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. 

The post Queen Elizabeth’s Wartime Chocolate Biscuit Cake! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

Hello, darlings!
 
Miss Windsor excitedly presents her rather spiffing, yet terribly simple Great British wartime dish – Dig for Victory Veggie Asparagus Tart. A recreation of Irene Veal’s Vegetable Tart, on page 198, Recipes of the 1940’s.
 
I say it’s been quite a while since I’ve graced you with my presence. For my lack of, please do accept my heartfelt apologies as I was “incommunicado” for the best part of last year due to my posting as head cook in a top-secret location along the Western Front. I was not quite the Forces Sweetheart, but most definitely thought of very fondly by the courageous and kindly gentlemen who sampled Miss Windsor’s exquisite wartime cuisine……instead, one was affectionately known as Queen of the Naafi!

Darlings, as I frantically wave my British flag and jump with glee, one is indeed cock-a-hoop! You see, on 8th of May 1945, the war in Europe finally came to a halt – famously known as VE (Victory in Europe) Day, which Winston Churchill declared as a public holiday. Now zoom forward some 75 years, on Friday 8th of May 2020 (to be precise), The Royal British Legion calls upon the nation to join forces and mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

Moving swiftly onto my recipe, as per Irene’s instructions, it is packed to the rafters with wartime staples such as Potato Pete and Doctor Carrot which were plentiful during wartime Great Britain. In fact, The UK Ministry of Food encouraged the good folks of Britain to substitute rationed goods for carrots instead, therefore, the Agricultural Ministry increased the commercial production of this marvellous culinary asset.

PHOTO CREDIT – CLICK HERE!

Notably, if one had exhausted their supply of homegrown potatoes, nurtured and harvested within the boundaries of one’s Dig for Victory allotment or back garden, it was reported that many folks ended up in a spot of bother. Trouble is, local greengrocers often had limited supplies of potatoes, and so were not too sympathetic towards your potato quandary.

​Therefore, before entering a store, it was not unusual to be faced with a sign that read Regular Customers Only or if you were lucky, non-regular customers would be granted “one pound” of potatoes only – I say, barely enough to feed a large family!

PHOTO CREDIT – CLICK HERE!

​On a more jolly note, the 75th anniversary of VE Day propelled Miss Windsor to push the “U-boat” out a little, and so tweaked Irene’s recipe to include the addition of asparagus (well, it is asparagus season!), blue cheese, spring onion, seasoned white sauce, and baked within a buttery, light and flaky shortcrust pastry case.

Darlings, now I must share with you a most remarkable occurrence, a gift, that Mother Nature bestowed upon Miss Windsor on the 21st April 2020, which funnily enough, was on the very day that asparagus lovers celebrate National Asparagus Day!

One evening, as I pottered around my Dig for Victory vegetable patch, out of the corner of my eye I spied a small crop of asparagus – a miraculous moment, indeed! A sure sign from Mother Nature that one must recreate a British wartime recipe, with the inclusion of asparagus, to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

Darlings, when I delved deep into the history of Great British asparagus, I was delighted to learn that Battersea, London has a bit of an interesting past with this vegetable, an affinity one could say. During the late 1600s, St Mary’s Church was nestled within many acres of market gardens, and one almighty plot of 40 acres grew asparagus only – Cor blimey!

PHOTO CREDIT  – CLICK HERE

​During the Victorian period, the Enclosure Act came into force, therefore, Battersea Fields were divided into allotments and rented to local residents.

Then around 1846, in an attempt to eradicate the extracurricular activities of those who partook in illegal racing and gambling connected to the infamous Red House Tavern, a stonking 198 acres of Battersea Fields were turned into a royal park, which was opened by Queen Victoria (curtsey please) on the 31st March 1858.

​At the start of the First World War, as an early Dig for Victory campaign, a proportion of the park reverted to allotment plots – one presumes asparagus became a common cultivation, once again. And of course, during the Second World War, Battersea Park witnessed the return of the Dig for Victory campaign, thus our trusty asparagus returned as a fighting commodity for the health of our nation.

Miss Windsor wholeheartedly dedicates her recipe to all persons who contributed towards the war effort – including Commonwealth and allied forces, civilians, evacuees, The Women’s Land Army, munition workers, and of course those who tended to their Dig for Victory allotments/gardens……the list goes on.

Your dedication, bravery, loyalty to your country, selfless actions, and unfettered efforts, finally defeated Nazi Germany and put an end to the horrors of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich.

​I wish to pay particular thanks and homage to a couple of close family members who risked their lives for their country and fought to END the Second World War. Fortunately, my grandfather Lawrence Alfred Parfitt, who was a Royal Marine Commando, survived the war.

However, tragically, on the 1st June 1940, at the tender age of 22 years old, my third cousin Stanley Ewart Thomas, a Sapper in the Royal Engineers (205 Field Coy) was killed in action by enemy air bombing on the beach of Dunkirk.

On a lighter note, now it’s all quiet on the Western Front, so to speak! you’re invited to join the gaiety and indulge in a slice of Miss Windsor’s “Dig for Victory” Veggie Asparagus Tart – it’ll certainly give Lord Woolton’s Pie a run for its money!

Oh, and please note, in keeping with my theme of wartime Great Britain, all measurements are in “imperial” (converted into “metric” – for the modern-day society), and I express my sincerest apologies for any inconvenience caused.

