Wednesday July 19, 2006



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This is Jersey >Living in Jersey >History & Heritage >Jersey Wonders

This article from

A stalwart of the summer fair

THERE is one traditional form of Jersey food that no summer fair would be complete without ÷ the Jersey wonder.

Twisted lumps of browned dough, they are creamy, fluffy and sweet. They can be cooked in minutes and require minimum effort. The only difficult bit is turning the dough into the traditional twist without tearing it.

But you have to have more than just the correct kitchen utensils to cook up the perfect batch of Jersey wonders. You also have to make sure that the tide is right.

Traditionally the Island's house- wives have always cooked their wonders as the tide is going out. Rumour has it that if they cook them on an incoming tide, the fat will overflow the pan.
While this myth has little scientific basis, it is always good to be able to stretch the idea and blame the tide if a batch ends up overcooked and chewy.

Best eaten immediately, wonders will keep for a month in an airtight tin, but their soft-centred texture does tend to solidify within a couple of days.

How to make them

INGREDIENTS
11/2 lb self-raising flour
4 oz butter
8 oz caster sugar
6 eggs

METHOD
Sieve the flour and sugar and rub in the butter, cut into small pieces. Add the whisked eggs to make a light dough.
With floured hands, make the dough into golfball-sized shapes. Place these on a lightly floured tray and cover them with a damp cloth for two hours. Then roll out each of the balls into oblongs 2 ins by 4 ins. With a sharp knife, slit the centre of each oblong and twist the top end (of the oblong) through the slit.
Drop four to six wonders at a time into a large pan of hot oil and cook them for two minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.

This article first appeared in the Jersey Evening Post as part of the Pride in Jersey series, marking the Island's 1204-2004 celebrations.

This article updated: 2003/10/22 15:41:22













......timelines......
Shipbuilding began in earnest in June 1789 when the 280-ton Tupper was launched on the high tide in St Aubin's Bay.