Rose Petal Jam Cake

Rose Petal Jam Cake

My sister gave me a bottle of Rose Petal Jam on my last visit to India and it took me back to the days when most Bangaloreans had dark pink and yellow roses in their gardens.  We were no exception.  My Dad was very interested in gardening and cooking and there was something interesting to learn every day.  Early morning, when the roses were in bloom, he would go into the garden and carefully check the roses and other blooms.  He taught me to collect these rose petals, wash and dry them very gently and layer them in a large glass bottle with sugar.  Every other day, one of us would add more rose petals to the bottle and within a month to 6 weeks, we had the most exquisite jam I have ever eaten.  More often than not, we ate it plain and thoroughly enjoyed every luscious spoonful.

This year, I decided to add it to a cake and see what happens.  The result- a tempting, enjoyable, fragrant very unique Christmas Cake.

The Recipe:

2 cups fortified wheat flour; 40 gms maida; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 20gms sooji; 270 gms milk powder; 16 cardamoms, powdered; 2 cups milk; 1/2 cup caster sugar; ½ cup Rose Petal Jam; 1 cup butter at room temperature; 2 tsp vanilla essence; pinch of salt; ½ cup ghee residue (optional).

Sieve the flour, milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, sooji and salt together in a large bowl.  Mix the milk, caster sugar, oil, cardamom powder, ghee residue and vanilla extract in another bowl.

Add the dry ingredients by the spoon by spoon to the wet ingredients and gently mix to a smooth glossy texture.

Grease and line 7 inches by 3 inches foil cake pans ( 3) and divide the mixture between them.  Bake in a preheated oven at 180Celcius for 35 minutes or until metal skewer inserted in centre of cake comes out clean.  Cool, pack and give to your lucky friends. 

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Ginger Two Ways Candied And Preserved

Ginger Two Ways - Candied and Preserved

The making of Ginger Preserve every year  in August was a family ritual.  That was the time tender ginger appeared in the market and my Mum would buy a couple of kgs from Russel Market, to last the whole year and to give as gifts to all her cronies.  This is a recipe she got during her stay at Nazareth Convent, Mangalore and one we all loved.  The whole family would sit around the table and skin and fork the tender ginger under my Mum's eagle eye.  The process took a few days and after that we would all stand and gloat at the jars of Golden Ginger Preserve carefully arranged on the shelves in the store room, the key to which was always with her. Most of the bottles were given away and used in cakes and sometimes as a treat, we had a piece with thick, cream after dinner.  

In Malaysia, tender ginger is available throughout the year, so I stock up during December and this year, I decided to make Candied Ginger as well which is an ideal tit bit after an appetizing lunch.

The Recipe:

Ginger Preserve

1 1/4 kg tender ginger; 1 medium raw egg; 6 cups (250ml x 6) water; 1,100gms white sugar ( I used brown for a gorgeous colour); juice of 1 lime.
12 cups water ( 250 ml x 6)

6 cups water (250 ml x 6)

Discard the fibrous parts of the  ginger and scrape off the skin.  Wash well.  Fork both sides of the ginger pieces and place in water to cover.  Change the water everyday for three consecutive days.  On the third day, squeeze the ginger well, discarding the water and pressure cook the ginger in 12 cups ( 250 ml x 12) for 45 minutes.  Cool and drain completely.  Spread the ginger on a cutting board, place a clean kitchen towel over it and place a heavy weight on it over night for the water to drain. ( I used my cooker filled with water as a weight).  Next day make a sugar syrup with 6 cups water and sugar.  Add the egg (broken with the shell) and bring to the boil.  (Boiling the egg with the syrup will make the syrup very clear).  Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Cool and strain through a muslin cloth, discarding the egg.  Return the sugar syrup to the heat, add the ginger and boil till a honey like consistency is reached.  Just before removing from the flame, add the juice of 1 lime.  Stir well, boil for a minute and remove from heat.  Cool overnight and bottle in sterilized glass jars or bottles.  Label and store for as long as they last.  Use in cakes, ice cream or serve with cream as a decadent indulgence.

