eat now. eat quick
Jun. 8th, 2005 08:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gfrancieContinuing on the subject of cake the kind Mrs. Jenner (ha, in less than four months I will be a Mrs. Jenner but I think I will be the young Mrs. Jenner or maybe the American Mrs. Jenner *laughs for awhile at that one*) gave me a mighty fine recipe for Christmas cake. I asked and I received.
For the non-English people in the crowd this is an incredibly sweet and rich fruit cake they like to eat at Christmas. Now when most people think of fruit cake (self included) they make a face and quickly say, "ohnothankyouplease". Which is understandable. Most fruit cake tastes bad and it isn't well made.
I have had fruit cake made my Mrs. Jenner and also by her Mother. Both are incredibly good and of course incredibly rich so you only have a small slice. I suggest it with tea, coffee, any form of alcohol. (little old ladies like theirs with a bit of sherry I have noticed) You often have this late in the afternoon or evening when you have been drinking all day long and eating all day long and your vision has gone a bit blurry. It also tastes good sober. Really.
The recipe I use for Christmas cake is the same recipe for wedding cakes!
The quantities depends on the size and shape of the tin, see attached.
Method:-
1. Prepare the tin. Grease and line it with a double layer of greaseproof
paper. Tie a double band of brown paper round the outside of the tin so that
it protrudes 2 - 3" above the top of the tin. Stand the tin on newspaper in
the oven. ( I'm not sure what this does but perhaps it aids the even
distribution of heat and/or prevents the top from burning?)
2. Peel and blanch and chop the almonds (or buy them ready chopped!) and
quarter the cherries
3. Sift the flour and spices and add the grated lemon rind
4. Cream the butter and beat in the sugar until light and fluffy
5. Beat in the eggs a little at a time. If the mixture begins to curdle,
beat in 1-2 tablespoons flour
6. Fold in the rest of the flour, then the fruit, nuts and brandy.
7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface. Hollow
out the centre of the cake slightly so that it will be level when cooked.
8. At this stage the mixture may be left overnight. Cover lightly with a
cloth and leave in a cool place.
9. Bake on the lowest shelf of the oven 300F for the time stated on the
chart for your tin size. Look at the cake half way throught he cooking time.
If it seems to be browning too quickly, cover the top with a double layer of
greaseproof paper. With large cakes it is often wise to reduce the heat to
275F after two thirds of the cooking time. At the end of the cooking time
test the cake by inserting a skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean
the cake is cooked. The whole kitchen then smells divine!
10. Cool the cake and turn out onto a wire rack.
11. When it is cold, prick at intervals with a fine skewer (or the recipe
says a fine hat pin! - that's how old the recipe is!) and spoon some brandy
evenly over the surface.
12. The cake should be stored, wrapped in a double layer of greasproof
paper, in a clean airtight tin for a couple of months before icing. This
enhances the flavour and richness and allows the brandy to be fully
absorbed.
I always buy the marzipan but I can let you have a recipe if you really want
to do a rolls royce job. That should be put onto the cake about a week
before icing. Paint the surface of the cake with sieved warmed jam to help
the marzipan to stick.
The traditional icing is "Royal Icing" : 2lb icing sugar to 4 egg whites
plus 2 teaspoons glycerin to stop it drying too hard and breaking peoples'
teeth! Lightly whip the egg whites and fold in the sifted sugar bit by bit.
Add the glycerin at the end. The easiest thing is to put all the icing on at
once and fork it up into peaks to look like a snow scene and decorate with
bought Christmas Cake decorations. The professionals put on 3 layers of
icing, smoothing it with a palette knife and leaving to dry for a day or two
between layers. Then use icing nozzles to pipe the chosen decoration onto
the surface. Some people even make their own marzipan or icing decorations!
I have cheated a few times by buying ready made, ready rolled icing and just
laying it over the marzipan. Then it's fairly easy to pipe a modest design
on the surface.
Here is an example of a decorated Christmas cake. It is popular to do winter scenes and what not.
Today I have a day off and I will take some letters to the post office and I shall make chicken pie.
I hope my irritations are few.
