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!

Well, I say, thank you for popping by – it’s always a pleasure!

So, whilst you’re here I wish to titillate your taste buds with my little gratifying meaty balls of deliciousness (Oh, I say!).

I guarantee that my recipe created with quails’ eggs, butchers best sausage meat, spring onion, a smattering of parsley, plus a dash of whole grain and Dijon mustard, will satisfy all carnivore palates and will certainly give Fortnum & Mason a run for their money.

It is true, Fortum and Mason proclaimed that the Scotch Egg was invented in 1738 at their store in Piccadilly, London – Miss Windsor’s favourite! And so, according to Fortum and Mason, the Scotch Egg commenced its culinary journey during the Georgian period (1714 to 1837).

I dare say, according to Fortnum & Mason: this bundle of runny yolk, spiced outdoor-reared pork, and finger-friendly breadcrumb covering sits proudly as the original “portable pick-me-up” – a trifle confused?

Well, in short, it was originally invented for their affluent patrons who would travel by horse and coach to their country abodes. So, when in need of a quick “pick me up”, one would delve into their pocket and emerge with a Scotch Egg wrapped in a silk handkerchief.

Moving swiftly onto my spiffing collaboration with darling Mrs Simkins. You see, although Miss Windsor is known to have a rather sweet tooth; instead of baking yet another sugar-laden goodie for our summer garden party, I thought best to offer a dish of the savoury kind.

Therefore, I called upon my culinary mentor – the bountiful Mrs Beeton – who advised Miss Windsor to recreate her Scotch Egg recipe.

Of course, Scotch Eggs are usually consumed in the larger form, however, one wished to reduce the size – just a smidgen – to sit comfortably amongst the other teatime treats. So, with this in mind, I opted for wee quails’ eggs – the perfect accompaniment to Mrs Simkins Delicious Dainty Tea-Time Sandwiches.

Darlings, I must admit, I twice attempted my recipe, “Oh, dearie me!” you chirp with a touch of concern. But do not despair my dears; as you know Miss Windsor always prevails! You see, when fried in oil the meat and breadcrumb coating just cracked and then slid off the egg – an utter disaster. Now fuddled and panicked, I called upon Mrs Simkins, who advised baking my eggy beauties instead – they turned out “egg- ceptional”!
​
Before you press on with my recipe, I advise these are best served at a summer garden party, afternoon tea, buffet, or handy enough to pop into a Tupperware vessel and then pecked at whilst picnicking at your favourite country spot.

I say these little darlings must be enjoyed with a generous dollop of Piccalilli. Of course, I favour Piccadilly Piccalilli from Fortnum & Mason – only the best will do for Miss Windsor!

​Here’s my darling culinary amour’s, Mrs Simkins’s, delicious addition to your picnic hamper!

MRS SIMKINS DELICIOUS DAINTY TEA-TIME SANDWICHES!

Miss Windsor x

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR EXCEPT FOR MRS SIMKINS DAINTY TEA-TIME SANDWICHES! 

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Miss Windsor’s Mini Scotch Eggs

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 8 delightful guests (2 per guest)

Equipment

• large baking tray 
• mini-chopper or similar implement! 

Ingredients

• 14 to 16 quails’ eggs

Ingredients for Meat Layer

• 500g (just over 2 cups) of sausage meat – preferably from your local butcher! 
• 3 x finely chopped spring onions 
• 1 heaped tablespoon of parsley 
• 1 heaped tablespoon of wholegrain mustard 
• 1 heaped teaspoon of Dijon mustard 
• dash of cracked black pepper & sea salt 

Ingredients for Breadcrumb Coating

• 2 slices of stale brown bread 
• 4 large crackers or crispbreads 
• 1 egg 
• handful of plain or all-purpose flour 

