​Moving swiftly on, whilst scouring through my glorious 1906 edition, there I discovered Mrs Beeton’s ONE and ONLY recipe to be of her very own creation – Benevolent Soup, which was originally known as Useful Soup for Benevolent Purposes. 

​Darlings, now rumour has it, she nobbled a fair few recipes from other famous cooks, such as Eliza Acton, who in 1845 published Modern Cookery for Private Families – slapped wrist, Mrs Beeton! She also included recipes in Beeton’s Book of Household Management that were created by readers of her monthly column, thus these recipes were first showcased in her husbands (Mr Samuel Orchart Beeton) publication – The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine.

Righty oh, let’s return our focus to Mrs Beeton’s Useful Soup for Benevolent Purposes. You see, during the month of February it’s usually rather chilly here in England, yet for some bizarre reason temperatures have reached around 18*C or so.

Anyway, the history books dictate that in 1858 England endured a terribly harsh and deathly cold winter. So much so, our charitable, selfless, and kindly Mrs Beeton set up a soup kitchen from her home and served this hearty, meat-based (ox-cheek) chunky vegetable, and liquor-laced concoction – in Miss Windsor’s case Thatchers cider! to the hungry, homeless, or destitute folk of Hatch End, Pinner, London.  Therefore, and quite rightly so, Mrs Beeton’s ONLY recipe was published in her very first book!

May I add, my revision of this wintery dish is a fabulous fusion between Mrs Beeton’s original 1858 recipe and the 1906 version as mentioned above – of course, I followed her instructions and cooking methods thoroughly, thus achieved excellence. 

Darlings, rather interestingly, my observations of Mrs Beeton’s original 1858 recipe is that some of the ingredient measurements differ quite considerably in comparison to my 1906 version such as a whole ox-cheek as opposed to 1/2 an ox-cheek; 1/2 lb. of carrots instead of 2 carrots; and 1/2 lb. of turnips rather than 2 large turnips – plus there’s a few extra ingredients that are not included in my 1906 version.
​
USEFUL SOUP FOR BENEVOLENT PURPOSES – 1858 Recipe! 
INGREDIENTS. – An ox-cheek, any pieces of trimmings of beef, which may be bought very cheaply (say 4 lbs.), a few bones, any pot-liquor the larder may furnish, ¼ peck of onions, 6 leeks, a large bunch of herbs,½ lb. of celery (the outside pieces, or green tops, do very well); ½ lb. of carrots, ½   lb. of turnips,½ lb. of coarse brown sugar, ½ a pint of beer, 4 lbs. of common rice, or pearl barley; ½ lb. of salt, 1 oz. of black pepper, a few raspings, 10 gallons of water.

I say, why not have a “goosey gander” yourself, then you’ll see that the original age-old recipe also called for 1/2 pint of beer, whereas the 1906 version noted only water! Oh, and if you’re wondering what the heck a 1/4 “peck” of onions actually is, please do not despair as Miss Windsor endeavours to ease your curiosity.

​Well, darlings, it’s a very early measurement which was originally introduced to measure flour during the 14th century, and so in this day and age a 1/4 of a peck is roughly equal to just over 2 kilos, “Cor blimey!” I hear you trumpet with immense surprise!

Have you ever heard of the culinary requirement of “raspings” before? Well, Miss Windsor certainly hasn’t! so on that note one consulted the jolly old internet and discovered that it means browned breadcrumbs. To be honest, darlings, I beg to differ, as the 1858 recipe calls for a “few” raspings, which clearly indicates that raspings are much larger than breadcrumbs, therefore, I do wonder what the Dickens Mrs Beeton was referring to? Please do enlighten Miss Windsor if you’re privy to such culinary knowledge – ta very muchly!

And just one more thing before you scarper into your kitchen, although I scaled down some of the ingredient measurements, Mrs Beeton’s Useful Soup for Benevolent Purposes is ample to serve a large family with leftovers, which one may decanter into a Tupperware dish and pop into the freezer for a rainy or in this case a rather inclement day!

For dessert, why not try my great great grandmother’s traditional British recipe created with suet:

GRANDMA GEORGINA’S COLD WINTER PUDDING! 

Miss Windsor x

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR 

Print

Mrs Beeton’s Cold Winter Soup

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Servings 6 Serves a large family!

