A particular type of cream!

[esoteric]

When I was at school in the 50s and 60s, my favourite school dinner dessert was Manchester tart, and a particular type of cream, which I have been unable to discover ever since.

The cream was white, almost blueish/grey, not a cream or ivory colour at all. Consistency was in between single and double pouring cream, and was extremely aerated, full of tiny bubbles and had a slightly tangy taste. Absolutely delicious. I have never lost the taste sensation, and can almost taste it as I write this question. It couldn't have been very expensive, as it was available by the jugfull, and we could go up to the servery and have as much as we wanted. Any ideas? Many thanks in advance. David Pannell (West Sussex).

[BBWCHATT]

This website has a phone number you can call to find out the answer:
For more information please contact Fiona at Zest on 0161 277 8816.

http://www.foodanddrinkfestival.com/2006/comps _info.asp?news=24


http://thefoody.com/pudding/manchestertart.htm l

http://blogs.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/food/ 2006/07/beverleys_manchester_tart.html

http://www.recipes4us.co.uk/Desserts%20and%20P uddings/manchester_tart.htm

[Morven2]

Could it have been evaporated milk? Or maybe that nestles cream that comes in a tin. Morven

[shaneystar2]

Having eaten the same thing at school myself I agree with moven ..it was probably whisked Evap milk ...or thinned down condensed .Even that revolting tinned cream doctored with plenty of sugar.Or they used to serve white sauce at school that was very tangy ..I think they used to put lemon juice in it.

[esoteric]

Morven and Shaneystar: Thank you for your suggestions - sorry, but no. There's no way it could have been either of these, because (1) whisked evaporated milk would be too thick and also with too many bubbles, (2) it would have been too cream in colour - I'm talking about WHITE, and (3) it definitely wasn't sweet, so there wouldn't have been lots of sugar.

If I can elucidate a bit more, imagine sago or tapioca pudding, purely for the resemblance of the amount and approximate size of air bubbles - we used to call it 'frogspawn' - I expect you did too! Or else, imagine a thinnish custard, but made with cornflour instead of custard powder, so that it would be white! Does any of this help?

[shaneystar2]

Ooooh no not the dreaded frogspawn !!
I do remember they used to serve a sauce at school which was whitish in colour ..but it was just a plain sauce made with cornflour,caster sugar and flavoured with vanilla .Gosh ...it must be years since I have thought of things like like that ....mind you I did help someone with Gypsy tart ..now ..do you remember that !!
This is going to be one of those questions where you lay awake at night... wondering .. !!

[esoteric]

Yes! I certainly do remember Gypsy tart. A very sweet creme caramel tart. Quite dark. Lovely. We don't seem to have the old and delicious foods these days. Pity.!

[esoteric]

Yes! I certainly do remember Gypsy tart. A very sweet creme caramel tart. Quite dark. Lovely. We don't seem to have the old and delicious foods these days. Pity!

Still, we're getting off the point - what about this cream I'm talking about? Surely someone out there must know the answer!

[ruby27]

I am afraid I can not anwer at present but have sent your question to my mother who was a school cook in the 60s and who is in contact with anouther school cook of the same era who she could ask just in case my mother didn't do the sauce. I will get back to you if she does have the recipe - she certainly cooked manchester tart and gave me the recipe although hers was for 300 infants/juniors!! I had just wanted to make it for my husband.

[esoteric]

Thank you, ruby27. Hopefully, this could provide the answer I'm looking for. I would recognise the ingredients and method, without a doubt. I also seem to recall that it had a very slightly sedimenty texture too - but only very slight.

[ruby27]

This is my mother's answer - sorry it took me a while to find this again so I have posted answers all over the place
(Probably made by whipping a thick solution of full-cream dried milk into a plain white cornflour sauce. At this period of time school meals provided highly nutritious food that was required to include high levels of dried milk powder and was ingeniously incorporated by skilled staff), As its dried milk might that account ofor sediment?
(Hence my "cooks surprise" when I omitted to add the dried milk at the correct stage to a baked milk pudding, poured a thick chocolated mix of it on towards the end of the cooking period and created a huge success with children and staff!) my mother does not believe in hiding her culinary lights under any bushel with good reason

[esoteric]

Thank you for that, ruby27. It certainly sounds very close. Would probably account for the aeration, too. What about the tangy flavour though?

[ruby27]

I do not have the answer you want but this may provide some helpful clues/ or not. I have spoken to my mother and raised your point about the tangy flavor. She thinks it was probably lemon essence (not juice). However each county or authority would have in the 50/60s had their own guidance on meals cooked and then in turn the head cook would have added their own individual taste preference. She explained that Somerset (the county we are from never produced a recipe book, just some hand outs but she had books from Bristol and Newcastle, all with their own regional variation on White Sauce. Could the county/LEA you were educated in have any archives with old school meal recipes? Alternatively you need to be targeting a different audience. My mother who cooked in the latter part of the 60's is in her 70�s; try asking the young of today 'was your grandmother a school cook in the county of??? If so can you ask her how she cooked white sauce. On the whole people mid 70's plus are not going to be using this site extensively, I know there will be exceptions but not the rule. Those or your age who recognize the sauce will not know how to cook it as it was driven by the political will to provide children with high quantities of milk product rather than traditional English nursery puddings
Good luck. I hope you succeed in your endeavors

[esoteric]

Dear ruby27,
Thank you so much. You have been most kind and resourceful in your endeavours to answer my question. I think that my wife and I will try out some of your mother's ideas, to see how close we can get, and as you suggest, we will cast our net a little wider. Please thank your mum most profusely on our behalf.

With grateful thanks and kindest regards,

David.