A Taste of Wonderland

A collection of recipes from the most nostalgic literature

Contents

Introduction - 5

Afternoon Treats - 6

Fabulous Feasts - 23

Puddings and Buns - 33

Index - 48

A Taste of Wonderland 4

A Taste of Wonderland

IntroductionMy life has been shaped by two things: books and food. Whenever I think back to my childhood, I picture myself reading a good book - staying up late to finish the next chapter, trying not to get crumbs between the pages. I

have collected the most memorable culinary moments from children’s literature and adapted them into delectable

recipes for you to try at home.

As an avid reader, these recipes take me back to the start of my reading obsession and clearly outlining the person I have become. I’ve read the Chronicles of Narnia more

times than I can remember, and I always associate my first experience of Turkish Delight as when I read Edward’s

indulgences in the treat.

When I became a parent, I was able to sift through my old collection of children’s books and fall in love once

again. The rich, glorious descriptions of snacks, treats and mealtimes brought those great childhood memories

flooding back, and they were simply too good not to share.

These easy to follow recipes will have you reliving your childhood as you throw your own Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

or bake your own honey and spice loaf that even Winnie the Pooh would love.

5

Afternoon Treats

9A Taste of Wonderland

Grate the ginger on a coarse grater, leaving the skin on if you prefer. Put the ginger and the juice into a bowl, adding the muscovado sugar.

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the rind from two lemons. Add this to the bowl of ginger and sugar, and muddle together with something heavy, such as pestle or a rolling pin. Do this for 10 seconds, just to mix the flavours. Squeeze the juice from all three lemons and add most of it to the bowl. Pour in the water.

Allow this to settle for ten minutes, then taste. If it tastes too sour, add a little more sugar; if it’s too sweet, add a little more lemon juice. This recipe should be adapted to your own taste, so feel free to adjust accordingly.

Using a coarse sieve, pour the ginger beer into a large jug, adding lots of ice and some sprigs of mint to garnish.

Serves 4–6

140g fresh ginger4 tbsp muscovado sugar2–3 lemons1 litre soda water or sparkling mineral watera few sprigs of fresh mint

The Famous Five’s Ginger BeerGinger beer, with it’s refreshing and zingy taste, is often linked to The Famous Five. The gang enjoyed the drink in their adventures on Kirrin Island, and made it the drink of choice for a whole generation. While most ginger beers require a starter, this recipe can be ready in under twenty minutes - great if you fancy a last-minute trip to the beach!

10 A Taste of Wonderland

Serves 8

For the scones350g self-raising flour, plus more for dusting¼ tsp salt1 tsp baking powder85g unsalted butter, cut into cubes3 tbsp caster sugar175ml buttermilkbeaten egg, to glaze

jam and clotted cream, to serve

For the tea100g dried rosebuds50g white tea

Mad Hatter’s Tea PartyJam Tomorrow Scones & Queen Of Hearts’ Rose Garden Tea

The Mad Hatter from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is as nonsensical as they come, but these simple recipes can be whipped up in no time for a spot of afternoon tea. Ideal if you have some unexpected guests!

Heat oven to 220°C/Gas Mark 7. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Add the butter and then rub together until it looks like fine crumbs. Next, stir in the sugar.

Add the buttermilk to the mixture, combining quickly with a round-edged knife. Add some flour to the work surface and then tip the dough onto the area. Taking care to not overwork the dough, pat the dough into a round about 4cm deep.

Take a 5cm cutter and dip it into some flour, to stop from sticking. Cut as many scones as you can from the dough and then press together the leftover dough to cut out some more scones. Brush the tops with a beaten egg, and then put onto a baking tray.

Bake for 10 minutes until the scones have risen and are golden on the top. You can eat the scones whilst still warm, or cold on the day of baking. They are delicious when served with a generous helping of jam and clotted cream.

Making your own tea blend couldn’t be easier. The Queen of Hearts’ Rose Garden tea uses a white tea base, which allows the delicate flavours of the roses to come through. Add the dried rosebuds to the white tea and mix thoroughly. Store in a suitable jar or resealable bag.

To make a pot of tea, fill and heat a teapot with enough water per person. Once the water reached around 80 degrees, add one teaspoon of the tea blend per cup to the teapot. Allow to brew for 2–3 minutes, and then pour into the cups using a tea strainer to catch the buds and leaves.

13A Taste of Wonderland

Serves 16

For the cake225g plain flour350g caster sugar85g cocoa powder2 tsp baking powder2 tsp bicarbonate of soda2 free-range eggs250ml milk125ml vegetable oil2 tsp vanilla extract250ml boiling water

For the chocolate ganache200ml double cream 200g plain chocolate, (minimum 70% cocoa solids), chopped, plus extra to decorate

This recipe is inspired by cake thief Bruce Bogtrotter, from Roald Dahl’s Matilda. This chocolate cake is rich, indulgent and extremely satisfying. The moist layers and thick ganache really make this cake a showstopper, but it’s up to you to decide if the cake is too good to share.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line two 20cm/8in sandwich tins.

