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Ingredients

4 oz SR flour

Pinch of salt

2 oz margarine

2 oz lard

Approx 1 tablespoon cold water

jam or lemon curd

How to make them

1.Grease the bun tins well. You will need 12.

2. Put the flour into a bowl with the salt.

3. Cut the fat into small pieces, add to the flour. Rub it in until it resembles breadcrumbs.

4. Add enough cold water to bind the flour and fat together until it forms a lump. Try not to let it get too   sticky, it’s best to just add a little water at a time. If you find it’s sticky, add a dusting of flour until it is easy to handle.

5. At this stage you have made the pastry. You can wrap it in a polythene bag or cling film and keep in the fridge for a few days if you wish.

6. Set the oven to 200C or 190C fan oven

7. Roll out the pastry as thin as possible and cut out 12 circles to line the bun tins.

8. Into each pastry case put one small teaspoonful of jam or lemon curd. Don’t be tempted to add more - the jam will become liquid in the oven and spread out to fill the case - too much will overflow and you will have a sticky mess! (Soak in the sink to clean up!)

9. Bake in the middle or top of the oven for about 15 minutes until the pastry is light brown.

10. Remove from oven and allow to set in tin before removing to cooling rack.

These are delicious, very crisp, and they keep very well in an airtight container (if you can leave them long enough!). Worth making a double quantity - then you won’t have half an egg left over! You could freeze half the dough for another batch later. (Make as far as step 3 and freeze the dough in a ball. Or you could go as far as rolling the biscuits in oats and then freeze them spread out on a tray. When they are frozen, put them in a bag and keep in the freezer. When you want to use them, just spread them out on a greased baking tray, allow to thaw for about 15 mins and bake. They will probably bake from frozen, but I haven’t tried it!

Ingredients

3 oz (75g) soft margarine

3 oz (75g) caster sugar

half a beaten egg

few drops of vanilla essence

1 oz (25g) porridge oats

4oz (100g) self raising flour

1/2  teaspoon baking powder

about 5 glace cherries, quartered

about 1/2 cup of porridge oats to roll the biscuits in  on a plate or flat dish

How to Make Them

Set the oven to 325F, 160C, gas mark 3, fan oven 150C.

1. Put margarine and sugar in a bowl and beat together until soft and creamy.

2. Add the egg and vanilla essence and beat together to combine.

3. Add the oats, flour and baking powder. Mix until it sticks together like dough.

4  Pull off small lumps of dough about the size of a table tennis ball (about 1″ diameter). Roll into a ball between palms of hands, then roll in oats to coat.

5. Place on a greased baking tray and flatten gently with a fork.

6. Place a quarter cherry on top of each biscuit and press in slightly to secure.

7. Bake for about 15 - 20 miutes until pale golden brown.

8. Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight tin.

Use fruit such as apples or rhubarb. It can be pre-stewed or put in raw.

Ingredients

2 or 3 cooking apples, peeled and sliced or chunks of rhubarb

sugar to sweeten fruit to taste

6 oz plain flour

3 oz margarine

3 oz granulated sugar

How to make it

Lightly grease a pyrex dish.

Put in the fruit and sprinkle sugar over the top and stir in. If using raw fruit, add a little water for it to cook in - just enough to cover the base of the dish’

Put the flour in a bowl.

Rub in the margarine with fingertips until like breadcrumbs

Stir in the sugar and mix well.

Pour the flour mixture over the fruit and cover entirely, pressing down gentl to firm the top.

Bake at 200c, 400F for 20 minutes or a little longer. It should be golden brown.

Serve with cream or custard.

N.B. Soak the dirty dish overnight and it will be very easy to clean.

Makes about 36 cookies

Ingredients

2 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter

3/4 cup caster sugar

1 cup soft brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

3 cups porridge oats

1 1/2 cups raisins or sultanas

How to make them

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, caster sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla essence. Start with a slow speed and gradually increase. Beat until mixture is light and fluffy and mixture lightens in colour.

Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until no flour is visible. Don’t overmix - just stop when the flour is mixwd in.

Now add oats and raisins and stir until mixed in.

Divide the mixture into 3 and form 2 parts into, wrap in clingfilm and freeze.

Using a cookie scoop (holds about 2 tablespoons dough), put scoopfuls on lightly greased baking sheet about 2″ apart. Or roll into balls.

Bake for 10 - 13 minutes at 350F until golden brown.

Cool on wire rack.

Store in airtight tin.

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

How to make tham

In a large bowl, cream together butter and  sugar until white and creamy.

Beat in egg and vanilla.

Add flour, cinammon, baking powder and salt.

Blend well until mixture sarts to stick together.

Divide mixture into two. Form one half into sausage shape, wrap in clingfilm and freeze.

Chill the remaining half to firm it up a bit - put it in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the fridge for a couple of hours. You can use it straight away but it will be very sticky to work with.

When it is firmer, make small balls by rolling between hands - about 3/4″ across.

Set balls about 2″ apart on lightly greased baking tray.

Bake at 350F for about 5 - 10 minutes until edges are lightly browned.

Cool on rack

Store in airtight tin.

After much experimenting, this is the perfect yorkshire pudding mix!

This makes 12 small puddings in muffin tins.