Instructions

• Darlings, squeaky clean hands – Ta very muchly! 
• Pre-heat oven to 200 *C / 180 Fan / 400 *F / gas mark 6 
• First off, fill a large saucepan with approximately 2.5 cm (1 inch) of water – which is just enough to cover the eggs. Then bring to the boil. 
• When the water begins to ‘gallop’ – neighhh! gently drop in the eggs and boil for exactly 2 minutes. 
• Allow the eggs to completely cool – whilst doing so, it’s time to crack on with the breadcrumb coating! 
• Darlings, for this exercise one may succumb to the aid of modern technology! Please reach for your mini-chopper or similar implement, and whizz together the crackers and brown bread – transfer to a medium size bowl. 
• Now, moving swiftly on to the delicious meaty layer! So, using your mini-chopper again, finely dice the spring onion then pop into a large mixing-bowl. 
• To the spring onion add the butcher’s best sausage meat, salt & pepper, parsley, and two types of mustard. Blend together well.   
• Now, divide the sausage meat into 14 to 16 equal pieces – see how far you can stretch the mixture. Then flatten each piece into a patty-like shape ready to enwreathe the eggs!   
• Darlings, the time has arrived to gently peel-off the egg shells – steady hands please! 
• Once successfully executed, one must prepare the ‘assembly line’! – Toot sweet! So, darlings, in a line on your counter: first place the eggs, then the plate of sausage patties, a plate of flour, a small vessel of whisked egg, followed by the bowl of breadcrumbs – Voila! 
• Now here comes the gooey and rather excitable stage of the process! Ok – roll an egg in flour, then wrap in a sausage patty, roll again in flour, into the whisked egg, followed by a jolly good coating of breadcrumbs. Place on ungreased baking tray. 
• Repeat process 14 to 16 times! 
• Place on the middle shelf of oven and bake for 20 minutes. Turn once halfway through cooking. 
• These little meaty balls of deliciousness will appear slightly sun-kissed when cooked! 
• Serve hot or cold with a dollop or two of Piccalilli. 
• Enjoy with oodles of gusto! 

The post Mrs Beeton’s Mini Scotch Eggs – Picnic Food! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

I say, with just a pinch of time remaining before gooseberry season is well and truly over, I’ve managed to rustle up a scrumptious steamed suet pud – Miss Windsor’s Gooseberry & Redcurrant Suet Pudding. I created this with the simplest of ingredients: suet pastry, green gooseberries, redcurrants, and the ultimate sweet touch of a generous helping of sugar.

I based my culinary masterpiece on a Mrs Beeton recipe, Gooseberry Pudding, published in the 1861 first edition of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management – puddings: the epitome of Victorian cuisine!

Darlings, for the last couple of days I’ve been running around like a blue-arsed fly, so my mother often trumpets! This year, flittered away at such a tremendous speed, it had completely slipped my mind that the end of gooseberry season is nigh!

​You see, gooseberry season is so blinking short (late June to July, plus a tad bit of August), within a blink of an eye there will be no gooseberries left to pick, just a mass of spindly stalks leftover instead. Do not despair, my dears, if you experience a shortage, Miss Windsor recommends using frozen or the tinned sort as an alternative.

In comparison, the redcurrant season is much longer – July to September, which boasts a whole two months of harvest.

So, as you can imagine, it was all panic stations in the Miss Windsor household. Thankfully, my local Waitrose supermarket stocks an array of summer fruits, so I was able to purchase a few punnets of the green common type of gooseberries. Oh, and I sourced some rather resplendent redcurrants from my local greengrocer, which I must say added a splash of vibrancy to what could’ve turned out to be a rather bland and washed-out looking pudding.
​​
Darlings, I must mention that it saddened me to read that our glorious gooseberry, an age-old fruit native to Europe, North-western Africa, and southwestern Asia, is at dire risk of completely disappearing from our pick of summer fruits; although some folks would argue that the gooseberry is actually making a comeback! Whether it is or not, dietary wise it’s bursting at the seams with vitamins A, C, and D.

A few more titbits about our good ol’ fashioned gooseberry: during the 17th century there were over 2000 varieties grown by farmers in the United Kingdom alone, thus it’s one of the first fruits ever cultivated for commercial purposes that reached its height of fame during the early 1900s. You could whip up just about anything with this versatile fruit – Gooseberry Crumble, Gooseberry Cobbler, Gooseberry Pudding, Gooseberry Tart, Gooseberry Sauce, Gooseberry Jam, Gooseberry Fool, Gooseberry Chutney, and so on………

The hard truth is my dears, gooseberries are just not as desirable for consumption in today’s modern world. It appears that strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries have certainly superseded the age-old gooseberry due to their availability all year round and can be enjoyed raw.

