Description:
Britain’s love of baking, recently popularised again by TV programmes such as the Great British Bake Off.
Baking
Items in this collection
Butter press
Description:
Round, wooden butter mould with a thistle stamp.
This would have been used to shape pats of butter. The butter would be pressed into the cup-like section to form its shape, and then the handle would be pressed down to imprint the design on the top–in this case a Scottish thistle.
There were many different designs for butter moulds. Other commonly used stamps were a wheat sheaf, cows or geometric patterns. Stamps could identify the dairy which made the butter
Butter pats
Description:
These butter pats would have been used to shape the butter once it had been churned from milk. You couldn’t just use your hands because they were too warm and would make the butter melt. They could also be used to scoop the butter from the churn or press the butter into a mould.
Butter pats were also known as Scotch hand, butter paddles, beaters, clappers and spades.
The inside edges of the butter pats have ridges to grip the butter and allow the buttermilk to drain away. These were also used to make patterns on the finished butter.
Cadbury’s Bournville Cocoa
Description:
Bournville Cocoa was first introduced in 1906. Cadbury’s dark chocolate offering, the cocoa powder can be used for baking or to make a hot chocolate drink. There are recipes on the back of the tin, including one for making cupcakes.
Coconut slice cake mix
Description:
The object displayed is a box of a cake mix for producing coconut slices. All the necessary ingredients are included, apart from an egg and jam. Instructions are displayed clearly on the box.
The coconut slice mix is no longer made. The box shown is priced at 37 pence. Therefore the mix was still on sale after decimalisation in 1971.
Green’s currently produce 14 different cake mixes with a range of flavours and types, including sponges, brownies, scones and novelty cakes for children.
The objective of all the cake mixes is to make baking easier and quicker and also for having fun with children.
Greens Desserts started from simple roots in one shop run by Horace Green in Hove. In 1979 Greens moved production from Brighton to Thurcroft near Rotherham.
Lemon meringue pie mix
Description:
The product illustrated is a box of ingredients for making a lemon meringue pie. It was produced by Greens, a company which started selling mixes in Brighton in the early years of the 20th century.
The intention of the manufacturer was to simplify home baking by including all the ingredients, apart from one egg. Full instructions were displayed on the box, which also gave an idea of the equipment and utensils that would be needed.
Using the mix would have been time-saving and required less skill than starting from scratch, following a traditional recipe.
This particular mix is no longer produced and has been superseded by a version which is just for the pie filling. The box shows this one had an expiry date of September 1989.
Dessert mixes currently produced by Greens include tiramisu, egg custard, chocolate mousse, cheesecake, blancmange and jelly.
Twyford Devonshire Butter Tin
Description:
Made by Twyford Toffee Ltd in Cullompton, Devon.
“Made from fresh butter and pure cane sugar.”
Piping Nozzles
Description:
A selection of different size piping nozzles for decorating cakes, biscuits and pastries. The small holed tip is for more delicate work like fine writing or lattice work. The larger holed tip creates rounded patterns.
To use: pop the required nozzle into the narrow end of the piping bag. Fill the piping bag with an ingredient like royal icing, cream, ganache, buttercream or cream cheese. At the open end of the piping bag twist it so that pressure builds up and the filling pushes down the bag towards the nozzle. Squeeze the piping bag to create your required design.
