Coconut Topped Tray Bake

A delicious very simple Tray Bake, made easily and quickly, then cutting into squares or slices. I love simple recipes - it is all about the ingredients! An “all in one recipe”, this is such a good idea that I found in an old cookbook and I cannot begin to tell you have scrumptious it is.

Will cut into about 20 squares. Pre heat your fan over to 160C

6 oz plain flour

6 oz caster sugar 

1½ teaspoons baking powder

6 oz very soft, but not melted, butter

3 large eggs, beaten

a little milk, maybe 2-3 tablespoons

Butter and the line the base and sides of a Swiss Roll tin approx 11 x 7 inches. You will need it to be about 1½ inches deep.

Place all of the above in a medium bowl and mix well until nice and smooth. Tip into the tin and level off as best you can then bake for about 25 mins. Meanwhile…….. get going with the the topping

2 oz soft butter

3 oz soft light brown sugar

4 oz desiccated coconut

vanilla extract

4-5 tablespoons milk

Place all of the above in a small saucepan and gently heat until the sugar has melted and almost bubbling.  It needs to be slightly soft to allow you to spread it quickly. You might need to add another tablespoon of milk. Spread over the sponge quickly, then place back in the oven for a further 12-15 mins.

Allow to cool in the tin, then lift out with the help of the lining parchment. Cut into squares or slices. Yum.

Tomato Fish Cakes

Here is a novel idea and I was absolutely delighted with the result! I found this recipe idea in a very old book but have so many tomatoes at present I am desperate to find ideas with which to use them! You can only make so much tomato soup! But I was pleasantly surprised, as I hope you will be. The original did not use the amount of seasoning that I have, to build up the flavours. It sounded quite bland, as so many dishes did long ago. 

You will need a fry pan and oil in which to fry them. I used lemon infused rapeseed oil. I fried the seasoned cod steak in a little oil for 2 mins each side, then set aside to cool. Do not add anything when you mash the potato, except a little salt and pepper perhaps.

For ONE large fishcake, you will need:

1 medium ripe vine tomato, skinned and de seeded, then chopped finely

3 oz cooked, cold mashed potato, like King Edward

3-4 oz cooked flaked cod [don’t over cook]

zest of half small lemon

1 heaped dessertspoonful chopped fresh parsley

seasonings of your choice

a little beaten egg

oil of your choice - I love lemon infused

fresh breadcrumbs, preferably stale

a small amount of chopped chilli if you wish

Fry the finely chopped tomato flesh in a little oil until soft and allow to cool in the pan. [you will need the oil in a mo for frying] In a bowl, mix the cold potato, parsley, zest and tomato flesh and roughly stir to bind with about a dessertspoonful of beaten egg, then stir in the cod. Try not to break the lovely big flakes up too much, and check your seasoning. Plenty of sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Chill. 

Heat the same fry pan as you fried your tomato, with the lovely tomatoey oil. Shape the mix into a large fish cake, then dip it into some beaten egg and finally coat in the stale breadcrumbs.

Fry for about 5 mins each side. Serve with salad, chips, or stir fry veg? Whatever! Just great as a main for lunch, or a starter. It is even good enough for a dinner dish.

Note: Chilli oil would be great too. The quantity will make two smaller fish cakes of course and you could use smoked cod for that different flavour.

Marmalade Scones

Perfect for a weekend breakfast treat. Made very easily and so scrumptious eaten while still warm, slathered in butter.

The quantity below makes about 7 or 8 scones, using a 2 inch cutter, but very easily doubled, of course. Or make larger scones, but increase the baking time a tad if you do. Pre heat your fan oven to 200C

8 oz plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch salt

2 oz butter

a tablespoonful of caster sugar [optional]

4 tablespoons marmalade [thick cut and strong!]

3 fl oz of whole or buttermilk

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, bp and salt, rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in your marmalade then mix in enough of the milk to make a soft, but not sticky dough.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until about ¾ of an inch thick. Using the plain side of your cutter, that has been dipped into flour, cut out rounds and place on a greased baking sheet. Knead the trimmings and re use.

