County 9 - Doctor Foster's Home!

Over ninety per cent of Gloucestershire is countryside, over half of which is designated as an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ONB). The county is dominated in the East by a band of limestone hills known as the Cotswolds and to the west by the ancient Royal Forest of Dean. The Cotswolds hills rise to over 1,000 feet at Cleever Hill, a place that is wonderfully scenic and quintessentially English. The lush countryside and picture-postcard villages makes this area of Gloucestershire a highly popular tourist destination.

The River Severn runs through Gloucestershire from north to south. The Severn Valley is about 8 miles wide in the north and known locally as the Vale of Gloucester. To the south of Gloucester it narrows to become the Vale of Berkeley.

Britain's Severn Bore (a large surge wave that travels inland along the estuary of the River Severn) is a spectacular natural phenomena and is one of the largest in the world. The Severn estuary is shaped such that the incoming tidal waters are funneled into an increasingly narrow channel, as the tide rises. This forms a large wave that can travel all the way up the river to Gloucester.

http://www.travelaboutbritain.com/gloucestershire/gloucestershire.php (accessed 02.03.2016)

 

CUISINE

I found that local delicacies include: Double Gloucester - a soft mellow cheese made with full cream milk and Gloucestershire Squab Pie - lamb and apples topped with a swede and potato mash.

 

OUR EXPERIENCE

I was born in Gloucester, but didn’t live there for long, so I was intrigued by what we would have. The pancakes were lovely, better eaten as cooked than warmed up later but still not bad. We had them with syrup, so not a waist friendly meal, but a lovely warm treat on a rainy after school run. We also had them as a pudding after homemade chicken soup – delicious. The pie was tasty, although the recipe I had used a pastry top instead of the swede and potatoes mash. I think either would work. The apples just disappeared, the meat was tender enough and the beauty was I could quickly assemble and then cook. 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Pancakes...................87

Squab Pie..................85

 

Gloucester Pancakes

6 oz flour

1 tsp baking powder

4 oz shredded suet

1 egg, beaten

salt

milk

lard for frying

Mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Rub in the suet. Knead in the egg and sufficient milk to get a firm dough. Roll out 3/4ins thick and cut into 2 ins rounds. Fry in a little melted lard until golden brown on both sides. Serve with warmed syrup or jam.

Source: English Favourite Recipes published by J Salmon

 

Squab Pie

You'd be forgiven for thinking this dish might contain young pigeons, otherwise known as squabs, but this pie has always been made with lamb; which is set off by the sharp apple and spices.

 

SERVES 4

225 g (8 oz) plain flour salt and pepper

50 g (2 oz) butter

50 g (2 oz) lard

700 g (1 1/2 lb) lamb neck fillets, sliced into 12 pieces

1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and sliced

450 g (1 lb) onions, skinned and thinly sliced

1.25 ml (1/4 tsp) ground allspice

1.25 ml (1/4 tsp) grated nutmeg

150 ml (1/4 pint) lamb or beef stock

fresh milk, to glaze

 

1. Put the flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter and lard until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add enough cold water and mix in to form a firm dough. Knead lightly until smooth, and then chill until required.
2. Place half the lamb in the base of a 900 ml (1 1/2 pint) pie dish. Arrange half the apple slices and half the onion slices over the top. Sprinkle over the allspice and nutmeg and season to taste. Repeat the layers, and then pour over the stock.
3. Roll out the pastry to fit the dish and use to cover the pie, moistening the edges so the pastry is well sealed. Use any pastry trimming to decorate.
4. Brush the pastry with milk and bake at 200°C (400°F) mark 6 for 20 minutes.
5. Reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F) mark 4 and cook for a further 1 hour 15 minutes.
6. Cover the pastry if it shows signs of becoming too brown. Serve hot.
    
   NB Can do a swede and potato mash topping.
   Source: http://www.allbritishfood.com/gloucestershire%20squab%20pie.php (accessed 03/03/2016)

Country 8 - South Yorkshire

The main settlements of South Yorkshire grew up around the industries of mining and steel manufacturing. The main mining industry was coal which was concentrated to the north and east of the county. There were also iron deposits which were mined in the area. The rivers running off the Pennines to the west of the county supported the steel industry that is concentrated in the city of Sheffield. The proximity of the iron and coal also made this an ideal place for steel manufacture.

