Pryaniki from Mother Tongue

I've never been to Russia. In fact, the closest I've got is watching a Jason Bourne movie. I know what Russia looks like. Or at least in two-dimensional form. All I need to do is switch on my computer and images of this vast country will fill my screen.

What I want to know, though, is what does Russia smell like? When you walk past a café what scents do you pick up? And, the biggest question for me, what does it taste like?

That's why I adore an author who includes food in her novels. It allows you to research the recipe and have a go at making the dish. It lets you get, through taste and smell, that little bit closer to the characters.

So. What does Darya Ivanova's Russia, from Julie Mayhew's novel, Mother Tongue, taste like?

I think it might taste of honey and spices...

***

"I had only been guessing at what it took to be a mother."

Darya Pavlovna was eleven when her sister, Nika, was born. Their Mama couldn't cope so took to her bed. It was Darya who had fed her from the bottle, who had raised her. And she did the best she could. After all, she was still a child herself. Until, one day, on the day of Nika's Day of Knowledge ceremony, a terrorist attack takes the person Darya loves most in the world.

Darya was now eighteen. She'd been the substitute mother of the family for seven years. The terrorists didn't just take her sister. They took Darya's identity, her reason for being.

And now she needs to discover who she is.

Initially Darya responds to the news of her sister with a campaign of 'domestic terror'. Cooking up a pie, kulebyaka, made with yeast dough and filled with meat, vegetables, rice and egg. Cooking was the way Darya kept herself together. It distracted her. Beef stew, chickens in marinades, bitochki (chicken cutlets) served with cabbage all emerged from her kitchen.

And when Darya travelled, to discover just who she was, she continued to cook. After all, that was how she showed her love. Like so many of us who bake and cook.

And, when she was missing home what did she do? That's right. She created food.

***

When I read about the pryaniki in Mother Tongue I knew I had to make them. Spices and honey in a cake? Oh, yes, please.

Darya's Mama said to leave the batter overnight. So that's what I did, too. The first batch I made I put in a large spoonful of coffee, but it turned out to be too much for our, slightly tamer, palettes. This is therefore my anglicised version of pryaniki.

You can see just how I made it in my mini-film. The recipe is below. Recipe for Pryaniki

Ingredients

For the biscuit

• 1tsp instant coffee
• 50ml hot water
• 125g salted butter
• 125g caster sugar
• 125g honey
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• dash vinegar (any kind)
• 2tsp ginger
• 2tsp cinnamon
• 2tsp all spice
• generous pinch of nutmeg
• pinch vanilla
• 425g self raising flour
• 1 egg

For the icing

• 250g icing sugar
• 50ml milk

Method

1. In a saucepan place the instant coffee and add the hot water.
2. Add the butter, sugar and honey and melt over a low heat.
3. Remove from the heat and take a teaspoon of the soda and add the vinegar to it so it bubbles up. Stir into the melted honey mixture.
4. Add the spices and flour. Then beat in the egg.
5. Leave the batter to rest for a while. Or, as Mama says in Mother Tongue, let it rest over night.
6. Place some baking parchment onto a tray and pre-heat the oven to 160 fan.
7. Take teaspoonfuls of the mixture, roll into balls and place onto the tray. Allow spacing in between.
8. Bake for 15 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
10. Make up the icing by combining the icing sugar with the milk.
11. Place thick spoonfuls over the cooled biscuits.
12. Allow to set. Then serve.

MOTHER TONGUE is out on 25th AUGUST 2016, and is published by Hot Key Books.

Find out more on Julie Mayhew's website.

How to Make Rhubarb Syrup

I love the juice from rhubarb. Not just the taste. But the colour. That delicious warm pink; I could dive straight into it. I like the juice, quite possibly, more than the fruit itself, although it's a close run thing. I have memories of drinking the juice warm when my mum made a crumble to perfectly finish off a Sunday roast lamb. On the Sunday afternoon, in between bouts of cycling round and around the drive, my sister and I would dip the sharp, tangy rhubarb, straight from my dad's allotment, into bowls of sugar. Last year I made rhubarb cordial and it was delicious. It compliments prosecco perfectly. Also lovely with still and fizzy water.

