Wartime inspired baking

The Sotonettes have been at the Make Do and Mend Vintage Fair today, promoting both the Sotonettes WI but also the WI as a whole.  The Make Do and Mend theme got us thinking about what sort of things we could have on our stand and we decided to go for some wartime inspired baking.  The Second World War led to rationing all over the world which certainly reduced the choice and amount of ingredients available to families but improved ingenuity! 1940s ladies didn’t want to be eating tasteless or boring food and still wanted cakes and treats to enjoy, even if it was less frequently than before.

There are lots of sources of wartime recipes with guides on rationing (and how rations changed over time based on supply and need). We found a fantastic blog called The 1940s Experiment – one lady decided to lose weight by living with rations rather than following a specific diet.  She’s posted loads of recipes and they are definitely worth a browse.

For the fair, we made Anzac biscuits and Rock Buns. Give them a go – they’re absolutely delicious and very easy to make!