Recipe Ideas

Recipe Idea For Your Christmas
By Yuni Kristanti


Month December, had nearly arrived, time to prepare the Christmas party. Usually all of our large family gathered at grandma's house. We were all happy to celebrate Christmas until school holidays and public holidays we finished working parents. My mom made some cookie recipes and special dishes for the occasion. Christmas always brings cold air around Christmas time is the rainy season. It took a lot of food and pastries for gatherings at home.
This time making Christmas cake is my aunt, she is a hard worker but she never forgets her obligations as a mother. Any spare time she always cook a cake for her kids. My aunt's christmas cake tastes very delicious and we loved it. Here's a homemade Christmas cake recipe my aunt. Good luck and I hope your Christmas is more fun with your family.

Ingredients:
* Raisins 2-1/4 lb.
* Currants 1 lb.
* Dates, Stoned and chopped 6 oz.
* Cooked prunes, Stoned and chopped 4 oz.
* Almond flakes 8 oz.
* Butter 14 oz.
* Raw brown sugar 14 oz.
* Eggs 8
* Grated rind of 1 lemon and 1 orange
* Black Treacle 1 tablespoon (Can substitute molasses Americans If they want can not find Treacle)
* Flour 1 lb.
* 1 teaspoon Salt
* 1 teaspoon Each of: ground nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon & ginger
* Sherry 5 tablespoons

Instructions
1.Grease and line a 10 inch round cake tin with a double thickness of greaseproof paper. Wrap a double layer thickness of brown paper around the outside of the tin and secure with string. I usually make sure the paper is Twice as high as the depth of the cake pan.
2.Combine the Raisins, currants, dates, prunes and almonds in a large bowl. Cream the butter and sugar Until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the lemon and or the black Treacle. If the mixture looks like it is starting to curdle stir in a little flour. Mix together the flour, salt and Spices. Fold the flour mixture and the fruit mixture into the batter mixture a little at a time alternating Between the flour and fruit mixtures. Stir in the sherry and Ensure everything is well blended.
3.Note That I have always done all of this by hand and the mixture gets very stiff and hard to work near the end - a strong wrist is required. Traditionally all the members of the family take turns in stirring the cake and Each makes a wish while doing so. Some friends this last Christmas WHO Had Some of the cake enjoyed the previous year but decided they want to make Some chose to use an electric mixer - at the end of the process on their cake mix had a Different consistency and the finished cake cooked a little differently as I did note on their cakes taste I can not say if there was a difference in taste.
4.Put the mixture into the cake tin, being careful not to create any water holes and Remembering to smooth the top surface before placing the cake in the oven. Bake in the oven at 300F for 1 hour and then reduce the heat to 275F and the cook for a further 4 hours. If the top starts to overbrown then cover with greaseproof paper. When you remove the cake from the oven leave it in the cake tin and allow to cool overnight - the cake cans stay warm for up to 24 hrs. When cool remove from the tin and wrap in a double layer of aluminum foil Until it is decorated. Occasionally unwrapping and sherry or treating with an alcohol of your choosing Can Ensure a flavourful cake moist but be careful not to overdo this and create a soggy cake! The cake will of the improve with keeping.
5. You can decorate with cream. Shape according to your tastes.