This year I decided to make a syrup. A similar liquid but thicker so that it can be drizzled over pancakes. And can still be added to a glass of prosecco.

From my plant I harvested about 800g of rhubarb. If you have less or more reduce or multiply the recipe accordingly. And whatever you do, do not throw out the stewed rhubarb. Pop it into a baking dish and throw a crumble over the top for pudding.

Recipe for Rhubarb Syrup

Equipment

Casserole dish with lid, sieve, bowl, a glass jar with lid, crumble dish for stewed rhubarb.

Ingredients

• 175g caster sugar
• 150ml water
• 800g rhubarb, chopped and washed

Method

1. In a large, heavy based (preferably) saucepan mix the sugar with the water.
2. Heat so the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clear but don't boil.
3. Add the rhubarb to the pan, cover with the lid, and allow to boil and bubble for about five minutes until tender.
4. Remove the lid and strain the liquid through a sieve, collecting the liquid in a bowl.
5. Pour the liquid into the now empty saucepan and rapidly boil for another five - six minutes.
6. Allow to cool then pour into a container. It can be kept in the fridge for a month.

Pin it for later...

Blood Orange Fairy Cakes

Blood oranges are in season. These gorgeous oranges, looking very similar to regular oranges on the outside, have got a beautiful colour on the inside; ranging from a light reddish orange to a dark, purpley, beetroot coloured flesh. There are many things you could make with them. Blood orange curd is one delicious example (my mouth watered just by typing that) or maybe a blood orange marmalade.

I fancied making something rather simple in my first experiment. Naturally it had to be a cake. So I decided on blood orange fairy cakes.

I grated zest to go in the sponge and used the juice, and there was a lot of juice, to make the icing. The result was a rich tartness. Moreish. In fact, so moreish I'm thinking of making some more. Because this lot didn't last five minutes.

Makes 12 Blood Orange Fairy Cakes

Equipment

• An electric mixer always makes life easier but it isn't imperative; a wooden spoon will do the job.
• Large bowl for the sponge, smaller bowl for the icing.
• Zester (cheese grater is fine using the smaller holes) and juicer.
• 12 cupcake cases
• 12-hole muffin/cupcake tin. {I say a muffin/cupcake tin rather than the smaller fairy cake tin because if you use a large case and tin you can cut the sponge cakes flat and create a smooth top with the icing. Of course, you can use the smaller holed tin if you have that and ice any which way you like.}
• Wire rack for cooling.
• Bread knife.

Ingredients

For the sponge

• 170g caster sugar
• 170g butter
• 3 eggs
• 170g self-raising flour
• grated zest of two blood oranges

For the icing

• 500g icing sugar
• juice of two blood oranges
• a little water in case the juice isn't enough to make a firm consistency

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 160 degrees fan.
2. In a large bowl cream together the sugar and the butter until well combined.
3. Add the eggs, plus a spoonful of the flour to prevent splitting, and beat again.
4. Add the flour and the zest and mix.
5. Add two desert spoonfuls to each cake case.
6. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes. They'll be ready when you press gently and the sponge springs back again.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack if you have one.
8. Now you can start on the icing. Place the icing sugar into the smaller bowl and add the juice of the oranges a little at a time. You're looking for a stiff-ish consistency but not so stiff so it won't flow and fill all the little gaps. If you don't have enough juice then add a little hot water from the kettle.
9. When the cakes are cool take a knife to cut off the risen centre (see picture above).
10. Using a spoon place icing on the top of each cake so it flows to the edges of the cupcake case.
11. Allow icing to set. Then eat!

