Centre Travel

Shortcrust Pastry. Filling: 4 oz potatoes, peeled and finely diced 2 oz peas 4 oz carrots, peeled and grated 4 oz cheese, grated On a lightly floured surface roll the pastry into a pie dish. Put the prepared filling. Cover with pastry and prick with fork. Bake in a hot oven Gas mark 5 until golden brown.

Makes about 6 lbs. 1/4 lb brown sugar 1/2 sultanas, currants, candied peel 1 lb raisins. 1/4 lb vegetable suet 1/4 level teaspoon nutmeg, groung ginger and mixed spice. 6 oz blanched almonds 1 large cooking apple The juice of 4 lemons 1/4 pint sherry Mix together the sugar, sultanas, currants, raisins, candied peel, suet,spices and almonds in a bowl. Peel, core and chop apple and add to other ingredients. Using the coarsest disc of a mincer, mince all ingredients. Stir in the lemon juice and sherry to make a stiff consistency. Wash and dry jars, pack the mincemeat pressing it down well so no bubbles are visible. Cover with waxed paper rounds, then wax side down. Do not use for at least two weeks for the flavour to mellow.

Mix together equal quantities of diced boiled potatoes, diced cooked ham, diced cheese. Stir in salad cream. Serve the salad with some greens and bread.

Serves 1 3 dessertspoons Whisky 2 level teaspoons brown sugar Freshly made strong coffee Double Cream Heat a stemmed glass in hot water, then wipe . Spoon the whiskey, stir in the sugar, then fill the glass less 1 inch from the rim with hot coffee. Stir until sugar is dissolved then with the tip of a teaspoon in the coffee , pour the cream over the back so that it floats on the surface of the coffee about half an inch thick. Serve at once.

Makes about 6 lbs. 3 lb plums 10 tablespoons water 3 lb preserving sugar A knob of butter Wash the plums, cut them in half and remove the stone. Put the plums into a pan with the water and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until fruit is tender. Add sugar and stir until every grain has dissolved, then boil rapidly for 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the butter. Leave the jam for about 15 minutes so that the fruit is evenly dispersed. Pour int warm sterilized jars, seal, label and store.

175 g margarine 175 g sugar 225 g plain flour 1 1/2 level teaspoons baking powder 3 eggs 2 tablespoons milk 75 g walnuts, chopped Coffee Icing 50 g margarine 3 tablespoons milk 225 g seived icing sugar A few drops coffee essence 75 g walnuts, chopped and halved to decorate Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl, beat until mixed. Place mixture in a greased and lined 17.5 cm round cake tin. bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven Gas Mark 3 for about 1 3/4hr. Leave in tin to cool. Icing: Place all ingredients in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Stir until mixture is smooth and glossy. Remove from heat and leave until cold. Beat well until thick. Spread over the sides of the cake and roll in the chopped nuts. Spread and pipe remaining icing over the top of the cake and decorate with walnut halves.