Mrs Beeton's Festive Christmas Cake

You will need:

200g cake flour 

1.25ml salt

10ml mixed spice

200g butter

290g caster sugar

6 eggs beaten

60ml Brandy

100g glacé' cherries - chopped 

50g preserved ginger - chopped 

50g walnuts - chopped 

200g currents

200g saltanas 

150g seedless raisins

75g cut mixed peel

Line and grease a 20cm round tin - as per picture. Use double layer of greaseproof paper and tie a strip of brown paper around the outside. 

Set oven at 160 deg

Sift flour, salt and spice into a bowl

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

Gradually best in the eggs and brandy adding a little flour if it starts to curdle. 

Add the cherries, ginger and walnuts. 

Stir in the fruit, peel and flour mixture. 

Spoon into prepared tin and make a slight hollow in the centre. 

Bake for 45 min then turn oven down to 150deg and bake for another hour. 

Turn oven down to 140deg for another hour and 120deg for last hour. 

It must be firm to the touch. 

Cool in the tin. Wrap in foil after completely cool and seal ready to add your marzipan and royal icing when ready. 

Drizzle a drop of brandy through on a weekly basis if you wish to ensure moistness. 

Merry Christmas 

African Amarula Fudge ......mmmm

You will need:

125ml Amarula

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules 

120g butter

125ml evaporated milk

375ml sugar

170g white marshmallows cut up

420g white chocolate pieces 

Line an 18 x 28cm rectangle dish with foil and spray some cook n bake or spray and cook. 

In the microwave heat up the Amarula and coffee until melted, about 30sec, then set aside

Over medium heat on stove, melt butter, evaporated milk, sugar and marshmallows stirring all the time until melted. 

Add the Amarula mixture and cook on high stirring all the time until it starts to thicken / caramalise. 

Remove from heat and add chocolate and keep stirring until all melted and smooth. It sets quickly so keep an eye on it. 

Pour into dish and let it cool befor you place in fridge. Takes 1 - 3 hours

Cut into small squares once set. I use a pizza cutter to cut. 

Enjoy 😊😊

Banting Squash

Steam squash, fry bacon and onion in bacon fat. Place bacon and onion into squash with a couple of blocks of your favorite cheese and a little butter. Bake at 180 until cheese is golden. Enjoy....

Banting Mediterranean Veg....

Onions, tomato and marrow fried in bacon fat with basil pesto added at the end :-)

Cape Velvet Cream a la Kath......

This one is for my friend Dawn Howells who came across this recipe in my dear old faithful hand written recipe book. Enjoy

You will Need:

1 Egg whipped
1 450g tin Nestle Cream
1 450g tin of Condensed Milk
1 1/2 cups of Brandy
1 Dessert Spoon of Instant Coffee
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Essence
1 dark glass bottle

Method:

Mix Egg, Nestle Cream and Condensed Milk together. Mix well.
Mix Brandy, coffee and vanilla together. Mix well.
Add both mixtures together and place in a dark bottle.
Keep Refrigerated.

Angie's Spicy Tomato Soup

Now this is a real winner when the weather is cold. Angela made this to take to a camping trip at Silvermine in the dead of winter. It was absolutely delicious :-)

You Will Need:

Half a packet of Lean Bacon chopped up
A Good Shake of Worcestershire Sauce
1 Onion
2 Cloves of Garlic ( grated )
1kg of Tomatoes (skinned and chopped)
A pinch of dried Thyme
2 Pinches of dried Mixed Herbs
1 1/2 Knorr chicken stock cubes
1 pinch of dried chillies
600ml water
Glug of Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Fry Onion, Bacon and Garlic until soft in a glug of olive oil.
Add stock cubes, herbs and chillies and fry for a minute.
Add Tomato and water
Add Salt and Pepper to taste.
Simmer for a couple of hours to reduce as required
Cool and blend

Enjoy

Olivia's Chicken Curry

We were invited out to friends Steve and Angela Hall for dinner last week where Angela made us this really delicious chicken curry. When I asked her for the recipe, she told me how her granddaughter Olivia had made it for them and given her the recipe. So here is a chicken curry that is child's play to make and very very tasty :-) This recipe feeds 2 people so just double up for more

You will need:

2 Onions
2 Chicken Stock Cubes
1 Tbs Tomato Puree
1 Tbs Med Curry Powder
1 Tbs Mild and Spicy Curry Powder
1 Green Pepper
Small amount of Baby Potatoes
2 Chicken Breasts
3 Cloves of Garlic
Any left over Veg
Half a tub of Greek Yogurt
Half a tub of Cream

Method:

Chop and fry the onion and green pepper in a little veg oil.
Add Cubed Chicken breasts, stock cubes, curry powder, garlic and tomato paste
Stir and add a dash of water, potato and veg.
Cook until tender
Reduce liquid to a thick consistency
Add the yogurt and cream and heat through gently ( do not boil )

Serve with basmati rice, poppadums', chutney, tomato and onion sambles.