Our hunt for lesser known railway related recipes continues. Earlier this month we were given a recipe for the Railway Pasty – apparently it was a sweet treat in the lunch boxes of railway workers. Now we have found (OK it was my mother!) a similar recipe for a ‘railway pudding’ from the Edinburgh Book of Plain Cookery Recipes first published in 1932 (a book primarily intended for students of domestic science at Edinburgh College). Feel free to have a go at either recipe and let us see your pictures of the finished product. The image here is of the Railway Pasty – we decorated the top with a design based on Hackworth’s plugwheel. We haven’t made the pudding yet as we’re on a lockdown diet!
Railway Pudding
The Parts
Half pound flour
Three ounces butter
Three ounces sugar
One large teaspoon baking powder
One egg
Jam
The Journey
Mix the flour and baking powder in a basin; rub in the butter; add the sugar; beat the egg, and mix into the dry ingredients. Beat the mixture well, and, if necessary, add a little milk to make the mixture of a soft dropping consistency. Pour into a greased tin, and bake in a hot oven for about three-quarters of an hour till firm to the touch. Turn out and allow to cool. When cold, split in half and spread with jam. Dredge the top with sugar, and cut into fingers.
The Railway Pasty (also known as the Malham Tarn Railway Pasty)
The Parts
4 oz/ 100g caster sugar
4oz butter or margarine
1 egg
8 oz/ 200g self-raising flour
2-3 tablespoons jam or lemon curd
Extra sugar for dusting
The Journey
1. Preheat oven to 200o C/ 180O fan gas mark 5. Grease an 18cm or 7-inch spring sided tin
2. Cream sugar or margarine together with egg, add in flour and mix until it binds.
3. Divide mixture in two and roll each piece out to an 18cm/7-inch circle on a floured surface. Place one piece in the cake tin and cover with the warmed jam or curd. Place the other piece on top of the jam/curd and pinch the edges.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Dust with sugar while still warm. Cut into pieces when cool.
