Kendal mint cake -long life food

[Andy]

My folks have just gone away for their holiday for two weeks. It seems my mother came across a bar of kendal mint cake in the cuboard where we keep sweets etc. Since I'm off biking for a week on tuesday she said I could have it, this was rather nice and it turned out to be a 170g block . I didn't think we'd had any for quite some time and indeed the bag it was in was quite old. The best before date is "nov 98"
If you don't hear from me you'll know why.

 

[bloodline]

If you dont make it back can I have your bike and any kit you leave

 

[lardbloke]

I have always found the cake far too sweet for my tooth and usually carry chopped up apricots and dates (they last longer as well)..

 

[VIRULENT SALAMANDER]

.... .. with no teeth, mint cake stand's you on good ground with me(energy wise)!, because it melts in the mouth & tastes good too. At the last meet I found dryed fig's at the local sup.store "they are good"!.

I would not risk eatting it out of date and all that. If you don't come back can I have your motorcycle suit? .... .. lol.

 

[Tantalus]

nothing really to go wrong with kendal mint cake

it isnt a cake for a start

basically sugar and peppermint, the mint will leach out with age but the almost pure sugar content will make it safe from bugs and bacteria

Tant

 

[Andy]

that's what I thought. given that I have raided the pot of sugar in an emergancy in the past I can't imagin this being worse

 

[Tantalus]

good to hear you are still alive Andy

Tant

 

[Andy]

it's tuesday morning that I leave.
So far all I've got done for the trip is sharpen the knife that's going with me

 

[TwoFourAlpha]

A Sergeant of mine once introduced me to 'mint cake tea'

Takes about two minutes to make, and, by god, warms you right up on those November nights on Luneberg Heide.

Oh, just in case you misunderstand, there's no tea bags involved.

 

[spamel]

TwoFourAlpha, share the info, it sounds very interesting!!

 

[arctic hobo]

Yes yes sounds very good

 

[Graham_S]

i suspect it goes a little like this..................
1. take cup of hot water
2. add kendal mint cake
3. drink

 

[TwoFourAlpha]

Graham_S -
Got it in one.

Not noted for their inventiveness, yer actual squaddie....

 

[Toddy]

It's vile stuff, I'd rather have tablet any day.

I make uncooked mint sweeties with children though.
100g icing sugar
Half a teaspoonful of mint essence
2 teaspoonsful of glycerine
*very* little water.

Make a well in the icing sugar, drop in 2 teaspoonsful of water, add peppermint essence and glycerine and mix everything together adding more water, drop by drop until a stiff dough is achieved. Roll into a sausage shape and leave to set for about half an hour. Slice into rounds between 5 and 8mm thick and lay out to dry a little. Dip in melted chocolate if desired. Keeps well if kept dry.
Alternatively use orange oil instead of mint essence and glycerine......dipped in chocolate these are brilliant

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Schwert]

Wonderful stuff. No worries on the age either, I have eaten it years out of date...it is just a bit harder on your teeth....will it break before your tooth does?

The tea may be just the thing for well aged Kendall Cake.

Just reading the box gives me energy. It is sort of like the Dr. Bonners of food.

 

[Andy]

well I'm back from my camping trip and I'm alive....


We only stayed one night and today the weather got far worse and campsites were having trouble and it was too windy to ride in places. I didn't get to eat any of the stuff.
It has however remained in one piece despite being in a pannier that's had a rough 2days

 

[demographic]

The only reason it has lasted in the cupboard so long is cos Kendal Mint cake tastes bloody manky
Waaaayyy too sweet for me.

 

[Motorbike Man]

It's vile stuff, I'd rather have tablet any day.

I make uncooked mint sweeties with children though.
100g icing sugar
Half a teaspoonful of mint essence
2 teaspoonsful of glycerine
*very* little water.

Make a well in the icing sugar, drop in 2 teaspoonsful of water, add peppermint essence and glycerine and mix everything together adding more water, drop by drop until a stiff dough is achieved. Roll into a sausage shape and leave to set for about half an hour. Slice into rounds between 5 and 8mm thick and lay out to dry a little. Dip in melted chocolate if desired. Keeps well if kept dry.
Alternatively use orange oil instead of mint essence and glycerine......dipped in chocolate these are brilliant

Cheers,
Toddy

Do you have a particular recipe for Tablet Toddy? I remember my Mum making it and it was one cup of milk to two cups of suger and just reduced down to a syrup and then set in the fridge

 

[Toddy]

Do you have a particular recipe for Tablet Toddy? I remember my Mum making it and it was one cup of milk to two cups of suger and just reduced down to a syrup and then set in the fridge

Uhuh but men make the best tablet, not women. HWMBLT has gone to bed but I'll ask him to write out the recipe tomorrow and pass it on. It's incredibly sweet but absolutely glorious stuff. Gavin's recipe uses butter and condensed milk and sugar.
I've got a recipe somewhere for Kendal mint cake too. It's just a boiled fondant.
Shall I find it too?
Cheers,Toddy

 

[Shepherd]

I remember running low on rations and after emptying out packs on a snowy mountain we made 'Kendal Mint Toddy'.

1. take cup of hot water
2. add kendal mint cake
3. add contents of hip flask
4. drink and be merry