The Recipe Blog would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very merry christmas or Happy Holidays!

For those of you celebrating today eat well and don´t consider the diet. Thats what January was invented for!

As always you can receive updates from our site by subscribing to our feed or by following us on twitter. We are hoping to dedicate a great deal more time to the site from the New Year, so stay tuned for developments. We hope to encourage some guest posters to pay us a visit occasionally – and if this is something you might be interested in please do let us know!

Love you all,

Eliza

A few years ago my mother and I were trying to think of a twist on the traditional christmas cake – during the process this is something we played with – using dried tropical fruits finely chopped in place of some of the more traditional fruits. It was a moderate success. This year we tried again, and have improved the recipe marginally. Each time it gets a little better – but here is the current recipe.

One point of note, and I stress this to everyone who is making a traditional christmas cake – preparation of the fruit is everything, especially with mine or my mothers cakes. We believe in detail – so ensure that all sultanas and raisins are washed, dried and halved, removing any stems or damaged fruit.  I hate the thought of unwashed fruit, even if it does come from a packet marked prepared. Drying is essential to avoid a soggy, sad cake with all the fruit at the bottom. Also check other dried fruit to ensure they are good quality.

Ingredients::

8 oz plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp ground mixed spice
¾ tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¾ tsp sea salt
1 oz candied peel – lime only
1 oz glace cherries
3 tbsp dark rum
3 tbsp limejuice
1 tsp of vanilla extract
6 oz softened butter
6 oz soft dark brown sugar
3 large eggs – room temperature
1 oz desiccated coconut, or 2 oz fresh
3 oz seedless raisins
3 oz golden sultanas
3 oz dried papaya
3 oz dried cherries – quarter
3 oz dried pineapple – unsweetened

Preparation of Fruit

Raisins and sultanas – these should be washed, dried and halved, removing any stems or damaged fruit. Check other dried fruit to ensure they are good quality.

Preheat over to 140 degrees Celsius

Sift flour, baking powder, ground mixed spice, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a baking bowl, put aside

Chop the candied peel finely and place in a bowl, along with the glace cherries, rum, lime juice and vanilla extract, cover and leave until required, then transfer to a liquidiser and blend until fairly smooth

In a separate bowl, cream together butter and soft brown sugar until pale in colour and smooth, beat in eggs (one at a time) adding a little flour with each egg

Stir in sieved dry ingredients along with prepared fruit and desiccated coconut. Add the candied peel/spirit/cherry mixture to the cake and continue mixing, test for dropping consistency. It should drop off the spoon in a few seconds. Continue mixing until mixture “shines”. If the cake is too dry, add a little milk

Cook for 1 hour and 45 minutes, checking after 1 hour and covering with greaseproof paper if the cake is browning too quickly. To test to ensure it is done, put a fine clean skewer into the centre of the cake – if it comes away clean, then the cake is done and can be removed from the oven

Do not open the door for the first hour of cooking, as it will sink

When cooled brush lightly with rum, wrap in greaseproof paper and store in an airtight container in a cool dark place. This cake will improve with age. Brush the top and sides (lightly) with rum once per week

Following rapidly on from my last post in which I disclosed my own mincemeat recipe I am now going to divulge my personal recipe for mince pies – in orange pastry. Its not unique of course because I´ve had mince pies in orange pastry in a couple of places – but this is my version tailored to my tastes.

Now I always make my mincemeat earlier in the year – usually around October. Leaving it a short while helps the flavours to mature.

Orange Pastry

8 oz self-raising flour
Pinch salt
1 tsp unrefined caster sugar
3 oz very cold unsalted butter, grated
1 tsp mandarin or orange zest, finely grated
Very cold orange juice

If the orange is not organic, wash under cold running water and brush lightly with a soft brush, dry and use a fine grater to remove the zest

Squeeze the orange and put the juice into the freezer until cold, but not freezing

Place the butter into the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or until nearly freezing

Sift the flour, salt and sugar into a bowl

Rub in the butter using fingertips only until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs

Stir in the zest and a little orange juice to bring the mixture together

Form into a disc, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for about 30 minutes

For Mince Pies

Bought mincemeat can be perfectly good these days, but try and buy a good brand. In this case I find you really do get what you pay for! Or you can use my recipe.

Lightly grease a tart tin. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C.

Trim the pastry sheets and cut into rounds (try using a pastry cutter if you have one).  Place a round of pasty in each hole.

Place a heaped tablespoon of mincemeat into the centre of each, add a little orange zest then carefully place a second round on top. Gently seal the edges. I always like to decorate them with little shapes made from the remainder of the pastry – little stars, a simple christmas tree. It makes them that little bit more special. Place on the baking tray, brush with melted butter (very very light) and sprinkle with a little caster sugar.

