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Traditional Guernsey Recipes
We felt that this would be a useful feature as many younger people or newcomers to the island may not be aware of how some of our traditional food is made Here are three traditional ones -there are others and so please feel free to send these in by email.
Guernsey Gache
A traditional fruit cake but with a difference!
| 1lb 8oz wholemeal or plain white flour | 8oz Guernsey butter |
| 2 eggs | 4oz candied orange peel |
| 1lb sultanas (or currants if preferred) | quarter pint Guernsey milk |
| 2oz yeast | pinch of salt |
| 2oz dark brown sugar |
| Method: Wash fruit & dry it. Warm the milk. Cream up the butter with sugar, add eggs then mix with the flour. Add some yeast & a pinch of salt. Make a depression in the dough and pour in the warm milk. Add the rest of the yeast and fruit, mixing & kneading the dough. Leave to rise in a warm room for two hours. Knead again and grease a cake tin. Tip in the gache and cook for one hour in a moderate oven until golden brown. |
Guernsey Gache Melee
A tangy apple/cinnamon desert
| 1lb wholemeal or plain flour | 8oz Guernsey butter |
| 3 eggs | 1lb cooking apples |
| 1lb dark brown sugar | 1 teaspoon cinnamon |
| quarter oz nutmeg |
| Method: Chop up the apples into small pieces and mix well with the flour. Stand for three hours Cream up the butter with sugar, add eggs, cinnamon & grated nutmeg. Mix all together with the flour/apples. Put in a baking tin and gently cook in a slow oven for 1 hour 30 minutes until golden brown |
Guernsey Biscuits
More like a bread roll than a biscuit
| 1lb wholemeal or plain white flour | 4oz Guernsey butter |
| 1oz yeast | half oz of sugar |
| half oz of salt | 8 fluid oz warm Guernsey milk |
| Method: Mix well the salt and flour. Cream the butter, yeast & sugar and add the warm milk. Leave for ten minutes Mix the creamed butter, milk etc with the flour and knead it well. cover the bowl and leave to stand in a warm place for 1 hour 30 minutes to rise. Kneading the dough again lightly on a floured board and form into round shapes. Place these in a greased baking tin and leave to stand for another 20 minutes. Then bake in a warm oven for a further 20 minutes. |
See for your information, four traditional Jersey recipes
E-mail further suggestions to editor@islandlife.org