 

Although the modern county of South Yorkshire was not created until 1974, the history of its constituent settlements and parts goes back centuries. Prehistoric remains include a Mesolithic "house" (a circle of stones in the shape of a hut-base) dating to around 8000 BC, found at Deepcar, in the northern part of Sheffield. Evidence of even earlier inhabitation in the wider region exists about 3 miles (4.8 km) over the county boundary at Creswell Crags in Derbyshire, where artefacts and rock art found in caves have been dated by archaeologists to the late Upper Palaeolithic period, at least 12,800 years ago. The region was on the frontier of the Roman Empire during the Roman period.

 

 

OUR EXPERIENCE

I so wanted to make the Parkin, but when I realised I had to wait 5 days for best results I knew we would eat it after the South Yorkshire week – but next time Yorkshire comes up, I will make it then! The bacon and beans was ok, except I don’t think I cooked it long enough, plus as I don’t eat cheese the topping wasn’t as nice. I have, however, done it again and this time I put sweet potato on mine and cheese on the boys; and we all loved it! (oh, and thickened it a bit more)

 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Bacon and Beans…............85

Wanted to cook:

Parkin

 

Bacon and Beans

INGREDIENTS:

5 Yorkshire leek sausages (other flavoured sausages can be used)

1 celery stick, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 white onion, diced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

200ml water

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tin white beans (400g), washed and drained

salt and pepper

4 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

100g cheddar cheese, grated

 

METHOD:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 185°C.
2. Heat a large pan or pot and seal off the sausages. Once sealed, remove from the pan, and cut into four pieces. Turn pan down to a medium heat.
3. Add the vegetables to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the tomato paste to the vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes, then return the sausage pieces.
5. Add the water, Worcestershire sauce and beans to the pan. Bring to the boil, then pour into the baking dish.
6. Layer the sliced potatoes over the top, then scatter the cheese over the top. Bake for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.

Parkin

Ingredients

110g soft butter

110g soft dark brown sugar

55g black treacle

200g golden syrup

225g medium oatmeal

110g self-raising flour

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground mixed spice

2 medium eggs, beaten

1 tbsp milk

Pinch of salt

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140C/120C fan/Gas Mark 1. Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm square cake tin.
2. In a pan, over a gentle heat, melt the butter, sugar, treacle and golden syrup. Don't allow the mixture to get too hot or bubble. When they have melted together remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
3. In a large mixing bowl sift in the dry ingredients and make a well in the centre. Gradually add the melted butter mixture and fold together. Pour in the beaten eggs and milk and combine together.
4. Pour into your baking tin. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, however keep an eye on it as parkin can easily become dry and over baked.
5. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 20 minutes. Tip onto a cake rack and leave to cool completely.
6. Store the parkin in a cake tin and wrapped in greaseproof paper. You must keep it in a tin for a minimum of 1 day and up to a week before you cut it. Leaving it to develop will give it a moist and sticky texture, as well as making the flavour richer and deeper.
    

Country 7 - Kent

Kent is best known as the 'Garden of England', a phrase first coined by Henry VIII. It claims to be the oldest county in England and contains some 17000 listed buildings. Kent is most famous for its oast-houses, having tall conical or pyramidal roofs. These are the old kilns used for drying hops, once grown throughout the county, and many of which have now been converted into beautiful luxury homes.

 

The county is roughly triangular in shape, covering the south east corner of England. The chalk ridge of the North Downs runs centrally, east to west across the county, reaching over 800 feet in places. South of the downs runs a parallel ridge called the Ragstone Ridge. The Vale of Kent, a rich lowland to the south of the county, forms part of the Kent Weald. To the east lies the majestic city of Canterbury, home of the Anglican Church of England.

Kent is blessed with a spectacular coastline; just along the south coast stands the famous and iconic White Cliffs of Dover, which run from Kingsdown to Folkestone, a well-known symbol of Britain. To the south west is a wide expanse of low-lying marsh called Romney Marsh, where the shingly promontory of Dungeness extends southwards into the English Channel.

'the ten miles between Maidstone and Tunbridge (which the Kentish folk call the Garden of Eden) ... there, there are, on rising grounds... not only hop-gardens and beautiful woods, but immense orchards of apples, pears, plums, cherries and filberts... and, all taken together, the vale is really worthy of the appellation which it bears.' William Cobbett (1830), "Rural Rides"

 

 

OUR EXPERIENCE

We had accepted a Vegetarian Week challenge from family, so we could not have the fish pie or stews that I found. I didn’t make the Apple and Cheese pie either, as I don’t eat cheese; but I hope to do so one day, hence the inclusion. The Oast Cakes were lovely, we really enjoyed them one day after school and reminded me of Welsh Cakes.