​Enjoy! 

Miss Windsor x

​If you wish to further your acquaintance with Doctor Carrot and Potato Pete, or fancy recreating another wartime classic, then please do CLICK HERE for Miss Windsor’s Meatless Wartime Farmhouse Pie! 

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR – EXCEPT FOR GRANPA LARRY and COUSIN STANLEY. 

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Miss Windsor’s Asparagus Veggie Tart

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 6 Guests

Author Miss Windsor

Equipment

• 1 x 9 & 3/4 inch (24 cm) tart tin.  

Ingredients

Short Crust Pastry

• Homemade or shop bought will suffice – enough to line a 9 & 3/4 inch (24 cm) tart tin.  
• 1 whisked egg yolk

Vegetable Filling

• 3 medium potatoes
• 4 medium carrots
• 10 – 12 stems of asparagus
• 1 can of mixed beans (e.g kidney, haricot, etc)

White Sauce

• 1 oz (30g) butter
• 1 oz (30g) plain flour
• 3/4 pint (425ml) milk
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper
• Grated Cheddar cheese
• Blue cheese

Decoration

• 12 stems of asparagus
• 4 stalks of spring onion
• 15 Kidney beans (reserved from can of mixed beans)
• Cracked black pepper
• Parsley (fresh or dried)

Instructions

Shortcrust pastry – to bake blind.

• Preheat your oven to 210*C / 190 Fan / gas mark 7.
• Prepare the tart tin and brush with melted butter. Line with shortcrust pastry and fill with baking beans.
• Bake blind until edges are light brown, then adjust the temperature to 195 *C / 175 Fan / gas mark 5.
• Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes until the pastry is a rich, golden colour. Then brush with whisked egg yolk – this will achieve a moisture proof barrier; so the filling doesn’t make the pastry soggy. Bake for a further 2 minutes and put aside.  

Vegetable Filling

• Cut the potatoes and carrots into thin slices, then chop the asparagus stems into small pieces, discarding the woody part at the end. Using separate vessels cook the vegetables with a generous dusting of salt – to bring out the flavour.
• Cook the can of mixed beans with the water from the tin, add a little more if needed.
• Drain the vegetables and fetch your pastry base.
• First arrange a layer of potato around the edge, followed by a layer of carrot.
• Then add a circle of chopped asparagus.
• In the centre carefully spoon in the mixed beans – your tart should now appear half full.
• Darlings, now it’s time to crack on with the white sauce!

White Sauce

• In a small saucepan, over a gentle heat, blend the butter and flour together until creamy.
• Add the milk, stirring constantly, and bring to the boil.
• Season well with salt and pepper.
• When thickened (not too much, though) remove the pan from the heat.
• Pour half of the mixture over the tart filling.
• Sprinkle with a thick layer of grated cheese and crumble over the blue cheese.
• Repeat with another layer of vegetables.
• Pour over the remainder of the white sauce and repeat step 6.
• Decorate with asparagus stems, and if necessary, prune a little so they fit snuggly inside the tart tin.  
• Scatter with chopped spring onions and decorate around the edge and centre with kidney beans.
• Pop into the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
• For the finishing touch, grill for a few minutes and then smatter with pepper and parsley.

The post Miss Windsor’s “Dig for Victory” Asparagus Veggie Tart! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

​Hello, darlings!

Just in the nick of time for National Cream Tea Day (Friday 28th June 2019), I excitedly present Miss Windsor’s Wartime Girdle Scones (How spiffing!).

I also wholeheartedly dedicate this recipe, admittedly a trifle late, to the recent celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings, which took place on the 6th June 2019, of course, the actual real thing took place on the 6th June 1944.

“Ummm, excuse me, Miss Windsor, you mentioned “girdle”, but isn’t that a ladies undergarment worn to disguise one’s jelly belly?” Well, my dears, you’re absolutely correct, but not in the case of wartime cookery. You see, most folks were at their healthiest and about 10 pounds lighter back then, so there was no need for a girdle! Please do read on to find out more……..

I must divulge that this triumphant recipe goes by the original title of Quick Scones (traditionally cooked on a GIRDLE), which I discovered on a fat splattered, sepia-tinged, discoloured page, lurking near the end of Irene Veal’s spectacular cookery book, Recipes of the 1940’s, first published in 1944.  

​By the way, Irene Veal dedicated her book to Lord Woolton – who evidently, TAUGHT BRITISH WOMEN to COOK WISELY. 

I recreated this recipe with self-raising flour, a little warm milk, a small handful of chopped sultanas, 1oz (30g) of one’s 8oz sugar ration, a pinch of baking powder, and our British favourite of “beef dripping’, collected from last Sunday’s roast dinner – a one-off treat for the Miss Windsor household!

Darlings, Grandmother Josie often shared with Miss Windsor one of her fondest, childhood, wartime memories, of a slice of bread slathered with beef dripping. A treat she looked forward to receiving, only if she’d been a good girl, and did a grand job of scrubbing the front doorstep with Vim Scouring Powder!

​​Of course, one could only indulge in such a treat, if one was lucky enough to get their hands on a joint of beef. For reference: the weekly meat rations during wartime Great Britain was “1s. 2d” (1 shilling & 2 pence) per adult, which during the year of 1944, equated to a little over “1 lb.” (450g) of meat including the bone.  

