A sweet treat for Burns Night

There's a Scottish welcome in January with Burns Night on 25 January celebrating the life, songs and poetry of the Scottish poet Robert Burns, born on 25 January 1759.

Haggis is the traditional dish to serve on Burns Night, accompanied by Tatties (mashed potato with a dash of nutmeg) and Neeps (mashed swede or turnip with a touch of ginger). But what do you serve up as dessert or pudding on Burns Night? My proud Scottish friend, Fiona,who is an amazing cook has a traditionally Scottish Prune and Whisky Tarte which she makes every year for her family and friends as well as her own Haggis!

Fiona’s Prune and Whisky Tarte

8 inch (21cm) flan tin

8oz (225g) shortcrust pastry

8oz (225g) dried prunes (those stoned ready to eat D’Agen prunes are best)

4floz (100ml) double cream

2 eggs

3oz (75g) caster sugar

2oz (50g) ground almonds

2 fl oz (50ml) malt whisky 

Zest of one orange finely grated

1oz (25g) butter

Line the flan tin with pastry, prick and leave in fridge to rest. Preheat the oven to 400F, Mark 6, 200c. Whisk the cream, eggs, sugar, almonds and zest in a large bowl. Melt the butter and add to the egg mixture and whisk again. Arrange the prunes on the bottom of the flan and pour the egg mixture over. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. When cooked, drizzle the whisky over the top and serve warm.

This recipe sounds quite decadent! Slainte Mhath! Happy Burns Night! Have you got a Scottish recipe to share?

Celebrating New Year Welsh style

Blwyddwyn Newydd Dda

There is a small corner of Wales where they celebrate New Year on 13 January. People living in the Gwaun Valley in Pembrokeshire follow the ancient Julian calendar, which the rest of the UK stopped using in 1752 when it was replaced by the Gregorian calendar.  People celebrate 'Hen Galan’ with traditional songs to 'let in' the coming year and to wish everyone health and happiness. The children receive gifts of homemade biscuits or sweets. 

I love Wales and have lots of happy memories of many visits to Wales when my Uncle Albert lived there so this seems a good excuse to bake and join in the celebrations. 

Grandma Abson has lots of easy recipes to bake with children. Here's one with an orange and plain dark chocolate. 

Chocolate Orange Biscuits

5 oz/150g margarine or butter

3 oz/75g caster sugar

8 oz/225g plain flour

2 tsps baking powder

3 oz/75g plain chocolate (chopped into small pieces)

Grated rind of an orange

1 tbsp orange juice

Pre heat the oven to 350F, mark 4, 180C. Beat the margarine or butter until it’s light and fluffy. Then sift the flour and baking powder straight onto the creamed mixture. Add the rest of the ingredients and work the mixture together until you get a fairly stiff paste. Roll out into a floured working surface, about ¼ inch thick. Using a 2 inch plain cutter, cut out the biscuits and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them with a little extra caster sugar and bake for about 20 minutes or until the biscuits are a nice golden colour. Remove from the oven, leave to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then place on a wire rack. Store in an airtight tin.

Sunny days in Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey, Wales 

Start the year with ginger spice

Sticky Ginger Cake

Start the New Year with something new and Grandma’s baking is no exception. I love trying out new and old recipes which are easy and quick to make from simple ingredients. This recipe is a one passed on to me by my nephew, John who has inherited a huge collection of recipes from Nanan. It has the added bonus of my favourite ginger spice.

Sticky Ginger Cake

4 oz (100g) butter

4 oz (100g) brown sugar

8 oz (225g) golden syrup and black treacle (I used half and half of each)

2 eggs

8 oz (225g) plain flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp ground ginger

2 oz (50g) walnuts chopped

2 oz (50g) sultanas

2 tbsp warm milk

Grease and line a square or loaf tin (I used a square 9 inch tin) with greaseproof paper. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup/black treacle in a pan but do not allow to boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little before adding the beaten eggs. Sift the flour and ginger together and stir in the sultanas and chopped walnuts. Pour the treacle mixture into the flour mixture and beat well together. Stir in the milk and the bicarbonate of soda. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 1 ½ hours at 325F, Mark 3, 170C for around 1 ½ hours. Reduce the heat if necessary after an hour. Allow to cool partially in the tin before turning it out onto a wire rack.

