The 23rd of December. It's Christmas Eve tomorrow. Who's super excited? I am! All the anticipation, preparation for the big day, the 25th of December! If anyone is doing any baking tomorrow and desperately needs a recipe for a good Christmas cake, I want to share with you , a favourite of mine . It's not very complicated but you will have some delicious cakes to serve your guests + family for the holidays.
Just heard news that Carrie Fisher, 60 years old, has suffered a massive heart attack on a flight from London to LA. I'm a massive Princess Leia fan and I pray that she recovers and gets well soon. Sending love and light!
At a time when government statisticians are pushing to increase the retirement age even further up than 67 years old. I keep wondering why are they conning us into working so much longer when the quality of life in old age is so poor and people aren't even living that long. My own dear Mum died aged 60. It's sad. But 2016, be good as you go out.
Here is the recipe for the delicious Christmas cake! (contains alcohol and nuts)
Ingredients:
200g butter, softened to room temperature
200g dark muscovado sugar
200g plain flour
4 egg, beaten
50g ground almond
100ml sherry, sweet or dry, whatever you have in the cupboard
85g candied peel, roughly chopped (we used Sundora)
85g glacé cherry, roughly chopped
250g raisin
250g currant
100g pack pecan nuts, broken into big pieces
finely grated zest 1 lemon
1½ tsp mixed spice
1½ tsp rosewater
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking powder
Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Line the base and sides of a 20 cm round, 7.5 cm deep cake tin. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer for 1-2 mins until very creamy and pale in colour, scraping down the sides of the bowl half way through. Stir in a spoonful of the flour, then stir in the beaten egg and the rest of the flour alternately, a quarter at a time, beating well each time with a wooden spoon. Stir in the almonds.
2. Mix in the sherry (the mix will look curdled), then add the peel, cherries, raisins, cherries, nuts, lemon zest, spice, rosewater and vanilla. Beat together to mix, then stir in the baking powder.
3. Spoon mixture into the tin and smooth the top, making a slight dip in the centre. Bake for 30 mins, then lower temperature to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2 and bake a further 2-2¼ hrs, until a skewer insterted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin, then take out of the tin and peel off the lining paper. When completely cold, wrap well in cling film and foil to store until ready to decorate.
Merry Christmas from my house to yours! Have an awesome day and keep smiling.
Love & Peace.
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