The perfect blackberry jam - seedless, no pips and smooth !
However, it isn't quite a jelly as you use a setting point to create a spreadable jam, rather than leaving it a bit longer and creating a jelly that sets and wobbles. If you would like to make jelly, just let it boil a bit longer until your setting point test tells you that it's at 'wobble point'.
This is the ultimate taste of Autumn, and if you make enough of the jam, you can have it all year round.
I adore normal blackberry jam, but I also love smooth jams, as they have that extra special, melt in the mouth sensation... Although not as good as Galaxy chocolate !
Seedless Blackberry Jam Recipe
Ingredients
6 lb / 2.75 kg Blackberries
1/4 pint Water
2 Lemons
6 lb / 2.75 kg Sugar - roughly
Method
1. Put the cleaned fruit, the water, the lemon rind and lemon juice into a large jam making pan.
2. Using a potato masher, mash the blackberry mix well, to extract the juice.
3. For every pound (lb) of blackberries, use 1 lb of white sugar (0.5 kg). Put the sugar into the pan and stir in thoroughly. Leave it, well covered to keep tiny winged critters out, for a couple of hours, until the sugar has drawn the juice from the blackberries, and you have much more liquid that when you started.
4. Simmer gently until the fruit is soft, not too long or it will start to boil and begin to thicken. Don't let it boil at this point. You may need to stir it to check for, and prevent, sticking and burning on the bottom of the pan. Keep the pan lid ON, to prevent any loss of your precious juice via evaporation.
5. Pour the now sweet mushy fruit mix through a small holed sieve, (or through muslin cloth for extremely smooth). Return the pip free, seed free, skin free juice to the saucepan (make sure it's cleaned from earlier to remove any stray seeds, insect body parts, bat wings and so on).
6. Turn the heat up (but not on full) and boil rapidly until setting point is reached. (I use the cold plate in the fridge setting point method). Remember to remove the pan from the heat each time you do the setting point test, otherwise the test won't be accurate and you'll have a much thicker jam than you maybe intended.
7. Once setting point has been reached, remove from the heat and skim off any foam etc.
8. While the jam is still very hot, pour it into sterilised jam pots. Put the (also sterilised) lids on straight away while the jam is still very hot. This is so that, when the jam cools and contracts, it will take up less space in the jar. The shrinkage will create a vacuum at the top of the jar, between the jam and the lid. This will help to keep the jam long term, as bacteria cannot live in a vacuum (no air, nothing).
Just remember to NOT tip the jars at all, so that you keep the vacuum below any remaining air.
This will make around 8 or 9 jars of jam, depending on jar size. Well made jam can last for years, and this should be fine for at least 2 years. Jam tends to thicken with age, but the taste can improve sometimes.
This recipe is excellent for making early Christmas presents, or a gift for a friend. It's not everyday you can use one recipe to make both blackberry jam and blackberry jelly.
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Thursday, 4 September 2014
Friday, 29 August 2014
Elderberry Cordial (with Cloves) - Recipe 1
I have decided to conduct an experiment. I intend to make several different batches of Elderberry Cordial this year, using different recipe ideas.
I'll post each recipe as I make it, and then add the 'taste test' results at the bottom of each post (as well as a summary Post when I run out of berries). I'll also add information about the preservation qualities of each recipe batch as the winter progresses.
This cordial, when combined with water, is the perfect winter pick-me-up drink, and is also an excellent cold and flu preventative and remedy. It is full of vitamins, especially vitamin C, plus antioxidants and much more.
One last thing - this makes a great Christmas gift, especially if part of a homemade gift box.
Elderberry & Clove Cordial - Recipe 1
Elderberries (cut the whole flower/berry heads from the bush )
Sugar
Cloves
1. Pick the elderberries on a dry day. Remove the berries from the stalks by 'combing' them off with a fork. Make sure all insects and mouldy berries are discarded.
2. Stew the berries in a large covered stainless steel saucepan, with just enough water to cover the berries. This will take about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, but keep covered so as not to allow the juice to evaporate.