Meryl's tip : This cake keeps well for 4 to 5 days and improves over that time. So why not give it a try. It only takes under 10 minutes to prepare and then it’s in the oven so no excuse about finding time to bake a treat!

On 6 January in France they celebrate the Day of the Kings or Epiphany. If you want to make something special for this, have a look back at my post New Year baking for a wonderful Galette de Pommes.

Here's to another year of brilliant baking

I set up Grandma Abson's Traditional Baking blog a year ago so I’ve been looking back over the last year. It has definitely been a whirlwind, with plenty of tasty baking.  Here are my top Grandma Abson moments....

Putting the finishing touches to Grandma's book

I was quite nervous about getting the layout and design right but the patience and determination of Mark and colleagues at FCD brought me through the process to bring Grandma’s book to the market. The team also proved to be most discerning in tasting the recipes. Paradise Cake was a regular winner.

Launching Grandma's book

Grandma’s book launch in June was a splendid affair with the Catering students at Dearne Valley College proudly showing off their expertise in producing a wonderful array of Grandma’s treats and serving them in a most professional manner. And Bridlington Cake made a superb entrance to the scene.

Meeting people 

I’ve really appreciated seeing so many faces light up at baketastic book signings at lots of branches of Waterstones. The staff have been fabulous book ambassadors and always made me feel so welcome with mugs of tea to keep me going. They’ve certainly been fans of Grandma's baking! 

I’ve delivered talks to all sorts of groups and debated how to craft the perfect pastry, the tastiest biscuits and the most delectable cakes.  Chiswick Boot Camp all joined in my baking lesson and produced a fabulous Marmalade Spice Cake. 

With Grandma’s easy to follow instructions, it was great fun getting my friend and saxophone teacher, Maria started baking with her first ever gorgeous chocolate cake. 

Afternoon tea in London was a delightful affair and the sun came out too.  Who can resist those wondrous smells of homemade baking, straight out of the oven? 

I got dressed up as a cook in service to reenact Stir Up Sunday and make a Plum Pudding for the visitors to Cusworth Hall.

Media

Grandma’s had lots of coverage in the media with recipes featuring on Saga and Deliciously Yorkshire's  websites and Living North’s Tasting Notes. Her fame travelled worldwide and my visit to San Francisco brought an international audience to Yorkshire baking.  My favourite review came from my son’s friend, Ana Cecilia  who rates Grandma’s book as 'her personal cooking bible’. She’s posted a mean Coffee Cake picture too.

Diamond Wedding Anniversary cake

We’ve fond family memories of Colin and Pat’s Diamond Wedding celebrations in April, made more poignant by our sad loss when Colin died later in the year. He loved the Diamond Wedding cake, and described the home made almond paste as an ‘exquisite delight’. Pat has the lily of the valley decoration in pride of place on her mantelpiece. 

Wedding of the Year 

Our wedding of the year was Katherine and Phil’s. I achieved the ultimate feat of making and decorating their amazing 3 tiered Wedding Cake for their magnificent wedding at Hodsock Priory on the hottest day of the year in October!

What will the next year bring? 

The passion I have for the delights of home baking and desire to pass on the skills I learnt with Grandma is as strong as ever. Her recipes are a beautiful combination of simple ingredients, classic cakes and puddings, biscuits, jams, chutneys and some quirky ones to try out. Her signature baking reminds us how quintessentially British it is that we put the kettle on for a cup of tea and a piece of cake to deal with all manner of life’s difficulties. I hope you like the way of listing recipes on the blog so they are easy to access. Have a very Happy New Year!

