Hello, darlings!
​
​If you failed to spot the queenly clue in the title of my recipe, then I must tell you that I recreated this splendidly simple, yet rather indulgent wartime dish purely for the delectation of Queen Elizabeth II! After all, it is Her Majesty’s most favourite afternoon teatime treat, or anytime treat as my research revealed.

And following the incredibly sad news of the one and only Forces’ Sweetheart who passed away at the grand ol’ age of 103 on the 18th June 2020, I hereby dedicate this recipe to the magnificent DAME VERA LYNN.

I dare say, that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has been a fan of this scrumptious cake since her childhood; throughout the wartime years; and well into her monarchical era. Therefore, I deem my recreation of Irene Veal’s Chocolate Biscuit Cake rather fitting, which I gladly stumbled upon in Irene’s extraordinary contribution to the arena of wartime cookery – Recipes of the 1940’s.

​The illustrious Irene Veal wrote a short, yet a rather sweet introduction for Chocolate Biscuit Cake; beautifully curtailed, with just a handful of words that sums up and describes the relevance and duty of Her Majesty’s most favoured cake.   
 
This rather luxurious recipe must be reserved for high days and holidays during the war. Afterwards, it can perhaps become more general!

May I draw your attention to reserved for high days’– well, although this means “a religious festival”, in Miss Windsor’s book, Trooping the Colour is most definitely classed as a “high day” – I do hope you agree. 

​To recreate this wartime culinary marvel, it simply requires eggs, sugar, chocolate powder, butter, vanilla essence, and some plain yet delicately sweetened biscuits – the British staple of Rich Tea (will suffice!).

PHOTO CREDIT – CLICK HERE

Now I must divulge, Irene’s wartime version of the Queen’s favourite cake surprisingly resembles a chocolate type of Tiramisu – it’s jaw-dropping delicious, served with a scant drop of Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur. Nevertheless, next time I give it a bash, one shall reduce the number of eggs, which may assist the biscuits to remain a little crunchier. 

​​Darlings, unfortunately, the option to slather a luxurious layer of melted chocolate over your decadent creation fit for a Queen would’ve been quite a rarity during the British wartime years, especially from July 1942 when sweets and chocolate were rationed.

But hey ho, things are a trifle different during modern-day Great Britain, so one may slather on as much melted chocolate as you wish – after all, Trooping the Colour is indeed a high day!

​​Legend has it, well according to the Former Chef to The British Royal Family, Darren McGrady, who informed Today (.com) on April 4th 2017, “It’s her favourite cake that she eats until it’s gone!”……..If there is anything left when she has it at Buckingham Palace, it then goes to Windsor Castle so she can finish it there.” According to my resource, Chef McGrady often travelled by train from London to Windsor Castle balancing Her Majesty’s half-eaten Chocolate Biscuit Cake on his knee – bravo, Darren!

According to one’s thorough research, Queen Elizabeth’s darling grandchild – the Duke of Cambridge (Prince William) – is also rather partial to a slice or two of his grandmother’s treasured teatime treat. He developed a liking for it so much, that it was served as the groom’s cake at his wedding to Catherine Middleton.

​Darlings I do hope you enjoy whipping up Queen Elizabeth’s Wartime Chocolate Biscuit Cake – it’s so easy and so perfect for those chocoholics of the incredibly ardent and incurable kind!
 
Now Miss Windsor’s off to enjoy a sup or two of the Queen’s favourite tipple – gin and dubonnet.
 
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN (don’t forget to curtsey or bow)

Miss Windsor x

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR 

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Queen Elizabeth’s Wartime Chocolate Biscuit Cake

Prep Time 30 minutes

Setting time 3 hours

Servings 8 delightful guests

Equipment

• 1 & 1/2 pint (30 US fl oz.) pudding basin
• Cling film

Ingredients

Cake

• 3 eggs
• A drop of vanilla essence
• 6 tablespoons of caster sugar
• 4 & 1/2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 150g (just under 3/4 cup) of butter
• Approx. 20 plain, but slightly sweetened biscuits (rich tea will do)

Chocolate Frosting

• 1 large bar of chocolate
• A dollop of butter

Garnish

• 1 plain, but slightly sweetened biscuit!