I remark that I only decided to rustle something up for National Cream Tea Day on Wednesday just gone. Therefore, in search of something hasty, relatively easy, and in the spirit of cream tea and British wartime cookery, one was delighted to stumble across this gem of a recipe. 

​But to Miss Windsor’s utter dismay, after several hours slogging away over Grandmother’s Josie’s, vintage, wrought iron GRIDDLE pan (that’s right, Miss Windsor doesn’t possess a GIRDLE!) one soon realised, that Irene Veal’s recipe wasn’t so easy and hasty after all!

​I expect by now, in the context of cookery, you’re gagging to know what a girdle is. Well, it’s merely similar to a griddle, except it’s suspended over the fire/stove by a long metal chain – and there you have it.

You see after two jolly good goes at recreating Irene Veal’s recipe I was clean out of beef dripping. As one can imagine, Miss Windsor was on the brink of despair, so in an attempt to remain focused, one repeatedly muttered: “Just Keep Calm and Carry On!”

​I say, thank goodness for positivity, quick thinking, and a British stiff upper lip! so I reached into my refrigerator and emerged with the last of my “margarine” ration – phew! Panic over.  ​

Darlings, nigh to the end of my “bakeathon”, I discovered that a moderate heat, as suggested by Irene Veal, unfortunately, burnt the dough not just once but twice. So, at the start of my third and last round, I vowed to keep the heat as low as possible, even if it took an age for it to thoroughly cook through. Thus thirty minutes later, Grandmother Josie’s, vintage, wrought iron griddle pan eventually produced a culinary triumph.
 
When I consulted Irene Veal’s cookery book, I soon realised why my scone dough, in previous rounds, ended up burnt. Well, to start, during the wartime years there was something called National Flour, which was different from our usual white type because ultimately less wheat was being imported to Great Britain. ​

​So, to feed the nation, more flour was extracted from the grain, thus produced a nourishing but rather off-putting greyish coloured flour.

​Irene Veal advises the reader: When, and if, white flour is again used, a little less liquid, rather more fat and slightly lower oven temperatures and longer cooking will be necessary – Miss Windsor couldn’t agree more; just a shame one did not know of this until three whacks later.  
 
And for those who may be wondering, who the heck is Lord Woolton? He was the wartime Minister of Food (glorious food!), who chummed up with Sir Jack Drummond, a nutritional biochemist and scientific adviser to the Ministry of Food. ​​​

You see, their shared passion to improve the nation’s diet and to eradicate malnutrition, eventually led to a national food policy. As a result of this, measures were put in place to feed the British public back to good health. Therefore, during the chilly month of January 1940, every man, woman, and child was issued with a ration book for butter, bacon, and sugar.

​Then in March 1940, followed the rationing of meat, preserves, tea, margarine, cooking fats, milk, and so on. So whether you were rich or poor, all members of society received adequate nutrition to survive the war. In fact, meat rationing finally ended many years after WWII, on the 30th June 1954 – Hallelujah!
​
Enjoy recreating a British slice of wartime food history! 

Miss Windsor x

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Miss Windsor’s Wartime Girdle Scones

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 8 wartime foodie enthusiasts!

Equipment

• a griddle, girdle, or thick based frying pan!

Ingredients

• 140g (just over 1 cup) self-raising flour
• 30g (just under 1/4 cup) of beef dripping, lard, butter, or margarine
• 30g (just under 1/4 cup) caster sugar
• small handful of any dried fruit – roughly chopped.
• 6 soup spoons of warm milk (sorry, it was the only spoon I could find at the time!)
• 1/2 of 1/4 of a teaspoon of baking powder 

Instructions

• Squeaky clean hands at the ready – give them a scrub with some carbolic fragranced Lifebuoy soap!
• Sieve the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl, then lightly rub in the fat with your fingertips.
• Add the chopped dried fruit and sugar. Mix well.
• Warm the milk to a tepid temperature, then add a spoonful at a time. Stir with a knife until thoroughly combined and starts to form a nice sticky dough. Finish off with your hand until the bowl is clean. Transfer to a floured surface.
• Knead lightly and roll out to the size of a tea plate, and score with a knife as to mark 8 slices.
• Lightly grease the griddle, “girdle”, or frying pan and heat at the lowest setting. Wait for a couple of minutes, then gently transfer the dough round onto your chosen pan.
• Cook each side until well risen and dark brown (not burnt!). It can roughly take 10 to 15 minutes on each side, or even a tad longer.
• Serve hot with butter and jam, or clotted cream and freshly sliced strawberries.

The post Miss Windsor’s Wartime Girdle Scones! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

Hello, darlings!

Join the gaiety and celebrate International Carrot Day (Thursday 4th April 2019) with Miss Windsor!

In celebration of this incredibly “carrot-licious” day, and to commemorate (in advance) the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings, Miss Windsor presents Mrs Beeton’s Spicy Suet Carrot Pudding. A British, old-fashioned, truly scrumptious, suet pudding recipe, that appears frightfully Victorian yet surprisingly originates from the days of yore! Oh, and by the way, I added the spicy element to it – a generous smattering of mixed spice, ground ginger, and so on.

Although I’m a trifle early, I wish to dedicate this recipe in memory of the brave men, including my darling grandpa Larry (Royal Marine Commando) who on the 6th June 1944 participated in the D-Day Landings, thus finally freed Great Britain from the clutches of Nazi Germany.

