Christmas at Rachel’s Pudding Pantry. Caroline Roberts

      Rachel listened to the dinner table chatter with warmth and appreciation for her little family. And with the new Pudding Club plans came a new sense of hope and purpose between them. Though times were still tough at Primrose Farm, the Swinton girls were a team and they were trying to plough forward – they were all in it together.

       The Fourth Bake of Christmas

       Blackberry and Apple Jam Sponge Pudding – Grandma Isabel’s Recipe, circa 1946

      This handwritten poem had always been tucked into the Baking Bible as a loose leaf next to a recipe of Rachel’s grandmother’s:

      Autumn days, the sky a blue haze.

      Blackberry picking,

      Hedgerows thick with brambles,

      Watch out for the prickles.

      Purple-stained fingers and mouths,

      Ripe dark berries sweet with juice,

      Baskets laden.

      Ready for home, pass on to Mum,

      With crumbles, jams and puddings to come!

      Recipe:

      100g/4oz self-raising flour

      Pinch of salt

      100g/4oz caster sugar

      100g/4oz butter

      2 eggs, beaten

      2tbsp whole milk

      45ml/3tbsp homemade or good quality Blackberry and Apple Jam (or other flavour if you prefer)

      Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs a little at a time with a spoonful of flour, beating well until eggs are mixed in. Fold in remaining flour alternately with the milk.

      Grease and base-line a pudding basin, add the jam to the bottom. Spoon over the pudding mix up to ¾ full. Cover with buttered greaseproof paper, and secure with string. Using extra string to make a handle for ease of removal.

      Steam for 1 ½ to 2 hours in a covered pan of boiling water, keeping water topped up to half way up the pudding bowl sides, until a wooden skewer comes out clean at centre. Allow to stand for 3 minutes before turning out.

       Delicious with custard or cream.

       8

      ‘Morning, ladies.’

      ‘Hello, Tom,’ answered Jill from behind the Pantry’s wooden counter.

      ‘Hi …’ Rachel answered with a slight blush, remembering yesterday’s conversation. He was right on time for his elevenses.

      ‘Coffee and a bacon roll, is it?’ Jill anticipated.

      ‘Yes,’ replied Tom with a grin. ‘Though I may well have a little extra something on the side this morning.’ He gave Rachel a very cheeky glance.

      ‘And what might that be?’ Rachel asked leadingly.

      ‘Hmm, now then, maybe a … flapjack.’

      ‘Coming right up,’ Jill replied.

      Rachel and Tom then burst into a fit of the giggles, leaving Jill bemused. Shaking her head at the giddy pair, she headed to the fridge for some bacon rashers, saying, ‘What on earth has got into you two?’

      They were still grinning like loons, with the odd splutter from Rachel as she tried to focus on making Tom’s coffee, barista-style.

      ‘Ah, young love,’ Jill muttered at the griddle pan.

      Tom leaned across the counter to whisper in Rachel’s ear, ‘I might even have a little crumble waiting for you later on, if I can tempt you away from your chores.’

      ‘Oh, but my paperwork mountain awaits,’ replied Rachel matter-of-factly, vowing to keep her promise to herself to get the farm’s piling admin sorted, though her body was telling her to ditch it – feeling tinglingly aroused.

      ‘Crikey, my charm must be failing fast – I’ve never been rejected for a pile of paperwork before.’

      ‘Sorry … soon, okay,’ she whispered. ‘Hang in there.’

      ‘I’ll try.’ He pulled a hang-dog face.

      With that, Frank’s tut-tutting car could be heard coming up the lane, and the old gentleman was shortly making his way through the barn door.

      ‘Morning, Frank,’ greeted Tom first, as the two ladies then chorused, ‘Hello, Frank.’

      ‘How are you doing, pet?’ asked Jill.

      ‘Not too bad at all, thank you. All the better for seeing your smiling faces.’

      That made the women’s smiles even wider.

      ‘And morning, young Tom. Farming going well?’

      ‘Yes thanks, Frank. Bit quieter at this time of year, now the harvest’s all in, and the cattle haven’t yet been brought in for the winter. Can’t complain.’

      ‘More time to see this lovely young lady, then,’ added Frank with a wink. The news had been out for a while around the village that they were formally an item.

      ‘So you’d think,’ answered Tom with a wry smile, followed by a meaningful glance at Rachel. ‘She’s one busy lady.’

      Jill handed Tom his warm bacon roll. He opened the bap, and added a dollop of Brown Sauce on top of the bacon, then tucked in hungrily. ‘It’s been a long while since breakfast.’

      ‘What can we get for you today, Frank? Coffee, as per usual?’ asked Jill. ‘Oh, and I’ve just made a blackberry and cream roulade this morning, you might want to try a slice of that.’

      ‘That sounds just grand, and coffee it is. I’ll just settle myself at my usual table.’ He liked the one beside the arch-shaped window that looked out across the valley.

      ‘Yes do, and we’ll bring it all across in two ticks for you,’ added Rachel.

      Frank liked to read the weekly local paper – of which Rachel kept a copy for the Pantry guests – and he often brought in his own copy of The Times to peruse over his hot drink and cake.

      ‘Right, I’d better be on my way,’ announced Tom, soon afterwards. ‘We’ve got some cattle tags to put back in today; they keep losing them out in the fields, so I need to get the cattle herded down to the yard to meet up with my farmhand, Jack.’

      ‘Well, have a good day,’ said Rachel.

      ‘Will do.’ His tone was ironic. ‘It won’t be nearly as exciting as your paperwork mountain.’

      ‘Nearly, but not quite.’ Rachel pulled a wry face.

      ‘Hah, I might even have to have a look at my own paperwork tonight. Seeing as there’s nothing else happening …’

      ‘Well, you know what they say, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.’

      He shook his head, yet still managing a small smile. ‘Thanks, Jill. See you soon, folks. Take care, Frank.’

      Rachel came out from behind the counter to give Tom a peck on the cheek. ‘Sorry,’ was all she could say, sensing his frustration behind the smile.

      ‘No worries. See you soon, Rach.’

      She’d far rather have a carefree flirty evening with Tom than working away yet again, but there were reports to make, records to complete, government checks to fulfil – and no one else was able to do it for her. Why did life have to be so bloody exasperating?