Christmas Cake and Christmas Pudding

Posted on 4 December 2024 by Linda Peek

Christmas cakes and puddings are best made in November or even earlier, so they have time to mature. But don’t worry if you haven’t made yours yet, there’s still time. Anything home-made always tastes so much better than the bought variety. Better late than never.

I make them on the same day, so I can weigh out the fruit and nuts into two big bowls, one for each recipe, which saves time. After the initial steaming, the puddings will keep in the fridge for a year or more.

Christmas cakes and puddings make wonderful gifts, especially for elderly people living on their own. The pudding recipe makes 3 or 4, depending on the size, so if you just want to make one large pudding halve the ingredients. I have several Christmas pudding bowls in various sizes, which I collect in Op shops.

I’ve been making these old family recipes since I was at school. The original versions came from my paternal grandmother, Nana Hutchinson who was born in Falkirk, Scotland. They’ve evolved over the years with slight modifications. I now use melted butter instead of the traditional suet in the pudding mixture, but you can use suet if you prefer. Covering the cake with marzipan and then white royal icing to look like snow was all part of the tradition when I was growing up in England. Most of my family don’t like marzipan and we’re all trying to cut down on sugar, so nowadays I cover the top with nuts instead.

I’ve also started using the “all in one” method for the cake which uses melted butter. When we made Christmas cakes at school, in my Home Economics clases, creaming the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon took forever. The teacher whose name was Mrs Wood came round to inspect and decide whether or not it was time to start adding the eggs. No electric mixers back then, so by the time you got the tick of approval you felt as if your arm was about to drop off. The “all in one” method is so much quicker and works well.

Feel free to substitute – dried apricots instead of the cherries or mixed peel; walnuts, macadamias or pecans instead of the almonds; whisky instead of the rum or brandy. Making little changes will allow you to make the recipe your own, to hand down to your grandchildren. I don’t use glace cherries any more. Instead I buy dried cherries from a Middle Eastern grocer. They work well and make a delicious snack or addition to salads.

Christmas Cake

250g butter, melted
250g brown sugar
6 large eggs, beaten with a fork
300g plain flour
2 Tbs black treacle
450g currants
300g sultanas
175g raisins
125g dried cherries
125g slivered almonds
125g mixed peel (optional)
1 orange (zest and juice)
4 Tbs Brandy or dark Rum
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground nutmeg
75g ground almonds
To decorate the top:
200g whole almonds (blanched) or hazelnuts, shelled, roasted and
skins rubbed off, pecans or macadamias (shown in the photo)

Soak fruit and nuts in brandy or rum overnight, or if you’re in a hurry, for at least an hour. Line a 25cm round or square cake tin with a double layer of baking paper. Place the tin on a baking sheet on which you have placed 4 thicknesses of newspaper. Wrap a band of newspaper or brown paper of the same thickness around the outside of the tin, using a stapler to join the ends. Preheat oven to 150°C. If you have the option to use your oven in conventional mode, without the fan, the results will be better. If you have to use the fan the cake will cook more quickly than without.

Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly, then spoon into tin and smooth the top. Cover the surface evenly with whole blanched almonds, hazelnuts or macadamias, pressing them in a bit with your hand. Bake for between 1¾ and 2¼ hours on the middle shelf of the oven. Test with a toothpick after an hour and a half. If the top gets too brown before the middle is ready, place some foil loosely over the top of the cake to stop the nuts from burning. When it’s ready the top of the cake will have an even colour, feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean.

Cool thoroughly then store in an airtight tin in a cool, dark place. If liked, halfway through storage time pierce all over the top with a skewer and drizzle with a little extra brandy or rum which will soak in.

Keeps for several months in a sealed tin. If you live in a warm humid climate keep it in the fridge.

To serve, tie a wide red ribbon around the outside of the cake and decorate the top with some holly leaves and berries – real or plastic!

Christmas Pudding

125g currants
200g dried figs (remove stalks) or pitted dates
400g sultanas or raisins or a mixture
60g mixed peel (or substitute dried apricots)
60g almonds, blanched or unblanched (or substitute walnuts or macadamias)
60g glacé cherries or dried cherries
2 apples, unpeeled and cored
125g plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 rounded tsp each ground cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves
200g brown sugar
400g brown breadcrumbs
4 eggs
1 orange
4 Tbs Brandy or dark Rum
2 Tbs black treacle
250g melted butter or grated suet
¾ cup beer
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Weigh out the fruit and nuts into a large bowl. Make the breadcrumbs in the food processor. Use the food processor to grate or finely chop the apples. Cut orange into four, remove any seeds then process till finely chopped and pulpy. Chop figs or dates and apricots (if using) in the food processor. Roughly chop the nuts.

Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Place mixture in lightly greased pudding bowls, filling them to about 2cm below the top. The mixture is enough to make 3 or 4 puddings, depending on size of the bowls, so you might prefer to make half the recipe. Cover with buttered baking paper, butter side down and tie with string. Or cover with foil.

Steam for 4 hours, or until puddings are evenly dark brown all over the top. I use a very large saucepan, place a metal trivet in the bottom to lift the pudding off the bottom, then place one pudding, then an upturned plate on top of that, then the second pudding, then the lid. If you don’t have a pan large enough to do this (needs to be high enough to put the lid on) you will have to use two pans. Add enough water to come about a quarter to half way up the bottom pudding bowl and keep it simmering. Be careful to keep topping up the water, so it doesn’t boil dry. (I speak from experience!)

When cooked allow to cool then cover snugly with aluminium foil and store in a cool, dark cupboard or in warmer climates, in the fridge. To serve, steam again for 2-3 hours. Tip the pudding onto a serving dish. Heat some brandy then set it alight and pour over and bring to the table while still burning. Serve the pudding with thick cream or brandy butter.

Makes 3 or 4 puddings

Brandy Butter

125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence
2-3 Tbs Brandy
Grated nutmeg

In a small bowl with a wooden spoon, beat butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in vanilla and brandy. Pile into a small dish and sprinkle with grated nutmeg. Chill well and serve with Christmas pudding or Sago Plum Pudding.

Danish Lemon & Almond Cake

Posted on 6 November 2024 by Linda Peek

When we were living in Copenhagen from 2003 to 2006, we were often served lemon cake by the locals. I came away with this recipe from a Danish friend called Hanne, whom I met at the dog park. Sadly Hanne is no longer with us, but I still make her delicious lemon and almond cake.

My local supermarket sells 250g packets of marzipan in the section where they have all the cake ingredients.

We don’t like things too sweet, so I only made half the icing recipe. If you’re feeling indulgent, serve with a dollop of cream!

1 cup almonds, blanched or not, it doesn’t matter
200g butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
250g marzipan
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
Grated zest 1 lemon
1½ cups plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
Juice of 1 lemon
Icing:
2 cups icing sugar
1 Tbs lemon juice
1-2 Tbs boiling water
To garnish:
Lemon slices (glacé or fresh)

Preheat oven to 170°C. Place almonds in food processor and process till they look like fine breadcrumbs. Tip out.

Place butter (cut into pieces) and sugar in food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the marzipan. When thoroughly incorporated add the eggs and lastly the sifted flour, baking powder, ground almonds, salt and lemon juice.

Grease a 22cm cake pan. I used a fluted ring mould and sprayed it with canola oil, but an ordinary round cake pan lined with baking paper will do. Scrape the cake mixture into the pan, then bake for 45 minutes, or until well-risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Ovens vary so it may take a bit longer, but don’t overcook. Cool the cake, tip it out of the pan, then spread with the icing, allowing it to drizzle down the sides. Garnish with thin slices of fresh lemon.

To make the icing, sift icing sugar into a bowl. Add the lemon juice and one or two tablespoons of boiling water – enough to make a thick but spreadable consistency. Note: photo shows cake with only half the icing recipe.

Serves 12

The Olympic Chocolate Muffin that went Viral

Posted on 21 August 2024 by Linda Peek

Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen uploaded a TikTok reel reviewing the meals in the Olympic village in Paris. There was pain au chocolat, pesto pasta, pork skewers, shrimp dumplings and chicken gyoza, all of which he gave average ratings.

However, when he gave the chocolate chip muffins a glowing 11/10 it went viral, and everyone went crazy for this chocoholic’s dream. Some of Christiansen’s muffin videos had over 10 million views and soon earned him the nickname The Olympic Muffin Man.

These little cakes, called Muffins Chocolat Extrême, are made in Paris by a company called Coup de Pates. A lot of people have been trying to replicate them and the photos I saw online all looked delicious. I thought I would have a go.

Use top quality Dutch cocoa and high quality dark chocolate for the best result. Use chocolate chips or just roughly chop a bar of dark chocolate to make chunks. The trick is not to overcook the muffins. The chocolate ganache which you squeeze into the middle after they’re cooked is optional, but very nice.

Definitely worthy of a Gold Medal 🥇

¾ cup milk
¼ cup water
2 tsp instant coffee
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
125g butter
2 cups plain flour
1 Tbs baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup firmly packed soft brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
A few extra chocolate chips or chunks to go on top
Chocolate ganache filling:
½ cup cream
¼ cup chocolate chips or chunks
Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 12 hole muffin pan with muffin paper liners.

