Raspberry Crumble Bake

I've been making this so long - its a little note of ingredients in my book with no instructions - think I got the ingredients one day off mum over the phone so here's my attempt with adding the 'how' as well as the 'what'...

Preheat a moderate oven and grease a slice (12" x 8") tin (I also add baking parchment to the bottom of the pan).

12oz (360g) Self Raising Flour
1 egg
3oz (90g) butter
60z (180g) sugar
4 rounded tablespoons jam (OK well I'm generous here and use about double this)
1 level teaspoon cinnamon

Mix the flour and sugar, crumble butter through with your hands add egg and mix well. Cover the slice tin with a bit over half this mix to make a base. Press firmly. Spread the jam over the base. Crumble the rest of the mix loosely over the jam. Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly golden.

(My lazybones addition is to soften the butter in the microwave or in a bowl over hot water, then mix.)

(My variations - I've used this to make all sorts of seasonal delights by changing the variety of jam, replacing the jam with fruitmince.)

It looks delightful cut in little squares then dotted with a half teaspoon quenelle of mascarpone, or a teaspoon of lightly whipped cream.

RICE PUDDING 1959

This is a simple recipe for baked Rice Pudding from a 1959 cookbook.

1/2 cup rice
1 quart milk (that's just under 1 litre)
1/2 teaspoon sugar (white or brown)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wash rice, add remaining ingredients and pour into greased baking dish. Bake in 275F (that's 135C) oven 3 hours. Stir frequently during the first hour. Serves 6.

Variations: Add 1/2 cup raisins or 2 eggs during last hour. I also vary with lemon or orange rind, lavender or rose petals infused in the milk, or hisbiscus tea infused in the milk (strain after infusing before making as above).

I love these simple nostalgic recipes. We can do so many things from the basic.

Oh by the way the 1959 Cookery Book is Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook.

Pecan Slice

Someone gave this recipe a few years back. It's typed on a loose piece of paper sitting inside the cover of one of my notebooks. Sorry I can't remember who gave it to me or I would credit you! (let me know if you read this and I will credit you though...)

3/4 cup (110g) plain flour
1/4 cup (35g) self-raising flour
90g butter, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups (200g) pecans

topping:

60g butter, melted
1/3 cup (80ml) golden syrup
1/4 cup (50g) firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons self-raising flour

Sift flours into medium bowl, rub in butter, stir in egg.

Press mixture over base of greased 19cm x 29cm rectangular slice pan.

Bake in moderate oven 15 minutes.

Combine all topping ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Sprinkle evenly with nuts. Pour topping mixture over the nuts.

Bake for further 15 minutes or until topping is just set. Cool in pan.

Caramel Self Sauce Pudding

This is another wonderful family recipe, the type of recipe that women used to pass around and share with each other. From the family hand written cook book:

1 cup Self Raising Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter

Mix into batter and spoon into greased oven-proof dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup brown sugar, (and optional 1 teaspoon instant coffee).

Gently pour 1 3/4 cup boiling water over the batter and topping. (I pour over the back of a spoon).

Bake in oven 190C or 375F (a little less for fan forced) for 40 - 45 minutes.

Golden Syrup Dumplings

Dating back to the Depression, this Australian family recipe was winter comfort food in harder times...

Syrup: 1 1/2 cups water, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon golden syrup, 1 tablespoon butter

Dumplings: Rub 1 tablespoon butter into 1 cup Self Raising Flour. Mix to a soft dough with 1 beaten egg and a little milk. Form dough into about 8 balls and drop into the boiling syrup.

Allow to simmer with lid on the pot for 20 to 30 minutes.

(another in the collection of family recipes from mum)

Golden Syrup PIKELETS

another in the recipes from mum's handwritten cookbook of the 50s and 60s:

2 eggs
1 cup SR flour
salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup

Beat eggs, add sugar and syrup and keep beating until fluffy. Add milk then sifted flour and beat until smooth. Allow to stand 1 hour. Put 1 dessertspoon of mixture at a time on a hot greased pan. Turn when bubbling.

Mum's cakeshop PIKELET recipe

Mum had a few recipes in her well worn and stained handwritten cookbook. Mostly these days I search the net, record my fav links or swap recipes on Twitter.

This is the recipe I grew up with for PIKELETS and they were always light and fluffy (AND they keep a little bit longer, fresher, than other recipes I have tried - still best to make them same day of course though).

Below is the traditional sweet version: I've also halved the sugar and added a little white pepper then served (instead of a blini) with smoked salmon (and lemon cream/mascarpone).

• Sift 1 cup SR flour, pinch of salt and 1/2 cup sugar. Mix together.
• To 1 egg well beaten add 1/2 cup milk
• To 2 tablespoons boiling water add 1 dessertspoon butter then 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda.
• Add the boiling water mixture to the egg/milk mixture
• Add liquids to the flour/sugar mixture. Mix until smooth.
• Heat pan, grease lightly, turn when bubbling!

Mum told me she got the recipe from a lady who worked in a cakeshop (circa 1950s)!

Caramel Slice

Another of those family recipes that I can date back quite sometime. This certainly was used in the family as early as the early 1960s. It was our (my brother and I) childhood favourite.

Base:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup SR flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 egg

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, then flour and salt.

Cook in greased slice tin in moderate oven until golden.

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup milk
about 4 tablespoons icing sugar

Stir continuously over low heat until boiling. Boil 3 minites without stirring. Cool then beat in the sifted icing sugar. Pour topping over base, and allow to set.