Deliciously Vintage Baking & Desserts E-Book

Victoria Glass

• Herausgeber: Ryland Peters & Small
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Enjoy a taste of simpler times with Victoria Glass' comforting baking recipes for all things retro and nostalgic. It's not hard to see why some cakes and bakes become classics, with family recipes handed down through the generations. You have only to sink your fork into a moist Lemon Drizzle Cake or enjoy the smell of freshly-baked Cinnamon Buns to understand why there are some sweet treats that we simply can't resist returning to again and again. This book is a celebration of those recipes, drawing from a broad culinary heritage. From cookies and cakes to pastries and desserts, Victoria charts the delicious range of some of our much-loved classics. Lesser-know smaller bakes such as Jumbles and Fat Rascals feature alongside indisputable classics such as Rock Cakes and fruit-studded Chelsea Buns. Larger cakes and pastries range from the quintessential Victoria Sponge and Hummingbird Cake, to those creations with an international flair: delight with a decadent Austrian Sachertorte or a South African Melktert. To finish, classic puddings include Apple and Blackberry Crumble and Spotted Dick. Comforting and economical, these 60 vintage recipes are guaranteed to hit all the right notes of nostalgia and deliciousness.

Leseprobe

Deliciously Vintage

baking & desserts

Deliciously Vintage

baking & desserts

60 nostalgic recipes that will make you feel like a kid again

Photography by

Isobel Wield

Victoria Glass

Senior Designer Megan Smith

Designer Maria Lee-Warren

Commissioning Editor Stephanie Milner

Head of Production Patricia Harrington

Art Director Leslie Harrington

Editorial Director Julia Charles

Food Stylist Bridget Sargeson

Assistant Food Stylist Laura Urschel

Prop Stylist Tony Hutchinson

Indexer Hilary Bird

First published as Deliciously Vintage in 2014

This revised edition published in 2023 by

Ryland Peters & Small

20–21 Jockey’s Fields, London

WC1R 4BW

and

341 E 116th St

New York NY 10029

www.rylandpeters.com

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Text © Victoria Glass 2014/2023

Design and photographs © Ryland Peters & Small 2014/2023

Printed in China.

The author’s moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-78879-502-9

E-ISBN: 978-1-78879-531-9

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library. US Library of Congress cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.

Notes

• When a recipe calls for clingfilm/plastic wrap, you can substitute for beeswax wraps, silicone stretch lids or compostable baking paper for greater sustainability.

• All spoon measurements are level unless otherwise specified.

• All eggs are medium (UK) or large (US), unless specified as large, in which case US extra-large should be used. Uncooked or partially cooked eggs should not be served to the very old, frail, young children, pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems.

• When a recipe calls for the grated zest of citrus fruit, buy unwaxed fruit and wash well before using. If you can only find treated fruit, scrub well in warm soapy water before using.

• When a recipe calls for full-fat cream cheese, it should be white, creamy smooth and have at least 24 per cent fat content, such as Kraft Philadelphia.

• Ovens should be preheated to the specified temperatures. If using a fan-assisted oven, adjust temperatures according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

• To sterilize preserving jars, wash them in hot, soapy water and rinse in boiling water. Place in a large saucepan and cover with hot water. With the saucepan lid on, bring the water to a boil and continue boiling for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the hot water until just before they are to be filled. Invert the jars onto a clean dish towel to dry. Sterilize the lids for 5 minutes, by boiling or according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Jars should be filled and sealed while they are still hot.

Contents

Introduction

Biscuits & Cookies

Small Cakes & Bakes

Large Cakes

Pastries

Desserts

Index

Acknowledgments

Introduction

There is nothing quite so evocative of childhood and happiness as the welcoming smell of freshly made cakes, buns and biscuits. Baking nurtures the senses, enveloping us in its intoxicating aroma like a soft blanket on a cold day.