“Miss Windsor, what the heck have carrots got to do with the D-Day Landings?” you shrill with immense intrigue! Well, there’s no direct connection, but suffice to say the courageous and healthful carrot also played an important role in winning the war, hence their culinary contribution helped to save the British people from starvation.

Without further ado, Miss Windsor will nourish your palate with a titbit or two about the history of the delightful Carrot Pudding, including the role of our trusty carrot in wartime Britain. 

​According to my resource: the jolly old Internet! Foods of England revealed that the history of the English pudding, including the carrot sort (I believe) tumbles back to the reign of King John of England (1199 to 1216).

​You see, Mr Henry Carey, an English poet, playwright, and musician, wrote in 1726, A Learned Dissertation on Dumplings, a wonderful piece about how puddings derived from dumplings. I haven’t the foggiest idea why this man wrote about such a thing, but regardless of his reason, his content and findings are of great importance to the arena of food history. ​

Mr Carey wrote, The Roman’s, tho’ our Conquerors, found themselves much out-done in dumplings by our forefathers; the Roman dumplings were no more to compare to those made by the Britons. – hear, hear Mr Carey!

He also asserted, The British dumpling at that time, was a little better than what we call a “stone” dumpling, being nothing else but flour and water.

Mr Carey, a man of great discovery and knowledge scribed that every generation grew wiser and wiser, and so the dumpling naturally became a pudding. By such time, milk, butter, marrow, sugar, and plumbs (old English for raisins or any kind of dried fruit) were added to the basic ingredients, then eventually during the reign of our sovereign John, King of England, eggs were introduced to the mixture. 

Darlings, what I’m about to divulge tickles me greatly, and no doubt you too! You see, Mr Carey proclaimed that the invention (addition) of eggs were merely accidental! – or, maybe a blunder of desirable consequence?

Thankfully, Mr Carey befriended an old chap, the greatest antiquary of the present age, known by the grand title of Mr Lawrence of Wilsden-Green, London. Mr Lawrence informed him of the remarkable moment in food history when eggs became a staple ingredient in the creation of puddings.

So, this aged, well let’s say mature and genteel fellow, recounted to Mr Carey the culinary tale of two or three eggs which having casually roll’d from off a shelf into a pudding which a good wife was making. She found herself under necessity either of throwing away her pudding, or letting the eggs remain, but concluding from the innocent quality of eggs, that they would do no hurt if they did no good!

​Legend has it after the good wife picked out all the broken shell, she then created the pudding of all puddings. Thus, she was sent for to court to make puddings for King John, and ever since the English or British folks became world-famous for their beloved puddings and the consumption thereof. ​

Following the good wife’s demise, Mr Carey wrote, her son was taken into favour, and made King’s chief cook; and so great his fame for puddings, that he was called Jack Pudding all over the kingdom, tho’ in truth, his real name was John Brand.

Mr Carey also noted that King John was a mighty LOVER of PUDDING. Therefore, the illustrious Jack Pudding created many sorts of puddings purely for the delectation of His Majesty, such as Plain Pudding, Sausage Pudding, Plumb Pudding, Marrow Pudding, Flower Pudding, Oatmeal Pudding, Suet Pudding, including CARROT PUDDING!

Food for thought: although the ever so popular orange type of carrot wasn’t available in ye-olde England until the Elizabethan era (1558 to 1603) it is possible that the purple and yellow varieties were shipped over from Spain to King John’s royal kitchen. According to the Carrot Museum, carrot cultivation spread to Spain in the 1100s via the Middle East and North Africa.

Darlings, I must remark that the story about Jack Pudding and King John is far too long for my recipe introduction, so if you fancy reading more, please visit Foods of England, and do pop back once you’ve finished – toot sweet! 

PHOTO CREDIT – CLICK HERE

Now, let’s revert our attention to the courageous carrot – much obliged! I’m proud to report that during WWII carrots played an important role in feeding the nation. The UK Ministry of Food encouraged the good folks of Britain to substitute rationed goods for carrots instead, therefore, the Agricultural Ministry increased the commercial production of this life-saving culinary asset.

Thank goodness the trusty carrot was particularly plentiful during wartime Britain, however, ingredients such as sugar, suet, flour, dried fruit, eggs (of course, one could depend on a pet chicken or the “reconstituted” type which came from America) were also available, although rationed. I dare say, as a once in a while treat, Mother or the cook of the house would’ve whipped up something of a similar nature to Mrs Beeton’s Spicy Suet Carrot Pudding. 

Darlings, if you’re not too keen on the laborious task of steaming your pudding, then one suggests baking it instead. However, if you fancy having a go, Miss Windsor has come up with a bit of a time-saving solution: 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!

TIP: if your dinner party turns out to be a bit on the small side, thus you find yourself with left-over hunks of pudding, then just wrap them in foil and freeze until your next dinner engagement – voila! 

Darlings, if you’re rather partial to the taste of wartime Great Britain, then why not have a go at recreating: MISS WINDSOR’S WARTIME MEATLESS FARMHOUSE PIE!

Miss Windsor x

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR EXCEPT FOR PHOTO OF GRANPA LARRY

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Mrs Beeton’s Spicy Suet Carrot Pudding!

Course Dessert

Prep Time 1 hour

Servings 6 depending on your chosen pudding basin or baking vessel!