Make the sponge by placing all of the cake ingredients, except the boiling water, into a large mixing bowl. Whisk the mixture until smooth and well combined using a wooden spoon or a whisk.

Slowly add the boiling water to the mixture until smooth. The mixture should now be runny, so do not worry if it appears too wet.

Divide the mixture between the sandwich tins and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until the sponge is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and leave in the tins to cool completely.

Next, make the chocolate ganache. Heat the chocolate and cream in a saucepan over a low heat until the chocolate melts. Remove from the heat and whisk until smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool for 1–2 hours, allowing the ganache to thicken considerably.

Once the sponge has cooled, run a round-bladed knife around the edge of the cake tins to loosen. Carefully remove the cakes from the tins and place one of the chocolate sponges onto a serving plate.

Spread some chocolate ganache over the top and then layer on the second sponge. Ice the cake all over with the chocolate ganache using a palette knife. To finish, decorate the top with a light sprinkling of the chopped chocolate.

Miss Trunchbull’s Chocolate Cake

14 A Taste of Wonderland

Ice Queen’s Turkish Delight

I’m yet to meet a child who doesn’t have a sweet tooth, and I was certainly no different. Although Edmond, from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, found that his love for Turkish Delight would be his downfall, you’ve got nothing to worry about. The only bad side on this treat is that it is highly addictive!

Lightly oil and line a 20x25cm baking tin with cling film.

In a large heavy-based pan, mix the gelatine, water, rose water and sugar. Gently heat the mixture until the sugar and gelatine has dissolved, stirring continuously. Once dissolved, stop stirring and bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the food colouring. Leave to cool for 2–3 minutes. Next, pour the mixture into the oiled tin and leave to set for 24 hours.

Mix the icing sugar and cornflour together. Cut the Turkish Delight into squares, and then toss into the mixture.

Store in an airtight container, between layers of greaseproof paper.

sunflower oil, for greasing25g powdered gelatine255ml water4 tsp rose water450g caster sugar3–4 drops red food colouring3 tbsp icing sugar1 tsp cornflour

CCakes Cherry Cake, Mary Poppins 34 Miss Trunchbull’s Chocolate Cake, Matilda 13

Cheese Cheese Board, Heidi 29

Chicken Fried Chicken, To Kill A Mockingbird 31

GGinger Ginger Beer, The Famous Five 9

HHoney Honey and Spice Loaf, Winnie The Pooh 41 Picnic Pie, What Katy Did 24

JJam Jam Tomorrow Scones, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 10

Roly Poly Pudding, The Tale of Samuel Whiskers 44

LLemon Lavender Lemon Shortbread, The Secret Garden 17

Lemon Meringue Pie, Nancy Drew and the Secret of the Shadow Ranch 46

Index

48

MMarmalade Marmalade Buns, Paddington Bear 39

PPeach Peach Juice, James and the Giant Peach 19

RRaspberry Raspberry Cordial, Anne Of Green Gables 20

Rhubarb Rhubarb Crumble, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 36

Rose Queen of Hearts’ Rose Garden Tea, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 10

Ice Queen’s Turkish Delight, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe 14

SShrimp Potted Shrimp, The Borrowers 27

49

The rights of Chelsea Brown to be identified as the author of this work have been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1933.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without the prior permission of Quercus Publishing.

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 9753102316283

Printed in Bath by Graphicom

A note about the textThis book was set using Helvetica, Clarendon and Florence. Helvetica was designed in 1957 by Max Miedinger of the Swiss-based company Haas Foundry. Clarendon was designed in 1845 by Robert Besley for the Fann Street Company. It was refreshed by Edouard Hoffman and Hermann Eidenbenz at the Haas Foundry one hundred years later. Florence was created in 2013 by Lily Bather, during her studies at Universidad Iberoamericana.

Chelsea Brown is an avid reader and baker. She started putting together recipes whilst studying at Bath Spa University. A Taste of Wonderland is her first book.

Hardcover: 48 pages Book Dimensions: 19.8 x 2.1 x 23.9 cmWord Count: 1576

First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Absolute Press, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Absolute PressScarborough House29 James Street WestBath BA1 2BTPhone 44 (0) 1225 316013Fax 44 (0) 1225 445836E-mail office@absolutepress.co.ukWebsite www.absolutepress.co.uk

Text copyright © Chelsea Brown, 2015Photography copyright © Chelsea Brown, 2015

Produced by: Harris + WilsonProject manager: Steven Patrick MorrisseyRecipe testing: Jane Middleton

Inspired by the vivid descriptions that brought our senses to life, A Novel Experience is a collection of recipes sourced from our favourite

childhood stories. Paint the roses red with jam tarts influenced by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, or tempt your loved ones with

Turkish Delight straight from the Narnia.

“The rule is jam tomorrow and jam yesterday, but never jam today.”

Lewis Carroll, Through The Looking Glass