Ian’s Aunt – Jane – cleared out her attic. I have, therefore, inherited her entire series of Cordon Bleu cookery magazines from the 70s.

So, I’m flicking through them, expecting to laugh, snort and chortle at the antiquity of the style, presentation and structure of the recipes, but no. Oh no, no, no.

Yes, there are some recipes that are utterly outdated and some that look downright unpleasant (not that that’s the sole domain of older cookery publications – plenty of contemporary recipe books have made me turn my lip in the classic ‘bleeeech’ pose). There are some frankly, unnecessary things to do with gelatine and some equally odd uses of rabbit blood, but there is also good, solid cookery information and clever, thoughtful responses to desperate correspondence.
As I’m reading through them, my Mum informs me that she too had these publications, but when they were bound together as themed books. Reading through the recipes brought memories flooding back for her.
She even found the pigeon recipe she made the night that, on bringing the plates to the table, she tripped over the cat, threw the dinner all over the floor, put her back out and then made us all eat hairy, tepid bird. That was a fantastic night as you can imagine. Full of light-hearted, glass-half-full conversation. Not.

There are some very, very inspiring recipes too.

This is one of them. Bizarrely, it’s titled ‘pains de seigle’. Now that’s just silly, because that means ‘rye bread’ and this recipe no more resembles rye bread than a jug of rabbit’s blood, but I’m thinking they thought it needed a French name and Friday afternoon came so quickly that someone signed it off so they could rush home to whip up an Apple Charlotte.

I too have been struggling with an English name for it, so I’m beginning to get why they just went with the generic smear of French…
Anyway, these are like a chewy macaroon – a delicious, sweet, nutty, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside (Armadillo!) cookie, moreish to the point of obsession and wonderful with anything. Make them. This recipe deserves to be made, because it works. I’m tiring of recipes that are crap – despite their protestations that they have been tested for a domestic setting – they are crap and they don’t work.

This one isn’t like that. It’s a darling; a darling joy to make.

First, the brittle. Over a low heat, melt 1½oz caster sugar in a saucepan with 1½oz almonds.

Once melted and browning nicely, keep moving it around with a metal spoon until but they get a bit darker for a good flavour

That’s better.

Pour out on to an oiled baking sheet and leave to cool and harden. (I lifted it up to show the solidity and to break a piece off to taste – I’m thoughtful like that)

Once cold, crush into a course powder. I used my mini chopper, but a rolling pin, grinder, mincer, whatever will suffice.

There.

Now to the cookies. Heat the oven to GM4/350F/180C.

Put 4oz ground almonds, 4oz caster sugar and a mean 1oz plain flour into a bowl.

Lightly beat two egg whites with a fork, then add about ¾ of them to the mix and work in. (I say ‘work’, but it clumped in with a fork – nothing stressful) Keep the remaining ¼ of the egg whites – we’ll get to them in a minute.

Add 2oz of the praline and work that in too.

Take teaspoons of the mixture

and roll into little balls – this one was a bit too big. The smaller, the more chewy they are.

Dip first into the remaining egg white

then roll in some icing sugar

then place on a lined baking sheet – - they are quite sticky, so do line the baking sheet with something; silpat, baking parchment or rice paper.

I used my Silpat but that was only because I couldn’t find my rice paper. I don’t know how I’ve managed to lose it.
Ian bought it for me.
“Pick me up some rice paper would you, please darling?” I asked.
“Yes, darling” he said.
He returned later in the day with about 3000 sheets of the stuff. I mean, how much rice paper can one human use – and more to the point, how does one lose that quantity?

Anyway. Bake for around 15 minutes, then cool them on a wire rack. I used my dear little spatula to release them

Once cooled, store them in an airtight tin. Chewy on the outer bit – a bit fudgy in the middle. It’s all good.

——

Chewy Almond Brittle Cookies

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Praline powder
1½ oz caster sugar
1½oz almonds

Melt together in a saucepan over a low heat. Once turning light brown, stir with a metal spoon until nut-brown.
Turn out onto an oiled plate or baking sheet and allow to cool and harden.
Crush into course powder with a grinder, processor or rolling pin.
You need 2oz.

Cookie recipe

4oz ground almonds
4oz caster sugar
scant 1oz plain flour
2 egg whites, lightly beaten with a fork
2oz praline powder
icing sugar

Line a baking sheet with rice paper, baking parchment or silpat.
Preheat oven to GM4/180C/350F

Mix the ground almonds, caster and flour in a bowl.
Moisten with ¾ of the egg whites and work in.

Add the praline to the clumps and work that in evenly to a paste.

Take small teaspoons of the mixture and roll into balls.
Dip each ball in the remaining egg white, then roll in icing sugar.
Place each one on the lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Frangipane – that glorious, sticky, rich almond scented paste combined with the deep flavour of Mincemeat, enveloped by layers of butter puff pastry.

