Traditional Puddings and the Love Vintage Fair

I really enjoy attempting classic recipes from old cookbooks. There are certain desserts that you have to be able to say you've made, even if it was just the once. This week I made Apple Charlotte, after purchasing a pudding basin at Love Vintage, a vintage homeware fair that was held in Wenvoe. They don't have a website but are on Facebook. There were some clothes and accessories as well as homewares, and I really enjoyed having a thorough browse, followed by tea and homemade cakes served on vintage crockery. What better way to spend an afternoon?

The Apple Charlotte itself is just bread with an apple puree centre, but you have to then put a plate on it and weigh it down in the oven - I used a brick covered in tin foil. It didn't work quite as well as it should have as the plate wasn't quite small enough, so while the Charlotte did stand when turned out, it then collapsed within a short time! Hence no photo to show you. Tasted fantastic though - worth the effort.

I tried a Summer Pudding a few months back (put in the fridge rather than bake) and have to say it was superb! My own personal touch was to add Elderflower Cordial to the fruit rather than Cassis. It adds a wonderful floral aroma.

My top tip for any bread-based pudding, such as bread and butter pudding, Summer Pudding, or Apple Charlotte, is to use Milk Roll instead of ordinary bread. It has such a light consistency, and is a way of getting extra calcium into you as well!

At the fair there were a few items that took my eye, but other than the pudding basin my only other purchase was a 1950's Good Housekeeping book filled with tips on creating the perfect home!

If this 1950's house robe had fitted, I would have been taking it home. How glamorous would it be to swan around the house all day in this?

And this photo album cover was adorable, but needed new pages inserted and I wasn't sure I could face the effort.

I hope they will be holding another fair in December - Christmas shopping anyone?