Pin it for later

Lemon Drizzle Cake from The Finding of Martha Lost

I don't think I've ever read a novel that has so many references to cake. (Well, other than the one I'm writing.) Specifically lemon drizzle cake. Lemon drizzle is a popular choice. Just this weekend I read on a tweet that it was JK Rowling's favourite. It certainly is one of mine. And it is definitely very important to Martha and her friend, Elisabeth, in The Finding of Martha Lost by Caroline Wallace.

So, who is Martha Lost? Well, that's a very good question. And one Martha intends to find the answer to. See, Martha has been lost since she was a little baby. Abandoned on a train to Liverpool she has been waiting in Liverpool Lime Street lost property office for sixteen years. And still, no-one has claimed her.

With the help of her friends: William, the man who lives underneath the station, George Harris, a commuter who wears a Roman soldier uniform, and Elisabeth, who runs the coffee bar next door where she serves delicious cream scones, cherry pie and, of course, a lot of lemon drizzle cake, Martha sets about finding who she is and where she came from.

This is such a magical story. Set against a backdrop of Liverpool, Lime Street railway station and The Beatles it is a story of one young woman's quest to discover answers. Answers that will tell her how her story began.

The Finding of Martha Lost by Caroline Wallace is out today.

Recipe for Lemon Drizzle Cake inspired by The Finding of Martha Lost by Caroline Wallace

Equipment

20cm/8 inch round cake tin or a loaf tin: greased and lined with baking parchment, juicer, grater, cocktail stick or skewer, jug.

Ingredients

For the cake

• 225g butter, softened
• 225g caster sugar
• 275g self raising flour
• 4 eggs
• Splash or two of milk
• Zest of two lemons

For the drizzle

• 125g sugar (granulated is best for a really crunchy topping)
• juice of two lemons

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 140 degrees fan.
2. Put all the ingredients for the cake into a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until well combined.
3. Place into the prepared cake tin and bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 15.
4. When baked, leave in the tin, and make small holes all over the surface using a cocktail stick or a skewer.
5. For the drizzle: mix the sugar and lemon juice together in a jug.
6. Whilst the cake is still warm pour the drizzle over the top. Do it slowly to allow the drizzle to soak in.
7. Allow the cake to cool then remove from the tin.

Toffee from The O'Sullivan Twins at St. Clare's

There is something very special about creating a recipe from one of your favourite childhood books. When I made jammy buns from Malory Towers I was so excited as finally, something I'd read about and wondered about for years was coming to life in my kitchen. The very treat enjoyed by Darrell, Sally and Alicia – the characters I'd grown up with. Oh, that was such a great day.

Perhaps it is little surprise, therefore, that I've found another childhood favourite. Another Enid Blyton story with yet another boarding school.

The O'Sullivan Twins, Pat and Isabel, did not want to go to St Clare's. They were cross and acted rather badly about it all. So badly, they become known as the Stuck-Up Twins or the High-and-Mighties. But the school soon licked them into shape, rubbed off their sharp corners and, before you knew it, Pat and Isabel adore the school and are popular and liked.

The Easter term arrives and with it, second former Tessie's birthday. She decides to have a midnight feast with just a few friends including the twins. The girls are all very excited at the thought of meeting up at midnight in the music room and stuffing themselves silly with a big fruit cake, a ginger cake, biscuits and wonderful, sweet, homemade toffee. Plus, of course, ginger beer and sausages. That's right. Sausages for a midnight feast.

This recipe for toffee is great as you don't need a sugar thermometer – just a heavy based pan and a few basic ingredients.

My toffee is dark with a slightly smoky taste. I think I got inspired by the sizzling sausages. If you want it lighter than just boil it for less time.

Homemade toffee inspired by The O'Sullivan Twins at St. Clare's by Enid Blyton

Equipment

• baking tray lined with greased baking parchment
• medium sized, heavy-bottomed or non-stick pan
• wooden spoon
• jug with cold water.

