, butter, milk and brandy/rum (pour white sauce over top of pudding prior to serving).

QUINCE CHEESE

I was given some quinces, so decided to make the Spanish version of Quince Cheese, Membrillo.

Clean the skins, chop them in four, removing any bruised bits and put them in a large pan with enough water not to boil dry. When the quinces are soft, push it all through a sieve and weigh the pulp (weigh a jug or bowl first, then subtract it from the total). Less messy.
The Good Housekeeping recipe for quince cheese adds the juice of an orange, I used lemon juice.
For every pound of pulp add a pound of granulated sugar. Put all back in the pan and heat slowly until sugar is dissolved, then bring to the boil and cook until it thickens and will set like jelly when cool. Pour into a lined baking tray and leave.
Other versions have a cinnamon stick to add flavour, but I think it would spoil the subtle flavour of the quinces. It should keep well wrapped in greaseproof paper. Good Houasekeeping store theirs for 2 to 3 months before using. It's eaten with cheese, so we can see what its like at Christmas!

MINCEMEAT

Granny with Nell, Ted, Frank, Bob and Joan 1921

My version of Granny Whitley's recipe

2lbs cooking apples

1/4lb almonds

1lb currants

1/2lb butter

1/2lb raisins

1/4lb candied peel (preferably orange)

1/2lb sultanas

1 lemon

1+1/2lbs demerara sugar

1/2tsp each ground cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice

In a large bowl, grate the lemon rind and squeeze the juice. Peel, core and chop the apples finely into the bowl. Chop up the almonds (leave the skin). Finely chop the butter (straight from the fridge). Use a knife to break it up in the bowl so you don't get clumps. Add the sugar and the rest of the ingredients, stirring well. Either put in Kilner jars or a plastic tub. It will keep until well past Christmas - freeze the remainder and you can use it next year.

I've just made a batch with eating apples - I put half the amount of sugar in, but it was such a fiddle, the apples being so much smaller than cookers!

Hot Cross Buns

From Daniel Stevens’s River Cottage Bread Handbook.

"The best hot cross buns I've ever tasted" (Dave, April 2011)


"mmmmmmmmmmm" (Reuben, anytime)

Makes 8

250g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
250g plain white flour
125ml warm water
125 warm milk
5g powdered yeast
10g salt
50g caster sugar
1 medium free-range egg
50g butter
100g mixed fruit
finely grated zest of an orange
1 tsp ground mixed spice

For the crosses:
50g plain white flour
50ml water

To finish:
1 tbsp apricot or other jam, sieved
1 tbsp water

Combine the flours, water, milk, yeast, salt and sugar in the bowl and fit the dough hook. Add the egg and butter and mix to a sticky dough. Now add the dried fruit, orange zest and spice and knead on a low speed until silky and smooth. Cover the dough and leave to rise for about an hour, or until doubled in size.

Knock back the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Shape into rounds and dust with flour. Place on a floured board and leave to prove, covered with a linen tea towel (or in a large plastic bag) for about 30 minutes until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 200°C and make the paste for the crosses by beating the water into the flour until smooth (add enough flour to make a fairly thick piping consistency – mine was too liquid). Transfer the paste into a piping bag or plastic food bag and snip off a corner to make a small hole.

Pipe crosses on to the risen buns and bake for 15–20 minutes.

In a small saucepan, melt the jam with the water. Brush over the buns to glaze them while they are still warm. Allow them to cool on a wire rack and serve warm, cold or toasted (and, ideally, spread with decent butter).

Beigels

From Daniel Stevens’s River Cottage Bread Handbook.

"Better than the Beigels from Brick Lane" (Beanie, Dec 2010)

Makes 12

500g strong white bread flour
5g powdered dried yeast
10g fine salt
250ml warm water
20g caster sugar
50ml vegetable oil, plus extra for coating
1 medium free-range egg, beaten
Poppy or sesame seeds (optional)

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients to make a dough. Knead on a clean surface until smooth and elastic. Shape into a round, coat with a little extra oil and place in a clean bowl. Leave to rise, covered with a plastic bag.

When the dough has doubled in size, deflate it and divide it into 12 pieces. One at a time, roll into a sausage shape, about 15cm long. Wet the ends and press them together to make a ring. Leave to prove, covered, on a lightly oiled plastic board or metal baking sheet (not floured cloths or boards).

Preheat the oven to 200C. Lightly oil a couple of baking sheets and in a wide pan bring around a 10cm depth of water to the boil. When the bagels have roughly doubled in size, they are ready for poaching. You will need to do this in batches. Turn the pan of water down to a simmer, then slip as many bagels as will fit comfortably into the water (allow room for them to puff up). Cook for a minute on each side, then remove and drain on a clean tea towel (not kitchen paper as it will stick).

When they are all poached, lay the bagels on the baking sheets, gently sticking any that uncurled in the water back together again. Brush all over with beaten egg, then sprinkle with seeds if you like. Bake for 15 minutes, until the bagels are a uniform, glossy golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Ratatouille

1 aubergine, same weight of courgette, half that weight of bell pepper, twice the weight of tomatoes, skinned (I use tinned), 1 large clove of garlic per 1/4lb of aubergine, olive oil, salt.

