Thirteen for Thursday: Childhood treats

I found myself reminiscing about my childhood today the special foods that we used to adore . Here are 13 things we had as treats as a child…

1. On cold winter mornings, chunks of stale good bread (not sliced) in a bowl with warm milk and tons of sugar. Bread tasted better then.

2. Hot little pancakes with the butter and jam sliding off, eaten as fast as they were cooked.

3. Yes condensed milk straight from the tin. Mum made fudge for us, we sneaked the leftovers.

4. Bread pudding, which was made in a huge tin, consisted of soaked bread, spice, lots of fruit and eggs and sugar, baked slowly it sliced up in shiny squares which we had with custard. Heaven.

5. Apple pies deep spicy and with custard and cream.

6. Caramel apples, home made ones.

7. Butterfly cakes with a big middle of butter icing

8. Strawberry shortcakes. A sort of shortbread with cream and strawberries in the middle.

9. Melting moments, little rich biscuits. With a cherry in the middle.

10. Syrup tart.  A pastry case, with breadcrumbs, syrup, and grated lemon, baked until the syrup is golden brown.

11. A savory treat? Eggy bread, fried bread, with a hole in the middle, and an egg dropped in, then cooked both sides.

12. Lardy cakes from the shops, a soft yeast bun, with a good dose of fat sugar and fruit, rolled like a coffee scroll. The secret is the fat used is lard! Oh my…and they still sell them in South west England.

13. Easter special cake, simnel cake, a fruit cake with a layer of marzipan baked in the middle, then the top has marzipan, and is finished with little marzipan eggs all round it, dusted in cocoa.

Well, I have to admit – these would all be treats right now too! I think I might go and make me a batch of caramel apples right now…

What would you add to this list of treats? 

photo:  therealbridgetpalmer