It always seems strange on the first morning of my sons holiday,there I an unnatural quiet about the house which gives the place a lonely feel even if there are others present. Pa had a hospital appointment and so I prepared a breakfast of poached eggs on toast and as soon as he left I got down to business.
The business of the day was the making of a real steak and kidney pudding, not the cheats version where the meat is cooked first and cooked for a short time, in this recipe the meat and onions go 9ntop the pudding raw and the whole thing cooks slowly for five hours. I find this so much better than faffing about first cooking the meat and then making the pudding, once the whole thing is in the steamer you can forget about it and get on with something else,
The something else today was a very special birthday cake for a friend whose birthday falls at around Christmas time. Since he detests mixed peel with a passion the cake I make for him is just a little different, it also makes a fantastic Christmas cake....if you like ginger.
Stuarts Birthday Cake
8 oz sultanas
8oz raisins
8 oz crystallised ginger, the chunky kind not the bitty one
8 oz glacé cherries
8 oz butter
8 oz soft brown sugar
1 tablespoon black treacle
juice and rind of 1 lemon
5 eggs
10 oz plain flour
2 oz ground almonds
2 oz flaked almonds
pinch of salt
salt, spices then mix in a separate bowl with the other dry ingredient1 teaspoon mixed spice
half a teaspoon of grated nutmeg
Pre heat oven to 36 350 oC at once and bake for an hour and a half0C
grease and double line an 8” cake tin then wrap a double layer of brown parcel paper around the outside of the tin and tie with string.
Cream the butter, sugar, lemon rind and black treacle together until pale and fluffy.
Sieve together the flour,salt, spices and mix with the other dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Beat the eggs until frothy then add half to the butter and sugar mix with 4 tablespoons of the fruit and flour mixture and beat well.
Add the rest of the egg and the remaining dry ingredients and mix thoughtfully with a wooden spoon adding the sieved lemon juice a little at a time.
Pour the mixture in to the prepared cake tin and place in the oven. Reduce the heat to 350 oC at once and bake for an hour and a half. During the next half hour reduce the hear a little at a time until the temperature is set at 225oC. At this point if you feel the the cake is browning too quickly pop a pierce of silver foil over the top
Bake for a further two and a quarter to two and a half hours then remove from the oven and test by inserting a metal skewer, if it comes out sticky bake for a further fifteen minutes.
Leave the cake to cool in the tin. When cool wrap in greased proof paper then add a layer of foil store in a tin, leave for a month or so and then decorate any way you like.
Pa returned from his appointment and all was well for a change O we celebrated with coffee and cookies and during this time my son telephoned to say that he had reached his destination safely. There was,he told us a thick fog up in the hills around Castleton, the ladies had greeted him warmly and plied him with cups of tea. Not having slept last not he is very tired and so today he took a walk around the village ate a good dinner and then had an early night.
Those hills around Castleton are home to us and come rain wind ,snow or hail they are beautiful and we love them, \I envy him waking up tomorrow with a view of Mam Tor from one windrow and Peveril Castle from the other, lucky man.
The steak and kidney pudding was wonderful, it is a dish I seldom cook because my son dislikes it,also it can be difficult to make one small enough for two but I am sure I can find a home for the leftovers. I served the pudding with mashed swede,parsnip and carrot and we had iced cream for afters. Pa loves suet puddings of any sort bless him and it is nice to make a special dish just for him., he deserves a treat, he is so brave about all his troubles.
Some thing strange has been happening to me during the [past few nights which would be funny if I were not so very tired. I fall asleep then after a few minutes I wake suddenly and here is the strange thing aim actually talking out loud each time I wake. I seem to be answering questions but once I wake up I stop talking so there are only a few bits and pieces upon which I can base no conclusion.
Of course I could be going completely do-lally, on the other hand my mind could be attempting to work out some problem and The Gods know I have a few of those.
Perhaps some one is attempting to contact me, but who?And about what? All I know is that I need a good nights sleep, my eyes are red and sore and I feel as if I could sleep for a week.
My little cat has been out in the orchard for most of the morning, the afternoon was spent sleeping on my bedroom windowsill with her paws on the radiator and her tail end under a small lamp. There is on her dear little face a blissful expression which is lovely to see. She was a very small, very frightened and very very thin little cat when first we met and to see her so happy and secure, so sure of the place and her worth makes me very happy indeed.
On the whole this has been a good day, the only fly in the ointment is the fact that this afternoon the contractors began to fell some of the trees we have been fighting so desperately to save , I pray the we are in time to save the rest, it seems that they have decided to get their blow in first.
With my son safely tucked up in bed I Castleton and Pa well fed I shall take a hot bath and as soon as Pa can be persuaded to do the same I shall see him safe in bed and then with luck I can sleep, to paraphrase Elvis “A little less conversation and a bit more rest.”
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