Wartime Baking

Not much happening on the homefront  today, the washing is happily drying on the line and all the morning chores are done.  Time for a little wartime baking.  I have had these books for years and they are well thumbed, I have made quite a few things from them or at least adapted the recipes for our own needs, the wartime housewife would have done that too to incorporate what she had in the pantry.  

First we have Apple Fruit Cake,(from the Victory book) I have made this before and its one of those recipes that you can add or take from as long as it looks cakey when it goes into the tin. This one had a few changes today which I will explain with the recipe

 Apple Fruit Cake

350gm Self Raising Flour
100gm Margarine
100gm Sugar
1 teasp Ground Cinnamon - I used Mixed Spice
225gm prepared cooking Apples - I used 2 eating apples chopped small
75gm Sultanas - I used 1/3 jar mincemeat + 1tablespoon Cranberry Sauce
1 large Egg - I used 2 medium
Milk if required

Rub the fat into the flour and then add the rest of the ingredients and give a good mix, use the milk to make a soft mixture.  Because I used 2 eggs and the mincemeat I only needed a little milk. I sprinkled brown sugar over the tops to give a nice sweet crust
Bake in a moderate oven for about an hour or until cooked and golden brown.

 Here they are waiting to go into the oven.  I have used 2 x 1 lb loaf tins.

Next up we have the Dark Sticky Gingerbread from

the We'll Eat again Cookbook I used a deepish tin 2" x 10" x 8"  and made double the quantity

Dark Sticky Gingerbread

175gm Self Raising Flour
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon Bicarb of Soda
1 teaspoon ground Ginger
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon -I used mixed spice
1 Egg beaten
50gm Margarine
50gm Sugar
2 good tablespoons Black Treacle OR 
Golden Syrup - I used bit of both
1 1/2 tablespoons Milk
6 tablespoons  water -
 I used boiling water and rinsed out the treacle tin

 Line a tin 7 x 4.
Place all dry ingredients in a bowl
put the fat sugar and treacle/syrup into a pan and melt over gentle heat.
Pour on to the dry ingredients with the eggs and milk and mix well. Pour on the hot water and mix again.
Put the mixture into your tin and bake in the centre of a moderate oven for about 50 minutes until just firm.  Cool in the tin for 30minutes then turn onto a wire rack until cold.
Don't forget I made DOUBLE QUANTITY FOR MY BIG TIN

Then onto my Be Ro Book  

 For a lovely Date & Walnut, before I eat all the dates!!

Again I have used 2 x 1 lb Loaf tins

Date & Walnut Loaf

200gm chopped Dates softened in
1/4 pint boiling water + pinch of bicarb of soda
75gm Margarine
75gm Sugar
1 large Egg
200gm Self Raising Flour
75gm chopped Walnuts

Cream the margarine and the sugar and add the egg
Stir in the flour and the nuts and lastly the dates and the water. Mix well.
Pop into your tin (s) and bake in a moderate oven
180* for about an hour.

I baked all my cakes together in the oven at 160* fan oven and the Apple fruit cakes took the longest. Everyones ovens are different so times and temperatures may vary.



I am really pleased with today's baking and it means lots of yummy treats for the next month.  I had most of the ingredients to hand and made do with a substitue for the ones I didn't, I think the wartime housewife would have been proud of my efforts too.

The are all too hot to cut just now but I will take some pictures later so you can see the insides.  I think the Gingerbread will get sticky after a day in the tin.

What have you been doing today?

Thank you for popping by