About five years ago, my sister and I dreamed up a project: to make a kids' picture book out of our grandmother's famous recipe, Seven-Layer Pie. It was truly horrible and probably came out of a church charity cook book. As we worked on the text and pictures, the story evolved. We wanted to celebrate Gran's baking talents (she really did win prizes), and recall those happy days at the village fete where we slid down the slides, helped in the tea tent and sold ice creams. Mum and her elegant friends are in the background selling pot plants, another friend is brewing up the tea. The year is 1965... ish.
Here's an outline of the plot: Clare goes to stay with her Gran and has to endure her experimental cooking. But when the fete comes round, Gran brings her cakes and bread for the Women's Institute baking competition, and Clare goes in for the sack race. The local girls bring biscuits and fudge, and the fortune-teller promises them all they'll meet a tall, dark stranger. At the end of the day, they all dance round the field to the strains of the local brass band.
And if you want to know how to make Seven-Layer Pie, buy the book! Click the link: Clare, Gran and the Seven-Layer Pie
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