Equipment

• A very large stew pan with lid

Ingredients

• 2 ox cheeks (request from your butcher)
• 6 large carrots
• 1 very large swede
• 4 stalks of celery
• 2 huge onions
• 500 ml (17 US fl oz) of any Somerset cider, but I prefer to use Thatchers.
• 3 litres (102 US fl oz) of water
• 360 g (2 cups) red split lentils
• ½ white cabbage
• Large bunch of fresh herbs – rosemary, coriander, flat leaf parsley, thyme, bay leaf.
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 3 vegetable stock cubes

Instructions

• Before you start, please lather up your mitts with a jolly good helping of Pears soap!
• Now you’re squeaky clean, one may prepare the meat by cutting it into cubes. Then chop up the vegetables any way you fancy and set the white cabbage to one side.
• Transfer the meat to your stew pan, sprinkle with sea salt, pour in the water, and cover with lid.
• Bring to the boil and skim off the frothy stuff. Reduce the heat to a simmer then crumble the stock cubes into the meaty liquid, add the cider, vegetables, bunch of herbs, and salt and pepper – give it a jolly good stir!
• Return the lid and simmer gently for approximately 2 hours.
• Now, carefully spoon in the lentils and white cabbage. Simmer for 1 hour.
• Once cooked, add salt and pepper to taste.
• Then serve to your guests from a decorative soup terrine – don’t forget your soup bowls and spoons!
• Enjoy with a scrumptious glass of Somerset cider – How spiffing!

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Happy New Year!

I’m thrilled to present my great great Grandma Georgina’s Cold Winter Pudding!

So, darlings, it’s time to fasten your apron strings, pull up your sleeves, grab ya mixing bowl and wooden spoon, and join Miss Windsor for a gay ol’ time down memory lane where together we’ll recreate a delicious slice of food history!

This frightfully British suet pud will certainly raise one’s body temperature during those rather inclement days or evenings – How spiffing! And I dare say, if you’re a fan of bread pudding, although this recipe contains no bread at all, I’m sure you’ll fall head over heels with Grandma Georgina’s creation!

Oh, and I must admit Grandma’s Georgina’s original recipe lacked a bit of winter flair! So, I “jazzed” it up a tad with the addition of mixed spice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and lemon/orange zest.

Now, before I go into any further detail about this devilishly old-fashioned pud that my great great grandmother Georgina originally created. I must admit, for a good while I had been pondering when would be the right time to recreate a recipe from my most treasured hand-scribed heirloom.

“Blimmin’ heck Miss Windsor, what the Dickens are you harping on about?” I hear you squeal with immense excitement!

Well, the merry season has now fluttered away into the shadow of 2018, and so without fuss or fuddle, the bright skies of 2019 have beckoned Miss Windsor to showcase a recipe from Grandmother Georgina’s handwritten recipe book, which I believe she started to scribe during the early 1900s or maybe a trifle before that whilst Queen Victoria was still on the thrown – How riveting! 

Darlings and I must say, this marbled covered, rather frayed and fragile, sepia-tinged recipe book, splattered with dark blobs of cake batter and fat, handwritten in ink, pencil, then recipes and adjustments later written in biro, was lovingly passed down through the kitchen hierarchy of my beloved ancestral abode in the seaside town of Clevedon, North Somersetshire.

​Oh, and one must bear in mind, that most of the recipes, until the introduction of a gas stove, were created with the aid of fire – a wrought iron range cooker to be exact!

You see, although this gem of a book commenced its culinary journey with my great great grandmother Georgina’s beautiful handwriting in ink and pencil; recipes were also added by my great great aunt Betty. In fact, some of the recipe adjustments made in biro were by my darling grandmother Josie – a rather commendable joint effort, don’t ya think!

One of the most fascinating facts about this handwritten recipe book is that many recipes were either shared between friends and family, or they were simply snaffled from fellow cooks – of course, that’s if you were a lady of a dishonest nature! And, funnily enough, snaffled is exactly what our British culinary marvel, Mrs Beeton, is also guilty of. So rumour has it, she nobbled (or snaffled in this case!) a fair few recipes from famous cooks such as Eliza Acton – slapped wrist, Mrs Beeton.  

Therefore, I discovered recipes for Nellie’s Boiled Cake (a neighbour who lived at no.10) Miss Awdry’s Marmalade – cousin of Reverend W. Awdry and creator of Thomas the Tank Engine (Auntie Betty worked for Miss Awdry) Winnie’s Chutney, Jim’s Mum’s Sloe Gin, Olive’s Cake, and many many more. And some are clearly wartime recipes, due to their requirement of powdered eggs and butter ration – dated around the early 1940s.

Darlings, I do wonder if my great great grandmother Georgina was a Muffin Warrior (or Worrier?) of some kind? “Muffin Warrior, Miss Windsor, what the heck is that?” I hear you shrill with oodles of intrigue! 

Well, several moons ago I turned on the wireless and tuned into Wordaholics on BBC Radio 4. One of the panels mentioned Muffin Warrior, and if my memory serves me correctly, it translates to “A group of old ladies eating muffins, drinking tea, and gossiping.”

​Question is: was Grandmother Georgina guilty of participating in such an activity? And if so, one presumes she enjoyed a jolly good gossipy natter, gorging on muffins and supping tea, whilst she snaffled or exchanged (I hope!) recipes with her fellow Muffin Warriors’ – I dare say, sounds like terribly good fun to me! 

