Desserts would have seemed a form of luxury during World War Two after the introduction of rationing but the government wanted life to appear normal. It produced a raft of recipes for desserts that each family could use. Rationing greatly limited what the average family in Great Britain could cook. The government input served two purposes. It gave the normal person in the street the feeling that the government was concerned about their well-being and was prepared to do something. It also ensured that wherever possible (and when all food on the ration cards was available) boredom over the same diet was a hoped for rarity.

 

The recipes covered all manner of foodstuffs. These recipes used ingredients that people were better able to acquire. Foodstuff such as sugar was rare. Therefore the government encouraged the use of honey, which was not imported and could be found throughout most of the UK, as well as many other commodities found in the wild – blackberries, wild strawberries etc.

 

The Roman Catholic Church in 1500
The Roman Catholic Church in 1500

Apple Jelly:

 

“Peel, cut and core ½ lb of apples. Put the apples into a saucepan, cover with water and simmer until tender. Sweeten with one dessertspoon of honey and flavour with cinnamon or ginger. Whip the mixture until it is light and frothy. Dissolve ½ a tablet of jelly in ¼ pint of hot water. Let it cool then mix with the apple mixture. Leave to set overnight in the fridge.”

 

<h1 style=”MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt”>Eggless Sponge</h1>

 

6 oz self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 and ½ oz of margarine

2 oz sugar

1 tablespoon golden syrup

¼ pint of milk or milk and water

Jam for filling

 

“Sift the flour and baking powder. Cream the margarine, sugar and golden syrup until soft and light, add a little flour then a little liquid. Continue like this until the mixture is smooth. Then grease and flour two 7-inch cake tins and divide the mixture between them. Bake in the centre of a moderately hot oven – 200C, 400F, gas mark 6 for about 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. Allow the cake to cool slightly and then tip out of the tins. Spread jam on one cake and cover with the other to make a sandwich.”

 

<h1 style=”MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt”>Crunchies</h1>

 

4 oz margarine, lard or dripping

2 oz sugar

2 oz syrup

5 oz plain flour

4 oz medium oatmeal

1 teaspoon baking powder

Vanilla flavouring

 

“Cream together the fat, syrup and sugar. Add the flour, oatmeal, baking powder and a few drops of vanilla flavouring. Knead the mixture until it binds. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about ¼ inch thickness. Cut into rounds or fingers. Bake at 180C, 350F, gas mark 4 on a greased over tray for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. This recipe makes about 20 crunchies. They keep well-stored in an airtight tin.”

 

<h1 style=”MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt”>Uncooked Chocolate Cake</h1>

 

2 oz margarine

2 oz sugar

2 tablespoons golden syrup

2 oz cocoa powder

Vanilla essence

6 oz crisp breadcrumbs

 

“Put the margarine, sugar and golden syrup into a saucepan. Heat gently until the margarine has melted then remove from the heat. Stir in the cocoa powder, a few drops of vanilla essence and the crisp breadcrumbs. Mix well. Grease a 7-inch cake tin with margarine paper then pour in the mixture. Allow to stand for 4 to 5 hours then turn out carefully. Top with glossy chocolate icing.

 

To make the crisp breadcrumbs, bake some pieces of bread in the over until crispy (do this when cooking another dish to save gas and electricity). Let the bread cool then crush it between pieces of greaseproof paper with a rolling pin.

 

<h1 style=”MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt”>Victory Sponge</h1>

 

1 large raw potato, grated

2 medium raw carrots

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon self-raising flour

2 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla or lemon essence

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons jam

 

“Mix together the grated potato and carrots, breadcrumbs, flour, sugar and flavouring. Thoroughly stir in the baking powder. Put the jam in a heated basin and spread it around to cover the inside of the basin. Cool. Put in the pudding mixture, tie on a cover of margarine paper, and steam for 2 hours.”

 

<h1 style=”MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt”>Eggless Christmas Cake</h1>

 

4 oz carrot, finely grated

2 tablespoons golden syrup

3 oz sugar

4 oz margarine

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

½ teaspoon almond essence

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

4 to 6 oz dried fruit

12 oz self-raising flour

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 small teacup of slightly warmed milk.

 

“Cook the grated carrot and syrup over a low heat for a few minutes. Cream the sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Stir the bicarbonate of soda into the carrot and syrup mixture, then beat it into the sugar and margarine, using it as if it were an egg. Stir in the flavourings and dried fruit. Fold in the flour and the cinnamon and add the warmed milk to make a moist dough. Put into a moist cake tin. Smooth the top and make a deep hole in the centre with a spoon, to stop the cake from rising too much during cooking. Put it into a hot oven (220C, 425F gas mark 7) then turn down to a very low heat (150C, 300F gas mark 2) and bake for three hours.

 

<h1 style=”MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt”>Uncooked Chocolate Cake</h1>

 

2 oz margarine

2 oz sugar

2 tablespoons golden syrup

2 oz cocoa powder

Vanilla essence

6 oz crisp breadcrumbs

 

“Put the margarine, sugar and golden syrup into a saucepan. Heat gently until the margarine has melted then remove from the heat. Stir in the cocoa powder, a few drops of vanilla essence and the crisp breadcrumbs. Mix well. Grease a 7-inch cake tin with margarine paper then pour in the mixture. Allow to stand for 4 to 5 hours then turn out carefully. Top with chocolate icing.

 

To make the crisp breadcrumbs, bake some pieces of bread in the oven until crispy – do this when cooking another dish to save gas and electricity. Let the bread cool then crush it between pieces of greaseproof paper with a rolling pin.

 

To make icing: mix together 2 teaspoons melted margarine, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon golden syrup and a few drops of vanilla essence.”