NB:  I used less sugar and the preserve was still good.

Candied Ginger

I acquired a taste for Candied Ginger thanks to my love for Ginger Preserve.  When I came to Kuala Lumpur, I used to buy it whenever I saw it until I decided to make it myself.  The results were successful and the rest is history.  We now have our supply of Candied Ginger all year long.

The Recipe:

500 gms tender ginger; 6 cups water; 500 gms brown sugar ( I prefer brown sugar as the ginger gets a glorious colour); juice of 1/2 lime

I used less sugar.

Scrape the skin off the ginger, discarding the fibrous parts.  Wash and cut into equal sized pieces and then pressure cook in 6 cups water for 45 minutes until tender.  Place in a collander to drain off the liquid, reserving 1/8 cup of the ginger water.

Next add the ginger, sugar and water in a heavy bottomed pan and bring to the boil on medium high heat, stirring frequently until the liquid has almost evaporated.  Add the lime juice and boil till for a couple of minutes.  As soon as the sugar begins to crystalize.  This takes about 30 minutes.  Transfer the ginger to a tray lined with baking paper and spread out to separate the pieces.  Cool completely and store in an airtight container, using as desired.  Keep the  remaining sugar crystals for use in your tea or coffee or as a topping for ice cream.

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Impressive Christmas Chicken

Christmas Chicken

I have had a blast this Christmas, cooking all my favourite foods and trying out new recipes.  There's a real satisfaction in churning out fantastic food and I have experienced it very often.  There's nothing I like better than to see people enjoying the food I cooked.  It makes everything worthwhile and here is another simple recipe for the home cook.  Make your Christmas special with this unique blend of coconut milk, lemon grass, chilli powder and other aromatic ingredients.  This is one Christmas Chicken everyone will love.

The Recipe:

1 chicken, whole without skin, wash and drain completely.  Around 1 to 1.2 kg should do.

1 cup coconut milk; 1/2 tsp tamarind paste; 5 kaffir lime leaves and 2 stalks of lemon grass, slit and bruised

For The Marinade: 1 1/4 tsp chilli powder; 1 stalk lemon grass, use only the white part.  If you cannot get lemon grass use about 1 tsp lemon zest; 5 candle nuts; 1 inch piece ginger; 3 large cloves of garlic, peeled; 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1 large onion, sliced; salt to taste; 3 tbsp oil for frying or grilling.
Blend to a thick paste and keep aside.

Marinade the whole chicken in half the marinade overnight in the refrigerator.  Next day, heat a large non stick wok large enough to hold the chicken.  Add oil and lower flame.  Brown the chicken all over, taking care to keep it whole.  Add the remaining paste, coconut milk, tamarind paste, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves.  Gently stir to mix well.  Cover and cook till chicken is tender.  Garnish with spring onions and serve hot with Fragrant Christmas Rice.

NB:  You can use almonds instead of candlenuts if desired.

Christmas Rice

Fragrant Ginger Lime and Pineapple Rice

This is another of my quick recipes, especially suitable for festive occasions and family get togethers when a large number of people congregate to have fun and good home cooked food.  The fragrance of the ingredients used during the cooking process will make your mouth water and  your nostrils twitch and  you'll find guests making a beeline for a second and third helping.

The Recipe:

2 cups basmathi rice; 1 inch piece ginger, minced ; 1 inch piece galangal (fragrant ginger), crushed roughly; 5 kaffir lime leaves; 1/2 cup pineapple cut into bite sized pieces; 1 large onion, sliced fine; 3 tbsp olive oil; salt to taste and a few kaffir lime leaves for garnishing; 4 cups hot water.

