Thursday, 2 January 2014

Treacle Toffee

1lb brown sugar
1/2 lb butter
2 tablespoons of treacle



That's it!!!  No method..........

Saturday, 19 October 2013

Lily Salad

You are in for a treat!!!  At first I thought Jessie was using lilies.......

Remove the shells from as many hard boiled eggs are there are people to be served. Beginning at the small end of the egg cut the whites lengthways in 5 sections almost to the base, taking care to leave the yolks whole .
Turn back the petals - thus forming an open lily.
Roughen the yolk with a fork.
Place on lettuce leaves on a flat glass dish.
Serve with mayonnaise sauce  and bread and butter.

This is as precise as Jessie has ever been, down to the flat glass dish - to assume the illusion of the lily pad on water.

And just to check out what she meant, this is my attempt!!


Friday, 18 October 2013

Marrow Chutney

2lb marrow
1/2oz ground ginger
2 pints vinegar
1 or 2 onions
1/2lb sugar
1 dozen peppercorns
2 dry cayenne pods (if available)

Wash marrow, do not peel
cut into slices, half an inch thick
remove pips and cut into cubes
put in a dish and cover with salt.
Leave for 24 hours then drain off all moisture
Boil the vinegar with the peppercorns, ginger and cayenne pods for ten minutes
add marrow cubes, finely chopped onions and sugar
boil for 30 minutes
Bottle hot and seal


Very timely with the current marrow crop!!
I had to look up cayenne pods, I had no idea she meant chilli......

Monday, 14 October 2013

Hard Boiled Pickled Eggs

1 dozen eggs, boiled for 20 minutes
Vinegar to cover, add whole pepper, mustard seed and 2-3 cloves and bring to boil.
Pour over eggs in broad necked bottle and tie up tightly
Will be ready for use in about a month

My experience of picked eggs is that huge jar at the end of the bar, the one that you never see anyone eating from but they go down all the same!!

Monday, 7 October 2013

Ginger Wine

4 drams essence of ginger
3 drams essence of cayenne
1/2 oz tartaric acid crystals
Burnt sugar to colour
3lb lump sugar
4 quarts of boiling water


that's it, no method at all.  I don't even know where you would get essence of cayenne these days!!

Monday, 9 September 2013

marmalade

6 Seville oranges
3 lemons
9lbs sugar
6 pints of water

Method
Slice the fruit, remove pips, add water and allow to stand for 24 hours.  Then boil without sugar for about an hour or longer, until the peel is soft.
Add sugar, boil till peel is transparent and the marmalade jellies when tested.

Friday, 6 September 2013

Xmas Shortbread

2 1/2 lb butter
1 lb sugar
4 lb flour


I have no idea what makes this a festive shortbread, unless Jessie only ever made it at Christmas.  Once again no method, but shortbread is not complicated.......this from the woman who burnt her jam yesterday!!!