Something special for Boxing Day

Special Boxing Day Cake

I made some amazing discoveries amongst the treasure trove of Grandma's recipes. Here is her special cake for Boxing Day with dates, honey and a hint of almond, giving it a taste of North Africa. I’ve made Boxing Day Cake for people to try at book signings and events about Grandma Abson's Traditional Baking. It’s been fantastic to see the delight on their faces when they taste it. I've given the recipe out to listeners on Radio Sheffield too. 

So, what is Boxing Day? It's said that servants received a box with leftover foodstuffs for them to take to visit their families after the Christmas Day festivities. I’ve not been able to find out where Grandma got this recipe from, but since it has dates, this was a good way to use any dates left from Christmas Day feasting. It also has only a very small amount of sugar and I’ve made it without sugar and let the sweetness come through the dates and honey. The cake will keep a few days as it is fairly moist. Grandma adds milk before baking in the oven which gives the cake a lighter texture. It doesn’t take too long to mix and will certainly be a talking point for your family and friends.

Boxing Day Cake  

6 oz (175g) margarine or butter

1 dessertspoon sugar

3 tablespoons honey

3 eggs

4 oz (110g) dates

¼ tsp grated nutmeg

Few drops of almond extract

1 lb (450g) self raising flour (sifted)

Milk to mix 

Cream the fats, sugar and honey. Slowly beat in the eggs. Then add the dates (cut into quarters), nutmeg, salt and almond essence. Gradually, fold in the sifted flour. Beat well with a wooden spoon. Add the milk to give a soft consistency. Put into a greased and lined 8” (21cm) tin. Bake in a slow oven for about 1 hour. (300 F, Mark 2, 150 C).

Happy and blissful baking for Boxing Day!

P.S. I went to see the E. Nesbit’s The Railway Children at Waterloo Station in London. I’ve always loved the story since I first read it as a child in the 1950s. I thought the production was magnificent. I've been supporting the charity Railway Children this year.

Short and not too sweet

Scrumptious Shortbread biscuits and more

Shortbread biscuits are always one of my favourite things to eat around Christmas. Grandma has a lovely recipe which is very quick and easy to make. Many people I’ve met recently say that they like things not too sweet, so these biscuits fit the bill as you just put in the amount of sugar you wish.  

I’ve also been showing people at book signings at Waterstones across the country how to make shortbread biscuits. I even met a shortbread connoisseur who commented very favourably on Grandma's recipe. This recipe is for individual biscuits with a glace cherry decoration. Will you eat the cherry first like I used to?

Shortbread Biscuits

10oz/275g butter

1lb/450g plain flour

6oz/175g caster sugar

1 pinch of salt

1 or 2 yolks of eggs

Glace cherries

“Rub the butter into the flour and add the sugar and the salt. Then add the egg and work into the flour as quickly as possible, making a dry dough. The mixture must be kept dry. Roll out  thinly and cut into rounds. Put a cherry in the centre. Bake for 25 minutes in a slow oven.” (300F, Mark 2, 150C)

You can find many more of these delights in Grandma Abson's Traditional Baking.  

All set for signing books at Waterstone’s in Doncaster

Home made mince pies – it’s so easy

Enjoy a homemade mince pie. 

Make a wish if it's the first of the season.

Trays of traditional homemade mince pies always bring back fond memories of Christmases past. In fact, it wouldn’t be Christmas without making a batch of mince pies to have in the house when family and friends come to call. Mince pies made with homemade mincemeat taste so much more delicious.  I usually make mincemeat about 4 weeks before Christmas to allow it to mature.

Mincemeat is a mixture of dried fruits and apples. You can use vegetable suet or butter instead of meat based suet if you are vegetarian. The recipe is as easy as pie and you can adjust the sweetness by adding less sugar and let the natural flavours of the dried fruits come through together with the nutmeg and mixed spice. This mincemeat will keep for around 6 weeks. 

