Anne Lister Bake Off

Thank you bakers!

We had a great time celebrating Anne Lister's 230th birthday while enjoying your amazing creations with Amanda Walgrove & Kate McCabe's wonderful shenanigans. Check out the video recording of the live judging below or flip through the top #AnneListerBakeOff submissions:

#AnneListerBakeOff Entries

A cake? Yorkshire pudding? Belcombe cookies?

To celebrate Anne Lister's 230th birthday in 2021, we want to see your creativity in action. Join us in a bake off extravaganza from wherever you are and meet Anne at her birthday party. BYO tea.

Plan your bake

Starting 21 March , 2021

Decide what you want to bake.

Pick an idea from the suggestions below or come up with your own creative way to celebrate Anne Lister in baked form.

Consider sweet and savory bakes. Use a recipe from Anne's time or create a theme inspired by Anne Lister herself for your bake!

Share your creation

1-3 April, 2021

Share your bake on social media with the hashtag #AnneListerBakeOff.

We'll be checking Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for your photos and videos.

We'd love to hear about your inspiration. What's your artist baker statement?

Get judged by Anne

3 April, 2021 @ 19:00 Shibden time
(
check your timezone)

Join Anne Lister and hear her frank opinion of your birthday bake.

Live zoom gathering with the birthday lady herself* open to all. Hosted by Kate McCabe with special guest Anne Lister.

Anne will evaluate all submissions and tell you her truest feelings.

Savoy Biscuits

From a recipe given to Anne Lister by Mrs. Henry S. Belcombe in 1826 (SH:7/ML/196).

1 lb of grated white sugar ten eggs beat them well together for half an hour [drop] in a few drops of Essence of Lemon then lightly mix in 1 lb of fair flour, do not beat then after the flour is in drop them on buttered tin and sift sugar [pan] then bake immediately- the cakes kept dry will be good for months.

Prince of Wales Biscuits

From Food History Jottings and Joseph Bell's "A Treatise of Confectionery".

  • 1lb butter

  • 3lb 8ozs flour

To be mixed the same as hollow biscuits; and to be stamped with the prince's feather; they must be pricked with a fork; and baked in rather a slower oven than the others.

Plum Pudding

From Maria Rundel's "Domestic Cookery".

  • 3/4lb raisins

  • 1lb suet

  • 1lb of flour

  • six eggs

  • a little good milk

  • some lemon peel

  • a little salt

Mix ingredients together and boil in a melon shape for six hours .

Sponge Cake

From a recipe given to Anne Lister by Mrs. Henry S. Belcombe in 1826 (SH:7/ML/196).

6 Eggs and 3/4 lb of grated sugar beat them together for half - Then mix them with flour equal to the weight of the 6 eggs just [stir] in the flour add the grated mix and juice of a lemon do not beat them after the flour and lemon are put in or it will make the heavy put them in mould and bake immediately - These cakes will keep good for 6 weeks

Almond Cake

From Oat Cottage Recipes. One 8-inch round cake, cuts into 8 slices.
A great every day cake, moist and dense with lots of almond flavour.


  • 225g butter (1 cup) softened

  • 225g caster sugar (1 cup plus 3 TBS)

  • 3 large free range eggs

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1 tsp almond extract

  • 140g self raising flour (1 cup)

  • 175g ground almonds (2 cups)

  • 50g whole blanched almonds, coarsely chopped (scant 1/3 cup)

  • 25g dark chocolate (1 ounce)

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F gas mark 2. Butter an 8 inch round deep cake tin and line with baking paper.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat together the eggs and extracts. Gradually beat this into the butter/sugar mixture. Sift the flour into the bowl. Stir into the batter along with the ground almonds. Mix until smooth. Spoon into the prepared cake tin, smoothing the top. Scatter the chopped almonds on top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes until golden, well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before lifting out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Break up the chocolate and melt in a glass bowl over gently simmering water, until smooth and free of lumps. Drizzle over top of the cooled cake and allow to set before cutting into slices to serve.

Yorkshire Curd Tart

From British Food History.

  • 125g salted butter

  • 60g caster sugar

  • 250g curd cheese

  • 125g raisins

  • pinch of salt

  • 2 eggs, beaten

  • ¼ to ½ tsp ground allspice

  • 1 tsp rosewater (optional).

Blind-baked 10 inch shortcrust pastry shell (made or bought).

First of all, cream together the butter and sugar well, then mix in the cheese, raisins, salt and eggs. Season to taste with the allspice and rosewater.

Pour the filling into the pastry shell and bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 220° C. Cool on a rack.

Red Currant & Cherry Pie

From Edible Woman.
2 hours prep time, 45 mins cook time. Serves 8.

Pie crust

  • 1⅓ cup all-purpose flour

  • ⅓ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

  • ⅓ cup cold vegetable shortening, cubed

  • Pinch of salt

  • ⅓ cup ice water

  • 1 egg, lightly beaten

Filling

  • 3 cups (400g) pitted sour cherries, fresh or frozen

  • 1½ cups (225g) red currants, stems removed

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 2 tablespoons + 2½ teaspoons cornstarch

  • Pinch of salt

  • Almond crumb topping:

  • ½ cup rolled oats

  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

  • ⅓ cup brown sugar, firmly packed

  • ⅓ cup slivered almonds

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract

Make the pie crust: Mix the flour, butter, shortening, and salt on low speed in a stand mixer (you can also mix by hand using a pastry cutter), until the butter and shortening are raisin-sized. Add the ice water and mix just until the dough comes together, being careful not to over mix. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Once the dough has chilled, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it's about ¼ inch thick, or about 2 inches larger than a 9-inch pie plate on all sides. Carefully transfer the dough to your pie plate, gently pressing it into the plate but not stretching the dough. Crimp or trim the edges of the crust however you like. Place the crust in the freezer and preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.