Heat a non stick pan and add the olive oil.  When hot fry the onions till golden brown.  Lower flame to medium and add the two gingers and stir fry till a wonderful aroma fills the kitchen.  Add rice and pineapple and stir till all the grains are coated.  Transfer to rice cooker, add salt to taste, 5 kaffir lime leaves and 4 cups of hot water and cook till done.  Serve with Tamarind Chicken and Poinsettia Salad.

May the Joy Of Christmas Abide In Your House Throughout The New Year.

Christmas Salad

Poinsettia Christmas Salad

Salads are a great addition to any party and particularly at Christmas when there's so much to eat and a variety of culinary specialities.  Christmas Poinsettia Salad makes a lovely centre piece, an ice breaker and is so simple that a beginner could do it with ease.

The Recipe:

For The Poinsettia:  2 large salad tomatoes, the reddest you can find; a few corn kernels.

For The Salad:   1 green apple, cubed; 1/2 cup fresh pine apple, cubed; 1 medium carrot, skinned and grated; 1/2 a medium cucumber, washed and sliced wafer thin with the skin on; 1/2 cup curds (yoghurt); 2 tbsp spicy fruit chutney or any chutney in your kitchen or salad dressing of your choice; salt to taste; a sprig of kaffir lime leaves; 3 kaffir lime leaves, cut very fine (roll each leaf and then cut).

To Make The Poinsettia:  Cut each tomato into equal halves, then quarter each half and cut each quarter into two.  You should have sixteen nearly equal sized wedges, 8 for each layer.  With a sharp knife, remove the soft flesh and seeds and retain for use in the salad.  Next take a scissors and cut each wedge midway into two.  Repeat with all the pieces.  Keep aside for assembling later.

For The Salad:  Mix all the ingredients except the sprig of lime leaves together.  Taste for seasoning.  Take a pretty plate and place the sprig of lime leaves on it.  Arrange the salad on top of it and now assemble the Poinsettia carefully, eight pieces per layer in a flower shape, skin side up.  Repeat with a second layer on top of the first.  Place the corn kernels in the centre.  Your Poinsettia Christmas Salad is now ready.  Make sure it is admired adequately before it is eaten.

Christmas Apricot Coconut Cake

Unusual Apricot Coconut 

I am always on the prowl for any recipe that includes Apricots.  This year I came across an unusual combination of Apricot and Coconut.  Since I've never tried this before, I decided to experiment and the result was a melt in the mouth Unusual Christmas Apricot Coconut Cake.  Just the thing for party time and with a glass of Apricot Liqueur.

The Recipe:

250 gms butter; 2 cups brown sugar; 3 cups self raising flour; 5 large eggs; 2 cups chopped, dried apricots; 1 cup desiccated coconut; 1/2 cup Apricot liqueur; 2 tsp vanilla essence; 1 dsp desiccated coconut for sprinkling on top.

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.  Cream with wooden spoon till glossy.  Pour into two  greased  and lined 9 inch square pans or into cup cake cases (I made a large cake and some cup cakes too) and bake at 175 degrees Centigrade for 45 minutes or until skewer inserted in centre comes out clean.  Cool and sprinkle desiccated coconut on top just before serving.  Spend the evening nibbling this Unusual Apricot Coconut Cake and sipping home made Apricot Liqueur.  

Marbled Christmas Brownies

Double Chocolate Marbled Brownies

 Over the years, brownies have become a part and parcel of the Christmas Menu in our house.  Rich Chocolate decadence is an absolute must for any lover of chocolate.  Bake it in a large pan or just pour them into mini moulds and serve them at your Christmas party or simply give away to friends.

The Recipe:

100 gms maida; ½ tsp. baking powder; 30 gms cocoa powder; 112.5 gms. margarine or butter; 140 gms. powdered sugar;2 large eggs; 1/2 tsp. vanilla essence; 37.5 gms. chopped nuts(either walnut, cashew, almond or groundnut).

For the Icing:  110 gms. icing sugar,sifted;, 30 gms. soft butter; milk to mix; vanilla or peppermint essence.

