A Slice of Tradition at Cusworth Hall

Returning to Cusworth Hall, Doncaster recently to help celebrate the 20-year anniversary of The Friends of Cusworth Hall was a delicious trip down memory lane. My own association with the hall and the Museum Service had enabled me to build up my knowledge of heritage baking and learn some new skills, while enjoying every moment! This time, I had been invited to give a talk as part of the celebrations. What a delight to see so many in the audience who had come to hear all about my Cusworth Hall story.

Lavish entertaining in Georgian times

During the mid-18^th century, Cusworth Hall, a manor house), the home of the Battie-Wrightson family, and the Doncaster Mansion House were built. The latter was especially important as a place for corporate entertaining, but similar fine dining would have taken place at Cusworth Hall as well.

I made syllabub and junket from recipes by Yorkshire cook, Hannah Glasse in The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy (1747), for events at both venues to celebrate the Georgians.

The Great Kitchen at Cusworth

Although I was never able to cook on the original range at Cusworth Hall, I spent many happy afternoons demonstrating the sorts of bakes which the cooks and kitchen maids including Eliza Hadrill (from Berkshire) and Ada Briggs (from Lincolnshire), would have prepared. Both of these employees are listed on the 1901 census, together with 11 other servants, a coachman and a groom.

Modern visitors to the Great Kitchen were always intrigued by the various implements on display especially the sugar cutters and knife sharpener. 

 

The golden age of Cusworth Hall 

I did several events at the hall to replicate the Golden age of Cusworth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. We explored themes like ‘What the children ate in Edwardian times’, and recreated recipes such as Snow Cake and Lunch Cake as well as baking cakes for ‘Servants’ Days’ where it was great fun to dress up as the housekeeper/cook in charge. 

WWI baking – and a chance to bake on site

Cusworth Hall played its part during the first world war. Lady Isabella supported many local events to raise funds for local families affected by the war. Over two days at Cusworth Hall, this time baking in a large marquee, I replicated first world war recipes including Trench Cake and Anzac Biscuits for Doncaster ‘s Life on the Home Front events.

Festive traditions at Cusworth Hall 

Christmas events were always a highlight, and a time when the hall would be decorated. One of my favourites was Stir Up Sunday where we invited visitors to stir up a traditional Plum Pudding. We didn’t manage to make Hannah Glasse’s famous Yorkshire Pie, but we did do our best with pickling and preserving, using Mrs Beeton’s classic cook book Every Day Cookery.

The next chapter …

Over 10 years at Cusworth Hall, I brought numerous recipes to life from Yorkshire Parkin to Yorkshire Curd Tart and the wonderfully named Yorkshire Moggy Cake. I am very proud to have played a small part in the hall’s story. I wish it well on its next journey with the opening of the RHS-partnered Walled Garden.

Here’s to the next chapter in this remarkable place.

This is a shorter version of a piece I wrote for Yorkshire Bylines

A Legacy of Baking

A Grandmother’s inspiration

 I’ve been writing about Grandma Abson’s recipes for 15 years now and how her love for simple delicious baking shaped my own passion for the craft. But today I want to write more about how she baked and her collection. 

Grandma Abson’s treasured collection of Recipes

Grandma Abson had begun her collection of recipes during her time in service in the late 19^th century, but she continued through most of the 20^th century as fashions changed. She wrote them out by hand on scraps of paper, postcards, in old exercise books and tore them out of magazines to create a diverse and cherished assortment of traditional recipes. 

Grandma’s approach to baking

Grandma Abson had a stern, rather Victorian outlook on life and a stout work ethic and developed a practical and resourceful approach to baking. She lived through harsh times, raising her family through the hardship and rationing of two world wars. Consequently, her recipes were often crafted around making tasty food from basic or limited supplies.

Her methods were guided by intuition rather than precise measurements. She would make sure that the ingredients were at room temperature before starting to mix them and sieved flour to give a lighter texture for a dough. Neither did she meticulously weigh out the ingredients, hence there are many references to “a cupful” or “a basinful” in her recipes.

From coal-fired ranges to gas and electric ovens, Grandma adapted to changing kitchen technology, though she always relied on her instincts and experience to judge the perfect oven temperature. Her early years cooking on black-leaded Yorkshire ranges had given her that mysterious knowledge of what was just the “correct heat”. Oven temperatures were not precise with “slow, moderate and quick” as common descriptions. She had a knack for knowing exactly when a cake was ready, using a simple skewer to test for ‘baked’—an old trick that I still use today. 

