Cooking our Books

We make a swiss roll and reflect on the challenges of getting this one right. Recipe and pictures are on Instagram cookingourbooks1 Theme music is Josie has the Upper hand by Josh Woodward CC by 4.0

We bake a 1960s recipe for Orange Butterflies, an orange-flavoured cupcake that delights kids and adults alike. Helen's hack meant her cupcakes were the hit of her party, while we investigate why there are so few references to cupcakes in the cookbooks. Recipe and pictures are on Instagram cookingourbooks1 Theme music is Josie has the Upper hand by Josh Woodward CC by 4.0

With Christmas around the corner it's the perfect time to make this Christmas Cake from Queen Elizabeth II's former cook Mrs McKee. We take a look at her life and get some insights from her time cooking for multiple royal households. The cake itself is light and packed with dried fruit - and was ultimately a huge task to assemble and bake. We also discuss the myriad of other Christmas recipes in the cookbooks. Recipe and pictures are on Instagram cookingourbooks1 Theme music is Josie has the Upper hand by Josh Woodward CC by 4.0

Helen's culinary skills are on show with this impressive looking apple tart - combining a apple puree filling with a lattice pastry construction. The real lesson is, try not to make pastry dishes in Spring/Summer! Recipe and pictures are on Instagram cookingourbooks1 Theme music is Josie has the Upper hand by Josh Woodward CC by 4.0

With Cornish Pasties on the menu we invited our friend Deb, who is from Cornwall, to tell us all about this delicious comfort food and where it comes from. She also gives us a lesson in how to pronounce 'pasties' which we manage not to get quite right! We agreed this recipe was pretty spot on and easy to make. Recipe and pictures are on Instagram cookingourbooks1 Theme music is Josie has the Upper hand by Josh Woodward CC by 4.0

With a name that sounds both sweet and savory, we crack open store-bought puff pastry to build these beehives, which resemble a mix between a sausage roll and a scotch egg. Recipe and pictures are on Instagram cookingourbooks1 Theme music is Josie has the Upper hand by Josh Woodward CC by 4.0

We're cooking up a double dose of sweetness: from the cookbooks we bake Small German Biscuits - a super simple and tasty bikkie perfect with a coffee. Plus we're joined by Angela who gives us her favourite recipe for Hungarian Cherry Cake (Cseresznyés Lepény) a fruity and dense sponge cake well worth waiting for after a long drive. Find the biscuits and pictures on Instagram cookingourbooks1 Hungarian Cherry Cake recipe is from Hungarian Tidbits Our Theme music is Josie has the Upper hand by Josh Woodward CC by 4.0

Fancy a fruit-filled pastry delight? We finally get to taste Stuffed Monkeys which turned out yummier than the name suggests. Credit to family friends food for the research into its origins. Find the recipe & pictures @ cookingourbooks1 Theme music is Josie has the Upper hand by Josh Woodward CC by 4.0

Cut out from a 1984 edition of Family Circle magazine, the Pineapple Upside Down Cake is an easy recipe for beginner cooks and perfectly showcases the sweetness of tinned pineapples. We delve into theories about how this recipe was created and compare notes on making it. Here's ⁠⁠Quaint Cooking⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠The Kitchen Project⁠⁠ takes on the recipe history. Theme music is ⁠⁠⁠Josie has the Upper hand by Josh Woodward⁠⁠⁠ CC by 4.0. Find the recipe and pictures on Instagram ⁠⁠cookingourbooks1⁠⁠

We make a step-by-step recipe of Chilli Con Carne. We also look at references to the British Royal Family in the cookbooks and plan dishes to serve at a coronation party. Recipe and pictures are on Instagram cookingourbooks1. Theme music is Josie has the Upper hand by Josh Woodward CC by 4.0

We're making a cake full of boozy sultanas with some surprising how-to instructions after baking. A recipe from the 1980s perfect as we commence Autumn. Recipe and pictures are on Instagram cookingourbooks1 Theme music is Josie has the Upper hand by Josh Woodward CC by 4.0

Sweet or savoury, scones are easy to make and versatile. We make cheese and relish pinwheels, one of the 28 scone recipes in the cookbooks.

We make a French dish of baked vegetables in stock, get reacquainted with parsnips and thanks to a newly discovered photo of Helen's, reminisce about children's birthday cakes. Recipe and pictures are on Instagram. Theme music is Josie has the Upper hand by Josh Woodward CC by 4.0

We make a cake from the late 1970s that features a heap of margarine plus raspberry flavour inside and out. We also discuss iconic food brands and our favourite flavour of jam. Find the recipe and pictures on Instagram. Theme music is Josie has the Upper hand by Josh Woodward CC by 4.0

From book 4 in the cookbooks, we make Chicken and Asparagus Croquettes and talk about why these breaded goodies are so popular. Find the recipe and pictures on Instagram Theme music is Josie has the Upper hand by Josh Woodward CC by 4.0

We make cheese triangles and reflect on the challenge of working with filo pastry. We also chat collecting and deli meats. Find the recipe and pictures on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cookingourbooks1/ Theme music is Josie has the Upper hand by Josh Woodward CC by 4.0

From book number 2 we bake a tea cake with a crunchy topping, a recipe that tested our washing up and sieving skills. We also chat slow cookers, pressure cookers and our shared love of cinnamon. Find the recipe and pictures on our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cookingourbooks1/ Theme music is Josie has the Upper hand by Josh Woodward CC by 4.0

In our first episode we make a passionfruit slice and discuss the history of our mum's cookbooks. Find the recipe and pictures of our attempt at our Instagram Theme music is Josie has the Upper hand by Josh Woodward CC by 4.0