Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated in the UK every year on November 5th. This is a UK celebration which marks the failed attempt in the 17th century to blow up the houses of Parliament and assassinate King James 1st.
It is marked by the lighting of bonfires all over the country and great fireworks displays. Usually a stuffed figure, known as the Guy is thrown onto the Bonfire.
It commemorates a story of failure, as all over the UK people relive the night that Guy Fawkes, Robert Catesby, and their small band of followers failed to succeed in their plans.
In a way this is an annual celebration of Thanksgiving by the British people, which has been going on since just one year after the failed plot in 1605, so as you can see it is an old, old tradition.
When I first moved over to the UK, Halloween was hardly celebrated at all. In the weeks leading up to the 5th of November you would get children coming around door to door begging for "Pennies for the Guy." You had to make sure you had a supply of pennies in to meet the demand.
You were more likely to get a child knocking on your door on the 31st of October wanting pennies than you would a child wanting candy. This has changed a great deal over the last 20 years and Halloween is now a very big thing.
The pennies that the children gathered would be used to buy their fireworks. Also in the weeks leading up to the 5th of November people would be gathering things they wanted burned into a pile on the village green, or another open space on which they would build the bonfire.
It was a great way to get rid of unwanted cartons, tree limbs, wooden furniture, crates, etc. It was quite fascinating watching the pile of goods grow in the few weeks prior to the night.
As well as Bonfires and Fireworks the occasion is also marked by the eating of special foods and treats, usually intended to inject some warmth into cold bodies and hands as people stand around in the cold watching the fires and fireworks.
Things like hearty stews and soups. Jacket potatoes. Sausages in the buns and Parkin, which is a is a soft and moist cake/bread traditionally served up with hot cups of tea. This is a traditional Cake from the North East of the UK.
Another traditional Bonfire night treat is Honeycomb Toffee. Also known as Cinder Toffee, Angel Toffee, Hokey Pokey (favorite name for it) Honeycomb Toffee is a type of sponge toffee that is most addictive!
Its also very easy to make and uses only a few ingredients. This sponge toffee literally melts in the mouth!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE HONEYCOMB TOFFEE
Nothing too outrageous that is what!
- finely granulated white sugar
- golden syrup
- butter for buttering the tin
You can find golden syrup in many groceries here in Canada. You can also find it on Amazon in the US, as well as Amazon in Canada. Although you can use regular golden corn syrup, if you can get the Lyles Golden Syrup, you really should.
It really does have a unique and delicious taste that is quite unbeatable.
You also don't have to worry about being able to use it all up. I have a lot of recipes here in The English Kitchen which use Golden Syrup.
Some of them include:
And these are only a few of the golden syrup delights on my page! As you can see it is a favourite ingredient in British Cookery.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
HOW TO MAKE HONEYCOMB TOFFEE
You might find the idea of making your own honeycomb toffee somewhat intimidating, but I can assure you it is really very easy.
First of all you want to make sure that you use a really deep saucepan as when you add the baking soda to the sugar mixture at the end, it almost doubles in volume. Also make sure you have your pan buttered and ready for you to pour the finished toffee into it.
You begin by measuring the sugar and corn syrup into the saucepan. You need to begin on a very low heat. You want to melt the sugar completely before you go any further. You can stir it slowly over medium-low heat until the sugar melts completely. This will probably take about 10 minutes. You can't rush this process.
Try not to let the mixture boil while you are melting the sugar. You will know your sugar is melted because the mixture will become slightly translucent and no longer feel gritty.
At this time you can increase the heat a bit and allow it to bubble and boil. You want it to bubble until it starts to turn amber in color. Don't walk away as this can happen quite quickly.
As soon as it turns amber take the pan off the heat. Now you can beat in the baking soda with a wooden spoon. Beat it through until it has completely dissolved into the molten sugar mixture.
This is quite magic really because the baking soda causes the mixture to expand and fill with little bubbles of air. It is the magic ingredient which makes this moreish toffee to light and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
Immediately scrape it into your prepared pan, spreading it out as best as you can. Do be careful with this process as molten sugar can really burn the skin.
And that's it. You only need to leave it now to cool. This can take anywhere between an hour and an hour and a half.
Once it has completely cooled you can snap it into pieces and shards, ready to enjoy. Crisp and crunchy, meltingly delicious.
You can also top the finished toffee with melted chocolate, which is very good. Trust me on this.
You are probably wondering about my little Jack-O-Lantern. It is made with a rutabaga/swede/turnip. Long before the pumpkin became the Jack-O-Lantern of choice, people in Great Britain used to carve out turnips.
