Christmas Sugar Cookies

Ingredents:

1 1/2 C. powdered sugar
1 C. butter (soft)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
2 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar

Method:

Mix sugar and butter. Add eggs and flavorings; mix thoroughly. Stir together dry ingredients and blend into soft dough. Refrigerate two to three hours. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll cookie dough evenly out and cut out holiday shapes with cookie cutters. Sprinkle with colored sugar or leave plain. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake seven to eight minutes or until edges are lightly brown. Let cool and decorate plain cookies with colored icing and sprinkles

Spinach Salad with Cherries(christmas special)

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Salad:

5 cups cleaned torn spinach leaves, stems removed
1 cup bite-size fresh pineapple wedges
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
Crumbled feta cheese, if desired (optional)

For the dressing, combine oil, vinegar, honey and pepper in a medium bowl; mix well.

For the salad, combine spinach with pineapple, cherries and onion in a large salad bowl. Spoon dressing over spinach mixture; mix to coat salad with dressing. Serve topped with cheese.

White Fruit Cake

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup chopped candied pineapple
• 1/2 cup chopped citron
• 3/4 cup finely chopped or shredded almonds
• 1 1/2 cups coconut
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 6 egg whites

PREPARATION:

Prepare fruits and almonds. Measure the sifted flour and reserve a few tablespoons to dredge fruit. Sift remaining flour into a bowl with baking powder and salt. In mixing bowl cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
Stir in sifted dry ingredients, alternating with the milk. Beat well and add the dredged candied fruit, shredded or chopped almonds, and the coconut.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter.

Line a greased loaf pan with waxed paper or parchment paper and grease the paper. Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 300° for about 90 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted around center of cake comes out clean.

Dark Fruit Cake

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 ounces diced candied orange peel
• 8 ounces diced citron
• 8 ounces diced pineapple
• 8 ounces diced fruitcake mixed fruit
• 4 ounces whole red candied cherries
• 4 ounces whole green candied cherries
• 1 cup currants
• 1 cup golden or dark raisins
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup brandy or good bourbon
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
• 5 eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup molasses

PREPARATION:

This batter is quite heavy, but a heavy-duty stand mixer can handle it.

Mix the fruit in a large bowl with the orange juice and brandy. Stir gently and set aside to marinate for a few hours.

Generously butter bottom and sides of two 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans and line them with parchment paper.

Butter the paper thoroughly. You can use brown paper for this if you don't have parchment paper.

Sift the flour with the spices twice. Add the baking powder and salt and sift again.

Put the butter into a large mixing bowl and cream until smooth. Add sugar; using an electric mixer, cream until light and fluffy. Beat the egg yolks slightly and then add them to the bowl. Mix the batter well before you start to add the flour and spice mixture. Stir the batter as you add the flour, a little at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the flour is thoroughly incorporated, add the molasses and stir. Finally, stir in the fruit, along with any soaking liquid left in the bowl.

Put the egg whites in a stainless steel or glass bowl and beat with a clean beater to stiff peaks. Fold them into the batter thoroughly and then spoon the batter into the prepared pans. Cover loosely with a clean cloth and let the batter sit overnight in a cool place to mellow.

On the next day, heat the oven to 250°. Place the fruitcake on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. After 1 1/2 hours, cover the pan with a piece of brown paper (do not use foil) or set the pan in a paper bag and return it to the oven.

When the cake has baked for 3 1/2 hours, test the with a toothpick or cake tester. If the tester comes out of the center of the cake clean, the cake is done. Leave the cake in the pan and set on wire rack to cool.

When the cakes are completely cooled, turn out of the pans, leaving the paper lining on the cake. Wrap the cake with parchment, then foil, and pack the cake in a tin. Homemade fruitcakes need air, so punch a few holes in the lid of the tin or set the cover loosely on the tin. Set the tin in a cool, undisturbed place.

The liquor will keep the cake most and flavorful and help preserve it as well.

Christmas Cake

Ingredients

225g/8oz plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
200g/7oz butter
200g/7oz dark brown sugar
2 tbsp black treacle
1 tbsp marmalade
1/4tsp vanilla essence
4 eggs, lightly beaten
800g/1 3/4 lb mixed dried fruits
100g/3 1/2 oz chopped mixed peel
150g/5oz glace cherries, halved
100g/3 1/2 oz blanched almonds, chopped
brandy

To Decorate the Cake:
200g/7oz marzipan
1-2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed
Royal Icing
3 egg whites
600g/1lb 5oz icing sugar, sieved
11/2tsp liquid glycerine - optional
1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

1. Heat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas2. Grease a 20cm/8inch round or an 18cm/7inch square cake tin and line the bottom and sides with baking parchment.
2. Sieve the flour, salt, mixed spice and cinnamon into a bowl.
3. Cream the butter and the sugar in a large mixing bowl and then mix in the sugar, treacle, marmalade and vanilla essence until light and fluffy.
4. Mix the eggs a little at a time into the mixture adding a tablespoon of flour mixture with the last amount.
5. Fold in the remaining flour mixture until well mixed and then mix in the dried fruit, mixed peel, glace cherries and the almonds.
6. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and make a slight hollow in the centre.
7. Bake in the oven for 3 hours and then test with a skewer. If not ready bake for up to another hour testing every 20 minutes until the skewer comes out clean.
8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes.
9. Turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool.
10. Once cool, make a few holes in the cake with a skewer and pour over 3-4 tbspof brandy. Let the brandy soak into the cake.
11. Store the cake wrapped in foil and in an airtight tin or plastic container, holes side up.
12. OPTIONAL: For a rich and moist cake, spoon over a few tablespoons of brandy every week until you are ready to ice and decorate your cake.

To Decorate the Cake:
1. Place the cake on a foil board or cake plate.
2. Dust your hands and the work surface with a little icing sugar and knead the marzipan until soft.
3. Roll out half the marzipan to fit the top of the cake and roll out the rest in strips to fit around the sides of the cake.
4. Brush the cake all over with the warmed apricot jam and then place the marzipan on top and around the cake.
5. Cover the cake with a clean tea towel and then leave in a cool place for at least one day.
6. To make the icing, lightly whisk the egg whites adding the sugar at intervals. Beat well until the icing reaches soft peaks. Add the glycerine if using and the lemon juice.
7. Spread icing all over cake either flat iced using a clean ruler or by forming soft peaks. Decorate with cherrys

Black Forest Cake

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 (20 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove to racks to cool completely.
4. Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool before using.
5. Combine whipping cream and confectioner's sugar in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.
6. With long serrated knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half. Tear one split layer into crumbs; set aside. Reserve 1 1/2 cups Frosting for decorating cake; set aside. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and side of each cake layer with pasty brush or hands. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with 3/4 cup cherry topping. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Frost side of cake. Pat reserved crumbs onto frosting on side of cake. Spoon reserved frosting into pastry bag fitted with star decorator tip. Pipe around top and bottom edges of cake. Spoon remaining cherry topping onto top of cake.