Hello, darlings!
 
Miss Windsor excitedly presents her rather spiffing, yet terribly simple Great British wartime dish – Dig for Victory Veggie Asparagus Tart. A recreation of Irene Veal’s Vegetable Tart – page 198 - Recipes of the 1940’s.
 
I say it’s been quite a while since I’ve graced you with my presence, and for my lack of, please do accept my heartfelt apologies as I was “incommunicado” for the best part of last year due to my posting as “head cook” in a top-secret location along the Western Front. I was not quite the Forces Sweetheart, but most definitely thought of very fondly by the courageous and kindly gentlemen who sampled Miss Windsor’s exquisite wartime cuisine……instead, one was affectionately known as Queen of the Naafi!

Hello, darlings!
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Welcome back to Miss Windsor’s Delectables! Once again, it’s a pleasure to receive your company – How spiffing!

I say, with just a pinch of time remaining before gooseberry season is well and truly over, I’ve managed to rustle up a scrumptious steamed suet pud – Miss Windsor’s Gooseberry & Redcurrant Suet Pudding. I created this with the simplest of ingredients: suet pastry, green gooseberries, redcurrants, and the ultimate sweet touch of a generous helping of sugar, which I must highlight is most needed due to the exceedingly tart nature of these fruits.  

I based my culinary masterpiece on a Mrs Beeton recipe that was originally published in the 1861 first edition of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management. Evidently my dears, I recreated a frightfully Victorian slice of British, or some may prefer to say English, food history! 

Hello, darlings!
 
Food for thought: have you ever wondered about the origins of the illustrious dessert of gooseberry fool? 
 
Well, maybe it was first served to King George III of England at a lavish dinner? Or could it be an invention of the overindulgent Victorians? Or just possibly, this dish first graced the likes of a medieval banqueting table? Indeed, a farrago of possibilities, which Miss Windsor investigated thoroughly and has endeavoured to describe her findings right here on this page.

Darlings, now I must express that I'm “tickled pink” (Oh, I say!) to present this vibrant and sweet, yet tart and creamy summertide dessert created with Grandmother Josie’s favourite summer fruits - Miss Windsor's Pink & Spicy Gooseberry Raspberry Fool – By Jove! that’s a bit of a mouthful.  

Hello, darlings!
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I say, in keeping with the spirit of The Championships, Wimbledon, one hoped to stumble across a recipe with a tennis connection. Well, lo and behold whilst flicking through my 1906 edition of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management,  there I discovered a recipe for Tennis Cake!

Miss Windsor’s spin on Mrs Beeton’s most decadent, moist and luxurious Tennis Cake boasts an appealing light texture and colour - bestrewn with a plenteous amount of chopped almonds and flavoured with a subtle zing of lemon.

Darlings, before we proceed any further, I shall indulge you with some quick-fire facts about The Championships, Wimbledon! Now, for those who are not in the know-how regarding the history of this world renown All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, it held it's first ever "men’s singles" tournament in 1877.

Hello, darlings!
 
Drum roll please……. accompanied by the royal salute, I hereby present Royal Windsor Pudding!  
 
I say, before we further our acquaintance; you may observe a one-off performance of the “royal wave” – which must be reciprocated with a curtsy or bow. Now the formalities are over and done with, one bids you a rather jovial welcome to the royal household of Miss Windsor’s Delectables – How do you do?
 
Darlings, one must admit, Miss Windsor has gone a bit pudding mad, of late! You see, following the success of Mrs Beeton’s Spicy Suet Carrot Pudding, one felt compelled to have another go at recreating a Victorian slice of food history, or in this case, a Georgian slice of food history! And may I remark, if a recipe was written between 1795 and 1837, many folks refer to that period of the Georgian era as “Regency”, thus Regency cookery.

​Hello, darlings!
 
Just in the nick of time for National Cream Tea Day (Friday 28th June 2019), I excitedly present Miss Windsor’s Wartime Girdle Scones – How spiffing!
 
