Spicy Carrot Tray Bake

I love tray bakes, have you noticed? I have collected recipes for decades for these delicious and easy bites. Very moist and moreish. Heaven knows where this recipe came from, but it is very old.

You will need a shallow ish tin about 7” x 13”, well buttered, with the base lined. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C.

Makes about 24 - depending on size

12 oz plain flour

1 teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoonful each of nutmeg and cinnamon

3 oz softened butter

12 oz carrots, peeled and grated

3 oz soft dark brown sugar

3 oz clear runny honey

3 oz treacle

1 small egg

1 tablespoon milk

Place your dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, add the butter and rub in.  Now stir in the grated carrot.

In a medium saucepan dissolve the sugar, honey and treacle over a low heat. Stir this into the carrot mixture along with the milk and egg. Mix to a stiff ish consistency then spoon into your prepared tin and level off.

Bake for around 30 minutes until firm and springy to the touch. Cool in the tin, turn out and cut into squares.

Yum yum yum. This recipe is very old and well before the advent of modern day Carrot Cake, with fancy fillings and toppings. Simply a delicious cake that needs little accompaniment. But can be decorated if you wish, of course.

Cheese and Onion Savoury Biscuits

Another old recipe from the bag of clippings of my sister’s long passed mother in law, from Feock. Very old, falling to bits, the writing just legible.  I was immediately intrigued and couldn’t wait to try them. Just wonderful.

Makes 14-16 biscuits but easily doubled. You will need a large baking sheet, buttered. Pre heat your fan oven to 170C

6 oz plain flour

large pinch of cayenne pepper

large pinch of dry mustard powder

Salt - I used sea salt. 

4 oz butter

2 oz finely grated mature cheddar

a heaped teaspoonful dried onion granules [found beside the spices, in a tub]

3 tablespoonfuls milk

Sift the flour, pepper, mustard and salt into a mixing bowl, then rub the slightly softened butter into the dry ingredients. Stir in the cheese and onion, then bind the ingredients together with the milk, kneading it to form a soft dough.

Roll out the dough to just a bit thicker than a £1 coin and cut your preferred biscuit shapes.

Place them on a baking tray, brush gently with a little milk and bake in your moderately hot oven for around 20 minutes.

How scrumptious!!

Note: I also used a little white pepper pepper.  Will happily keep for two or three days in an airtight container.

Layered Spiced Rum Cake

Now for something completely different. This recipe is just lovely, with the most delicious flavours that blend together perfectly. A quite unusual combination of ingredients that makes the softest, moistest spongiest cake mix. This very old recipe, from the 1930s is not really a everyday cake, but great for a tea! A great keeper too, at least three-four days. My husband loved it.

You will need two 8” sandwich tins, buttered and the bases lined. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C

2 tablespoons just melted butter

6 oz caster sugar

5 fl oz treacle

1 tablespoonful rum

cupful sour cream [about 6 fl oz]

2 large eggs

10 oz plain flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 small teaspoon powdered cloves.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter, rum, sugar and treacle, [the smell is amazing] then beat in the eggs, then add the flour, spices and sour cream alternately, after dissolving the soda in the cream.

Divide between your two prepared sandwich tins and bake for about 25-30 mins until firm to the touch. Cool on a rack

Meanwhile make some Butter Icing:

6 oz icing sugar

1 tablespoon rum

1 tablespoon milk [you can use all rum]

2 tablespoons very soft butter

few drops of vanilla extract or bean paste

Beat it all together.

Fill the two cakes with the butter icing.

Topping: [optional]

Icing sugar

rum [or half half with water]

small pinch powdered cloves

Mix the two together. I have not given any quantities. It depends on how much you want for the top, or if you want to make a slightly softer mix to drizzle over the top and down the sides.

This can be left, of course, as I did, but I used a small amount  of cinnamon sugar. 

Absolutely yummy. You will love it!

Note: The original recipe was named Uncle’s Rum Layer Cake.

                                                

Chocolate Chip and Date Tray Bake

This truly wonderful recipe was given to me by my cousin Glynn’s wife Shirley. They live in Dodgeville, near Mineral Point, Wisconsin, which is twinned with Redruth. I have, literally, dozens of rellies in that area and have such fond memories of my visit to meet them all. The recipe was given to Shirley by a friend in 1975, when she was pregnant with her twins. Now we pass it on…..

You will need a tray bake tin, about 9 x 13 inches, well greased and I lined the base,  pre heat your fan oven to 160C

1 cup chopped dates

1 ½ cup boiling water

1 tsp baking powder

Pour the boiling water over the dates and allow to cool [you can do this overnight if you wish]

½ cup softened butter [4 oz]

1 cup caster sugar [7 oz]

2 beaten eggs

1 ¾ cups plain flour [9oz]

¾ teas baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs then the flour and finally the dates. Mis well and tip into your prepared tin and level off.

