Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
I wanted to show you all a simple and easy way to decorate your Christmas Cake this year. You can seriously have it done in about half an hour. It truly is easy peasy, and I think it is really, really cute, don't you?
First you will want to assemble all of your ingredients. You will need one baked fruit cake. Mine is 8 inches in diameter. You will also need some ready rolled marzipan and ready rolled fondant icing. Don't worry if you cannot find it ready rolled, you can either buy the stuff un-rolled and roll your own, or make your own from scratch. I am going to give you the recipes below to make both the marzipan layer and the fondant. You will also need 3 TBS of apricot jam, warmed with 1 TBS of water or Brandy and pushed through a sieve to make it smooth and take out any bits. I have used three gingerbread cutters. One largish man and two smaller ones, a boy and a girl. But you can use any combination that you have in your house. You will also need some ribbons to decorate the edges around the cake or a paper frill, and some candies, etc. to decorate your gingerbread men.
Once you have everything assembled it will go like wild-fire!
It is really very, very easy!
Fasten your cake to the centre of a round cake plate/board. I used a dab of marzipan to hold it in place. If you don't want any lumpy bumpy surfaces, you can go to the trouble of filling in any holes with some extra marzipan, but I am not really bothered myself. Brush your cake all over with the seived apricot jam mixure. Take your marzipan and roll it over a rolling pin to move it without tearing it. Place it gently on top of your cake, smoothing it over the top and down the sides. Smooth the paste over the cake using the palms of
your hands, then trim with a sharp knife around the bottom edge of the cake all around. It is recommended that you wait 24 hours to let it dry, but because you are going to be cutting shapes out of the top you won't want to do that. You don't really want it too stuck to the cake when you lift the shapes off.
Now you want to brush the marzipan all over the top and sides of the cake with more of the apricot jam mixture. Roll the fondant icing over the top of a rolling pin to transfer it and then layer it on top of the marzipan, covering the cake completely and smoothing it out with your hands pressing it down gently around the sides also. Trim off any excess from the bottom and discard. Now place your cutters to where you want them on top of the cake. Press your cutter/s through the fondant and marzipan layers and remove the icing with the cutter still inserted to help give a cleaner outline. Add the gingerbread man features to the cut out shape using either cut out and shaped pieces of white fondant or fondant water icing placed in a piping bag. Marzipan shapes and sweets can be added on to and around your gingerbread man shapes for extra decoration.
I used some white piping icing to make lines and then little red balls for the eyes and buttons, which I also used some of the white piping icing to help stick them on. I cut a bow tie out of a red glace cherry for the larger gingerbread man!
He looks rather dapper don't you think! Then I used halved glace cherries and some slivers of green cherry to add some other decorative touches It doesn't quite look like holly, but I think it looks nice anyways.
I cut some ribbons and placed them around the sides of the cake. I used ball headed pins to hold them in place. Just remember when you go to serve your cake that they are there!
*Vanilla Marzipan*
Makes enough Mix the sugars and almonds in a large bowl, then rub in the vanilla seeds until even. Make a well in the middle, then tip in the eggs and citrus juice. Cut the wet ingredients into the dry with a round bladed knife. Dust the surface with icing sugar, then knead the marzipan briefly with your hands to a smooth dough. Don’t overdo it as it can get greasy. Add a bit more icing sugar if it seems too wet. Shape into a ball, then wrap and keep in a cool place until ready to cover the cake. Can be made up to 2 days in advance.
Flip the top of the circle back over your rolling pin so you can see the underside of the marzipan, then lift the pin up and lift the marzipan over the cake. Stop once you can see that the edge of the marzipan nearest you is about level with the bottom of the cake. Flop the front of the marzipan down. Smooth the paste over the cake using the palms of your hands, then trim with a sharp knife. If any cracks appear, simply pinch the paste back together and smooth. Leave to dry for at least 24 hrs, or up to 3 days, before covering with icing.
*Rolled Fondant Icing*
Makes enough to cover a large cake
1 TBS glycerine
2 TBS butter
I think it turned out really cute! I wanted to show you the neat cake carrier I have to store it as well.
Its one of those Lock Top ones. I got it quite some time ago. You put the cake on the insert part, which has handles for lifting. Then you lift your cake and put it into the cake holder and the lid clips on air tight. There is even a handle for carrying it around, out to the car, into the kitchen, etc. If you don't have one of these you might want to put it on your christmas list! I got mine at a local cook shop, but I think you can get them online at various places.
In any case I hope you enjoyed seeing our Christmas cake for this year! Bon Appetit and Happy Holidays!
This lovely cookie is one which I bake every year for Christmas. I have been baking it for years and years and years!
I believe the original recipe was a first prize winner in a cookie contest in Canadian Living magazine, but I can't remember for sure. All I know for sure is that they are definitely prize worthy, as they are that delicious!
