J. M. Hay

My Great Great Aunt Jessie's favourite recipes, with history I was told by my Granny. All baked by me, and all eaten by my family.

[jmhay-blog]

13. Uncooked Lemon Soufflé

Uncooked lemon soufflé, unlike a hot soufflé, sets in the fridge and is served cold. Sometimes people add a paper collar, which is placed around the dish before you fill it with the mixture. Once the mixture has set, the paper can be removed which makes it looks like it has risen.

Verdict: I've never made a soufflé, hot or cold, due to the horror stories I've heard, however surprisingly it wasn't that bad! The difficult part was adding the gelatine at the correct time, but with no cooking involved it was very quick to make. 

[jmhay-blog]

12. Sponge Pudding

Originating in England, steamed puddings can either be sweet, or savoury. Although we now use the word 'pudding' to mean 'dessert', a true pudding is one which is steamed or boiled. During wartime this dish was popular because they would most likely have enough fat and sugar left if they were careful with their rations. 

Verdict: The pudding itself tasted gorgeous, however the whole process took up an afternoon (totally worth it though). I had never made a steamed pudding before, but I added some golden syrup and ginger to this sponge pudding to make a treacle sponge, as suggested by the recipe. You can either put it in before the pudding mixture (like I did), which means it is absorbed by the pudding, or add it after as a sauce. 

[jmhay-blog]

11. Apple Batter

First becoming popular in the Victorian times, Apple Batter pudding is a sweet variation of Toad in the Hole. As well as apples, other fruits were also used along with different types of batters, such as cake batter. This created different variations of the pudding, and meant that recipes could adapt due to what ingredients were available at the time.

Verdict: Although it's not a thing of great beauty, god did this pudding taste good! It has to be eaten straight out of the oven as this is when the batter will be at its best, then eat with a compulsory scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

[jmhay-blog]

10. Sponge Cake Without Fat or Sugar

Cakes like this were very popular when living on wartime rations, and sometimes they would even remove the eggs from the recipe. This cake was known as 'Depression Cake'. Instead of sugar, this particular recipe uses golden syrup to get its sweetness, and with no butter included, it's a pretty guilt-free cake! As there is no butter, the eggs are beaten well to achieve that light and fluffy texture of a good sponge.

Verdict: I'm a sucker for anything with a good helping of golden syrup, mostly because I get to demolish spoonfuls of it as I go along. This made for a very enjoyable 10 minutes of egg whisking. It also gave this sponge a nice sticky texture, and my strenuous (electric...) whisking meant that it was a nice and fluffy sponge!

[jmhay-blog]

9. Baking Powder Bread

Baking Powder bread, also known as soda bread, began to appear in Europe in the mid-19th Century when baking powder and bicarbonate of soda began to be used as raising agents. The baking powder or bicarbonate of soda is used instead of yeast, and is a quick solution to bread making as it does not need to be kneaded or left to rest.

Verdict: I've only ever made bread with yeast before, so I was so surprised at how quick and easy this recipe was! The bread itself was lovely fresh out of the oven, and also worked well toasted for breakfast the next morning.

[jmhay-blog]

8. Mint Lumps

I have been informed that this is David Keightley's (a friend of my Great Great Aunts) own recipe, which he passed on to her. I'm not going to lie, I have been putting this recipe off for a while due to personally not being a fan of anything minty...or lumpy for that matter (he really could have thought of a better name).

Verdict: Well, they were certainly minty, and they were lumps at the time I took the photo, However 1 minute later they had melted (all by themselves) into a mint lump style pancake. Surprisingly the usual culprits who inhale all the other baked goods didn't 'fancy' testing the mint lumps, so naturally I force fed them to my family. Sadly they glued my boyfriends teeth together, and my mum needed root canal surgery the next day (I wish I was joking, she reminds me daily).

[jmhay-blog]

7. Chocolate Cakes

Chocolate originated in Mexico and Central America where it was seen as precious and was mainly used within religious ceremonies. When it was brought to Europe it was experimented with in puddings, and icings etc. However, it wasn’t until the middle of the 19th Century when chocolate began to be used within baked goods such as a cake or biscuit.

Verdict: The sponge was lovely and light, however today we bake a lot with melted dark chocolate which creates a much richer taste. So sadly after being spoiled to that luxury it made these particular chocolate cakes taste a little bit bland!

[jmhay-blog]

6. Scones

Traditionally linked with Scotland, Ireland, and England, the scone is one of the main components of a British cream tea. Classic scones are often plain (can contain currents), and served with tea, jam, and clotted cream for additional flavour. It is believed that they are named after 'The Stone of Destiny' (or Scone), which was the place where Scottish Kings were once crowned.

Verdict: I'm a fan of everything traditional and British, and these scones are just that. They were quick and easy to make, and far to quick and easy to eat! Make sure to serve with a large helping of strawberry jam, and a good dollop of clotted cream!

[jmhay-blog]

5. Fruit Cake (Plain)

Fruit cake, now a British speciality, dates back to the Middle ages where dried fruits started to arrive in Britain from Portugal and the East Mediterranean. During wartime fruit cake was hugely popular due to the popularity of dried fruit, which could be bought if you pooled or saved your points during rationing. Another advantage of fruit cake during wartime was that it would keep for months.

Verdict: Although it was very different to a fruitcake I would make today, its dense and almost scone like texture lends itself well to a substantial afternoon tea!

[jmhay-blog]

4. Ginger Snaps

Ginger Snaps are crispy biscuits which are sweetened with molasses (in this case syrup) and spiced with ginger. Ginger has been used as a spice for centuries, and was hugely popular in the Middle Ages as it was highly valued for its supposed health benefits. However, today, it is mainly used as a wonderfully fragrant kitchen spice.

Verdict: Within half an hour of baking them they had all gone! Lovely dunked into a cup of tea or coffee, and would be wonderful around Christmas time.

[jmhay-blog]

3. Gingerbread

"And I had but one penny in the world, thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread." - William Shakespeare, “Love’s Labor’s Lost”

Gingerbread has been baked in Europe since the eleventh century. In some countries, it was a soft, delicately spiced cake and in others, a crisp, flat cookie. However, according to the history books, gingerbread was loaf-like in medieval times, and damsels were said to present these loafs to knights headed off to the battlefield.

Verdict: This medieval style gingerbread loaf is spicy yet sweet, and leaves the most wonderful homely smell in your kitchen. Irresistible on a winter’s afternoon!

[jmhay-blog]

2. Queen Cakes

Dating back to the 18th Century, a Queen Cake is an individual, small, and rich cake containing dried fruit (currents normally). Sometimes in the past the mixture would be baked in heart-shaped tins.

Verdict: Very dainty, and perfect with a cup of tea. These uncomplicated, tasty treats are fit for a Queen!

[jmhay-blog]

1. Rock Cakes

Rock cakes originated in Britain and they were, and still are a traditional teatime treat. They were very popular during the Second World War since they require less eggs and sugar than ordinary cakes.

[jmhay-blog]

Hidden amongst the ridiculous amount of baking books my mum and I have collected was this well-worn gem, 'Favourite Recipes, by J. M. Hay'. Within this tattered little book lies a collection of my Great Great Auntie Jessie's favourite baking recipes from the 1940's right through to the early 1950's.

In total there are 52 recipes, some are newspaper cut outs, some were passed from friend to friend, and others were her very own. However, the constant factor was that all 52 were baked by her, and from today onwards all 52 will be baked by me, her Great Great Niece. 

I can't wait to get started!

Christina x