CRUNCH PEAR CRUMBLE

You can tell this is an old recipe because it uses canned pears. Canned fruit was used a lot when I was growing up. Fresh fruit was readily available and often was grown in backyards, but the canned versions were good to have in the cupboard and fairly inexpensive. This would still be a good dessert for the family, easy to make with things you have on hand.

APPLE PECAN FLAN

There’s three ways to make this flan. Firstly, as the recipe says, by laying out the pastry sheets, folding over the edges to make the base. Secondly, lining a flan tin or pie dish with the pastry and thirdly, by greasing a pie dish and then covering it with fine, dried breadcrumbs before adding the apples. The third version has the advantage of being gluten free. Either way served with cream or ice cream it’s an easy family dessert.

TROPICAL JELLY

Mum used to make fruit jelly desserts fairly often back when I was growing up. They’ve definitely gone out of fashion and these days I only make jelly to put into my trifles or when my granddaughters visit. They like them topped with chocolates and sprinkles. This old recipe would certainly be a bit more healthy, especially if I used fresh fruit, but I’m guessing they wouldn’t like it quite as much. It could still be a good dessert though, especially at children’s parties.

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE RECIPE

This recipe was on the Carnation Sweetened Condensed Milk tin label. I must admit I’ve never made it because I have a strong preference for baked cheesecakes over this no bake type. I think it’s because way, way back the first piece of cheesecake I had was in a little cafe in Toorak and coffee when ‘European’ baked cheesecake was very new and trendy in Melbourne.

CRUSTY BAKED APPLES

In years gone by baked apples served with a nice thick custard or ice cream was a pretty standard family winter dessert. Inexpensive, tasty and filling, not to mention quick and easy to make. This old 60s recipe Mum kept is a little more fancy as it wraps the apples in a sweet crusty coating. A little more trouble to make, but it is still inexpensive, tasty and filling.