Coconut Jam Slices

Another simple old recipe from the WI Ladies. You just know your are guaranteed a great result when using their old recipes. I am sure many of you who are from my generation will recognise this as something their Mum, Gran or Aunt made. We loved the slices and my friend Jeny who came to visit as they came out of the oven gave them 10 out of 10 and ate 3!

You will need a 12” x 9” Swiss roll tin, buttered. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C

8 oz SR flour

pinch salt

4 oz softened butter

3 oz caster sugar

1 small egg, beaten [or half a large]

3 tablespoons red, preferably raspberry, jam

4 oz desiccated coconut

1 tablespoon milk

In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour and salt, then rub in the butter, adding 1 oz of the sugar. Bind with half the egg and a little cold water, to a stiff paste. Chill for ten minutes. Roll out the pastry to line your prepared tin. The dough is soft and it is easy to spread with your hands. I used a teaspoon to neaten the edges. Spread over the jam, generously. I used three headed tablespoons.

Mix together the coconut and remaining sugar , then moisten with the milk. Sprinkle over the jam, pressing down very lightly.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes, turning the tray now and then. Cool then cut into slices. Makes approx 24.

Just so scrumptious.

Orange and Chocolate Chip Buns

Another recipe from the Ladies of the WI, circa 1960s. A lovely combination of flavours we take for granted these days, but this was almost 60 years ago! I used a 70% cocoa solids chocolate and roughly chopped it, as they would have done, making the batter full of flecks.

The recipe makes about a ten large buns [in small muffin cases]

Line your bun tin with paper cases and pre heat your fan oven to 170C

4 oz butter

4 oz caster sugar

2 egg

6 oz Self raising Flour

2 oranges, zested, one of them juiced.

4 oz Bournville Chocolate, cut into small pieces

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy then add the eggs. Fold in the sieved flour and finally add the chocolate, zest and enough orange juice to give a soft dropping consistency. Spoon into the baking cases and bake in your pre heated oven for 10-15 mins.

Note: I have doubled the original amounts as I realised this would make very small buns. My husband would think I had lost the plot.

While these buns were lovely as printed in the old book, I thought it might be a good idea to cut the lids off and mix a little of the remaining orange juice with some butter and icing sugar to make a filling and butterfly the lids.. Another time….

Absolutely delicious.

Old Fashioned Treacle Tart

Yes, you can probably guess this is an old WI recipe. One of my daughter’s favourite desserts. Of course, we Cornish don’t mean treacle, we mean golden syrup, but somehow it does not trip off the tongue as easily!! This old version is not as sweet as modern day tarts and I like the lemon zest undertones.

You will need an shallow 8 inch flan tin, loose bottomed is easiest of course, buttered. Pre heat your fan oven to 190C. Or for authenticity, use an old fashioned pie plate, as I have done.  The base cooks wonderfully with them.

All butter Shortcrust pastry. Bought is good, but see my own recipe at the bottom of the page.

Roll out your pastry and line your pie plate. Chill while you prepare the filling. Roll out the remainder in an oblong and cut into thin strips, ready to make a lattice pattern.

9-10 tablespoons golden syrup

3 oz fresh white breadcrumbs [from a stale loaf]

grated zest of a lemon

1 dessertspoonful lemon juice

Place the syrup in a small saucepan with the lemon zest and juice and the crumbs. Gently heat until just melted and runny. Cool.

Pour the treacle mix into the pie dish, then make a lattice pattern with the oblong pastry strips. Yes, it is fiddly and mine is not perfect. Bake for about 30 mins, turning down to 170C ten mins before the end of baking time.

Serve with lashings of custard or clotted cream - or as my husband does… use both.

Just wonderful.

Shortcrust. I never do it by hand. In a food processor, place:

8 oz plain flour, 5 oz cold butter, cubed and a tablespoon caster sugar. Pulse, until it resembles  fine breadcrumbs. Add one egg yolk and 2 tablespoons cold water. Pulse again until it comes together.  Lightly knead and place in a poly bag to chill for ten mins before using.

Ginger Sponge Sandwich

Don’t you just love the taste of stem ginger? Heaven. This is just the best sponge ever, if you love ginger! Plus I love the method, making the lightest sponge I have ever seen. Trust me, this is a brilliant winner. Not easy to neatly cut though, when just cooled!

You will need 2 x 8 inch loose bottom sponge tins, lightly greased and the base lined and pre heat your fan oven to 160C

4 eggs

7 oz caster sugar

5 oz plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon syrup from the jar of ginger

1½ tablespoons lemon juice

2 oz finely chopped preserved ginger

Toss the ginger in the sieved flour and baking powder. Separate the egg whites from the yolks and whisk the whites until stiff. Gradually beat in the yolks and sugar, adding these alternatively and whisking well between each addition. When the mix is thick, fold in the flour, syrup and lemon juice. Divide between the two tins [if you are like me you will weigh them - I am a saddo] and bake for about 25 mins. Cool, then, when cold….

The filling:

4 oz softened butter

3 oz icing sugar

a dessertspoonful of the ginger syrup

½ teaspoon ground ginger

Sandwich with the ginger filling, then:

Icing:

5-6 oz icing sugar

1 dash of lemon juice

a little syrup from the jar

a little more chopped ginger

More pics on my Blog.

Mix until smooth and just runny. Drizzle over the cake then add more very finely chopped preserved ginger. Oh my, so YUMMY, the sponge just melts.

YUM YUM Cakes

Another old gem, from the 1960’s Cornish WI Ladies. When I made this batch and took it to my Friday afternoon Bridge Club, lots of folk said “I remember these” or “ My mother made these”. My husband loved them too. So easy to make, with little effort. You will need a Swiss roll tin, mine was 14 x 9 inches.

Pre heat your fan oven to 160C and butter the base of your Swiss roll tin.

These little cake squares are prepared in two parts.

The Base:

3 oz soft brown sugar

4½ oz softened butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or bean paste

3 large egg yolks [you will need the whites in a mo]

9 oz self raising flour

Cream the butter, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy then add the beaten egg yolks and the flour. Mix together with your hand to a crumbly paste and tip it on the base of your prepared tin and flatten evenly. I ran a knife around the edges to flatten and neaten it as well.

The Topping:

3 egg whites

6 oz caster sugar

2 oz each of finely chopped walnuts and cherries.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff then gradually fold in the sugar and lastly the fruit and nuts. Spread this mixture evenly over the flattened base and bake in your oven for about 25-30 mins.

Cool in the tin for ¼ hour then cut into squares and finish cooling off on a rack.

Yum Yum….piggies bum