Equipment

• To steam: 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.
• To bake: approx. 23 cm x 18 cm (9 inch x 7 inch) baking vessel

Ingredients

• 340 g (2 & 1/4 cups) diced carrots
• 220 g (4 cups) white breadcrumbs
• 120 g (1 cup) beef or vegetable suet
• 120 g (just over 3/4 cup) white sugar
• 120 g (1 cup) dried raisins and sultanas
• 1 medium carrot – finely grated
• 3 small eggs – lightly beaten
• 1 heaped teaspoon – mixed spice
• 1 heaped teaspoon – ground ginger
• 1 heaped teaspoon – sweet cinnamon
• 1 heaped teaspoon – grated nutmeg

Instructions

Method

• If you fancy baking your pudding, then please pre-heat your oven 150*C / 130*C Fan / 300*F / gas mark 2 – Ta very muchly!
• 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.
• Okey dokey, boil the diced carrots until tender, then with a wooden spoon rub through a fine sieve. Put to one side.
• Prepare the breadcrumbs and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• With a wooden spoon merrily combine together the breadcrumbs and all the dry ingredients.
• Add the carrot pulp, lightly beaten eggs, and finely grated carrot. The mixture should appear nice and moist – Oh, I say!

To Bake

• Now, give your chosen vessel a good ol’ grease with butter, then carefully spoon in the mixture and place on the middle shelf for approximately 1 & 1/4 hours. All ovens vary, therefore, after approximately 1 hour & 5 minutes check with a skewer – if it comes out clean it’s ready, if not bake for further 10 minutes or so minutes.
• Serve immediately with a splash of custard or cream.

To Steam

• 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 “carrot-licious” 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!
• Serve hot with lashings of custard!

The post Mrs Beeton’s Spicy Suet Carrot Pudding! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

Hello, darlings! 
 
Happy British Pie Week! 
 
I say, my dear fellows, in the spirit of British Pie Week Miss Windsor’s been having an absolute blast reviving age-old recipes from the past! So, just in the nick of time before this wonderful week comes to an end, one wished to “Spitfire” back to the British wartime days and recreate something frightfully healthful and wholesome – a dish Grandmother Josie would’ve certainly approved of! 
 
May I present the rather delectable and exceedingly homely Miss Windsor’s Wartime Meatless Farmhouse Pie – How splendid! You see, I stumbled upon two terribly toothsome and similar pie recipes in my copy of Recipes of the 1940’s by Irene Veal. Therefore, my version is a fusion of both, just minus the meat! And evidently, darlings, you’ll soon discover that the operative word for British Pie Week in the Miss Windsor household is VEAL! ​

You’ll be pleased to know, that this easy, yet frightfully filling recipe is created with an abundance of vegetables such as carrots (which were plentiful during WWII), potatoes, swede, onion, seasoning, mixed dried herbs, little vegetable stock, and the piece de resistance – the wartime luxury of tinned peas!

Oh, and thank the dear Lord (Woolton!) that I had a little suet plus enough flour in my green and cream enamel flour tin to make some dough – so I covered this delightful concoction with a thick, feathery, rather mouth-watering blanket of suet pastry.  ​

A quick word about the courageous carrot! I’m proud to say that during WWII carrots played an important role in feeding the nation. The UK Ministry of Food encouraged the good folks of Britain to substitute rationed goods for carrots instead, therefore, the Agricultural Ministry increased the commercial production of this life-saving culinary asset.

Thankfully, particularly orange carrots, they’re bursting with vital nutrients such as “vitamin A”, and so are known to be “good for one’s eyesight” – bloomin’ marvellous! Also, do you have any idea how many dishes one can rustle up with our trusty carrot? Well, my dears, purely for your delectation, may I indulge you with the following:  Mrs Beeton’s Carrot Pudding, carrot soup, carrot jam, carrot cookies, carrot fudge, carrot cake, carrot tart, and so on!

Oh, and one of the recipes I based my fabulous version on originally required “very little meat”, any kind of meat, in fact, including Great Britain’s beloved bacon!

Unfortunately, Miss Windsor used every last scrap of meat from her rather sparse larder to recreate her first offering to British Pie Week – Mrs Beeton’s Veal & Ham Pie, which one discovered in one’s 1906 version of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management, first published in 1861. ​

Darlings, I must divulge, in the Miss Windsor household we’ve regretfully used up all of our meat and egg rations for the entire week on that blasted pie, “Oh, dearie me!” I hear you squeal with oodles of concern! You see, as one will appreciate, Mrs Beeton’s mouth-watering recipe, evidently, is an exquisite Victorian dish of an acquired taste!

It called for plenty of veal, sliced hard-boiled eggs, seasoning, plus a dash of beef stock – and nothing more! I say, the pie dish was packed to the rafters with meat, and it took days to munch our way through this somewhat Victorian overindulgence! 

I must admit, I’ve been a trifle reckless with our precious rations, but nevertheless, Miss Windsor has certainly prevailed, and will not see anyone go hungry in wartime Britain! Thankfully, vegetables are not rationed here, so without further ado, I whipped up this delightful pie which is full to the brim with nutritious vegetables, plus the addition of a small tin of garden peas that I found lurking behind a rusty old tin of Bird’s Custard powder – How spiffing! 

​Plus I threw in a smattering of garlic that I saved from dear Winnie’s allotment, which I chopped and dried during the summer months in readiness for a glorious pie moment like this!