Cover the base of a saucepan with olive oil to about 1/8 inch (you're not frying the vegetables). Put on a medium heat. The vegetables cook at a different rate, so start with the courgettes: slice thinly and put in pan, turning them to cover with oil. Chop the garlic and add, then the pepper, sliced, then the aubergine, halved or quartered lengthways and thinly sliced. Cook until soft (add more oil if necessary). Stir in the tomatoes, cook until soft if fresh, heat through if tinned. Season to taste.
The flavours come out best at room temperature.

I first had this at the Hauvettes in Clermont-Ferrand. It is very moreish - I'll be having it for my tea tonight with the crusts of the loaf I've just baked!
The reason I use tinned tomatoes is because I once made some for Mum and Dad and can still see Mum carefully removing bits of tomato skin from her mouth - I never made it for her again!

Malt Loaf or ‘Harvo +’

This was an attempt to replicate shop bought ‘Harvo’ malt bread, nowadays it’s hard to find. I (modestly) think this is much better. It’s my own creation based on several malted loaf recipes but with a much more malt and syrup. The yummy but unhealthily large amount of malt extract and black treacle means there’s too much sugar for the yeast to survive so it’s based on baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, which means it’s a doddle to make - just mix and bake. You’ll end up with a deep brown very a rich, sticky bread (arguably a cake) that keeps well. Thin slices are lovely with butter.

10oz / 310g malt extract (available from chemists, ensure it’s without cod liver oil).
2¼ fl oz / 65ml black treacle
1 oz / 25g melted butter (a very brief nuke in the microwave is good for this).
1½ tea sp / 7.5ml dried milk powder or replace 75ml / 2½ fl oz of water with milk.
8 fl oz / 250ml water
13 oz / 400 g strong brown bread flour (NOT stone-ground or standard brown flour).
1 tea sp / 5ml salt
2 tea sp / 10ml caster sugar
9 oz / 250g sultanas
½ tea sp / 2.5 ml bicarbonate of soda
1½ tea sp / 7.5ml baking powder

Conventional oven Mix the above well. Place in either a non stick or greased loaf tin. Bake in a pre-heated oven for about 50 minutes in a moderate oven, gas mark 4 or 350°F / 175°C. Cool on a wire rack.

Bread machine (amounts are for a machine with a 1.5 lb capacity)
Chuck in all the ingredients minus the sultanas in the order listed above. Set the machine to standard wholemeal loaf.

Chocolate truffle mix

2 bars of quality but not too fancy dark chocolate (Green & Blacks, Mora Mora)
handful of caster sugar/icing sugar - golden and vanilla'd
1/4 pint of double cream (Longley Farm)
2 handfulls of ground, skin on almonds (put your hands together and fill them!)
1/2 to 1 tsp ground cinnamon
30 - 50 ml bourbon or other sweet booze (brandy, rum, sweet whisky)

Grind your nuts and mix in the cinnamon
Melt chocolate together with sugar in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (bain marie)
Pour the nut mix into the bain marie
Mix it alltogether now and turn the heat off
Fold in the cream
Pour in the booze and fold that in too
Pour the mix out onto a sheet of baking parchment on a marble slab to cool in a big flat piece
When cooled, roll the sheet of stuff into a log - your mix is ready

You can take slices off the end of the log and roll them into balls and roll in cocoa to dust the outsides.

I'm thinking of trying to mix egg yolk with the cream to make a custard and adding this to see how this works. Also an idea of making almond praline and grinding this up to see what happens.

Walnut Pate en Croute

(Source: Rose Elliot – Gourmet Vegetarian Cooking, 1982)

(feeds 12)

flaky pastry
1oz butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
2 large cloves garlic
4oz walnuts
12oz cashews
8oz chestnut puree
4oz cheddar cheese
2 eggs
2 tbsp brandy
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper
8oz button mushrooms
beaten egg to glaze

Fry onion and celery in butter for 10 min. until soft. Remove from heat and stir in garlic, nuts, cheese, eggs, brandy, paprika, thyme and seasoning.
Set oven to 425º F / gas 7. Roll pastry rectangle 12” x 16”. Put pate in centre and mushrooms on top. Brush edges of pastry with cold water then fold over to encase pate and mushrooms (not too tightly to allow for pate to expand). Place pastry parcel seam side down on baking sheet. Garnish with pastry leaves, cut steam vents, brush with beaten egg and cook at top of oven for 30 min. then lower to 375º / gas 5 for further 25 – 30 mins.

Sauce: I usually make one with onion, garlic, celery &/or fennel, carrot and other root veg. caramelised in butter (just cook chopped veg until brown). Add a little flour and cook for another minute before adding chopped tomatoes, red wine, bay leaf and other herbs to taste (eg. thyme, parsley, basil, oregano). Let sauce simmer, add salt and black pepper. Sieve for a smooth gravy.