They begin with a simple almond flavoured brown sugar cookie dough. Easy peasy.
An almond filling is made using blanched almonds, sugar, an egg yolks and some more flavouring in the way of lemon juice and almond extract.
The cookie dough gets rolled into 1 inch balls and you make an indentation in them with your finger tip. Not a large one . . .
just large enough to hold a tiny bit of that almond filling, which then gets covered over and tucked inside by the covering of another tiny pinch of that cookie dough. A little roll between your palm's seals it in nice and safe . . .
An egg white glaze and a blanched almond on top and they are ready for baking . . . 15 minutes later you are rewarded with delicious almond cookies!!
Sure, they are a tiny bit more effort than a drop and bake cookie, but hey! It's Christmas and a little bit of something special warranted! They are worth every little effort!
*Dutch Almond Cookies*
Makes about 5 dozen
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and
fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time along with the almond extract.
Sift together the flour, salt, soda and baking powder. Stir this into
the creamed mixture until well blended. Cover and chill for about an
hour.
Put the ingredients for the filling into a small blender/processor. Blitz until smooth.
Preheat the oven 160*C/325*F gas mark 3. Butter several large baking sheets.
For each cookie take a spoonful of th dough and roll into a 1-inch ball. With a finger make an indentation into the centre of the ball, the. fill with about 1/4 tsp of the filling. Pinch off more dough about the size of a pea. Flatten and use this to cover the filling. Gently roll again in the palms of your hands to seal and smooth edges, Place onto the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough placing the filled balls 2 inches apart. Brush the tops with some of the beaten egg white and gently press a whole almond into the top of each.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Scoop off to cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.
These have lovely crisp edges and chewy middles. I have never had anyone eat one that didn't want another one immediately after!! Bon Appetit and Happy Holidays!
This is a delicious variation on the classic shortbread biscuit! The name “petticoat tails” dates to the eighteenth century, and
references the shape of the cookie, which is said to resemble a lady’s spread-out
petticoat.
The Concise Encyclopedia of Gastronomy regales the following tale:
“‘An English traveller in Scotland and one very well acquainted with
Frances states in his very pleasant book that our Club has fallen into a
mistake in the name of these cakes, and that petticoat tails is a
corruption of the French petites gatelles.
It may be so, but whatever their origins the fact remains that they are beautiful shortbread biscuits/cookies being perfectly crumbly and delicious!
Beautifully buttery and crisp shortbread triangles, flavoured with
peppermint, I'll admit that they don't look very festive yet, but they will do come next week closer to Christmas, as I plan on drizzling them with a
chocolate and peppermint drizzle which will dress them up beautifully.
You can leave the peppermint flavouring out if you wish, giving you a
plain shortbread petticoat tail, but the peppermint really gives
them a lovely festive touch.
Can you imagine a wheel of these, nestled amongst festively coloured
tissue paper in a box for the holidays? Tied up with red, green and
white curling ribbons?
*Peppermint Petticoat Tails*
Makes 8 servings
Put the butter, sugar and peppermint extract into the bowl of a
food processor. Blitz until the mixture is pale and creamy. Sift
together the flour and cornflour. Stir in the salt.
Tip the dry
ingredients into the bowl of the food processor and pulse until the
mixture begins to form small clumps. Tip out onto a lightly floured
board. Bring the dough together into a ball without overworking it.
Place into a 9 inch fluted tart tin with a loose bottom. Gently press
out evenly in the tin using floured fingers and a light touch. Mark
into 8 equal wedges with the tines of a fork.
Place into the refrigerator to chill for half an hour. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
What friend or neighbor wouldn't smile broadly at such a gift! You can
bake several of these ahead and freeze them, tightly wrapped until the
day you want to give them away. Guaranteed to make you popular with everyone! Bon Appetit and Happy Holidays!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
We love mince pies in this house! Every year I like to make my traditional ones and I am always keen to try a new version!
In my opinion you can never have too many mince pies!
This version is one I found on the Waitrose recipe page. I miss shopping at Waitrose . . . I shopped there all the time when we lived down South.
We do have a beautiful big new one in Chester now, but it is all the way to the other side of Chester and so we have never been.
These tasty little tarts are absolutely packed with flavour. They have a lovely crisp pastry base . . . I used my homemade brandied mincemeat .
But you can use any kind of mincemeat that you have to hand. All the jarred ones work well. Just pick your favourite kind!
The crumble topping has lots of flavour in it from mixed spice. Mixed spice is a type of baking spice here in the UK. A combination of the warm baking spices.
You can easily make your own. Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1
tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4
tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an
airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.
They are beautiful served warm from the oven. You can enjoy them with a hot drink of herbal tea, or regular tea.
I love to enjoy them with a glass of cold milk. A small scoop of icecream is also nice on a warm one of these.
That buttery crumble topping is very moreish. I doubled the quantities because I thought we would enjoy even more of it.
I was right, we did. We really, really did.
