Valentine Special! Extra Rich Brandy Fudge - 1960's

Good old Marguerite Patten, she has a recipe for just about everything you can imagine.  And with Valentines Day looming over us like some heart shaped inevitable tsunami of soppyness and love, (read hatred and resentment for the single-and-proud types) the whole question about what to get your admired comes to mind.

Image taken from candyhero.com, go forth and drool as its an amazing website!

In my experience there is nothing better than a handmade token of love or gratitude, way above any bought chocolate.  So I give you a basic fudge recipe which is classed as 1960's as it comes from a book of that vintage, but its simply timeless.  Not only that but its also a damn bit cheaper.

If you just want to make Rich Vanilla Fudge you can replace the brandy with water.  Try a variation and add Apricot Brandy? What about Disaronno or even White Rum?  The possibilities are endless!

You will need:

1lb granulated sugar
1/2 pint cream
2oz butter
3 tablespoons brandy
half pint of milk
1 to 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence or 1 vanilla pod

1. Put all the ingredients, including the vanilla essence or cut the vanilla pod, into a strong saucepan, this is very important because of the strong cream content.  Here I would recommend a non-stick pan of high quality.

2. Stir until sugar is thoroughly dissolved.

3. Boil steadily, stirring quite frequently, until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage.  This is a nicer fudge if rather soft so do not let it exceed 238F (best use a thermometer).  Take out the pod, rince under water and store in a jar of sugar.

4. Beat until slightly cloudy, pour into a well oiled or buttered tin.

5. Allow to set and cut into squares.

Tollhouse Cookies - 1930s

So we made some Tollhouse Cookies from this recipe which is pretty well documented in nearly every single recipe book you could care to read that includes recipes for biscuits/cookies.  This recipe is pretty generic and very easy.

Here is an interesting thought.  Chocolate Chip Cookies come under the 1930s category because they were first developed at that point, only becoming popular during the war.  Well that is what the wikipedia article says.

180g/6.5 oz unsalted butter, cubed and softened
140g/5 oz soft brown sugar
110g 3.75 oz granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
280g/10oz plain all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
350g/12 oz dark chocolate bits
100g/3.5 oz pecans (or flaked almonds) roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 190C/375F and line two large baking trays with baking paper/greaseproof paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugars with electric beaters until light and fluffy.
3. Gradually add the egg, beating well after each addition.
4. Stir in the vanilla extract, then the sifted flour and bicarbonate until just combined.
5. Mix in the chocolate bits and pecans/almonds.
6. Drop table spoons of mixture onto the trays; leave room for spreading.
7. Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on the trays before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  When completely cold, store in airtight container.

Vinegar Cake (pre 1950s)

So it has been a few months since I've posted a recipe, so I thought I would kick off with something really appetising.

For Vinegar Cake you'll need...

1lb Flour
1/2 pound Sugar
1/2 pound butter and dripping
1/2 pound of currants
1/4 pound of stoned raisins
3 tablespoons of vinegar
1 teaspoonful of Bicarbonate of Soda
1/4 pint of milk

1. Rub fat well into the flour add fruit and sugar.
2. Put the milk into a large jug and add the vinegar.
3. Mix the bicarbonate of soda with a little milk and pour it into the milk and vinegar quickly taking care to hold the jug over the cake mixture as it will froth up.
4. Stir into the flour, fruit etc and put in to a well greased tin and bake in a hot oven for the first half hour, then a cooler one until cooked.

Wimbledon Cake - 1950's

Here is one for cake lovers who have just discovered that the milk has gone off.  It is from Farmhouse Fare, so its a bit short on description but it sounds awesome.



1lb flour
1/2 lb butter
1/2 lb sugar
1/2 lb currants
2 ozs chopped candied peel
1 teaspoonful mixed spice
1/2 pint sour milk
1 teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoonful of syrup

1. Rub the butter into the flour then add sugar, currants, peel, and spice.
2. Warm the syrup and stir it into the milk, now add the soda and mix altogether.
3. Pour into a greased tin in a moderate oven for 1 1/2 hours.

Fig Parkin Gingerbread - 1950's

Figs are nice but not common.  If you can get your hands on some, then here is a little recipe that'd make a nice tea accompaniment or a quick fix for gingerbread-heads.