3. Strain it all through muslin, squeezing to get all the juice out.
4. To each pint of juice add 1 lb of white granulated sugar and 10 cloves.
5. Boil for 10 minutes.
6. Allow the liquid to cool.
7. Bottle the cordial in sterile bottles with good quality plastic screw-on tops, making sure you distribute the cloves evenly amongst the bottles (they act as a preservative). You can use recycled drink bottles and mini wine bottles are brilliant.
The cordial can be used immediately, but will also keep well for a year or two.
*TASTE TEST*
This recipe has a really festive aroma and taste, mainly due to the cloves. The resulting drink, once watered down, is especially nice served hot.
Taken with hot water it is renowned as a guard against colds, and a glass a day through winter is a wise precaution...
I'll post each recipe as I make it, and then add the 'taste test' results at the bottom of each post (as well as a summary Post when I run out of berries). I'll also add information about the preservation qualities of each recipe batch as the winter progresses.
This cordial, when combined with water, is the perfect winter pick-me-up drink, and is also an excellent cold and flu preventative and remedy. It is full of vitamins, especially vitamin C, plus antioxidants and much more.
One last thing - this makes a great Christmas gift, especially if part of a homemade gift box.
Elderberry & Clove Cordial - Recipe 1
Elderberries (cut the whole flower/berry heads from the bush )
Sugar
Cloves
1. Pick the elderberries on a dry day. Remove the berries from the stalks by 'combing' them off with a fork. Make sure all insects and mouldy berries are discarded.
2. Stew the berries in a large covered stainless steel saucepan, with just enough water to cover the berries. This will take about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, but keep covered so as not to allow the juice to evaporate.
3. Strain it all through muslin, squeezing to get all the juice out.
4. To each pint of juice add 1 lb of white granulated sugar and 10 cloves.
5. Boil for 10 minutes.
6. Allow the liquid to cool.
7. Bottle the cordial in sterile bottles with good quality plastic screw-on tops, making sure you distribute the cloves evenly amongst the bottles (they act as a preservative). You can use recycled drink bottles and mini wine bottles are brilliant.
The cordial can be used immediately, but will also keep well for a year or two.
*TASTE TEST*
This recipe has a really festive aroma and taste, mainly due to the cloves. The resulting drink, once watered down, is especially nice served hot.
Taken with hot water it is renowned as a guard against colds, and a glass a day through winter is a wise precaution...
Sunday, 13 December 2009
Yummy Eggnog Nibble Squares (Advocaat Nibbles for the adventurous)
Eggnog, or rather its alcoholic version Advocaat, is one of my favourite drinks. Advocaat is just heaven in a glass as far as I am concerned !
And it has to be Warninks Advocaat - no other comes close.
MMmmmMMmmmm
Shame I can't drink alcohol now ! Well not often...
Being English, I was naturally raised with eggnog and advocaat. Eggnog is a very old English medieval traditional drink which has now spread around much of the world. It was an upper class drink which often also had brandy or rum added (hence the later development of advocaat). The lower classes could not have even afforded the milk, let alone the rest of the ingredients.
It crossed the Atlantic in the 18th century and is now part of American traditions also.
Many years ago a friend (knowing how much I have a fetish for cookery books) sent me a very special book called Cookies For Christmas. It is a huge book devoted entirely to festive biscuits, tiny cakes and cookies ! A very fun book.
I got the idea for this recipe in that book and have used it since. I changed a couple of the ingredients and with just a couple of tweeks and changes I had something delicious to suit my tastes...
Eggnog or Advocaat Nibble Squares
2 cups Castor Sugar
2 Eggs
2 cups Plain Flour
1/2 cup ground Almonds
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
2/3 cup Unsalted Butter
1 teaspoon pure Vanilla Extract
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground Nutmeg
1. Put the butter and sugar into a saucepan and melt them together, on a medium heat only. Stir whilst it is melting.
2. Once it is melted and combined - stir for 2 more minutes.
3. Cool the saucepan and its contents for 10 minutes off of the stove top.
4. After the 10 minutes, use a wooden spoon to stir in the eggs, one at a time.
5. Then stir in the vanilla extract.
6. Next stir in the flour, the baking powder and then nutmeg, until it is all well mixed in.
7. Now stir in the ground almonds.
8. Spoon the mixture into a greased 13" x 9" pan, which is 2" deep (" is inches).
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C (350F or gas 4) for 25 or 30 minutes (until the edges of the cake/slices start to pull away from the edge of the pan).
10. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
This should make roughly 36 bars or squares.
And it has to be Warninks Advocaat - no other comes close.
MMmmmMMmmmm
Shame I can't drink alcohol now ! Well not often...
Being English, I was naturally raised with eggnog and advocaat. Eggnog is a very old English medieval traditional drink which has now spread around much of the world. It was an upper class drink which often also had brandy or rum added (hence the later development of advocaat). The lower classes could not have even afforded the milk, let alone the rest of the ingredients.
It crossed the Atlantic in the 18th century and is now part of American traditions also.
Many years ago a friend (knowing how much I have a fetish for cookery books) sent me a very special book called Cookies For Christmas. It is a huge book devoted entirely to festive biscuits, tiny cakes and cookies ! A very fun book.
I got the idea for this recipe in that book and have used it since. I changed a couple of the ingredients and with just a couple of tweeks and changes I had something delicious to suit my tastes...
Eggnog or Advocaat Nibble Squares
2 cups Castor Sugar
2 Eggs
2 cups Plain Flour
1/2 cup ground Almonds
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
2/3 cup Unsalted Butter
1 teaspoon pure Vanilla Extract
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground Nutmeg
1. Put the butter and sugar into a saucepan and melt them together, on a medium heat only. Stir whilst it is melting.
2. Once it is melted and combined - stir for 2 more minutes.
3. Cool the saucepan and its contents for 10 minutes off of the stove top.
4. After the 10 minutes, use a wooden spoon to stir in the eggs, one at a time.
5. Then stir in the vanilla extract.
6. Next stir in the flour, the baking powder and then nutmeg, until it is all well mixed in.
7. Now stir in the ground almonds.
8. Spoon the mixture into a greased 13" x 9" pan, which is 2" deep (" is inches).
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C (350F or gas 4) for 25 or 30 minutes (until the edges of the cake/slices start to pull away from the edge of the pan).
10. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
This should make roughly 36 bars or squares.
Saturday, 12 December 2009
Baked Ham with Honey & Mustard Glaze
This is a traditional and very versatile part of the Irish Christmas Dinner. Although the honey and mustard glaze is my preference, traditionally it would more likely have been just honey or brown sugar, if anything.
The really great thing about cooking a ham at Christmas, is that you also have loads of cold ham for sandwiches, for salads, to serve with cabbage and white sauce, for on pizzas, for almost anything in the days after the Big Dinner.
Here in Ireland (and in the UK) we have our Christmas Dinner on Christmas Day, usually around 1.30pm to 3.30pm. It lasts all afternoon and then in the evening we eat cold meats, cheeses, pickles, anything we have left over and we fancy !
I'm English living in Ireland for a good while now. I have noticed that basically the traditions are the same, but with a few interesting differences. Turkey and ham as the dual meats in the Christmas Dinner is one of them. In England we would have had just turkey (well we did in the part I come from).
So here is my baked ham recipe for this Christmas...
Christmas Baked Ham with Honey & Mustard Glaze
6 lb (2.5 kg) unsmoked best prime Ham Joint (this is from the hind legs)
Vegetable Stock Cube (I use Kallo organic stock cubes, but Knorr aren't bad either for taste. I really don't like Oxo cubes for cooking)
1 Onion
1 Carrot
2 Bay Leaves
Whole Peppercorns
2 tablespoons grainy Mustard (good quality)
3 tablespoons clear Honey
Water
150ml Apple Juice
Fresh Black Pepper
1. Put the whole ham (gammon) joint into a large saucepan and cover it with cold water. Leave the skin etc on it at this stage.
