Decorated eggs were always one of my favorite Easter pastimes.  We didn’t have egg dyes. We would boil the eggs in tea or onion leaves to make them reddy brown, beetroot for a purple/pink and believe it or not, purple cabbage to make green eggs.  We only ever had brown eggs too, no white eggs for us. If the eggs were for rolling then that would probably be the end. But, if there was a competition for the best decorated egg at school (and there usually was), then……the sky was the limit.  One year, I made an Indian Squaw and got second place. Another year, a pig with a curly tail – no prize that year. Since the 1970’s, parents, sorry, the kids, have got a bit more competitive. Just look at the efforts below.

https://www.redtedart.com/mr-men-egg-decorating/

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/gallery/easter-egg-decorating-children-newcastle-12857975

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/gallery/easter-egg-decorating-children-newcastle-12857975

Easter Sunday would arrive, and typically parents and relatives got kids a chocolate Easter egg.  I usually had around ten (I had a big family). There are many, many eggs to choose from and if you were lucky you got one you liked.  If you were unlucky or your relatives didn’t like you or were cheap you got some not so nice ones. All the big confectioners make eggs: Cadbury, Mars, Nestle. They consist of a hollow chocolate egg (made using their chocolate) covered in foil and one or more of  the candy bars themselves. For example, one of my favorites was a Cadbury Flake egg, I had the egg and then a couple of flake bars. I really love Kitkats, they are my favorite cookie/candy bar and one year I was bought a giant Kitkat Easter egg by my aunt. I was so disappointed.   Not because I didn’t like the egg but because I could have a kitkat any day of the week but I couldn’t always have a Cadbury candy bar. How ungrateful!!

https://www.mirror.co.uk/interactives/20-best-easter-eggs-time-12267604

My Easter eggs did not last very long.  Usually within two weeks of Easter, they were long gone.  My brother in law, however, used to savor his eggs, so much so that one year, he left it so long that it had gone moldy when he came to eat it!    My friend told me that she didn’t get eggs from her parents at Easter, she had to wait until the Monday after Easter, when her mum gave her some money to go to the shops to buy an egg that was half price.  I was very lucky.

Once I became old enough to go on the bus to the local town, Mother’s Day, got a whole lot better for my mum.  No more was my dad picking the gifts. The vacuum cleaner did not go down very well. He had to do a lot of groveling to get out of that one.  He was never allowed to forget it. After that he switched to buying Royal Doulton painted ladies, for every Mother’s Day, birthday, Christmas and anniversary for the next 8 years, until she finally told him she didn’t like them anymore.

I would buy my mum chocolates from the local Thornton’s (one of the best chocolate chains in the UK - still around now), or perfume, toiletries or clothes.  I would always try to pick things for her and not for the house or the family.

On the morning of Mother’s Day, my sister and I would get up early and make my parents breakfast in bed.  This consisted of a “full English”: bacon, sausages, mushrooms, fried tomatoes, baked beans, fried eggs and fried bread.  All washed down with a hot (though usually luke warm by the time they got it) cup of tea. My parents would willingly eat it despite the calories and black bits.  Then we gave mum our presents and we were done for the day. Poor Mum.

As I’ve got older and I’m not living in England, my gifts have become more mundane.  They are usually flowers. I use a great place called flowersbypost.com, who ship the flowers for free direct from Jersey.  They have some beautiful arrangements. I’ve also bought tickets for shows at the local theatre. This year my mum was at my sister’s house for Mother’s Day, so I treated them both to Afternoon Tea at a posh hotel.  Apparently, it was yummy and there were no black bits!

What is Christmas Pudding?

Christmas pudding, also known as plum pudding is a descendant of the figgy pudding. It is a rich, dense dessert filled with various dried fruits such as raisins, currants, dates, figs, apricots and sultanas and is flavored with spices such as; allspice, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. The pud is steamed slowly to plump up the dried fruit and to develop the Christmassy aromas. It is often served with a hard sweet sauce but is equally tasty with vanilla ice cream or simply a splash of heavy whipping cream.

How do I cook Christmas Pudding? 

Your pud will already have been cooked for about eight hours.  But to get it ready to eat, it needs to be cooked again. There are several ways the pud can be cooked.  Steaming is the traditional method but the easiest is using a crockpot.  If you are short of time, consider using the microwave.

Firstly, though remove the lid from the pudding and fasten a square of parchment paper and a square of foil over the top of the pudding bowl using a rubber band to secure it.. 

Steam (Traditional method)

Wrap the pudding in a cloth (a dish towel works well) and tie at the top. You should be able to lift the pudding bowl up. Place in a steamer for 2¼ hours (1¼ hrs for the small one person puddings) and steam. Check the water from time to time and top up as needed. To serve, remove from the steamer and take off the wrapping. 

