Christmas Ideas

Low Fat Christmas Cake
Serves 10
(363 calories per slice & 3g fat)
You will need an 8 in 20cm cake tin greased & lined with parchment

175g Raisins
175g Sultanas
110g Apricots chopped small
75g Dried Cranberries or sour cherries
3 Tblsp Dark Rum
175g Stoned Dates
110g Ready to eat Prunes
200ml Freshly squeezed orange juice
Grated Zest & Juice 1 large orange
Grated Zest 1 lemon
2 Tblsp Molasses
3 Lge Eggs Separated
225g Self -Raising Flour
1 desert spoon Mixed Spice

To Decorate - Optional
1x250g Ready to eat exotic Fruits
4 Tblsp Apricot Jam
Juice ½ lemon

1 - Mix the raisins, sultanas, apricots, cranberries in a large bowl with the rum and set aside for an hour or so.
2 - Pre heat the oven to170c/325f - gas mark 3.
3 - Place the dates & prunes in a pan with the orange juice & simmer covered for 10 mins or until softened. Cool and puree in blender or food processor
4 - Add the puree to the soaked fruits with the orange & lemon zest ,molasses and egg yolks
5 - Sift the flour & mixed spice over the fruits etc. Sir together well.
6 - Beet the egg whites till stiff and fold into the cake mixture with a metal spoon carefully, the mixture should drop off the spoon easily. If it's too stiff add a little more orange juice.
7 - Pour the mixture into the lined tin and bake in the center of the oven for about 1½ hours. If after an hour it is browning up too quickly then top with a piece of greaseproof paper.
8 - Remove when the top feels firm and it has started to shrink from the sides ofthe tin.
9 - Leave to cool in the tin, then when it is completely cold turn out and remove the baking parchment.
10 - Store in a air tight tin till required.
11 - If you decide to decorate the cake, sieve the jam to remove any lumps. Gently heat the jam with the lemon juice, brush the top of the cake with a little of the glaze, then decorate with the exotic fruit and brush with the remaining glaze.

Light & Fruity Vegetarian Christmas Pudding
Serves 10
Contains no Alcohol
Requires the fruit to be soaked overnight
Cooking time 3hours

225g Raisins
175g Saltanas
175g Currants
55g Candied Peel
25g Flaked Almonds
25g Plain Flour
1 Tesp Mixed Spice
1 Tesp Cinnamon
½ Tesp Nutmeg
115g Caster Sugar
115 g White Fresh Breadcrumbs
1 Lemon Grated Rind & Juice
25g Diced Butter
2 Eggs
¼ Pint Orange Juice

1 - In a large bowl mix all the ingredient except the eggs & orange juice.
2 -Beat the eggs and orange juice together and add to the fruit mixture, cover and leave to stand overnight.
3 - Fill either 1 large or 2 small pudding basins leaving at least 2.5cm at the top for expansion.
4 - Cover with greaseproof paper pleated in the middle. Put a tin foil over the top of this with a pleat in the middle. Secure with string making a handle used to remove it from the steam pan.
5 - Place on a saucer in a large pan & fill the pan with water to halfway up the side of the basin and simmer for for at least 3 hours topping up the water as necessary.
6 - The pudding will keep for at least a year. When you require to use it cover with fresh paper and foil and steam for 1 hour or the equivalent in a microwave making sure you do not burn it.

Apple & Cider Mincemeat
Makes 3lb
2 Oranges
1 Lemon
2lb Bramley Cooking Apples peeled cored and chopped into chunks
500g Luxury Mixed Fruit
6oz Dark Muscavado Sugar
1 tesp Cinnamon
½ Tesp Mixed Spice
1 Tesp Ginger
¼ tesp Nutmeg
4 oz Butter
½ pint Cider
5 Tblsp Rum

NOTE
If you do not want to use alcohol use apple juice instead of the cider and orange juice instead of the rum
Sterilising the Jars
Wash the jars and lids in hot soapy water rinse and dry. Put in a pre heated oven at 150c for 10 minutes set on a board before filling.
Storing the Mincemeat
Mincemeat can ferment if kept in the wrong conditions. You will need to store in a cool dry place or freeze it in manageable quantities then defrost overnight when you need it.

1 - Scrub the oranges and lemon. Grate the zest. Squeeze the juice put into a large pan add the apples and all the other ingredients stir till all mixed together. Slowly bring to the boil reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally
2 - When the mincemeat is cooked it will be thick and pulpy. Pack into the sterelised jars or containers for the freezer, Keeps for about 1 month or 6 months in the freezer

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click here to see the recipies for May