2. In a bowl dissolve the stock cube in 300ml of hot water.
3. Add the apple juice to the dissolved stock cube, as well as the onion (in large chunks), the carrot (large slices), the bay leaves and 12 whole peppercorns. Stir a small bit to mix.
4. Pour the stock, juice and veg mixture into the sauce pan with the ham.
5. Place the lid on the saucepan and bring it to the boil on the hob (top of the stove).
6. Once it is boiling, turn down the heat so that it simmers lightly. Simmer like this for 2.5 hours. Make sure you skew the lid slightly, so that the steam can escape.
7. After the 2.5 hours, cover it again and bring it to the boil slowly.
8. Once boiling, again reduce it to a simmer and gently cook it for another 1.5 hours.
9. Now allow the ham to cool in its liquid in the saucepan for 40 minutes.
10. Remove the ham from the liquid. Using a very sharp narrow knife (a fish filleting knife works), remove the skin and most of the fat underneath, leaving only a thin layer of fat.
11. With a sharp knife, cut a lattice (checkered) pattern into the ham (through the fat and into the meat).
12. Put the ham into a roasting dish, tray or pan.
13. In a small bowl mix together the honey, the mustard, and some freshly ground black pepper.
14. Spread this mix evenly over the exposed surface of the ham.
15. Cook the ham in the oven now for 30 minutes at a preheated 200C (gas mark 6), when it should be light brown on the surface and caramelised.
You can also bake a ham like this and use the meat cold.
You will be left with a ham and vegetable stock. You can use this as a stock base for soups and other dishes. I would skim off as much fat as possible from the stock, remove the bay leaves and freeze it in small portions ready for use.
The really great thing about cooking a ham at Christmas, is that you also have loads of cold ham for sandwiches, for salads, to serve with cabbage and white sauce, for on pizzas, for almost anything in the days after the Big Dinner.
Here in Ireland (and in the UK) we have our Christmas Dinner on Christmas Day, usually around 1.30pm to 3.30pm. It lasts all afternoon and then in the evening we eat cold meats, cheeses, pickles, anything we have left over and we fancy !
I'm English living in Ireland for a good while now. I have noticed that basically the traditions are the same, but with a few interesting differences. Turkey and ham as the dual meats in the Christmas Dinner is one of them. In England we would have had just turkey (well we did in the part I come from).
So here is my baked ham recipe for this Christmas...
Christmas Baked Ham with Honey & Mustard Glaze
6 lb (2.5 kg) unsmoked best prime Ham Joint (this is from the hind legs)
Vegetable Stock Cube (I use Kallo organic stock cubes, but Knorr aren't bad either for taste. I really don't like Oxo cubes for cooking)
1 Onion
1 Carrot
2 Bay Leaves
Whole Peppercorns
2 tablespoons grainy Mustard (good quality)
3 tablespoons clear Honey
Water
150ml Apple Juice
Fresh Black Pepper
1. Put the whole ham (gammon) joint into a large saucepan and cover it with cold water. Leave the skin etc on it at this stage.
2. In a bowl dissolve the stock cube in 300ml of hot water.
3. Add the apple juice to the dissolved stock cube, as well as the onion (in large chunks), the carrot (large slices), the bay leaves and 12 whole peppercorns. Stir a small bit to mix.
4. Pour the stock, juice and veg mixture into the sauce pan with the ham.
5. Place the lid on the saucepan and bring it to the boil on the hob (top of the stove).
6. Once it is boiling, turn down the heat so that it simmers lightly. Simmer like this for 2.5 hours. Make sure you skew the lid slightly, so that the steam can escape.
7. After the 2.5 hours, cover it again and bring it to the boil slowly.
8. Once boiling, again reduce it to a simmer and gently cook it for another 1.5 hours.
9. Now allow the ham to cool in its liquid in the saucepan for 40 minutes.
10. Remove the ham from the liquid. Using a very sharp narrow knife (a fish filleting knife works), remove the skin and most of the fat underneath, leaving only a thin layer of fat.