Place in the centre of a preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Put on a wire rack and allow the pies to cool a little. Serve hot or cold. I love to serve a pie in the evening – usually hot with just a dash of cream. Wonderful! But my favourite treat is in the middle of the afternoon, just a mince pie with a cup of tea – so old fashioned, so christmassy!

My family would make dozens of Mince Pies at Christmas, and we would often give them away as gifts to our friends, family and neighbours. As a result of course Christmas just would not be Christmas without a mincepie. Obviously my mince pies have evolved a bit since my Grandma´s recipe – she believed in mass production over quality, whereas I strongly believe in this case – less with more filling is better than more with a thin spreading!

But first, here is my recipe for traditional mincemeat.

Ingredients:
2 oranges and 2 limes – finely grated zest and juice
½ lb cooking apples
6 oz candied peel
2 oz flaked blanched almonds
¾ lb raisins
½ lb sultanas
¼ lb currants
¼ lb fresh cranberries
½ lb vegetable suet
½ lb soft dark brown sugar
2 tsp ground mixed spice
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
A little freshly grated nutmeg
6 tbsp Brandy (or other spirit – to taste)

Prepare the fruit:
Wash the raisins, sultanas and currants, check for any damaged fruit or stems and discard. Place a clean tea towel on a tray, put on the fruit, cover and leave overnight to dry
Finely chop the candied peel
Halve the raisins, sultanas and halve the currants if they are too large
Wash, core and finely chop the apples and place in acidulated water (lemon) until ready to use

Place the citrus zest and juice, apples, candied peel, almonds, dried fruit, cranberries, suet, sugar and spices into a large bowl, thoroughly mix, cover and leave for 12 hours

Pre-heat the oven to 110 degrees Celsius

Cover the bowl loosely with foil and place in the bottom of the preheated oven for 3 hours

Remove from the oven and stir occasionally during the cooling process

Prepare the jars:
Wash in mild, soapy water
Rinse in hot water and dry
Place on a tray in a pre-heated oven set to 110° Celsius, leave 5 minutes to sterilise the jars

When the mincemeat is cold, stir in 6 tablespoons brandy (or other spirit of your choice), pack into the jars, cover with wax discs, seal and label with date made, contents and use by date (best eaten within 12 months)

Store in a cool dark pantry, larder or cupboard

I realise every daughter says this but my Mum does the best Christmas Cake. Its the most devine thing I have ever tasted, and it wouldn´t be Christmas without it. Served on its own, or with a slice of Wenslydale Cheese… its marvellous. Its uniquely her own because she does a rather unusual thing with the cherries – she puts them in a blender with the brandy and candied peel and whizzes them! It adds the most wonderful flavour to the cake, and it is a tip I would heartily recommend.

People would beg my Mum to make a cake. When she first invented the cake recipe that exists today she´d make one small cake, maybe two for the family. A year or two later we were mixing the cake by hand in a huge bread bowl – turning out 10 cakes for family and friends.

Ingredients
8 oz strong plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp ground mixed spice
¾ tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp salt (not low salt)
3 tbsp – either Brandy / Sherry / Whisky or a mixture
1 oz glace cherries
1 oz candied peel
1 tsp almond extract
6 oz butter or margarine
6 oz soft brown sugar
3 large eggs – room temperature
1 oz ground almonds
6 oz stoned raisins
5 oz currants
4 oz sultanas
2 tbsp milk

Preparation of Fruit
Raisins/Sultanas – to be washed/dried/cut into small pieces, stems removed
Currants – to be washed and dried, stems removed – leave to dry overnight on a clean tea towel over a tray

It is important to pick through the fruit, remove any stems or damaged fruit.

Preheat over to 130 degrees Celsius.

Sift together flour, baking powder, ground mixed spice, ground ginger, ground cinnamon and salt into a baking bowl, put to one side.

Put candied peel, cherries, spirits and almond extract into a bowl, cover and leave until required, then transfer to a liquidiser and blend until fairly smooth.

In a separate bowl, cream together butter and soft brown sugar until pale in colour, beat in eggs (one at a time) adding a little flour with each egg.

Stir in sieved dry ingredients along with prepared fruit, ground almonds and the candied peel/cherry/spirit mixture, adding a little milk if needed.

Test for dropping consistency – mixture should drop off the spoon when tapped on the rim of the bowl – the mixture should “shine”

Cook until done – Use warmed darning needle or skewer to check. If it comes away clean it is done. We don’t do exact times in this house, but will let you know when we cook this next. Do not open the door for the first hour of cooking, as apparently it will sink.

When cooled brush lightly with Brandy, wrap in greaseproof paper and store in an airtight container. Store in a cool dark place. This cake will improve with age. Brush lightly with brandy once per week.

