Elitetwigs English Golden Christmas Cake Food

MAKE & MATURE CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Put 1kg mixed dried fruit, the zest and juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon, 150ml brandy or other alcohol, 250g softened butter and 200g light, soft brown sugar in a large pan set over a medium heat.
• Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 mins. Tip the fruit mixture into a large bowl and leave to cool for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, then wrap a double layer of newspaper around the outside - tie with string to secure.
• Add 175g plain flour, 100g ground almonds, ½ tsp baking powder, 2 tsp mixed spice, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cloves, 100g flaked almonds, 4 large eggs and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the fruit mixture and stir well, making sure there are no pockets of flour.
• Tip into your prepared tin, level the top with a spatula and bake in the centre of the oven for 2 hrs.
• Remove the cake from the oven, poke holes in it with a skewer and spoon over 2 tbsp of your chosen alcohol. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.
• To store, peel off the baking parchment, then wrap well in cling film. Feed the cake with 1-2 tbsp alcohol every fortnight, until you ice it.
• Don't feed the cake for the final week to give the surface a chance to dry before icing.

ELITETWIG'S QUICK QUESADILLAS

Steps:

• Sprinkle the cheese onto 4 tortillas, leaving a 2cm border, then scatter the spring onions, tomatoes, optional meat and sweetcorn.
• Put the remaining tortillas on top and press lightly together.
• Grease a non-stick frying pan with a little oil and place one quesadilla in the frying pan and cook for 2-3min over a medium heat-or if botom is golden brown.
• Carefully turn over and cook for a further 2 mins basically till cheese is melted.
• Repeast for the other quesadillas.
• Cut into quarters and serve with homemade sour cream and chive dip.

ELITETWIG'S ICEBREAKER COCKTAIL

Steps:

• Place all ingredients into a blender, ADD ICE, and blitz.
• Then serve! Bottoms up!

GOLDEN JEWELLED CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Line a 20cm greased cake tin with a double layer of baking paper. Preheat oven to 150c.
• Chop apricots, quarter cherries, chop candied peel.Mix together with the brandy.
• In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar using a hand held mixer, or a wooden spoon until light and fluffy.
• Beat eggs in a jug add to the creamed mixture a little at a time , beating well after each addition. Don't worry if it curdles, the cake wont be affected.
• Add the zests and juice, then the soaked fruit and liquid. Chop nuts then stir in .
• Set a sieve over the bowl , tip flour, cinnamon and ginger and sift into bowl.
• Tip in the ground almonds, then fold everything in using a large spoon.There should be no trace of flour.
• Spoon cake mix into the prepared tin, press down lightly and smooth. Bake 45minutes- 1 hour, reduce heat to 120C and bake a further 1-2 hours until golden brown and firm to the touch and has stopped making a hissing sound ( singing). A skewer should come out clean.
• Wrap in baking paper and foil for up to 3 months or freeze for 1 year.
• Feeding the cake: make several holes in it and spoon 2 tbsp of brandy at weekly intervals until ready to ice.

ELITETWIG'S FIRST TIME GUIDE TO ICE A CHRISTMAS CAKE.

Steps:

• If you have thawed your Christmas Cake please de-thaw prior to using this guide. If you have your Christmas Cake ready -- Let's go.
• Warm Apricot Jam through until it sightly bubbles. Either on the hob or in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Set this aside.
• Dust surface with a little icing sugar.
• Roll out marzipan, dusting now and then, to desired size enough to cover cake top and sides.
• Brush Cake with Apricot Jam, this ensures marzipan will stick.
• Lift onto rolling pin and smooth out over cake, so it sticks to cake.
• Trim excess.
• Wrap Cake in clingfilm and leave for marzipan to harden for 2 days. Please store in a dry cool place.
• 2 DAYS LATER.
• Remove clingfilm, and brush marzipan surface with water.
• Prepare royal icing as described in steps 3, 4 and 6, 7.
• With excess icing roll into a ball and create a whole in the centre add drop of yellow food colouring and work the icing, dusting with icing sugar to prevent sticking.
• Once the icing has a consistent light yellow colour, roll out icing to a 1/2 cm thickness all over.
• Take a star shape cookie cutter (or any other shape you prefer) and cut as many stars as you can, re roll icing if more stars needed.
• Brush the back of the stars with water (not too much just enough to stick) and arrange on cake.
• At edges press stars down and trim any excess such as points that go over the edge.
• Once all stars have been placed, leave cake for 24hours so icing can harden.
• Dada! On professionally looking Christmas Cake! Well Done!

ELITETWIG'S STRAWBERRY CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220C or gas mark 7.
• Cut pastry into 8 equal rectangles and score a 1cm border around the edge of each rectangle. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until crisp and golden.
• Cool pastries on a rack and life out the inner rectangle from each one.
• Fold the lemon curd into the whipped cream and spoon into the pastries.
• Top with the strawberries and warmed jam, dust with icing sugar.
• OPTIONAL can top pastires with the inner rectangles as lids.

ELITETWIG'S ENGLISH GOLDEN CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and linesides and base, with greaseproof paper, an 8 inch round cake tin.
• Set the oven to warm, Gas Mark 3 / 325F / 160°C.
• In a large mixing bowl sieve the flour, nutmeg and mixed spice together.
• Add all remaining ingredients to the flour.
• Beat together with a wooden spoon ntil the mixture is a well combined and has a soft, dropping consistency. (if too thick add tsp of milk at a time till desired effect. If to runny add tsp of flour at a time till desired effect).
• Spoon mixture carefully into tin.
• Shake to settle mixture and hollow out centre of the cake.
• Bake for 2 hours approximately.
• As oven temps vary, test half an hour before end of recommended cooking time using a skewer.
• Continue testing until skewer comes out clean.
• Leave to cool in tin, when cold turn out and wrap in greaseproof paper.
• Either store in an airtight tin or tightly wrap in foil.
• Can freeze for upto 2 months (must thaw before decorate).