Instructions

• Beat together the eggs, sugar, and a drop of vanilla essence until pale and creamy.
• Stir in the chocolate powder and melted butter.
• Well grease your pudding basin and line with cling film (with a slight overhang) – a little tip I picked up from my culinary amour – Mrs Simkins!
• Pour into the basin a small amount of the mixture and scatter with broken biscuits. Repeat until all of the mixture and biscuits have been used up.
• Cover with a plate and refrigerate for 3 hours.
• Melt a large bar of chocolate in a saucepan over some simmering water and add a dollop of butter when melted. Stir well.
• Remove your creation gently from the basin – use a palette knife to loosen it from the sides and turnout onto a serving vessel fit for a Queen.
• Slather with melted chocolate and place a biscuit on the top before serving. Tidy up around the edges of the cake with a damp cloth. 
• Serve to your guests with a scant drop of Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur. 

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Hello, darlings!

Welcome back to the royal household of Miss Windsor’s Delectables. Accompanied by the royal salute, I excitedly present Royal Windsor Pudding!

I say I’ve gone a bit pudding mad of late! You see, following the success of Mrs Beeton’s Spicy Suet Carrot Pudding, one felt compelled to have another go at recreating a Victorian slice of food history, or in this case, a Georgian slice! I remark, if a recipe was written between 1795 and 1837, this period is known as Georgian or Regency, hence Regency cookery.

I was instantly attracted to this recipe because of its original title of Windsor Pudding. Of course, one added “royal” to the title, which gives it a trifle more pizazz!

​I presume you’ve already twigged that my darling sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and I, share the same splendid surname of Windsor! Her Majesty is merely my beloved royal counterpart, and thus far, Miss Windsor has not had the pleasure of a formal introduction.

Moving swiftly on, I discovered this frightfully regal recipe in my 1906 edition of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management, which I presume was featured in the first edition published in 1861 during the reign of Queen Victoria.

In fact, this recipe is much older than first thought. I was pleased to discover that Windsor Pudding (according to the jolly old internet!) commenced its culinary journey during the Georgian or Regency era (How fascinating!). 

Enjoy a hearty chunk of Royal Windsor Pudding!

You see, whilst scouring through the archives of the Foods of England website (put link) I stumbled across Windsor Pudding – I say, thank goodness for modern technology! I was enthralled to read that in 1822 Mary Eaton first recorded this scrumptious pudding recipe in The Cook and Housekeeper’s Dictionary. 

“Original Receipt in ‘The Cook and Housekeeper’s Dictionary’ by Mary Eaton (Eaton 1822);
WINDSOR PUDDING. Shred half a pound of suet very fine, grate into it half a pound of French roll, a little nutmeg, and the rind of a lemon. Add to these half a pound of chopped apple, half a pound of currants clean washed and fried, half a pound of jar raisins stoned and chopped, a glass of rich sweet wine, and five eggs well beaten, with a little salt. Mix all thoroughly together, and boil it in a basin or mould for three hours. Sift fine sugar over it when sent to table, and pour white wine sauce into the dish.”

My research also revealed how this regal pud received its title. Well, to start “Eaton” is Mary’s surname, and Eaton is located near Windsor in Berkshire, England. Mary may have also resided in Eaton or Windsor (who knows!), but nevertheless, the origins of this pudding are terribly obvious!

Photo of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother!

​Darlings, I must admit I’m a tad baffled by Mrs Beeton’s Victorian version, as it’s peppered with discrepancies and lack of or choice of alternative ingredients. First off, the Georgian or Regency recipe calls for “suet”, and the Victorian recipe calls for no suet at all.

