Drawing Inspiration from War-time Cookery

 

I love war-time cookery books and enjoy reading about the thrifty kitchen ways that were developed out of necessity, but are any of these recipes and suggestions relevant to todays cook? Well certainly I think a lot can be learned and with a bit of adaptation many of the recipes can be enjoyed by modern cooks and their families.

If nothing else perusing wartime cookery books certainly gives you inspiration for cooking on a budget, indeed with recipes as comforting as steamed brown bread and apple pudding who needs a big grocery budget.

 

 As much as I enjoy looking at these old recipe books and just can't resist trying out some of the recipes, I am not looking to base my diet on World War II ration book cooking as whilst they are highly commendable and no better source of thrift could be imagined, we are thankfully living in a time when rationing is not applicable and I want to bring frugal cooking into 2013.

 

 

But now for a  vintage sweet fix, here is a lovely recipe for thrifty war time honey cakes.

 

Ingredients
1 teaspoon sugar,
2.5 oz. margarine/butter,
 2 teaspoons honey,
6oz. Self Raising  Flour,
1 teaspoon cinnamon.
Method
Beat sugar and margarine/butter together, Sieve flour & cinnamon and add to mixture, Mix with a wooden spoon until it binds together,
then knead until you have a soft dough.
Break off pieces of the dough and roll between your palms into balls. Bake on a lightly greased tray. Allowing space between the cakes for spreading.