Place milk, water, coffee and cocoa powder in a medium to large saucepan and heat, stirring, to dissolve. Add the butter and chocolate chunks and when melted turn off the heat. Add the brown and white sugar, the oil, salt and vanilla. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then add the beaten eggs, the sifted flour and baking powder and the 1/3 cup chocolate chips or chunks. Don’t over mix, just enough to combine.

Spoon mixture into the muffin liners, filling them level with the top of the paper. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with a few extra chocolate chips or chunks and push them in a bit. Bake for 15 minutes or until well-risen and firm to touch. As soon as they’re firm to touch they’re ready. Overcooked muffins will be dry.

For the filling, heat the ingredients in a small saucepan and mix. When smooth leave the ganache to cool a bit, then put it into a piping bag with a nozzle. Squeeze a bit into the centre of each muffin through the top.

Serve the muffins while they are still warm, or zap them in a microwave for 20 seconds the next day.

Makes 12 large muffins

Gluten Free Dairy Free Fruit and Nut Loaf

Posted on 31 July 2024 by Linda Peek

I don’t have a Thermomix, but my friend Rosi has one she she sent me this recipe. I have adapted it by using my Magimix food processor to chop everything very finely for the paste.

This delicious cake is perfect with a cuppa and would make a welcome addition to packed lunches this week. A yummy treat which is gluten free, dairy free, not to mention healthy.

Nut Paste:
200g shelled almonds
50g pumpkin seeds
50g sunflower seeds
50g sesame seeds
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs sweetener (sugar, honey or maple syrup)
2 Tbs oil (vegetable, nut oil or olive oil)
Cake mixture:
120g pitted dates
70g dried figs or dried apricots
1 tsp fennel seeds (optiona)
4 eggs
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 Tbs cider vinegar
1 cup walnuts, macadamias or pecans (optional)
Sliced or slivered almonds to decorate (optional)

Nut Paste: place all ingredients except the oil in food processor and process for 1-2 minutes or until very finely chopped. Add the oil and continue to process until the mixture starts to stick together. Scrape out into a bowl. No need to wash the food processor.

Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease and line a loaf pan with baking paper.

Place dates and figs or apricots in food processor with the fennel seeds, if using, and process to chop coarsely. Add eggs, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar and mix. Add the nut paste and mix well, stopping to scrape down the sides. If using, add the cup of nuts now, leaving them whole or in large pieces.

Scrape into the loaf pan, smooth the top, then sprinkle with the almonds, if using, and press them lightly into the mixture. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Don’t overcook – mine was ready in 40 mins. Cool, remove from tin and serve in thick slices, plain or buttered.

Makes 1 loaf

Variations: use raisins or sultanas instead of the dates or figs. Use walnuts instead of almonds in the nut paste.

Tea Cake

Posted on 17 April 2024 by Linda Peek

The proper name for this old Welsh recipe is Barra Brith. In our house it’s always called Tea Cake, because it’s made with cold tea. In the good company of the Date and Walnut Loaf, this cake is simple, quick to make and it keeps for a week in an airtight tin. I used to use half a cup of sugar, but I cut it down as the dry fruit provides quite a lot of sweetness. Try leaving the sugar out altogether – there’s plenty of sweetness from the dried fruit.

2½ cups mixed dried fruit (raisins, chopped dates, currants,) and nuts if you like (walnuts, pecans)
1 cup cold tea, including leaves
¼ cup brown sugar (optional)
2 cups self-raising flour
1 large egg
1 tsp cinnamon or mixed spice
3 Tbs oil

Soak fruit (and nuts if using) in tea overnight. Preheat oven to 160°C. Mix in remaining ingredients. If the mixture is rather dry add one or two tablespoons of milk. Scrape into a loaf tin approximately 12 x 25 cm, greased and bottom-lined with baking paper. Or use a silicone pan which doesn’t need greasing or lining – you can see mine in the photo. Smooth over the top with a knife. Bake for about an hour or until well-risen and browned and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Don’t overcook or cake will be dry. Leave in tin 5 minutes then turn out and cool on a rack. Keep at least a day before using. Serve sliced, either plain or buttered. Keeps for about a week in an airtight tin.

Sticky Ginger Cake

Posted on 22 November 2023 by Linda Peek

Auntie Vina and Uncle Hector lived at Hill House, a busy dairy farm on the moors of County Durham, where I spent many summers as a child. The farm hands all came into the farmhouse for meals, so Auntie Vina and her daughter in law Little Mary spent a lot of time cooking. She taught me all her basic cake recipes, such as sponge cake, chocolate cake, ginger cake and fruit cake.

