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.

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)!