It looks like a confection, but is easier than pie. Served hot, warm or cold, alone or with cream or ice cream, it is about the most flattering thing you can do to a packet of butter puff pastry. I say butter puff pastry because the non-butter stuff isn’t very nice. If you’re going to buy pastry, make it the good stuff, hey?

First, the Frangipane. Cream 65g butter and 65g sugar until fluffy.
Gradually add 1 beaten egg and 2 tsp Rum.

Fold in 1 tbsp flour and 65g ground almonds.

Set aside. Only dip your finger in to test it a few times.

Take a 450/500g pack of butter puff pastry and roll it out into a large rectangle then slice it in half lengthways. Cunningly size it so that one half fits on to your baking sheet.

Lightly dust the baking sheet with flour and go ahead and lay one half on to it.

Fold the remaining half of pastry in half again and make 1″ cuts into the fold.

Return to the half on the baking sheet and, leaving a 1″ border all around, spread out the mincemeat.
Evenly spoon the Frangipane mixture on top.
Brush the 1″ border with milk.

Open up the half that you made slits in and lay on top of the Frangipane and mincemeat.
Lightly press the two together, brush the top with a little more milk and trim all edges with a sharp knife – this will make quite a difference in allowing the pastry to rise.

Bake for 25-30 mins. It may take longer than this to cook, but puff pastry can burn easily, so it’s worth being on your guard.

Once puffed and bronzed, ( and because you had to repair FourArm’s head attachment and were therefore unable to get to the oven whilst the timer screamed at you, it may be more bronzed than you anticipated) let it sit for 5-10 mins, then dust with icing sugar. The icing sugar is great at hiding the bits that might catch. In my defence, it looks much darker in this picture than it did in reality.

Serve hot, warm or cold. All three temperatures change the character of the dessert – all are delish. It was less rich when it was cold, weirdly. So easy to do and such a delight to eat.

Obviously, you don’t have to use Mincemeat; you could slice peaches or apricots on to the pastry and cover it with the frangipane – even a layer of raspberry jam if you wanted a Bakewell tart vibe.

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1 x 450/500g packet butter puff pastry
1/2 jar Mincemeat - homemade or shop bought
Frangipane:
65g softened unsalted butter
65g caster sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp Rum
1 tbsp plain flour
65g ground almonds
Milk, to seal and glaze the pastry with.

To make the Frangipane:
Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
Gradually add the egg and Rum.
Fold in the flour and almonds.
Set aside.

To assemble.

Heat the oven to GM7.
Roll the pastry out to a large rectangle and cut in half lengthways.
Place one half on a lightly floured baking sheet and, leaving a 1″ border all around, spread out the mincemeat.
Evenly spoon the Frangipane mixture on top.
Brush the 1″ border with milk.

Fold the remaining half of pastry in half again and make 1″ cuts into the fold.

Open the pastry up again and lay on top of the Frangipane and mincemeat.
Lightly press the two together, brush the top with a little more milk and trim all edges with a sharp knife – this will make quite a difference in allowing the pastry to rise.
Bake for 25-30 mins. It may take longer than this to cook, but puff pastry can burn easily, so it’s worth being on your guard.

Once puffed and bronzed, let it sit for 5-10 mins, then dust with icing sugar.

Serve hot, warm or cold. All three temperatures change the character of the dessert – all are delish.

*Obviously, you don’t have to use Mincemeat; you could slice peaches or apricots on to the pastry and cover it with the frangipane – even a layer of raspberry jam if you wanted a Bakewell tart vibe.*

This recipe is from ‘Delicious’ magazine’s Dec 2009 edition. It is very delicious. Very delicious indeed. Mum made it last week; it took just one bite for me to shove the magazine in my handbag and scurry home to make one for us as well.

Moist, moist, moist, plummy, fudgey with marzipan and some chopped nuts for an additional texture.
Not just that, this genuinely works as a cake. It isn’t a ‘best served warm’ cake, it is a proper cake. Likewise, if you serve it warm, it is a real pudding.
A really clever recipe that comes together without a lot of fuss. In addition to all this, it can be frozen. That is pretty marvellous at this time of year – you never know when you’re going to need a cake or pudding on standby.

Preheat oven to GM4/180C/350F
Line a 9″ cake tin with a depth of around 2-3″

Before you start, dry fry 50g nuts; I used almonds – the original calls for hazelnuts. Once they’ve coloured in the frying pan, let them cool on a plate and chop them up.
Take 400g ripe plums, remove the stones and cut each one into 4 or 6 slices.

Cream 200g softened butter and 200g caster sugar until fluffy and pale.

Beat 4 eggs and add them slowly, beating well after each addition. If it looks like it’s going to curdle, add a tbsp of the measured flour.

Fold in 130g ground almonds, then fold in 100g plain flour and 2 tsp baking powder.
Finally, fold in the 50g chopped, roasted nuts and 120g chopped marzipan.