Why Grandma Abson’s Baking still appeals today

Grandma Abson’s legacy is more than just recipes; it’s a connection to the past, a reminder of the warmth and comfort that home baking brings. Her recipes remain as relevant today as they were decades ago, proving that simple, well-made food never goes out of style. In my family, we continue to bake her beloved Victoria Sandwich, Apple pie and many more, keeping her traditions alive with every delicious bite.

This is a shorter version of an article I wrote for Yorkshire Bylines which you can find here. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Still got leftovers from the festive season? I discovered some Panettone in one of those lovely tins which I had been gifted and left at the back of the cupboard.  So, together with my new season's batch of marmalade, I made a cunning plan. Instead of using slightly stale bread, I adapted Grandma’s  recipe for Marmalade Bread and Butter pudding to come up with a warming pudding to remind me not just of Spain, where the super Seville Oranges come from, but also Italy with its glorious sweet fluffy bread and especially the city of Milan, where panettone is said to originate. 

Marmalade Bread and Butter Pudding (with panettone)

50g/2oz butter

8 slices Panettone

150g/6oz Marmalade

50g/2oz sultanas

2 tsp cinnamon

Zest of 1 orange

350ml/12fl oz milk

50ml/2fl oz double cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 (large) eggs

50g/2oz caster sugar

Nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/ Gas 4. Grease a 1 litre/2 pint pie dish with butter. Spread butter and marmalade on each slice of Panettone. Arrange a layer of panettone, buttered-side up, in the dish, then add half the sultanas. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and orange zest, then add another layer of panettone, sultanas and cinnamon. Warm the milk and cream with the vanilla extract gently in a pan over a low heat. Beat the eggs in a bowl with the sugar. Add the warm milk and cream mixture and stir well. Pour this over the layers and sprinkle nutmeg on top. Leave to stand for 30 minutes. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the custard has set and the top is golden-brown. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Meryl says :  Don’t let the milk and cream mixture  boil - just heat gently until warm before you add it to the eggs and sugar. Serve with crème fraiche, cream or ice cream as you wish. Delizioso - chocolate and orange - my favourite!

You may also like Grandma’s very popular Marmalade Spice Cake,  Marmalade Flapjack or  Clementine and Ginger Cake all with a kick of ginger to enhance the taste. Let me know which you like best. Enjoy!

It’s Marmalade time

I’ve been making marmalade for over 15 years now. Once the Christmas and New Year celebrations are over, it’s a fixed date on my calendar to check out the arrival of the Seville Oranges in the shops or online and prepare my jam jars ready for my marmalade making session.

I’ve posted about Grandma Abson’s Marmalade recipes with various citrus fruits and my late mother-in-law, Great Grandma Pat who supplied the family with marmalade well into her 80s, using a pressure cooker.

Creating a marmalade recipe

I’ve tried all their recipes and others over the years and finally created my own version. I think I’ve ended up with something easy and reliable to be sure of a winner every time. Nowadays Seville oranges are sold in string bags weighing a kilo, so I’ve adapted the measurements of ingredients to fit this weight. This recipe makes about 6 jars.

Seville Orange Marmalade

What you need…

1 kg Seville oranges

Juice of 2 lemons

4 pints/approx. 2 litres water

2 kgs granulated sugar

How to make ...

Wash the oranges and place them in a large pan with the water and the lemon juice.

Boil and then simmer for between 1½ and 2 hours until they are soft and the peel pierces easily with a fork.

Remove them from the pan with a ladle and leave to cool on a tray or plate.

Cut the oranges in half and scoop out the fruit, pith and pips and return this mixture to the pan, retaining the peel. Boil for 5-6 minutes.

Strain this mixture through a sieve or a muslin cloth. You can press it through with a wooden spoon.

Cut half of the peel into strips – chunky or thin depending on how you prefer them in marmalade.

Add these to the remaining liquid in the pan with the sugar and stir gently until all the sugar has dissolved. This can take between 6-10 minutes. Be careful not to boil the mixture at this stage.

Once the sugar has dissolved, fast boil rapidly for 15 minutes until the setting point is reached. It can take sometimes up to 25 minutes so keep checking.

How to check for the setting point - use the plate/wrinkle test by putting a small amount on a chilled plate and pushing it with a teaspoon - it should wrinkle.

  Leave the marmalade to cool in the pan for around 20-25 minutes and  then pot into sterilised jars.

Tips for marmalade making

·        To prevent too much froth in the liquid as it boils, add a knob of butter at the fast-boiling stage.

·        To sterilise jars, place them in a dishwasher or wash carefully in hot, soapy water. Rinse and place them on a tray in a preheated oven at around 150C for 15-20 minutes to dry.

Love it or not?