Vegetarian Moussaka

(Source: Liz M original)

makes 8-10 portions)

Base (meat substitute):
4oz green lentils
1 onion, chopped
1lb mushrooms, chopped
tbsp tomato puree
tbsp allspice
salt & black pepper
olive oil

2 aubergines
garlic
basil
potatoes
black olives and paprika to garnish

Sauce: butter, flour, 1pint milk, curd cheese, egg, nutmeg, salt & pepper

Base: Cover lentils with water and cook until soft and most of water absorbed. Soften onion in olive oil; add chopped mushrooms, cooked lentils, tomato puree and allspice. Season. Put mixture in ovenproof dish.
Add layer of sliced aubergines, fried in (mainly olive) oil with garlic and basil
Add layer of cooked sliced potatoes
White sauce: Make roux (cook butter and flour together). Gradually add milk, stirring over heat until boiling and thickened. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Stir in curd cheese and beaten egg.
Top moussaka with white sauce. Decorate with black olives and paprika. Cook in low to medium oven until sauce begins to brown.

Toulouse Cassoulet

(Source: Judy K)

2 lb shoulder of lamb
1lb pork skin or rind
1lb dried white beans
sprig thyme
2 bay leaves
3oz lard or goose fat
1 can tomato paste
2½ tbsp Cognac
12oz Toulouse sausages
2oz soft breadcrumbs

Cut lamb (bones included) into 12 pieces. Boil rind 5 mins. to remove excess salt.
Cut pork skin in pieces and day before cooking cassoulet put rind in deep pan. Add 4 pints water. Cover and simmer 3 hrs. Remove and cool to jelly.
Soak beans overnight in cold water.
Next day, heat pork jelly and when melted add beans, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
Heat lard and sauté lamb pieces, browning them lightly on all sides. Reduce heat, cover and cook 30 mins.
Add meat to beans and stir in tomato paste and Cognac.
Simmer 30 mins.
Brown sausage lightly in skillet. Cut in 5 pieces and add to beans. Pour cassoulet into casserole. Sprinkle with some of breadcrumbs and bake 15 mins. in hot oven (400º F). Remove from oven, stir with fork, sprinkle again with breadcrumbs and return to oven for 15 mins. again. Repeat process 5 times in all.

Sponge Pudding

(Source:Granny Keeling 1950/60's)

4oz sugar
4oz butter or marg
8oz self raising flour
2 eggs
milk

Cream sugar and butter. Add milk and eggs, already beaten. Add flour.
Bake in fairly warm oven for about ½ hour or steam 1½ hours.

Variations: lemon sponge, syrup sponge, chocolate sponge, fruit sponge, ginger sponge (urgh – Liz)
(Actually, I think Granny used to just rub in ingredients before adding milk and eggs – quicker than creaming sugar and butter. This method doesn’t work for Victoria sponge though when you would use only 4oz flour - Liz).

Spicy Apple Cake

(Source: Ruth Iveson, Wales 1970s)

½ lb apples
6oz brown sugar
6oz margarine
6oz flour (plain, I think)
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
2oz chopped walnuts
3oz seedless raisins

Chop apples finely and add sugar. Melt margarine and add to beaten egg. Sift flour with salt, bicarb. and spices. Mix margarine with apples, add flour, etc. and walnuts and raisins.
Put in greased tin and bake for 50 – 55 mins at Reg. 3.
[I use butter instead of margarine]

Pumpkin Pie

Pastry:
6oz plain flour
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3oz unsalted butter, very cold
1 egg yolk
3-4 tbsp double cream

Filling:
1lb pumpkin pulp
2 large or 3 small eggs
3oz soft brown sugar
4 tbsp golden syrup
8 fl. oz whipping or double cream
1½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt


Make pastry dough. Leave in fridge 30 min. +. Bake blind 400º F / Gas Mark 6 15 min.
Combine all ingredients for filling and mix together until just blended. Pour into pie case and return to oven 375º F / Gas Mark 5 for 40 min. until filling set. Place pie dish on hot baking sheet in oven to keep bottom pastry crisp.

Savoyard Leek & Sausage Flan

(Source: Robert Carrier’s Home Cooking, pub. Daily Telegraph Magazine, 1968)

Serves 4 - 6
Pastry:
8oz flour
½ level tsp salt
1 level tbsp icing sugar
6oz butter
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tbsp water

Leek and sausage flan:
8” – 9” pastry shell
1 medium sized onion
1oz cooked ham
4 button mushrooms
butter
1 tbsp flour
8 fluid oz milk
salt
freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp double cream
4 small pork sausages
3 leeks
grated cheese

Pastry:
Rub butter into flour and icing sugar with tips of fingers until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add egg yolk and water mixture gradually until crumbs adhere when pressed.
Shape dough lightly in a ball; wrap in a clean towel or foil and put in fridge for at least ½ hr.
Roll out dough and press into tin. Bake blind. [You can do this by covering bottom of pastry shell with foil and filling with dried beans. Cook at 450º F / Gas 7 for 10 – 15 min. Remove foil and beans].

