cook's blowtorch, arrange the marzipan balls? in a grill pan and cook under a preheated hot grill for a few seconds to brown. Cool slightly before using
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HISTORY OF SIMNEL CAKE
This lightly spiced fruit cake with a marzipan topping derives its name from the Latin word simnellus, meaning a cake baked on special occasions from fine wheaten flour. It has long been associated with Easter, although its origins can be traced back to Mothering Sunday. Girls from poor families were often sent to serve in the large wealthy households as maids or seamstresses. Their employers allowed them to bake a cake to take home to their mothers on Mothering Sunday, decorated with twelve marzipan balls to represent Christ's apostles. In most cases, however, only eleven balls feature: Judas Iscariot was not thought to deserve a place on such a cake.
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MOTHERING SUNDAY
The fourth Sunday in Lent is said to have derived its name from the practice of visiting cathedrals or other ‘mother’ churches on this day or, more likely, from its proximity to 25 March or Lady Day, the day commemorating the Mother of God. On this day children who were living away from home would go back to visit their family. The custom we now associate with Mother's Day evolved from an intertwining of the original custom and an American celebration. In 1907, Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia created an anniversary to commemorate the death of her mother, which had taken place on the second Sunday in May. It is said that the GIs who came over to Britain in their thousands during the Second World War were homesick for ‘Mom’ and so brought their custom with them. If this is true, the May date was abandoned, and the British custom, commercialized as it has become, continues to be associated with the religious mid-Lent date.
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JAM PENNIES
A simple, fun idea for Easter tea. These bite-sized jam sandwiches have been served at teatime in the Royal Household for generations, and are especially popular in the nursery.
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
No cooking
12 slices white or brown bread, cut thinly from a large square
sandwich loaf
50g/2oz butter, softened
175g/6oz strawberry jam, sieved
1. Cut off the crusts from the bread, then lightly spread each slice with butter. Spread six slices with jam, and then sandwich together with remaining buttered bread. Press down lightly to seal.
2. Using a 5cm/2in plain round pastry cutter, stamp out 4 circles from each sandwich – the trimmings can be used in bread and butter pudding. Arrange on serving plate and serve as soon as possible to enjoy their freshness.
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In 1982, Britain's largest-ever chocolate egg was made – it weighed 7,561 lbs and was 10 feet high.
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CUCUMBER SANDWICHES
No English tea would be complete without these fresh-tasting sandwiches.
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 12 minutes
No cooking
12 slices white or brown bread, cut thinly from a large square
sandwich loaf
50g/2oz butter, softened
175g/6oz cucumber, very thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1. Cut off the crusts from the bread, then lightly spread each slice with butter. Arrange six slices with a few pieces of cucumber, and season.
2. Sandwich together with remaining buttered bread and press down lightly to seal. Cut into 4 squares and then slice off the corners from each to make a slightly octagonal shape. Place on a serving plate and serve as soon as possible to enjoy their freshness.
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Tradition has it that if Hot Cross Buns were given to sailors, they would keep them safe from shipwreck (which may stem from the story on page 44). If kept in a house they would preserve it from fire – no small wonder as houses used to be made from timber, wattle and daub.
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MINI SCOTCH EGGS
Makes: 12
Preparation time: 25 minutes plus cooling
Cooking time: approx. 10 minutes
1 dozen quails eggs
225g/8oz good quality sausage meat
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Freshly chopped chives
1 tbsp
Wendy Vella
Brian Garfield
Maggie Craig
John Stockmyer
Vicki Pettersson
Rafael Sabatini
J.A. Jance
Greg Iles
Jackson Neta, Dave Jackson
Kay Hooper