If my memory is not playing tricks, my first foray into baking in my mother’s kitchen was armed with an old, oft-plundered copy of Good Housekeeping, stuffed to the gunnels with notes and recipes torn from newspapers. I was very young and liked books. I enjoyed sitting in the kitchen, flicking through its pages, while Mum readied lunch or dinner. That great compendium, which had more recipes for cakes and biscuits than any other book I have ever seen, was an endless source of wonder – a sort of culinary Encyclopaedia Britannica of every kind of pie, cake, tart and biscuit, and more besides.
The photography was an almighty mix of black and white and colour; Barbara Cartland-style 1950s hues that dazzled. I liked best the plain black-and-white photographs of rock cakes and raisin buns. Crazy-coloured icing and French fancies had little allure; rather like toadstools in an Enid Blyton story, you knew they were bad for you – I preferred plain baking. How Presbyterian is that! Needless to say, it was not for long.
I made those raisin buns quite often. The recipe always worked and the buns were always good. It was rather satisfying to know that I could do something well. I prefer them to muffins, truth be told – but please keep it under your hat. They have a sturdy quality – a sort of bunnish version of Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple.
The Scotland I grew up in had a strong tradition of baking. Dundee had a great many bakers and confectioners and so cakes featured large in my youth. And I enjoyed eating them as much as baking them.
It has been said that the only thing the Scots cook well is breakfast – preferably in the Highlands. A somewhat sweeping statement, and I have ever wondered why Scottish baking was never given more applause. Afternoon tea was a fine affair, which I loved best when a pile of raisin buns peeked out from under a chequered cloth. These could only be bested by a heap of piping hot, just-made Scotch pancakes served up with slivers of cold butter and a spoonful of runny raspberry jam.
Scotch pancakes
The scotch pancakes my grandmother made were the most delicious little puffed treats. The miracle was any of them surviving long enough to make it to the table in time for tea as her grandchildren raided them as they kept warm in their cloth. That kitchen, filled with the smell of raspberry jam and pancakes, leaves me with such lovely memories.
Makes 18-20
280ml milk
2 eggs
240g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
20g melted butter
30g caster sugar
1 Pour the milk into a bowl. Add the eggs and beat well. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Stir well until a smooth batter is achieved. Stir in the melted butter and the sugar.
2 Warm a frying or griddle pan. Have ready a clean cloth on a plate. Very lightly butter the griddle or pan. Put single spoonfuls of the batter on to the hot surface, not too close together. When bubbles start forming, be brave and allow a few more to burst forth. A good brown crust is what’s needed. Flip the pancakes and cook for a further minute on the other side. Once done, put the pancakes in the cloth to keep warm, cover and continue thus until all the batter has been used up.
3 Have ready a jar of runny raspberry jam and a packet of cold butter from which to cut little slivers, and serve.
Raspberry jam
Makes about 1kg
1kg raspberries
300g preserving sugar
1 Scrupulously clean three small jam jars. Sterilise them in a warm oven.
2 Warm a heavy-based pan on a gentle heat and add the sugar. Let it warm for a minute, then add the berries. Turn up the heat and stir frequently until the jam is boiling. Let this cook for 15-20 minutes to just about setting point.
3 Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool on a trivet. Clean a ladle, then use it to fill the sterilised jam jars. Seal. If there is any left, then butter slices of white bread and offer up to eager little young-uns.
Raisin buns
I was always rather partial to a raisin bun with a slice of butter and jam too – just a thought. As ever, best warm.
Makes 12
340g self-raising flour
¼ tsp salt
140g unsalted butter
180g raisins
100g caster sugar
4 tbsp milk
2 eggs
1 Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Pop plain white pastry cases into a patty tin. Sift the flour and the salt into a large bowl. Chop the butter into small pieces and add to the flour. Mix deftly until a fine crumb is achieved.
2 Add the raisins, sugar, milk and eggs, then mix until a soft consistency is achieved. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases. Sprinkle with a dusting of caster sugar, then put the tin in the oven and bake the buns for about 20 minutes until risen and golden. Cool.
- Jeremy Lee is the chef-proprietor of Quo Vadis restaurant in Soho, London; @jeremyleeqv