11. With a sharp knife, cut a lattice (checkered) pattern into the ham (through the fat and into the meat).
12. Put the ham into a roasting dish, tray or pan.
13. In a small bowl mix together the honey, the mustard, and some freshly ground black pepper.
14. Spread this mix evenly over the exposed surface of the ham.
15. Cook the ham in the oven now for 30 minutes at a preheated 200C (gas mark 6), when it should be light brown on the surface and caramelised.
Serve with the dinner !
You can also bake a ham like this and use the meat cold.
You will be left with a ham and vegetable stock. You can use this as a stock base for soups and other dishes. I would skim off as much fat as possible from the stock, remove the bay leaves and freeze it in small portions ready for use.
Saturday, 21 November 2009
Belgian Chocolates - Homemade
Tonight I am going to a house-warming party at the house of a dear friend. She has moved into my area from away and it's lovely to have her so close again (we lived in the same town a good few years ago).I'm going to make a bowl - plate of something for all to share which is how we do these things, but I also want to take them a small gift to say welcome to the area !
I have decided to make my homemade Belgian chocolates, as they seem to always disappear fast and they look real cute when decorated and packaged...
Here what I am using today, although this varies hugely depending what's in my cupboard at the time -
Homemade Belgian Chocolates
Callebaut Belgian milk chocolate drops (brought from Belgium courtesy of Ryan Air by more dear friends of mine as they know I'm a devil for making chocolates!)
Glacé Cherries
Hazelnuts (gathered locally last winter)
Walnut halves
Dried Apricots (cut in half lengthwise)
Marzipan (rolled into balls and squashed flat to make circles)
Almond slithers (sliced almonds)
Pine Nuts
1. First melt as much chocolate as required in a glass bowl sat over a small saucepan of boiling water. Be very careful not to get a single drop of water in the chocolate as this will turn it hard and lumpy.
2. Remove the glass bowl from the saucepan.
3. Using 2 forks coat the various nuts, cherries, apricots and marzipan with the chocolate. This is most efficient on chocolate if you pass the coated nut from 1 fork to the other, letting the real excess chocolate drip off.
4. Place each chocolate straight onto a tray with a sheet of greaseproof paper on it.
5. I put an almond slither on the marzipan chocolates and a pine nut on the apricot halves.
6. Place the tray of wet chocolates in a cool dry place, and let them dry and set naturally. This usually takes 2 or 3 hours. You will know when they are dry and the shine disappears.
7. When they are set you can package them as you wise. Sometimes if I make a large tray full for a party etc, I simply use a very elegant tray and place several doilies on it. Put the chocs on top and sprinkle lightly first with cocoa powder and then with icing sugar. Et voila !
Alternately you can put them carefully in pretty boxes and tie with ribbons etc for gifts.
Thursday, 19 November 2009
Vanilla, Chocolate & Walnut Fudge
This is a great fudge to make for Christmas presents, and everyone always loves homemade pressies.
If you can find pretty boxes or baskets to put it in, even better. Ribbons and tissue paper add to the luxury feeling if you can find those too.
I have loads of fudge, chocolates and other sweet recipes, and I will post a few in the run up to Christmas in case anyone wants to save money and make gorgeous presents for family and friends.
Vanilla, Chocolate and Walnut Fudge
1.5 lbs granulated white Sugar
2 ozs Butter
1 tin Condensed Milk (a 397g tin)
150 ml Water
2 tablespoons grated Milk Chocolate
2 tablespoons very finely chopped Walnuts
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1. Prepare a tin for the fudge by greasing it with butter (not the 2ozs for the fudge). A 6" or 6.5" square tin is perfect.
2. Put the water, the condensed milk, the butter and the sugar into a saucepan.
3. Heat this on a low heat, gently, and remember to keep stirring it. Keep at this until the sugar is all dissolved and the butter has melted in.
