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| sketch of design |
One of the things I love about Christmas is the cooking! I know some people dread the idea of preparing a Christmas feast but I enjoy it.
Preparation is key and as someone who refuse to think about Christmas until December 1st this only leaves 24 days to prep.
The first thing on the to do list is the Christmas cake.
As this is not a traditional recipe here in Barcelona some ingredients have been hard to come by so I have had to adapt. Mixed peel being an essential to the cakes taste I have been experimenting in making my own.
To make 125g of Carol's easy mixed peel.
2 oranges
1 Lemon
Juice of the limes
1/2 Limes
50g sugar
Half a glass of white wine
2 tbs of orange juice
Method
Zest the limes and cut in half to juice. Juice the limes.
Peel the lemon and oranges leaving about 5mm - 1cm of flesh on the skin.
Heat the wine and sugar in pot on a high heat. When sugar dissolves turn down heat to low and add peel, zest, lime and lemon juice. Leave to simmer for about an hour until liquid has reduced, stirring every so often.
When liquid has reduced right down remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool. Leave over night if possible.
Once cooled check a piece of peel for softened. If still hard heat mixture with a little more wine and sugar until skin is soft.
The recipe below has produced on several occasion a beautiful fruit cake that has been admired by many.
I mix up a batter of the sugar, butter, eggs, treacle and flour. In a separate large bowl I mix up my dry ingredients plus brandy and orange juice. I then fold in the batter making sure that every piece of fruit is covered in batter. This should smell like Christmas by this point!
Then transfer the mixture into lined tin. I like to line my tins as the baking time is long and this atoms the edges of the cake becoming dry.
Bake for the first 2/3 of the time at 150°/gas mark 2 then follow the times depending on the size of the cake. However I find that this cake can bake in 2/3 of the time so watch for over cooking the top of the cake. If you think it might burn lightly cover the top with foil.
Now that that is all baked a safely out of the oven now time to feed the cake. Place cake in grease prof paper and place in a tin. Every two days open tin and unwrap top of cake. Pour a very wee glass of brandy over the top. Allow to soak in. Wrap up and close tin. Repeat until ready to decorate.
As this is not a traditional recipe here in Barcelona some ingredients have been hard to come by so I have had to adapt. Mixed peel being an essential to the cakes taste I have been experimenting in making my own.
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| making my own mixed peel mix. |
2 oranges
1 Lemon
Juice of the limes
1/2 Limes
50g sugar
Half a glass of white wine
2 tbs of orange juice
Method
Zest the limes and cut in half to juice. Juice the limes.
Peel the lemon and oranges leaving about 5mm - 1cm of flesh on the skin.
Heat the wine and sugar in pot on a high heat. When sugar dissolves turn down heat to low and add peel, zest, lime and lemon juice. Leave to simmer for about an hour until liquid has reduced, stirring every so often.
When liquid has reduced right down remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool. Leave over night if possible.
Once cooled check a piece of peel for softened. If still hard heat mixture with a little more wine and sugar until skin is soft.
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| Getting it all in the bowl. |
I mix up a batter of the sugar, butter, eggs, treacle and flour. In a separate large bowl I mix up my dry ingredients plus brandy and orange juice. I then fold in the batter making sure that every piece of fruit is covered in batter. This should smell like Christmas by this point!
Then transfer the mixture into lined tin. I like to line my tins as the baking time is long and this atoms the edges of the cake becoming dry.
Bake for the first 2/3 of the time at 150°/gas mark 2 then follow the times depending on the size of the cake. However I find that this cake can bake in 2/3 of the time so watch for over cooking the top of the cake. If you think it might burn lightly cover the top with foil.
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| This recipe has always produced a very rich, juicy fruit cake. |
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| Some of my previus designs. |
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