Evidently, Mrs Beeton (actually, I mean the real author of this recipe, as Mrs Beeton only ever developed ONE recipe in her lifetime, Useful Soup for Benevolent Purposes) replaced suet with “Carolina” or pudding rice, which is very odd as suet was all the rage in Victorian England. 

The Windsor Magazine – as advertised in my 1906 edition of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management

Now, regarding Mary Eaton’s recipe, what the heck is French roll? Of course, I consulted my resources but was unable to find sausage on it, so, if you have an inkling of a clue, please do indulge Miss Windsor.

​Thankfully the ingredient of apple is included in both recipes, however, Mrs Beeton’s version failed to include chopped raisins, currants, and according to Mary’s Eaton’s instruction not even a drop of rich sweet wine, instead, half a teaspoon of lemon juice, which I increased to one tablespoon.

Tuck into Royal Windsor Pudding with lashing of Birds Custard!

I say, the true anomaly of Mrs Beeton’s so-called recipe, is why on earth does it call for four “egg whites” instead of four whole eggs? And although I gave this recipe a jolly good crack of the whip! surprisingly it turned out like a steaming hot, pale coloured, virtually anaemic looking, wobbly blancmange.

But do not despair, as Grandmother Josie would often trumpet, “There’s no use crying over spilt milk!” – indeed, grannie! Always straight to the point with her pithy maxims, and often followed by, “If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again”. So, Miss Windsor recreated this recipe once more with the addition of brown breadcrumbs, and thankfully it turned out just fine.

Miss Windsor’s Royal Stamp of Approval!

Before you dash off to your kitchen, I must proclaim that this pudding has been subject to intense scrutiny by Miss Windsor’s fine palate, and of course passed the taste test with flying colours. This magnificent pudding was awarded Miss Windsor’s Royal Stamp of Approval for superior flavour, queenly quality, and for its OUTSTANDING contribution to the arena of food history.

TIP: split the pudding mixture between two x 1-pint (570ml or 20 US fl oz) pudding basins, as this will cut down the steaming time considerably – only an hour or so, as opposed to three.

Vintage advert for Birds Custard!

Serve each slice with a generous helping of Birds Custard – I do wonder if our trusty, old-fashioned, British household brand of Birds is a firm favourite of the royal family?

Enjoy the very best of royal fayre!

Miss Windsor x

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR, EXCEPT FOR THE QUEEN MOTHER!

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Royal Windsor Pudding

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Equipment

• two x 1-pint (570ml or 20 US fl oz) pudding basins or one x 2-pint (just over 1.1 litres or 40 US fl oz) pudding basin.

Ingredients

• 6 large apples (such as Braeburn, Jazz, or Honeycrisp)
• 30g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
• 30g (3 tablespoons) Carolina or pudding rice
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
• (1 cup) brown breadcrumbs
•  zest of 1 lemon
•  4 egg whites
• milk
• zest of 1 lemon – for the garnish

Instructions

• Darlings, now it’s time to give your grubby little mitts a jolly good wash with Pears soap – the finest beauty product of Victorian England. 
• First off, prepare the breadcrumbs and set to one side.
• Using a medium saucepan, generously cover the rice with milk and boil gently until tender. Drain well.
• Chop the apple and stew in a large saucepan until soft. Then with a wooden spoon rub through a fine sieve, and stir in the rice, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and breadcrumbs.
• Whisk egg whites until stiff, and gently fold into the mixture.
• Now, place an old saucer onto the bottom of a large saucepan (this will prevent the basin from cracking) then fill with water, about half-way up the basin, and immediately put onto boil. 
• Take two small pudding basins or an extra-large one, grease with butter and three-quarters fill with the mixture.
• Time to prepare the basins for steaming. Cut a large piece of greaseproof paper and foil. Place the foil piece on the kitchen counter followed by the greaseproof paper on top, and lightly grease with butter.
• Holding both pieces together, make a pleat in the centre, then gently place over the basin and mould it around the edges.
• Using a long piece of string, tightly wrap it around a few times under the “lip” of the basin and secure with a knot or two.
• Make a handle by threading the string from one side to the other. Repeat and secure.
• Trim off the excess paper/foil and tuck both layers under neatly, then place the basin into the saucepan and cover with the lid.
• Regularly top up with water, as you wouldn't want your “regal” pudding to boil dry!
• At the 1 hour mark (1-pint basin) or 2 & 3/4 hours (2-pint basin) check if they’re cooked. Insert a skewer through the foil/paper layer, and if it comes out clean it’s ready, if not keep steaming for a while longer.
• Garnish with lemon zest and serve hot with lashings of custard!