People across the British Isles carved out ghoulish faces and then placed the carved out turnips near their doorways and on gate tops to help to ward away evil spirits in the beginning of November when it was thought that the spirits of the dead were actually quite lively.
The practice originated from an Irish folk tale about a man named Jack who, after trying to trick the devil, was cursed to roam the earth with only a burning coal held inside a hollowed-out turnip.
Its really not that hard to do with a melon scoop. Plus you can cook the parts that you take out of the turnips/rutabaga/swede and have a tasty side dish or soup to enjoy.
So there you have it a delicious treat for Bonfire Night, or for any night! It is not hard to make, uses very simple ingredients and melts in the mouth.
I am sure it is bound to be a very popular treat with the family, or with friends on game nights, or whatever. It also makes an excellent garnish to crumble over iced cakes etc.
Honeycomb Toffee, a moreish treat that is more than a cut above the rest!!
Honeycomb Toffee
Yield: Makes an 8-inch square pan
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 20 Min
A British Bonfire night tradition! Sweet, crunchy, light as air and melts in the mouth!
Ingredients
- Butter for the tin
- 1 cup (200g) finely granulated sugar
- 5 TBS golden syrup
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
Instructions
- Butter an 8-inch square tin really well and set aside.
- Measure the sugar and golden syrup into a deep saucepan. Stir together and heat over a gentle heat until the sugar has melted. Don't allow the mixture to bubble until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Increase the heat a bit and then simmer at a slow boil until the mixture turns an amber color. Keep an eye on it as this can happen in the blink of an eye.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the baking soda. Beat it all in with a wooden spoon until it has completely been amalgamated into the hot mixture. (Be careful as it is very hot!)
- Scrap this mixture into the tin immediately and with care not to burn yourself.
- Leave to set for about an hour an hour and a half. The honeycomb will be hard and easy to crumble or snap into chunks.
My father is coming over for supper tonight. (Tuesday as I write this.) Normally he has supper at my sister's place. She has an appointment tonight and so he is coming to me.
A little over a year ago my being able to entertain my father for supper was only a pipe dream. He used to say he was going to come over to England and visit me, but it never happened. I think it was just wishful thinking on his part.
Anyways, his dream of going over there didn't come true, but my dream of being able to feed him supper now and then has! I could never have predicted this in a million years.
Somethings the most golden things come out of the ashes our lives. Being able to entertain my father is the silver lining of what has been an extraordinarily difficult year for me.
He's always saying to me that he would love to have some Lunenburg sausage and he wishes my sister would cook some Lunenburg sausage for him. I decided to pick up some and cook it for him.
Lunenburg is a fishing village on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. I love going there in the summertime. They have the best fish and chips and it is the place where the Bluenose Schooner is stationed when it is not touring.
The Bluenose is on the Canadian dime, so it is real Canadian treasure. And Lunenburg Sausage is a real Lunenburg treasure.
It is made in Lunenburg to a specific recipe using ground beef, pork and a mix of spices. (summer savory, coriander, onions, etc.) My dad is going to be so pleased when he sees that I have gotten some for him! I can't wait!
There is nothing I love more than making my father happy and I feel so very blessed to be able to now spend these years, for as many as we have, with him close by.
He is 87 now so I know there are not many left and I plan on making the best out of whatever time we have to spend together.
My father always likes a little bit of sweet at the end of every meal. He loves his desserts. He will often eat less of his main meal, just so that he can have some pudding at the end.
He goes for fish and chips with some lady friends every Wednesday night. He loves his fish and chips, but I think he loves the apple pie and ice cream that he has at the end of the meal even more!
We always try to have some small indulgence for him, even if its only a cookie and his eyes always light up when he sees whatever it is.
Today I have baked him this Impossibly Easy Pear-Custard Pie. I hope that he likes it! And I cannot think of any reason why he wouldn't!
In this pear custard pie, sliced ripe pears are combined with a rich and creamy custard and then baked in a hot oven for about 25 minutes. (I added some dried cranberries)
At the end of the 25 minutes a buttery and moreish oat and brown sugar streusel is sprinkled over top and this pear custard tart is baked or about 12 to 15 minutes longer, to custard pie perfection!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE IMPOSSIBLY EASY PEAR-CUSTARD PIE
Simple ordinary ingredients. Nothing more. Nothing less.
For the pie:
- baking mix (use something like Bisquick or my homemade mix)
- eggs
- milk
- sugar
- butter
- pears (Make sure you use a nice sweet eating pear)
- dried cranberries (optional)
For the Streusel Topping:
- Baking mix (Bisquick or my homemade mix)
- old fashioned oatmeal (large flake, not instant)
- brown sugar
- nutmeg and cardamom
- butter, softened
I like to make my own Baking Mix from scratch, and I store it in the freezer. It comes in very handy for all sorts of things. Making biscuits, pancakes, etc.