Also, it appears that the younger generation hasn’t got the foggiest idea what the heck a gooseberry actually is, or what to do with it if they just so happen to stumble upon one! 

​Fortunately, as a young lass, I was privy to all things gooseberry. You see, every year Grandmother Josie and I would frequent the local “pick your own” fruit fields in Tickenham, North Somersetshire, and together we’d strip the bushes bare of gooseberries and then squash as many as we could into my grandmother’s rather tired yet well-loved woven shopping basket. 

It also brings me great pleasure to tell you, that Grandmother Josie was immensely fond of baking, and after a hard days graft at the pick your own fruit fields, she would spend the next day baking pies in her Somersetshire galley kitchen, most of which she’d store in her 1970s chest freezer.

I affectionately recall, following a nourishing and hearty Sunday roast, Grandmother Josie would cut one of her fruity pies into slices, and served to each guest with a drop of cream in my great-great aunt Betty’s luxurious, yellow primrose encrusted, Art Deco dessert bowls – those were the days!

Enjoy with oodles of gusto and a splash of cream!

Miss Windsor x

Darlings, if you fancy recreating another gooseberry classic with a bit of a twist, then please do try MISS WINDSOR’S PINK & SPICY GOOSEBERRY RASPBERRY FOOL! 

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR 

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Miss Windsor’s Gooseberry & Redcurrant Suet Pudding

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 4 delightful guests

Author Miss Windsor

Equipment

• 1-pint pudding basin (570ml or 20 US fl oz) 

Ingredients

Suet Pastry

• 350g (2 & 1/3 cups) self-raising flour 
• 180g (1 & 3/4 cups) vegetable or beef suet 
• 60g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
• cold water  

Pie Filling:

• 1 & 1/2 pints (850 ml / 30 US fl oz) of green gooseberries and redcurrants – measured the traditional way
• lots of sugar!

Instructions

Suet Pastry

• First off, let’s get cracking with the suet pastry! Into a large mixing bowl sieve, the flour, then add the suet and sugar. 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 with cling film and rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.  

The Pudding

• Cut the stalks and the little bobbly bits off the gooseberries – top and tail is the official method here! Transfer to a colander.
• Strip the redcurrants from the stalks and add to the gooseberries – thoroughly wash the fruit and place to one side to air dry.
• Take a 1-pint pudding basin and grease well with butter.
• Retrieve your pastry from the fridge and cut away a quarter for the lid – set to one side. Roll out the rest of the pastry onto a floured surface – a fairly thick circle large enough to line the basin – plus a little extra.    
• Line the basin with pastry and firmly press into shape all round. Then add a layer of fruit and sprinkle with a generous helping of sugar. Repeat until you’ve used up all the fruit and your last layer is higher than the edge of the basin – don’t forget to cover the last layer with sugar.
• Moisten around the edge with water and cover with a rolled out pastry lid, then with a sharp knife trim off the excess pastry.
• With the left-over pastry make a few jam puffs and bake in a moderate oven for 10/15 minutes, or pop in the freezer for another time!

To Steam

• 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. 
• Time to prepare the basin 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 – remember to weigh the lid down with something heavy.
• Regularly top up with water, as you wouldn't want your pudding to boil dry!
• Steam exactly for 1 & 1/2 hours. Turn out onto a pretty vessel whilst hot. 
• Serve to your delightful guests with lashings of cream!

The post Miss Windsor’s Gooseberry & Redcurrant Suet Pudding! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

Hello, darlings!

Food for thought: have you ever wondered about the origins of the illustrious Gooseberry Fool?

Well, maybe it was first served to King George III of England at a lavish dinner party? Or could it be an invention of the overindulgent Victorians? Or possibly, this dish first graced the likes of a medieval banqueting table? Indeed, a farrago of possibilities, which Miss Windsor investigated thoroughly, and, delineates her findings right here………

Eager to revive the quintessentially British (or English!) dessert of Gooseberry Fool, I, therefore, sifted through my food history archives and stumbled upon a recipe in my 1903 edition of Mrs Beeton’s One Shilling Cookery Book.