Crock-pot

Insert an inverted small plate or dish in the crock-pot for the pudding to sit on. Fill the crock-pot with 1.5 inches of boiling water. Wrap the pudding in a cloth (a dish towel works well) and tie at the top. You should be able to lift the pudding bowl up. Place on top of the plate/dish and put the lid on the crock-pot (the lid should close). Turn the crock-pot on high and cook for 2¼ hours (1¼ hrs for the small one person puddings). Check the water from time to time and top up as needed. To serve, remove from the crockpot and take off the wrapping. 

Microwave

Approximate timings are for an 800W microwave oven adjust as needed; loosen the lid of the basin slightly or wrap in plastic wrap making a couple of holes in the top (do not put any foil in the microwave). Microwave on full power for 4 minutes, stand for 3 minutes, microwave on low/defrost for 7 further minutes then let stand for 5 minutes before serving. This should be enough to warm the pudding through. For individual puddings microwave on high for 2 minutes, let stand for a further 2 minutes. 

What do I serve Christmas Pudding with?

Let’s set fire to it!!

Slide a palette knife all round the pudding, and then turn out onto a warmed plate with a couple of inches of space all around. Place a sprig of holly on top if you have one.

When ready to serve pour a large spoonful of brandy over the top of the pudding and immediately set light to it using a safety lighter or long match (for a larger flame gently warm the brandy in a pan first and spoon gently over the pudding). Brandy burns blue so it is best to darken the room first to see the flames. 

 After the flames have died down, spoon the pudding into bowls and top with the sauce of your choice.  Enjoy!!!

Brandy Butter

• 1 stick salted softened butter 
• 6 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons of brandy/rum/whiskey

Place the butter in a bowl and beat until very soft.  Add both sugars and beat until smooth.  Beat in the liquor, one tablespoon at a time. If too much liquor is added the mixture will curdle.  If this happens, simply add more powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time until it becomes smooth again.  Store in the fridge until required.  Will keep for up to five days.  Can be frozen. 

Brandy Sauce (makes 3 cups)

• ½ cup all purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons butter plus 1 tablespoon butter
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 2½ cups milk
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream (optional)
• 3 (or more) tablespoons of brandy (or rum or whiskey)

Place 4 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan with the flour, add the milk and, using a whisk, whisk everything together over a medium heat. Keep stirring.  As soon as it comes to a boil and has thickened, turn the heat right down.  Stir in the sugar and let the sauce cook for ten minutes.  Then add the brandy (or other liquor) and the cream.  Mix together and pour the hot sauce into a jug.  If not serving immediately, cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming.  The sauce can be rewarmed in the microwave.

When cooking with kids it’s important to just let the mess happen. Kids learn when they are relaxed and not being judged.  If mess makes you stressed out, try these ideas; a tray underneath any drizzling, mixing or sprinkling this can really be a big help in containing the mess. Help when your child is weighing ingredients out and give them a spoon to scoop out the messy stuff like flour and sugar.  Preset out everything in advance your child needs.

Here are some easy British recipes to try.

Chocolate Crunchies

• 1 cup cornflakes
• 4 tbsp golden syrup (or corn syrup)
• 1 cup chocolate, broken into small chunks
• 1/3 cup butter

1. Melt the butter, chocolate and syrup in a small saucepan over a low heat. Remove and cool for 5 minutes.
2. Put 24 cupcake cases into muffin tins, or on a baking tray.
3. Stir the cornflakes into the mixture, and then spoon into the cupcake cases.
4. Allow to cool and when firm serve.

Fairy Cakes

Cake:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Icing:

• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp water

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F
2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter until everything is combined then gradually pour in half the milk and beat until the milk is just incorporated.
3. Whisk the egg, vanilla, and remaining milk together in a separate bowl for a few seconds, and then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated.
4. Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases until they are 2/3 full then bake for 20-25 minutes, or until light golden and the cake bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the center of each cupcake should come out clean.
5. Let the cupcakes cool slightly in the pan before turning out into a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Meanwhile mix the powdered sugar with the water till smooth. When the cupcakes are cold smooth a teaspoon over the top of each cake and add sprinkles.

Shortbread

• 1 cup butter softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix together butter, sugar, vanilla, and flour.until a crumbly dough forms. It will look like crumbs but when squeezed together in your hands will hold its shape.
3. Form dough into a ball and roll to 1/2-inch thick. Cut into small 3 circles using cookie cutters of the rim of a glass and place onto prepared baking sheets.
4. Bake 12-15 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are barely golden brown.
5. Store in airtight containers for up to 5 days.

