Mac, thanks for the mention and they look wonderful, just the colour I was trying to get. I need to try the steaming water in the oven to get the crispy crust!
The tip on using margarine is spot on, butter is way too expensive. As a kid, my mum always used marg in a block specifically for baking, slightly different to the spreadable marg which is more difficult to use when making pastry.
I read that you use a gas oven. Do most people have ovens there? Here in Thailand, hardly anyone owns, or uses an oven.
...and thanks for another reminder. The strawberry jam inside looked delicious. I'd love to make jam but buying the fruit, frozen would be an expensive way to make it, there are a lot of strawberries that go into a little jar!
When my mom tried it, she was proud of my baking skills.
I bet she's proud of you. Period. You are pretty amazing :-)
Take care and best wishes to you and mum.