Recipes from 1979:
Dessert
Half a pint of whipped cream. Chocolate chip biscuits. Sherry. That’s literally all you need.
Published Mar 13, 2026
Recipes from Ward W9 · 1979
This series comes from a yellowed little recipe booklet compiled by Ward W9 at Hutt Hospital in 1979, where my grandmother worked as a nurse.
I’m recreating the dishes exactly as written, translating them for modern kitchens, and discovering whether these retro recipes still deserve a place on the table today.
Some are brilliant, some are baffling, and all of them are a fascinating little slice of kitchen history.
THIS WEEK'S RECIPE: DESSERT
Sometimes the simplest desserts are the most memorable. This one is simply called “Dessert”, which is even funnier when you look at what actually goes into it. A packet of chocolate chip biscuits, a splash of sherry, plenty of whipped cream, and a scattering of chocolate chips. That’s it.
Layered together and left to chill, the biscuits soften as they absorb the sherry, transforming into a soft, almost cake-like base beneath clouds of whipped cream. The chocolate chips on top add just the right touch of sweetness and texture.
It is charmingly straightforward, completely retro, and proof that a delicious dessert does not need to be complicated. Just biscuits, cream, and a good splash of liquor working their magic in the fridge.
MY MODERN VERSION
INGREDIENTS
1 packet (400g) chocolate chip biscuits
1¼ cups thickened cream, whipped
½ cup sherry
1 cup milk chocolate chips
METHOD
1.
Take a shallow serving dish and set it aside.
2.
Pour the sherry into a shallow bowl. Dip each chocolate chip biscuit into the sherry for just a few seconds, then place it in the base of the dish. Continue until you have a full layer of biscuits covering the bottom.
3.
Spread a layer of whipped cream over the biscuits, making sure they are completely covered.
4.
Repeat the layers of sherry dipped biscuits and whipped cream until all the biscuits are used, finishing with a final layer of whipped cream on top.
5.
Scatter the chocolate chips generously over the cream.
6.
Cover the dish with cling wrap and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This gives the biscuits time to soften and allows all the layers to meld together into a soft, creamy dessert.
7.
When ready to serve, spoon the dessert into bowls.
Taste Test
I enjoyed this dessert far more than I expected to. It is certainly boozy. After a generous bowl, I would not be getting behind the wheel. But it is creamy, fun, and a little outrageous in the best possible way.
I can easily see this being a big hit at a party. It feels like the kind of dessert that gets people talking and going back for seconds. Whoever originally contributed this recipe to the collection must have been a lot of fun.
A small tip if you make it yourself. Do not soak the biscuits in the sherry for too long. A few seconds is plenty. Any longer and they will start to fall apart before you even get them into the dish.
I also think this dessert would be incredible with caramel sauce swirled between the layers. It is an extra step, but one that could take this from cheeky retro pudding to something truly amazing.
Hi, I'm Samantha Tulett
I’m the cook, writer, and recipe developer behind City Slicker.
In this series, I’m recreating recipes from a quirky little 1979 hospital ward cookbook my grandmother kept from her time as a nurse, discovering whether these retro dishes still deserve a place on the table today.
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Some of these 1979 recipes are surprisingly timeless, while others feel wonderfully of their era. Would you give this one a go in your own kitchen, or would you leave it firmly in the past? I’d love to know what you think.
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Your Grandmother would be tickled pink.