I had a rather good crepe yesterday. Just plain old ham and cheese but oh how tasty and oh how quick the man makes them. I am mad keen about this place near my work. I need to take someone else there so they can too have crepes, orangina and gelato. That my friend is simple happiness.
For the non-English people in the crowd this is an incredibly sweet and rich fruit cake they like to eat at Christmas. Now when most people think of fruit cake (self included) they make a face and quickly say, "ohnothankyouplease". Which is understandable. Most fruit cake tastes bad and it isn't well made.
I have had fruit cake made my Mrs. Jenner and also by her Mother. Both are incredibly good and of course incredibly rich so you only have a small slice. I suggest it with tea, coffee, any form of alcohol. (little old ladies like theirs with a bit of sherry I have noticed) You often have this late in the afternoon or evening when you have been drinking all day long and eating all day long and your vision has gone a bit blurry. It also tastes good sober. Really.
The recipe I use for Christmas cake is the same recipe for wedding cakes!
The quantities depends on the size and shape of the tin, see attached.
Method:-
1. Prepare the tin. Grease and line it with a double layer of greaseproof
paper. Tie a double band of brown paper round the outside of the tin so that
it protrudes 2 - 3" above the top of the tin. Stand the tin on newspaper in
the oven. ( I'm not sure what this does but perhaps it aids the even
distribution of heat and/or prevents the top from burning?)
2. Peel and blanch and chop the almonds (or buy them ready chopped!) and
quarter the cherries
3. Sift the flour and spices and add the grated lemon rind
4. Cream the butter and beat in the sugar until light and fluffy
5. Beat in the eggs a little at a time. If the mixture begins to curdle,
beat in 1-2 tablespoons flour
6. Fold in the rest of the flour, then the fruit, nuts and brandy.
7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface. Hollow
out the centre of the cake slightly so that it will be level when cooked.
8. At this stage the mixture may be left overnight. Cover lightly with a
cloth and leave in a cool place.
9. Bake on the lowest shelf of the oven 300F for the time stated on the
chart for your tin size. Look at the cake half way throught he cooking time.
If it seems to be browning too quickly, cover the top with a double layer of
greaseproof paper. With large cakes it is often wise to reduce the heat to
275F after two thirds of the cooking time. At the end of the cooking time
test the cake by inserting a skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean
the cake is cooked. The whole kitchen then smells divine!
10. Cool the cake and turn out onto a wire rack.
11. When it is cold, prick at intervals with a fine skewer (or the recipe
says a fine hat pin! - that's how old the recipe is!) and spoon some brandy
evenly over the surface.
12. The cake should be stored, wrapped in a double layer of greasproof
paper, in a clean airtight tin for a couple of months before icing. This
enhances the flavour and richness and allows the brandy to be fully
absorbed.
I always buy the marzipan but I can let you have a recipe if you really want
to do a rolls royce job. That should be put onto the cake about a week
before icing. Paint the surface of the cake with sieved warmed jam to help
the marzipan to stick.
The traditional icing is "Royal Icing" : 2lb icing sugar to 4 egg whites
plus 2 teaspoons glycerin to stop it drying too hard and breaking peoples'
teeth! Lightly whip the egg whites and fold in the sifted sugar bit by bit.
Add the glycerin at the end. The easiest thing is to put all the icing on at
once and fork it up into peaks to look like a snow scene and decorate with
bought Christmas Cake decorations. The professionals put on 3 layers of
icing, smoothing it with a palette knife and leaving to dry for a day or two
between layers. Then use icing nozzles to pipe the chosen decoration onto
the surface. Some people even make their own marzipan or icing decorations!
I have cheated a few times by buying ready made, ready rolled icing and just
laying it over the marzipan. Then it's fairly easy to pipe a modest design
on the surface.
 |
Table for figuring out amounts in Christmas Cake. Click on table to see full-sized |
Here is an example of a decorated Christmas cake. It is popular to do winter scenes and what not.
Today I have a day off and I will take some letters to the post office and I shall make chicken pie.
I hope my irritations are few.
I had a rather good crepe yesterday. Just plain old ham and cheese but oh how tasty and oh how quick the man makes them. I am mad keen about this place near my work. I need to take someone else there so they can too have crepes, orangina and gelato. That my friend is simple happiness.
