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!
 
Well, I say, thank you for popping by – it’s always a pleasure!
 
So, whilst you’re here I wish to titillate your taste buds with my splendidly gratifying little meaty balls of deliciousness – By Jove! that’s quite a mouthful Miss Windsor.   
 
Darlings, I guarantee my recipe created with quails’ eggs and butchers best sausage meat - "jazzed up" with spring onion, a smattering of parsley, plus a dash of wholegrain and Dijon mustard - will satisfy all carnivore palates and will certainly give Fortnum & Mason a run for their money! In fact, they proclaimed the delightful Scotch egg was invented in 1738 at their Piccadilly, London store – Miss Windsor’s favourite!

Evidently, my dears, the Scotch egg commenced its culinary journey during the Georgian period (1714 to 1837). 

Hello, darlings!
 
 Hip, hip, hurray! it’s National Tea Day (Sunday 21st April 2019)
 
Darlings, now before I proceed any further, I must admit, I haven’t foggiest idea how or why this recipe commenced its culinary journey as a “saucer cake” – so, if you possess an inkling of a clue please do let me know!
 
Okey dokey, in celebration of this totally “tea-tastic” day, may I present Mrs Beeton’s Rose & Lime Saucer Cake – How spiffing. Yes, that’s right darlings, this bloomin’ marvellous floral creation oozes the delightful fragrance of an English country garden, well, in this case the delicate aroma of pink dainty roses that grow in a wreath-like fashion, tightly gripped around the grand stone entrance of one of those quaint countryside abodes – a picture postcard image, springs to mind! 

Hello, darlings!

​Miss Windsor bids you a rather spiffing "carrot-licious" International Carrot Day – Thursday 4th April 2019.
 
Also, I may be a trifle quick off the mark, but I wish to dedicate this recipe in memory of the brave men, including my darling grandpa Larry (Royal Marine Commando) who on the 6th June 1944 participated in the D-Day Landings, thus finally freed Great Britain from the clutches of Nazi Germany.
 
You see, in celebration of this incredibly carrot-licious day, and to commemorate (in advance) the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings, may I present this truly scrumptious, Victorian, British, suet pudding recipe – Mrs Beeton’s Spicy Suet Carrot Pudding, which was first published in the 1861 edition of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management. Oh, and by the way, Miss Windosr added the "spicy" twist to this subtly sweet yet wholesome pud! 

​Hello, darlings!
 
Happy British Pie Week!
 
By Jove! Miss Windsor has certainly surpassed herself today! You see, in the spirit of British Pie Week, and my passionate quest in "Bringing food history alive", I recreated Mrs Beeton’s Veal & Ham Pie.

Oh, and whilst searching for something frightfully unusual, yet awfully hearty and traditional which one could recreate for British Pie Week, thankfully, one stumbled upon Mrs Beeton’s Veal & Ham Pie recipe - in my 1906 edition of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management - first published in 1861. 

Darlings, now you’re forbidden to turn your nose up to this glorious dish, which I must admit, is of an acquired taste; yet delightfully delicious (believe me, I was extremely surprised by how mouth-watering tasty this recipe turned out to be!) British, suet crust, meat-based pie created with an unusual concoction of ingredients such as sliced veal fillet or cushion, chunky bacon bits, hard-boiled eggs, a sprinkling of seasoning, followed by a "gill" (translation: 140ml or 5 US fl oz.) of beef stock – and nout more! 

Hello, darlings!
 
Miss Windsor excitedly presents Mrs Beeton’s Hasty Pudding (Nutmeg & Vanilla Tapioca Pudding).

​Okey dokey, Miss Windsor has no time for "dilly dallying", so without further ado I’m going to get straight to the point – chop, chop! about this subtly sweet yet rather wholesome member of the British milk pudding family.
 
You see, as far as I know, hasty pudding or more commonly known as tapioca pudding has been a staple of our beloved sweet course since the 1800’s – well, a lot less so in today’s modern world, but suffice to say it’s certainly making a glorious comeback!
 
Oh, and I must quickly mention that I’m "chomping at the bit" as I excitedly present this recipe as my first offering to "At Home With Mrs Simkins & Miss Windsor" – our new collaboration which opens with an all guns blazing HASTE-OFF, hence HASTY PUDDING.  

​Hello, darlings!
 
Warm up your "cockles"- Oh, I say! with Mrs Beeton’s Useful Soup for Benevolent Purposes - Victorian cuisine at its finest! Created with a jolly good dousing of Thatcher's Oak Aged Vintage Cider - the very best of Somerset fayre! 
 
My dears, you maybe already know, that in 1861 during the reign of our sovereign - Queen Victoria (curtsey please!) Mrs Isabella Beeton’s most treasured creation – Beeton’s Book of Household Management was first published. And as nature intended, she flourished into the worlds-greatest teacher of all things "domestic and culinary" – Oh, what an inspiration! And luckily for Miss Windsor, she just so happens to own a copy of the 1906 edition which evidently was bestowed the new title of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management – How spiffing!

​Moving swiftly on, whilst scouring through my glorious 1906 edition, there I discovered Mrs Beeton’s ONE and ONLY recipe to be of her very own creation – Benevolent Soup, which was originally known as Useful Soup for Benevolent Purposes. 

Hello, darlings!
 
Happy Yorkshire Pudding Day! (3rd Feb 2019)
 
In the spirit of this most wonderful day, I wished to recreate a family sized Yorkshire pudding; not the individual type that we’re all so familiar with – How spiffing!
 
Therefore, I just so happened to find the ideal recipe in my 1903 edition of Mrs Beeton’s One Shilling Cookery Book, which originally belonged to my great great grandmother Georgina.

Oh, and by the way, Mrs Beeton’s recipe makes two puds, so you may scoff one with your Sunday dinner of roast beef and gravy, and freeze the other for a rainy day!

 ​Hello, darlings!

​Miss Windsor excitedly presents Mrs Beeton’s Traditional British Christmas Pudding recipe - a frightfully fruity, remarkably rich, temptingly moist, and abundantly boozy classic festive dessert, which I discovered buried deep within my culinary bible - my 1906 edition of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management - page 939, to be exact - How spiffing! 

And I must say, what thrill it was, although rather laborious, to step back in time to the late 1800's and recreate an age-old recipe following traditional methods. And so, with a whole day set aside, and with my great great grandmother Georgina in mind, I wished to experience the joys of a Victorian 19th-century cook, slogging away in the kitchen as one prepares for the Christmas Day feast - well, so far, just the Christmas pudding!  

Hello, darlings!
 
Please join Miss Windsor for a jolly good go at recreating this refreshingly zingy beverage of Mrs Beeton’s Quick-Fire Fizz Lemonade - it's ‘easy peasy lemon squeezy’!

Oh, and it’s just what the doctor ordered to reduce one’s body temperature whilst enduring such an unusual spell of sweltering hot weather. And I dare say, it’s definitely a one-off for Great Britain that’s notoriously known for its mediocre summers – My word, wonders never cease!
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 ​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!