Topping:  60 gms cooking or milk chocolate(either white or brown or a combination of both).

Decoration:  Marzipan Christmas Tree.  For Recipe go to

 http://fromthefryingpan.blogspot.com/2010/04/easter-treat.html

Take a small ball of marzipan, add a few drops green colouring, roll out and with a cookie cutter cut out a tree shape.  Keep aside till needed.

 Grease and line the base of a 20 cm / 8 inch pan with baking paper, so that the paper extends over two sides.

Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa onto a baking sheet.  Set aside.  Cream sugar and margarine till light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs and the vanilla essence.  If the mixture starts to curdle, stir in a little of the flour mixture.  Fold in the remaining flour and the nuts.  Pour the mixture into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven 175C for about 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.  Allow to cool.  Make the icing by combining all the ingredients to a spreading consistency.  Spread over cooled cake.  When set, melt the white chocolate in a bowl over gently simmering water.  Drizzle over icing.  Follow with brown.  Take a toothpick and gently run it through the melted chocolate.  Leave to set.  Takes about 15 minutes.  Place the marzipan tree in the centre and get ready to celebrate.



Or pour the prepared mixture into mini foil cases and bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 175 Centigrade.  Cool and follow same procedure for the icing.  Very enticing and absolutely irresistible.

Christmas Wholemeal Rich Plum Cake

Rich Plum Cake

Plum Cake at Christmas brings back fond memories of carol singing, a house full of guests and us children meticulously picking the plums out, one by one from the Nilgiris  Rich Plum Cake gifted to my Dad every Christmas by friends and colleagues.  That Plum Cake was oh so delicious and I can still smell it mixed with the aroma of tangerines, spices, kal kals, rose cookies and other treats my Mum would conjure up for us every Christmas.  This year, I made it for an elderly friend and saved a few pieces for the two of us. This takes me back in time and to the fun we had decades ago.

The Recipe:

2 cups wholemeal flour; 3 cups mixed (black and golden raisins) plums; 1 cup almond meal; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/4 cup ginger juice- smash a one inch piece of ginger, add 1/2 cup water and boil till reduced to 1/4 cup; 4 large eggs; 1 cup brown sugar; 250 gms salted butter; 2 tsp vanilla essence; 1 tsp mixed spice powder (I used cloves, cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon in equal quantities).

Sieve the flour, spice powder, baking powder and baking soda together three times.  Keep aside in a large bowl.  Add the almond meal and the plums and mix well till all the plums are coated evenly.  This will help to distribute the plums throughout the cake and prevent them from sinking to the bottom.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and creamy.  Add the eggs, one by one and mix well.  Then add the vanilla essence and give the mixture a whirl.  Gently fold in the flour, almond meal  and plum mixture spoon by spoon until everything is used up.  Pour in the cooled ginger juice and mix really well.  The batter should be of a dropping consistency.  Pour into 2 x 9 inch greased and lined  square cake pans and bake in a preheated oven at 175 Centigrade for 40 minutes or until skewer inserted in pan comes out clean.  Cool, slice and serve with red wine.

Christmas Macaroons

Coconut Lime Leaf Macaroons

And of course Christmas in my house won't be Christmas without my favourite sweet of the season -Macaroons.  I always make a different type every year and this year I decided to use coconut which is so beloved by my adopted country Malaysia.  I wanted to give it a twist, so when I was in Bangalore bought some copra and and brought it back with me to Malaysia.  And then a bulb went off in my head when I was in the wet market looking at all the green leafy stuff for sale.  I spotted some kaffir lime leaves and bought a few, chopped them fine and added them to the Macaroon mixture.  The taste was really good, so I've made them again to share with my numerous friends.

The Recipe:

1 1/2 cups copra, cut into tiny pieces; 500 gms sugar; 18 cardamoms, seeds only; white of 1 large egg, you may need to use more or less and a squish of lemon juice; 5 lime leaves, cut really, really fine.