Ingredients

• 200g butter
• 300g caster sugar
• 60ml water
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

Method

1. In the pan, weigh out the butter, sugar, water, salt and vanilla
2. Heat gently, stir, then once everything has melted turn it up and allow to boil. It will become frothy.
3. Do not stir it once it is boiling as it may crystalize.
4. Turn down the heat slightly and gently boil for between 5 - 10 minutes. The longer you cook it the darker it will be.
5. This toffee will be extremely hot. DO NOT attempt to lick the spoon or touch it in any way.
6. When you want to test if it is ready, put a teaspoon of it into the jug of cold water. If it stays together in a ball, it is done.
7. Pour into the prepared tin and allow to cool.
8. When cold, bash it up.
9. Eat.

Onion Tartlets Recipe

Writing about food in literature in my Feasting on Romantic Comedy column for Novelicious I researched, adapted or created many recipes. My favourite recipes were those that were simple. Or ones that surprised me when I was experimenting.

These onion tartlets did both. So simple to make and tasting surprisingly delicious. I could have eaten all of them but unfortunately my husband enjoyed them, too.

Simple and Easy Recipe for Onion Tartlets

Equipment

• Large frying pan or pan with lid
• Sharp knife
• Baking tray covered with baking parchment
• Pastry brush

Ingredients

• One pack ready rolled puff pastry
• Knob of butter
• Glug of olive oil
• About ten small onions, sliced
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt
• Fresh thyme
• Egg

Method

1. Heat the pan with the olive oil and add the sliced onions. Stir in the butter, then reduce heat to low and cover with the lid. Cook for ten minutes.
2. Remove the lid, stir in the sugar and season with the salt and cook for another ten minutes with the lid off until all the liquid has gone.
3. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees fan.
4. Unwrap the pastry and divide into small rectangles with a sharp knife. You can make them as small or large as you wish. (Though, obviously, not too small!) Place onto the baking sheet/s.
5. Place the caramelised onions in the centre of the rectangle, leaving a gap around the edge.
6. Sprinkle with fresh thyme.
7. Beat the egg with a fork and use a pastry brush to paint the egg around the edge of the rectangle on the pastry.
8. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.
9. Remove and serve warm or cold.

Potato Cakes from Tara Road by Maeve Binchy

'...I was wondering if I drove back this way and made you a Caesar salad would you cook those potato cakes?'

Last night I re-wrote my About page and it struck me how long I've been writing about food in literature. It's been over five years, now. Three years writing my Feasting on Romantic Comedy column for Novelicious and two years with my own, now defunct, Feasting on Female Fiction blog. I say defunct, I still have it, it just isn't available to the public at large.

And for good reason. You see, if I look back at those posts I can see the creative 'journey' I've travelled. I cringe a little and think, aw, I really didn't know what I was doing did I? But I did try.

I've been on a massive learning curve over the last few years as I developed my writing and photography and tried to keep up with the rapid changes in social media. At times I felt my head was going to explode with all the information I was taking in. It still does feel a little like this as I transfer domain names from my Helen Redfern blog to this one, A Bookish Baker. And I'm still learning about photography.

But throughout all of this change: the growth of Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Self-hosted blogs, there has been one constant. Books and baking.

One of the first recipes I created for my Novelicous column was actually a post I expanded upon from my defunct blog: Potato Cakes from Maeve Binchy's novel, Tara Road.

I wrote: all of Binchy's books are like a truly satisfying meal; comforting like home cooking and a roaring fire. Quentins, Scarlet Feather, Circle of Friends. They all contains Maeve's trademark magic warmth.

I still think that about Maeve Binchy's work. And I'm incredibly sorry she's now passed away. It may be a cliche but Maeve Binchy's novels are like being embraced by a favourite aunt. She warms you, is gentle with you and entertains as she tells you a captivating story about normal, everyday people.

Potato cakes are not dissimilar to her novels. Made from a normal everyday food item they warm you, comfort you, and wrap you up in a wonderful potato-fuggy embrace.

