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May 2024 May 2024

MORE FROM THE BERE REGIS RECIPE BOOK

The last History Meeting was just before Easter so it was decided to do the recipe
for Easter Biscuits or Shrewsbury Cakes. There are many variations. Shrewsbury
cakes go back to 1500 and are named after the town of Shrewsbury. It is neither
a cake nor a biscuit; it is however a traditional Easter bake studded Caraway
seeds. The pictures of Shrewsbury Cakes and Easter Biscuits on the internet look
very similar and whether it is an Easter Biscuit or Shrewsbury cake depends on
where you come from. In Yorkshire they are known as Easter Biscuits.
The Bere Regis recipe has three variations, Lemon fruit and Caraway seeds

Shrewsbury or Easter Cakes
Bere Regis recipe book
¼ lb butter ¼ lb castor sugar 6 oz flour 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind (or a few
currants or caraway seeds) 1 egg – Beat the butter and sugar to a cream then
add the egg and lemon rind beat well together and then stir in the flour smoothly
– roll out thin and cut into rounds. Bake in a very moderate oven till done
Alison’s Bake at the History society was very light and lemony
The second recipe baked at the last meeting was a Genoa Cake. Again there
are many variations. The Original Genoa cake comes from the town of Genoa in
Italy. It has been baked here for centuries and is known here as a basic fruit
cake. It seems all the big supermarkets have their own versions. Modern cakes
have cherries glace icing and nuts. Here is the Bere Regis Recipe which has no
raisins but does contain Brandy. I couldn’t find any other reference to Brandy in a
Genoa cake on the internet.

Genoa Cake

Bere Regis Recipe Book
½ lb flour ¼ lb butter ¼ lb castor sugar
2 oz mixed candied peel 5 oz sultanas
5 oz currants 1 teaspoon baking
powder 3 eggs into which are stirred
¼ of a wineglass of brandy ¼
teaspoon ground cinnamon or mixed
spice
Dry the flour thoroughly and add it to

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