Blend the sugar and cardamom till very fine.  Place in a large bowl.  Add the copra, lime leaves and the lemon juice and mix well with a wooden spoon.  Add the egg a little by little until the  mixture clumps in the middle.  Discard the rest of the egg white.  It should be neither too wet or too dry.  Make into marble size balls and place 2 inches apart on baking tray.  Bake at 160 Centigrade in preheated oven for 10 - 12 minutes until they puff out and change shape.  Cool thoroughly and store in an air tight container.  These delectable morsels make great gifts and you can pop them into your mouth any time you want a sweet fix.  Too good for words.

NB:  You can use any lime leaves for the flavour.  Kaffir lime leaves are used in a lot of Malaysian Recipes which is why I opted for it.

Exotic Christmas Liqueur

Home Made Hazelnut Liqueur

I never thought that that making liqueurs at home would be so much of fun.  It's the perfect gift for Christmas and other occasions and the best part is the surprise on the recipient's face and then their delight on tasting it.  I've made coffee, cocoa, pineapple, orange, apricot, ginger, strawberry and other liqueurs over the years.  This year I'm venturing where angels fear to tread.  We tasted some Exotic Hazelnut Liqueur at a friend's house which utterly delighted me.  All you have to do is buy the ingredients and follow the four basic steps involved- infuse, filter, sweeten and mellow.  The longer you age it, the better it is.  And let me tell you, this is one fantastic gift. 

 The Recipe:

2 cups hazelnuts; 1 1/2 cups vodka; 1/4 cup caster sugar; 1/4 cup water; 1 vanilla bean or 2tsp vanilla essence.  Use a good quality one.

Place the hazelnuts and vodka in a glass jar and infuse  for two to  four weeks.  The longer the better.  Store in a cool, dark place.  

After infusing, mix water and sugar and heat  till the sugar is dissolved.  Cool and add to the hazelnut mixture.  Steep for another three days.  Split the vanilla bean in half and add to the mixture and rest for five days.  Taste often and when the desired flavour is achieved strain, bottle and enjoy.  Use the hazelnuts for cakes and toppings and ice cream and anything you fancy.  Start the Christmas Season with a little bit of gusto and fun.

Indian Christmas Pudding

Princess Pudding Recipe From Jayanthi Pichamuthu

Christmas is the time for celebrating the birth of a baby boy 2000 years ago in Bethlehem.  It is a time for bonding with family and friends, exchanging gifts, goodwill and fellowship with all.  As always in India any and every festival is an occasion for pound parties, pot luck, get togethers, carol singing and enjoying food together.  Every household will be in a flutter planning for various events and using the choicest of ingredients.  We make vast quantities of goodies like fruit cake, kal kals, ladoos, diamond cuts, macaroons, chakkulis, mixture, savoury nuts and what not to be distributed to family, friends and neighbours.  Dinners are spectacular with every expert cook serving the best.  This is a phenomenal recipe that I got from my niece.  It is so simple, yet extravagant and the best part is that it can be made effortlessly in vast quantities for the perfect Christmas get together.  Surpass yourself with this unexpected Indian Christmas Pudding.

The Recipe:

1 1/2 litres full cream milk; 6 slices white bread, crusts removed- blend into fine breadcrumbs; 250 ml tin of condensed milk or to taste ;  100 ml thick cream; 1/2 cup almond meal; a few drops rose essence- optional.

Boil milk on medium flame till thick.  This takes about 10 minutes.  Lower flame and add the bread and condensed milk, stirring constantly..  When it is thickened enough (about 5 minutes) stir in the almonds gently and ensure there are no lumps.  Finally stir in the cream and the essence.  Remove from flame and cool.  Refrigerate overnight.  Serve chilled garnished with (or without) raisins, nuts or anything you fancy.  This is a rich and creamy dessert that you can serve as thick or as thin as you like.

NB:  I used low fat milk. 

