Cranberry and apple slice

Rhubarb and orange crumble

This is one of the recipes that Sheila indicated how much the ingredients would cost (roughly). At the time this recipe was written, the ingredients would cost you a total of £1.82.

Rhubarb and Ginger Delight

Editors Note: a bit of sleuthing revealed that this type of biscuit used to be made by McVities and is an ancestor of the modern "HobNob"! When we made these, we found a tablespoon to be a good measure for the "small ball" size when rolling the biscuits out.

Abbey Crunch

Gingerbread

Freezer note: Open freeze then cover with foil. Use within two months. Thaw overnight or at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Pineapple Creams

Cumberland Tea Cakes

Lantern Tray Bake

This slice can be served hot or cold, cut into portions with cream or on its own.

Christmas Mincemeat Slices

White oat fruit slices

Theresa's Marmalade

This mixture can be used to stuff baked apples, make mince pies and Christmas micemeat slices.

It will keep in a cool place for at least six months. The mixture can also be frozen in cartons until ready to use.

Mincemeat

This soup will freeze for three months, adding sherry and cream after freezing.

Delicate Mushroom and Leek Soup

Ginger Parkins

Cherry Stars

Instead of cream I use Tip-Top which is less fattening (sic).

Wise men's lentil soup

Highlander Biscuits

Celebration Mincemeat and Cointreau Slices

Mrs McKenzies Biscuits

A very 'adult pud'. Very rich so this quantity would serve about 8 people.

Chocolate Dream

Theresa's Biscuits

Choc-nut squares

Santa's Iceland Christmas pudding

Cheese Scones

Star Mince Pies

Masquerade

Wholemeal Bread (margarine method)

Can also be made into round scones. Will freeze.

Apple Scones

Editors note: This recipe was much more a 'scrawl' than many of the recipes from the collection. We're assuming this is something that Sheila cooked regularly and had made only the briefest notes and prompts to remember quantities. We've taken a few liberties with the wording here to try and make it read more coherently as a set of instructions but you're probably going to need to use a bit of intuition if you decide to make this yourself.

Frangipane Fruit Boats

Festive Mince Pies

Lemon Date Bars

Cool on wire tray and then dredge with icing sugar

Coconut and lemon crunch bars

Cool in tin and then turn out. Improves if left 3-4 days in airight tin. Freezes well.

Date and Walnut Loaf

Editors note: We originally thought one of the ingredients on this recipe was a bit odd (vitamin C tablet!?) however a quick bit of research revealed that this is indeed a technique that people use for baking bread which helps the yeast to grow.

"Vitamin C Method" Dinner Rolls

Editors note: I am not sure to which grandma this recipe title is referring!

Grandma's Biscuits

During the month of December the kitchen is a hive of activity with the housewife baking for the festive season (sic). I hope that these recipes will help you fill your freezer.

Yuletide Slices

Nice served in individual dishes as a starter, or on a buffet table at a barbecue.

Sweet & Sour Mushrooms

A tasty treat - great with a cup of coffee!

We found that the topping needed just a small dash of whole milk to make it more spreadable.


Cappuccino Slices

This is a nice soup to serve at a dinner party as the colour is beautiful. I like to use white stilton, but try the stilton with apricots for a change.

To freeze, before adding cream, season and put into suitable containers and freeze. Remove when required, defrost, add cream and reheat.


Broccoli, Stilton and Almond Soup

A delicious loaf with apple, walnuts and raisins - perfect with an afternoon cuppa!

Apple & Nut Tea Bread

A lovely pudding for the winter, although served cold with whipped cream is equally delightful.

Pear and Almond Tart

Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble

Strawberry Tiramisu

Blackcurrant Royale

This is an old-time favourite and always the first sweet to dissapear.

St Clements Trifle

Vegetarian "Sausage" Rolls

Modern day ingredients have helped to give a more exciting finish to old favourites. Here we have an old favourite (lentil soup) given a touch of the east. Photo courtesy of Alex H.

Eastern Lentil Soup

This recipe was given to me many years ago by an old Scottish lady. I use it all the time. Butter is a must.

The freezing of the uncooked shortbread firms up the butter and makes a much shorter cake. The whole process can be done in a food processor. Store in an air-tight tin. Best not frozen.


Highland Shortbread

Cider Baked Potatoes

This is a speciality pudding from the Boodles Club in London, which was founded in 1763 - an easily made pudding but very refreshing.