Brush with a little milk and bake for about 13-15 mins. Cool on a rack for a while, split, then butter before tucking in! You can also split and toast them, especially when starting to go stale.

Note: They freeze perfectly. Bag them up when just cold and pop in a microwave for a minute or so.

Just delicious.

Note: I added no sugar, following the old recipe but you can add some caster sugar to the flour if you wish.

Lemon Surprise

A wonderfully light dessert for autumn! I love anything lemony! Another recipe from my friend Pam, who lives near Hayle.

You will need a well buttered pie dish. This sits in a larger tin, partly filled with hot water [not enough to spill over!] when baking. Place it in your oven while you prep.

2 oz soft butter

4 oz caster sugar

2 large eggs, separated

the grated zest of a large lemon [or 2 small], plus 3 tablespoons of the juice

2 oz SR flour

generous ½ pint whole milk [I would imagine you could use semi skimmed]

In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks and zest then stir in the juice. Add the flour then slowly stir in the milk to make a thickish batter. Do not panic if it appears to curdle.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff then fold them into the batter. Turn this into your prepared pie dish and very carefully place it in the larger dish in the oven, on top of the water.

Bake for about 40-45 mins until the sponge is nicely firm and brown. Serve medium warm, with clotted cream or creme fraiche! 

You will then discover why it is called a Surprise!  [it separates, making a sort of creamy gel in the bottom and a spongey topping] check out the photo! 

Delish.

Note: I made this for dessert last Sunday lunchtime, when there were 7 of us. I increased the quantity to half as much again. The above quantity would serve 4-5.

Soldier’s Fruit Cake

This cake has a very interesting history, it has been given to me by Jan, a dear friend and distant cousin who lives in Melbourne, Australia.  She is of Cornish heritage, [of course] and this was in her grandmother’s treasured hand written recipe book! It was originally printed in the Kalgoorlie Miner, the local newspaper of the inland, Western Australian town, where so many Cornishmen went to seek their fortune in the gold mines. Jan also found it on their National  Newspaper Archive service. Jan is pretty sure it was a WW2 recipe, when families in Australia were heavily into supporting ‘the boys’ away at war and sending fruit cakes to them was a popular thing women did. The original recipe was, believe it or not, double the amount! If I had made the full amount, we would have been eating it for weeks.

After looking at the finished mix, I decided on a 8” round tin to bake it. No timings or temps were given, so am guessing very very low and very slow, as all good fruit cakes are baked!

Pre heat you fan oven to 130C and line your tin.

½ lb plain flour

2 oz SR flour

¼ teaspoonful salt

¼ grated nutmeg

½ teaspoonful cinnamon

¼ teaspoonful mixed spice

4 eggs

8 oz butter

8 oz sugar [I guessed soft brown, and used light]

12 oz sultanas

6 oz raisins

6 oz currants

¼ lb dates

¼ lb candied peel

2 tablespoons brandy

1 tablespoon dark caramel [see note]

½ teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda in ½  dessertspoonful boiling water

a few almonds if liked - I did and used whole blanched roughly chopped

I used the creaming method, so beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, whisked, then beat in the eggs, along with a little of the flour, then gradually added all the other ingredients.

Tip into your prepared tin and roughly level off. Bake for 1 hr at 130C, Turn down to 120C for a further hour, then 110C for a final hour. [3 hours in total].

Absolutely delicious! So moist and full of the most amazing flavour. I soaked a little brandy over the top and let the cake rest before cutting, after 4 days.

This can be used as a celebration cake, of course. It keeps very well, as you can imagine. If doubling the amount for a Xmas Cake, you will need to increase the timings.

Note: for the caramel, I melted a dessertspoonful of dark muscovado, a teaspoonful of soft butter, some vanilla extract and a small dash of cream, until melted and coming to the boil, then cooled. Or just use golden syrup or treacle?

Note: For anyone interested in Cornish genealogy, Jan’s family were Olivers, who lived in the Helston and the Sithney area. Where many of my paternal family also came from.

Note: from this recipe we can gather that Australia, while it did have some rationing during the war, it was no where near as severe as in Europe. Especially as folk had their own fruits in their gardens.