At the beginning of Marcel Proust’s classic novel, In Search of Lost Time, the narrator is whisked off into his memories by the bite of a simple madeleine, dunked in a cup of hot tea. It is no coincidence that Proust chose a dainty little cake as the catalyst for this poetic reminiscence, rather than have the narrator tuck into a bowl of tripe and onions.

Home baking is about warmth and generosity of spirit. We bake for those we love to show support in times of need, to celebrate in times of success and to watch children’s faces light up at the sight of delicate wings on butterfly cakes and oozing jam peeking from the cut-out hearts of jammie dodgers.

The first bake I learned to make was at my mother’s knee and it was, along with most British children, I suspect, a Victoria sponge. The smell of vanilla cake filling the kitchen still brings back strong memories of my childhood home, standing on a chair so I could peer into the oven door, while repeating with eager frequency, ‘Is it nearly ready yet?’ and ‘What about… now?’

There are so many different bakes that are redolent of particular times in my life. Black Forest gâteau brings me back to afternoons watching the Saturday matinee on television when it was raining. Bakewell tart reminds me of winter, because my grandmother fed me a slice when I was sent home from school early because of the snow. Crumbles kindle memories of my sisters and I foraging for blackberries and using the hooked arms of umbrellas to draw forward the ripest fruits at the top of the bramble bushes. Almost every cake, biscuit, cookie and pudding comes with a connection to happy times past, from learning to bake to the thrill of the anticipation in waiting for them to come out of the oven and, finally, to the pleasure in eating and sharing them. Baking’s link with nostalgia, compassion and hospitality will always ensure its appeal endures.

I felt it would be useful to offer a few notes to my American readers on the eccentricities of the British baking vocabulary: ‘biscuit’ is generally synonymous in the UK with the ‘cookie’, although cookies are often softer in texture than traditional British biscuits. Scones in British English share similarities with American biscuits, but are usually sweet and served with cream and jam, never gravy. We also, and perhaps most confusingly, tend to use the words ‘pudding’ and ‘dessert’ interchangeably, whether we are eating something that has pudding in its title (such as the Sticky Toffee Pudding on page 132) or not.

Many recipes in this collection of vintage bakes will already be familiar to you and perhaps already be a part of your baking repertoire, but I hope to inspire you to discover more favourite bakes and create new memories along the way.

Baking Basics

There are techniques that crop up again and again in baking and once you’ve mastered the basics you can make any cake, bake, slice, pudding or tart. Some recipes call for ingredients that are readily available to buy but if you want to go all-out, here are the recipes you need to make your own.

Techniques

Kneading

To ‘knead’ means to stretch and move dough with your hands. The reason this is important is so the gluten in the flour develops to create elasticity and a good-textured bake. In most recipes you will need to knead for at least 5 minutes, but more likely 10, by hand. Alternatively, you can use a freestanding mixer with a dough hook attachment.

Proving

Proving (sometimes known as ‘proofing’) happens during the resting time after the dough has been kneaded when the yeast feeds on the dough causing it to rise. Most yeast doughs require two proving/rising times.

‘Knock back’

Knocking back removes the air pockets out of the risen dough to create an even texture before a second proving. Simply form a fist and force it straight down into the centre of your risen dough. Then fold the dough back in on itself and gently knead it for another minute or so before shaping the dough and covering it for a second proving.

Tempering chocolate

Tempering is simply a heating and cooling process at controlled temperatures to ensure the crystals in chocolate remain as small and stable as possible, so that the chocolate has a lovely ‘snap’ and retains its gloss. Tempering is essential to prevent your chocolate from ‘blooming’ – the white, matte streaks sometimes seen on chocolate. The easiest method is the seeding method. You will need a probe thermometer to ensure complete accuracy.

Finely chop your chocolate, place two-thirds in a heatproof bowl suspended over a pan of barely simmering water to melt gently. You can give it a stir with a rubber spatula every now and then to help move things along. Make sure the bottom of your bowl does not touch the water or your chocolate may seize.

