Saturday, 12 July 2025

Long Ago, Before The Great British Bake Off...

Next month marks 15 years since GBBO started. I was looking back and found this post from 12th July 2010. Long before I had grandchildren. I think I shall make some of this for them this summer... The post was originally called Super Saucy!

In Mary Berry’s “Real Food Fast” I came across this easy-peasy recipe for toffee sauce. It gets my vote because it is made from store cupboard ingredients [no need to rush out for fresh cream] and has a sensible method for measuring the golden syrup.
I have enjoyed MB’s no-nonsense approach to cooking ever since the 70s when I used to read “Home and Freezer Digest” – where she often had “Half-Term Bake-Ins” which I think were designed so mothers could stock up their freezers and larders for hungry children, but also jolly useful for a busy teacher with a hungry young husband! One intense Saturday in the kitchen provided us with loads of pre-prepared meals and snacks for weeks.

toffee sauce

The sauce is very rich and you don’t need much – but it keeps well in the fridge and is lovely over ice cream..
or sliced bananas…
or chocolate sponge…

Toffee Sauce

50g butter
150g light muscovado sugar
150g golden syrup
1 x 170g can evaporated milk

  • Weigh 150g sugar in the scale pan – spread it out, and then gently spoon syrup on top till it all weighs 300g.
  • Tip the sugar and syrup into a pan, add the butter, and heat gently until melted and liquid. Gently boil for 5 minutes [stirring like crazy!]
  • Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the evaporated milk. The sauce is now ready.
  • Serve immediately, or leave on one side and reheat to piping hot to serve – or allow to cool and serve cold. Keeps in the fridge for a month [unless eaten first!]

I got this book out of the library last week – there are some interesting recipes in it – this is the only one I have tried so far. But MB seems to have developed a passion for mangoes- about 1 in 8 of the recipes appears to list mangoes or mango chutney among the ingredients.

Does Mary still like mangoes?
Do you have a favourite sauce for ice cream?

10 comments:

  1. That toffee sauce looks amazing! You have just reminded me of a chocolate sauce for ice cream... poured on hot, it sets on contact... I'm evaporated milk to shopping order and off on a chocolate sauce hunt... (I'll blog it when I find it)

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  2. I've got a few of her recipes torn out of a magazine from way back in the early 80's, she's certainly been around a while.

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    1. She is 90, her first book published in 1970!

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  3. I like Mary Berry for her sensible no fuss approach to food and recipes. Her chocolate tray bake cake never fails and was a regular treat for my sons when younger. The sauce is out of bounds for us now way too much sugar but both my husband and I would have liked it on ice cream in days past. I always like butterscotch sauce. I don't know if MB still likes mangoes but frozen mangoes make delicious faux ice cream just whizzed up in the food processor delicious and refreshing and healthy. Regards Sue H

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    1. 🍧🍨 This morning i found a can of mango puree in the cupboard🥭 I wonder if that would work. Somebody gave it to me, and I cannot remember why!

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    2. I use tinned mango purée for speedy puddings. Mix some with whipped cream for a delicious mousse, I serve in really small glass dishes, and then spoon a little of the purée on top. To be really fancy you could layer it. If we have guests I serve it with a wafer or biscuit. It’s also delicious stirred into natural yoghurt, normal or dairy free. If there’s any left a spoonful on my porridge is delicious!
      Sue

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    3. Oh these are lovely ideas. Thank you

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  4. The sauce sounds delicious and I have always liked Mary Berry recipes. I’m much too hot this week so am doing as little cooking as possible! Catriona

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    1. Guests for lunch tomorrow. Bob has (fortunately) declared himself sufficiently recovered to cook bbq if I make salads....

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