You have no idea how delighted I was when I received this message from twitter user @tastechristmas -the official twitter of this seasons greatest restaurant festival – Taste of Christmas 2009!

“Congrats, you’ve won a pair of tickets to Taste of Christmas. we just need an address them to send them to thanks!”

This was for my entry in the sprout story/tips/recipe competition. Since I absolutely adore sprouts I just had to enter, and my christmassy version of Bubble n Squeak with shredded sprout was chosen. Woo!

Here is the original entry – (thats 140 character limit is challenging at times!).

@TasteChristmas Also mashed potato & root vegetable bubble & squeak with shredded sprout. Made into small cakes.

I´m not going to go into measurements now, as really, its not required. So here is a basic outline.

Ingredients:
Mixture of root vegetables (potatoes, parnsnips, carrots – you get the idea, basically whatever you fancy, or have left over!)
Sprouts! (sorry, for me, not christmas without sprouts!)

Method:
Create a mash out of the mixture of root vegetables. This should be a relatively simple task if they are left overs.. Try not to make them too smooth of course as you want a degree of texture.

Add shredded pre-cooked sprouts (not cooked until they are soft, but al dente). Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Mix together and form into small cakes. Lightly pan fry or griddle until golden brown (and yes for the health fantatics you can cook in oven, but it just doesnt seem right for bubble and squeak to me).

The rest is up to you. Just a quick idea which can be easily adapted to suit your own tastes. Its great for hiding sprouts from those misguided individuals who just dont like them!

This was a request made during the course of the day via email. Pigs in Blankets are so exceptionally simple a recipe really is not required.

Ingredients

Cocktail Sausages [or other sausages sliced into 3 or 4 pieces]
Streaky Bacon or Panchetta

Instructions

1. Wrap the sausage and other filling in the bacon or panchetta
2. Roast for 30 minutes or grill for around 10 minutes

Liven up by adding other ingredients – stuffing, apricots, or oyster

There is nothing more wonderful on a traditional British sunday dinner than a pile of Roast Potatoes. That said, I am quite happy to take them as they come – served with cold homemade ham and coleslaw being a particular favourite of mine.

There is really no secret to crispy potatoes – just follow these simple instructions and you will have the best tasting potatoes yet.

Ingredients

Floury potatoes [Cara or King Edward] Cut into egg size pieces.
Duck or Goose Fat*

*[Substitution with Olive or Sunflower Oil is possible, but is less flavoursome]

Instructions

1. Par-boil the potatoes in gently boiling salted water for about 7-8 minutes. Do not right through.
2. Drain and shake in sieve to roughen the potatoes ever so slighty
3. Preheat the fat in a tin. Do not add potatoes until the fat is sizzling hot. Baste or turn the potatoes in the oil [carefully] so each is coated in the fat
4. Roast for the 45 minutes, turning at least once.

This is my own recipe made up on the cuff one fine Christmas day several year ago.

Its transpired transpired because I lacked a recipe at the time – and once we had it this way no other recipe would do. Once you have tasted homemade cranberry sauce you’ll never buy the readymade again! Personally I love to experiment with my own ideas, and this was a definite winner with my family.

Ingredients

1 orange
175g/5oz caster sugar
5 tbsp Red Wine [approximate, I tend to slosh red wine in..]
359g/12oz cranberries, fresh or frozen

Instructions

1. Place cranberries in pan, grate over the zest of the one orange, and add the juice. Throw in the red wine [4tbsp or a good slosh, depending on what you fancy]
2. Cook for 8-10 minutes [longer if you are using frozen cranberries] until the fruit is soft and the juices thick
3. Add further 1tbsp of red wine or another good slosh. Serve warm or cold

Brussel Sprouts have a bit of a raw deal as far as their reputation is concerned – but being the granddaughter of a vegetable grower I have always adored my veggies – especially brussel sprouts. I mean what would a traditional dinner be without a side order of these green gems? I particularly like tossed in olive and lightly fried bacon. But most recently, and this is an addition to this past I made in 2009, I came up with a Bubble & Squeak recipe which has them hidden within – and believe me, your guests will adore them. To see this recipe for yourself please go here

Ingredients

Brussel Sprouts
2 slices of bacon, panchetta [or even jamon serrano is fantastic]
1tbsp Olive Oil
1 small knob of butter [to taste]

Instructions

1. Steam [or boil if you must] Brussel Sprouts until tender
2. Warm Olive Oil in a frying pan, and add butter and bacon. Fry for a minute or two
3. Add Brussel Sprouts and toss together. Making sure the oil, butter and bacon coat the sprouts
4. Serve and enjoy!

I despise boiled brussel sprouts. Steaming them maintains their colour much better, and you don’t run the risk of getting soggy mushy sprouts that do nothing for your constitution [or your taste buds]