Times have changed and most recipes using ginger now call for the fresh kind rather than dried. I decided to do some research online, looking for ginger cakes which use fresh ginger, or a combination of ground and fresh. I then adapted Auntie Vina’s recipe, using some of the new ideas I had found online. This is the result which I served as a dessert with Mangoes in Ginger Wine. If mangoes are in season where you live, give this quick and easy recipe a try.

250g unsalted butter
½ cup water
¾ cup treacle (or molasses)
¾ cup golden syrup (or honey)
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
3 cups self-raising flour
½ tsp salt
3 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ cup milk
2-3 Tbs finely grated fresh ginger (to taste)

Preheat oven to 165°C. Butter and line a 22cm baking pan – round or square. I chose a ring tin – always a bit risky because being fluted you can’t line it, but fortunately the cake came out in one piece.

Place butter, water, treacle, golden syrup and brown sugar in a mixing bowl then heat in the microwave (covered to stop it spattering everywhere) for a minute or two until melted. Alternatively heat in a saucepan over moderate heat.

When cooled a bit, beat in the eggs with electric beaters or a hand whisk. Add the sifted flour, salt and spices, the milk and lastly fold in the fresh ginger. Scrape into cake tin and bake for 40-60 mins. Cooking times vary depending on your oven and the cake tin you use. If you overcook the cake it won’t be sticky, so as soon as the top is firm and springy to the touch it’s ready. Remove from the oven and when cool remove from the tin.

Serve as a dessert with whipped cream with a little rum or brandy added and some stewed fruit. Or serve with Mangoes in Ginger Wine as shown in the photo.

Or serve as a cake dusted with icing sugar or drizzled with lemon icing (1 cup sifted icing sugar mixed with 2 Tbs lemon juice).

Serves between 12 and 20 depending on serving size

Note: if you don’t have self-raising flour use plain flour and 2 tsp baking powder

Cumquat and Almond Cake

Posted on 6 September 2023 by Linda Peek

When a dessert comes into fashion you see it everywhere – in food magazines, on restaurant menus and served up by friends who entertain. A few years ago chocolate fondants – those tricky little puddings which are all about timing – were very much in vogue. A pool of delectable melted chocolate pours out when you stick your spoon into the middle – well that’s the theory. If you’ve managed to over-cook them, as I’ve done on more than one occasion, they’re still delicious. One of my all-time favourite desserts.

Turn the clock back even further to the 1970s and 80s and everyone was making Orange and Almond cake, where you boil two whole oranges until soft, whizz them to a purée, then add them to the cake mixture. I believe this cake made its debut in Australia in Claudia Roden’s Book of Middle Eastern Food, but recipes were soon popping up everywhere. Some versions don’t use any flour, making them good for celiacs.

Once again we have a huge crop of cumquats, so I decided to make this cake using cumquats instead of oranges and it was a great success. If preferred use two oranges or even mandarins.

Cake:
About 300g cumquats (or 2 oranges)
2 cups ground almonds (or grind your own from whole or slivered blanched almonds)
125g butter at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar
5 eggs
½ cup self-raising flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
Syrup:
2 Tbs cumquat juice (or orange juice)
½ cup caster sugar
½ cup water
2 Tbs whisky (optional)
To serve:
Icing sugar

Preheat oven to 180ºC and line the base of a 22cm cake pan with baking paper and grease the sides. Place cumquats in a pan and cover with water. Simmer for 10 mins or until soft then cool. If using oranges they will take 20-30 mins. Cut in half and remove seeds.

If you need to grind the almonds, do them first in the food processor, then add remaining ingredients for cake, including the cooked cumquats, skin and all. Mix until smooth, stopping once to scrape down mixture from the sides. Tip mixture into cake pan and bake for an hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Ovens vary so start checking after 45 mins.

Meanwhile make the syrup – place all ingredients in a small pan and simmer for 5 mins. Make holes over the top of the cake with a metal skewer and spoon the warm syrup over as soon as it comes out of the oven. The syrup will be absorbed.

Serve dusted with icing sugar, either warm or at room temperature, with a dollop of thick cream.

Serves 8-10

Variations: use macadamia nuts or pine nuts instead of almonds

Note: to make a flourless version suitable for anyone who is gluten intolerant, replace the flour with an extra half cup of ground almonds

Kien’s Dutch Apple Pie

Posted on 30 August 2023 by Linda Peek

Many years ago my Dutch friend Kien gave me this recipe for Dutch Apple Pie.