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]]> http://missw.shar-web.co.uk/myrecipes/miss-windsor/royal-windsor-pudding/feed/ 0 http://missw.shar-web.co.uk/myrecipes/my-royal-recipe-for-chocolate-orange-cream-roll/ http://missw.shar-web.co.uk/myrecipes/my-royal-recipe-for-chocolate-orange-cream-roll/#comments Tue, 11 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0000 http://missw.shar-web.co.uk/index.php/2018/09/06/my-royal-recipe-for-chocolate-orange-cream-roll/ I excitedly present Miss Windsor’s Chocolate Orange Cream Roll – fit for a Queen! ​Hello, darlings! You may already know, that our beloved sovereign, HM Queen Elizabeth II is a “chocoholic” of the incredibly ardent and incurable kind. And so is Miss Windsor’s beloved grandmother Josie who just so happens to share the same birth [...]

The post Miss Windsor’s Chocolate Orange Cream Roll! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

]]> I excitedly present Miss Windsor’s Chocolate Orange Cream Roll – fit for a Queen!

​Hello, darlings!

You may already know, that our beloved sovereign, HM Queen Elizabeth II is a “chocoholic” of the incredibly ardent and incurable kind. And so is Miss Windsor’s beloved grandmother Josie who just so happens to share the same birth year of 1926 with Her Majesty.

So, with this in mind, accompanied by a zingy twist of orange, I recreated the frightfully fabulous Chocolate Cream Roll to celebrate Her Majesty’s official birthday of Trooping the Colour – this year it takes place on Saturday the 13th June 2020.

Miss Windsor shall serve her queenly recreation to an assemblage of guests at her terribly splendacious afternoon tea party, in other words, a jolly good “royal knees-up”!

For those who have a keen interest in food history, I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know that I discovered this recipe in my 1935 edition of the Radiation Cookery book – a cherished gift from my gentleman friend, Sir Brian of Church Street Market, London.

​Darlings, in the spirit of Her Majesty’s official birthday, Miss Windsor’s Chocolate Orange Cream Roll is most certainly the perfect sweet treat to tickle one’s fancy, so to speak! So, please indulge in slice or two of this incredibly light, temptingly tangy, devilishly moist, rich, and chocolatey, sumptuous delight – slathered with a luxurious layer of orange buttercream icing.

​Oh, and this decadent choco-orange beauty is best enjoyed with a cup of your favourite Rosie Lee – for those who aren’t privy to a verse or two of cockney rhyming slang, Rosie Lee is indeed a cup of tea! Of course, tea is the most appropriate liquid refreshment to be quaffed from a bone china cup and saucer, whilst one enjoys the royal delights of an afternoon tea pageantry of goodies.

But if you fancy something a trifle stronger, Miss Windsor permits you to a sip or two of the Queen’s favourite tipple of Gin and Dubonnet – to be supped from a crystal glass tumbler!
​
Darlings, before you toddle off to your kitchen, I’m proud to announce that this exquisite sweet treat fit for a Queen has been awarded Miss Windsor’s Royal Stamp of Approval.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!

Miss Windsor x

Darlings, if you fancy learning more about Trooping the Colour, or recreating another royal recipe fit for a QUEEN! Then please do take a look at MISS WINDSOR’S CHOCOLATE QUEEN PUDDING! 

