Friday, August 2, 2013

C.W.A. Golden Syrup Dumplings


Have you ever considered how many sheep it would take to cater for 300 adults at a public stock sale? Neither had I. But I find comfort in the knowledge that, should I ever find myself needing to cater for 300 at a public stock sale, my trusty C.W.A. Cookery Book and Household Hints, first published in 1936, will tell me everything I need to know. Apparently, I will need 2 whole sheep, 6 pressed ox tongues, 35 kg of potatoes and 18 lettuce (Iceberg, of course). It is recommended that a tasty beef curry be included on the menu, for which I will need apples, tinned plum jam, tinned pineapple, bananas, sultanas, shelled almonds and, for that authentic curry flavour,a tin of curry powder.

Towards the back of the book are Hints that Help in the Home and Preserve the Temper including such gems as "a good bedside mat can be made out of old silk stockings, cut into strips and crocheted up". (Christmas spoiler alert to friends and extended family!)

Although this old-fashioned book has given me more than a few laughs over the years, it remains a treasured possession and the go-to resource for pikelets and scones in our house. Some of its recipes should be banished for all eternity (sheep's head soup and baked liver for a start), but others, such as this delightful, simple and thrifty Golden Syrup Dumpling recipe, are worthy of resurrection.

Rub a tablespoon of butter into one cup of self raising flour. When the mixture is crumbly, add one beaten egg with a dash  or two of milk. Roll into small balls and drop into a simmering syrup made from one cup of water, one cup of sugar, one tablespoon of butter and one generous tablespoon of golden syrup. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the syrup has thickened a little. Serve with home made custard, thick cream or ice cream.



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