Wholemeal Christmas Cake

Sugarless Wholemeal Christmas Cake 

This is a Christmas Cake with a difference.  Many older people prefer not to eat sugary treats, so I experimented a few times before coming up with this recipe.  I tested it with various people and got a very good feedback.  So here is my recipe for a Sugarless Wholemeal Christmas Cake for those who wish to make it for loved ones this year.

The Recipe:

2 cups wholemeal flour; 3 2/3 cups mixed, dried, sugarless fruits like papaya, pineapple, grated ginger, raisins,orange/lemon zest and so on (use your imagination and mix and match the quantities); 150 gms almond meal; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp mixed spice; 1 tsp cinnamon; 2 tbsp dark cocoa for the colour; 4 large eggs; 250 gms butter; 2 tsp vanilla essence and 6 tbsp fresh grapefruit juice.

9 inch circular baking pan x 2; stencil of Christmas  figures like stars, angels, doves etc; pink sugar or icing sugar

Preheat oven at 180 Centigrade and keep hot.  Place all the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until glazed.  Pour into well greased circular 9 inch pans and bake 40 minutes or until  skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Cool thoroughly.  Next day un mould cake onto a board, right side up.  Place stencil in the centre of the cake and press firmly down.  Sprinkle the pink sugar all over.  Gently lift up the stencil and admire your exquisite design.  Photograph for posterity before you gift it to an appreciative friend.  Your house will smell like a spice garden and each time you open the container, you will be tempted to take a bite.

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 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 First Recipe For Christmas

Candied Orange Peel

December has always been my favourite month. Growing up in Bangalore we were exposed to a myriad of exciting things to do- carol singing, concerts, presents and of course the excitement of hovering in the kitchen on the pretext of helping our mum, and sampling all the goodies we could. Christmas is a wonderful season of bonhomie and goodwill. It was the time we shared our goodies with all the community and enjoyed different kinds of cakes, sweets & savouries. My favourite Christmas activity has always been singing and one of my favourite songs “The Twelve Days Of Christmas”. Back then we did not really know what it meant, but we mastered the song and entertained many an audience until we left Bangalore for Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia. This year I wish to share 12 recipes for the Twelve Days of Christmas. Have fun, enjoy yourself and may you be doubly blessed.

Recipe No 1: Candied Peel
Christmas Cake is a must for this season and there are numerous recipes for it. Every family has their own tried and trusted recipe and so do I.   Candied peel is an absolute must for the traditional Christmas Fruit Cake and I have been making my own for ages.   My Mum & Dad always had bottles of delicious brandied fruits in their kitchen cupboard which we kids would dip into whenever we fancied  ( unknown to them).

Rind of 4 oranges, neatly quartered.
1 cup sugar, 3 tbsp rum or whisky

Place orange rind in a heavy bottomed pan and pour in just enough water to cover it. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes or until soft. Stir in the sugar and bring to the boil again. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cool , cover and keep overnight. Next day boil again and simmer for 5 minutes. Repeat the third day. By this time most of the water would have evaporated and the orange peel will be dark and the syrup thick and aromatic. Completely cool and bottle. Pour the rum or whisky on top. Store indefinitely until required.
NB: This can be made earlier and stored. I usually make mine in January during the orange season.