Light Christmas Fruit Cake
The response amazed us all and was so overwhelmingly positive that Michael Gill commissioned a second book in time for the festive season.
It was written and photographed in just five busy weeks and that little green paperback solved many people’s Christmas present dilemma that year. It included many of our favourite Christmas recipes, a delicious moist Christmas cake encrusted in toasted marzipan, Ballymaloe mincemeat and mince pies with a dreamy shortcrust pastry.
The traditional roast stuffed turkey and goose are there and a sugary caramel glazed ham studded with cloves and of course there was mummy’s favourite trifle and both my mum’s and mother-in-law’s plum pudding. What a saga that was — the latter had a misprint in the measurements which caused a great furore and prompted a cartoon in the Sun and an interview on the Gay Byrne Show to clarify the situation.
I often see a copy of that original, greatly coveted paperback on peoples’ kitchen shelves tattered from use but much loved. Well 25 years later Gill and Macmillan have published a new hard back edition. Many of the old favourites are still there but I’ve included over 100 new recipes.
Much has changed in those 25 years apart from the colour of my hair… ingredients, expectations, after all I remember a time when a cap gun or a Beano annual or even a tangerine in your Christmas stocking was a cause for excitement. Pomegranates were beyond exotic and certainly not widely available.
I have discovered the magic of brining not only for the turkey but also for the chicken and pork. It’s a brilliant way to transform even a mundane turkey into something quite delicious.
There’s also lots of advice on how to ‘survive’ Christmas and a whole raft of tips on how you too can have fun rather than feeling utterly resentful and exhausted. So make yourself a cup of coffee, put your feet up and accept Christmas is not just one day it’s an eight- to 10-day affair and start to make plans.
A rough draft of nine- to 10-day menus is a brilliant idea. Use the left-overs for the next meal, for example ham or spiced beef. Also allocate a couple of hours on several days to cook for the freezer, stock up on chunky soups and stews and bread crumbs for stuffings.
A few frosted meringue cakes and maybe tangerine sorbets. Freeze in small portions, they can be defrosted easily signally or three or four at a time if a group of pals unexpectedly turn up. A few tubs of stew or tagine can be defrosted in minutes.
Meanwhile if you have not already made the basic Christmas comfort foods it’s time to get started. There are recipes for several delicious Plum puddings in the Christmas book but here’s a lighter version you may enjoy as well or instead of the original. There are also several gluten and fat free mince-meat recipes so have fun….
This light fruit cake was Mummy’s favourite, she used Royal Icing and made a snow scene with Santa standing on top – thanks for the memories.
175g (6oz) ground almonds
175g (6oz) castor sugar
1 small free range or organic egg
1 drop of almond extract
2 teaspoons of whiskey
Beaten egg white or apricot jam for applying the almond paste
560g (1¼lb) ready to roll fondant icing
Corn flour for rolling out
Vodka to brush over almond paste
– optional – Santas, candied angelica, holly leaves
1 cake tin 20.5cm x 33cm (8 inch x 12 inch) x 5cm (2 inch) deep, lined with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2
Blanch the whole almonds in boiling water for 1 or 2 minutes, rub off the skins and chop. Mix all the fruit together with the cherries, peel, ground and chopped almonds. Cream the butter until really soft, add in the castor sugar and beat until light and creamy. Whisk the eggs and add in bit by bit, beating well between each addition. Add the grated orange rind, stir in the flour and all of the fruit. Dissolve the bread soda in the milk and stir thoroughly through the mixture. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Allow to get cold, turn out of the tin and wrap in greaseproof paper until ready to ice.
To make the Almond Paste: Sieve the castor sugar and mix with the ground almonds. Beat the egg; add the almond extract and whiskey. Add to the dry ingredients and mix to a stiff paste (you may not need all the egg.)
To ice the Cake: Brush the top of the cake with beaten egg white or apricot jam.
Sprinkle the work top with icing sugar. Roll the almond paste into a rectangle slightly larger than the cake. Roll the almond paste over the rolling pin, then unroll over the cake. Press carefully onto the cake. Allow to dry for at least four hours, or preferably overnight.
When ready to apply the fondant icing, brush the almond paste with vodka or other non-coloured spirit.
Next apply the fondant icing. Roll out again slightly larger than the cake. Roll over the rolling pin and then unroll over the cake. Press lightly.
Decorate if you wish with Santas, candied angelica, or holly but it looks great just as it is.
Cut the cake into 35 pieces (5 across x 7 on the length) or to whatever size you prefer.
Sieve the flour into a bowl, cut the butter into½inch (1cm) approx. cubes, toss into the four and rub in with the finger tips. Add the icing sugar. Mix with a fork as you gradually add in the beaten egg (do this bit by bit because you may not need all the egg), then use your hand to bring the pastry together into a ball: it should not be wet or sticky. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll out the pastry until quite thin — about 1/8 of an inch, stamp out into rounds 3 inches (7.5cm) diameter and line shallow bun tins, put a good teaspoonful of mincemeat into each tin, damp the edges with water and put another round on top. Egg wash and decorate with pastry leaves in the shape of holly berries etc.
