I’ve noticed that there is a direct correlation between the amount of endorphins released into my brain and how bizarre a wartime recipe is that I re-create.
Todays wartime recipe, beetroot pudding, scored an impressive 8.5 on the endorphin release scale as not only was it quick, easy and colourful but tasted good too, something I wasn’t expecting from a pudding containing grated raw beetroot!
I halved the amount of ingredients as it was a good bet that I’d be the only one eating it but it still made a good sized two portions!
Not knowing what to expect from this bizzario dish, I hastily whipped up a jam sauce made out of a margarine and flour roux, some milk and a couple of heaped teaspoons of raspberry jam. We’ve all heard Mary Poppins sing “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…”, well I figured the jam sauce would work in a similar way with this pink pudding that Mrs. Cropley would have been proud of.
I dare you to try it!
C xx
Beetroot Pudding
Ingredients
6 oz of plain flour (I used half wholemeal and half white)
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 oz margarine
1 oz sugar
4 oz raw beetroot finely grated
Method
* Mix all the ingredients together and bind together with 3 or 4 tablespoons of milk until the consistency is soft like cake mix.
* Add several drops of your favourite flavouring essence (I used the banana essence I had left over from making mock bananas – see video here!)
* Turn mixture into a greased pie dish and place in a pre-heated oven at around 180 C for 30-40 minutes
Serve with custard or sauce.
Serves 4.
The 1940's Experiment 
You are amazing and quite adventuresome when it comes to cooking. I will continue to let you being the guinea pig of new recipes and then after you’ve tried them “give them a go” as you say on your side of the pond.
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I suppose if it was all I had to eat, I would love this, but sorry…….I just can’t……lol
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Carolyn, I loved your reference to Mrs Cropley. Her name comes up frequently in my kitchen which happens to be in Seattle and is an ‘in joke’ as nobody within several thousand miles would understand the meaning. As a Brit I frequently rant to my family about pretty much anything that’s not British (McDonalds, Brownies, iced tea).
We followed the WW2 diet this spring when my husband was laid off from work. I thought the austerity would motivate him to find another job, quickly. However, he loved it! All the pastry, oaty cookies, and puddings. We found ourselves using more sugar than we usually do, and gained weight on it!. He is employed again now and working off the lbs at the gym.
Well done with the London Marathon this spring. You are truly and inspiration. And your food photos are wonderful.
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Hahah great story! 🙂 Can’t take the British eccentricity out of the woman! Thank you for your kind words xxx
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Can I assume beetroots are beets?
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Yes indeed they are 🙂 I think we call them beetroots here in the UK because the green tops of beets were very popular as they were very good for you so I am presuming the roots bit was added to avoid confusion xxxx
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Well that’s what I think anyway LOL! xxx
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Easy Chocolate Beetroot Cake
Ingredients
175g plain flour
10g baking powder
75g cocoa powder
225g caster sugar
3 eggs
225g cooked, unsalted, peeled & grated beetroot
200 ml butter
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°c/400°F/gas 6 then oil and line a loaf pan or 20cm round tin. Sift the first 4 ingredients together in a bowl. Blend the eggs, beetroot, and oil till smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and fold altogether then pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes or till well risen and springy to the touch. Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin before turning out. Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or a mixture of cream and custard whisked together.
An old recipe of mum’s so it must be from WW2, I have converted it to metric measures.
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Me again. I forgot to say that the “Easy Chocolate and Beetroot Cake” can also be steamed (as can most cake recipes) using the following method (gleaned and experimented with by myself) from the “Hay Box” method championed by Ruth Mott on “The Wartime Kitchen Garden” BBC TV series. All you need is slow cooker/Crock pot – whatever you call yours.
I have a large slow cooker & a plastic microwave lidded dish (I think it’s for cooking rice in the microwave) that fits nicely inside my slow cooker, I also use an old fashioned pudding steamer. I put a small metal tea pot stand in the slow cooker, place the filled dish onto it then top up with hot water to about 3/4 up the side of the filled dish. It really is that simple. I cook all sorts of things this way as it can be left to happily cook on low without the fear of burning.
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