With one or two adaptions to the original recipe, I created Miss Windsor’s Pink & Spicy Gooseberry Raspberry Fool – prepared with the most superior ingredients of posh pink gooseberries (instead of the green common type!), ravishing raspberries, sweetened whipped cream, and a smattering of ground ginger and cinnamon.

Before I indulge you with a titbit or two about this spiffing dessert, it has come to my attention that many folks assert that Gooseberry Fool is a rather chucklesome name for a dessert! For some bizarre reason or another, the title seems to tickle many Americans – an odd reaction, but it is known that they’re quite an eccentric bunch!

Darlings, the recipe from my 1903 edition of Mrs Beeton’s One Shilling Cookery Book, first appeared in the 1861 edition of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management. However, it’s difficult to confirm if my recreation is definitely of Victorian origin because if the truth is told, Gooseberry Fool has quite a fruity history.

According to the jolly old internet, our beloved Gooseberry Fool was enjoyed by our forebearers as far back as the 14th or 15th century. However, there’s a huge time difference of a whole century to argue over, yet it’s highly possible this type of “foole” (as it was once called), commenced its culinary journey as a medieval dish. So far, there are no recorded recipes that could uphold this claim.

Thankfully, one can rest assure that many recipes for Gooseberry Fool have been traced to the 17th century – 1658 to be exact! Although, it is of great belief to some that there’s an elusive recipe stowed away somewhere that dates back to 1598.

I was intrigued to discover that our fabulous fool can be made with either a cooled custard-like base or whipped sweetened cream. You see, over the years, keen cooks from across the country would’ve rustled up this classic dish with either ingredient – I have only experienced the latter.

Darlings, purely for your delectation, Miss Windsor presents a couple of recipes from two distinctly different eras. A recipe from 1658 notes a custard base (following the execution of King Charles I, the year of 1658 was the last year Oliver Cromwell was the leader of the republic of England), and a Georgian or Regency recipe from 1802 (written during the reign of King George III) favours whipped cream.

Of course, I recreated this dessert following traditional methods, which involved an old-fashioned pudding basin and potato masher. You see, Mrs Beeton suggests to steam the fruits in a “jar”, however, please do refrain from doing so, as when Miss Windsor followed her instruction the jar cracked then smashed to smithereens – a sturdy pudding basin will certainly do the job instead!

Before I retire to my parlour for a well-deserved G & T, I recommend one must serve their creation in style – a matching set of vintage bone China teacups would do the trick, or if one must, serve in tiddly yet elegant ceramic vessels.

I say, these exquisite, Haas and Czjzek, vintage teacups, as showcased above, once belonged to the rather wonderful and beauteous Valeria Wallace.

Miss Windsor x

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR – EXCEPT FOR THE PHOTO OF GRANDMA GEORGINA & VALERIE WALLACE. 

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Miss Windsor’s Pink & Spicy Gooseberry Raspberry Fool

Prep Time 1 hour

Equipment

• 1 large pudding basin or heat-proof bowl 
• Electric hand whisk
• a selection of teacups or small vessels 

Ingredients

• 540g (approx. 3 & 1/3 cups) pink gooseberries and raspberries 
• a sprinkling of golden caster sugar (for the raw gooseberries)
• 1 x heaped tablespoon of golden caster sugar (for the pulped gooseberries)
• a couple of pinches of ground ginger & ground cinnamon
• 500ml (approx. 2 cups) double cream
• 1 heaped tablespoon of golden caster sugar (to sweeten the cream)
• for decoration: sprigs of rosemary or mint
• for decoration: pink gooseberries & raspberries 