Bake the mince pies in a preheated moderate oven 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4, for 20 minutes approx. Allow them to cool slightly, then dredge with icing or castor sugar. Serve with a blob of whiskey flavoured cream.
We have so much fun with mince pies and do lots of variations. Sometimes we press out a star shape from the top, so the mincemeat is visible, then we use that star to cover the next one, a tiny heart can be put on top of another.
All mince pies with a pastry top, need to be brushed with egg wash before going into the oven.
It’s fun to bring this chocolate covered ‘pudding’ to the table with sparklers on top. Other meringue flavours may also be used, but we love this combination.
150g (5oz) Hazelnut Meringue (see recipe)
½-1 tsp freshly ground cinnamon
1 tsp of finely grated orange rind
600ml (1 pint) softly whipped cream
150g (5oz) good quality chocolate, melted
15g (½oz) peeled, toasted hazelnuts or hazelnut praline (see recipe)
sprinkles or sparklers
1.2 litre (2 pint) pint pudding bowl
Line the pudding bowl with a double thickness of cling film.
First make the Hazelnut Meringue (see recipe).
Break the hazelnut meringue into chunks and put into a wide bowl. Sprinkle the ground cinnamon and orange rind over the meringue. Fold in the whipped cream. Pour into the lined pudding bowl, pressing down well. Cover with cling film and freeze overnight.
Melt the chocolate in a Pyrex bowl over simmering but not boiling water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Allow the chocolate to cool a little while you turn the frosted meringue pudding out onto a serving plate. Pour the chocolate over the pudding, allowing it to drop down the edges (the chocolate will go solid).
Decorate with peeled and toasted hazelnuts or Hazelnut Praline (see recipe) and sprinkles or sparklers.
Put the hazelnuts with the sugar into a heavy saucepan over a low heat until the sugar gradually melts and turn a caramel colour. Stir if necessary.
When the caramel stage is reached, and not before, carefully rotate the pan until the nuts are all covered with caramel. When the nuts go ‘pop’, pour this mixture onto a lightly oiled Swiss roll tin, marble slab or parchment lined tray.
Allow to get quite cold. When the praline is quite hard, crush in a food processor or with a rolling pin, the texture should be quite coarse and gritty.
Check that the bowl is dry, spotlessly clean and free of grease.
Meanwhile put the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake until the skins start to flake away. Rub off the skins with a cloth and chop the hazelnuts roughly.
Mark two 19cm (7½) circles or heart shapes on silicone paper or a prepared baking sheet. Mix all the sugar with the egg whites at once and beat until the mixture forms stiff dry peaks. Fold in the hazelnuts. Divide the mixture between the 2 circles or heart shapes and spread evenly with a palette knife. Bake immediately in a cool oven, 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2 for 45 minutes or until crisp they should peel off the paper easily, turn off the oven and allow to cool.
Pop-Up Dinner in the BIG SHED on Ballymaloe Farm, today. Ted Berner and Ivan Whelan will cook up a storm for the Ring Table Dinner. The exciting set menu will cost €50 and may contain wheat, meat and alcohol. Booking essential, please text Roisin 086-1905605
Slow Food West Cork Terra Madre Day Event: Wednesday, December 10, Organico Cooks the Books! Come and join Slow Food West Cork for a bite to eat and a glass of wine on “Good, Clean and Fair” Terra Madre Day in the newly and beautifully extended Organico Cafe, 10am at 5pm.
It will be acelebration of three great books and short talks by the authors: Giana Ferguson, Karen Austin and Sally McKenna with a convivial, casual supper in Organico Cafe using inspiration from each book. €20 members/€25 for non members. Advanced booking essential via email to organicobantry@gmail.com , or call Organico Cafe on 027-55905
Christmas Cooking with Rachel Allen: We are delighted to tell you that we have put on an extra one-day Christmas cookery course with Rachel Allen on Friday, December 12, at the Ballymaloe Cookery School (the earlier one next Monday is fully booked). .All of the dishes can be prepared ahead — could be a super pre-Christmas pressie for a fun day just for you. Bookings telephone 021-4646785, email www.cookingisfun.ie
Highbank Orchards Christmas Food and Craft Fair: Another date for your diary. The Christmas Food and Craft Fair at Highbank Organic Farm, Cuffesgrane, Co Kilkenny, takes place on December 13/14 featuring more than 30 local stalls, orchard train rides, puppet shows, cookery demonstration, Christmas trees and nature trails.
Did you know that Highbank is the smallest distillery in Ireland, the official opening is on December 13 at 12 noon. Ticket prices and bookings see www.biabeag.com . Email sales@highbankorchards.com and phone: 056-7729918.
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