Leek and sausage flan:
Chop onion, ham and mushrooms fine. Put in saucepan with salt, pepper and 2 tbsp butter. Saute gently until onion is transparent. Allow to cool then spread on bottom of baked pastry case.
Make a roux with 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp flour (cook together without letting flour take on colour). Gradually pour in milk and cook, stirring until sauce becomes smooth and thick. Season to taste with salt, pepper and a little grated nutmeg. Remove from heat and stir in egg yolk with wire whisk. Add cream.
Saute the sausages in a little butter and olive oil until golden and cooked through. Steam leeks (or simmer in a little water which you can then use instead of all milk for the sauce).
Place leeks and sausages alternately on ham, onion and mushroom mixture; pour over the sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese.
Return to a slow oven (350º F / Gas 2) and bake for 30 – 40 min. until custard is firm and golden brown. Serve very hot.

Roshan's Curry

(Source: Roshan Seth, Newcastle on Tyne, 1968/9)

for 1lb meat
2 tbsp oil
3 medium onions
3 tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tsp coriander (dhanya)
½ tsp turmeric (haldi)
⅛ tsp garlic (1 fresh clove)
1½ tsp cumin seed (gira)
¼ tsp ginger (few pieces if fresh)
salt, black pepper, chilli to taste
garam masala: 2 cloves, 2 – 3 black cardamoms, ¼ tsp cinnamon

Chop onion fine and fry until pale yellow. Add coriander, turmeric, garlic, ginger, chilli, cumin and bay leaf. Fry together until all becomes a deep brown. Add tomato, chopped.
If mixture sticks to bottom of pan add minute quantities of water. Keep frying and adding water until mixture becomes a paste. You can tell when this happens because the oil begins to bubble on the surface (generally takes 15 min.).
Add meat, salt & pepper and garam masala. Fry together until meat is braised. Add water (this will depend on how much gravy is required, bearing in mind that too much water will also dilute the sauce). Simmer until meat is cooked (30 – 40 min.).
Serve with rice and salad.

NB. Above is how I got the recipe but I would now brown the meat first and cook for longer. Also increase quantities of spices. Nice with home made chappatis.

Chappatis (Peter Thornton, Wales 1970's)
Make dough with chappati flour, water and a little salt. Leave in fridge overnight. Roll out chappatis, seal both sides in hot pan, cook directly over gas flame (I use a grill rack) so that chappati puffs up (don’t cook too long or will become hard). Serve.

Also nice with yogurt flavoured with garlic and chopped spearmint or ginger and chilli

Real Italian Lasagne

(Source: Forgotten her name, Wales, 1970's)

Sauce:
2 tins tomatoes
¾ lb stewing steak, all fat removed, minced
4 chicken livers, fried
finely chopped garlic
1 tsp wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
salt & pepper
basil

Pass tomatoes through mouli, add seasoning and simmer partially covered until slightly reduced. Add meat, continue to simmer, stirring occasionally. When sauce thick add chicken livers. Adjust seasoning.

Pasta:
6oz unbleached flour
salt
1 large egg

Mix salt and flour, stir in egg and add a little water if necessary to make kneadable dough. Knead. Roll out to thickness of cloth. Cut in squares. Boil in salted water for 5 min. before use.

½ - ¾ lb Mozzarella
Parmesan
nutmeg

Oil dish. Layer with sauce, then thinly sliced cheese. Grate over nutmeg (not too much) then overlap pasta. Repeat, ending with pasta.
Sprinkle Parmesan thickly over top.
Bake in fairly hot oven (400º F) 20 – 25 min.

Toffee - Caramel or Treacle

based on Margaret Powell - Sweetmaking for Children

Sugar (caster or granulated)         12oz / 300g
Butter                                                     3 1/2oz / 90g
Milk                                                          1/4 breakfast cup / 70ml
Golden Syrup or Treacle                 1/4 breakfast cup / 70ml
Vanilla essence                                   few drops (I don't bother)
Heavy bottomed pan
Greased tin
Jam thermometer is useful.

alternatively, replace milk and syrup with 1/2 breakfast cup / 140ml of sweetened condensed milk.
(may be worth trying molasses and seeing if it works better than treacle - I haven't tried tho)

Put everything except the vanilla essence in a heavy bottomed pan.

Make sure the sugar has dissolved fully at low heat.

Bring to boil, then cook(simmer) slowly for 25-30 minutes. DON'T STIR ONCE BOILING (if the base burns slightly, you stand some chance of rescue if unstirred, I was also told the mix tends to form crystals and become fudge-like or gritty if stirred/ whisked)

When temperature reaches Hard Ball (forms a glassy hard lump when you drop some of the mix into cold water,) - a temperature dangerously close to burning the toffee - add vanilla essence (or don't) and pour the mix into the greased tin.
IT IS VERY HOT AT THIS POINT. DON'T POKE IT WITH YOUR FINGERS.
For softer toffee, take to a slightly lower temperature (Soft Ball).
I'm guessing if you heat even lower and whisk hard (ideally electric) you'll get fudge, but that's a guess, so I can only say this works as toffee.

Once the mix is cooled a bit, mark into squares with a knife.
Then discover that the marking makes little difference once cold and end up with jagged edge pieces of toffee anyway.

Ideally, you should end up with something resembling a piece of glass, which is slightly chewable once you've had it in your mouth a while, but will remove fillings.