 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Oast Cakes............87

Wanted to cook:

Kentish Apple and Cheese Pie

 

Oast Cakes

 

Original Receipt from Rishton Cricket Club (Ladies Section) Recipes, 1955

8oz. plain flour

1oz. sugar

1 level teaspoon baking powder

3oz. currants

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3oz. Marg

5 tablespoons water

Sieve the flour, baking powder add salt. Rub in 2oz. Marg. Add the sugar and currants, and mix to a soft dough with the lemon, juice and water. Shape with the fingers into small pieces and roll into rounds ¼" thick on a floured board. Fry on both sides in remaining 1oz. Marg, adding a little at a time until golden brown (about 6-8 minutes). Eat hot instead of scones at teatime. Makes 18-20 Oast Cakes.

Sourced: http://www.foodsofengland.co.uk/oastcakes.htm (accessed 24.03.2016)

 

Kentish Apple and Cheese Pie

 

This is a pudding, apparently Charles Dickens loved it. The cheese, just under the top crust of the pie, really enhances the flavour of the apples. But if for some reason you want to hide the cheese, you can add it to the pastry, which is how the pie is served in some pubs.

 

6 oz puff or shortcrust pastry

1 ½ lb cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced thickly

3-4 oz sugar

3-4 cloves

Small pinch nutmeg

½ cup water

4 oz cheddar, sliced

Set the oven to 425F or Gas 7. Using half of the apples, put a layer in a greased pie dish. Sprinkle half the sugar on top. Lay the rest of the apples in the dish and put the cloves into some of the slices. Sprinkle with the sugar, nutmeg, and water, then lay the cheese on top.

Roll out the pastry and cover the dish with it. Brush with some milk and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Serves 4-6

(Favorite Kentish Recipes by Pat Smith)

http://www.crazyenglishwomancooks.com/2008/06/kentish-apple-and-cheese-pie.html (accessed 02.03.2016)

Country 6 - Herefordshire

With a population of less than 200 people per square mile, Herefordshire is one of the least populated counties in England, and with over 5000 farms one of its most rural. It is celebrated for its Hereford cows and cider producing orchards. The county has a long and rich history of cider and perry production. Great Britain produces around 130,000,000 gallons of cider per year, half of which is produced here. Herefordshire has around 3000 apple and pear orchards, covering over 9000 acres, more than any other county in UK. Its cider and perry production is protected under European law, sharing the same status as French Champagne.

The Black Mountain ranges of Wales border the south-west corner of the county, with many picturesque valleys between, the widest and most scenic is the Golden Valley. Rising majestically over Herefordshire, in the east, are the Malvern Hills, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ONB). The River Wye, England's fifth longest river, winds its way across the county from Plynlimon in Wales to the Severn Estuary. It is largely unpolluted and is considered to one of the best rivers for salmon fishing in Britain, outside of Scotland. Herefordshire's many scenic villages are filled with 16 and 17th century timber framed houses, many of which can be viewed on the popular 40 mile Black & White Village Trail. Its flower is the Mistletoe.

 

http://www.travelaboutbritain.com (Accessed 02/03/2016)

 

OUR EXPERIENCE

The frazzled Beef sounded better than it was, so it was not a good start to Herefordshire, after last week too. However the fish pie was delicious, although I did use a mixture of fish instead of just salmon and we all enjoyed it. The apple dumplings were also very nice. I remember as a child my mother having a baked apple and I always thought it looked horrid; but know I know better. We had custard with ours, a lovely Sunday pud!

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Frazzled (or Frizzled) Beef............56

Wye Baked Salmon…...................90

Apple Dumplings……………………….87

Frazzled (or Frizzled) Beef

All I could find was this description:

Claimed in the J Salmon ‘Favourite Herefordshire and Why Valley Recipes’ to be thin, fried, beefsteak topped with, or accompanied by, fried patties of mashed potato with onion.

I did this, and we didn’t think it was anything special…

 

Wye Baked Salmon

 

4 thick salmon steaks

1lb shortcrust pastry

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped 

3oz butter

2oz button mushrooms chopped

2oz fresh breadcrumbs

1 egg beaten

Milk

2 tablespoons white wine

juice of lemon

Egg or milk to glaze

 

Serves 4.  Place salmon into boiling water for 5 minutes, remove the skin.  Set oven to mark 4 or 350F.  Roll out 2 thirds of the pastry on lightly floured surface and use to line a 2 litre pie dish.  Fry onions in half the butter, add the mushrooms and breadcrumbs and season, stir well and fry for 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the egg and enough milk to bind. Arrange salmon on the pie dish spread on the onion and mushroom mixture.

