~The Book Of Wonder Encyclopaedia~


~Seasonal and Celebration Recipes~

~Christmas~

holly

Quick Christmas Cake

What You Need:

Tools:

  • Kitchen scales
  • Enough containers to hold weighed ingredients
  • Mixing bowl
  • Sieve
  • Teaspoon
  • Tablespoon
  • Wooden Spoon
  • 1 x 10" (25cm), cake tin, lined and oiled
  • Wire tray

Ingredients:
  • 500g (1lb) plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 350g (12oz) soft margarine
  • 175g (6oz) caster sugar
  • 175g (6oz) dark brown sugar
  • 6 size 3 eggs
  • 1kg (2lbs) dried mixed fruit - currants, raisins, sultanas, cherries, candied peel, apricots, dates, can be included in this amount, or use a pre-pack but if you add other things then take out of the pre-pack the same weight as you add
  • 5 tablespoons sherry, whisky or brandy - optional

What To Do:

  1. Gather together all equipment and ingredients.
  2. Switch oven on: 325F/160C/gas Mk3.
  3. Weigh out all ingredients and keep them to hand.
  4. Pour sherry, whisky or brandy over fruit and leave to steep - optional
  5. In a separate bowl sift the flour, spice and ginger together.
  6. Cream the margarine together with the sugars until light and fluffy.
  7. To this mixture beat in the eggs one at a time adding spoonsful of the flour mixture at the same time. This prevents curdling. Stir well with wooden spoon.
  8. Add fruit a little at a time stirring in with the wooden spoon until all worked into the mixture. DO NOT BEAT!
  9. If mixture is not stiff sprinkle on a dusting of flour, not too much though.
  10. Turn mixture out into the cake tin, level the top off.
  11. Bake in centre of oven for 2-2¼ hours or until skewer comes away clean.
  12. If top looks as if it's cooking too quickly then put a sheet of oiled greaseproof paper over it.
  13. When cooked through leave in tin to cool off for about half an hour then turn out onto a cooling rack.
  14. If desired, spirits may be drizzled onto the top of the cake right up until it's time to put the marzipan on previous to icing.
Top.

holly

Stollen - a light fruit bread from Germany

What You Need:

Tools:

  • 3 Mixing bowls
  • Sieve
  • Teaspoon
  • Tablespoon
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Baking Sheet, oiled


    • To Glaze:
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 tablespoons water


    • Decoration:
  • mixed candied fruits
  • slices of orange and lemon peel
  • glacé cherries
  • icing sugar, sifted
  • cinnamon powder

Ingredients:
  • 75g (3oz) sultanas
  • 75g (3oz) raisins
  • 25g (1oz) flaked almonds, toasted
  • 25g (1oz) glacé cherries, halved
  • 50g (2oz) candied lemon peel, chopped
  • grated rind of 1 lemon
  • 25ml (1fl oz) rum or brandy
  • 450g (1lb) plain flour
  • pinch of salt
  • ¼ teaspn ground mace or grated nutmeg
  • 25g (1oz) fresh yeast/or 15g (½oz) dried yeast
  • 50ml (2fl oz) warm milk
  • 100ml (4fl oz) warm water
  • 50g (2oz) sugar
  • 100g (4oz) butter, softened
  • approx. 40g (1½oz) butter, melted
  • 175g (6oz) marzipan or almond paste

What To Do:

  1. Put the fruit, nuts, peel and grated lemon rind in a bowl with the rum or brandy and leave to soak, preferably overnight, until the spirit is absorbed.
  2. Sift the flour, salt and spice into a warm mixing bowl.
  3. Mix the yeast with the warm milk and water and a teaspoon of the sugar, sprinkle with flour and leave in a warm place until the top crinkles. [Or make up the dried yeast according to the packet.]
  4. Stir the yeast mixture into the flour with the remaining sugar and mix into a dough.
  5. Beat in the softened butter.
  6. Turn the dough on to a floured board and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and not sticky.
  7. Cover and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
  8. Re-knead quickly, working in the fruit about 2 - 3oz at a time.
  9. Shape into an oblong and roll out to about 2.5 cm/1 inch thick.
  10. Press the rolling pin into the length of the dough, slightly off centre, to make a trough.
  11. Fill the trough with softened marzipan worked into a long sausage.
  12. Roll dough over from the long side so the bottom edge ends up underneath then press down on the roll and the ends to seal them.
  13. Place on a greased baking sheet, cover and leave in a warm place to prove for about 30 - 40 minutes or until puffy.
  14. Brush with melted butter and bake in a preheated hot oven at 230°C / 450°F / Gas Mark 8 for 30 minutes.
  15. Reduce the heat to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6 and continue baking for a further 20 to 30 minutes. [Test with a skewer which should come out clean when the stollen is cooked.]
  16. Dissolve the sugar in the water for the glaze. Brush on several layers while the loaf is still hot.
  17. Arrange mixed candied fruits on top of the Stollen and brush over with the sugar glaze.
  18. Dust generously with sifted icing sugar and finish with a light sprinkle of cinnamon powder down the centre.
Top.

holly

Figgy Pudding

What You Need:

Tools:

  • Mixing bowl
  • Sieve
  • Teaspoon
  • Tablespoon
  • Wooden Spoon
  • 2 pint pudding basin, oiled
  • Greaseproof paper

Ingredients:
  • 100g (4oz) plain flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 100g (4oz) breadcrumbs
  • 100g (4oz) shredded suet
  • 200g (8oz) chopped dried figs
  • juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
  • 2tbs milk
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 75g (3oz) dark, soft, brown sugar
  • 2 beaten eggs
What To Do:
  1. Sift the salt and flour together.
  2. Mix in all the remaining dry ingredients.
  3. Add the figs, lemon rind and juice, milk and eggs, and beat them well to a soft, dropping consistency.
  4. Put into a greased 2 pint pudding basin, cover securely with greaseproof paper and steam for 3 hours.
  5. Serve hot with sauce of choice.

    6. Top.

    holly

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