1 cup chocolate chips [I used Sainsbury’s Belgian Chocolate chips]

2 oz caster sugar

1 cup chopped pecans [or walnuts] - I used a mix of both

Mix the topping well then sprinkle evenly over the date mix. Bake for about 35-40 mins.

Cut into squares and enjoy.

Thank you dearest Shirley for this fabulous recipe. For those of you interested in Cornish Genealogy our mutual ancestors are the Lory’s from St Keverne. When Shirley married Glynn he gave her a book entitled The Lory’s of Cornwall. Anyone interested or connected, I have a copy of that book too.

Walnut Tartlets

A delicious, simple treat, easily made, especially if you use bought “all butter” shortcrust. Or for a change, why not make some wholemeal pastry, as I have done here?

8 oz plain wholemeal

caster sugar to taste - I used a scant tablespoonful

4 oz cold butter

pinch of baking powder

around 3 fl oz liquid - 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon sunflower oil, then make up to the quantity with cold water

Rub the butter into the flour, then add the sugar and baking powder. Mix to a dough with the liquid and lightly knead until smooth. Or alternatively, make in a food processor. I never rub in by hand.  Chill for ten mins while you make the the filling.

You will need a 12 whole bun tun. Pre heat your fan oven to 190C

4 oz light soft brown sugar

1 egg

the grated rind of a lemon

2 teaspoonfuls of fresh lemon juice

4 tablespoonfuls golden syrup, warmed

1½ of softened butter

4 oz walnuts chopped

After slightly warming your treacle [Cornish for golden syrup] in a medium bowl, add the sugar, lemon zest and juice and egg then whisk until well mixed. Beat in the butter then finally add the walnuts.

Roll out your pastry and using a cutter line your bun tins, then fill with your lovely treacley walnut mix.

Bake for about 20-25 mins until golden brown.

Makes about 12

So delicious, especially served with clotted cream.

Note: this wholemeal pastry recipe is very good, but the quantity above, will also make around a dozen jam tarts etc as well as the walnut tarts.

Applesauce Nut Loaf

This fabulous recipe was given to me by the wife of a US cousin, from Wisconsin - of Cornish heritage, of course! and I cannot begin to describe how delicious it is. Trust me!!

You can slice and butter it, if you wish, adding yet another depth of flavour, but there is no real need for this, it is very moist and fruity. I used a whole jar of Bramley Applesauce from Lidl 270 gr. It is lovely and thick, chock full of chunky apple bits., as you can see from the photo. Enjoy.

Butter a large loaf tin, line with baking parchment on the long sides with some hanging over to help you lift it out. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C

8 oz plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teacup full of medium oats

1 teacup full of chopped walnuts

1 teacup of sultanas or raisins

⅓ cup shortening [butter - 3 oz]

3 oz soft light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 large cup apple sauce [from a jar is ok!]

8 fl oz whole milk [or buttermilk as I did]

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt and spices. Stir in the oatmeal, nuts and fruit. Cream the butter and sugar together, add the eggs, one at a time and beat until light and fluffy.

Blend the applesauce and milk together then mix this into the butter mix. Add this to the dry ingredients and beat until well mixed. But taking care not to over mix or it could become lumpy.

Tip into your prepared tin and bake for between 55-60 mins. I turned it down halfway to 150C. Lift and cool on a rack, cut and enjoy.

Yum yum.

Cheese and Onion Pie

Simple baking, simple flavours, that marry well together making a great pie to go with a salad or even mash! Folk have been using cheese and onion together for quite a while! I have tweaked the original, adding another layer of flavour. Just perfect, trust me.

You will need a 7 or 8 inch round pie tin [or a large pie plate], well buttered. I like to lay a couple of long strips of baking parchment across the tin to help you lift it out.

Pre heat your fan oven to 200C

Shortcrust pastry or ruff puff? I opt for rough puff, making it stronger.

Half fat to plain flour, well seasoned, with sea salt, white pepper and mustard powder, and bound with cold water. I always use half lard, half butter. Chill before use.

You will need about 12 oz pastry, cut in half. [8 oz plain flour]

Line the base of your tin, leaving a little hanging over. Pop into the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Approx 12-14 oz very finely chopped onion. I used a mix - some red, shallot and a large sweet white onion. After chopping, pat as much water out of the onions as you can with kitchen paper.

8 oz strong mature cheddar, grated. Davidstow is brilliant!

Plenty of freshly grated pepper

Sea Salt - just the merest sprinkling or none at all

Large pinch dry mustard powder

½ a veggie Oxo, crumbled

Butter to dot

A dash of double cream

Mix all of the above together in a medium bowl and fill the pastry case. Press down lightly. Roll out the other half pf the pastry and make a lid, plus some decorative leaves if you wish. Don’t forget to poke a little hole in the top too.

Press the edges neatly together, brush with beaten egg and bake for 45-50 mins Turn down to 190 after 15-20 min.

I wish I had smelly vision here to pass along the wonderful aromas as it baked, not to mention tasty vision. Just wonderful. Have I mentioned that I love old recipes????

Best eaten warm [or barely cold]