Christmas Pudding

As promised here is my Christmas Pudding in pictures!

The recipe I used is from the Stork Christmas booklet.  You can see my scribbles above! The method is not as detailed as in the original as I didn't have the space plus I'm pretty familiar with it so just need the reminder.  I don't know if anyone else could follow my recipes in that journal!
You can see the recipe in full here

 My trusty Mason Cash mixing bowl. I <3 my pink mixing bowl!

 The ingredients ready to be weighed, measured and grated! Missing are the Blackrock stout (though I'd normally use Guinness Foreign) and Jameson bottles!

Lovely fruity dry mix.

 The liquid; eggs, stout and whiskey

 I have my expert mixer on standby!

 If you have a helper it saves your arms from getting too sore!

Give it a good mix, and leave over night.  Then divide into bowls, I used pyrex pudding bowls and steam or bake from 8 hours!
I'll put up pictures of the result at Christmas :)

Enjoy,

Christmas Cake!

I made my Christmas Cakes (2) a couple of weeks ago, giving them lots of time to mature in flavour.  I'll be 'feeding' them with Jameson up to Christmas.  So I thought I'd share the recipe with you and some lovely pictures, if only you could smell the deliciousness!!

The recipe is from Mary Berry - the Queen of baking!  It's her Rich Christmas Fruit Cake

Ingredients:

• 175g (6 oz) raisins
• 350g (12 oz) glace cherries, rinsed, thoroughly dried and quartered
• 500g (1lb 2oz) currants
• 350g (12oz) sultanas
• 150ml (¼ pint) sherry, plus extra for feeding
• Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
• 250g (9oz) butter, softened
• 250g (9oz) light muscovado sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp black treacle
• 75g (3oz) blanched almonds, chopped
• 75g (3oz) self-raising flour
• 175g (6oz) plain flour
• 1½ tsp mixed spice

So I weighed and measured and got to use my pretty pink bowl!

Here's the Method: 

1. Put all the dried fruit in a container, pour over the sherry - I used Jameson whiskey, you could use brandy if you prefer or orange juice if you don't want alcohol and stir in the orange zest. Cover with a lid, and leave to soak for 3 days, stirring daily - Ok I did not leave it for 3 days! 24 hours did me and I added a small teacup of strong tea. Grease and line a 23cm (9in) deep round tin with a double layer of greased greaseproof paper - I used one round and one square. Preheat the oven to 140ºC/Fan 120ºC/Gas Mark 1.
2. Measure the butter, sugar, eggs, treacle and almonds into a very large bowl and beat well. Add the flours and mixed spice and mix thoroughly until blended. Stir in the soaked fruit. Spoon into the prepared cake tin and level the surface.
3. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 4-4½ hours or until the cake feels firm to the touch and is a rich golden brown - This may take near 5 hours that's what I found. Check after 2 hours, and, if the cake is a perfect colour, cover with foil (I didn't need to do this). A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin.
4. When cool, pierce the cake at intervals with a fine skewer and feed with a little extra sherry (I didn't do this, I prefer to wrap it and feed it a week later with more Jameson). Wrap the completely cold cake in a double layer of greaseproof paper and again in foil and store in a cool place for up to 3 months, feeding at intervals with more sherry. (Don't remove the lining paper when storing as this helps to keep the cake moist.)
5. Decorate with almond paste and royal icing. I'll be doing a post on this near Christmas :)
6. 
   

PICTURES!

 At this stage the smell was divine! the spices and zesty oranges and whiskey of course!

After baking for nearly 5 hours!

They are now tightly wrapped up and being fed weekly!

I'm making Christmas Puddings shortly so I'll post about them when the time comes.  

Enjoy,

OOTD: Autumn

T-Shirt: Every Time I Die

Check Shirt: Littlewoods (Its a lot more red than in the photo they have 

but I really love it I think I will be buying another!)

Jeans: So Fabulous, Littlewoods

Boots: Doc Marten, China Blue Shoes Dublin

White Tiger Ears: Dublin Zoo

 

Bracelet: Made from Volcanic rock,

Gift from my Mammy when she was on holiday somewhere years ago.

Ring: Ring from Brack that my boyfriend gave me.

Nail Varnish: Bourjois Paris, 1Seconde. I can't find the name but its number 9 and its a lovely dark purple that has slightly light purple shimmer through it.

 

Bird Claw Necklace: Fashionology.nl 

Wooden Cross Earrings: Fashionology.nl

Kerrie's Owl Hat: Pennies/Primark

Jump she said, it will look good she said. I look like I'm on an invisible broomstick! Haha! :D