They look almost lacy with the crumbles on top and a light dusting of icing sugar. A dusting of icing sugar always dresses most things up.
Especially at Christmas time.
I couldn't resist getting out my cupcake pedestal to show them off . . .
And my super big silver dragees that I got at M&S . . . kind of like jewelry . . . coz these mince pies are all dressed up to go to the Christmas ball . . .
They were very, very, VERY nice, if I don't say so myself. And yes . . . I know I just did. 😉
But who can blame me. I like to call a spade a spade, and these are phenomenal! Yummy!
*Crumble Topped Mince Pies*
Makes 2 dozen 125g unsalted butter, diced (1/2 cup)
1 TBS water
800g prepared mincemeat (about 1 3/4 pound, or 28 ounces)
You will also need
Icing sugar to dust
Measure the flour, almonds, sugar, butter and
vanilla seeds into the bowl of a food processor. Blitz to make crumbs.
Add the egg yolk, and 1 TBS of cold water Pulse until it starts to
clump together, adding a drop more water if need be. Tip onto lightly
floured worktop and knead lightly until smooth. Press into a flat disc,
cover with cling film and refrigerate for about half an hour.
Without washing the food processor add the flour, sugar, butter, orange zest and mixed spice. Pulse until until you get a chunky crumble.
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Have ready two 12 hole tart tins. Place a small strip of baking paper into each hole of the tin to make removal of the tarts easy.
Roll the chilled pastry out to 1/4 inch thickness. Stamp out 24 ( 3 to 3 1/2 inch) rounds with a sharp round cutter. Reroll any trimmings as necessary. Press into the holes of the tart tins over the baking paper. Place a heaped TBS of mincemeat into each case and scatter some crumble over the tops. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden and crunchy.
Let cool in the tins for about 5 minutes before lifting out to a wire rack to cool. Once cooled, dust with icing sugar.
Without washing the food processor add the flour, sugar, butter, orange zest and mixed spice. Pulse until until you get a chunky crumble.
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Have ready two 12 hole tart tins. Place a small strip of baking paper into each hole of the tin to make removal of the tarts easy.
Roll the chilled pastry out to 1/4 inch thickness. Stamp out 24 ( 3 to 3 1/2 inch) rounds with a sharp round cutter. Reroll any trimmings as necessary. Press into the holes of the tart tins over the baking paper. Place a heaped TBS of mincemeat into each case and scatter some crumble over the tops. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden and crunchy.
Let cool in the tins for about 5 minutes before lifting out to a wire rack to cool. Once cooled, dust with icing sugar.
These are really very nice . . . I don't think they will quite replace my good old fashioned plain jane mince tarts as my favourites, but then again, I am somewhat of a traditionalist!
I am not sure where the tradition of making fudge at Christmas began, but I know that we always had a pan of fudge in our home for the Christmas holidays, the whole time I was growing up.
Normally it would be my mother's peanut butter fudge. What a treat that was! She didn't have a recipe for it. She made it off the top of her head.
She always used the same aluminum pot for it and filled it up according to the size of that pot with the ingredients needed for the fudge. It turned out perfect every time and so delicious.
One year I watched her making it and wrote down every thing she did, and composed my own measurements for it. Somehow though, while it is still very good, it never quite tastes as good as the memory of hers tastes!
Food memories have a tendancy to be like that!
My ex husband loved chocolate fudge and I had his mother's recipe for that. Sometimes it turned out, other times it didn't.
This chocolate fudge here today ALWAYS turns out. It is fool proof.
Not only is it foolproof, but it is creamy and delicious and uses things you probably have in your kitchen right now.
Well, if you are like me at any rate!
It has walnuts in it and chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. I am sure I probably got the recipe from a tin of the milk years and years ago.
Whatever . . . I can attest to the fact that is is truly no fail and always delicious. You can of course leave out the nuts.
For the holidays I like to make it a little bit extra special and I shape it into a wreath, which is very easily done.
You just shape it in a lined cake tin, around a small unopened tin of food that you have wrapped in cling film, and decorate with glace cherries to look like holly.
Its a doddle and looks so pretty.
You can pop it into a pretty tin lined with tissue paper for gift giving. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy getting this for Christmas!
Its so creamy and delicious and so easy to make. It's a win/win thing all around!
*Foolproof Chocolate Fudge*
Makes 1 pound
Have ready a 8 or 9 inch square pan, which you have lined with
greaseproof paper, wax paper or plastic cling film. Alternately if you
are making a wreath, line an 8 or 9 inch round tin. For the wreath,
wrap a small sized tin with plastic cling film and place into the centre
of the round tin.
My husband really likes this. Funny, he is not fond of chocolate cakes or cookies, but chocolate candy or fudge he loves! Especially if there are some toasted nuts and candied cherries involved! Happy Holidays!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The
English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are
reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you
may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for
visiting. Do come again!
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