Using shortbread instead of pastry and an apple filling spiced with cinnamon and rum, this cake is delicious with a cuppa or served as a dessert, with ice cream or cream.

Shortbread:
250g plain flour
150g self-raising flour
200g sugar
300g butter at room temperature
Filling:
125 sultanas
125g currants or raisins
750g peeled and sliced green apples
¾ cup rum
125g sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
½ cup apricot jam

Soak dried fruit in rum, preferably overnight. Pre-heat oven to 160C. Mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy in food processor or with electric beaters. Mix in flour until well mixed and sticking together. Tip out, form into a log and refrigerate for about 30 mins wrapped in plastic wrap. Cut log into three. Cut off slices and use about one third to press all over the bottom of a buttered 30 cm spring-form pan. Bake for 20-30 mins till golden then cool.

Filling: Turn oven up to 170°C. Mix apples with sugar and cinnamon. Line sides of cake tin with about another third of the shortbread. It’s difficult to roll out, so the easiest way is to cut off thin slices and press them onto the sides of the tin like a jigsaw puzzle. Drain dried fruit (keep rum), mix with apples and spread evenly into tin. Use remaining shortbread to make strips and form a lattice to cover apples. You will need to roll out the dough for this. Pinch edges of the lattice onto the sides of the pie so it all joins up. Bake for 1¼ hours or until light golden over the top. Spoon rum through holes between the lattice. Paint lattice with heated and sieved apricot jam, using a pastry brush. Cool thoroughly before removing sides of tin. Serve with whipped cream, pouring cream or vanilla ice cream.

If you make the cake the day before and want to serve it warm, don’t put the apricot glaze on. Next day reheat in a low oven for about 20 minutes and then brush with the apricot glaze. Reheating is optional – it’s perfectly nice at room temperature.

Serves 12

Lemon Slice

Posted on 5 April 2023 by Linda Peek

There’s a recipe on Cafe Cat called Valli’s Amazing Lemon Tart which uses a whole lemon – peel, pith and all.

This is a recipe for a very lemony slice which does the same. I used a standard Australian 250ml cup for this recipe.

Base:
1 cup plain flour
¼ cup suar
¼ tsp salt
125g butter, melted
Lemon Topping:
1 lemon washed, dried, cut up, seeds removed
2/3 cup sugar
1 rounded Tbs cornflour
3 Tbs lemon juice
50g butter
3 eggs
To serve:
Icing sugar

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 20cm square cake pan with baking paper. Place ingredients for crust in a food processor. Process until you have a smooth paste, then scrape it into the cake pan and press it all over to an even thickness. Bake for 20-25 mins or until golden brown.

Place all the ingredients for the lemon topping in food processor – there’s no need to wash it after mixing the base. Process until fairly smooth then tip onto the base and spread out. Bake for 20-25 minute or until set – it should feel firm to the touch in the middle. Cut into squares or rectangles when cool.

Keeps several days in the fridge and can be frozen.

Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Cuts into 12-16 squares or rectangles.

Weetbix Date Loaf

Posted on 22 March 2023 by Linda Peek

Many Australians grew up eating Weetbix for breakfast and some are still fans. Not Weet-a-Bix, sold in England, but the Aussie equivalent by Sanitarium, called Weetbix.

In the post-War generation of my mother-in-law, when nothing was thrown away, women invented recipes to use up the broken Weetbix at the bottom of the packet.

This is an adaptation of a typical Date Loaf, with the addition of some crushed Weetbix. It’s quickly made, nice and moist and keeps for several days in a tin. If you don’t have Weetbix, use any crushed breakfast cereal such as raisin bran, All Bran or even cornflakes.

What I like about this recipe is that you just throw all the ingredients into a saucepan, so there’s minimal washing up and mixing involved. By the time the oven has heated, the loaf is ready to go in. It’s also a very flexible recipe so if you don’t have dates you can add any dried fruit or nuts you have available. To make this dairy free use olive oil instead of butter.

80g butter
1 cup (250ml) water
1 cup pitted dates chopped (or raisins, or mixed fruit, or fruit & nuts)
¾ cup sugar (white or brown)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 crushed Weetbix – about 2 cups
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup self-raising flour
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a loaf pan and line with baking paper. I just line the bottom of mine, but you can line the sides as well if preferred. Just a standard size, whatever you have.

Place butter, water, dates and sugar in a medium to large saucepan. Turn on the heat and when the butter has melted turn it off. Add the bicarbonate of soda, Weetbix, vanilla and sifted flour and lastly mix in the egg. Scrape into the loaf pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a skewer or toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes then run a knife around the sides if you haven’t lined them with paper, tip out and remove paper. Serve as it is or buttered. Store in a container with a lid.