Potato Cake Recipe

Makes 6-8 potato cakes

Equipment

• Bowl
• Balloon whisk
• Measuring jug
• Frying pan

Ingredients

• 2 large potatoes, peel, cooked and mashed. You're looking for approximately 400g of mashed potato, cooled.
• 100g self-raising flour
• 150ml milk, whisked lightly with a fork
• 2 large eggs
• salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper
• oil for frying

1. Take your cooled mashed potato and add in the flour. Stir or mash to remove the lumps.
2. Add the milk and the eggs and stir in. You might find a balloon whisk is useful.
3. Once the thick mixture is smooth stir in the salt and pepper.
4. Heat a frying pan and add a little oil.
5. Place two spoonfuls of the mixture into the frying pan to create one potato cake. If you've space add more mixture to make additional cakes.
6. Cook on a medium heat. You want the cakes to cook through but not burn.
7. Flip over and cook the other side.
8. Serve hot. Maybe with bacon, a fried egg and a dollop of ketchup. Or you could add brown sauce, I'm not prejudiced.

Cheese Scones from The Trouble with Goats & Sheep

I'd only just finished reading chapter one of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep before I had that urge to bake. Cheese scones. I love them and always treat myself to one when we go to the cafe at the John Lewis department store. Yet I'd never made them before.

The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon is taking the book world by storm. From the title, to the design of the book, to Joanna's writing, this book is stunning, and I am thoroughly enjoying reading it.

It is set during the hot summer of 1976. We have mentions of Penguin biscuits, Angel Delight, Bovril, a cherry Bakewell and Dandelion and Burdock. It is crammed with seventies foodie nostalgia.

Chapter two reminds me of going to church on Sunday mornings during the 80s. Not really listening to the sermon (shh, don't tell anyone), the walk down the hill to the church hall from the church, the hiss of the giant tea urns, the clatter of cups on saucers.

My goodness Joanna's writing has made me remember things I'd forgotten. Like the little kitchen in the church hall, the smell of the tea from muted green cups and the hat my best friend used to wear...

But before I drift off into nostalgia I'm going to bake these cheese scones.

Incidentally I've no wish to recreate Dandelion and Burdock thank you very much.

Recipe for Homemade Scones

• 325g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• 85g butter, diced into small pieces
• 400g cheese, grated. (Mature cheddar and red Leicester are a good combination.)
• 160ml milk
• 1 beaten egg to glaze

Equipment

Baking tray lined with baking parchment, pastry cutter (or drinking glass), egg wash brush.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees fan.
2. Mix the flour, salt and baking powder.
3. Rub in the butter with your finger tips to resemble breadcrumbs.
4. Stir in the grated cheese.
5. Add the milk to the dry ingredients and stir in to create a dough.
6. Once the dough is formed turn out onto a floured surface and flatten gently with your hands to about 2cm thick.
7. Cut out the shapes and place onto baking tray.
8. Re-form left over dough and flatten (gently!) again. Continue until all dough has been used up.
9. Glaze with the beaten egg.
10. Place into oven for about 12-15 minutes.

Jammy Buns from Malory Towers

Oh how I wished I could play lacrosse as a child. I skipped over the fact that I didn't actually know what lacrosse was. But it sounded like serious fun. The achievement of being picked for the team. The support. The friendships. I longed to be a part of it.

Darrell, Sally, Alicia, Belinda, Irene, Mary-Lou from Enid Blyton's Malory Towers. I loved them all. Especially Darrell. Along with their sports matches I loved their plays, their tricks, even their homework; such is the spell Enid Blyton wove over me. I was desperate to go to this school.

In hindsight I think I was influenced by the food.

Two words. Midnight feasts. Down by the natural pool by the sea. Who wouldn't want to take part in all that excitement?

But one of the best feasts would be after the school lacrosse match was played. You would feel exhausted, like you'd just competed yourself. So what better way to recover than by mentally gorging on the delicious food the school provided afterwards for match tea. A smashing tea of sandwiches, jammy buns and fruit cake.