Instructions

• Prepare your gooseberries – ‘top and tail’ is the correct method – so use a knife to remove the stalks! 
• ​Now, thoroughly wash your pink gooseberries. 
• Transfer to a pudding basin or similar, and sprinkle generously with golden caster sugar.
• Promptly fill your kettle with water, then boil. 
• Darlings, to prevent your pudding basin from cracking, place an old saucer on the bottom of a large saucepan.  
• Once the kettle has boiled, carefully pour the water into the saucepan until it’s quarter filled.
• Moving on swiftly! Place your pudding basin onto the saucer, then carefully pour in the boiled water until it's about halfway up the basin.
• Transfer to the hob and boil the water on a high heat, then once boiling reduce to a simmer. Stir a few times with a metal spoon – the gooseberries are ready when broken-up and watery. 
• Drain off the excess water using a colander, then place the colander into a large mixing bowl.
• Using a traditional potato masher, beat the gooseberries to a pulp through the colander. 
• Darlings, now you’ll witness the ‘fruits of your labour’ – a bowl of glorious pink pulp!
• Roughly break the raspberries into the pink pulp, then give it a gentle squish-squash with the potato masher. Stir with a metal spoon until well blended. 
• Onto the next step: stir in 2 heaped tablespoons of golden caster sugar – add more if too tart!
• Stir in 2 pinches of ground ginger, along with 2 pinches of ground cinnamon – add a trifle more if you desire!
• Using your electric hand-whisk or manual whisk, thoroughly whisk together the double cream and 1 heaped tablespoon of golden caster sugar. Whizz ingredients until blended and the cream has thickened.
• Darlings, now it's time to dazzle your guests with your exquisite taste! Just like Miss Windsor – go for vintage china teacups or something of similar quality, size, and appearance.
• Gently place 1 heaped dessertspoon of the creamy mixture into each teacup or small bowl. Then with a steady hand, drizzle 3 teaspoons of the gooseberry mixture on top – repeat process until you have 2 layers of each – finishing with a glorious layer of the fruity stuff!  
• Now, decorate your delectable re-creation of Miss Windsor's Pink & Spicy Gooseberry Raspberry Fool with a sprig of rosemary/mint and a raw gooseberry/raspberry.
• Darlings, your culinary delight is now ready to be served – Voila!​​​

The post Miss Windsor’s Pink & Spicy Gooseberry Raspberry Fool! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

Hello, darlings!
​​
In keeping with the “spirit” of The Championships, Wimbledon, one hoped to stumble across a recipe with a tennis connection. Well, lo and behold whilst flicking through my 1906 edition of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management, buried deep within the frayed and yellowed pages, I discovered a recipe for Tennis Cake!

Miss Windsor’s spin on Mrs Beeton’s most decadent, moist, and luxurious Tennis Cake recipe boasts an appealing light texture and colour – bestrewn with a plenteous amount of chopped almonds and flavoured with a subtle zing of lemon and RUM!

The said tournament was attended by 200 male spectators, who paid a “shilling piece” for the privilege. Yet I was horrified to learn that during such an era the presence of a woman was not permitted, “What a blimmin’ cheek,” you shriek! Also, according to my research, those devilishly lucky chaps feasted on strawberries and cream, which soon became a Wimbledon speciality.

Eager to step away from the traditions of the well-loved, iconic, British summertide dessert of fresh strawberries and cream, I couldn’t wait to dazzle your senses with Mrs Beeton’s frightfully mouth-watering, Victorian recipe for TENNIS CAKE.

Darlings, Miss Windsor is a huge fan of baking with rum, so of course, one soaked the dried fruit in a generous dousing of Wray & Nephew White Rum. However, please substitute with orange juice if you’re recreating this cake for the “teetotal” society, or if the taste of rum just isn’t your cup of tea! 

Although the clue is firmly in the recipe title, Mrs Beeton kindly suggests to the reader, Suitable for a tennis afternoon tea! Thank you for your counsel, Mrs Beeton, one can rest assured that this cake is the perfect accompaniment to a tennis-inspired afternoon tea. And will go down rather well with a cheeky tipple of Pimms’ No.1 Cup, or a dainty cuppa of Rosie Lee (How spiffing!). ​​

Oh, and for those who are wondering what the heck is Pimm’s No.1 Cup – it’s a terribly posh, gin-based, herbaceous cocktail. In fact, during the early 1800s, Mr James Pimms of London apparently invented this alcoholic beverage to promote one’s health! Thus, little did he know this would become one of the preferred refreshments imbibed by spectators at Wimbledon.