Spoon the mix into the tin and scatter the plum slices over the top – press them down into the mixture just a little. The mixture will rise and engulf them, sending them and the marzipan to the bottom, so don’t be too worried about it all.

Bake for 50-60 mins until a tester poked into the middle comes out clean.

Doesn’t look terribly exciting does it? Note. You can wrap it well and freeze it at this point – a handy cake/pudding for the festive period.

Choice time.

To make this into a cake:
Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make some glace icing by whisking 3-4 tsps water or lemon juice into 100g icing sugar, then drizzle it over the top.

To make this into a pudding:
Serve warm from the oven with ice cream or cream.
Or, make in advance, then wrap in foil and re-heat for around 10 mins on GM6/200C/400F

Anyway. This not so exciting cake?

Have a look inside…. NOW it looks exciting!

——–

Plum, Marzipan and Almond Cake or Pudding

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From ‘Delicious’ magazine.

200g butter, softened
200g caster sugar
4 large eggs
100g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
130g ground almonds
50g nuts, chopped (I used almonds that I had dry-fried before chopping; the original called for roasted hazelnuts)
120g marzipan, chopped
400g ripe plums, stones removed and each cut into 4 or 6 slices

100g icing sugar
3-4 tsp water or lemon juice

Preheat oven to GM4/180C/350F
Line a 9″ cake tin with a depth of around 2-3″

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale.
Slowly add the eggs, beating well after each addition. If it looks like it’s going to curdle, add a tbsp of the measured flour.

Fold in the ground almonds, then fold in the flour and baking powder.
Finally, fold in the chopped nuts and marzipan.

Spoon the mix into the tin and scatter the plum slices over the top – press them down into the mixture just a little.
Bake for 50-60 mins until a tester poked into the middle comes out clean.

To make this into a cake:
Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (You can wrap and freeze the cake at this point)
Put the icing sugar into a bowl and whisk in the water or lemon juice. Drizzle over the cake.

To make this into a pudding:
Serve warm from the oven with ice cream or cream.
Or, make in advance, then wrap in foil and re-heat for around 10 mins on GM6/200C/400F

The original recipe from ‘Olive’ magazine uses Pedro Ximenez sherry; it’s an absolutely delicious Sherry with a very raisin-y taste, but I didn’t have any on hand; instead, my larder boasted a big bottle of Marsala and frankly, what is there to dislike about that?

A boozy cake, but boozy without being rasping or obnoxious.
This cake isn’t the lashed-up lout who pushes over your dustbin on a Saturday night and then vomits over your Winter pansies, no, no. It is the elderly Aunt who, on a Sunday lunchtime visit, has a revealing whiff of something floral and fortified about her, who wears unusual jewellery and asks you about boys you like.  Cool, elegant and engaging. Most excellent.

Soak 200g raisins in 100ml Marsala for around an hour to allow them to plump up a little.

Preheat the oven to GM4/180C/350F and butter and line a 9″ springform tin.

Beat 250g unsalted butter and 250g caster sugar until pale and fluffy (high five!)

Beat 4 eggs with a fork

and painfully slowly add them to the mixture. Trickle, trickle.

Add 200g ground almonds and fold them in

Then add 100g polenta and 100g self-raising flour and thoroughly fold that in too.

Finally, add the raisins and their soaking liquid to the mixture. Thoroughly fold them in to evenly disperse them.

Pour/spoon the mixture into the tin

Bake in the oven for around 1 hour. Check after 50 mins, just in case. The cake should feel firm and springy to the touch.

Pierce the top of the cake relentlessly with a fine skewer, or my stabby instrument of choice, the toothpick.

Evenly pour/spoon another 150ml Marsala over the top and allow the cake to cool.

Mmmmmm.

Once cooled, dust with icing sugar to serve.

I’ll show you a slice once we cut it. Only have to wait a day, only have to wait a day, I wonder whether Ian’s Mum would mind there being a slice missing… I mean, it’s in the interest of my reader(s)… get a grip, Anna…one day!

———-

Marsala Raisin and Almond Cake

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(adapted from an ‘Olive’ magazine recipe)

200g raisins
100ml + 150ml Marsala
250g butter
250g caster sugar
4 eggs, beaten
200g ground almonds
100g polenta
100g self-raising flour

icing sugar to dust

Soak the raisins in 100ml Marsala until they have plumped a little – about 30 mins to 1 hr.

Preheat oven to GM4/180C/350F
Butter and line a 9″ springform tin

Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale. Add the eggs, very slowly.

Add the ground almonds, then polenta, then the flour; folding each addition in.
Add the raisins and the soaking liquid. Fold in thoroughly to evenly distribute.

Pour/spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for around 50-60 mins until firm and springy to the touch.

Prick all over the top of the cake with a cocktail stick and evenly spoon the remaining 150ml Marsala over the top and allow to cool.
Dust with icing sugar to serve.