The jammy buns always made my mouth water. I imagined them to be sweetened bread buns, split in half and filled with jam. But obviously, cream has to be added too.  You can never have too much of a good thing.

These buns are the same bun as the Cherry Topped Iced Buns from Tales of Toyland. So you could do both if you so desired.

Recipe for Jammy Buns

Makes 14 buns 

Equipment

Mixing bowl, saucepan, hands for kneading or a mixer with a dough hook attachment, baking sheet.

Ingredients

• 350ml milk
• 25g unsalted butter
• 500g strong white flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 flat dessert spoon caster sugar
• 7g sachet yeast

To serve

• Strawberry jam
• 250 ml double cream, whipped

Method

1. Measure the milk and butter into a saucepan and heat until the butter has melted.
2. Allow to cool so it's lukewarm.
3. In a mixing bowl mix together the flour, salt, sugar and yeast.
4. Pour over the lukewarm milk.
5. Mix. It will be slightly sticky.
6. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 - 10 minutes. Or use a mixer with a hook attachment.
7. Turn back into the bowl and cover the bowl in clingfilm. Place somewhere warm and leave for one hour. It should double in size.
8. Knock the dough back to deflate and cut into 14 pieces.
9. Roll into balls and place on a greased baking sheet, well apart from each other.
10. Cover again with clingfilm (only loosely) and allow to rise again for about 15 minutes.
11. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees or 180 fan.
12. Scatter some flour over the buns then place in oven for 10-15 minutes.
13. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
14. Split open and fill with jam and cream.
15. Serve immediately.

Crumpets from Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

It's no secret that I wasn't looking forward to reading Rebecca. It was a classic that scared me. Daunted me. Until one day recently I picked it up and read it cover to cover. It's one of those novels that you can't help but continue to think about. It's probably a couple of months since I read it but scenes keep appearing before me. I could be wandering outside and disturb a flock of pigeons roosting in the trees above. In Rebecca du Maurier likens this startled pigeon noise to that of "old ladies caught at their ablutions". I think of this every time a pigeon flutters its wings in that wonderfully, noisy agitated fashion. (I thought of it again this evening on the school run when I saw an agitated pigeon clutching at some ivy and hanging upside down. Yes, just like a bat.)

Mr de Winter Breakfast from Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Food makes me think of Rebecca, too. Take marmalade, for example. A simple breakfast preserve. But the preserve of choice for Maxim de Winter. When I see a jar (my husband is rather partial to marmalade) I remember the scene where Maxim is ordering his breakfast of marmalade, toast, coffee, a boiled egg and a tangerine, whilst proposing to our narrator, "I'm asking you to marry me, you little fool."

I like how Daphne du Maurier uses food to enhance their different situations. When the novel begins and they're no longer at Manderley the narrator describes the food as "indifferent". Their afternoon tea, because despite being in a foreign country they stick to their English routine, now consists of bread and butter.

Crumpets from Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Compare this indifference to how they ate at Manderley:

"Dripping crumpets...Tiny crisp wedges of toast, and piping-hot, floury scones. Sandwiches of unknown nature, mysteriously flavoured and quite delectable, and that very special gingerbread. Angel cake, that melted in the mouth, and his rather stodgier companion, bursting with peel and raisins."

After reading that paragraph don't you get an urge for crumpets? I've forgotten everything else. I can only think of having crumpets dripping with butter, sitting by the fire. And I don't mean ones from the supermarket. After all, I can't imagine Mrs Danvers would have nipped down to her local supermarket to pick up a packet. No, homemade is the way to truly recreate what Maxim and his second wife would tuck into on an afternoon. And really, what could be nicer?

Recipe for Homemade Crumpets

Equipment

4 crumpet rings or egg rings. (I bought these Ring Moulds cheaply from amazon). Saucepan, frying pan, large bowl, wooden spoon, soup ladle.

