Recipes :

With our thoughts finally turning to cold winter evenings I have rummaged through some old Mackay Banner newsletters for some warming winter meals to serve with fresh autumn vegetables. I have images of Granny Mackay at the kitchen range stirring warming soup while the smell of freshly baked Baps fills the air.  Mmmmm

Neep Bree Soup:

¾ kg yellow Turnips, 1 medium onion finely chopped, 250ml milk, pinch of ginger, salt and pepper, chopped chives and tbsp cream per person to garnish.

Peel and chop the turnip roughly and blanch in boiling water for 2 or 3 minutes. Pour off the water. Melt butter in a large pot and add turnip and onion. Season with salt and pepper and add ginger. Cover and cook very gently for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the water, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 30-40minutes when the turnip should be tender. Liquidise till it is a very fine puree or pass through a fine sieve twice. Correct the consistency with a little milk if it is too thick and check the seasoning. Serve hot, garnished with chopped chives and a tbsp of cream in each bowl.

Baps :

3¾ cups of plain white flour, a pinch of salt, 25g fresh yeast or one cake compressed yeast, 1 level teaspoon caster sugar, 1¼ cups of milk and water mixed, ¼ cup lard and a little extra flour.

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Warm the milk and water then stir in the yeast and sugar so they dissolve. Rub the lard into the flour, then make a well in the centre, pour in the yeast liquid and mix the ingredients together to form a dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 5 minutes until smooth.

Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with oiled plastic wrap and leave the dough in a warm place to prove. it should double in size in 30 minutes. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it back to its original size, then cut it into 8 and knead each piece into a round. Flatten the rounds with a rolling pin and place them on floured baking trays. Leave tray in a warm place to prove for 15 minutes. Brush with water and dust with flour, then bake at 220c for 15-20 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire tray.

Potted Hough:

1 kg of Hough (shin of beef), 1 nap bone (knuckle), 4 whole cloves 4 peppercorns, salt and pepper to taste.

Place the Hough, bone, peppercorns and cloves into a large saucepan cover with water and bring slowly to the boil. skim then simmer gently for 6 hours. Strain the stock into a clean saucepan. Remove the meat from the bones and any gristle or fat from the meat. Mince the meat, add it to the stock and bring it to the boil again. Season to taste and sit for ½hour. Stir and place into wet moulds. This Hough keeps well and can be served with salad.

Treacle Girdle Scones : 

250g of Flour, ¾ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda,1 teaspoon cream of tartar, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons  caster sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger, 1 tablespoon of black treacle, 2g butter and some buttermilk.

Sift the flour with soda, cream of tartar, salt sugar and spices. Melt the butter slowly with the treacle until both run freely. Stir into the flour with enough buttermilk to make a soft dough, firm enough to knead. Turn onto a lightly floured board. Divide into two. gently knead each into rounds about 1½ cm thick. With a floured knife, divide each into quarters. Cook on a hot floured girdle over moderate heat until dry and slightly browned then turn and cook the other side. Serve with butter or cream.

Athole Cakes : 

75g butter, 60g castor sugar, 2 eggs, 150g cornflour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 25g finely minced candied lemon peel.

cream butter and gradually beat in sugar until fluffy, then beat in one egg at a time. When blended stir in the cornflour, baking powder and peel with a little milk if needed to make a batter. Three-quarter fill greased gem tins, dusted with rice flour. Bake in a moderate oven at 350F for 15-20 minutes. When they are cool ice with white glace icing with a little flavoured rum and sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles or coconut.

Marmalade  Cake :

8oz plain flour, 4oz butter , 8oz golden syrup, 8oz orange marmalade, 1 teaspoon of  baking powder, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1 egg , beaten.

Melt the syrup and the butter in a pan over a very gentle heat. Stir in the marmalade. Leave to cool. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the syrup mixture and the beaten egg. Beat well until thoroughly blended. Turn into a greased 8 inch square tin  and cook in the oven at 175C for about 45 minutes until firm and golden brown in colour. Cool the cake  on a wire rack and cut into slices.

Its good food, that it was :

'Se biadh math a bha sin