High Tea Buns

Don’t you just love the name for these delicious bites? My sister found this old recipe on a scrappy bit of paper, while clearing out a bag of clippings from her long passed away mother in law. These buns are so good! I used a small jar of Coleman’s Bramley Apple sauce x 2. Very smooth, so perfect for these buns.

You will need 2 x 12 hole bun tin trays each hole lined with a paper case. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C. Makes 24 buns. Easily halved.

4 oz butter

4 oz caster sugar

2 large eggs

9 os plain flour

1 level teaspoonful baking powder

1 level teaspoonful cinnamon

3-4 oz currants

2-3 oz glace cherries, quartered

7-8 oz tin apple purée [or ¾lb cooking apples, cooked and puréed]

In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well between each addition. Using a metal spoon, fold in all the dry ingredients. cherries and currants, alternatively with the apple purée. Divide the mixture between the bun cases, filling each case two thirds full.

Bake for about 20-25 min until lightly golden. 

MMMmmmmmm. Real old fashioned High Tea baking. I could not wait for them to cool and tried one when still warm……… I cannot understand why this sort of recipe died out? Just wonderful.

My husband ate 4 right o

Pan Fried Sausage, Mushroom and Bacon with Cider

My husband absolutely loves this. I found it in a very old WI book, way over 50 years old but this timeless recipe will go on forever!! I have adapted it very slightly to the modern era. Serve with lovely creamy mashed potatoes. I always stir in an egg yolk to my mash, maybe a little cream and a pinch of mustard too. Is there anything better? Always use a floury potato, like King Edward.

This will serve 4 - maybe!

1 lb good pork sausages [8 plump sausages]

a little oil

2 medium onions finely sliced

3-4 rashers best back bacon cut into strips

1 heaped teaspoonful plain flour

½  pint pork or veggie stock and cider, ie half and half

a bay leaf

seasonings to your taste

6 oz sliced chestnut mushrooms

In a pan, fry the sausages until golden for about 15-20 mins. Set them aside for a mo, and pour away almost all of the fat. Add the onions and bacon and fry for about 5 mins. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for a further 2 mins, stirring well. Pour over the cidery stock and bring to the boil. Add the bay leaf, the sausages, check the seasoning and then cover and simmer for 20 mins, adding the sliced mushrooms for the last ten minutes.

Serve hot with the mash. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Note: I like to sprinkle some chopped parsley over the sausage mix too.

Peanut and Raisin Oaty Bites

If you run your eyes down the list of the ingredients for this tray bake, you just know it will be delicious. Yet another old recipe from my sister’s long passed mother in law. A great “no bake” recipe, so good for kids to have a go perhaps, with the help of Mum or Gran? I used raisins and red skin peanuts as I could not find a mixed packet in my local supermarket.

You will need a 11” x 7 “ Swiss Roll tin, well buttered.

6 oz porridge oats

2 oz desiccated coconut

1 packet peanut and raisin mix - about 7-8oz in total

2 oz butter

1 oz good quality cocoa

2 tablespoons caster sugar

4 tablespoonfuls milk

few drops vanilla extract

good chocolate to drizzle

Place the oats, coconut, nuts and raisins in a bowl and mix together.  Melt the fats over a medium heat then add the sugar, cocoa, vanilla and milk. When the sugar has dissolved, bring the mixture to the boil. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix well.

Tip into your prepared tin and press down well, levelling it off as best you can, spreading it evenly to the sides. Quickly melt some chocolate [I did it in the microwave] and drizzle randomly over.  Place in your fridge to harden. Cut the mixture into about 16-18 squares when partially cool.

When completely cold and well chilled, remove the squares from the tin. 

A not too sweet, fruity, nutty, chocolate treat. Lovely.

Note: Be careful with anyone with a peanut allergy.

Lemon Syrup Nut Sponge

This beautiful lemon sponge cake is a little different, with an odd method. But it works.

You must be careful when lining the tin, that the parchment runs up the sides just a little, stopping the golden syrup from escaping!

You will need an 8” spring form cake tin, buttered and the base lined - as above. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C

3 tablespoonfuls golden syrup

2 oz chopped mixed nuts of your choice

4 oz softened butter

4 oz caster sugar

2 large eggs

grated rind and juice of one large lemon

4 oz self raising flour 

Drizzle the golden syrup evenly over the base of your prepared tin, then very carefully cover the base, I used the back of a teaspoon. Sprinkle over the nuts [I used a packet of mixed chopped nuts]. Grate a little lemon zest over the nuts and syrup, and a dash of the juice, then set aside for a mo.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs, one at a time along with a touch of the flour. Beat in the grated zest and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Fold in the remaining flour and very carefully spoon the mixture over the nuts.

Bake for about 30 mins. Leave in the tin for about 5 mins, release the clip, then invert and turn out onto a serving plate [or rack]. Serve with clotted cream!!!!!

So good.

Apricot Squares

I love apricots, in any form and they are just about my most favourite fruit. This old ish recipe was given to me by a friend and is a doddle to make and delicious. I have been given so many recipes and old cookbooks by those who know me and I am extremely grateful and lucky to have many friends that help me in my research! I could not continue this Page/Blog without the endless contributions by friends and regulars who follow this page. Thank you!

You will need a Swiss roll tin, about 7” x 12”, buttered, with the base lined with parchment.

Pre heat your fan oven to 160C

These yummy treats are cooked and made in two parts:

5 oz plain flour

2 oz caster sugar

3 oz butter

Place the above ingredients in a medium bowl and rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Spread the buttery flour evenly over the base of the tin and press well down. Bake for about 20 mins then leave to go cold.

5 oz soft dried apricots, chopped fairly small

2 oz chopped walnuts

1 teaspoonful lemon zest

1½ oz plain flour

6  oz soft light brown sugar [although I used light muscovado]

1 teaspoonful baking powder

2 eggs

½ teaspoonful vanilla extract or bean paste

In a small bowl mix together the flour and baking powder. In your medium bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla and sugar together, then stir in the flour. Add the fruit, zest and nuts them mix well. Tip evenly over your base and bake again for about 25-30 mins. I turned the oven down to 150C after ten minutes.

Cool in the tin then carefully cut int

Spiced Date Cake

This very old recipe was given to me on a old and crumbling piece of blue lined writing paper, browned on the edges. Before the cake name, in brackets is {Victoria’s}. So whoever she is I guess this is her recipe. As you look down the list of ingredients you will be as amazed as I was! Coffee? with dates? Plus spices? But, trust me, it is just lovely. Camp is just brilliant for baking.

Butter and line a 8” spring form cake tin. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C

You will need to start off by making a very strong cup of Camp Coffee, using at least two teaspoonfuls, or more. I did this the night before and used 3 teaspoonfuls Camp.

1 cup of Camp Coffee

1 large cupful of dates, chopped [from a block if possible]

Cover the dates with the hot coffee and stir to mix, then cool. [overnight]

In a mixing bowl, place

1½ large cups of flour 

3 tablespoonfuls butter [marg in original]

1 cup of caster sugar

¾ teaspoonfuls grated nutmeg

½ teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda

1 cup of chopped nuts

½ small cup of mixed peel

½ teaspoonful mixed spice

pinch salt

Mix well. Add:

2 beaten eggs

dates and Camp Coffee mix

Mix until well combined and tip into your prepared tin. Bake for 1¼ hrs but turn down to 150C after 45 mins. Leave in the tin for a few mins before turning out onto a rack to cool. 

Just wonderful.