Recipe - Ginger Beer

I remember brown glass bottles with cork tops. They were set upon the windowsill in the passage (south facing - cool) as they matured for the two days.

Mix together in the evening - and note the time.
8 cups sugar
1/2 small cake yeast
4 tsp Moirs lemon essence
1 small packet cream of tartar
2 handsful washed raisins
1 1/2 tblspns ground ginger
16 pints cold water
(16 pints = 8 litres. 1 pint = 2 cups = 500ml.)

Mix well. Cover with towel and cushion - I use cake cooler to keep the towel out of ginger beer.

12 hours later (note time) syphon ginger beer off carefully. (I cover cheese grater with clean flour bag and put syphoning tube down slowly into large pot or bucket of ginger beer, being as careful as possible not to disturb settled ginger.)
Bottle tightly and keep in cool place - preferably fridge - until ready for use in two days' time.

Recipe - Trifle Without Wine

I remember this trifle - I loved it!
How shocked I was to discover that other people prefer trifle with jelly in...
I guess it is what we are used to?

Well here is the trifle dear to my taste buds:

Cut into bite-size pieces, as much un-iced cake as you require (stale cake is good).

Make 1 1/2 pints (750ml) thin custard - cool

Add to cooled custard and mix well:

1/2 tsp almond essence
1 tbsp apricot jam
1 tbsp seville marmalade
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Spread cake uncrammed into pyrex dish
Pour over the custard mix
Cover generously with whipped cream
decorate with cheries and chopped nuts

Allow to 'stand' in frig for an hour or more

ENJOY!

Recipe - Christmas Cake

MOM'S CHRISTMAS CAKE

Prepare 600g mixed fruit - sultanas, raisins, peel, currants, red, green & yellow cherries, crystalized pineapple. (I did 250g cake fruit, 200g cherries, about 100 g pineapple).

Add 60g chopped almonds. Coat fruit and nuts with flour.

Mix:
300 g flour (600 ml)
½ teasp baking powder
½ teasp salt

Cream:
150 g butter
200g sugar

Add:
4 eggs
3/4 teasp almond essence
Mix well and then add flour mixture.
Lastly add flour coated fruit.
Bake in a paper-lined tin and hollow mixture out towards sides of tin.

Bake at 160° C for about 2 hours or until done.

A colleague at work suggested that I soak the cake fruit in tea overnight (rooibos).
It did make the cake moister but be sure to strain all the liquid off before adding the fruit to the cake otherwise the cake becomes soggy as I discovered on my trial run before the wedding.

This colleague also told me that she puts the shelf low in the oven, puts a newspaper on it, stands the cake tin on top and then rests grease proof paper over the top of the cake. This means it cooks more slowly. I did this and must warn you that although the paper does not burn it does smell hot for a while. After baking 5 cakes on the same newspaper and using the same piece of greaseproof paper the paper was slightly browned but not burned. Those people who commented on the wedding cake told me that it tasted divine. The lady who was catering told me that she had had TWO pieces already - and that was before handing any out! Someone else who does not like fruit cake told me that she really enjoyed her piece. Hope you enjoy this.

Peter and I are having offcuts from the wedding cake with custard and cream for dessert tomorrow. It tastes delicious like this.

Christmas greetings to all of you.
I hope to speak to some on the telephone tonight.
Peter and I are going over to Mike's and Jodi's flat tomorrow for a visit.

Love to you all
Jane