In general my children refuse to eat anything that hasn't danced on television.
Erma Bombeck.
Katie’s Toffee Cakes
On Friday my youngest grandchild came to stay overnight. Katie is six, going on twenty-six and a lovely and loving child. She is bright as a button and full of energy, as they all are at that age. Unfortunately while her Grandma is for cuddling, her Granddad is her elected play pal. Not that I really mind, it can be and is very rewarding. But it is also exhausting, not physically but mentally. She is so energetic that you get tired just watching her, never mind joining in the games.
At the moment Katie is having swimming lessons after school and then after tea, my daughter Clare brings her over to ours. Inevitable Katie comes bounding into the kitchen with big smiled on her face and after giving us a hug says, ‘Will you watch a DVD with me Granddad?’
I generally reply, ‘Yes, when I finish my cup of coffee.’
Mollified for the moment, she tells us about her swimming and then before I have managed to get half of my coffee drunk, ‘Can we watch the DVD now Granddad?’
‘In a minute, I’ve nearly finished. What are we going to watch anyway?’
‘Aquamarina.’
‘Oh, is it about painting?’ I ask.
‘No Granddad,’ she explains as if to a child. ‘It is about a beautiful mermaid.’
All Katie’s DVD’s are about beautiful mermaids or princesses. I finish my coffee, put the DVD in the player and we settle back on the settee in the lounge to watch Aquamarina. This is the easy part but it won’t last long. Five minutes into the film. ‘Granddad I’m hungry and thirsty too.’
‘Go and ask Grandma what you can have.’
I sit watching the mermaid film on my own until she returns with one of those lunch boxes in one hand – you know, the one’s, little slices of ham and cheese with little biscuits to put them on – and a purple Fruit Shoot in the other.
Ten minute later she jumps up and dances around to the music on the DVD. After a few minutes of this she decides to show me the new moves she has learnt at her cheerleading class. By now the DVD is forgotten and she wants me to play X Factor. I switch the DVD off and settle back down on the settee. The game goes as follows, Katie goes behind the bookcase under the stairs and then walks out to the centre of the floor and I have to say, ‘Hello, what is your name?’
‘Katie.’
Katie sings, she has a nice little voice, makes up the words as she goes and the songs sound very Disney like. I clap, whistle and stamp my feet when she finishes and she takes a little bow. Now I have to be all three judges and vote for her to go on to the next round. This game goes on for another three quarters of an hour with Katie taking the part of different singers and dancers before she becomes bored.
Next she calls her Grandma in and we play schools, Katie is the teacher, Grandma is the good little girl and Granddad is the cheeky boy who gets sent to the naughty corner. Katie always starts the game the same way. ‘Today children we are going to…’
Half an hour later she is looking for something else to do, She decides that she would like to draw and colour in. I get the paper and pencils go to the bookcase and take out, ‘The World Of Beatrix Potter Treasury’ and we draw and colour in Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-duck and Mrs Tiggy-Winkle.
After an hour or so of this Grandma decides it is time for bed, but Katie begs us to play just one more game before she goes. We have recently introduced her to dominoes and she loves it. After six games, she and Grandma go up to bed and I am left to tidy up. I used to go up and read her a bedtime story, but she says that she is a big girl now and she takes her own book to bed with her.
By eight thirty on Saturday morning Katie is up and raring to go. We have a couple of games of ‘Where is Tinker bell?’ before breakfast and after breakfast we go into the garden to check how her plants are doing. Back indoors she asks what we can do next and after checking the cupboards I suggest we make toffee cakes. My wife Ann is not pleased; she hates me messing up the kitchen. I tell Katie what we need, butter, sugar, vinegar and treacle and she get them from the cupboards. Taking down a pan I stand her on a chair and let her put in all the ingredients. She is not allowed near the stove, so while the toffee is bubbling in the pan I get her to grease the bun tins with a little butter. When the toffee is ready I test it in water and then pour it into the bun tins and place the tins on the windowsill to cool. (I used a twelve-bun tin and filled each just over half way).
While I clean the pan and the spoons, Katie puts the ingredients back into the cupboards. Once the toffee has cooled I give Katie a small cake box and just as she finishes filling it with toffee cakes her Mum arrives to take her home. When she leaves she gives us a kiss and a cuddle, says goodbye and I can’t help wondering what she will have me doing next weekend.
Place butter in the pan over a low heat to begin melting. Add the other ingredients and stir until the sugar is melted.
Bring to the boil and boil briskly, stirring occasionally , until mixture turns a golden brown.
When you feel that it is ready test a small drop by dropping it into a saucer of cold water, you want it to set so that when you feel it between your fingers and thumb it is hard but chewy.
When you are satisfied pour it into your greased bun tins and leave to cool.
