Christmas Pudding

This recipe is adapted from a recipe in the Good Housekeeping's Cookery Compendium (1956)is one of the first I put on the blog; I have just made it, it will have just under 3 months to mature in time for Christmas. It is very easy to make, cooking it is what takes the most time. There is enough for 12 portions - you don't need much after a big Christmas dinner!

6 oz flour

1 tsp mixed spice

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

2 oz sunflower spread

18 oz mixed dried fruit

1 tsp orange extract

1 grated carrot

3 oz brown sugar

2 eggs or equivalent of egg replacer

a few drops of almondextract

a few drops of vanillaextract

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbs treacle (I forgot to add this hence my pudding looks a bit anemic!)

 brandy to mix

Rub the fat into the flour, add all the dry ingredients and mix, 

Add the wet ingredients and mix well

Three-quarters fill a large greased pudding bowl, cover with grease proof paper, 

and tie with a string and steam for 5 hours (!)

When the pudding is cooked allow it to dry out thoroughly, then cover with a further layer of greaseproof paper and aluminium foil store in a cool, dry place. 

On Chrismas day steam to heat up for and hour

Scollen!

Half  scone half stollen...

6 oz flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
2 oz ground almonds
2 oz sunflower spread
1 oz sugar
1 oz candied orange peel
1 oz dried cranberries
1 oz currents (I didn't have any so used raisins)
1/2 tsp orange extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
120 ml milk (I used soya)
4 oz almond paste (marzipan)
Heat the oven to 180C with fan or 200C without fan.

Rub the flour, bircarbonate of soda,cream of tartar and sunflower spread gently until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, add the ground almonds and sugar and mix well.

Add the candied ornage peel, cranberries, & currents or raisins and mix.

Add the orange and vanilla extracts to the milk and pour onto the flour mixture and fold in gently, don't kneed it like you would bread.

Roll the almond paste into sausage shape about 12 cm long

Shape the dough into an oblong about 16 cm long, place the almond paste in the middle and fold over completely encasing it in the dough.

Bake for 18-20 min.

Marzipan, Cranberry & Orange Scones

8 oz flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

2 oz sunflower spread

  2 oz dried cranberries

2 oz Marzipan (Almond paste) cubes

140 ml of milk

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

1/2 tsp Orange extract

1/2 tsp Almond extract

Zest of half an orange

Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar, then rub in the sunflower spread until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. 

Mix in the cranberries, marzipan then add the milk, vanilla, ornage and almond extracts and orange zest and fold the mixture together gently to form a dough.

Cut out and bake in a hot oven for 15 minutes

Sage & Onion Stuffing

3 slices of bread
1/2 an onion
5-10 sage leaves
1 oz sunflower spread
Salt & pepper

Cut the crusts off the bread and use a blender to create breadcrumbs, put to one side
Chop the sage and onions finely using a blender
Mix the breadcrumbs, sage, onion and sunflower spread adding a little water just enough for the mixture to bind. Place the mixture in an oven proof dish.

Bake in a hot oven for 20 min.

Cashew and chestnut loaf

200g  cooked & peeled chestnuts chopped finely
250g cashew nuts (unsalted uncooked) chopped finely
1/2 an onion chopped finely
2tsp dried parsley
1tsp mixed dried herbs
2oz sunflower spread
4oz flour
1 stock cube
100ml water

Mix all the ingredients to form a sticky dough, place in an oiled loaf tin and bake in a hot oven for 25 min.

Ginger Shortbread

Mix 6oz of plain flour with 2oz icing sugar and  1 tsp of ground ginger.

Rub in 4oz of sunflower spread or butter until it forms breadcrumbs.

Add 1oz grated fresh ginger (squeeze some of the juices out)

Kneed the mixture until it forms a dough

Roll out on a piece of floured  greaseproof paper

Cut shapes out and bake in a hot oven (180C with fan) for 10 min. 

Store in an airtight container.

Apple Sauce

Peel and grate 1 bramley apple

Sqeeze half a lemon onto the grated apple to prevent it turning brown

Add a little sunflower spread and some black pepper.

Simmer stirring occasionally until cooked

Store in a sterilized jar and keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Bread Sauce

 3 slices of bread cut into small pieces (I used bread with linseeds)

300 ml of soya (or any milk) milk

half a small onion

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Mix all the ingredients in a small pan and simmer gently, stirring occasionally until the bread falls apart, take out the onion and bay leaves and liquidise the bread sauce until it is smooth, then return the onion and bay leaves to the sauce. Put the sauce in a sterilized jar and store in the fridge. Keeps for up to a week if stored in the fridge.

Cranberry Sauce

Place 250g Fresh or frozen cranberries in a pan, add a very small amount of water, just enough to cover the base of the pan with a thin layer and simmer for 5-10 minutes. When the cranberries are cooked and start to fall apart. Then add sugar to taste, I added 2tsps as we don't like it too sweet. 

Fill a jar with boiling hot water, this serves two purposes, it sterilizes the jar, and warms the jar up and stops it breaking when you put the hot sauce in it. Seal the jar immediately and allow to cool before storing in the fridge. Keeps for up to a week if stored in the fridge.

I have just tried making peppermint creams for the first time, I followed the recipe below, but next time I will leave out the lemon juice and add 2-3 more teaspoons of peppermint oil. I also substituted the egg white for vegan egg replacer, I think it worked really well. I was impatient and didn't  chill the mixture though!

mi

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/peppermint_creams_00124

Peppermint creams

Try Simon Rimmer’s easy, homemade version of this retro classic. They make delicious Christmas presents.

Ingredients

• 1 free-range egg white
• ½ lemon, juice only
• 1 tsp peppermint flavouring
• 425g/15 oz icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 175g/6¼oz dark chocolate

Preparation method

1. Whisk the egg white in a bowl until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed. Slowly whisk in the lemon juice, peppermint and icing sugar to a stiff paste.
   
2. Tip the peppermint mixture onto a work surface dusted liberally with icing sugar and roll out thinly.
   
3. Use a 5cm/2in cutter to cut out circles and place them onto a baking tray. Chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours, or until the mixture has set.
   
4. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. (Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water.)
   
5. Dip each peppermint cream into the melted chocolate and set aside on a baking tray. Chill the peppermint creams until set

Mince Pies

For the mincemeat

Mixed dried fruit - anything you like including, sultanas, raisns, currents, orange peel,  chopped dates and apricots

Nuts -optional

Fresh orange and lemon zest

Grated Apple

Mixed spices

Orange juice

Rum or Brandy

Mix the above and store in an air tight jar, if you make this months in advance it is best to store in the fridge. Mix it once a week or so.

Traditional recipes have sugar and fat in them but I prefer not to add them...

Pastry

Short crust or puff pastry, make your own or cheat and use ready made