Newstalgia: Twists on six recipes bursting with classic nostalgia

When you think of nostalgic food, what comes to mind? We can’t help but think of classic British recipes like fish finger sandwiches and coronation chicken. But what happens when you put a modern twist on these staples? You get what is now called a newstalgia recipe!  

If you didn’t know, newstalgia is a hot new take on nostalgia. It is a longing for the past while still wanting to keep it fresh, which is exactly what we have done with these nostalgic recipes. Time to dust off your record player and put on your disco boots! 

Bombay Fish Finger Sandwich with Maple Mayo 

The fish finger sandwich is a true British classic – buttery bread, lettuce, sauce and of course the fish fingers. Bringing back any memories yet? 

For a modern take, we have added a Bombay mix to the fish finger batter for a hint of spice and pure amber maple syrup to mayonnaise for the sauce to balance out the flavours.  

Keeping true to the original recipe, we used classic cod for the Bombay Fish Finger Sandwich and layered it with lettuce, sliced tomatoes and burger buns. 

Maple Pineapple Upside Down Cocktail 

This next newstalgia recipe has seen a lot of versions since its original creation back in the 1920s.  The classic pineapple upside down cake was born when a pineapple company sponsored a contest of pineapple recipes. But have you ever tried it in a cocktail? 

Using vanilla vodka and almond liqueur, one sip of this tropical Maple Pineapple Upside Down Cocktail will take you straight back to the 50s, or maybe you remember it more from the 70s! 

As well as pineapple juice and fresh pineapple, this recipe uses fresh lime, grenadine and pure golden maple syrup for a hint of sweetness. 

Maple Coronation Chicken Bruschetta 

Next on our list of newstalgia recipes with a maple twist is bruschetta topped with coronation chicken. We bet you haven’t tried this before! 

Infusing an Italian antipasti with a British classic, this recipe replaces cream or mayonnaise with Greek yoghurt and adds pure amber maple syrup to both the coronation mix and the bruschetta oil topping for a truly exciting dish. Find the Maple Coronation Chicken Bruschetta recipe here. 

Maple Fudge Milkshake 

Milkshakes certainly scream 1950s American diner and are a true staple of this time. As an already sweet drink, we knew using amber maple syrup for its rich taste would be a key ingredient of this newstalgia recipe. 

For the flavour, we opted for a Maple Fudge Milkshake, combining sweetened condensed milk, amber maple syrup, unsalted butter, white chocolate and a pinch of sea salt to make the fudge.  

For the milkshake itself, we used vanilla ice cream, milk, maple fudge and topped with the optional whipped cream, pieces of maple fudge and a drizzle of maple syrup. But really, who doesn’t want the toppings? 

Maple Bacon Loaded Mac and Cheese 

Guess who’s mac in the house… it’s a true classic! 

Loved worldwide, mac and cheese is the epitome of comfort food, and we’ve upgraded the flavour with the help of streaky bacon, croutons and pure amber maple syrup.  

And with less than an hour to make, this Maple Bacon Loaded Mac and Cheese recipe will be your new winter warmer. 

Maple Cherry Tiramisu Cheesecake 

Last but certainly not least, we have a maple syrup cake that will evoke nostalgia through three different flavours – cherry, tiramisu and cheesecake. If you are drooling already, we don’t blame you! 

One of our favourite parts of this newstalgia recipe is the ladyfingers. Despite not originating in Britain, it is fair to say this biscuit is regarded as a delicacy in England. So, we had to use it as a base for the cheesecake! 

We also combined coffee with black forest berries and pure amber maple syrup to elevate this Maple Cherry Tiramisu Cheesecake recipe into the modern day. 

Discover our other newstalgia recipes.

By now, we hope these recipes have brought back fun memories – it truly is the magic of food!  

For more maple syrup recipes, including two more newstalgia ones to try, visit our recipes page.