Ingredients

• 275ml milk
• 50ml water
• 1 x 7g packet of fast action yeast
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 225g strong white bread flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil

To serve

• Lots and lots of butter

Method

1. In the saucepan gently warm the milk and water until there are little bubbles around the edges. Remove from the heat and allow to cool so it is just warm.
2. Remove from the heat, add the yeast and sugar, mix well, then leave in a warm place, covered with a tea-towel, for about ten minutes. The milk will become nice and frothy.
3. In a large bowl mix together the flour and salt. Make a well in the centre and mix in the milk.
4. Beat well with a wooden spoon.
5. Leave in a warm place, covered with a tea-towel, for about one hour.
6. Prepare your saucepan by greasing lightly with the sunflower oil. Grease your crumpet rings, too.
7. When the mixture is ready (it will have risen to about twice the size and have air holes), heat the frying pan to a medium heat and pour in ladles of mixture into the rings.
8. Allow to cook on one side for about five minutes or so. The crumpet rings should slip off once cooked, so remove and flip each crumpet over for one to two minutes to allow to cook on the other side. Re-grease your pan and rings to do another batch.
9. Serve immediately or, allow to cool, then pop into the toaster when ready.

Cherry Topped Iced Buns from Tales of Toyland

I feel incredibly nostalgic when I see this lilac, hardback edition of Enid Blyton's Tales of Toyland. There's a lovely picture of Tiptoe, the fairy doll and Jolly, the sailor doll, welcoming the toys into their home, one they made themselves out of toy bricks, for their first ever party. I just adored the world that Enid Blyton had created. I mean, fancy being able to go to a toy warehouse, in Toyland, and choosing a house design, building it in two days, then adding furniture from yet more boxes. For a small child this sounded like serious fun. This 1970's reprint was quite possibly the first book I ever wanted to jump right into and join in the adventures.

But how did Tiptoe and Jolly end up in building their own house in Toyland? Well, they were rather ill-treated by the toys they shared a nursery with and decided to run away. Off they went, asking the way from a hedgehog, a mouse and a brownie. The latter directed them to a rabbit hole, down which they found an underground train station. Squeezing into the train with various elves, brownies, fairies, rabbits and moles they found themselves speeding along to Toyland. It was an absolute delight to read.

When they finally arrived at Toyland, and were allowed in (this wasn't as straightforward as they'd anticipated), they built their house and filled it with furniture. Then they needed to have a party to meet their neighbours. They invited the clock-work clown, the toy soldiers, Mr To-and-Fro (one of those wobbly toys that wouldn't lie flat - remember them?), the toy duck and the bunny with the pink ribbon.

Tiptoe and Jolly decided to serve egg sandwiches, creamy milk and buns with cherries on top. When disaster strikes and they don't have any milk or eggs, Mr To-and-Fro suggests inviting Mrs Buttercup, a cow with beautiful manners, and Mrs Cluck, Mrs Cackle and Mrs Squawk, who would lay them an egg each.

And a great party is had by all.

Seven-year-old-me would have loved to have gone to that party. Egg sandwiches? Buns with cherries on top? (I ignored the milk part, I wasn't a fan). Guests that laid the food?! So as a treat to my seven-year-old-self, I've recreated those buns.

Recipe for Cherry Topped Iced Buns Inspired by Tales of Toyland 

Makes 20 buns (approx – depends on your sizing)

Equipment

Mixing bowl, saucepan, hands for kneading or a mixer with a dough hook attachment, baking sheet.

