I’m writing a recipe book for my 5 girls, Jack too if he wants one. Over the last two years I’ve asked my female relatives for their kitchen memories from childhood, what did they eat growing up, how was it made, was there anything funny? Both my grandmother’s were typical 40’s/50’s housewives, learning about their lives from their daughters has been so interesting, how hard they worked, and the effort and love that is remembered fondly gives me hope that one day my own children will look back on a childhood full of sweetness, hearty meals and comfort too.
Most of the recipes I’ve had to guess at or ‘borrow’ from elsewhere, as no one can remember specifics, but not Cronk Pie! My grandmother Sylvia’s recipe (I never got to meet her). It’s a simple jam tart filled with custard, set and eaten cold. Why is it called Cronk Pie? Nobody knows!
I hope my girls get to treasure these books (If I ever manage to finish them). Who knows maybe they’ll end up a family heirloom, kept as a window into a long forgotten past.
Cronk Pie
- 80z self-raising flour
- 2oz lard
- 2oz margerine (I used butter, cannot bring myself to use marg lol)
- 4tbsp jam (any)
- 1 pint custard, birds is fine
First make the pastry by rubbing together the fats and flour, add a splash of water and bring it together to form a dough. Cover with cling film and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out and line a medium, shallow pie dish with the pastry, pricking all over with a fork. Dollop the jam onto the pastry and spread out. Bake in a 180 degree oven for 15 – 20 minutes. Meanwhile make the custard. When the pastry is baked through, pull it out of the oven, allow the jam to cool until reset, pour in the cooled custard, and refrigerate until set.
Kate’s Kitchen Table 