Something Different
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Norfolk Dumplings
These dumplings are also called ‘swimmers' or 'floaters' - because they were made with bread dough, not suet - and hence float. They were once an essential part of the area's diet.
8oz of plain flour
½ tablespoon of baking powder
Pinch of salt
Water
Place the plain flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl - and mix into a dough using the water. From the mixture, make 6 to 8 balls, then pop into a saucepan of boiling water for about 20 minutes. Serve with a meat accompaniment.
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Suffolk Rusks
These rusks are an old favourite from Suffolk - delicious served with local jam or a good cheese.
8oz self-raising flour
3oz of butter
1 egg (beaten)
Pinch of salt
¼ pint of warmed milk
Preheat oven to 230C (gas mark 8). Sift the self-raising flour and salt into a bowl. Melt the butter and add to the warm milk - then place this into the bowl. Stir in the beaten egg - and create a smooth dough. Leave to stand for about 1½ hours. Roll out dough, and cut out circles of about 1 inch thick. Bake for about 10 minutes on a greased tray. Remove and cut the rusks in half - then return to the oven until crisp (10 to 15 minutes).
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Bedfordshire Clanger
A real East of England speciality - the clanger is a baked suet pastry with savoury meat at one end, and something sweet at the other. A complete meal in one handy parcel.
For the pastry:
16oz of pre-made shortcrust pastry
1 egg (beaten)
2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
For the savoury filling:
Small onion (chopped)
1 tablespoon of lard
8oz of minced pork
1 tablespoon of dried sage
1 cooking apple (peeled and cored)
2oz of cooked peas
Seasoning
For the sweet filling:
2 dessert apples (peeled and cored)
2oz of dates (stoned and chopped)
Grated rind of 1 orange
2oz of sultanas
2 tablespoons of caster sugar
Preheat the oven to 220C (gas mark 7).
To make the savoury filling, place the chopped onion and lard in a frying pan over a medium heat for
2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is soft and golden. Stir in the minced pork and dried sage - and cook gently for
5 minutes. Peel, core and chop the cooking apple and add into the mixture. Cook for a further 5 minutes, then stir in the peas, season to taste and leave to cool.
To make the sweet filling, peel, core and chop the dessert apples, then place in a mixing bowl and stir in the chopped dates, grated orange rind, sultanas and caster sugar.
Roll out the pre-made shortcrust pastry to about 5mm thick and cut out two circles, 25cm in diameter. Re-roll the trimmings and cut out two thick 12.5 x 1cm strips of pastry. Brush the long edges of each strip with a little beaten egg, and stand one strip, on its long side, from the edge to the centre of each circle to form a wall. Make the strip stand up by pressing the bottom edge quite firmly onto the circle. Brush the edges of the circles all the way around with beaten egg. On one side of each pastry wall put half of the savoury filling, and on the other side put half of the sweet filling. Fold the other half of each pastry circle over the filling to form a pastry shape, and press the centre lightly so that the dividing strip sticks to the top. Pinch the edges firmly together, brush with the rest of the beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 190C (gas mark 5) and bake for a further 25 minutes.
