This makes a large steamed pudding in a 2 pint/ 1.2litre basin
Ingredients:
4oz/110g shredded suet (vegetarian suet can be found quite easily. Atora do one in a green box.)
2oz /50g self raising flour, sifted
4oz/110g white breadcrumbs
1 level teaspoon ground mixed spice
0.25 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
8oz/225g soft dark brown sugar
4oz/110g sultanas
4oz/110g raisins
4oz/110g prunes, chopped, pitted
10oz/275g currants
1oz/25g candied mixed peel, finley chopped
1oz/25g almonds, skinned, chopped
1 small apple, peeled, cored, and grated
Grated zest of half a large orange
Grated zest of half a large lemon
2 large eggs
5 floz/150ml stout (such as Guiness)
2 tablespoons Muscat (any fortified wine will do, sherry, port, etc)
1 sixpence (optional)
Method:
Lightly grease a 2pint pudding basin
Start the day before you wish to steam the pudding, as it has to be left.
In a large mixing bowl add suet, sifted flour, breadcrumbs, salt, spices, and sugar. Mix well. Add and mix in all the dried peel, and nuts, follow with apple, and the zests. In a smaller bowl measure out the Guiness and Muscat, then add the eggs, and beat them in thouraghly. Pour this over all the other ingredients in the large mixing bowl, and begin to mix very thouraghly (add the sixpence at this point). Mixture should be fairly sloppy - it should fall instantly from the spoon when it is tapped on teh side of the bowl. If it needs more liquid add some more of the alcohol! Cover the bowl, and leave over night.
The following day, pack the mixture into the basin, and cover with a double sheet of greasproof paper, and a sheet of foil, with a pleat in them, to allow some expantion. Tie it securely with a string around the rin of the basin. Tie a piece of string across the top to make a handle. Put the pudding in a steamer set over a saucepan of simmering water, and steam the pudding for 8 hours. DON NOT LET IT RUN DRY! When the pudding is steamed, let it get quite cold, and then remove the steam papers, and replace them with fresh ones, again tie the string, and make a handle. Store in a cool dark place until Christmas Day.
To reheat on the day, steam for 2.5 hours, and then turn out onto a warmed serving plate.
Heat a ladle of sherry over the hob, then carefully light it with a firelighter, before pouring this flaming alcohol over the pudding. If you are going to do this step, make sure you turn out the light, and use a plate with high enough sides that you wont pour burning alcohol everywhere.
NB: don't substitute any of the ingredients, it isn't pretty.
don't use a microwave to reheat the pudding
and if you use the sixpence, try not to swallow it. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Sunday, 27 September 2009
Traditional Christmas Cake
I know Christmas seems a long long way away, but if you are going to make your own cake, and pudding, it is best to start now, as they need to be fed for as long as possible, preferably over three months! This is the recipe that my mom has been using since she started making our Christmas cake, back in '01. Apparently it makes 30 servings, but I've never really counted.
Ingredients:
9oz - soft butter
1.5 cups - dark brown sugar
4 eggs
3 cups - self raising flour
0.25 - teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon - mixed spice
1 teaspoon - cinnamon
o.5 teaspoon - ground nutmeg
1.5 cups - each currents, sultanas, and raisins
1.33 cups - dried figs, chopped
1.25 cups - dates, chopped, pitted
1 cup - prunes, chopped, pitted
1.75 cups - dried apricots, chopped
0.75 cup - blanched almonds, chopped
0.66 cup - brandy (plus 4 tablespoons for drizzling)
1 tablespoon - strong fresh coffee.
Method:
Preheat oven to 300°F/150°C. Grease a round 9-10" cake tin (can also use a square tin, if that's all you have), and line bottom and sides with greaseproof paper.
In a large bowl beat butter, and sugar until thick and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Sift together the flour, salt and spices, then fold into the creamed mixture. Add the fruit, almonds, brandy, and coffee, folding in well.
Spoon the mixture into the pre-prepared pan, levelling the surface with a pallet knife. Place the pan in the center of the oven, and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 275°F/140°C, and back for a further 3.5hours, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Remove the pan from the oven, cover with first a kitchen towel, and then a thick bath towel, so that the cake cools slowly, and doesn't crack.