Jerusalem Artichoke or Salsify Soup

Theodora Fitzgibbon 'Traditional Scottish Cookery'

Measurements are all approximate. Serves 6
1 1/2 lbs (700g) Jerusalem artichokes or salsify
2 medium onions
2 oz (50g) butter
1 pint (600ml) water
1 pint (600ml) milk
1 level tablespoonful flour
salt and pepper
chopped chives or parsley for garnish

Wash, peel and slice artichokes (salsify) and put into water with a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Slice onions.
Melt butter in pan, add onions. Then add drained and dried artichokes (salsify). Cook over a low heat until thay start to soften. Sprinkle over flour, making sure that it's well blended in. Add water, stir, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add milk and bring to the boil. Taste for seasoning and blend until smooth. Garnish.

Cullen Skink

I never measure ingredients in things like soup. This recipe comes from Theodora Fitzgibbon's 'Traditional Scottish Cookery'. Serves 4

1 large smoked haddock, about 2lbs (1 kilo)
water to cover
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 1/2 pints (900ml) milk
8 oz (225g) mashed potato (or uncooked, diced or sliced)
seasoning and butter

Put haddock in shallow pan, skin side down, cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes (with potato if necessary). Take from the pan, remove skin and bones, flake it and return to stock with onion. Simmer for 15 minutes.. Add the milk and bring to boiling point, then add enough mashed potato to make it the consistency you like. Season with salt and pepper, blend if you want a smooth soup. Cut butter into very small pieces and sprinkle on top. Serve with triangles of dry toast.

Seville Orange Marmalade

Recipe from the shippers, Rowlett & Co, as used by Granny Keeling (and Grandpa once!).
Seville oranges are only available for about a month from the middle/end of January.

Wash 4lbs (2kilos) of Seville oranges in cold water. Cut the fruit across and squeeze out the juice, carefully removing the pips and placing them in a separate small basin.
Slice the oranges, fine or coarse as preferred, place in a preserving pan, add the juice and 12 pints (6.5 litres) cold water. Add 2 pints (1 litre) of boiling water to the pips.
Leave all to stand for 24 hours.
Next day, strain the liquid and jelly from the pips and add it to the pulp in the preserving pan. Cook gently until the peel is tender (about 1 1/2 hours). Remove from heat and leave to stand for a further 24 hours.
3rd day: To each measured pint (1/2 litre) of the pulp, add 1lb (400g) best cane preserving sugar (granulated is fine). Heat gently till sugar is dissolved, then raise heat and cook fast until ready to set. This may be tested by dropping a very small amount onto a saucer, where it should form a stiff jelly as it cools.
When it reaches this stage, remove from heat, stand for five minutes, pour into clean, hot jars, cover and seal.
Approximately 20 to 22 lbs (10 kilos) of marmalade should result from the above quantities

Nut Roast

(Source: Granny Keeling)

3 large onions
3oz margarine (or butter)
8oz mixed nuts (almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, hazel nuts, cashews)
4 – 5oz brown bread crumbs
1 dessert spoon Marmite
1 tsp mixed herbs or fresh herbs to taste
1 egg
Pepper & salt

Mince onions. Fry in marge until soft. Dissolve Marmite in hot onion mixture. Mince nuts and add with rest of ingredients. Put in greased baking dish. Bake at 400 F for 30 mins. Serve with vegetarian sauce.

Sauce: Fry chopped onion until golden, then mushrooms (and other veg. eg. carrots). Add a little flour, cook, then 1 tsp Marmite, chopped tomatoes, bay leaf, and water/stock as required. Salt & pepper to taste.
[See Walnut Pate en Croute for rich vegetarian gravy].

Mushroom Stroganoff

(Source: Peter Otley, ‘Olivers’, Ironbridge)

Add ingredients in the following order:

1. Olive oil
2. Celery
Red Pepper
Onion
Garlic
[Fry until hot]
3. Handful button mushrooms
[Fry until hot]
4. White wine
[Let it bubble]
5. Whipping cream (NB single cream will separate when cooked)
Paprika (touch)
Sea salt
Black pepper (touch)
[Reduce]

Serve immediately (with rice)

Mohr in Hemd

(Source: Granny Keeling – ‘Definitely Different’ Daily Telegraph cookbook)

2½ oz butter
2½ oz caster sugar
4 eggs
2½ oz unblanched almonds (ground)
2½ oz dark chocolate (melted)

Whipped cream
Hot chocolate sauce

Prepare a pudding basin by buttering it and sprinkling it lightly with sugar.
Cream butter and sugar, separate the eggs, beat in the yolks one by one. Whip egg whites until stiff, fold into the creamed mixture and add the almonds alternately with the chocolate. Turn into the basin. Steam for ¾ hour.
Turn pudding on to a hot plate, top with chilled whipped cream and pour hot chocolate sauce over it. (Also nice served cold).

Chocolate sauce can be made with cocoa, sugar and water. Mix together with enough water to make a thin liquid. (Test for sweetness, don't overdo the sugar). Bring to boil, simmer and reduce to required thickness (ie. a syrup).