A Date For Christmas

Sweet Treat

Am starting off the Christmas Season with A Sweet Treat- Stuffed Dates - something so simple that even a child could make it. My Mum told me that her mother used to make this for them at Christmas time every year, the only difference being that the almonds were stuffed with dates dipped in ghee.  Dates featured heavily on their menu as boat loads of dates would come in from the Gulf to Coondapoor as it was called half a century ago.  And the traditional gift to all was a big packet of dates with some oranges thrown in. 
This is an appealing and attractive addition to any Christmas Party.

The Recipe:                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                              
 50 dates; 50 almonds  
                                                                       
With a sharp knife, make a slit horizontally down the centre of each date.  Remove the seed and replace with an almond.  Repeat until all the dates are stuffed with almonds.  Serve as a Sweet Treat for Christmas or during any party.                                                                                                                                                         
                                            

The Twelfth Recipe For Christmas

Steamboat- The Pièce de résistance

Recipe No 12: 

Chinese Food is a great favourite for family celebrations and festivals because although it takes a while to prepare, the result is always a healthy, delicious option that leaves one feeling satisfied and smug at having pulled off another culinary feat. The Steamboat is the best option for special occasions as the ingredientsc can be prepared the day before and the guests have fun choosing their food at the table, cooking it themselves and eating it immediately. The Steamboat is a unique experience and more so when it is for the first time. This tantalising Chinese meal, with an array of ingredients and flavours remains a firm favourite to this day.

2 litre Stock: This is the basic requirement and you can make it any which way you like- from scratch or with soup cubes and other seasoning like I did. Some celery, minced ginger, 2 cloves minced garlic, a few slices tomato, chilli flakes, 2 chicken soup cubes, some sliced carrots and thick stems of any greens. Bring to the boil on the gas stove and then transfer to the Steamboat as you will save a lot of time.

Dipping Sauces:  Soy Sauce :Slice Chillies and soak overnight in a mixture of light soy sauce and vinegar to taste;

Red Chilli Sauce : Blend to a rough consistency 5 red, dried chillies, a small piece of ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp sesame seed oil and salt to taste. Personally we don’t feel the need for dipping sauces as the Steamboat on its own is absolutely delicious.

100gms Plain Noodles; 100 gms Glass Noodles; 200gms Sliced Chicken Breast ;200gms Boneless Fish Fillet, cut into four pieces; Beef Fillet (Optional), sliced ; 20 Prawns, deveined, tails intact; 50 gms Corn Kernels; Carrots Sliced; 50gms Cabbage ,Shredded; A Bunch Of Greens, wahed and cut into 1” pieces; Soft Bean Curd, sliced ; 2 Bean Curd Sheets (If Available), broken; Fried Bean Curd Puffs- soak in hot water to remove excess oil and drain before using .
And Of Course the all Important Steam Boat. I used an electric One, but there are other options.

Marinade For Seafood: 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp cornflour; salt & pepper to taste; 1 tbsp red wine or sherry. If you don’t have red wine use apple cider vinegar. When marinading prawns add 1 tsp brown sugar. Marinade overnight.

Marinade For Meats: 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 tbsp cornflour; 1 tbsp rice wine- optional (can use apple cider vinegar); salt & pepper to taste. Marinade overnight.

Place the Steamboat in the middle of the table and arrange all the other ingredients around it. Keep your spoons, forks, strainers, tongs and ladles at the ready. Switch on the Steamboat and once the stock starts simmering, start adding the ingredients of your choice to the stock, dish it out and start eating your gourmet meal. Keep replenishing the stock as required. (I keep a kettle of water simmering on the gas stove). Dip the food in the sauces if you like. This is a fantastic way to break the ice and by the time the feast is over, everyone is friends for life. I remember the first time I had Steamboat and it made a lasting impression on me.

Wishing everyone a Joyous Christmas and may you be blessed with peace, health and happiness always.

