It is true,
I was smitten at the very first glimpse;
my tummy filled with butterflies,
knees weak,
heart pounding faster.
I had developed tunnel-vision
and
nothing mattered
apart from
getting my hands on
the
I was smitten at the very first glimpse;
my tummy filled with butterflies,
knees weak,
heart pounding faster.
I had developed tunnel-vision
and
nothing mattered
apart from
getting my hands on
the
well worn and very shabby
deeply creased, lightly greased
coverless recipe book at the bottom of the box.
Image found on google
Well, we all get our thrills wherever we can.
I happen to like old books in general,
but old recipe books in particular.
This particular book dates from the 1920's/30's.
It was only ever a cheap edition
but that is fine
it has been used and handled
which makes it infinitely more special to me
than any pristine, glossy production.
One recipe had been donated by a vicar.
It seems that he had won a prize at a village show,
beating all the ladies of the parish
to win first prize
with his light fruit cake,
aptly named,
Vicar's Prize Cake.
Of course I had to make it,
how could I resist?
Vicar's Prize Cake
8 oz margarine
1 1/2 lb self-raising flour
8 oz sugar
4 oz currants
4 oz raisins
4 oz sultanas
2 eggs
1 small teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda
warm milk
Rub the margarine into the flour, add sugar and fruit, mix thoroughly.
Make a well in the middle, put in the beaten eggs.
Mix bicarbonate with warm milk and stir into mix.
Add more milk, until you have a light mixture.
Bake.
Basic instructions, no tin size, no oven temperature or timings.
I used an 8 inch tin and I lined it with paper.
I baked it in the Rayburn on 'bake' because that was what my adorable, but temperamental
cooker had decided to offer me.
I reckon it was about 150C
and I just left it in until it passed the 'skewer' test.
The result is a fabulously light fruit cake
big enough to feed half the parish.
Half the quantity would probably make a good sized cake
for most households.
I feed a lot ofgannets, I mean grandchildren, so the big cake will soon be gobbled down.
Clever old vicar, whoever he was.
deeply creased, lightly greased
coverless recipe book at the bottom of the box.
Well, we all get our thrills wherever we can.
I happen to like old books in general,
but old recipe books in particular.
This particular book dates from the 1920's/30's.
It was only ever a cheap edition
but that is fine
it has been used and handled
which makes it infinitely more special to me
than any pristine, glossy production.
One recipe had been donated by a vicar.
It seems that he had won a prize at a village show,
beating all the ladies of the parish
to win first prize
with his light fruit cake,
aptly named,
Vicar's Prize Cake.
Of course I had to make it,
how could I resist?
Vicar's Prize Cake
8 oz margarine
1 1/2 lb self-raising flour
8 oz sugar
4 oz currants
4 oz raisins
4 oz sultanas
2 eggs
1 small teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda
warm milk
Rub the margarine into the flour, add sugar and fruit, mix thoroughly.
Make a well in the middle, put in the beaten eggs.
Mix bicarbonate with warm milk and stir into mix.
Add more milk, until you have a light mixture.
Bake.
Basic instructions, no tin size, no oven temperature or timings.
I used an 8 inch tin and I lined it with paper.
I baked it in the Rayburn on 'bake' because that was what my adorable, but temperamental
cooker had decided to offer me.
I reckon it was about 150C
and I just left it in until it passed the 'skewer' test.
The result is a fabulously light fruit cake
big enough to feed half the parish.
Half the quantity would probably make a good sized cake
for most households.
I feed a lot of
Clever old vicar, whoever he was.
I don't know a soul who doesn't like cake. :) Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteHi Deb, My husband has just had another slice of the cake, with his cup of tea - and enjoyed it very much.
DeleteThe only person I know who doesn't like cake is my daughter, can you believe. She is much more of a savoury treats person. can she really be mine? ;)
Oh yes, the markings, which show it has been used, are the best part of an old cook book. :-)))))
ReplyDeleteOh mercy, my husband would love that Fruit Cake. But I use butter. The vicar probably would have to, if it wasn't in short supply then.
Hello wisps of words, No, the vicar's recipe definitely had it down as margarine. I was very surprised, too. Apparently a French chemist created the substance in 1869, so it was in common usage. Some of the other cake recipes called for half a pound of lard, I couldn't quite muster up the courage to try those out!
DeleteI love the recipe, and the way the cake came out--oh my!! I want to try it too. Did you use a tube pan? I'll have to convert things to US measures, but that's easily done. Enjoyed reading through your posts. My mother was from Cambridgeshire and we've visited a few times but haven't got to Lincolnshire yet.
ReplyDeleteHello Granny Sue, Nice to meet you! No fancy tin, just a regular plain tin. I spent a couple of years living just outside Huntingdon, so I know Cambridgeshire fairly well. Nice area - and not a million miles from Lincolnshire. If you ever do venture into the wilds of Lincolnshire the prettiest area is The Lincolnshire Wolds, lovely views, pretty little market towns, steeped in history.
ReplyDelete