Once the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the heat and add the remaining chocolate. Put your chocolate thermometer into the cooling chocolate and stir continuously until it reaches 31–32°C (89–90°F) for dark/bittersweet chocolate, 29–30°C (84–86°F) for milk/semisweet chocolate, or 28–29°C (82–84°F) for white chocolate. Your chocolate is now tempered and ready to use.

Blind baking

Blind baking simply means to pre-bake a pastry case before the filling is added. It is necessary when the filling takes less time to bake than the pastry, but also ensures a crisp base to prevent soggy bottoms. Once the tart pan has been lined with pastry, simply place a sheet of baking parchment over the top and fill the pastry case with baking beans, rice or dried beans or pulses. The pastry is then blind baked for the specified time before the baking beans and paper is removed and the pastry case can be filled.

Homemade Ingredients

Cream Cheese Frosting

200 g/6½ oz. Philadelphia full-fat cream cheese

125 g/1 stick unsalted butter, softened

500 g/3⅓ cups icing/confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

makes single quantity

To make the frosting, whisk the cream cheese and butter together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Sift over half of the icing/confectioners’ sugar and whisk again until combined. Sift over the remaining icing/confectioners’ sugar and whisk again. Whisk in the vanilla and lemon zest until the frosting is light, fluffy and spreadable.

Meringue

5 egg whites

a pinch of salt

250 g/1¼ cups caster/superfine sugar

2 teaspoons cornflour/cornstarch

1 teaspoon lemon juice/white wine vinegar

makes single quantity

To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites and salt together in a large bowl until stiff and gradually, 1 tablespoon at a time, add the sugar, whisking well between each addition. Once all the sugar has been incorporated, add the cornflour/cornstarch and lemon juice and whisk again.

Royal Icing

1 large fresh egg white or substitute pasteurized liquid or powdered egg white

325 g/13 oz icing/confectioners’ sugar

freshly squeezed juice of ½–1 lemon

makes single quantity

Royal icing is the key ingredient for piping pretty designs. It also makes the perfect edible glue for sticking on sweets.

Whisk the egg white in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy then sift in the icing/confectioners’ sugar. Whisk again and add the lemon juice.

When piping, it is always best to use royal icing on the day it has been made. If the use of raw egg white concerns you, you can substitute it for powdered egg white – follow the manufacturer’s instructions for quantities.

Sugar Glaze

2 tablespoons caster/granulated sugar

2 tablespoons whole milk

makes single quantity

Put the sugar and milk together in a pan and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved. Stop stirring and bring to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes until the glaze has reduced and thickened.

Toffee Sauce

200 g/1 cup light muscovado sugar

100 g/½ cup dark muscovado sugar

60 g/5 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons golden/light corn syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

250 ml/1 cup double/heavy cream

makes single quantity

Put all the ingredients, except for the cream, into a saucepan and stir over a gentle heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a rolling boil, before stirring in the cream and removing from the heat.

Accompaniments

Custard sauce

5 egg yolks

50 g/¼ cup caster/granulated sugar

2 vanilla pods/beans, halved and seeds removed

250 ml/1 cup whole milk

250 ml/1 cup single/light cream

serves 4

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a large heatproof bowl until pale and thickened, then put a sieve/strainer over the top.

In the meantime, put the vanilla pods/beans and seeds, milk and cream into a large saucepan over a gentle heat. When the mixture just begins to boil, remove from the heat and pour over the egg mixture through the sieve, then whisk thoroughly (remove and discard the vanilla pods).

Return the custard to the saucepan (you can quickly rinse it out first, if you want to) and place over a gentle heat. Stir continuously until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and pour into a cold jug/pitcher to prevent it cooking any further.