When the pie has chilled for about 20 minutes, remove from the freezer and brush the edges with the beaten egg. Lay a large piece of parchment in your pie crust and fill with pie weights (rice, lentils, or dried beans also work). Bake for 30 minutes, until lightly golden. Carefully remove the parchment and pie weights, poke the bottom of the crust several times with a fork, and bake a further 5 minutes.

Make the filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together. Add the cherries and currants and stir gently to combine, then let it sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes (if using fresh cherries) or an hour (if using frozen cherries) - you want the sugar to dissolve and liquefy.

Place the saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and simmer for 1-2 minutes until thick, glossy, and jam-like. Remove from heat and let the filling cool completely.

Make the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, and almonds. Add the butter and almond extract and use your fingers to blend it into the dry ingredients until you have a lumpy, wet-sand mixture.

Assemble the pie: Fill your pre-baked pie crust with the currant and cherry filling and layer the crumb mixture on top. Bake at 375°F/190°C for 45 minutes, until the crumb is golden brown. Allow the pie to cool before serving (this pie is delicious warm, but won't hold its shape as nicely).

Apple Tartlets

From Cooking Journey Blog.
Prep Time 15 mins, Cook Time30 mins. Serves 2.

Shortcrust pastry

  • 110 g flour /3.88 oz

  • 60 g butter /2.11 oz

  • 1,5 tsp chai powder or just sugar and cinnamon

  • 2-3 tsp water or apple juice

Apple jam

  • 180-200 g apples, peeled and cored /6-7 oz

  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon ground

  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg ground

  • 2-3 tbsp brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup water

Topping

  • Apple

  • 2 tbsp apricot jam

  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon


For shortcrust pastry combine sieved flour with other dry ingredients. Add cold butter, cut into cubes and start rubbing with your fingers until crumbs come together.

Start adding a teaspoon of cold water until you can form it in a ball. Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Form the crusts in ramekins and place them in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 355° F / 180° C.

Make apple tart filling. Cut apples and place them in a pot with water, sugar and spices. Let it come to a boil, simmer 10 minutes until apples are soft. Smash apples with a back of wooden spoon, leaving some apple pieces. Let it cool.

Prick the crusts with fork or place parchment paper with baking beans on top. Bake crusts 10 minutes until golden.

Meanwhile cut apple into slices as thinly as you can, using mandolin or sharp knife.

Fill baked empty shells with apple jam and place around apple slices, overlapping one on the other. Brush the top of apples with apricot jam, add apricot pieces in the center of the tartlets.

Bake French apple tartlets 10-15 minutes more.

Brush baked apple tartlets with more apricot jam. Sprinkle some cinnamon or icing sugar on top of baked apple tartlets.

Enjoy warm or cold, with some ice cream, whipped cream or yogurt.

Note: These French apple tartlets are baked in two 5,7 inch / 14,5 cm round dishes.

Gooseberry Tart

From Lost Recipes Found. Great way to feature whatever berries you grew! Even a small amount can be showcased on these lovely tarts. This recipe makes 2 tarts.

Gooseberry Topping

  • 2 cups gooseberries, stems and ends removed

  • Tart Crusts

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

  • ½ cup pure cane sugar

  • ¼ tsp salt

  • 2 sticks (1 cup) extra-chilled salted butter, cut into cubes

  • 2 egg yolks (save the whites for the filling)

  • 4 Tbsp cream, or whole milk (as needed)

Filling

  • 1 package cream cheese

  • 4 eggs (plus egg whites reserved from the crust)

  • 2/3 cup pure cane sugar

  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

  • pinch salt

Make crusts: Sift flour, sugar and salt into a large shallow bowl. Cut in chilled butter until pea sized crumbles form. Using your fingertips, lightly breakup the bits until the mixture resembles wet sand. Stir in egg yolks and add cream until mixture gathers up. Spread two overlapping sheets of plastic wrap on to counter; scoop dough onto plastic. Gather into a ball. Cut in half. Flatten each piece of dough into a disk and flatten. Wrap each in plastic and chill in the refrigerator at least an hour and up to 24 hours.

Make filling: Using an immersion blender, stand blender or food processor, combine all filling ingredients.

Assemble: Place oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350. Roll out each tart crust; press crusts into two tart pans, trimming and saving any excess crust. Divide filling between the two crusts. Dot the berries over each. Place tarts on rack in oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack. Serve room temperature, or, chilled.

Rice Cakes

From Ancestors In Aprons.
Makes about 18 cakes.

  • To every 1/2 lb. of rice-flour allow 1/4 lb. of pounded lump sugar, 1/4 lb. of butter, 2 eggs.

Beat the butter to a cream, stir in the rice-flour and pounded sugar, and moisten the whole with the eggs, which should be previously well beaten. Roll out the paste, shape it with a round paste-cutter into small cakes, and bake them from 12 to 18 minutes in a very low oven for 12 to 18 minutes.

ground rice, or rice-flour, is used for making several kinds of cakes, also for thickening soups, and for mixing with wheaten flour in producing Manna Kroup. The Americans make rice-bread, and prepare the flour for it in the following manner: When the rice is thoroughly cleansed, the water is drawn off, and the rice, while damp, bruised in a mortar: it is then dried, and passed through a hair sieve.

#AnneListerBakeOff was highlighted on Diva Magazine on 1 April 2021:
Anne Lister is 230 this weekend and we’re celebrating in style

* I mean, not literally. Or is it? Come out and find out. 😉

Iconography by Flatart, Mavadee, Jae Deasigner and Icon Fair from the Noun Project.