In her never ending search for healthy, filling, yet fun lunch box snacks, Jorth found herself once again perusing recipe sites on the internet. The edicts were few but essential: it had to be nut-free, easy to make and containing no exotic ingredients. And to be honest, Jorth was getting desperate. Although Grumbles wasn't a complainer by nature, she was beginning to heave rather large sighs when confronted with carrot sticks as her play time snack again. Jorth needed something new and exciting to vanquish the carrot sticks blues, and she needed it now!
After what felt like endless recipe clicks she stumbled across a recipe for rock cakes. Now, Jorth had never actually made a rock cake before, but just the very name seemed to conjure up Enid Blyton-esque picnics in warm summer air, roaring fires with port, and Hagrid, all in one cornucopian melding. She clicked on the recipe, and was delighted to see that the list of ingredients was pretty much contained in her pantry at that very moment.
"These look good!", thought Jorth, and pausing only to wrap an apron over herself hastened into the kitchen.
A short while later the rock cakes sat cooling on the wire rack. Jorth made a cup of tea, and tried one. "Ooooooh!', she exclaimed through a mouthful of crumbs. "These ARE good!"
Before you know it, there was suddenly two more conspicuous holes on the wire rack where a couple of rock cakes used to be. Jorth, with a slightly guilty air, rearranged the remaining cakes, hoping nobody would notice how many she had gobbled, and let out a small, satisfied burp.
I used this recipe, with a few minor tweaks: I added some grated orange peel to the mixture, and pre-soaked my sultanas and apricots. These are very, very tasty!
Ohhh my nan used to make rock cakes... With dates. I did not like them as she made them a bit dryer than I like but that is how everyone else liked them.
ReplyDeleteYour version look MUCH more like my preferred version. Will give it a go. Pre soaking sounds good. In orange juice?
Another one whose nan was a frequent maker of these. I always preferred an Afghan myself but then they are chocolate... ;)
ReplyDeleteAwesome, thanks for posting this... think this might be today's after-school activity! I might be naughty and sprinkle some sugar crystals on top... that's how I think of rock cakes.
ReplyDeleteI remember my aunty making rock cakes when i was younger. She gave us one each as we left her house. My Dad, brother and me spent a good 20 minutes throwing them as hard as we could at a brick wall....they stayed intact. Yep, her's WERE rock cakes! I'm sure yours are MUCH nicer ;)
ReplyDeletelove your blog!! wow, have to try these rock cakes too, they do look yum!
ReplyDeleteYep, my gran used to make them as well. Mum's just started making them again - and gluten free so I can enjoy them! Yum. Good ole' Mum.
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