 

Melt the rest of the butter in a pan. Add the wine and lemon juice and bring to the boil. Pour over the salmon. Roll out the rest of the pastry for a lid, seal the edges and trim.  Make a hole to release the steam in the centre and decorate with pastry trimmings.  Brush with beaten egg or milk to glaze.  Bake for 45 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.  Serve with mashed potatoes, baby carrots and a green vegetable.

www.allaboutherefordshire.com/files/Wye_Baked_Salmon.do (accessed 10/02/2016)

 

Hereford Apple Dumplings

 

12 ounces prepared shortcrust pastry (340g)

4 teaspoons sugar

4 cooking apples, peeled, cored

2 ounces sultanas (60 g)

¹⁄₂ finely grated an orange, rind of

1 tablespoon marmalade

¹⁄₄ ounce butter, softened (28 g or 2 tablespoons)

milk (for glazing)

sugar (for glazing)

marmalade (for serving)

 

Directions

1.       Heat oven to 400 F (200 C)(gas mark 6).

2.       Divide the pastry into 4 and then roll each piece out into a circle big enough to fully enclose one apple.

3.       Take each pastry circle and sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar and place an apple in the middle. mix together sultanas, orange rind, marmalade and butter and then divide this mixture between the apples, filling up each core hole.

4.       Fold the pastry around each apple and seal firmly with a little water.

5.       Place them, upside-down, onto a greased baking sheet and decorate the tops with leftover pastry bits cut into leaf shapes.

6.       Brush with milk and sprinkle a little sugar to glaze.

7.       Bake for 10 minutes and then turn down the oven temperature to 350 F (180 C) (gas mark 4) for a further 30 minutes or until the dumplings are golden brown.

Source: English Favourite Recipes published by J Salmon

Country 5 - Staffordshire

Staffordshire is renowned for the craftsmanship of its world famous potteries in Stoke on Trent. It has some beautiful countryside, particularly where the Peak District National Park crosses into the north east of the county, and the breath-taking Cannock Chase, with thirty thousand acres of forest and heathland further south.

The hills in the north are a continuation of the moors of Derbyshire, rising in places to 1,500 feet above the River Trent. They are broken by several wooded valleys; the Manifold, Milldale and Dovedale. The northern part of the county is known as the Potteries. The famous 'Five Towns' that make up The Potteries are Burslem, Hanley, Longton, Stoke and Tunstall. The centre and south of the county are generally level, with a few low valleys intersected by the Trent, Blithe, and Tame rivers. In the centre of the county is a wide tract of heather and forest known as Cannock Chase, a haven for foxes, wild deer, badgers, red squirrels, grouse and green woodpeckers. The southern part of the county is known as the 'Black Country', due to the iron, coal and associated heavy industries that are carried on there.

Flash claims to be the highest village in England, at 1,158 feet above sea-level. Tamworth is famous for its pigs, which are a sandy red colour and its country flower is the Heather.

 

http://www.travelaboutbritain.com/staffordshire/staffordshire.php (accessed 02.03.2016)

 

OUR EXPERIENCE

We loved the oatcakes, we had then on Pancake Day and they were a huge hit. I have to admit I did make the recipe simpler by cooking the bacon and mushrooms as I cooked the pancake, so although we ate separately it was a communal experience in the kitchen with good hot yummy food. The Beef Lobby was also a hit, very warming on a cold winter’s day. Lovely experience of food.