Also, I wholeheartedly dedicate this recipe, admittedly a trifle late, to the recent celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings, which took place on the 6th June 2019, of course, the actual real thing took place on the 6th June 1944.
 
“Ummm, excuse me Miss Windsor, you mentioned “girdle”, but isn’t that a ladies undergarment worn to disguise one’s jelly belly?” Well, my dears, you’re absolutely correct, but not in the case of wartime cookery, also most folks were at their healthiest and about 10 pounds lighter back then! So, please do read on to find out more……..

​Hello, darlings!

Now you may already know, that our beloved sovereign – HM Queen Elizabeth II - is a "chocoholic" of the incredibly ardent and incurable kind. And so is Miss Windsor's beloved grandmother Josie who just so happens to share the same birth year of 1926 with Her Majesty. 

So, with this in mind, and with a twist of zingy orange, I recreated the frightfully fabulous Chocolate Cream Roll to celebrate Her Majesty’s official birthday of Trooping the Colour - this year it takes place on Saturday the 13th June 2020.

Miss Windsor shall serve her queenly recreation to an assemblage of guests at her terribly splendacious afternoon tea party, in other words, a jolly good “royal knees-up”!

Hello, darlings!

It’s an absolute pleasure to present Miss Windsor’s "spin" on a frightfully decadent and regal recipe fit for a QUEEN - Chocolate Queen Pudding! You see, I recreated this palate teasing, chocolaty kind of luxury bread pudding to celebrate our sovereign's "official" birthday of Trooping the Colour, which takes place on Saturday 8th June 2019. 

And I must divulge darlings, that my beloved grandmother Josie and Her Majesty The Queen both entered this magnificent world during the year of 1926 – known as the roaring 20’s! And suffice to say, both ladies are of the greatest personage and have many things in common, one being they are "chocoholics" of the incredibly ardent and incurable kind – Oh, I say!

Hello, darlings! 
 
Happy British Pie Week! 
 
I say, my dear fellows, in the spirit of British Pie Week Miss Windsor’s been having an absolute blast reviving age-old recipes from the past! So, just in the nick of time before this wonderful week comes to an end, one wished to "Spitfire" back to the British wartime days and recreate something frightfully healthful and wholesome – a dish Grandmother Josie would’ve certainly approved of! 
 
May I present the rather delectable and exceedingly homely Miss Windsor's Wartime Meatless Farmhouse Pie - How splendid! You see, I stumbled upon two terribly toothsome and similar pie recipes in my copy of Recipes of the 1940’s by Irene Veal. Therefore, my version is a fusion of both, just minus the meat! And evidently, darlings, you’ll soon discover that the operative word for British Pie Week in the Miss Windsor household is VEAL! ​

​Hello, darlings!
 
Fancy something a tad sweet, rather creamy, extremely boozy, laced with coffee, rich and velvety, a touch spicy, intensely Italian, a teensy nutty, with a brush of British (namely Bristol City) – NOW BREATH! - then Miss Windsor’s Festive Sherry & Spice Tiramisu is the perfect dessert for you – How spiffing!
 
Of course, if you haven’t a clue what I’m going on about, I simply created this recipe with Amaretto Morbido (translation: Italian soft almond macaroons) or one may use the customary ingredient of ladyfingers (Savoiardi) dipped in booze enriched with espresso coffee and layered with a mascarpone cheese mouse like filling. 

Hello, darlings!
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I'm thrilled to present Miss Windsor's Quick & Easy Victorian Boiled Fruitcake - a delightful addition to your afternoon tea pageantry of goodies; or a rather toothsome, time-saving alternative to the traditional Christmas cake. 

​Oh, and I'm proud to say that my version is 'loosely' based on my beloved grandmother Josie's recipe. You see, ever since she sadly waltzed through the Pearly Gates in 2013, I've tirelessly strived to resurrect her scrumptious culinary creation. I say, but Grandmother Josie is quite a hard act to follow, plus she left no written record of her recipe.

​Hello, darlings!