Marzipan

1 egg

1 egg yolk

250 g/2 cups icing/confectioners’ sugar, plus extra to dust

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon brandy

250 g/1⅔ cups ground almonds

makes single quantity

Put the egg and egg yolk and icing/confectioners’ sugar in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Whisk continuously with a balloon or electric hand whisk until the mixture is pale, thick and doubled in volume. Make sure you keep the heat low or the mixture will curdle. Whisk in the lemon juice and brandy until thoroughly combined, then take the bowl off the heat and leave to cool. Whisk again, pour in the ground almonds and stir to combine, then knead to form a firm dough. Wrap in clingfilm/plastic wrap and leave to rest for at least 2 hours before rolling out on a surface dusted with icing/confectioners’ sugar.

Fruit Jam/Jelly

1 kg/8 cups fresh fruit of your choosing (I use hulled strawberries here)

1 kg/5 cups jam/jelly sugar

freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

waxed paper

sterilized jars (see page 4)

makes 500 ml/2 cups

Before you start, put a saucer in the freezer. Chop a handful of the strawberries into large chunks, or leave whole if small, and set aside. Put the remaining strawberries in a large, wide saucepan and mash with a potato masher into a rough pulp. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice and place over a gentle heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and increase the heat to bring to the boil for 3 minutes before adding the remaining strawberries. Continue to boil for a further 6 minutes, stirring every now and then and skim off any pink scum off the top with a slotted spoon.

Remove the pan from the heat and put a small dollop of jam on to the chilled saucer. When the jam is cold, run your finger over it and if it wrinkles, the jam is set. If you have a sugar/candy thermometer, the setting point for jam is 104.5°C/220ºF. Decant the jam into the sterilized jars (see page 4), put a disc of waxed paper on top of each and tightly screw on their lids.

Vanilla Ice Cream

4 egg yolks

100 g/½ cup caster/granulated sugar

2 vanilla pods

350 ml/1⅓ cups double/heavy cream

an ice cream maker (optional)

serves 4

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a large heatproof bowl until pale and thickened, then put a sieve/strainer over the top.

In the meantime, split the vanilla pods and scrape out the seeds. Put the cream and vanilla pods and seeds into a large saucepan set over a gentle heat. When the mixture just begins to boil, remove from the heat, pour over the egg mixture through the sieve and whisk thoroughly (discard the vanilla pods).

Return the custard to the saucepan (you can quickly rinse it out first, if you want to) and place over a gentle heat. Stir continuously until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and pour into a cold jug/pitcher to prevent it cooking any further. Put a sheet of clingfilm/plastic wrap over the top to prevent a skin forming and leave to cool completely.

Transfer the custard to the fridge for 1 hour before pouring into an ice cream maker and following the manufacturer’s instructions. If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can transfer the custard into a freezerproof, plastic container and put it in the freezer, though you must give it a vigorous whisk every 30 minutes to prevent ice crystals forming. The ice cream should be completely set within 3–4 hours.

Jammie Dodgers

Named after Roger the Dodger from The Beano comics, Jammie Dodgers are one of the UK’s favourite treats, and for very good reason. Perfect for dunking and adored by young and old, these crumbly shortbread sandwiches are generously filled with seedless raspberry jam that invitingly peeks through a heart-shaped hole.

250 g/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

125 g/⅔ cup caster/granulated sugar

275 g/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons plain/all-purpose flour

100 g/¾ cup rice flour

a pinch of salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

250 g/8 oz. seedless raspberry jam/jelly (see page 11)

2 baking sheets, lined with baking parchment

a 6-cm/2½-in. round, crinkle/fluted cookie cutter

a 2.5-cm/1-in. heart-shaped cookie cutter

makes 15

Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Sift over the flours and salt and mix together with the pure vanilla extract until just combined. Do not overwork the dough or the biscuits will be tough. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to ½ cm/¼ inch thick and cut out 30 rounds with the round cutter. Using the heart-shaped cutter, cut out a heart-shaped hole in the centre of half of the biscuits and then put all the biscuits on the prepared baking sheets. Chill them for 1 hour in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F) Gas 3. Remove the biscuits from the fridge and bake for 15–20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. To assemble, place a rounded teaspoon of jam on each whole biscuit and press a biscuit with a heart-shaped window on top.

Jumbles