Clear Chicken Soup

1. (Source: Mel)

Chicken carcass
Onion
Carrot
Celery
Water
Salt & Pepper

Bring to boil and simmer for about 2 hrs (not too long or soup will be bone flavoured). Remove carcass, etc. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with noodles (vermicelli) and/or matzo meal dumplings (kneidlech, alkies).

Dumplings (for clear chicken soup) (Source: Auntie Dora? or Rakusens) -

1 breakfast cup medium Matzo meal (contains wheat)
1 breakfast cup boiling water
1 egg
1 tsp parsley
2 tbsp chicken fat
salt & pepper
nutmeg & ginger (ground)

Pour boiling water over the meal and stir well until blended.
Add egg, fat parsley, and seasoning.
Mix thoroughly and put in fridge for at least 1hr
With hands dipped in cold water roll into tiny balls.
Drop in boiling soup and simmer gently for 15 min. with saucepan uncovered

TanyaK's modified (eggless can be vegan) matzo balls:
Don't use egg.
Can swap out chook fat for olive oil or other fat
Can also add garlic salt
Can use a bit of bouillon in the water to replace the missing chook flavour.

Bake the balls at 275F / 150C for 15-20 min, DO NOT BROWN
Drop cooked balls into soup, simmer.

Lintzer Torte

(Source: Hume & Downes - Penguin Cordon Bleu Cookery, 1971)

For pastry:
8oz plain flour
4oz butter
4oz caster sugar
1 whole egg
1 yolk
2oz almonds, ground without blanching
cinnamon and grated lemon rind

Filling:
1 lb fresh raspberries brought to boil and cooked rapidly for 2 – 3 minutes with sugar to sweeten.

Sift flour with pinch of salt and cinnamon. Work in butter, sugar, egg, lemon rind and almonds. Leave in cool place for 1hr.
Roll out pastry to between ¼ and ½ in. thick and line into flan ring. Fill with cold raspberry mixture and put lattice of pastry across top. Bake in moderate oven for 20 – 30 mins.

Lemon Mousse

5 egg yolks
5 egg whites, stiffly beaten
6oz sugar
juice of 2 lemons + zest of one

Beat egg yolks with sugar until light and lemon coloured. Add juice of 2 lemons and mix well. Stir over hot water in top of double boiler until thick. Remove from heat and fold in egg whites. Pour into serving dish and chill.

Also good made with blackcurrant puree.

Lemon Meringue Pie (Filling)

2 egg yolks
2oz cornflour
2 lemons (scrubbed)
2oz sugar
½ oz melted butter
½ pint milk

Add a little milk to cornflour to make a paste. Bring remainder to boil and add to paste and grated lemon ring and sugar. Return to heat and thicken custard. Beat in egg yolks and add melted butter, then lemon juice.

Lemon Caramel Custard

1½ pints milk
grated rind of 2 lemons
6 eggs
6oz sugar
5 sugar lumps

Boil milk with rind of lemons. Strain milk to remove lemon rind.
Beat eggs in bowl with sugar over hot water until lemon coloured and creamy in texture. Add milk gradually, stirring constantly with wooden spoon. Skim off froth that forms on top. Do not let mixture boil.
Cook sugar lumps (or granulated sugar) with 2tsp water in charlotte mould or other straight sided baking dish until caramelised. Tilt mould so caramel reaches all sides.
Pour egg mixture into mould and place in dish of hot water deep enough so water comes halfway up side of mould.
Bake at 300º F about 45 mins or until firm when pressed with finger.
Chill thoroughly before unmoulding.

Koulibiak of Salmon

(Source: Robert Carrier’s Home Cooking, pub. Daily Telegraph Magazine, 1968)

Serves 4 - 6
flaky pastry dough
1 thick salmon steak
salt and freshly ground black pepper
butter
8 button mushrooms, sliced
½ Spanish onion, finely chopped
½ lb cooked rice
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 hard boiled eggs
1 egg yolk, beaten with a little water
Melted butter or hot salted double cream

Sauté salmon in a little butter until tender. Cool.
Sauté sliced mushrooms and finely chopped onion in 4 tbsp butter until onion is transparent. Combine with cooked rice and chopped parsley and season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
Roll out pastry into 2 rectangles 10” x 8” and place one on greased baking sheet.
Spoon half the cooked rice mixture on to the pastry, leaving 1 inch pastry round the edge. Pour a little melted butter over the rice. Cover rice with 1 sliced hard boiled egg and top with salmon steak. Put another sliced egg on top of salmon and top with cooked rice.
Brush visible pastry base with a little beaten egg yolk, then place remaining pastry rectangle on top of rice and pinch pastry well together. Decorate pastry as desired (and cut steam vents); brush with beaten egg yolk and bake in a hot oven (450º F / Gas 7) for 10 min. Reduce heat to 375º F / Gas 4 and cook for 15 – 20 mins more, until pastry is golden.
Serve with a little melted butter or hot double cream.

