Old passed down recipes

Julie · Old passed down recipes

Unless they are jealously guarded family secrets

put them on here so we can all share them

Fia

My Grandma’s (born 1906) xmas pudding recipe given to her by her mother:

It’s in old money, but then I only have her balance scales in lb & oz.
Makes 2 medium puds.

6ox SR flour
¾ lb currants
10oz sultanas
6oz raisins
3oz candied peel
6oz breadcrumbs
6oz brown sugar
3 eggs
1 large grated apple
4oz suet
1 grated carrot
grated rind & juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange
2oz chopped almonds
½ tsp mixed spice
¼ tsp nutmeg
1/2tsp salt
6 fl oz beer

Mix all thoroughly together. Traditionally done on “stir up Sunday”, last Sunday in November I think. Steam for 8 hours – usually 6 beforehand and 2 on the day.

My amendments:
Replace breadcrumbs with less oatmeal and up beer to counteract thirsty oatmeal.
Double the almonds
Grate a whole nutmeg into mix rather than ready ground variety
Reduce sugar to 3-4oz and add more carrot.
Bung some dried apricots and cherries in too.

You can see i have the bung-it mentality to cooking, but my Grandma was strictly a recipe woman, so I know hers are old

Will post some more of hers later. She had a sweet tooth, my Grandma

monkey nuts

Lena's Almond Icing

Lena was an elderly lady I used to look after. I used to take my 14yr old Sky Terrier with me when I used to visit and she always asked me to make toast for both her and Scruffy, my dog, as you can imagine, my dog love her! Unfortunatey Lena passsed away about 18 years ago.

2oz Semolina
4oz sugar
2oz butter or margarine
Almond essence (to your on taste)
Yolk of one egg

Mix together and roll out to required size.

monkey nuts

Grandma's Xmas cake

This was my Grandma's recipe and her mother before her too.

1lb Margarine
1lb Dark brown sugar
2lb Currants
1lb 1oz Plain flour
8 Eggs
1 Tub cherries
1/4 lb Ground almonds
1 teaspoon Mixed spices
1 Apple (grated)
1 Juice and rind of one orange

The night before place the fruit (currants and cherries) in a bowl with a good dash of alcohol (brandy, rum, whisky or whatever you have).

Mix together the margarine and sugar.

In a seperate bowl seive together the flour and spices.

Into the margarine mix add the eggs and the flour mix.

Add the fruit, ground almonds, apple and orange.

Place in a well lined, greased tin and bake for 4 hours on gas 2 (150) then for around 1 to 2 hours on gas 1 1/2 (145)

Skewer to check when ready