Recipe incredible contrasts in the ingredients and flavor that is ... yummy ... my daughter loved it!
27 May 2010 at 21:03
Anonymous said...
I love ... Your fruit mix sounds great!
27 May 2010 at 21:03
[Image]Today is stir up Sunday which means its time to dust off your pudding basins and hunt out your dried fruit as today is the traditional day to make your Christmas pudding and Christmas Cake. It’s called ‘stir up’ for the obvious reasons that you stir together your fruit mixes and it’s always held on the last Sunday before the start of Advent (next week) to acknowledge the start of the festive food preparations. This then gives your cakes and puddings four weeks to mature, develop in flavour and be ‘fed’ with Brandy or other spirits to give them that characteristic richness, moistness and boozy flavour.
Every year I bake the same Christmas cake recipe that I have tailored to suit my families tastes, but this year I felt like doing something a bit different and by simply changing some of the fruits included and the tray of soaking liqueur I’m hoping to end up with a different twist on my much loved classic. Below is the fruit base for the Christmas cake I’m baking this year but click here to see last years more traditional cake mix. The baking of the cake is to come!
I prepared and soaked the fruit for my Christmas cake yesterday, in readiness for baking today and I will be preparing my Christmas pudding mix today. It’s a fun festive tradition and I just love the colours and festive aromas you encounter along the way. Baking your own is so satisfying and rewarding that I encourage everyone to start up and stir up!
Festive Fruit Cake Mix [Image]Ingredients 100g dried cranberries 75g glace cherries 175g dates 85g dried apricots 175g dried figs ½ Bramley apple 100g raisins 40g glace stem ginger Zest of an orange Zest of a lemon 2 tbsp Cointreau (orange liqueur)
Method In a large mixing bowl place the cranberries and raisins. Quarter the cherries and add to the bowl. Use a pair of scissors to chop the figs, apricots and dates into small pieces, similar in size to the quartered cherries. Peel, core and dice the apple into ½ cm cubes. Finely chop the glace stem ginger. Grate over the zest of the orange and lemon and drizzle over the Cointreau. Give everything a good stir before covering with cling film and leaving to soak, plump up and macerate overnight. Makes enough for an 8inch circular Christmas cake
"Stir Up Sunday - Festive Fruit Cake Mix"
7 Comments -
OH I m excited to make Christmas cakes although this year I have to make 8. Quite a lot of work. this recipe looks really good. I like both versions
22 November 2009 at 15:43
Your fruit mix sounds great! So much variety.
23 November 2009 at 11:57
You have a nice selection of dried fruits here Katie - the cake is going to be gorgeous!
23 November 2009 at 20:08
This looks like it will be a very FESTIVE cake! :)
I have a little something for you over at my blog: http://jilliciousdiscoveries.blogspot.com/2009/11/monday-must-have-be-thankful-for-what.html
Enjoy! :)
24 November 2009 at 03:55
I make the Christmas puddings every year, I'm late this time though, I missed stir up Sunday and still haven't done it yet!
Judging by the ingredients I'm sure your cake is going to be fantastic!
24 November 2009 at 19:49
Recipe incredible contrasts in the ingredients and flavor that is ... yummy ... my daughter loved it!
27 May 2010 at 21:03
I love ... Your fruit mix sounds great!
27 May 2010 at 21:03