Christmas Baking

floyd

Just a quick question, when you feed the cake regularly does it taste of raw alcohol when you come to eat it or does it mellow? I ask because I don't want a dry cake but I also want Oh to enjoy it (he isn't fond of boozy puddings like sherry trifle or tiramisu).

kethry

logan wrote: »

Thats great, but i dont have a microwave lol (threw it out) or a pressure cooker
i do have a steamer and a slow cooker though

you'd be okay with either.. in fact, you don't even need a proper steamer to steam it - just a saucepan with a lid, you stand the pudding basin inside the saucepan on a trivet. the biggest drawback to steaming is the time - 6 hours - which is why i usually do it in the pressure cooker. If you'd rather do it in the slowcooker that's okay, iirc there're instructions on there on how to do it in the slowcooker from someone else who tried it that way. I don't have a slowcooker so i can't actually verify it myself!

the other plus with this recipe: no mixed peel for people who don't like that, and no suet either.

HTH

keth
xx

retired2

I made my first Christmas cake last year (although I'm nearly 60) and it was so successful. I used the free recipe from Waitrose and also the Vine fruits from Waitrose (in the recipe) which I find so much juicier than other dried fruit. I'm going to have a go at a Christmas pudding as well this year. :rudolf:

scaredy_cat

floyd wrote: »

Just a quick question, when you feed the cake regularly does it taste of raw alcohol when you come to eat it or does it mellow? I ask because I don't want a dry cake but I also want Oh to enjoy it (he isn't fond of boozy puddings like sherry trifle or tiramisu).

you don't get a raw alcohol taste, it makes the flavour richer and you get a hint of the alcohol.

When i feed my cake i only use either a capfull of scotch/whisky or a couple of table spoonfulls once a week.

papworth

very easy trifle:
1) get a large glass bowl and line the bottom with trifle sponges or sponge fingers or amaretii.
2) sprinkle liberally with alcohol of choice eg Cointreau or even orange juice
3) Add a layer of fruit - I used a pack of deforsted raspberries
4) Add a layer of Tesco Finest fresh custard
5) Whip 1 pint of double cream to soft peaks and layer this on top of the trifle
6) clingfilm and refrigerate until ready to eat
7) just before serving sprinkle with toasted almonds
Delish!

gingerandrubarb

Shortbread with seasonal berries and whiskey(or brandy or tia maria or conitreau cream )

Shortbread (easy to make )

Feeds 6 .
100g Butter
150g Flour
50g sugar

Preheat oven to 190'
Grease 20in tin
sift flour ,Add butter a small piece at a time until it looks like breadcrumbs
Add sugar
Make into a ball
Place in cake tin and spread using back of fork , Score in slice lines .
Cook for 30 minutes until golden .
Take out and leave for 5 minutes

Buy i carton medium cream , Add 1 -2 spoons alcohol beat until thick ,

I generally buy the frozen fruits -(raspberries ,blackberries etc.. )

I also serve a boozy coffee with the pudding ....

Really cheap -hope this helps a little ,Yum yum .

( cranberries are fabulous with this as are orange segments sprinkle with a little nutmeg or cinnamon )

xxx

Dijor

Forget all other Christmas Cake recipes - the best one by far is Delia's Creole Christmas cake. The taste is out of this world (I guess its the huge amount of alcohol!!!!). Yes, it takes loads of ingredients but its soooooo worth it. I've started mine tonight - you have to simmer all the alcohol with the fruit in it then leave in the fridge for a week to steep. Can't wait to bake next weekend.

Top tip - I have a 12" square professional cake tin which can be segmented off. I segment this off to make four 6" cakes, then I split the cost of all the ingredients with my mum, mother-in-law and sister so it ends up costing about £10 per cake. I triple Delia's measurements for everything.

My house smells like a brewery tonight but yummy all the same.....:beer:

Groovygirl

I always use the Christmas cake recipe from Good Housekeeping Book which is years (I really mean years old - it was my grans).

I took over baking them from my gran about 15 years ago, used to bake 2 or 3. This year I have 6 :eek: :eek: :eek:

No room in my kitchen at all I finished baking them about 2 weeks ago, just got to feed them alchol now .....

scaredy_cat

made the first christmas cake (Delia recipe) this afternoon, got it in the round tin, picked it up................ the base fell out:eek: ........


not to panic!! :cool: lined my square tin, and gently scooped most of the cake mixture out of the round tin and transferred it. :j and then scrapped the rest off the grease proof paper so the minimal amount was lost!!:D

It's now in the oven....:T

thevicster

Just soaking my fruit tonight ready to make my first cake tomorrow, v.excited! Delia recommends 3 tablespoons of brandy, but have to admit, I chucked in a bit more and may put a little bit more in later!!!