On this page, each month from April to September, we will give away just a few of our best kept secrets - some tried and tested family recipes for delicious Coffee and Tea time treats!  We use Imperial measurements.  Please note we can can only make an assumption as to how many calories each slice of cake will contain, so therefore hazard a guess they may possibly contain just a few more than 5!

1. ELIZABETH'S CAKE (Quick to prepare, this cake keeps nice and moist and makes excellent picnic fare. Can also be frozen).
Ingredients: 8oz SR Flour; 4oz margarine or butter; 4oz demerara sugar; 1 egg; 5oz of peeled and diced dessert apple; 4oz tinned apricot, chopped into small pieces; 3oz sultanas; 1 level teaspoon of mixed spices; milk to mix.
Rub margarine or butter into sieved SR Flour. Add sugar, egg, apple, apricot and sultanas and mix well.  Stir in enouh milk to make a slow dropping consistency and cook mixture in a greased and lined deep 7" cake tin until nicely golden brown and firm to the touch - approx 1 hour at 375-400F. Turn out carefully and sprinkle top with demerara sugar.

2. TIFFIN (Delicious at Tea Time)
Melt in a pan together 4oz butter or margarine, 2oz soft brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of golden syrup.  Add 8 oz crushed digestive biscuits and 2oz sultanas.  Press into a greaseproof paperlined swiss roll tin.  Cover with 4oz melted plain chocolate and leave in fridge to cool for a few hours or overnight.  When cold, cut into pieces and serve with a nice cup of tea.

3. SHORTBREAD (This shortbread just melts in the mouth and many thanks go to Grandma Bess for handing down such an excellent and fool proof recipe).
Put together in a mixing basin: 9oz Self Raising Flour, 3oz Cornflour, 3oz Caster Sugar and a couple of drops of vanilla essence.  Melt 1/2lb of Butter, pour into bowl and stir the mixture well.  Place into an ungreased swiss roll tin and press down evenly.  Prick the top with a fork in a pretty pattern.  Bake for 25 - 30 minutes at 180C (170C if a fan oven). Leave in tin until cool, then sprinkle with Caster Sugar and cut into slices.  Delicious at any time, but especially good accompanying a cup of coffee.