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR 

Print

Mrs Windsor’s Chocolate Orange Cream Roll!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes

Servings 8 delightful guests

Equipment

• electric hand-whisk / food processor
• shallow baking tin – 9 x 13 inches or 23 x 33 cm (approx.)

Ingredients

Chocolate Orange Sponge

• 2 eggs
• 120 g (just under 1/2 cup) caster sugar
• 80 g (3/4 cup) plain flour
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder (level)
• 1 teaspoon of orange extract
• 1/4 level teaspoon of baking powder
• 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
• a sprinkling of brown sugar

Orange Butter Cream

• 125 g (just over 1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 300 g (3 cups) finely sifted icing sugar
• 1 tsp orange extract or orange liqueur (add more to taste!)
• finely grated orange zest
• roughly chopped dark chocolate chips

Garnish

• fresh orange slices

Instructions

• Squeaky clean hands at the ready!
• Pre-heat your oven to 220 *C / 200 Fan / 425 *F / gas mark 7.
• Using a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs and caster sugar until pale and creamy.
• With a steady hand stir in the sifted flour, chocolate powder, and baking powder, then add the orange extract and fresh orange juice. Mix gently with a wooden spoon.
• Prepare the baking tin with greaseproof paper.
• Pour in the batter and smooth over with a palette knife, then tip the baking tray from side to side to even out the mixture.
• Bake for exactly 6 minutes.
• Darlings, now with great care dampen a cloth with boiling water (I recommend an old tea towel) then place a piece of greaseproof paper over the top and sprinkle with brown sugar.
• Turn out your creation onto the sugared paper and remove the cooked paper from the sponge, then roll it up!
• Allow to completely cool.
• Once cooled, it’s time to whip-up the Orange Butter Cream filling! So, using your modern day appliance or a wooden spoon, simply beat together the butter, icing sugar, and orange extract or a drop of orange liqueur until pale in colour and creamy. Add a drop of milk if it’s a little stiff.
• Darlings, now this step requires the aid of light hands! Carefully unroll the sponge and spread with the filling, then scatter with orange zest and a handful of roughly chopped chocolate chips. Gently roll back up and leave to stand for a few hours.
• When ready to serve cut into equal portions and present on a pretty plate. Garnish with a slice of fresh orange – voila!
• Serve to your delightful guests with a cup of Rosie Lee!

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Hello, darlings!

It’s an absolute pleasure to present Miss Windsor’s spin on a frightfully decadent and regal recipe fit for a QUEEN – Chocolate Queen Pudding!

I recreated this palate teasing, chocolaty kind of luxury Bread Pudding to celebrate our sovereign’s “official” birthday of Trooping the Colour, which takes place on Saturday the 8th of June 2019. 

I must say darlings, my beloved grandmother Josie and Her Majesty The Queen both entered this magnificent world during the year 1926 – known as the roaring ’20s! And suffice to say, both ladies are of the greatest personage and have many things in common, one being they are “chocoholics” of the incredibly ardent and incurable kind (Oh, I say!).

Therefore, with chocolate firmly in mind, I scoured the discoloured and rather frayed pages of my 1935 edition of the Radiation Cookery Book and stumbled upon this mouth-watering recipe, which I jazzed up a tad with a smattering of spice and a zing of lemon and orange zest.

​In fact, this particular cookery book was a generous gift bestowed upon Miss Windsor by her darling friend Sir Brian of Church Street, London.

Now, for those who are wondering what the heck is the Radiation Cookery Book, well it’s simply a cookery book that accompanied the “Regulo” controlled New World Gas Cooker. And for those who are familiar with gas cookers/ovens, especially folks in Great Britain, the term “gas mark” (i.e gas mark 5) derived from the term “Regulo mark” – and there you have it! 