Grandma Abson’s Homemade Mincemeat 

1 lb apples peeled and chopped

Rind and juice of 1 lemon

Rind and juice of 1 orange

A little nutmeg

A little allspice or mixed spice

½ lb suet (I use vegetarian)

2 oz flaked almonds (optional)

12 oz demerara or soft brown sugar

1 lb stoned raisins

¾ lb currants

½ lb sultanas

¼ lb mixed peel

4-6 tbsps brandy (optional)

Mix all the ingredients except the brandy in a large bowl.     Cook in a cool oven on the lowest heat for a couple of hours 110-130C, Mark ¼ - ½ , 200-250F. Allow to cool and cover with a cloth. When cold, stir in the brandy and place in jars, cover with wax disc and label. Then it is ready for use.

My co blog writer, Patrick made homemade mincemeat this weekend : ‘It's Saturday night, yes, but I was totally in the mood to make this mincemeat from  Grandma Abson's Traditional Baking. This will become mince pies in a week or two. Can't wait, but just now, the scent of the fruit and nutmeg is beautiful....’

Meryl's tips for homemade mincemeat and mince pies:

1.    I make the pastry for mince pies to Grandma’s shortcrust recipe but you can substitute a little of the flour (approximately 2 oz or 50g) with ground almonds.

Shortcrust pastry

4 oz(110g) butter

8 oz (225g) plain flour

Salt

1 egg

A little water (or a little milk and water)

Rub the butter into the flour and salt. When the mixture is like breadcrumbs, make a well and add the egg. Add the water to make a dough. Let it stand for ½ hour in a cool place before rolling out.

2.    I like to decorate my mince pies with shapes –Stars, Christmas Trees and Bells. But it’s amazing to see how many people choose the ones with the traditional lid on top. Whatever you do, put plenty of mincemeat in the filling before you put the lid on. You can add a little brandy or any other spirit of your choice to the mincemeat for some real Christmas cheer.

3.    A final touch, if you do like a sweeter topping, sprinkle a little icing sugar over the top.

Mince pies ready for the oven 

Mince pies ready to enjoy!

I made mince pies and some of Grandma’s other delights for a book signing in Waterstones in Leeds.  There were lots of appreciative comments about the mouth watering pastry and the not too sweet mincemeat. For some people, it was their first one of the season, so a chance to make a Christmas wish!

Grandma Abson’s baking at Waterstones Leeds

For another mouthwatering recipe using mincemeat, try Tarte Noel.

Hands on in Chiswick

Get set and ready to bake

It was hands on in Chiswick when Rose asked me to give a baking lesson for her friends and members of her Boot Camp group at her home. She has an amazing kitchen with an island station which Grandma would have loved. It was perfect for everyone to gather round and join in. I baked Marmalade Spice Cake as the tangy combination of marmalade and ginger is always very popular. Everyone wanted to have a go at weighing, stirring, mixing and tasting and get some baking tips before the cake went in the oven.

Marmalade Spice Cake 

While it was cooking, I talked about the story of Grandma’s life and home baking and there were some samples of the recipes I’d made earlier from  Grandma Abson's Traditional Baking book.

I’d made all the recipes with less sugar. One of the guests commented :  ‘I came and tasted a gorgeous (not overly sweet) cake and have been reading the book and showing it to friends ever since. It’s a gold mine of fantastic recipes. You won't get this from any TV chefs and it’s a breath of fresh air. Thank you Meryl.’

Dream Cake is disappearing

Once the cakes came out of the oven, there was hardly time for them to cool before they had disappeared. Who can resist the smell and taste of home baking warm and aromatic and straight out of the oven? Having a baking lesson is fabulous idea for a party. Huge thanks to Rose for being the perfect host. Let’s get baking!

Boot Camp team photo -  traditional baking experts!