Something for the Tins - A bit of baking Melting Moments cookers and memories
It strikes me that it has been a while since I posted a kitchen/food post and to that end I thought I would share a recipe which was made regularly at home by either my mum or myself and which are out of her cook book. For baking she always predominantly used a small Be-Ro cookbook which has fallen to bits with much use and a 1960's Good Housekeeping tome. Both of which I learned to cook from. Both books were used extensively and are a bit battered to say the least! (excuse the pun not deliberate). They were made many times and indeed became a family favourite. They are also a good recipe for a young cook to have a go at together with Raspberry Buns. There is a recipe here if you want to have a go at these also.
Raspberry Buns
There used to be a method to my mum and her baking regime. She always used to cook/bake on a Sunday morning whilst the roast dinner was on. It was always an early start on a Sunday morning. Her attitude was that if she was going to be paying out for putting the big oven on then she may as well get the baking done at the same time and get her money's worth; and that is where I used to come in on a Sunday morning earning my pocket money. Primarily to wash and clean up after her but also to have a go at making things as well although mum did a lot of it to start with.
There used to be a method to my mum and her baking regime. She always used to cook/bake on a Sunday morning whilst the roast dinner was on. It was always an early start on a Sunday morning. Her attitude was that if she was going to be paying out for putting the big oven on then she may as well get the baking done at the same time and get her money's worth; and that is where I used to come in on a Sunday morning earning my pocket money. Primarily to wash and clean up after her but also to have a go at making things as well although mum did a lot of it to start with.
Mum also had a Jackson Topline cooker which had a Rotisserie Oven/small oven at eye level, a hob, and a warming drawer. A marvellous piece of equipment ideal for the home cook. (Indeed I bought one of these when I got married and had a good three years out of it before selling it for around the price I paid for it when we did the kitchen up.
My cooker was like the second photo as it was an electric version
My cooker was like the second photo as it was an electric version
Even though I had a large Belling Rotisserie cooker and kebab wheel in place of it I did miss it especially the proving drawer.
The majority of the cakes/cookies/pastries made were put into the tubs and tins. However, Mum also used to keep some cakes away from the tea table, for use further in the week and then by Wednesday of each week we would be able to eat them. This was just in case we had unexpected visitors, which is where the heading "Something in the tins" comes from. In our family at least we were brought up to be able to offer a visitor either some nice biscuits if there was no baking to be had or some nice cake of some sort. I think this is in many respects why there was always a lot of fruitcake around.
The first recipe is for Melting Moments. The recipe comes from my Mum's original Be-Ro recipe book. I have photographed it, as the book is now very fragile and has fallen to bits. I have popped it into some folder inserts to preserve them and still be able to use them. The pages of the book look like coffee and cream which with age gives a sepia effect.
Be-Ro are still producing little cookery books to this day and the book is in its 41st edition and can be purchased online for those of you who are interested. However, I have also found a link to a facsimile copy of one of the original books. The link is here and you have the option to download the recipe book in pdf format.
It is also available here: https://flashbak.com/be-ro-home-recipes-scones-cakes-pastry-puddings-a-1923-cookbook-primer-41260/
and here
Anyway I digress yet again. Regular readers will be familiar with my meanderings down Memory lane.
Mum always used margarine for the total weight required of lard and margarine which she thought gave a better flavour. We also nearly always used coconut rather than porridge oats. Porridge oats were for flapjacks. We also decorated the cookies slightly differently by icing with a simple water icing and then a piece of cherry. They really are yummy and do not last long in the tins.
Happy baking.
Catch you soon.
Pattypan
x
P.S. The 41st edition of the Be-Ro cookery book is available on line for £2.99 including P & P. I have noticed on Ebay that people are attempting to sell the same little booklet for a lot more. Therefore purchase direct from Be-Ro.
I have 2 of those little books, one which is my original one from 1960 and the other a replacement as mine too was very tatty. Recently I took the original one to bits and laminated it, punched 2 holes in and used ribbon to tie it together. I can just wipe it clean. Afraid I do not do the amount of baking I used to......my back does not allow me to stand for any length of time.
ReplyDeleteHi Anne, They are so useful and so simple. Mum loved using hers and I also. I am sorry you are not able to bake as much as you used to that is a bit of a tragedy as you are a very good cook. Could you send me the link to your new venture by email again. I can read the emails but cannot reply still at the moment that would be lovely and then I can catch up. When I tried the link you sent previously, it did not link to anything. Hope you are both keeping well and safe. Take care Tricia xx
DeleteThank you for the link to the vintage BeRo book. I've just spent a happy hour wallowing in nostalgia. They couldn't get away with "teaching girls to cook" these days. Boys need to learn kitchen skills too.
ReplyDeleteHi Angela, lovely little books brought back a lot of memories for me also. When I learned to cook we had one lad in our year who wanted to be a professional chef. All the rest of the girls used to take the mickey out of him and the lads thought that he was a sissy which he wasn't. He went on to become a Sous Chef at a very well known Restaurant establishment locally. However the messes he got into in the kitchen were a severe learning curve and he always came to me for help. Happy days. Totally agree with you about boys and girls being able to cook. I taught both of my step-children. It should be a life skill on the curriculum together with budgeting and doing other stuff like gardening which I know is recreational but if you can look after yourself with the basics at the end of the day then it is an essential skill. Hope you are keeping well. Take care Tricia x
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