Retro recipes

Out of the archive and into the oven… Kate Maynard found some inspiring recipes in an unlikely place.

Jacqui Hine

With winter well and truly with us, it's easy to reach for the munchies as we huddle up on the sofa by the fire. Christmas is also just weeks away, and no doubt your taste buds are being tantalised at every turn by mince pies, chocolates and mulled beverages — all of them undoing the good work of dental staff across the country. If you're looking for an alternative, why not try one of these low-sugar recipes. They were originally published in the BDJ in the 1980s^1,2 by food journalist Jacqui Hine,¹ setting a good example at a time when I know I, for one, was gobbling treacle sponge and Curly Wurlys.

Apple Crumble

Serves 4 to 5

A simple favourite. The apples can be replaced with rhubarb, plums or strawberries.

Ingredients 1.5 lb/525 g apples 1 oz/25 g raisins or sultanas 6 tablespoons unsweetened orange juice

Topping 3 oz/75 g oats 2 tablespoons melted margarine 2 oz/50 g dates, finely chopped ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut or sesame seeds or chopped nuts

Method

• 1 Heat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5.

• 2 Peel, core and slice apples. Place in a 2 pint pie dish or equivalent with the raisins/sultanas and juice.

• 3 Stir the oats, margarine, dates, cinnamon and coconut etc together. Sprinkle over the apples.

• 4 Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the apples are soft.

Serve hot or cold with natural yoghurt or crème fraîche.

Variation

Rub 2 oz (50 g) margarine with 4 oz (110 g) plain flour and stir in 2 oz (50 g) finely grated cheese as an alternative topping.

Kate's feedback

This was easy to make and filling to eat. We had the crumble with natural yoghurt and the apples were a little sour, but not unbearably so.

Queen of Puddings

Serves 4

Impress your guests with this meringue-topped dish.

Ingredients ½ pint/275 ml milk knob of margarine grated rind and juice of half a lemon or lime 3 oz/75 g brown breadcrumbs 2 oz/50 g raisins 2 eggs, separated 1 tablespoon of reduced sugar jam pinch of salt 1 tablespoon caster sugar (optional)

Method

• 1 Place the milk, margarine and lemon/lime rind in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

• 2 Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs and raisins. Cover and leave for 20 minutes.

• 3 Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.

• 4 Beat the egg yolks and lemon juice into the mixture and pour into a buttered 1.5 pint pie dish or equivalent. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until set. Turn up the oven to ‘high’.

• 5 Carefully spread the jam over the surface of the base.

• 6 Whisk the egg whites, salt (and sugar) in a basin until stiff. Place the meringue in spoonfuls over the pudding and spread to cover.

• 7 Return to the oven for a few minutes only, until golden brown.

Serve warm.

Kate's feedback

This was a slightly more challenging dessert to make and the meringue took longer to set and become golden than it says in the recipe. The finished result looked very attractive, however, and tasted good.

Rice Pudding

Serves 4 to 5

A delicious creamy golden pudding — just like your grandmother used to make.

Ingredients ¾ pint/425 ml milk 1 small can of evaporated milk knob of margarine 2 oz/50 g raisins or sultanas 1.5 oz/35 g pudding rice

Method

• 1 Heat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas Mark 2.

• 2 Place the milk, evaporated milk, margarine and raisins/sultanas in a saucepan.

• 3 Bring the milk slowly to the boil.

• 4 Pour the milk into a buttered ovenproof dish. Stir in the rice. Bake for 2 hours or until the rice is soft and the liquid has been absorbed.

Serve hot or cold with stewed fruit. To stew fruit, simmer the fruit in 6 to 8 tablespoons of unsweetened fruit juice.

Kate's feedback

This was my favourite dessert of the three. The sultanas were plump and juicy and the rice nice and fluffy – even though I used brown rice instead of pudding rice. I went back for a second helping.