 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Staffordshire oatcakes............90

Beef Lobby..............................87

Staffordshire oatcakes

Ingredients

225g/8oz fine oatmeal (if you don't have this, blitz some porridge oats)

100g/3½oz wholemeal flour

100g/3½oz plain flour

1 tsp quick-action yeast

pinch salt

825ml/1 pint 9¾fl oz water

1 tbsp baking powder

12 tsp vegetable oil

24 rashers streaky bacon

1 tbsp olive oil

150g/5¼oz chestnut mushrooms, cut in half

300g/10½oz mature cheddar cheese, grated

Method

1. Mix together the oatmeal, wholemeal flour, plain flour, yeast and salt in a bowl until well combined.
2. Make a well in the centre of the mixture, then gradually add the water in a thin stream, stirring well with a wooden spoon, until the batter is well combined and the consistency of thick double cream. (NB: You may not need to use all of the water.)
3. Cover the batter with a damp, clean tea towel and set aside for 3-4 hours (or up to 8 hours), to allow the gluten in the batter to develop.
4. Once ready to cook the batter, whisk in the baking powder until well combined.
5. Heat one teaspoon of the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add a ladleful of the batter mixture and swirl the pan to coat the bottom of it in a thin layer of the batter.
6. Fry the oatcake for 1-2 minutes, or until golden-brown on one side.
7. Flip the oatcake and fry for a further minute, or until golden-brown on both sides.
8. Set the oatcake aside on a warm plate and cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper.
9. Repeat the process with the remaining batter mixture, to make about 12 oatcakes. Stack them on top of each other, separated by greaseproof paper, and keep warm.
10. Meanwhile, preheat the grill to its highest setting.
11. When the grill is hot, arrange the streaky bacon onto a grill tray and grill for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until crisp and golden-brown on both sides. Set aside and keep warm.
12. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a separate frying pan over a medium heat.
13. Add the mushrooms and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked through. Set aside and keep warm.
14. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over a medium heat until hot. Return one of the cooked oatcakes to the hot pan and sprinkle grated cheese over one half of it.
15. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt, then place two grilled rashers of bacon on top of the melted cheese and sprinkle over a spoonful of the mushrooms. Fold the other half of the oatcake over and continue to heat for a further minute, or until the cheese has fully melted.
16. Repeat the process with the remaining vegetable oil, oatcakes, bacon, mushrooms and cheese.
17. Serve immediately.
     
    Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/staffordshireoatcake_92371 (Accessed 05.03.2016)
     

Beef Lobby

Serves 4

450g/1lb stewing or braising steak - fat removed and cut into small chunks

A handful pearl barley (optional)

1 onion diced

1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed (optional)

4 potatoes diced

1 swede diced (the big orange fleshed ones not the little white ones)

4 celery sticks, chopped

4 diced carrots

Beef stock

 

1. Put the meat, onion and pearl barley in a large pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently on a very low heat for 40 mins. Stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking.
2. Meanwhile peel and chop the vegetables to dice of a similar size - small or chunky, however you prefer. Add the vegetables to the pan and top up with stock to cover the vegetables.
3. Cook at a low simmer for approximately 60 mins or until everything is softly cooked and the meat is tender. Cook for 2 hours+ for really tender meat (the longer the better!) or cook in a slow cooker. Continue to stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of pan. Season to taste.
4. Serve in big bowls with chunky bread. HP Sauce is a nice addition, or a little vinegar
    
   NB: Being a "chuck-in" recipe, feel free to add/substitute cabbage, turnip, parsnip, nettles etc.
    
   Source: http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=81775  (accessed 10/02/2016)

Country 4 - Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire (Abbreviated Oxon) is a county in South East England bordering on Warwickshire (to the north/north-west), Northamptonshire (to the north/north-east), Buckinghamshire (to the east), Berkshire (to the south), Wiltshire (to the south-west) and Gloucestershire (to the west).

The county has major education and tourist industries and is noted for the concentration of performance motorsport companies and facilities. Oxford University Press is the largest firm among a concentration of print and publishing firms; the University of Oxford is also linked to the concentration of local biotechnology companies.

The main centre of population is the city of Oxford.

 

The highest point is White Horse Hill, in the Vale of White Horse, reaching 261 metres (856 ft) Oxfordshire's county flower is the Snake's-head Fritillary. Its motto is: Sapere Aude ('Dare to be Wise')

 

 

OUR EXPERIENCE

This is my home country – yet I didn’t know what to bake! My mother’s trusty 1960’s cook book, however, supplied some inspiration. As you can see from the scores, we loved it. Although we do feel as though this year’s challenge is going to pile on the pounds! The biggest surprise was the Carrot Pudding, my meat loving husband thought this was delicious and wants it with a roast. And we all loved the Hollygog pudding – and not just for its name. Next time though, I might put in more syrup or even make it with a thick raspberry jam.

