It is a recipe book 'issued in connection with the fancy work stall' at the Batley District Nursing Service's bazaar from November 1924.

Women from Batley, Dewsbury and further afield have contributed their family recipes to the booklet for all sorts of homemade treats including biscuits, buns, breads, sweets, creams and preservatives.

And in the miscellaneous section at the back Nurse Ashton has even submitted a recipe to help ease rheumatism, there's a mixture for cleaning silver from Mrs G C Grundy and foodstuffs from mint sauce 'for winter use' to salad dressing and damson pickle.

Some of the recipes have just the ingredients, while others have detailed instructions of how to prepare them.

And in some cases there are several recipes for the same product – with different ingredients and methods! I wonder if Batley housewives tested them all to see which they preferred!

There are four different recipes for ginger biscuits, three for queen buns, scones and rock buns and two for pineapple cream, jumble biscuits and Quaker oat biscuits.

One of my favourites is the instructions for brandysnap cream, which simply says: "Make good curly brandysnap the usual way. Then fill with whipped cream." Simple! But the best bit of all: "Important: Small quantities no good."

Here are some of the recipes. If anyone gives them a try, please let me know how they taste!

Afternoon tea biscuits
– Mrs E Turner
6oz arrowroot,
6oz flour,
6oz caster sugar,
6oz butter,
1 teaspoon baking powder,
2 eggs.
Rub all in together and mix with the eggs. Do not make them too moist. Roll out one-quarter inch thick and cut out fancy shapes. Brush with egg and sprinkle coconut on top of half and granulated sugar on the other half. Bake in medium oven, not too hot.

Macaroons
– Miss K Blackburn
Beat well 2 eggs or whites of 3 eggs. Add 3 tablespoonful of fine sugar and half a pound of coconut. Drop on a buttered tin and bake in a quick oven.

Caramel toffee
– Miss M Longbottom
3lbs demerara sugar,
one tin Swiss milk or 6d jar of cream (either will do),
half a pound of butter,
1 teaspoonful vanilla.
Put sugar and milk into a pan and fill tin or jar with as much water and bring to boil. Then add butter. Stir constantly about half an hour. When finished add vanilla and pour into buttered tins.

Salad dressing
– Mrs W H Fenton
One small tin Swiss milk,
1 teaspoonful mustard,
1 teaspoonful salt,
1 egg,
9 tablespoonsful vinegar,
3 tablespoons full vegetable oil. Mix well and bottle.