Darlings I’m feeling awfully parched now! So, before I pop off to warm up my darling Brown Betty teapot for a well-deserved cuppa, to be, of course, supped from my sage green Wood’s Ware Beryl cup and saucer. I must say in the Miss Windsor household, not a thing is wasted, therefore, Grandmother Josie often trumpeted, “Waste not, want not!”

Of course, she was absolutely correct, as I have very fond memories of my darling grandmother saving anything from a few grains of cooked rice, half a small boiled potato, to a handful of cheese crumbs that one would store in a Tupperware container and used to whip-up the suppertime classic of Welsh rarebit – I dare say, you never know when that morsel of food may come in handy!

​So, come along darlings, join the jolly old war effort and Eat for Victory! ​

Miss Windsor x

​If you fancy recreating another wartime recipe, then why not try:

MISS WINDSOR’S BEETROOT & GREEN BEAN FRITTERS! 

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Miss Windsor’s Wartime Meatless Farmhouse Pie!

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 6 hungry guests!

Author Miss Windsor

Equipment

• medium pie dish
• rolling pin

Ingredients

Suet Pastry

• 350 g (2 & 1/3 cups) self-raising flour
• 180 g (1 & 3/4 cups) vegetable or beef suet
• pinch of salt
• a sprinkling of coarse black pepper
• cold water
• whisked egg for the glaze

Pie Filling

• 4 medium potatoes
• 4 large carrots
• 1 medium onion
• ½ large swede
• 1 small tin of garden peas
• a handful of fresh chopped parsley
• 4 heaped teaspoons of mixed dried herbs
• some fresh thyme
• little vegetable stock
• salt and pepper
• 2 or 3 garlic cloves (or the equivalent of dried chopped garlic)
• smattering of flour

Instructions

Suet Pastry

• Pre-heat oven to 190*C / 170*C Fan / 375* F / gas mark 5.
• First off, let’s get cracking with the suet pastry! Into a large mixing bowl sieve the flour, then add the suet, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
• Add a few drops of cold water at a time and with a curving motion mix with a knife.
• Darlings, this pastry must not be dry, so add enough water and continue to mix with a knife until the dough is quite sticky.
• Now using you’re pretty little mitts, bring the dough together until it’s rather smooth and elastic. Cover and rest for a while.

The Filling

• Chop the potatoes into chunky pieces and swede into small cubes. Parboil in vegetable stock, and when done set to one side and keep the vegetable stock.
• Cut the carrots into small cubes, then dice the onion and garlic. Transfer to a large frying pan and add the peas. Season lightly with salt and pepper and fry until browned in a drop or two of oil.
• Add the fresh parsley and thyme, then scatter over the dried mixed herbs and give it a jolly good stir.
• Transfer the parboiled potatoes and swede to the frying pan, add a smattering of flour and thoroughly mix together.
• Darlings, now pour in enough stock to wet the ingredients and fry everything together for a few minutes until well-mixed.
• Next, grab your pie dish and carefully spoon in the vegetable mixture.
• Now, take 3/4 of your dough and place onto a floured surface and start gently rolling until you’ve formed a circle or square shape to cover your choice of vessel. Oh, and please make sure that your pastry lid is rolled fairly thick – Ta very muchly!
• Cover the pie filling with the pastry and carefully trim off the edges.
• Now onto the creative bit – How exciting! Using the last of your dough festoon your pie with some decorative leaves and stick them onto the lid with some whisked egg.
• Darlings, you will probably have some left-over pastry, which one may use if needs must, or alternatively why not make one or two jam puffs out of the leftovers!
• Once festooned with pretty leaves, brush the whole pie lid with whisked egg.
• Pop in the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and risen.
• Serve piping hot with a dash of gravy – that’s if you have a bit leftover from your Sunday roast dinner, if not then ‘hard cheese’!

The post Miss Windsor’s Wartime Meatless Farmhouse Pie! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

Hello, darlings!

I say, troops! – stand to attention, grab your spade, grow your own fruit and vegetables, Dig for Victory, and Eat for Victory – By Jove! chaps, now that’s the wartime spirit.

Miss Windsor’s back again with yet another seasonal, allotment inspired, palate-pleasing culinary treat, based on a rather spiffing wartime recipe from my Eating for Victory cookery book.

So please give a warm welcome to something a trifle different, frightfully British, and exceedingly healthful – Miss Windsor’s Beetroot & Green Bean Fritters!

You see, my recipe is a fabulous fusion of 1940s wartime cuisine, my dear Winnie’s allotment grown beetroot and French beans (of course, one may use shop-bought) and today’s commonly known ingredient of gluten-free flour – anything to satisfy the health-conscious community.

​In fact, to achieve such culinary excellence I dabbled with both wheat flour and the gluten-free type, yet extraordinarily the latter produced a far tastier dish; thus created a rather pleasant gritty texture.

​Darlings, my beloved grandmother Josie once told me that during World War II the British public was far healthier than in this day and age, “Would you Adam and Eve it!” I hear you shriek with a slight tone of dismay! 

This was due to many factors, as near the end of the First World War the government finally took heed of the food issues that arose during such time, therefore, scientific research was carried out into all areas of food and nutrition.