The Eleventh Recipe For Christmas

                                                         Recipe No 11: Fruit Punch

Fruit Punch is a great starter and breaks the ice especially when the guests experiment with various flavours and come up with something new every time.

1 litre Apricot Nectar; 1 litre Apple Juice; 1 litre Orange Juice; 1 litre Grapefruit Juice; 1 litre Peach Juice; ¼ cup each red and green cherries, chopped; ¼ cup tuitti fruiti; orange segments and finely minced apple; ice cubes and mint leaves.

Mix all ingredients together and serve with love.

The Tenth Recipe For Christmas

Orange Christmas Tarts

This has to be the easiest recipe ever and most suitable for large parties. It can be made in a jiffy, tastes good and serves 50 (provided every guest has just one).

Recipe No 10: Orange Yoghurt Tarts

50 ready made tart cases; 250 gms cream cheese; ¼ cup thick curds; zest of ½ an orange; 2 tbsp fresh orange juice; ¼ cup sugar; a few candied papaya pieces or candied fruit of your choice.

Beat the cream cheese, sugar and curds until smooth. Gently fold in the zest and orange juice. Drop 1 tsp into each tart case. Place a piece of candied fruit in the centre of each tart. Refrigerate and serve when guests are ready for their dessert.A guaranteed hit with everyone.

The Ninth Recipe For Christmas

     

Apricot Siena Cake
This is a chewy, sticky combination of bread and cake. It smells heavenly and tastes divine.  It is said to have originated in Siena, Italy and is also known as Panforte. My first attempt at making it was a total disaster. That was years ago. With a little bit of improvising I managed to get an eatable cake, this year.

Recipe No 9:  Siena Cake

100  gms nuts; 100gms candied pineapple, chopped; 100 gms dried Apricots, chopped; 50 gms candied orange peel; 2/3 cups flour; 2 level tbsp dark cocoa powder; 1 tsp mixed spice; 50 gms dark Cadbury’s chocolate; 1/3 cup sugar; ½ cup honey: 2 tbsp icing sugar to dredge cake with once done.

Mix the nuts, pineapple, apricots candied peel, cocoa and flour together in a deep mixing bowl. Heat the sugar and honey together in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves and it begins to boil. Lower flame and simmer 5 minutes. Add the dark chocolate and stir until it has completely melted. Cool 5 minutes and pour over the mixture in the bowl. Mix well. Pour into round 9" pan, sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake in preheated oven at 150 C for 35 minutes or till done (when skewer inserted in centre comes out clean). Cool, cut into wedges and roll in powdered sugar. This cake can be stored for months (unless it’s eaten up by appreciative family members and others). Slice into wedges and dredge with icing sugar. To store, wrap in plastic paper or foil when completely cool and keep in a dry place.

The Eighth Recipe For Christmas

                                                          Addictive Nuts
Who does not love to munch on cashew nuts.? It is a favourite with all ages and especially at Christmas when one does not need an excuse to indulge. In our house there is always a tussle between those with sweet tooths and those without. Try both these quick to ,make nuts and store them in your memory of addictive flavours.

Recipe No 8:  Christmas Munchies

Pepper Chilli Nuts For The Have Nots
1/2 kg cashewnuts; 1 tbsp olive oil; ½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp pepper; ¼ tsp chilli powder; ¼ tsp jeera powder

Heat the olive oil and stir fry cashewnuts on a medium flame until evenly brown. Drain on kitchen paper and add salt, pepper, chilli and jeera powders. Adjust to taste. Cool completely and store in air tight containers.Supposed to last for a month but will get over much earlier.

Honey Coated Crispy Nuts For The Sweet Tooths  This is a Chinese favourite and I fell victim to it when I had it for the first time 17 years ago.

1 cup almonds; 1 cup cashew nuts; 1 tsp white sesame seeds,toasted

Line a tray with baking paper and spread 1 cup each of almonds and cashew nuts. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degree C for 12-15 minutes, stirring once or twice in between. Remove from baking sheet and cool. Heat a pan, add 1 ½ tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp of water, 3 tbsp sugar and 3 tbsp honey. Stir until the mixture begins to bubble.