Darlings, Miss Windsor must admit she is a tad bit envious that her beloved Queen Elizabeth II celebrates two birthdays each year. The first being her “actual” birthday on the 21st April –  this year she turned the grand old age of 93! Then on the second Saturday of June, Her Majesty commemorates her official birthday in the form of a public celebration – a parade known as Trooping the Colour, a tradition since the reign of King George II. ​​​

“I say, Miss Windsor, could you kindly reveal a few details about this vibrant celebration,” of course, my dears! In a nutshell, Trooping the Colour, as a birthday parade, commenced its royal journey due to the infamous British weather – which I’m sure most of you are well accustomed to!

Conflicting records dictate, that King George II was born in October or possibly November, but thankfully all agree the same year of 1683. Of course, the weather in Great Britain is absolutely dismal during these months, and obviously hindered His Majesty’s wish to celebrate his birthday with a jolly good royal “knees-up” of a public parade.

So, for the first time in 1748, the King of England planned a joint celebration of his birthday with an annual military parade of Trooping the Colour, which possibly dates back to the reign of Charles II (17th century). Apparently, the British Army would line up and display their regimental flags known as “colours”, then officers/soldiers would march between the ranks of troops and familiarise oneself with their regiment, which was imperative for the battlefield. 

Nevertheless, the summertide military parade combined with King George II’s birthday certainly kicked off a tradition that our darling sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II still follows today. And since 1987 Her Majesty prefers to observe the parade from the comfort of her royal carriage, as opposed to inspecting troops from horseback, which of course, was always conducted in a ladylike pose of “side saddle”, whilst sporting her full military regalia.   ​

​Okey dokey darlings, without further ado, please hotfoot into your kitchen and prepare for some culinary magic of bygone days – regal style, of course!

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!

Miss Windsor x

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR – EXCEPT FOR THE QUEEN & GRANDMOTHER JOSIE!

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Miss Windsor’s Chocolate Queen Pudding

Course Dessert

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Author Miss Windsor

Equipment

• coffee grinder or similar implement! 
• electric whisk
• pie dish (medium size)

Ingredients

• 210g (2 & 1/3 cups) brown bread crumbs 
• 80g (1 cup) grated dark chocolate
• 30g (just under 1/4 cup) caster sugar – for the pudding mixture.  
• 90g (1 cup) caster sugar – for the meringue.
• 1 pint (20 US fl oz.) whole milk
• 2 eggs yolks
• 2 egg whites – for the meringue. 
• zest of a lemon
• zest of a small orange
• optional: grated nutmeg 

Instructions

• Darlings, please wash those grubby little mitts of yours in readiness for some "regal" culinary action!
• Preheat your oven to 140*C / 120*C Fan / 275*F / gas mark 1.
• Prepare your breadcrumbs by whizzing the brown bread in a coffee grinder or similar kitchen implement!
• Grate the chocolate using a cheese grater – be careful not to shred a finger or two!
• Transfer the breadcrumbs to a large mixing bowl.
• Now, reach for a large saucepan and pour in the milk, followed by the grated chocolate.
• Bring to the boil, then remove from the hob and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and stir. 
• Allow the mixture to cool completely.
• When the mixture has cooled, pour in (30g / just under 1/4 cup) of caster sugar. 
• Add 2 egg yolks, zest of a lemon and orange, and some grated nutmeg, then merrily stir together with a wooden spoon.
• Grease your pie dish and gently pour in the mixture – set to one side. 
• Using an electric whisk, beat the egg whites until stiff n’ dry, then fold in the remaining caster sugar.
• With a pallet knife gently spread the meringue over the top of the pudding, then place on the middle shelf of your oven and bake for approximately 1 & 1/4 hours.
• Your pudding is ready when the meringue has risen and browned a little.
• Darlings, serve this scrumptious pudding on your best bone china vessel. Miss Windsor opted for an elegant dish by "Spode" – just perfect for Her Majesty The Queen’s dining table!
• GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!​

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