Also, during the great depression in the 1920s unemployment had soared to more than two million, plus a staggering number of people were near destitute and sadly couldn’t afford to buy nutritious foods such as milk, fruit, and vegetables. And quite shockingly, around forty million folks suffered from some kind of deficiency, most commonly calcium, which thankfully prompted the government to provide milk in schools.  

Of course, one wasn’t too shocked to learn that a study conducted by the British Medical Association in the 1930s, revealed that the more affluent areas of society during that period benefited from an abundance of basic dietary constituents.

As you know war broke out again in 1939, “Miss Windsor, but what the heck did the government do to ensure every member of society was well fed and watered?” you pipe up from across the airwaves!

Well, my dears, firstly let’s pay homage to Sir Jack Drummond – nutritional biochemist and scientific adviser to the Ministry of Food, who chummed up with Lord Woolton – who also happened to be the wartime Minister of Food (glorious food!).  

You see, their shared passion to improve the nation’s diet and to eradicate malnutrition, eventually led to a national food policy. Thus, measures were put in place to feed the British public back to good health.

PHOTO CREDIT – ​CLICK HERE ​

And without going into every last detail, in the year of 1940, every man, woman, and the child was issued with a ration book for butter, bacon, and sugar. Soon followed by meat, preserves, tea, margarine, cooking fats, milk, and so on – so whether you were rich or poor, all members of society received adequate nutrition to survive the war. 

You’ll be pleased to hear that the Advice Division of the Ministry of Food provided excellent counsel to the British public throughout the war, which included the healthiest ways to remain fighting fit and how to best use their food rations. In fact, one thing we’re all familiar with is the government’s Dig for Victory campaign – such an ingenious idea, don’t ya think! 

So, whether you were a city dweller or a country bumpkin everyone was encouraged to grab a spade and dig up their flower beds, window boxes, backyards, tennis courts, you name it and dig their way to victory and good health with homegrown fruit and vegetables. 

Moving swiftly on, if you’re following my wartime culinary journey then you would’ve read about my visit to Whimsical Winnie’s allotment at Fulham Palace Meadows, London. If so, then one presumes you’ve learnt a fact or two about the meadows fascinating “green-fingered” connection with the war effort – if not, then slap on the wrist!

Therefore, before one proceeds any further please do pop over and meet my dear friend Winnie – The Queen of Fulham Palace Meadows, and I’ll see you back here in a jiffy.

Here’s the LINK:
WHIMSICAL WINNIE THE QUEEN OF FULHAM PALACE MEADOWS ALLOTMENTS!

Welcome back darlings! Unfortunately, it has come to Miss Windsor’s attention that many of you succumbed to the common ailment of “idle eyes”, so just this once one will indulge you with a few titbits about one’s recipe and the meadows.

​You see, many months before Miss Windsor toddled off to Winnie’s allotment, one was bestowed a delightful cookery book from the good lady of Fortune PR (www.fortunepr.co.uk) called Eating for Victory (Healthy Home Front Cooking on War Rations) – aren’t I a lucky girl! 

Then following my visit to Winnie’s precious allotment, I was delighted to learn that in 1916 there was a generous old chap known as Bishop Winnington-Ingram who granted the land or meadows to the good folk of Fulham, London, as part of an early WWI Dig for Victory campaign.

​I say, this news excited me greatly as it fits in perfectly with my theme of food history; in particular wartime recipes.  

PHOTO CREDIT – CLICK HERE

Darlings, Miss Windsor is feeling awfully parched now, so must pop off for a well-deserved cup of tea!

But before I go, may I rouse your spirits with a few trill notes from the “Forces’ Sweetheart” Dame Vera Lynn, “We’ll meet again, don’t know where don’t know when. But I know we’ll meet again some sunny day!” I say, what a rather romantic and merry ending to our time together, but I’m sure “we’ll meet again some sunny day………!”

Darlings, a round of applause to the delightfully talented Cathy (Twitter: @CathysArtPalace) for her incredible illustration of Miss Windsor’s photo – as above. 

For dessert, may I suggest another wartime classic:

MISS WINDSOR’S BLACKBERRY & APPLE CRUMBLE (GLUTEN-FREE or VEGAN)

Miss Windsor x

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Miss Windsor’s Wartime Recipe: Gluten-Free Beetroot & Green Bean Fritters!

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Servings 8 large fritters

Equipment

• 1 frying pan – large and deep

Ingredients

• 1 large cooked beetroot
• 50 g (1/2 cup) any green beans (such as French beans)
• 3 stems of spring onions
• 170 g (1 & 1/4 cups) plain gluten-free flour (or plain wheat flour)
• 3 heaped teaspoons – gluten-free baking powder
• 1 heaped teaspoon – sea salt
• 1 heaped teaspoon – cracked black pepper
• 1 heaped tablespoon – dried mixed herbs
• approx. 200ml (7 US fl oz) whole milk
• olive oil

