A Look Inside a 1940s Be-Ro Recipe Book
Just before Christmas I came into possession of my great-grandmother's 1940s Be-Ro recipe booklet along with a behemoth of a Christmas cake. It was easily the best Christmas cake I've ever had, and I was glad to have a copy of the original recipe. But the whole booklet is a treasure trove of vintage recipes; many of which call for the likes of lard and other fats. As you flick through the pages, you really get an impression of the wartime mentality surrounding food and the role of 1940s housewives. So I've decided to share a few pages here, along with my thoughts, and of course the wonderful Christmas cake recipe!
Rationing made everyone obsessed with food. Even now, food is something we take comfort from, and in the bleak period of the Second World War, there wasn't an abundance of it. People actively tried to 'make something from nothing'. Nothing went to waste, people living off leftovers and making soups with animal bones and whatever vegetables could be grown in the garden. I can only imagine that when creating this recipe for 'Puffs', Be-Ro had 'something from nothing' in mind. It consists of making a batter from flour and water and frying it in bacon fat. Perhaps not the most appetising recipe in the book, but certainly interesting.
You don't get much more traditional than these breads and fruit loaves, perfect with a spreading of butter and a cup of tea. While the recipes are quite basic, the inclusion of ingredients such as peel and currants leaves you with a naturally sweet and fragrant treat.
Finally, of course, we have the Christmas cake which was allotted two pages. This is easily one of the most indulgent recipes in the booklet in terms of its ingredients. Most likely due to people saving their family rations for Christmas time in order to make treats such as this. There's quite a few steps and stages involved in this cake, but it makes so much that it will last for quite some time (unless you live in my household). And if you want to make things easier, you can always buy a box of royal icing from your supermarket of choice, rather than make it from scratch. I'll definitely be making one of these next Christmas.