I say, troops! – stand to attention, grab your spade, grow your own fruit and vegetables, Dig for Victory, and Eat for Victory – By Jove! chaps, now that’s the wartime spirit.

Miss Windsor’s back again with yet another seasonal, allotment inspired, palate-pleasing culinary treat, based on a rather spiffing wartime recipe from my Eating for Victory cookery book.

So please give a warm welcome to something a trifle different, frightfully British, and exceedingly healthful – Miss Windsor’s Beetroot & Green Bean Fritters!

Hello, darlings!
 
Miss Windsor’s Italian Inspired Cherry Tomato Pasta is just the tonic for the hungry-hearted – Mamma mia!

​You see, my vegetarian recipe is splendidly quick and easy to recreate – using the very best of Whimsical Winnie’s harvest. Namely, her titillating good (Oh, I say!) allotment grown tomatoes from her plot at Fulham Palace Meadows (London). I say, Winnie’s such a dear heart for donating her little red balls of goodness to my ‘Eatalian’ culinary cause! 

Hello, darlings!
 
I excitedly present Miss Windsor’s Blackberry & Elderberry Breakfast Muffins – based on an original Fannie Merritt Farmer recipe. Therefore, these simple, subtlety sweet, and rather healthful bundles of fruitiness – are created with very little sugar; and naturally sweetened by British foraged fruits.

​Oh, and funnily enough, one mustn’t forget to add that these rather toothsome darlings feel remarkably soft – just like a stroke of an alpaca’s furry mane – Ok, I admit that’s a slight exaggeration, but I’m sure you catch my drift! 

​Hello, darlings!
 
​Anyone for tennis? Oh dearie me, the last hurrah of The Championships Wimbledon was on Sunday 15th of July 2018 (this year's season ended on the 14th July 2019). But not to worry my dears, as Miss Windsor’s here to console you with a sup or two of her frightfully fruity Pimm’s cocktail - just the tonic to soothe one’s post-tennis blues. 

Or why not join Mrs Simkins (my culinary collaborator) and I for a jolly good quaff of the good stuff at our summer garden party- here's the LINK: Mrs Simkins & Miss Windsor’s Summer Garden Party!

So, move over Mr Original Gin Sling, and make way for Miss Windsor’s intensely vibrant vodka-based tipple, which oozes a luxurious touch of Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur.

 ​Hello, darlings!
 
I hereby present my delightful sweet offering to Mrs Simkins and Miss Windsor’s summer garden party – my Seriously Scrumptious Lemon & Coconut Cake. I say what an adorable addition to your very own garden party, or afternoon tea pageantry of exquisite cakes and bakes. Oh, yes, and please do enjoy a slice or two with a cup of your favourite brew!
 
Darlings, just as it says on the tin – it’s seriously scrumptious, very lemony, with a saucy taste of paradise. Oh, dearie me! I fear I’m sounding off like an advert for a Bounty chocolate bar! But nevertheless, I’m certain my glorious cake will send you into a hedonistic state of "coconutty" heaven – How spiffing!

Hello, darlings!

I say, fancy joining me for an nostalgic trip down memory lane, where you'll learn how to re-create one of my favourite, British, summertime or anytime desserts? Well, darlings, how could one resist a nibble on Miss Windsor's Blackberry & Apple Crumble - Oh, I say!

​You'll be pleased to know that it's completely gluten-free and vegan - "OMG!" I hear you shriek with sheer utter delight! Oh, and it's so devilishly delicious that even the health-conscious community are rather baffled how I achieved such culinary excellence - despite the reputation that gluten-free food is notoriously bland!  

Hello, darlings!

Following an unfortunate spell of blustery showers and cool evenings, One finds it hard to believe that we’re slap-bang in the middle of British ‘summertide’! However, during those occasional sunny moments, I wish to nourish my palate with a slightly piquant, yet sweet dessert!

Hello, darlings!
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This utterly indulgent Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake has recently sparked a ‘titbit’ of attention on Instagram – Oh, how spiffing! You see, I received a request from a follower who kindly asked me to share this recipe - and so here it is!