My Aunty Audrey loved giving parties; every year before Christmas she would have a party, first of all for us children, her nieces and nephews, and then as the families expanded for our children too. The tables were always groaning with food; what had started as a simple tea party for me and my sister and two cousins, with jam sandwiches, date rolls and a little cake, became a wonderful celebration of our big, happy family.
Aunty Audrey was always more fond of sweet things than savoury so there were always plenty of cakes, desserts, puddings and yummy stuff. One thing she made which I really liked was her Italian chocolate slices. She used to make them in advance then freeze them to keep them fresh. Once I didn’t realise and put them out on the table still frozen… they were even nicer!
- ½ milk chocolate
- 2 oz magarine
- 4 oz castor sugar
- 1 egg
- 4 oz desiccated coconut
- 2 oz chopped glacé cherries
- 2 oz sultanas or currants
- melt chocolate in a bowl over hot water and spread on a greased Swiss roll tin and leave to set
- cream sugar and margarine and gradually add all the other ingredients
- spread over the chocolate, and bake at gas mark 2, 160°C, 325°F, for about 35 mins
- mark into slices while still warm and cut when cold
Lois Elsden 