 

Cooked with score (out of 100):

Oxford Sausages………………….............87

Carrot Pudding………………..................90

Banbury Apple Pie…………………………..87

Hollygog Pudding…………………….......85 

 

Oxford Sausages

The following recipe is from Mrs. Beetons Book of Household Management (1859-1861)

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. of pork, fat and lean, without skin or gristle;

1 lb. of lean veal,

1 lb. of beef suet, (I used 8oz)

1/2 lb. of bread crumbs,

the rind of 1/2 lemon,

1 small nutmeg, 6 sage-leaves,

Salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoonful of marjoram.

Chop the pork, veal, and suet finely together, add the bread crumbs, lemon-peel (which should be well minced), and a small nutmeg grated. Wash and chop the sage-leaves very finely; add these with the remaining ingredients to the sausage-meat, and when thoroughly mixed, either put the meat into skins, or, when wanted for table, form it into little cakes, which should be floured and fried. (Alternatively, you could pop them in the oven for 30 mins, but make sure you turn them and the tin is a roasting one as they give off a lot of fat)
Average cost, [at the time] for this quantity, 2s. 6d.
Sufficient for about 30 moderate-sized sausages.

 

 

Carrot Pudding

Accompaniments
Mashed carrots, set with crumb or egg, boiled or baked as a main meal accompaniment. "And so have you a Composition for any Root-Pudding" (Evelyn 1699)

Original Receipt in 'Acetaria: A Discourse of Sallets' by John Evelyn (Evelyn 1699)

Pudding of Carrot. Pare off some of the Crust of Manchet-Bread, and grate of half as much of the rest as there is of the Root, which must also be grated: Then take half a Pint of fresh Cream or New Milk, half a Pound of fresh Butter, six new laid Eggs (taking out three of the Whites) mash and mingle them well with the Cream and Butter: Then put in the grated Bread and Carrot, with near half a Pound of sugar; and a little salt; some grated Nutmeg and beaten spice; and pour all into a convenient Dish or Pan, butter'd, to keep the Ingredients from sticking and burning; set it in a quick Oven for about an Hour, and so have you a Composition for any Root-Pudding.

http://www.foodsofengland.co.uk/carrotpudding.htm (accessed 28/01/2016)

 

Hollygog or Ollygog Pudding

This is a golden syrupy roly-poly which is baked in milk. It was first made in the Oxfordshire village of Kiddington, where it has been passed down among farming families. Original Receipt (with thanks to Dennis Jenner) from Joe Curley, master-cook at Simpsons-in-the-Strand, reported in The Sunday Times magazine c1979

For four to six people, you need:

8 oz. plain flour,

 4 oz. butter or lard,

pinch of salt,

Golden Syrup or treacle,

mug of milk,

cold water to mix.

Sieve flour and salt, rub fat into flour until it has a breadcrumb consistency, and add a little milk to form a stiff dough. Roll out into rectangular strip, spread with syrup or treacle, and roll up like a Swiss roll. Put it in a greased baking dish, and pour over enough milk to come half way up the side. Bake in a pre-heated, moderately hot oven (400 de-grees) for 30-45 minutes. Serve in slices.

http://www.foodsofengland.co.uk/hollygogorollygogpudding.htm  (accessed 28/01/2016)

 

Banbury Apple Pie

 

A very old apple pie recipe from Banbury in Oxfordshire. This would have always been made with cooking apples which tend to be tarter than eating apples and cook to a pulp which makes them suitable for pies.

Ingredients

3 cups (12oz) plain/all purpose flour

pinch of salt

3/4 cup (6oz) butter

1 tablespoon caster/superfine sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

six large cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

juice half lemon

1/2 cup (4oz) sultanas

3 tablespoons soft light brown sugar

pinch of ground cinnamon

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

grated rind and juice of 1 orange

fresh milk to glaze

caster/superfine sugar for sprinkling

 

Method

- To make the pastry, put the flour and salt in a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Stir in the caster sugar, and then stir in the egg and enough water to bind the mixture together.
- Knead lightly on a lightly floured surface.
- Roll out two thirds of the pastry and use to line a shallow pie dish.
- Put the apples slices in a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice.
- Layer the apples, sultanas, brown sugar, spices and orange rind in the pie dish.
- Sprinkle with the orange juice.
- Roll out the remaining pastry to form a lid and place on top of the pie dish.
- Press the edges together and neaten.
- Make a slit in the centre of the pie.
- Brush the top with milk to glaze, then bake in a preheated oven temperature 400oF/200oC/gas mark 6 for 30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Sprinkle the top with caster sugar and serve hot or cold.

Source: Mothers 1963 Cookbook