Zurich Legacy Kitchen Cookbook - Book - Page 49
L e g ac y K it c hen
Beth
Chamberlain
My
Grandma
on
citrusy, perfectly crusted on top. But when I
10 September 1933, the middle of three
searched for it in her well-loved recipe book,
sisters. She spent her working life as
it came to my attention that what in my eyes
a teacher in Barnsley, and was quietly
was Grandma’s famous lemon drizzle cake
determined, generous, and armed with a
wasn’t her recipe at all. Written on a strip
dry sense of humour.
of white card, the title simply reads: “Pam’s
Some
of
Shirley
my
was
fondest
born
childhood
lemon cake”. Pam is her younger sister.
memories are of being at Grandma and
It dawned on me, as I sifted through
Grandpa’s house. After collecting me
the book, that so many of the recipes had
from primary school, we would walk back
been passed to my Grandma from friends,
through the village, then me and my older
colleagues, neighbours and sisters. A quiet
brother would be served a selection of
archive of female friendships, the urge to
snacks while we watched Deal or No
share knowledge, swap things and, in this
Deal, Come Dine with Me and then The
case, pass on food that had been made and
Simpsons. I can still see the floral acrylic
perfected with love.
tray they were presented on and the amber
Now, whenever I make this lemon
tempered tumblers, which I kept after she
cake, I get a real sense of closeness to
died in 2022.
my Grandma and am reminded of our time
Of all her baked goods, the lemon
together. It makes me want to write things
drizzle cake stands out the most: fluffy,
down for my girlfriends, too.
49