You needn't worry about using it all up. I have plenty of recipes on here that are delicious and that you can use it in:
HOW TO MAKE IMPOSSIBLY EASY PEAR-CUSTARD PIE
Nothing could be easier to make than this pie. I like to make the streusel topping first. Just measure all of the dry ingredients for the streusel into a bowl and rub in the butter with your finger tips until you have a nice and crumbly mixture.
You will need a 9-inch glass pie dish. I use a pyrex one that I have. Butter it really well and set aside while you make the filling.
Whisk together some of the baking mix, some sugar, softened butter, eggs and milk. Pour this into your buttered baking dish. Layer in your sliced pears. (I scattered some dried cranberries in between.) I also pushed them down a bit so that they were mostly covered with the custard.
This gets baked in your preheated oven for about 25 minutes and then you take it out and scatter that oaty streusel over top evenly. Back into the oven it goes for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the custard is set and the streusel is golden brown.
You will know the custard is set when a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Really nothing could be easier.
Bear in mind, you DO need to let it cool for about half an hour before you cut into it. So plan accordingly. This is fabulous served warm, and as you can see cuts really well.
Because it is a custard pie, with eggs, you will need to refrigerate any leftovers, which won't be a lot if you are a family of any size. I guarantee you will have no problem gobbling it all up!
I really hope that my father enjoys it. Its not too heavy on the sugar like some things and the fruit will be good for him. I don't think he eats enough fruit.
I have some squirty creamy for him to enjoy on top of it. I think Vanilla ice cream would also be excellent, especially where the pie is meant to be served warm. I am going to rewarm his for about 20 seconds in the microwave when the time comes.
His treat will be the sausage and this pie. My treat will be being able to please him. Everyone's a winner!
Impossibly Easy Pear-Custard Pie
Yield: 8
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 40 Mininactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 H & 25 M
This is probably one of the easiest pies you could make. It is creamy and rich and filled with pears, and dried cranberries (optional) with a moreish and buttery crisp oat streusel topping! Make sure you use a well flavored pear for this.
Ingredients
For the streusel topping:
- 1/2 cup (60g) baking mix (such as Bisquick or my homemade baking mix recipe)
- 1/4 cup (25g) old fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed soft light brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 heaped TBS butter, softened
For the pie:
- 1/2 cup (60g) baking mix (such as Bisquick or my homemade baking mix)
- 1/3 cup (75g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
- 2 TBS butter, softened
- 2 large free range eggs
- 3 medium fresh pears, peeled, cored and sliced
- a small handful of dried cranberries (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9-inch glass pie dish very well. Set aside.
- Stir the biscuit mix, sugar, oats, and spices together for the streusel topping in a small bowl. Drop in the butter and rub in until you have a crumbly mixture. Set aside.
- Whisk together the biscuit mix, eggs, milk, sugar, and butter for the filling. Pour this mixture into the pie dish. Arrange the pears evenly over top along with the dried cranberries, if using.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over top. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes longer, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Serve warm with or without some whipped cream on top.
- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
When I was a child I was not really fond of sausages. I am not sure why. Perhaps it was the kind of sausages my mother bought, or the way that she cooked them.
I did come to love them very much as an adult. I like them the way my father always used to enjoy them. Pan fried with a dollop of mayonnaise on the side.
Great Britain has some of the loveliest sausages in the world, so long as you are buying quality ones. The cheap and nasty ones are not so good, but cheap and nasty is not so good no matter where you are living!!
I was especially fond of their Cumberland Sausage. Nice and spicy. I have a goal this winter to try to make my own from scratch. I really miss them!
We had a local butcher where I lived that made fabulous sausages. His apple, sage and onion ones were especially tasty. You can tell a good butcher by the quality of his sausage.
My butcher was a very good butcher because he produced very good sausages, or Bangers as they are loving called in the UK.
The term bangers supposedly originated during World War I, when meat shortages resulted in sausages being made with a number of fillers, notably water, that caused them to explode when cooked. (Wikipedia)
I am not sure how true this is, but I am going with it. They do say that if you prick them the skins won't burst in cooking. I confess I don't mind if the skins burst a bit because you end up with nice crispy bits and I love those crispy bits.
Here in Canada, President's Choice make some very excellent Bangers. Free From Bangers, so called because they are created from pork which has been raised by Canadian Farmers without antibiotics.
