Duke of Cambridge Tart

Duke of Cambridge Tart is one of the delicious dishes that visitors to Cambridge will find to enjoy. There are several well known puddings associated with Cambridge. Burnt Cream  or Creme Brulee is associated with the  University Colleges.
The inventor of CS Gas lived in Magdalene College and experimented on himself ruining his digestion at the same time.He was advised by his doctor to eat rice pudding,. If you dine in this college on High Table you can refuse the dessert being served because there is still always rice pudding which was made daily for the ailing scientist .

This recipe is likely to be revived
  Duke of Cambridge Tart

Recipe
          Crust
          4 -6oz shortcrust pastry .Ready made from the supermarket is fine. Line a pie dish or flan ring with  shortcrust pastry.
           Preheat the oven.
Filling   3oz butter, 3 oz sugar,4 oz raisins,2 oz glace cherries, 2 egg yolks,2 tablespoons rum or brandy, grated lemon rind.

1. Cover the raisins with cold water , bring to the boil, leave until cool and drain
2. Put the raisins and cherries in to the lined pie dish.( add the grated rind of a lemon if liked)
3. Melt the butter and sugar  in a small pan, bring to the boil.
4. Remove from the heat and beat in the egg yolks and brandy 
5. Pour over the raisins and cherries, bake for 25-35 mins, 190 C,375F,Gas5, until the pastry is brown and the filling golden
6. Eat hot or cool with cream or icecream.

ALTERNATIVE FILLING:  another traditional filling is candied peel instead of raisins. 

                                                         

Kate and Wills, Duke and Duchess

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
Grandma knows quite a number of ladies who thought that they were the Duchess of Cambridge.
I enjoyed a good cry through the wedding ceremony and will be going to the Hertford street, Cambridge, street party very soon.Looking up recipes for Duke of Cambridge Tart-- a very old dessert recipe.

The Ceremony
Crown Imperial was a brilliant choice for the exit from Westminster Abbey. Flowers- disappointing,dress wonderful--best dressed lady has to be Camilla , Prince Charles' wife.
The ugly sisters were played by Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice- get a new makeup adviser girls.
Sartorial faux pas- that prize goes to Victoria Beckham in funerial black with a satellite dish on her head--and where was your hat Mrs Cameron?  Your husband was correctly dressed, if you want to get ahead get a hat.


Street Party,Cambridge UK

After big National events many communities hold a street party. This is the party in Hertford Street,Cambridge today

This is Cambridge UK

Mathematical bridge

Winter

Royal Wedding Watchers Sleep Out for Best Places

A chilly night is forcast but many people are camping out around Westminster Abbey and the Mall . Grandma went to have a quiet lunch with her son and found peace in the Royal Academy exhibtion of exquisite Watteau drawings.

Kate and Wills Wedding Eve Royal Title

The Queen will give Prince William and Kate Middleton a title on the eve of their marriage.This is a Royal tradition. Kate will not be Princess Catherine as keeps being quoted, only the daughter or grand daughter of a reigning monarch gets this. The Queen has been to Cambridge today .The Archbishop of Canterbury is coming at  5pm to give a lecture.
Rumour has it that Queen Elizabeth has informed the Mayor that Kate and William will be made Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the eve of their wedding so we shall know tomorrow.

Royal Wedding Fever

London has that special buzz that  this great city gets when a Royal occasion is about to take place.

The flags are out, the mugs and teatowels are on sale everywhere, the streets are heaving with visitors. This is all for the wedding of Kate and William on Friday.People are already camping out in the street to secure the best place to watch from ,Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and The Mall give the best view.

If you are visiting London one the the best treats is a visit to the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.The ballet Cinderella is showing. The costumes,the scenery,and the dancing are pure magic.Laugh at the ugly sisters, do not try the dance moves of the court jester at home.The Royal Opera Orchestra is the best theatre orchestra I have ever heard.
Treat yourself to a glass of Pimms in one of the bars in the interval.Soak up the ambience.
Yes, I know the price of the tickets is eyewatering but this is a special place.

If you need a taxi remember the black cabs on the street are expensive. Order a nice uniformed driver in a decent car from

Addison Lee ; 02073878888

Happy Easter

Happy Easter on this glorious sunny spring day.Cambridge is full of tourists.Many of them are messing about on the river.

Grandma is taking her grand daughters Mathilda and Alice to the Royal Ballet tomorrow to see Cinderella.

Easter Flowers and Food

Grandma arranged flowers this morning at St Botolph's Church ,Cambridge.The weather is very hot so I hope they last.

Easter eggs for grandchildren ( and others) have been bought
 from Marks and Spencers

A large and delicious Simnel cake is in the oven as I write. This cake dates back to the times when young servant girls were allowed to visit their mother over a holiday and bake her a cake using ingredients from the mistresses kitchen. It is a light fruit cake with a layer marzipan in the middle and marzipan finish .Will finish mine tomorrow.

Easter

                   

Eggs, Simnel cake, Church flowers-- no time to blog today

Sew Easy Royal Wedding Cushion

You will need

1. You need a cushion pad  30x50 centimeters, 2 pieces of  felt (green) 40 x60 cms, small pieces of yellow,  and white felt for the crown and  red for the hearts.Gold, ,red and black thread for the embroidery.
2. Use this template to cut out a crown and 2 hearts.

Attach the crown to the one side of the green felt -gold thread looks good
3. Use a strip of white felt for the fur at the base of the crown

Embroider the names on the hearts using running stitch or chain stitch 


4. Embroider the date on the cushion
5. Attach the hearts using red thread and blanket stitch
6. Sew both pieces of green felt together using large blanket stitch

7. Insert the cushion pad and stich up the last side
8. This design makes a simple cushion that children can make with Grandma , the colours could be varied for a pretty hand made wedding or new baby gift.

9. Times are hard-- encourage children to make simple gifts that will be treasured.

Royal Wedding Stitch Up

Grandma loves this knitted Royal Wedding and will give it to her granddaughters. It has been knitted by  friend Julia Barbe using Fiona Gable's pattern book.More of these knitted characters will be  for sale at St Botolph's Church Cambridge on 2  May 2011.

                   Prince Harry,Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth, Kate and William,Camilla,Prince Charles and a corgi