Joyeux Noël

Joyeux Noel...............Merry Christmas !!

INDULGE IN CHRISTMAS AND LEAVE THE RESOLUTIONS FOR NEW YEAR :-)

Just like last year I am writing this year's Christmas blog just two days prior to Christmas. But this year that one thing which is different is that my family is there with me. After 4 long years all of us are together for this year's x'mas and new year. Its also been three years of me being away from my family and have been deprived of my family's presence for all festivals. This year will be special.

This year I am super busy with my chocolate and cake orders given by old clients and I had no time in this world to think about decorating my house and thinking about the family dinner menu for x'mas. This year not only my blog but each and every preparations are kept for that last minute chaos. But, I guess when you are surrounded by your family every challenge looks like a cake walk. Infact this festival is all about family. Christmas is just not complete without your family. Last year same time I was in Australia with friends. Everything was happening and full of fun. But there was something missing whcih was making me feel empty within............and that was due to my family being miles away from me.....though there were other challenges that I was facing up then which I would not like to recall, few annoying people and few annoying situations.

Even this year there are still some ups and downs that me and my family is going through but I am sure with time everything will be sorted out. For now its Christmas and its time to celebrate with friends and family, get togethers and gatherings. The awesome feeling of unwrapping the gifts. Going to the church to pray, seeing red being the colour of the festival, decorating your house, your christmas tree, listening to christmas carols, the smell of cinnamon, orange and ginger wafting in your kitchen, lots and lots of food. Its a festival striclty for indulgence and there is no room for weight watchers.

So, here I start with my reciepes for this season without wasting time in telling stories because in christmas what you need is food.....food....food....food......N only food..ahem yeah drinks ofcourse;-)

BRITISH CHRISTMAS PUDDING
1lb /450g dried mixed fruit (use golden raisins/sultana, raisins, currants)

1 oz /25 g mixed candied peel, finely chopped

1 small cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped Grated zest and juice

½ large orange and

½ lemon
4 tbsp brandy, plus a little extra for soaking at the end

2 oz /55 g self-raising flour, sifted

1 level tsp ground mixed spice

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

4oz /110g soft, dark brown sugar

4 oz /110 g white fresh bread crumbs

1 oz /25 g whole shelled almonds, roughly chopped

2 large, fresh eggs

Lightly butter a 2½ pint/1.4 litre pudding basin.



Place the dried fruits, candied peel, apple, orange and lemon juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the brandy and stir well. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave to marinate for a couple of hours, preferably overnight.

Stir together the flour, mixed spice and cinnamon in a very large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, lemon and orange zest, bread crumbs, nuts and stir again until all the ingredients are well mixed. Finally add the marinaded dried fruits and stir again.

Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl then stir quickly into the dry ingredients. The mixture should have a fairly soft consistency.  

Spoon the mixture in to the greased pudding basin, gently pressing the mixture down with the back of a spoon. Cover with a double layer of greaseproof paper or baking parchment, then a layer of aluminum foil and tie securely with string.

Place the pudding in a steamer set over a saucepan of simmering water and steam the pudding for 7 hours. Make sure you check the water level frequently so it never boils dry. The pudding should be a deep brown color when cooked. The pudding is not a light cake but instead is a dark, sticky and dense sponge.

Remove the pudding from the steamer, cool completely. Remove the paper, prick the pudding with a skewer and pour in a little extra brandy. Cover with fresh greaseproof paper and retie with string. Store in a cool dry place until Christmas day. Note: The pudding cannot be eaten immediately, it really does need to be stored and rested then reheated on Christmas Day. Eating the pudding immediately after cooking will cause it to collapse and the flavours will not have had time to mature.

On Christmas day reheat the pudding by steaming again for about an hour. Serve with  Brandy Butter or custard


MINCE PIES

• 12 oz/350g all purpose/plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 8oz/ 225g butter, cubed or an equal mix of butter and vegetable fat
• 1 beaten egg + 1 cold water as needed
• 1 jar of mincemeat, shop bought or  
• 2 tbsp icing sugar

Mix everything together. The mixture should reseble like bread crumbs. Keep it in the deep fridge for 20 mins. Squeeze an orange and put little salt in the juice and put it int he fridge. After 20 mins make a dough of the mixture mixing the orange juice. Clinge wrap and put it in the fridge overnight.

FOR MINCE MEAT

In a pan put 1/2 a cup of port wine, 1/2 a cup of dark brown sugar, half a packet cranberry fresh or frozen, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cloves, put 1/4 cup of each raisin, sultanas, dry cranberries, zest and juice of an orange. Mix all together and simmer for 20 mins.

Next, roll the pastries and cut with a cutter to make the pie case and a seperate cutter to make the star on the pie. In the mince pie mixture put a slosh of brandy, a drop of almond extract, vanilla essence, 1/4 cup of honey. beat with spoon. Fill the pastry cases with the mixtute put the star pastry on the top and put it in the oven preheated 170 c for 20-30 mins. Store it in an airtight jar after cooling. 

CHEESE FONDUE

Gruyere, Emmental, Brie and Camembert cheese 600gm in total

Put all the above into a cheese fondue dish

Pour any good white wine 300mls/ can use a any cider viniger

Switch on the heat

Take 2tsp of cornflour and mix it in 1/4 cup of Kirsh (cherry liqueur) or any of ur choice or just plain water.

Mix it well. Crush 1-2 big garlic bulbs, wipe arround the fondue dish and through it in the fondue dish. Sprinkle 1 tsp of crushed pepper and nutmeg. Disolve the cornflour mixture into the fondue dish. Mix it well. Serve with your choice of veggies, fruits and breads.

SWEET SPARE RIBS

You can use spare ribs/ cocktail suasages/ chicken wings

Marinade the meat in 1 cup of sweet chillie sauce, 1/2 cup of cranberry sauce, 1/2 cup thick soya sauce, juice of an orange with the leftover flesh as well, juice of an lime with the flesh. Mix all well. You can marinate it overnight as well. Cook it in the oven for 45 mins ( if using spare ribs) or else 20-30 mins. Sprinkle chopped corriander leaves.

MINI PEANUT BUTTER DELIGHTS

Take equal part of icing sugar ( 1 cup) and dark brown sugar, 150 gms unsalted butter, 1 tblsp peanut butter. Mix it to a wet sand consistancy. Make small balls out of the dough. Melt milk and dark chocolate together and spoon it on the peanut butter balls. Decorate it with your choice of edible sugar flowers, stars buttons preferably in golden colour. 

Because, its Christmas I would certainly like to share a couple of cocktails with you all.

ESPRESSO MARTINI

Double short of espresso coffee

60 ml vodka

30 ml kahlua (coffee liqueur)

30ml butter scotch schnapp

Put all of the above in a cocktail shaker with lots of ice cubes and shake it well and strain it on a chilled martini glass. As there will be crema on top garnish it with 2-3 coffee beans on top.

LYCHEENI (lychee flavoured martini)

1 part vodka chilled

1 part white rum

1 part creme de lychee

put all together in a martini glass and stir it well put some neat diamond shaped ice cubes. Garnish it with a whole lychee inserted in a cocktail stick and place it on top of the glass.

Cheers to all and a very very MERRY CHRISTAMS :-)