When the cake is cool, prick the top with a skewer, and drizzle with the extra brandy. Wrap in greaseproof paper, and store in an airtight container. Keep in a cool place for up to 3 months.
Ingredients:
9oz - soft butter
1.5 cups - dark brown sugar
4 eggs
3 cups - self raising flour
0.25 - teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon - mixed spice
1 teaspoon - cinnamon
o.5 teaspoon - ground nutmeg
1.5 cups - each currents, sultanas, and raisins
1.33 cups - dried figs, chopped
1.25 cups - dates, chopped, pitted
1 cup - prunes, chopped, pitted
1.75 cups - dried apricots, chopped
0.75 cup - blanched almonds, chopped
0.66 cup - brandy (plus 4 tablespoons for drizzling)
1 tablespoon - strong fresh coffee.
Method:
Preheat oven to 300°F/150°C. Grease a round 9-10" cake tin (can also use a square tin, if that's all you have), and line bottom and sides with greaseproof paper.
In a large bowl beat butter, and sugar until thick and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Sift together the flour, salt and spices, then fold into the creamed mixture. Add the fruit, almonds, brandy, and coffee, folding in well.
Spoon the mixture into the pre-prepared pan, levelling the surface with a pallet knife. Place the pan in the center of the oven, and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 275°F/140°C, and back for a further 3.5hours, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Remove the pan from the oven, cover with first a kitchen towel, and then a thick bath towel, so that the cake cools slowly, and doesn't crack.
When the cake is cool, prick the top with a skewer, and drizzle with the extra brandy. Wrap in greaseproof paper, and store in an airtight container. Keep in a cool place for up to 3 months.
Saturday, 26 September 2009
Chocolate Peanut Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 cup - soft brown sugar
40z - demarara/unrefined cane sugar/ other coarse sugar
4oz - self raising flour
40z - coconut milk
1 tbsp - baking power/ bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp - crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup - cocoa powder
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C/355°F/Gas Mark 4
Combine all ingrediants in a bowl, until as smooth as something filled with nuts will go.
Put one tablespoon of mix into each cupcake case.
Bake in oven for 25 minutes
1 cup - soft brown sugar
40z - demarara/unrefined cane sugar/ other coarse sugar
4oz - self raising flour
40z - coconut milk
1 tbsp - baking power/ bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp - crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup - cocoa powder
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C/355°F/Gas Mark 4
Combine all ingrediants in a bowl, until as smooth as something filled with nuts will go.
Put one tablespoon of mix into each cupcake case.
Bake in oven for 25 minutes
Coconut Cupcakes (no butter)
Ingredients:
4oz - caster sugar
4oz - self raising flour
40z - coconut milk
1 large egg
1 tbsp - vanilla sugar (optional, can also use vanilla extract, or leave a few vanilla pods in mixture for 20minutes, or just leave it out completely)
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C /355°F/ GM4.
Combine all the ingredients thoroughly. It should be completely smooth, no lumps at all.
Using a fork, and a tablespoon, ladle one tablespoon into each cupcake case.
Place in center of oven for 20-25 minutes. Usually 20minutes, but all ovens vary. Cupcakes should be golden, and spring back into shape when poked gently.
EAT!
4oz - caster sugar
4oz - self raising flour
40z - coconut milk
1 large egg
1 tbsp - vanilla sugar (optional, can also use vanilla extract, or leave a few vanilla pods in mixture for 20minutes, or just leave it out completely)
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C /355°F/ GM4.
Combine all the ingredients thoroughly. It should be completely smooth, no lumps at all.
Using a fork, and a tablespoon, ladle one tablespoon into each cupcake case.
Place in center of oven for 20-25 minutes. Usually 20minutes, but all ovens vary. Cupcakes should be golden, and spring back into shape when poked gently.
EAT!
The First Post
okay, basically, this blog isn't going to be a diary of my life, it's going to be an online version of my mother's Little Black Book. Recipes that between us, we have discovered, be it one our travels, or through a lack of ingredients in the cupboard.
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