Ice Cream

(Source: Plas Teg, Bala, Wales, 1970)

4 eggs, separated
4oz icing sugar sifted
½ pint double cream
flavouring

You should use one 2½ pint, or two 1¼ pint plastic freezer containers with lids. Set freezer to fast freeze.
Whisk egg yolks until well blended.
In another bowl whisk egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then whisk in sifted icing sugar a little at a time.
Slowly mix the blended egg yolks with the meringue mixture. Lightly whip the cream until it is frothy and will form soft peaks. Then fold it into the egg mixture. Add chosen flavouring and mix thoroughly.
Turn ice cream into container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.
Flavourings:
Vanilla – Add ½ tsp vanilla to the whipped cream before folding it into the egg mixture
Mint – Add only a few drops of oil of peppermint and green colouring to the mixture just before putting it into the freezer container. Just before serving decorate with fresh mint leaves.
Coffee – Add 3 tablespoons coffee essence before putting in freezer container. (I would use strong coffee – Liz)
Chocolate – blend in well 2oz drinking chocolate with the 4 egg yolks. (I would use melted strong dark chocolate – Liz)
Raspberry or Strawberry – Sieve 8oz fresh fruit, or thawed frozen fruit, and fold into the mixture with a few drops of red colouring before putting into freezer container.

Gooseberry & Elderflower Sorbet

(Source: Ruth Iveson, Wales, 1970's)

1lb gooseberries
12oz granulated sugar
1½ pts water
thinly peeled rind and juice of 1 lemon
3 heads elderflowers

Wash fruit and put in pan with sugar, water and lemon. Bring slowly to boil.
Simmer for 10 mins. or until soft. Add elderflowers for last 3 mins. Take out rind and flowers.
Sieve fruit and allow puree to cool. Put into plastic container and freeze quickly. After 1 hr stir well. Freeze again, beating it a second time to achieve a smooth texture.

Gateau de Thoriat

(Source: Judy K)

4½ oz unsalted butter
4½ oz bitter chocolate
4½ oz sugar
4½ oz sifted flour
3 very fresh eggs Oven temp. 400º F

Melt the butter in a double boiler. Add chocolate cut in small pieces.
When chocolate melts remove from heat and add sugar. Mix well and add flour. Stir again and finally add 3 egg yolks. Stir again.
Beat egg whites until stiff and stir into chocolate mixture.
Butter charlotte mould, or other straight sided baking dish. Pour in cake batter and bake 30 min.
The cake is cooked when the top is hard and cracking; the interior should remain soft.
Cool before serving. Split and fill with whipped cream.

Ginger Biscuits

(Source: original recipe from Granny Keeling)

6oz self raising flour
3oz Demerara sugar
4oz butter or margarine
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp ginger
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt

Melt butter and syrup in pan. Pour into dry ingredients. Mix well and roll into little balls. Put on greased baking tray. Bake in moderate oven 350º F / Gas 4

Josh’s variations: substitute honey for golden syrup / add other spices, eg. allspice or cinnamon / add pieces of crystallised ginger

Flapjacks

(Source: Scott’s Porage Oats Recipe)

6oz butter or margarine
1 tbsp golden syrup
4oz Demerara sugar
8oz Scott’s Porage Oats

Grease a tin (11” x 7”). Melt butter, syrup and sugar in a pan. Stir in the Porage Oats. Spread evenly into tin and bake for 20 min. or until golden at 180º C / 350º F / Gas 4

Christmas Pudding

(Source: Granny Keeling from Philip Harbin recipe / Trex promotion)

6 oz flour
8 oz Trex (hard vegetable suet/ shortening)
3oz brown sugar
6 eggs
8oz breadcrumbs
4oz ground almonds
3 level tsp mixed spice
4oz chopped mixed candied peel
8oz sultanas
1lb raisins
2 lemons
3 tbsp golden syrup
6 tbsp brandy or rum
½ pint milk

Use 1 basin capacity 5 pints or 2 x 2½ pints or 3 x 1½ pints
Steaming time: 4 hours + 2 hours on day of service
Sieve flour and spice into large mixing bowl, add breadcrumbs and mix. Rub in fat. Add one at a time, mixing each well in before the next is added: sugar, raisins, sultanas, currants, peel and ground almonds.
In a separate vessel beat milk and eggs together, add syrup (easier if heated first) and flavouring liquor, then grated rind and juice of lemons. Mix this liquid thoroughly, then pour into dry mix. Mix well.
Put mixture into basin(s). Cover each one with greased cooking foil.

Chopped Liver

(Source: Mel 1970's)

½ lb chicken livers
2 eggs
2 large onions
seasoning

Fry onions and chicken livers. Hard boil eggs.
Mince together eggs, liver and onions and season.

Chopped & Fried Fish

(Source: Mel 1970's)

haddock
hake
egg to bind
onion
salt & black pepper
Matzo meal

Mince fish and onion and mix with other ingredients. Pat into balls and fry in deep oil or boil in fish soup.

[I now make these with smoked haddock and add some carrot to the mixture. I like these with a mushroom sauce made with yoghurt. Also nice cold with mayonnaise.]

Chocolate Mousse

1 egg per person
2oz + chocolate per egg
small knob butter
brandy or other flavouring

Melt chocolate in double boiler, add knob of butter. Stir in egg yolks and take off heat. Add taste of brandy. Beat egg whites stiff and fold in. Chill.