4. Turn the heat up to about medium. Bring the mixture to the boil, still stirring all the time.
5. Boil it until it reaches the 'soft ball' stage (detailed below).
6. Remove the fudge from the heat when it reaches this stage.
7. Add the grated chocolate, the walnuts bits and the vanilla extract to the fudge mix.
8. Beat this in hard until the mixture becomes a bit grainy (thick and creamy).
9. At this point pour the fudge into the tin. Leave it to cool somewhere safe.
10. When it is almost cold, cut the fudge into squares. Then leave it to finish getting cold.
11. Once it is totally cold you can remove it from the tin.
Either enjoy and eat it ! Or give it away as pressies !
It will last about 3 weeks easily.
If you can find pretty boxes or baskets to put it in, even better. Ribbons and tissue paper add to the luxury feeling if you can find those too.
I have loads of fudge, chocolates and other sweet recipes, and I will post a few in the run up to Christmas in case anyone wants to save money and make gorgeous presents for family and friends.
Vanilla, Chocolate and Walnut Fudge
1.5 lbs granulated white Sugar
2 ozs Butter
1 tin Condensed Milk (a 397g tin)
150 ml Water
2 tablespoons grated Milk Chocolate
2 tablespoons very finely chopped Walnuts
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1. Prepare a tin for the fudge by greasing it with butter (not the 2ozs for the fudge). A 6" or 6.5" square tin is perfect.
2. Put the water, the condensed milk, the butter and the sugar into a saucepan.
3. Heat this on a low heat, gently, and remember to keep stirring it. Keep at this until the sugar is all dissolved and the butter has melted in.
4. Turn the heat up to about medium. Bring the mixture to the boil, still stirring all the time.
5. Boil it until it reaches the 'soft ball' stage (detailed below).
6. Remove the fudge from the heat when it reaches this stage.
7. Add the grated chocolate, the walnuts bits and the vanilla extract to the fudge mix.
8. Beat this in hard until the mixture becomes a bit grainy (thick and creamy).
9. At this point pour the fudge into the tin. Leave it to cool somewhere safe.
10. When it is almost cold, cut the fudge into squares. Then leave it to finish getting cold.
11. Once it is totally cold you can remove it from the tin.
Either enjoy and eat it ! Or give it away as pressies !
It will last about 3 weeks easily.
Monday, 9 November 2009
Christmas Cake
This recipe makes a cake about 8 inches in diameter.
You will need additional brandy for dripping in the cake between now and Xmas !
It's important that you make the cake now - at least a month before it's required, as the flavours need to mature and blend.... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Christmas Cake Recipe
2 lbs mixed Dried Fruit (sultanas, raisins, currants etc)
2 ozs sliced Almonds
2 ozs finely chopped Walnuts
4 ozs Glacé Cherries (candied) (cut in halves)
4 ozs chopped Mixed Peel (candied)
2 teaspoons mixed spice
8 ozs Plain Flour (all purpose)
8 ozs Butter (soft)
8 ozs soft dark brown Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 tablespoon Black Treacle (molasses)
Rind of 1 Orange (finely grated)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4 large Eggs
1/4 pint of Brandy
1. Put the sifted flour and mixed spice in a mixing bowl.
2. In another bowl put the dried fruit, almond slices, chopped walnuts, cherry halves, and mixed peel. Mix it all up. Add 1 tablespoon of the flour from the first bowl and mix it in well to cover all the fruit etc.
3. In a third large bowl cream the butter and soft brown sugar until it is all light and fluffy.
4. Add the black treacle, orange rind and vanilla extract to the 3rd bowl with the butter and sugar. Mix it all well, in fact you can beat it.
5. Still using the 3rd bowl, add the eggs one at a time, each time adding a little of the flour from the 1st bowl to stop it curdling. Beat it well after each egg is added.
6. Add the fruit and remaining flour gently to the 3rd bowl, folding it in, adding 3 tablespoons of the brandy at the same time.
7. Mix it all well.
8. Use an 8 inch diameter round tin, or a 7 inch square tin. Use a loosed based baking tin if at all possible. Line it with 3 layers of greaseproof paper (sides and bottom) and leave 2 inches of paper above the tin all round.
9. VERY IMPORTANT - Around the outside of the tin tie a thick band of folded newspaper or brown paper. Tie this securely with string.
