The baked memories of childhood

Do any recipes remind you of your childhood?  Food that made you feel loved and cared for, and made weekends a huge treat (not to mention the sugar hit guaranteed to zonk you out in time to slop on the couch to watch Epic Theatre (did anyone else feel creeped out by Charlton Heston as the leading man?) World Championship Wrestling (go Mario!) and reruns of Elvis movies).

A wonderful friends’ mum used to bake a divine ‘sand kuchen’ ( I still have this recipe) and would make a yoghurt, whipped cream and fruit confection that was amazing and almost tasted good for you. 

My Mum had two special weekend recipes that I loved, and it seems some of my friends also share these baked memories.

One extra special friend would visit us nearly every Sunday for home made waffles slathered in vanilla ice cream and golden syrup (you know who you are!).

I recently met up with another old friend who reminded me of my mum’s ‘Emperors Pieces’.   I asked mum for the recipe, to share my memory with you.  Make this recipe and feel the love.

Does anyone else have a baked memory? 

Sanja xxxx

Emperors Pieces

4 thick slices stale bread or brioche or fruit bread

1 ¼ cups milk

60 g sultanas

1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped

1 egg

2 tsp sugar

Salted butter for shallow frying

Mix all the ingredients together, except the apple and bread, to make a batter.  Cut the bread into cubes and put in a bowl with the apple.  Pour over the batter and let it soak into the bread (about 15 minutes).

Heat some butter in a frypan (and electric frypan is great for this – big and flat).

Pour in the batter/bread/apple and cook for a few minutes until one side is brown.  Turn the ‘omelette’ and brown the other side for a few more minutes, then tear the ‘omelette’ into pieces with a couple of forks and continue to brown until the ‘pieces’ are cooked. 

Serve sprinkled with vanilla sugar.  

To make Vanilla Sugar put a vanilla pod into a jar or sugar for a few days.

With many thanks to Galadarling for the above image.