6 ozs. self raising flour
2 ozs. margarine
2 ozs. oatmeal
1 oz. sugar
4 ozs. figs
1 egg
1 teaspoonful of ground ginger
2 tablespoonfuls of syrup
Pinch of salt
little milk

1. Sift flour and salt into a bowl.  Rub in the marge, add sugar, ginger, oatmeal and chopped figs.
2. Melt syrup and add with beaten egg and milk to make a soft dropping consistency.
3. Turn into greased and lined tin and bake in a moderately hot oven for about 1.5 hours.

Extra Rich Vanilla Fudge - 1960's

This isn't a vintage recipe exactly.  Making fudge isn't necessarily something that ONLY happened in the 1960's, but given the nights are long and the wind is cold I want to inspire you to make home-made sweets stuff.

I am also launching a another food blog dedicated to junk food, fast food and unhealthy fatty things, treats etc.  I will post up the URL somewhere obvious here on this blog when it becomes something worth visiting.  This recipe for Extra Rich Vanillia Fudge will be included on that blog at some point.

So, how do you make Extra Rich Vanilla Fudge?

1lb granulated sugar
half a pint of cream
2 oz butter
3 tablespoons water
half a pint of milk
1 - 2 teaspoons vanilla essence (or a vanilla pod).

1. Put all ingredients, including the vanilla eessence or the cut vanilla pod into a strong saucepan.  This is very important because of the high cream content.
2. Stir until sugar is thoroughly dissolved.
3.Boil steadily, stirring quite frequently, until the mixture reaches the 'soft ball' stage.  This fudge is nicer if its a bit soft so do not let it exceed 238F (digital thermometer would be handy here, or just use your instinct).  Take out the pod, rinse under cold water and store in a jar of sugar.
4. Beat until slightly cloudy, pour into a well oiled or buttered tin.
5. Allow to set and cut in to squares.

Crunchy Crust Raspberry Pie - 1960's

For the crust:

4 oz. Luxury margarine
2 oz. Castor sugar
2 level tablespoons of golden syrup
8 oz. crushed digestive biscuits

1. Dissolve margarine and golden syrup in a small saucepan and bring almost to the boil.
2. Add this to the crushed crumbs and castor sugar in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
3. When slightly cooled, knead well and press into an 8-inch pie plate or flan ring.  Place in a refrigerator until firm and set.
4. Pile filling into crust just before serving and decorate with whole raspberries.

For the filling:

Half a pint of double cream
1 packet frozen raspberries or one small punnet of fresh raspberries, sweetened to taste.


Whisk the double cream until stuff and fold in the raspberries keeping back a few for decorations.

Keith Floyd's Apple Pie - 1980's

Image via Wikipedia

To make Keith Floyd's Apple Pie:

8 oz (250g) shortcrust pastry
1lb (500g) cooking apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
3 oz Granulated Sugar
3 Cloves

1. Divide pastry in two and roll out one half large enough to cover an 8 inch (20cm) ovenproof plate.

2. Put the apples onto the pastry-lined dish and sprinke on most of the sugar.

3. Position the 3 cloves strategically.

4. Brush the pastry edges with alittle cold water.

5. Roll out the remaining pastry and lift carefully over the apples.

6. Press the edges well together and trime away the excess.  With your thumb and finger push up the edges and pinch the top.

7. Make a cross in the centre to allow the steam to escape.

8. Decorate with trimmings optional, brush top with water and sprinkle on remaining sugar.

Bake at 190 celsius (375 F) for 40 to 50 minutes until golden brown. 

Image via Wikipedia

Related articles

• Cookbook Focus: Floyd on Britain & Ireland (1988) (recipevintage.wordpress.com)

Lemon Curd Dumplings

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4 oz. Shredded suet
8 oz. flour and salt mixed with some cold water.
2 eggs well beaten
1 teacupful of castor sugar
1 large or two small lemons, the juice and rind of.
2 oz. fresh melted butter.

These dumplings should be made in small individual moulds to prevent any water getting in to spoil lemon curd centres.

1. Well grease some small moulds and line with thinly rolled suet pastry made with 4 oz. shredded suet, 8 ozs. flour, salt and mixed with cold water.

2. Make a curd filling by well beating 2 eggs and adding 1 teacupful castor sugar, juice and grated rind of the lemons and the melted butter.

3. Whip all together and nearly fill each dumpling.

4. Cover tops with a lid of pastry making sure you squeeze the edges together well.

5. Tie over with greased paper and steam for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Turn out carefully and sift with a little fine sugar and serve hot.

Related articles

• Lemon Curd (cucinaceri.com)


• Lemon Curd Cupcakes (cafetisa.wordpress.com)