These are old-fashioned cakes that I found
in a 1914 cookbook. I thought I’d never tried them before, but after I’d made
them and look a bite they were strangely familiar. I think my mum or my aunts
must have made them when I was a child. They are delicious and easy to make –
especially with frozen pastry to cheat!
Just
after I’d tried mine, I stumbled across Jamie Oliver attempting to revive them
on ‘Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast’. They had far more variety and tried
more modern versions – ones I definitely want to have an attempt! I like the sound of chocolate, apricot, strawberry and brandy & vanilla. Yum!
I used to live near Richmond, but sadly I don’t think I ever discovered this wonderful bakery, ‘The Original Maids of Honour’ , where you can find out more about the history. (Henry VIII is supposed to have named them ‘Maids of Honour’ – they are THAT traditional) and even sample some of Jamie Oliver’s creations. I fancy Apricot myself …
Elin’s
Maids of Honour from ‘We That are Left’
Ingredients
Eight teaspoonsful of sugar,
One egg
2 oz (60g) ground almonds
Pinch of baking powder
Packet of frozen puff pastry
Raspberry jam
Method
Beat the sugar and the egg together, then
stir in the almonds. Put the baking powder last. Have some patty-pans/muffin
tins lined with puff-paste (frozen is fine), lay a teaspoon of raspberry jam at
the bottom of each, and cover with a teaspoon of the mixture. (I decorated them
with toasted almond flakes, which worked well.)
Bake in a moderate oven - 200C (180C if fan
assisted) Gas Mark 6 for about 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
I'm so glad you've posted this. My friend and I used to make these all the time when we were about 12/13 years old. I recently looked for the recipe to make them with my daughter, but couldn't find it. Can't wait to make them now - thank you!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant, Sue! This recipe was from a very old book, have a look at Jamie Oliver's - I love his flavours for Maids of Honour, I want to try them all!
ReplyDelete