Darlings, sorry to disappoint, but there’s nothing left to reveal about Grandma Georgina’s Cold Winter Pudding! However, suffice to say it’s certainly stood the test of time as far as British food is concerned – to be consumed, of course, with a jolly good dousing of Bird’s custard!

​Oh, and if you’re keen to learn more about my handwritten culinary heirloom, or would like to further your acquaintance with my great great grandmother Georgina, great great aunty Betty, and grandmother Josie, then please do pop back soon.

In the meantime, please take a peek at the following recipe which features my beloved grandmother Josie.

You may also like…

MISS WINDSOR’S QUICK & EASY VICTORIAN BOILED FRUITCAKE – FEATURING GRANDMOTHER JOSIE!

Miss Windsor x

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR EXCEPT PHOTOS OF FAMILY!

The post Grandma Georgina’s Cold Winter Pudding! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

Hello, darlings!

Miss Windsor presents her glorious, palate quenching cocktail, concocted using the very best of Somerset’s fruity produce, plus a smattering of Indian fizz (How spiffing!).

So, whatever your circumstance; maybe you’re embroiled in a muddle, or just fancy a refreshing tipple, Miss Windsor highly recommends her delectable, summertime beverage – Mr Miles Gin Berry Cocktail. 

Created with a “berryful” burst of Miles Berry Berry Loose Leaf Tea (in fact, I used the leftovers from the trunk of my beloved Brown Betty teapot), a botanical dash of Newton House Gin, plus a generous splash of Indian Tonic Water by Fever-Tree.

Darlings, during these seldom hot summer days, or the mediocre sort when the sky is full to capacity with blurry grey/blue clouds, whilst a stubborn ray of sunshine attempts to dazzle planet earth with its warm vigour and charm!

One presumes you’ll be spending your leisure-time lounging in the garden; perched on your balcony; or stuck to your sofa whilst you wish for more than a mere window-box to satisfy your outdoorsy type of nature (Oh, dearie me!).

Whatever your fashion, nothing beats the green-carpeted Somerset countryside bestrewn with “pick your own” fruit fields, bedecked with row upon row of vibrantly coloured berries – strawberries, raspberries, tayberries and redcurrants – fantabulous!

Darlings, without further ado, it’s time to crack on with my rousing recipe before the sun recedes behind the clouds – toot sweet!   

And before you do so, please take heed of Miss Windsor’s little time-saving tip: prepare and chill the key ingredient of “tea” the night before you plan on recreating my recipe.

Please enjoy my “Sup of Somerset” or “G & Tea”, created with oodles of LOVE in South-East London – frightfully fabulous in every way!

Miss Windsor x

Print

Mr Miles Gin Berry Cocktail

Prep Time 10 minutes

Servings 1 delightful ‘you’ or guest! (double ingredients for 2, and so on)

Equipment

• medium-sized Brown Betty teapot – or any ‘robust’ type of teapot you can get your hands on!
• tea strainer
• 1 x balloon glass for gin (420ml capacity or just over 14 US fluid ounces) or something of similar size.
• for decoration: cocktail umbrella – Oh, how fancy!

Ingredients

To make the tea

• 2 teaspoons of Miles Berry Berry Loose Leaf Tea, or any fruity tea will suffice!
• 3 or 4 ice cubes for a balloon glass (or of similar size)
• 35 ml (2 & 1/2 tablespoons US) for a balloon glass (or of similar size) – of Newton House Gin, but any brand of gin will do the job!
• A good splash of Indian Tonic Water or one may try the ‘aromatic’ type
• 25 ml (2 tablespoons US) of pure cane sugar syrup
• Optional: a dash or two of rhubarb bitters

For decoration

• A selection of summer berries (raspberries, strawberries, tayberries, redcurrants, or even a few blueberries!)

Instructions

• Darlings – clean hands at the ready, please!
• First off, prepare your beloved Brown Betty or any teapot of choice, and swill her trunk with boiling hot water.
• To the pot add 2 heaped teaspoons of Miles Berry Berry Loose Leaf Tea or any fruity loose-leaf tea, then immediately fill your darling teapot about half-way with boiling hot water.
• Allow to cool with the lid off. Once completely cooled kindly return the lid to your teapot and place in the fridge to chill.
• Once chilled, it’s time for a cocktail! So, drop 3 or 4 ice cubes into your glass, then add the gin – How spiffing!
• Using a tea strainer, fill the glass half-way up with the cooled tea.
• Add the pure cane sugar syrup, then top up with tonic water.
• If you're a fan of rhubarb, and enjoy the contrast of sweet and 'tart', then add a dash or two of rhubarb bitters.
• Darlings – now give your fruity, gin-laced concoction a quick stir – How exciting!
• Now, it’s time to add the finishing touch! So, reach for a cocktail umbrella and to the spikey end add 2 or 3 berries of your choice, then gently place the decoration into your glass – careful not to splash!
• Voila – your cocktail is now ready to be served!
• Darlings, the great thing is, I’m sure there’s enough tea left-over to indulge in another cocktail, and then maybe another!

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