This will not freeze - make this dish the day before needed so the flavours can come out and the cream thicken.


Boodles Orange Fool

Would not recommend freezing, but bases can be made two or three days beforehand and then filled.


Toffee, Pear & Walnut Flan

Christmas creeps up so quickly, so I thought I'd add one or two recipes to help you out.

Can be frozen.

Editor's note: We found that this amount of pastry made around 24 pies, for which we needed approximately 600g of mincemeat. We did find ourselves a bit short on the topping though, so consider making 1.5 - 2x as much.


Viennese Mince Pies

A nice alternative to the traditional Christmas cake.

Omit fruit and nuts off top of cake and ice it if wished.


Pineapple Christmas Cake

This recipe is very moreish and best served in very small pieces. Nice to serve with coffee.

Crunchy Chocolate & Apricot Squares

Lemon Crumbly Bars

A good way to use up that last piece of Stilton. I also use the white Stilton with apricots.

Stilton & Almond Crisps

I make this every year, it sells very well and is absolutely delicious. Use it as a jam or serve with ham or turkey.

Cranberry, Port & Apple Jam

This is our favourite chutney and can be made any time of the year.

Spiced Pear Chutney

Can be iced if wished, can be frozen but before iced. Editors note: Keep an eye on the cooking time, we found this only needed about 40 minutes before it was done.


Cranberry and Nut Tea Bread

Chocolate and Walnut Cookies

Make this as a change from the usual mince pies. Best made with butter and stored in an air-tight tin.

Mincemeat Shortcake

Chocolate Biscuits

Can all be mixed in processor. A good cooking biscuit.


Lancashire Ginger Nuts

Tea breads are good standbys for the freezer but will also keep well in a tin box for a couple of weeks. This one improves with keeping.

Serve thinly sliced with butter or rum butter.


Christmas Tea Bread

Devilled Mushrooms

A starter is not often necessary before the Christmas dinner but here is one which might fit the bill.

To freeze: put into suitable containers and freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature, stir and serve as above.


St. Nicholas Cocktails

Christmas pudding started life in Tudor times and was a thick broth made with mutton, breadcrumbs, dried fruit and spices. It was eaten as a first course. In later times the meat was left out, except the suet, and the mixture was made much thicker. It was then tied in a muslin cloth and cooked in the copper, which was used for washing teh clothers.

Christmas Mincemeat and Apple Pudding

Serve with buttered brown bread. Try scattering some chopped walnuts over the top!

Peach Salad

Bon Noel Pudding

An alternate end to your christmas meal, perhaps not as traditional as a pudding but boozy and filling none the less.

This recipe is equally succesful using 1lb raspberries instead of the apricots, and raspberry jam instead of apricot. The brandy is made up to 5floz with orange juice.


Apricot Brandied Trifle

There are lots of recipes for cheesecakes and I have tried most. This simple one is a great favourite with my friends and especially the girls in my husband's office who sample it each Christmas.

Mandarin and Kiwi Cheesecake

These make a nice refreshing end to a nice Christmas dinner.

This may be made in advance and frozen in suitable containers.


Oranges in Cointreau

A great family favourite. Nice made with field mushrooms.

Mushroom and Cheddar Pots

This chutney is delicious served with cold meats and poultry. Make it festive by covering the tops of the jars with festive paper cut into rounds with pinking shears. Why not make double quantity and give some away as presents? This recipe gives a yielf of about 3lb of chutney.

Fresh cranberries appear in the shops late November.


Christmas Chutney

Buffet tables aren't complete without a colourful selection of salads. They are a necessity if there are any vegetarians in the party. This recipe would grace any table.

Cranberry Coleslaw

This is a good salad to use up the fruit and nuts left over from Christmas.

Boxing Day Salad

This salad will freeze. Thaw thoroughly before using and stir well to separate rice.


Fruity Rice Salad

Mince pies had their origin in Tudor times. They were rectangular in shape and had a pastry baby on top to represent the crib and Jesus. They were made with minced meat and spices. Later the meat was replaced with fruit and suet to remind us of the meat used. Today's mince pies, round in shape, are altogether a much tastier bite.

Will freeze.

Thank you to Holly E for the photo.


Macaroon-topped Mince Pies

Will freeze.

We found that this recipe made approximately 24 pies and we used around 600g of mincemeat.
