Happy New Year

And a very merry festive season to you all, it's been a while since I last posted and I have only one thing to blame for that, Oliver! I was playing the part of Mr Sowerberry in a local production of Oliver! and it pretty much took over all my free time in November and December so that is why I've been absent. Anyway I'm back now and with a whole slew of photo's and two recipes to share. Less of the alchemaic this round though as I've been following tried and tested recipes for the Christmas.

Great Grandad Bellamy's Christmas Cake.


Every year around the start of November I make this cake from a recipe that has been used in my family for years. It's a rich fruit cake which is fed with brandy for about a month, then covered in marzipan and royal icing (I don't use the plastic that is ready roll icing).

Ingredients

• 1/2lb of unsalted butter
• 1/2lb of soft brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 10oz plain flour (all-purpose)
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2oz dried cherries (or glace, but wash them first so the syrup isn't in them so much as this causes them to sink)
• 1/4lb currants
• 1/2 sultanas
• 1/4lb chopped candied peel
• 1/2lb raisins
• 1/4lb chopped almonds

Method
Line an 8" round loose bottomed cake tin with double thickness of greaseproof paper.
To do this roll the tin along the paper to measure its circumference and the take out the bottom and draw around it to get a piece to line the base. You want two pieces of paper for the sides and bottom.

Cut some slits along the bottom which will help it fit into the tin like below.

Pop the disc for the base on top then repeat with the second side layer and second base layer.

Make sure it extends over the top of the tin.

When the tin is prepared set it to one side ready for the cake batter.

Beat the butter and sugar to a soft cream and then add the eggs one at a time beating well after each one.

It really does help to have a free standing mixer especially when cream butter and sugar together.

Add half of the fruit next, followed by half the dry ingredients (that have been sifted together), then the remaining fruit and finally the remaining dried ingredients. Spoon the batter into the tin and smooth off the top with the back of a spoon.

Bake in the over at 300F for one hour and then turn down to 275F for 2 to 2.5 hours, if the top looks like it's browning cover it with some baking parchment. 

When its cooked, let it cool in the tin and the the next day turn the cake upside down and prick the bottom several times. Spoon over 4 tablespoons of brandy and store upside down in the tin until ready to ice.

When I have decorated my cake I'll upload a photo of it. 

Chocolate Mint Thumbprints

This recipe comes from the book 'Baked Explorations: Classic American Deserts Reinvented'.

Ingredients

For the thumbprints

2oz of plain chocolate, about 60-72% cocoa solids.

2oz of mint chocolate

1.5 cups of plain flour

1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter cut into cubes and at room temp.

2 tbsp of dark brown sugar (muscavado)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large egg yolks

vanilla essence

coarse sugar for rolling

For the white chocolate filling

3oz white chocolate

2 tbsp heavy cream (double cream in the UK)

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Method

Melt the dark chocolate and mint chocolate either in the microwave or a double boiler, stir until smooth and combined and set to one side. Sift all the dry ingredients together a separate bowl.

Beat the butter until creamy add the granulated and brown sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and beat again. Then add the chocolate and mix well finally add all of the flour. Beat until the dough comes together and then remove it from the bowl, wrap it in cling film and pop it into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C, line two baking sheets, put the coarse sugar into a bowl and break off tablespoons of the dough, roll them in the sugar and put them onto the sheet. Press the slightly and then using the end of a wooden spoon make a dent in the middle of them. 

Bake for 10 minutes and then take out of the oven, re-dent them and pop them back into the oven for a remaining 5 minutes. Remove them from the oven if they start to crack.

 Cool the completely before filling them.

For the filling, put the cream into a microwave proof bowl (a jug would be best), and heat on full power for about 30 seconds. Remove and stir in the chocolate until it is melted. Add the peppermint extract and stir until all is combined.

spoon this or pour it, into the indents of each biscuit and then cool them in the fridge until set. 

Simple and delicious, in the words of Ina Garten, 'how easy is that?'