They are also raised without the use of hormones from grain fed animals and are always fresh and never frozen. All plus's in my books.
Most important of all they taste really good. And no I have not been paid or given free product to say any of this. It is quite simply my opinion.
Now that I am back in Canada, and there is only one to feed on most days, I still wanted to be able to enjoy my favorite Bangers. But I didn't necessarily want to cook a whole package of them.
I tend to freeze my sausage after I buy them now. I package them into two sausage units, ready to take out and cook as and when I want a sausage for supper. On this day there happened to be three sausage in the package, so I cooked three.
I am also all for shortcuts when it comes to cooking for just me. I don't want to have to do a lot of dishes afterwards. Yes, I can be that lazy. Sorry about that!
Meals where I can cook everything in one pan are my favorite kinds of meals! This one pan Sausage and Vegetable Skillet Dinner is something I threw together the other day that turned out to be really delicious!
Not only did I end up with some perfectly cooked sausages, but I also had potatoes and two vegetables to enjoy on the side!
Everything was perfectly cooked as well, and it was all ready in not much more than half an hour, which was perfect for me!
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO COOK SAUSAGE & VEGETABLE SKILLET DINNER
Not a lot really and you could probably vary the vegetables you choose to cook a bit. Just make sure they are vegetables that cook in roughly the same amount of time.
- thick pork sausages (bangers)
- a large baking potato
- a large carrot
- half of a small cabbage
- sweet apple cider (like cloudy apple juice in the uk)
- dried thyme, salt and black pepper
- a tiny bit of oil
Not a lot of ingredients really but what an amazing result!
HOW TO COOK SAUSAGE & VEGETABLE SKILLET DINNER
This was a really simple supper. I love meals that cook all in one pan. Less to clean up when done. No fuss, no muss works for me!
Cooked properly you will end up with tender golden brown sausages. Perfectly cooked vegetables, and potatoes which are nice and crispy edged.
If you prep all of your vegetables before you begin, things go together really quickly. I peeled both the carrot and the potato. I cut the potato into thick flat slices and I cut the carrot in half lengthwise and then into thirds.
The cabbage was cored and then cut into thick slices. I used only half a small cabbage which was plenty for two people.
I began by browning the sausage all over in a tiny bit of oil in a medium sized deep skillet (with a lid). You only need to brown them, not cook them through. Its best to do this on a moderate heat.
I also added the potato slices to the skillet when I was browning the sausage. This was also to brown the edges of the potato, not cook them through. As you can see I got some really nice golden edges.
I then added the cabbage and the carrots. I tossed the cabbage a bit to coat it in the pan juices, and nestled the carrots down into the cabbage.
Once I had done that I added some sweet apple cider and seasoning everything with some salt, black pepper and a bit of dried thyme. I also sprinkled some paprika on the potatoes.
Covered tightly, this cooked over medium low heat for about 20 to 25 minutes, at which time everything was perfectly cooked. I uncovered and turned the heat up to help evaporate any pan juices and crisp up the potatoes.
It also gilded the cabbage a bit. I love cabbage which has been fried and gilded with pan juices, don't you???
If you wanted to you could make a gravy to go with this, but I didn't. I enjoyed it just as is.
Perfectly cooked meaty sausages. Crispy edged potatoes. Perfectly crispy tender cabbage and carrots.
This was one very excellent meal. I enjoyed it with a dollop of grainy mustard on the side and today I am going to make a tasty hash of the leftovers for me to enjoy. I do so love a good hash made with tasty leftovers, don't you?
Sausage and Vegetable Skillet Dinner
Yield: 2
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 30 Min
This wonderfully hearty meal for two cooks all in one skillet. No fuss, no muss and delicious! Only one pan to clean up as well. Bonus!
Ingredients
- 1/2 TBS canola oil
- two large banger sausages (I use the free from Bangers by PC)
- 1/2 small cabbage
- 1 large carrot
- 1 large baking potato
- 1/4 cup sweet apple cider (cloudy apple juice)
- sweet paprika
- salt and black pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- grainy mustard to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Core your cabbage and cut into thick slices. Peel the carrot and potato. Cut the carrot in half and then into thirds. Cut the potato into flat chunks.
- Heat the oil in a medium sized skillet over medium high. Add the sausage and potato. Brown on all sides. Add the cabbage and carrot. Season all with a sprinkle of salt and black pepper and a dash of paprika for color. Pour in the apple cider.
- Cover tightly and simmer on medium low for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and the sausage is cooked through.
- Remove the cover and continue to cook until any liquid in the pan has evaporated and the potatoes are nicely browned.
- Divide the mixture between two heated plates and serve with some grainy mustard if desired.
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