Tag Archives: sugar

FRUIT LOAF

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The first Christmas cake I made was a total disaster.  When I cut into it I discovered that it was still raw in the middle and totally inedible.  I’d only been married a few months so of course the first thing I did was ring my Mum to find out what could be salvaged.  Mum calmly told me not to panic, to put the cake in a mixing bowl, squash it all up and then pour in a cup of cold tea.  Once it was all mixed through to then put it in a pudding bowl and cook it like a Christmas pudding and lo and behold it worked.

When I found this old recipe in Mum’s collection it reminded me so much of that cake/pudding disaster.  I’ve always thought it was a marvellous trick that Mum knew and I think this old Fruit Loaf recipe gives a hint of where she got the idea from.

Fruit Loaf crop

RAINBOW DESSERT

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At one stage Mum used to make quite a few desserts that were topped with beaten jelly.  It works really well on top of a trifle or with berries mixed in. This recipe is really just a fancy was of combining custard and jelly that you then serve with fruit and cream or ice cream.  Should be one the kids would like.

Rainbow Dessert

TEA CAKE

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I’ve always thought that a Tea Cake was a cake which can be made quickly just before visitors arrive and eaten fresh and warm with a cup of tea or coffee.  Cakes made like this don’t keep well and are really best eaten the day their made.

Tea Cake

TEA CAKE

  • 1 large cup self raising flour
  • 2 tablespoons custard powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons soft margarine
  • ½ cup milk

Beat on high speed 3-4 minutes.  Place mixture in large cake tin (200ml).  Bake moderate oven 180o for about 30 minutes.  Turn out while still hot and spread with butter.  Mix together 2 teaspoons coconut, 2 teaspoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and spread on cake.

CHOCOLATE CHEESE BROWNIES

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Here’s another of Mum’s pinned together recipes.  If I’d realised that there was a cellotape shortage in her kitchen I would have donated a couple of rolls to her bottom drawer.  I guess at least the pins kept the recipes together and saved pieces getting lost.  If that had happened we’d never have had this Chocolate Cheese Brownie recipe to enjoy.

Chocolate Cheese Brownies

DUTCH TART

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I have no idea how this got the name ‘Dutch’ tart, it’s one of the mysteries of Mum’s old recipes.  It’s made in a swiss roll tin, a tray that has slightly raised edges (about 2 to 3cm deep) and has dimensions of roughly 23 x 33xm, so it’s hardly a tart, more of a slice really, but who can argue with their Mother….

Dutch Tart

DUTCH TART

Rub 60g butter into 1 cup plain flour.  Mix to a stiff paste with milk.  Roll out to fit swiss roll tin.  Spread with raspberry jam.  Top with cake mixture.

Cake mixture:  5 tablespoons butter, ½ cup sugar, 1 cup self raising flour, ½ cup milk, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon mixed spice, 1 tablespoon chopped dates, 1 tablespoon sultanas, 2 tablespoons walnuts.  Cream butter & sugar.  Add sifted flour and spices, mix in dried fruits and walnuts and milk.  Spread on top of pastry.  Bake moderate oven 180o for 30 mins.  When cool spread over lemon icing.

APPLE CRUMBLE

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My guess is that this recipe was one of the original ones Mum started out with after she married in 1941.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it came from my paternal grandmother, who Mum lived with while Dad was overseas in the airforce during WW2.  The piece of paper looks very well used.

Apple Crumble

APPLE CRUMBLE

  • ½ cup of Self Raising Flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons coconut
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Mix together to make the crumble.  Cook apples, let cool and put crumble on top.  Bake in a moderate oven 180o until the crumble is brown, about 30 mins.

TOMATO RELISH

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One of the joys of summer when I was growing up was the crop of tomatoes that Dad grew in the backyard.  I’m sure today’s tomatoes don’t taste as good.  My Uncle Alf had a much larger veggie patch with a lot more tomato plants and vegetables growing.  As a result my Auntie Elsie made tomato chutney, pickles and relish in abundance each year.  This is one of her recipes, written out by Mum on a piece of the now defunct Ansett Airlines notepaper.

Tomato Relish

TOMATO RELISH

  • 1.5kg ripe tomatoes
  • 500g onions
  • 500g sugar
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1½ tablespoons mustard
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • salt
  • brown vinegar

Peel and slice the onions, cut and slice peeled tomatoes and put all into a basin.  Sprinkle with salt.  Allow to remain overnight.  Next day put into preserving pan with just sufficient vinegar to cover, add sugar.  Boil gently for 1 hour.  Moisten dry ingredients with a little cold water and vinegar and stir them into mixture.  Boil together for another hour or until a nice consistency.

 

CHRISTMAS MINCEMEAT

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I’ve always wondered why this is called Mincemeat when it obviously doesn’t have any meat in it, but as you can see from this very old recipe it’s been called that for a long time.  Mum used to make a batch each Christmas for her fruit mince pies and while buying them from the supermarket is not a lot easier now, they somehow don’t have the same flavor.

Christmas Mincemeat compile