10. Put the cake mixture into the prepared tin. Smooth the surface down well, nice and flat, and then make a bit of a slight hollow in the middle.
The cake is now ready for baking. You can leave it like this overnight if you don't have time to bake it the same day.
11. Heat the oven to 160c (325f or Gas 3).
12. Place the cake in the centre of the oven and cook for about 1.5 hours, or until it is just starting to brown.
13. Reduce the heat to 150c (300f or Gas 2) and cook for another 3 hours or until cooked.
14. Protect the top of the cake from burning or over browning by covering it with tin foil or brown paper when appropriate (not before).
15. When it is cooked, the top will feel springy and when you poke a thin skewer all the way in it will come out clean.
16. Leave the cake until totally cold before removing all the papers and turning out of the tin.
17. Turn the cake upside down. Using a skewer, poke holes in the bottom of the cake. Pour the remaining brandy into the holes and let it soak in.
18. When it is soaked in, wrap the cake in greaseproof paper and then a layer of tin foil. Store in an airtight container.
19. Each week, unwrap it, make a few more hole in the top and bottom (alternate weeks) and pour in more brandy.
20. If you wish to almond paste and ice the cake, you don't do this until 2 weeks before Christmas.
Almond paste and icing will be in a later post.
You will need additional brandy for dripping in the cake between now and Xmas !
It's important that you make the cake now - at least a month before it's required, as the flavours need to mature and blend.... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Christmas Cake Recipe
2 lbs mixed Dried Fruit (sultanas, raisins, currants etc)
2 ozs sliced Almonds
2 ozs finely chopped Walnuts
4 ozs Glacé Cherries (candied) (cut in halves)
4 ozs chopped Mixed Peel (candied)
2 teaspoons mixed spice
8 ozs Plain Flour (all purpose)
8 ozs Butter (soft)
8 ozs soft dark brown Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 tablespoon Black Treacle (molasses)
Rind of 1 Orange (finely grated)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4 large Eggs
1/4 pint of Brandy
1. Put the sifted flour and mixed spice in a mixing bowl.
2. In another bowl put the dried fruit, almond slices, chopped walnuts, cherry halves, and mixed peel. Mix it all up. Add 1 tablespoon of the flour from the first bowl and mix it in well to cover all the fruit etc.
3. In a third large bowl cream the butter and soft brown sugar until it is all light and fluffy.
4. Add the black treacle, orange rind and vanilla extract to the 3rd bowl with the butter and sugar. Mix it all well, in fact you can beat it.
5. Still using the 3rd bowl, add the eggs one at a time, each time adding a little of the flour from the 1st bowl to stop it curdling. Beat it well after each egg is added.
6. Add the fruit and remaining flour gently to the 3rd bowl, folding it in, adding 3 tablespoons of the brandy at the same time.
7. Mix it all well.
8. Use an 8 inch diameter round tin, or a 7 inch square tin. Use a loosed based baking tin if at all possible. Line it with 3 layers of greaseproof paper (sides and bottom) and leave 2 inches of paper above the tin all round.
9. VERY IMPORTANT - Around the outside of the tin tie a thick band of folded newspaper or brown paper. Tie this securely with string.
10. Put the cake mixture into the prepared tin. Smooth the surface down well, nice and flat, and then make a bit of a slight hollow in the middle.
The cake is now ready for baking. You can leave it like this overnight if you don't have time to bake it the same day.
11. Heat the oven to 160c (325f or Gas 3).
12. Place the cake in the centre of the oven and cook for about 1.5 hours, or until it is just starting to brown.
13. Reduce the heat to 150c (300f or Gas 2) and cook for another 3 hours or until cooked.
14. Protect the top of the cake from burning or over browning by covering it with tin foil or brown paper when appropriate (not before).
15. When it is cooked, the top will feel springy and when you poke a thin skewer all the way in it will come out clean.
16. Leave the cake until totally cold before removing all the papers and turning out of the tin.
17. Turn the cake upside down. Using a skewer, poke holes in the bottom of the cake. Pour the remaining brandy into the holes and let it soak in.