Jam tarts

For the Pastry Crust: (or use ready made)

• 8 ounces All purpose flour
• Pinch of salt (if butter is unsalted)
• 4 ounces butter (cubed)
• 2 to 3 tablespoon water (cold)
•  

For the Filling:

• 1/2 cup strawberry jam (or any fruit jam, or lemon curd)

1. Preheat the oven to 350  and lightly grease cupcake pan.
2. If making pastry; Place the flour, cubed butter, and the pinch of salt into a mixing bowl.
3. Working quickly  rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.
4. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time using a cold knife to bring the pastry together. Stop when the pastry forms into a ball and is not too sticky.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap  and chill in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes.
6. When chilled roll the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and roll to a thickness of  1/4-inch.
7. Using a round cookie cutter or upturned glass, cut circles from the pastry just slightly bigger than the holes in the prepared tin. Gently press one circle into each hole
8. Place a teaspoon of jam or lemon curd onto the circles being careful not to overfill them as the jam will spill out and burn.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 mins or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.

Tea traditionally can be taken at different times of the day and can be formal or informal.

• High Tea — High tea sounds “upper class” but in fact it was an evening meal most often enjoyed around 6 pm as laborers and miners returned home. High tea consisted of meat and potatoes as well as other foods and served with tea. It was however not exclusively just a working class meal but was adopted by all social groups. Traditionally families with servants often took high tea on Sundays in order to allow help time to go to church and not have to cook and serve an evening meal to the family.
• Royal Tea — This was a social tea served with champagne at the beginning or sherry at the end of the tea.
• Low Tea or Afternoon Tea — This is an afternoon meal including sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, jam, 2-3 mini desserts and tea. Known as “low tea” because guests were seated in low armchairs with low side-tables on which to place their cups and saucers.
• Cream Tea — A simple tea consisting of scones, clotted cream, jam and tea. Can be taken morning or afternoon.
• Elevenses — A short break taken around 11am in England where tea or coffee is taken often along with a small snack.

The history of afternoon tea.

History states that the afternoon tea tradition was started by Anne, Duchess of Bedford, a lifelong friend of Queen Victoria. She requested that some light sandwiches be brought to her in the late afternoon because she had a “sinking feeling” during that time because of the long gap between meals.

She soon began to invite others to join her and started something that was to become a British tradition. The light sandwiches served with afternoon tea have gradually evolved to include more elaborate food such as crustless finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and a final course of sweets and pastries. The idea was to provide small portions which were dainty and capable of being eaten in a few mouthfuls with the fingers or with a small fork and could be served comfortably in a sitting room environment among  friends. This tradition has continued over the years and although is now less formal it can be found taking place throughout Britain today.

The etiquette of afternoon tea

Traditionally the sandwiches are eaten first, and this is with fingers not cutlery. Then the scones which should still be warm then followed by any other sweet treat offered.

Tea sandwiches must have their crusts cut off, and presented either in the shape of triangles, rectangles or as the royal household prefers in small squares. Usually made with thinly sliced bread and butter and often both white and brown bread will be used. They are finger sandwiches and are eaten with the hands, not cutlery.

Any number of traditional fillings for afternoon tea sandwiches may include:

• Tuna
• Cheese and Pickle
• Roast beef.
• Egg Mayonnaise.
• Thin slices of cooked ham and a little English mustard.
• Buttered bread with thinly sliced, cucumber.

The scones should be broken in 2 by hand, not with a knife, and each half eaten separately. They should never be sandwiched back together. There are two ways to spread the cream and jam on the scones; the Devon way is cream first, jam on top. The Cornwall way is jam first, then the cream. There is no right or wrong way it is purely preference (see Cream tea, the Devon or Cornish way ?)

Lastly any other sweet treats are eaten, these may include slices of a large cake, delicate individual cakes or mini tarts such as the following;

• French fancies.
• Lemon Tart
• Egg Custard Tart
• Bakewell Tart
• Battenberg Cake
• Rich Fruit Cake

Afternoon tea is always served with traditional black tea with milk. One person will become ‘mother’ they will  pour the tea out of a teapot into china cups placed on saucers for everyone at the table. Milk is always poured into the cup first followed by the tea. If sugar is required it should be spooned in at this point or a sugar cube carefully dropped in. The tea should be stirred back and forth (never in a circular motion). Clanging the sides of the teacup with the spoon is considered bad manners so control should be exercised . The teacup should be held with one’s thumb and index finger, fingers should not be hooked through the handle.  The saucer should remain on the table and not lifted up with the teacup.