Simmer 2 minutes. Add 2 tbsp sugar, ½ tsp mixed spices, 1/2 tsp salt and mix well. Add the nuts and sesame seeds and cook for 3-4 minutes or till the liquid is completely absorbed and the nuts shiny. Turn off heat. Transfer to the baking sheet, cool and separate the nuts with a fork. Store in an air tight container. Serve as a starter or as an in between snack.

The Seventh Recipe For Christmas

                                                           Apricot Fruit Cake 

Dried apricots have always been a tradition in our household for Christmas and I always have something with apricots every Christmas. This year, I experimented with various fruitcakes and used Dried Apricot Puree instead of burnt sugar. The result…enticing and a rich aroma pervades our house.

Recipe No 7: Christmas Fruit Cake

200 gms each of flour, sugar, tuitti fruitti, black currants, sultanas, cherries and preserved pumpkin and nuts; 5 eggs, 250 gms butter, 1 tsp. mixed spice powder, 50 gms candied peel, ½ tsp baking powder, 2 tsp vanilla; 2 tbsp whiskey (optional); ½ cup dried apricot puree Dec 

Chop fruits. Sieve flour and baking powder into large bowl. Add rest of the ingredients and stir till smooth and glossy. Bake at 150 C  for 45 minutes or till skewer inserted in centre comes out clean.

The Sixth Recipe For Christmas

                                             Incredible Sooji (Eurasian) Cake
When I first came to Malaysia I used to wonder why everyone I met raved about the sooji cake. Popular amongst the Eurasian community, every family guarded their recipes fiercely. I had the opportunity to eat a slice at a friend’s house and experimented and came up with my own. Once I had mastered it, I realised it was one of the best cakes ever. Dark yellow, moist , rich and buttery, full of almonds and made with butter and egg yolks, this is a cake fit for a king.

Recipe No 6:  Sooji Almond Cake


175 gms butter, 125 gms caster sugar; 125 gms sooji; 30 gms flour; 
50 gms crystallized melon, chopped; 11/2 tsp candied orange peel, chopped; 60 gms almond nibs; 7 egg yolks; 1/4 tsp mixed spice; 1 tsp vanilla essence; 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1 tbsp brandy.

 Mix together sooji, maida, chopped crystallised melon, candied peel and mixed spices.
Beat yolks with half the sugar till light and fluffy. Cream butter with the rest of the sugar together with vanilla essence. Gently fold in the creamed yolk mixture. Add the mixed dry ingredients and brandy. Mix well. Pour into lined and greased 9 inch cake tin. Bake in preheated oven at 175º C for one hour till golden brown or when skewer inserted in centre of cake comes out clean.
Cool, cut and serve.

The Fourth Recipe For Christmas

Home Made Ginger Liqueur

Making wines and liqueurs have always been part of our family tradition and I enjoy trying out various recipes and giving it away as gifts to family and friends during Christmas.  This is one I tried years ago very successfully.  Those who like it sweet may increase the sugar and the earlier you make it the smoother it is.

Recipe No 4: Ginger Liqueur
¼ cup grated ginger
750ml vodka (usually one bottle)

1/3 cup filtered water
½ cup white sugar

Grate the ginger and place it in a 2 litre glass container. Add the vodka to the container. Let the container sit in a cool, dark place for two weeks. Strain out the ginger. I did not do this as I like to have the grated ginger in the liqueur for extra flavour.
Then mixthe water and sugar in pan on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the sugar water to the glass container, close the lid tightly and give it a shake. Keep in a cool, dark place for at least two more weeks. The longer you leave it, the smoother it gets. Store in a cool place. (I made mine last year). Serve with Ginger Scrumbtious Cake.
I also used it to make my fruit cakes this year.