18. When it is soaked in, wrap the cake in greaseproof paper and then a layer of tin foil. Store in an airtight container.
19. Each week, unwrap it, make a few more hole in the top and bottom (alternate weeks) and pour in more brandy.
20. If you wish to almond paste and ice the cake, you don't do this until 2 weeks before Christmas.
Almond paste and icing will be in a later post.
Monday, 26 October 2009
Orange Snowballs
A few years ago a very good friend of mine who knows of my addiction, errr I mean my joy, towards cookbooks, gave me an amazing book. It's called 'Cookies For Christmas'.
Oh My
Lethal
The book is American and not published over here at all, so I have no idea where she bought it, online maybe. Therefore the measurements are all American, so the stateside bloggers will love it ! If you would like to try and find it, it is written by Jennifer Darling for Better Homes & Gardens (a magazine ?).
Here is one of the recipes. I thought it would be good for Halloween as they are orange and round, and you can maybe pretend they are eyes or something equally gory...
They do also make a lovely present given in a pretty gift box.
Orange Snowballs
1 cup Butter (soft)
3/4 cup Icing Sugar (sifted) (powdered sugar in the US)
1 tablespoon finely shredded orange peel
2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel (keep these 2 peel piles separate)
1 tablespoon Orange Juice
2 2/3 cups Plain Flour (all purpose in US)
3/4 cup white granulated Sugar
1. In a big mixing bowl beat the butter until soft and fluffed.
2. Add the icing sugar and beat then together until they are well combined.
3. Beat in the orange juice.
4. Beat in the flour bit by bit until it is all completely combined, including 1 tablespoon of the orange peel with the last of the flour.
5. Shape the dough into 1 1/4 inch balls.
6. Place the balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking tray.
7. Cook in an oven heated to 325F for 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are just lightly browned.
8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor if you have one, a strong arm with muscles and a bowl if you don't, combine the 3/4 cup of white granulated sugar and the 2 teaspoons of orange peel. Beat/blend until this is totally combined. This really is better in a blender if possible.
10. While the cooked cookies are still a bit warm, roll them in the sugar mixture and place them on a wire rack to totally cool.
It is possible to buy edible gold glitter. This can be added to the blended granulated sugar and orange peel that you roll the balls in. They then look like glitter balls !
Great also for Christmas food...
Oh My
Lethal
The book is American and not published over here at all, so I have no idea where she bought it, online maybe. Therefore the measurements are all American, so the stateside bloggers will love it ! If you would like to try and find it, it is written by Jennifer Darling for Better Homes & Gardens (a magazine ?).
Here is one of the recipes. I thought it would be good for Halloween as they are orange and round, and you can maybe pretend they are eyes or something equally gory...
They do also make a lovely present given in a pretty gift box.
Orange Snowballs
1 cup Butter (soft)
3/4 cup Icing Sugar (sifted) (powdered sugar in the US)
1 tablespoon finely shredded orange peel
2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel (keep these 2 peel piles separate)
1 tablespoon Orange Juice
2 2/3 cups Plain Flour (all purpose in US)
3/4 cup white granulated Sugar
1. In a big mixing bowl beat the butter until soft and fluffed.
2. Add the icing sugar and beat then together until they are well combined.
3. Beat in the orange juice.
4. Beat in the flour bit by bit until it is all completely combined, including 1 tablespoon of the orange peel with the last of the flour.
5. Shape the dough into 1 1/4 inch balls.
6. Place the balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking tray.
7. Cook in an oven heated to 325F for 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are just lightly browned.
8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor if you have one, a strong arm with muscles and a bowl if you don't, combine the 3/4 cup of white granulated sugar and the 2 teaspoons of orange peel. Beat/blend until this is totally combined. This really is better in a blender if possible.
10. While the cooked cookies are still a bit warm, roll them in the sugar mixture and place them on a wire rack to totally cool.
It is possible to buy edible gold glitter. This can be added to the blended granulated sugar and orange peel that you roll the balls in. They then look like glitter balls !
Great also for Christmas food...
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