Traditional English Shortbread

1/4 pound granulated sugar
1/2 pound butter
1 pound flour

Mix flour and sugar together.
Work in butter with spoon.
When
dough is formed, roll and cut into desired shapes.
Bake at 375
degrees F until pale brown.

Aberdeen Butter Yeast Rolls (Butteries/Rowies - Scotland)

1 pound plain flour
1 ounce yeast or 1/2 tablespoon dried yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup butter
1/2 cup lard
1 1/2 cups tepid water
Pinch of salt

Mix sifted flour and salt in basin.

Cream yeast with sugar.
When it bubbles, add to flour with
water.
Mix well, cover, set in warm place until bulk doubles, about
1/2 hour.

Cream butter and lard together; divide into three parts.
Put
dough on floured board, roll out into long strip.
Dot first third
of fats on top third of pastry strip.
Fold over like an envelope as
when making flaky pastry.
Roll out; repeat with other strips until
all butter mixture is used up.
Roll out; cut in small oval shapes
or rounds.
Lay on floured baking sheet, leave 2 inches between each
to allow for expansion.
Cover as above; let rise for 45
minutes.

Bake for 20 minutes at 375 to 400 degrees F.

Makes about 15 Rowies.

Christmas Mincemeat

Use this for making English Mince Pies.

3 large red dessert apples, cored and chopped
8 ounces raisins
8 ounces currants
8 ounces sultanas
4 ounces fresh dates, stoned and chopped
2 ounces blanched almonds, chopped
1/4 pint brandy or sherry

Mix apples, raisins, sultanas, currants and chop finely in a
food processor.
Pour into a large bowl.

Liquidize dates, nuts and brandy or sherry.
Mix into apple
mixture.
Pour into clean glass jars, cover, and leave for 3 weeks
before using. To make mince pies, use your favorite pastry
recipe.

Yields 2 pounds.

Cheddar Cheese Soup

Cheddar cheese originally came from the English town of Cheddar,
where it was made as early as the sixteenth century.

1 small onion, chopped
1 medium stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
Paprika

Cover and simmer onion and celery in butter in 2-quart saucepan
until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir in flour, pepper and mustard.
Cook over low heat, stirring
constantly until smooth and bubbly; remove from heat.

Add chicken broth and milk.
Heat to boiling over medium heat,
stirring constantly.
Boil and stir 1 minute.

Reduce heat to low.
Stir in cheese; heat over low heat, stirring
occasionally, just until cheese is melted.
Do not boil the soup
after the cheese has been added, as the soup may separate.
Sprinkle
soup with paprika.

Eccles Cake

This cake takes its name from the town of Eccles, England.

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/3 cups shortening
About 12 tablespoon water
1 cup currants
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine

For pie crust, mix flour and salt, cut in shortening until size
of small peas*.
Add water gradually as needed.
Mold into one ball,
reserving small amount for patches.
Flatten pie crust with hands
until about the size of a pie.
Put currants in a pile in the center
of the pie crust.
Top with sugar.
Dot with pieces of margarine.

Fold sides and ends of pie crust into the middle to form a ball
again.
Roll out carefully with rolling pin, using reserved pie
crust to patch areas where ingredients poke through, until 1/4 inch
thick throughout.
Roll dough out on top of generously floured brown
paper, cut from a brown paper bag, for ease of handling.
Transfer
to cookie sheet (brown paper and all!).
Bake at 375 degrees F for
25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbling.
Cut
immediately upon removing from oven into squares.

* Baker’s hint: You can mix the flour, salt and shortening in
bulk and store in a tightly covered container in refrigerator.
When
you want to use it, scoop out 4 cups to make Eccles cake.
You will
also be prepared to make pies.

Eccles Cakes

Frozen flaky pastry
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup currants
2 tablespoons mixed candied peel, chopped
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of allspice
1 beaten egg white
Sugar to sprinkle

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Stir sugar into melted butter.
Add currants, peel, nutmeg and
allspice.

Roll out pastry very thinly and cut 6-inch rounds, using a
saucer.
Heap filling in the middle of each round.
(Makes about 8 to
10 cakes - divide the filling between them.) Dampen the edges, draw
up the pastry over the filling, pinch together, turn over and
flatten with rolling pin until a few currants just show through.
Make 3 small cuts on top of each cake.
Brush with egg white and
sprinkle with sugar.

Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until
golden.