Chilladas & Tomato Sauce

(Source: Friend, Wales, 1970's)

8oz brown lentils
¾ pint hot water
2oz butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped small
1 medium carrot, chopped small
½ tsp mixed herbs
¼ tsp mace
½ tsp cayenne
2 tsp tomato puree
clove garlic, crushed
salt & pepper

to coat –
dry fine breadcrumbs (try chick pea flour for gluten free)
1 egg, beaten (can replace with chick pea flour batter for vegan)
oil for shallow frying

Simmer lentils with some salt until all water absorbed. Soften onion, carrot and garlic in butter for 5 min; then add chopped pepper and cook further 5 – 10 mins. Mash cooked lentils in bowl, add softened veg., cayenne, mace, herbs and tomato puree. Divide and shape into rissoles. Dip in beaten egg, then breadcrumbs and shallow fry. Serve with Tomato Chilli sauce.

[Note - These hold together better if some of the mixture is ground in a food processor. I sometimes add a little Sosmix. Will freeze well. Good with rice or as part of veggie cooked breakfast.]

Tomato & Chilli Sauce

¾ lb tomatoes (I usually use tinned chopped)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp tomato puree
1 tsp dried basil
1 fresh chilli, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

Cheese Souffle

(Source: Judy Keeling)

1½ oz butter
2oz flour
¾ pt milk
4 egg yolks
6 oz grated Gruyere cheese
4 egg whites
salt & pepper

Heat butter in saucepan and stir in flour with wooden spoon. Add milk gradually and stir until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper. Cool to lukewarm and add egg yolks one by one, beating hard after each addition.
Stir in cheese.
Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites and pour into buttered soufflé dish. Fill mould only ¾ full so that soufflé will have chance to rise.
Bake at 350º F for 15 mins. Increase heat to 450º F and bake 10 mins longer.
Serve immediately.

Goulash

(Source: Hume & Downes - Penguin Cordon Bleu Cookery 1971)

1½ lb. chuck steak
2 large onions
dripping
1 level tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. flour
1 dessert sp. tomato puree
¾ - 1 pt. stock
bouquet garni (parsley, bay leaf, thyme)
clove garlic, crushed or chopped
salt
pepper
1 red pepper
2 large tomatoes
2 – 3 tbsp. sour cream

Cut meat into large cubes. Slice onions. Heat dripping and brown meat in this. Remove meat, lower heat and add onions. Fry for a few minutes then add paprika and, after 1 minute, the flour, tomato puree, garlic and stock. Stir and bring to boil, then replace meat and add bouquet, salt and pepper.
Cover and simmer gently for about 2 hrs, on stove top or in moderately slow oven.
Meanwhile shred and blanch pepper and slice tomatoes (peeled and deseeded if you like). When meat is tender add pepper and tomatoes, simmer 2 – 3 minutes. Serve with cream spooned over top.

Banana Bread

(Source: Gudrun Holmes, Wales 1970's)

10 oz self raising flour
4 oz butter
6 oz soft brown sugar
3 eggs
2 bananas
1 level tsp cinnamon
3-4 tbsp milk

Cream together the butter and sugar until soft. Mash the bananas and beat into the creamed mixture. Add the eggs one by one. Add milk and fold in the sieved flour and cinnamon. Bake in moderate oven for 1½ hours in a 2lb loaf tin (less than 1 hour for 2x1lb tins).

Baked Custard Tart

(Source: Granny Keeling)

1 egg
1 tbsp sugar
about 1/2 pint milk
nutmeg
shortcrust pastry case (uncooked)

Beat egg and beat in sugar. Stir in milk (according to size of dish)
Pour mixture into pastry case and grate nutmeg over custard.
Cook in hot oven (450º F) until custard sets. Take care not to leave too long or custard will curdle.

Bagels

(Source: Tassajara Bread Book 1971)

to make 24
1. 8oz warm water
1 level tsp yeast
1oz + sugar
2 eggs, beaten
9oz flour

2. 3oz oil
1 level tsp salt
6oz flour

1. Dissolve yeast in water, then sugar, beaten eggs and flour. Beat well then leave to rise for about 1hr.

2. Fold in oil, salt and rest of flour. Knead and leave to rise 50 min. Punch down and rise for 20 min.
Cut dough into 24 pieces and roll into thin sausages. Join ends to make rings and dip in boiling water for 10 seconds.
Put on greased baking sheet and let rise 20 min. Brush with beaten egg and water and sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.
Bake at 425º F for 20 min.

Quick courgette and tomato soup

3 Courgettes
2 Tins of toms
Salt
Pepper

Chop the courgettes
Simmer the courgettes with the toms for 10 mins
Blend with hand blender
Add salt and pepper to taste

Optional - add a Kallo veg stock cube

Hearty-Cheaty Bean and Tomato Soup (Ben)

Ruin the magic...
Produces a lovely hearty hand-knitted soup.

2 tins good quality plum tomatoes / chopped tomatoes
1 tin Heinz baked beans
ground black pepper in largeish quantity

Combine tin contents in a pan, liquidise with a hand blender to a chunky consistency
Heat.
Add black pepper to taste.


Variations include Mel's Mam's Blackpool B&B addition to tin tomato soup - add chopped tomato skins for a truly authentic home-made look.