​So, darlings, now the ball is in your court, so to speak! please dash off to your kitchen and have a jolly good go at recreating this age-old, tennis-inspired baked goodie – toot sweet! 

Miss Windsor x

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR

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Mrs Beeton’s Tennis Cake

Course Dessert

Prep Time 50 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Author Miss Windsor

Equipment

• round cake tin (9.5 inches / 24 cm)
• 4 sheets of newspaper & string
• you'll need 3 or 4 mixing bowls for this operation! 

Ingredients

• 460g (3 & 1/2 cups) plain / all-purpose flour
• 4 & 1/2 heaped teaspoons – baking powder 
• 340g (1 & 1/2 cups) room temperature unsalted butter
• 340g (1 & 3/4 cups) caster sugar
• 60g (1/2 cup) chopped almonds
• 1 lemon – zest & juice 
• 8 medium eggs
• few glugs of whole milk 0r white rum! 
• 340g (approx. 1 & 1/3 cups) – wet weight of finely chopped raisins (soaked overnight in orange juice or white rum)
• 140g (approx. 3/4 cup) roughly chopped candied peel

Instructions

• Run along now and wash your hands, in readiness for some culinary action on ‘centre court’!
• Preheat your oven to 180*C / 160*Fan / 350*F / gas mark 4.
• First off: prepare your cake tin with butter, then line the base and sides with greaseproof paper. Darlings, please make sure the paper stands at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) above the top of the tin, as this will help to prevent it from browning too quickly.
• Grab a mixing bowl and mix together the raisins (I soaked mine in Wray & Nephew White Rum) candied peel, and almonds.
• Now, sieve the flour into a separate mixing bowl. Sieve at least 3 or 4 times, as this will help to make the cake texture a tad lighter.
• Using yet another mixing bowl and the back of a wooden spoon, merrily beat together the butter and sugar. Do so until the mixture has been whipped into a light cream! Now add the lemon zest and juice – beat well. 
• Beat in the eggs one at a time – much obliged!
• Add the flour and fruit/almond concoction to the creamed butter mixture. Gently mix together – with oodles of love, of course! 
• If a little dry, bring the mixture to a cake batter consistency with a few glugs of milk or white rum. The mixture should easily slide off the spoon when ready!
• Carefully pour the cake batter into your prepared tin. Then fold the sheets of newspaper (two at a time) until they stand a little above the greaseproof paper. Wrap them around the tin and tie tightly with string.
• Place on the middle shelf of your oven and bake for approximately 1 & 1/2 hrs – start checking at 1 hour. Cover about half-way through with foil to stop the cake from browning too quickly. 
• Your culinary ‘masterpiece’ is ready when nicely browned and a skewer when inserted comes out clean.
• Transfer to a cooling rack.
• When completely cool prick all over with a skewer and brush with white rum. Cover cake with greaseproof paper and foil, then if you have one to hand pop into a Tupperware box.  
• Darlings, preferably the night before your guests arrive enwreathe with white icing or festoon with pretty ornaments of your choice. 
• Oh, and Mrs Beeton suggests: this exceedingly decadent cake is, "Suitable for a tennis afternoon tea" – How spiffing!
• Enjoy each slice with oodles of gusto. 

The post Mrs Beeton’s Tennis Cake – for Wimbledon Afternoon Tea! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

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!

Print

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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]]> https://missw.shar-web.co.uk/myrecipes/miss-windsor/royal-windsor-pudding/feed/ 0 https://missw.shar-web.co.uk/myrecipes/miss-windsor/miss-windsors-wartime-girdle-scones/ https://missw.shar-web.co.uk/myrecipes/miss-windsor/miss-windsors-wartime-girdle-scones/#respond Fri, 28 Jun 2019 09:39:00 +0000 http://missw.shar-web.co.uk/?p=1272 Miss Windsor’s Wartime Girlde Scones! ​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 [...]

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]]> Miss Windsor’s Wartime Girlde Scones!

​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.

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​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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