It’s true to say that love it or hate it, marmalade is a firm favourite as part of a traditional British breakfast with a wide variety of textures to suit all tastes. Seville Oranges are only around at this time of year between late December and early February so don’t delay.

Start the year and banish the January Blues

Now I’ve made my marmalade, I’m ready to take on 2026 and bake my favourite recipes to banish those January blues. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year 2026!

Marmalade Spice Cake

Marmalade Bread and Butter Pudding

This is a shorter version of my January 2026 article In praise of homemade

 Marmalade for Yorkshire Bylines.

What a difference an O makes?

 

When it comes to macarons and macaroons, I know exactly which I prefer and it’s not those smooth round, coloured meringues, exquisite though they are. I’m more a fan of old fashioned macaroons, having grown up tasting Grandma Abson’s Coconut Macaroons, baked to a golden brown, a bit rough at the edges but always topped with a bright red glace cherry.

More marvellous macaroons

I met June at a funding raising even over the summer. She had brought a tray of Saffron Macaroons which proved very popular.  Her mother-in-law, Francesca was a great Italian cook and she passed on her family recipe for this delectable treat.

Saffron Macaroons.

Ingredients

Large pinch of saffron

1 tbsp hot water

2 large egg whites

240g icing sugar

240g ground almonds

2 tsps almond extract

¼ tsp baking powder

Method

·        Crumble the saffron in the hot water and set aside until deep yellow.

·        Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks.

·        Sift the icing sugar and set aside 30g.

·        In a large bowl, mix together ground almonds, baking powder and saffron water.

·        Stir through the egg whites. (Don’t worry about knocking out the air - the finished dough should be dense and sticky.)

·        Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

·        Use 2 spoons to shape walnut size pieces of dough into balls. Then roll them in the reserved icing sugar, coating them generously like snowballs.

·        Space well on a baking tray and flatten the balls slightly. Leave at room temperature for an hour to form a slight shell.

·        Preheat the oven to 170C (150C Fan) gently squeeze the macaroons at the sides to crack the surface.

·        Bake for 20 mins.

June says : Leave to completely cool to dry on a tray. They will keep in a tin for around a week or more. Their squidgy centres are perhaps even better a day after baking. You can put candid peel on top before cooking or you could put an almond or almond flake.

Whilst we are on the subject, here’s the lowdown on marzipan and almond paste. Marzipan has a higher ratio of sugar to almonds whereas Almond Paste generally has equal quantities of ground almonds to sugar. Grandma made her own almond paste as a base cover for her Christmas cake before topping with royal icing or glace fruits.

I’ve been busy with homemade Christmas baking this week and already made Francesca’s wonderful Saffron Macaroons for family and friends to enjoy alongside our favourite homemade  Mince Pies.

Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas!

How to become a Billionaire …

I’ve always loved Millionaires’ Shortbread and have tried several recipes to achieve that rich and decadent taste. Sheila, a friend from Derby, sent me her recipe 10 years ago and I’ve been using it ever since. 

Sheila’s Millionaires’ Shortbread

Pre-heat the oven to 160C (fan) 180C/Mark 4.  Line a 11 x 8 inch/28 x 20cm) Swiss roll tin with baking paper.

Shortbread base

4oz/110g butter

2oz/50g caster sugar

6oz/175g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

Add the sugar to the flour and baking powder. Rub in the butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Knead the mixture until it forms a dough then press into the lined tin. Prick the dough with a fork. Bake in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown and firm. Allow to cool in the tin.

Caramel filling

4oz/110g salted butter

4oz/110g light muscovado sugar

1 tbsp golden syrup

1 small tin condensed milk (397g)

1/2 tsp vamilla extract

Put all the ingredients into a pan and heat gradually until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, stirring all the time for about 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Allow to cool slightly then pour over the shortbread. Allow to cool completely.

Chocolate topping

8 oz/200g milk or dark chocolate

Melt the chocolate slowly over a pan of hot water or in a microwave on a low setting (600). Pour over the caramel and allow to set.  Cut into squares or bars as you wish with a hot knife.

 Turn it into Billionaire’s Shortbread

If you want to go the whole way to achieve super rich status, convert your stash into Billionaire’s Shortbread with a topping of gold leaf. That’s one way to plug that missing billions gap!

Meryl says : This is a recipe which needs dedication and care so take time between each stage to chill – the shortbread and yourself! And don’t be stingy with the chocolate – we all like a thick topping.

My singing friend, Heather, made Millionaire’s Shortbread for cake duty at our choir rehearsal last week. It was amazing. We sang our hearts out with even more gusto after indulging in her luscious treat!

This is a shorter version of a recipe article I did for Yorkshire Bylines

Enjoy!