Instructions

• Darlings, run along now and disinfect your mitts with a bar of that carbolic fragranced Lifebuoy soap – much obliged!
• Ok, now you’re nice and clean, you can cook your own beetroot which won’t take too long. Or, if time is the essence, then please do succumb to the modern-day convenience of vacuum-packed cooked beetroot! Either way, please grate with a cheese grater and set to one side.
• In a mixing bowl sieve together, the baking powder and flour. Add the salt and pepper and give it a good ol’ stir. Then with a wooden spoon mix to a stiff batter with milk and beat well.
• Roughly chop the green beans, then steam for a minute or so in your rather ghastly microwave and add to the grated beetroot.
• Finely chop the spring onion and combine with the beetroot / green bean mixture. Transfer to the batter and add the dried herbs. Mix well.
• Now, grab your frying pan and thickly coat with olive oil (avoid being too heavy-handed!) then turn the temperature to high. Once the oil starts to sizzle a little, turn the temperature down a tad – to around medium/high.
• Okey dokey, now fetch a large dessertspoon along with your rather striking, cerise pink batter.
• Then drop three or four equal-ish amounts into the hot oil.
• When golden brown on the underside, turn over.
• Once both sides are perfectly browned, transfer to a plate covered in paper towel to soak up any excess oil. Then repeat the cooking process until you’ve used up the batter.
• I say, now it’s time to serve your fabulous fritters to your delightful guests. Please do so with sliced beetroot, and any salad of your choice – voila!

The post Miss Windsor’s Wartime Beetroot & Green Bean Fritters! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

Hello, darlings!

I say, fancy joining me for a nostalgic trip down memory lane, and learn how to recreate one of my favourite, British, summertime or anytime desserts? Well, darlings, how could one resist a nibble or two on Miss Windsor’s Blackberry & Apple Crumble (Oh, I say!).

​You’ll be pleased to know that it’s completely gluten-free and vegan – “OMG!” I hear you shriek with sheer delight!, and it’s so devilishly delicious that even the health-conscious community are rather baffled how I achieved such culinary excellence, despite the reputation that gluten-free food is notoriously bland.

Now, for those who like to keep abreast (Oh, I say!) regarding the history of British food​, you’ll be chuffed to discover that our beloved “crumble” began its culinary journey during World War II. You see, due to the strict rationing of food, one had to “think outside the box”, so to speak! and invent meals that used less ingredients such as flour, sugar and fat. 

​Of course, back in those days, many folks were rather enamoured by British pies, but as Grandmother Josie would often trumpet, “Hard cheese, my dear” (translation: hard luck!), as sadly pies were completely off the menu due to their indulgent need for a pastry base.

Of course, such a requirement would’ve been a hefty blow to your ration book and would have left you with nout to spare for the rest of the week. Anyway, my dears, thank goodness for the invention of the crumble which can be made sweet or savoury (How spiffing!).  
​
Darlings, now memory lane can be such a captivating place! I gleefully recall my childhood pastime of blackberry picking. Every year armed with a Tupperware vessel little me would join forces with Mother and together we scoured the bountiful West-Country hedgerows, in search of a bumper crop of purply plump blackberries!

​Oh, and what wonderful memories I have of Mother’s mouth-watering, West-Countryfied version of Blackberry & Apple Crumble. 

This year I decided to follow my dear mother’s tradition, thus baked a Blackberry & Apple Crumble using foraged South-East London blackberries. However, my recipe is completely gluten-free, vegan, and with no white sugar insight – very healthful, indeed! ​
​
In fact, I picked so many blackberries that I assigned three huge bags their very own shelf within the prickly cold atmosphere of my rather trusty freezer. ​​

Darlings, now if your diet allows please enjoy Miss Windsor’s Blackberry & Apple Crumble with a splash of custard. One recommends Birds egg-free custard as it’s completely vegan, and tastes absolutely divine – the very best of British fayre! 

Enjoy! 

Miss Windsor x

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR 

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Miss Windsor’s Blackberry and Apple Crumble (Gluten-Free/Vegan)

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 8 delightful guests!

Equipment

• Glass or enamel oven proof dish (25.5 x 18 cm or 10 x 7 inches)

Ingredients

THE FILLING:

• 2 medium bramley apples
• 240 g (1 & 1/2 heaped cups) washed blackberries
• 1 large lime – zest & juice
• 4 generous dessertspoons of honey
• Handful of desiccated coconut
• 30 g (1/4 cup) coconut oil or butter

THE TOPPING:

• 40 g (just over 1/4 cup) soft brown sugar
• 40 g (1/2 cup) ground almonds
• 40 g (heaped 1/4 cup) gluten-free granola
• 80 g (3/4 cup) gluten-free rolled oats
• 60 g (1/3 cup) coconut oil

Instructions

• Darlings, hygiene should be practised meticulously in every kitchen! Wash your hands please – ‘splish, splash’!
• Preheat your oven to 180*C / 160*C Fan / 350* F / gas mark 4
• Peel and core the apples, then cut into pieces of all shapes and sizes!
• With the aid of a small bowl gently mix together the blackberries and apple pieces, then transfer into your chosen item of ovenware – Much obliged!
• Using a jug combine the juice and zest of 1 lime, honey, and desiccated coconut. Mix well then pour over the fruit
• With a spoon, dollop the coconut oil all over the lime/honey mixture – Ta very muchly!
• Place on the middle shelf of oven and bake for 25 minutes or so, until the fruit has softened. Stir once half-way through
• Now, grab a large mixing bowl and mix together the brown sugar, ground almonds, granola, and rolled oats. Then using your dainty little fingertips rub in the coconut oil
• Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the fruit, then transfer to the middle shelf of oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes
• Your fruity 'crumble creation' is ready when slightly sun-kissed, and the fruit is bubbling around the edge of your ovenware vessel!
• Serve hot with lashings of custard or a jolly good drenching of double cream – Voila!

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