N.B. You can make up the mixture in advance and keep it in the fridge for a few hours. Then give it another whisk before cooking. If you make it just before the meal, remember you need to let the mixture stand for about 15 minutes before you bake it. The oil needs to be nice and hot before you pour the mixture in.

Ingredients

2 oz plain flour

1 egg

1/4 pint of milk and water (half milk, half water)

oil - any sort, dad likes groundnut but sunflower or olive oil are just as good.

How to make them.

Set oven to 210C

Sift the flour into a jug.

Break the egg into the liquid and stir to break up.

Pour the egg/liquid mixture into the flour and beat with a food mixer until well blended - 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Leave the beaten mixture to stand for about 15 minutes.

Pour a little oil into each muffin tin to cover the bottom.

Put the oil filled muffin tin into the oven to get hot.

When the oil is hot, carefully pour in the mixture, dividing it between the 12 tins.

Bake in the oven until well risen, about 15 minutes.

Ingredients

1 lb beef mince

3 small apples

1 onion

1 dessertspoonful curry powder

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 slice bread soaked in 1 cup milk

1 egg

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 dessertspoon apricot jam

handul of raisins or sultanas

1 oz dessicated coconut

1 tablespoon chutney

How to Make it

1. In large frying pan, ightly fry the onion and apples. Set aside on plate.
2. Lightly brown the mince until no longer pink.
3. Drain the milk from the bread and reserve the liquid.
4. Add the bread to the mince.
5. Add salt, vinegar and sugar to mince mixture.
6. Add the onions and apples to mixture.
7. Beat the egg with the drained off milk and add to the mixture.
8. Stir in the jam, raisins, coconut and chutney (adjust or leave out according to taste).
9. Turn the mixture into the buttered pyrex dish.
10. Bake in oven for 40 mins at 350F, 180C 170C (fan oven).
11. Prepare small dishes of chopped and sliced accompaniments - banana, tomatoes, pineapple, dessicated coconut, chutney, peppers
12. Serve with boiled rice.

Ingredients

1/3 small box of Rice Krispies

3 Mars Bars (not giant ones!)

4 oz margarine

1 tablespoon golden syrup

Milk chocolate.

How to Make it

1. Line a tin with black silicon sheet.
2. In a large pan, melt the Mars bars, margarine and golden syrup.
3. Stir in the rice krispies a little at a time until they are all coated with Mars bar mixture and there is no ‘liquid’ left.
4. Press mixture into the tin and smooth.
5. Melt about half a bar of cooking chocolate in the microwave, or in a basin over a pan of boiling water.
6. Spread the melted chocolate over the Rice Krispie mixture. Leave to set (in fridge if necessary).
7. When set, turn out of tin and cut into squares.

Ingredients

4 oz margarine

4 oz sugar (brown or white)

12 oz mixed fruit (8 oz will be enough)

8 fl oz water

1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 level teaspoon mixed spice

2 beaten eggs

4 oz plain flour

4 oz self raising flour

Pinch salt

How to Make it

1. Set the oven to 350F, 180 C, 170C (fan oven), Gas Mark 4
2. Put margarine, sugar, mixed fruit, water, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice into a large pan. Bring to the boil, stirring as the ingredients melt to blend gently together.
3. Once boiling, simmer for one minute.
4. Allow to cool while you prepare the tin:
5. Line a 7″ square or 8″ round tin.
6. When mixture has cooled a little, add the eggs, flour and salt and mix well. If you add the eggs while the mixture is really hot you’ll have scrambled eggs! Pour the mixture into the tin.
7. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1 - 1 1/4 hours. Test with a skewer to see if it comes out clean.

This is a recipe that was my Grandpa Edward Williams’ speciality! He always had a tin of toffee handy and everyone used to hope he would bring the tin out! It is not a chewy toffee, it’s brittle and for sucking! It is a very dark brown colour and very tasty! Quite economical, a victorian recipe that his mother used to make. He also used to make it on the Thames sailing barge that he worked on with his father around 1900-1910.

Ingredients

1 lb soft brown sugar

Knob of butter (about 1 dessertspoonful)

1 tablespoon vinegar

3 tablespoons water

How to make it.

1. Grease with butter,  2 sandwich tins or something of equivalent size. Or line with black silicon liner (but grease around the edges if not lining them).
2. In a medium saucepan put the sugar and water and bring to the boil.
3. As soon as it starts boiling, add the butter and vinegar.
4. DO NOT STIR!!! Just let the butter gradually dissolve by itself, do not try to mix it in or the toffee will crystallise.
5. Boil gently for about 15 minutes. Do not leave unattended in case it boils over or burns. It needs a nice rolling boil, turn the heat down a bit if you think it’s too fast and frothy.
6. Have a cup of cold water ready. After 10 minutes, start testing to see if its done:
7. Pour a teaspoonful of toffee mixture into the cold water. If it sets hard, the toffee is done. If it is soft, let the mixture boil a little longer. Test about once a minute. The toffee is ready when the mixture is brittle and can be snapped after the water test.
8. Carefully pour the mixture into the tins. Remember the metal tins will be very hot once the mixture has been poured in. Leave to set.
9. Break with a small hammer when set.
10. This is best eaten fairly quickly, it tends to spoil in the fridge. Try making half the quantity in one tin to see how you get on.