Ingredient

• 350ml milk
• 25g unsalted butter
• 500g strong white flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 flat dessert spoon caster sugar
• 7g sachet yeast

To decorate

• 200g Icing sugar
• 20 cherries

Method

1. Measure the milk and butter into a saucepan and heat until the butter has melted.
2. Allow to cool so it is lukewarm.
3. In a mixing bowl add the flour, salt, sugar and yeast.
4. Pour over the lukewarm milk. You might not need all of it so take it slow.
5. Mix. It will be slightly sticky.
6. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 - 10 minutes. It'll become smooth.
7. Turn back into the bowl and cover the bowl in clingfilm. Place somewhere warm and leave for one hour. It should double in size.
8. Knock the dough back to deflate and cut into 20 pieces.
9. Roll into balls and place on a greased baking sheet, well apart from each other.
10. Cover again with clingfilm (only loosely) and allow to rise again for about 15 minutes.
11. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees or 180 fan.
12. Scatter some flour over the buns then place in oven for 10-15 minutes.
13. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
14. Prepare your icing sugar according to packet instructions, place a spoonful on the top of each bun and add a cherry.

Fish Pie from The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett

I was reading The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett at the weekend and it got me thinking about the first dinner party I'd hosted with my husband in our very first house. There were six of us, two sets of neighbours, squashed together around a small drop-leaf table in the cramped dining room. I can't remember what I served, possibly a lamb stew, or even roasted ratatouille with some sort of meat, but I know it wouldn't have been a fish pie like Eve serves in the novel for her first dinner party. I was scared of cooking with fish back then. Even in a fish pie. And, despite my love of cooking and even bigger love of feeding people, I'm not a natural dinner party hostess. It just seems too grown up. I envied Eve's ability to be so relaxed despite no help from her husband, Jim, and I envied Eve's ability to make a fish pie.

The Versions of Us is an unusual love story in that it gives us three possible versions of Eve and Jim's future. Beginning in Cambridge, 1958, when their lives first cross, or almost cross depending on whether it's version one, two or three, we follow their lives as they progress through love, marriage, children, careers, travel, life's ups and downs, divorces and grandchildren.

Slightly sceptical initially, after all, how was I going to keep up with the different narratives and characters in three versions, my scepticism evaporated as I was drawn into the seamless way in which Laura Barnett structured the story. It is one of those books that just grips you. Clutches at your heart so you feel breathless; coming up for air into the reality of your own life where you question which version you are living in at the moment. Is it one, two or three?

My emotions were all over the place. Do I like Jim? Am I frustrated with Eve, or do I admire her? But not only were my emotions all over the place within the context of the story, it made me think about my own life. When you're given a complete overview of a life, you see where characters miss opportunities, where their own weaknesses have let them down. It gives you perspective. A desire not to miss opportunities in my own life story.

So I've stopped being scared of cooking fish and made a fish pie. It's only a small thing. But hopefully all the small things will become big things so that if I were to be given an overview of my life, I'd think, yes, I tried hard, I didn't squander the opportunities and I did good.

Fish Pie Recipe

This is my no-fuss, no anxiety, recipe for fish pie. The only fish I had in the freezer was salmon fillets so I used those, but don't be afraid to use any fish, including smoked, or adding a handful of prawns.

Equipment

Saucepan, potato masher, baking dish (a hob to oven dish would be perfect).

Ingredients

• 1kg potatoes, peeled and halved
• 2 tsp butter
• 1 leek
• 1 spring onion
• two tablespoons flour
• 250ml milk
• 1 tsp English mustard
• 400-500g boneless fish of your choice, skinned and diced into 2cm square (aprox) pieces
• a few handfuls of sweetcorn or peas (or both)
• 2 hard boiled eggs, quartered
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Begin by placing the potatoes on to boil. When soft, drain and mash with butter, a little milk and salt and pepper.
2. Pre-heat oven to 160 fan.
3. While the potatoes are cooking gently fry the leek and spring onion in the butter for a few minutes.
4. Add the flour and stir.
5. Using a whisk add the milk a little at a time.
6. Bring to a gentle boil until thickened, stirring all the time.
7. Stir in the mustard then turn off the heat.
8. Scatter over the fish, sweetcorn, peas and hard boiled eggs.
9. Scoop the mashed potato onto the top and spread out with a fork.
10. Place into the oven for 30 minutes.