Butter Rum Moist Fruit Cake

A wonderfully flavoured fruit cake, sent to me from across the pond by a rellie. You can chop or change the fruit, but I would definitely recommend leaving in the dried pineapple. If you would like a simple moist rum cake, you can leave out the fruit completely.

The cake lends itself to be baked in a bundt tin, but is equally good in a loaf tin. Pre heat your fan oven to 150C. Spray or grease really well your bundt tin [or loaf]

Start the night before:

Soak 10 oz of dried mixed fruit of your choice and 4 oz of dried pineapple in 3 fl oz of rum. 

I used raisins, apricots and dried cranberries.

4 oz butter

7 oz light muscovado sugar

1 tablespoonful golden syrup

1 teaspoonful baking powder

pinch salt

1 teaspoonful vanilla extract

½ teaspoonful mixed allspice

½ teaspoonful nutmeg

2 large eggs

2 fl oz buttermilk or milk

7 oz plain flour

2 fl oz rum

2 oz 3 oz chopped pecans

4 oz halved glace cherries

Glaze: 3 fl oz rum and/or brush with a light sugar syrup

In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, syru, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix together your dry ingredients. Beat in the eggs one at a time and then fold in your flour and other dry ingredients along with the milk and lastly the rum. Now add your fruit that has been soaking overnight along with the cherries and nuts.

Tip into your prepared tin and bake for approx 80-90 mins. Turn down to 130C after 45 mins. When firm and a fine knitting needle come out clean, remove from the oven and let it rest for a while.  Spoon over some of the extra rum and allow it to soak in, then spoon over a little more. Leave until the mixture has soaked in and allow it to cool some more. Invert onto a cooling rack and finally pour over the rest of the rum.

Do not cut for a few days!!! Keep your mitts off it until the flavours are allowed to mature! Wrap well and store in a cool place.

Just a wonderful fruit cake. The rum flavour shines through, so if you don’t like the flavour, this cake is not for you!

Be warned though. It does contain uncooked alcohol.

Cornish Slab Cake [number 1]

I would imagine there are as many versions of this as there are villages in our fair County! I have put off tackling this recipe until I found some old authentic recipes after being asked many times for the genuine article. There is no definitive genuine article I feel!! Cornish farming ladies, WI and suchlike would each add their own touches over the years and so it would evolve. So here is one and I will post another in a week or two. Anyone with more? This recipe probably dates back to the turn of the last century or late 1800s.

My close friend Jeny comes from Tuckingmill/Camborne area as did her father. His grandmother was affectionately known, by one and all, in the nearby village of Roseworthy as ‘Granny Clements” [I am not sure of the correct spelling of this surname]. She was of farming stock and this is her recipe. Jeny’s mother often made this and Jeny has many fond childhood memories of this being served at teatime.

You will need a baking sheet or an oblong shallow ish tin, as I used. Pre heat your fan oven to about 200C

1lb self raising flour [or plain and baking powder]

4 oz butter, softened

4 oz lard

¼ pint whole milk [I wonder what it would be like using buttermilk?]

12 oz currants

6 oz caster sugar [or granulated]

½ teaspoonful salt

In a mixing bowl, rub the lard into the flour and salt. Add the sugar and fruit. Mix with the milk and roll out into a rectangle. Divide the butter in half and dot little dobs of half the butter over two thirds of the mix and fold the bare third into the middle, then fold the other third over the top of that. Turn. Roll out once more into a rectangle and repeat. Roll into your finished shape, about 1 inch thick and bake for approx 30 mins.

Oh my! Absolutely wonderful.

Notes: I sprinkled some sugar over the top before popping into the oven. My oblong tin was 11 x 8 inches and I lined it with parchment to help lift it out,

To the non Cornish baking folk, this is not Heavy Cake. Heavy Cake has no raising agents and is mixed with water and a lot less fat and sugar! This is light and quite soft.

Moist and Creamy Chocolate Roll

Well, this is absolutely scrumptious. Fairly easy to make, as long as you follow the Swiss Roll rules and I love the idea of thickening the cream filling, so it doesn’t squish out. Another recipe from rellies in Wisconsin, of Cornish extract of course!

You will need a large Swiss Roll tin. Lightly grease it and line the base with parchment, hanging it over the edges to help lift it out. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C.

5 oz caster sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or bean paste

3 oz plain flour

1 oz good quality cocoa powder [you know I like Green and Black]

1 heaped teaspoon baking powder

2 fl oz vegetable oil 

3 fl oz buttermilk

In a large bowl or mixer, beat the eggs until thick and pale [about 3-4 mins], then whisk in the vanilla and sugar. Sift the flour, bp and cocoa, then fold this into the egg mix. Now whisk together the oil and buttermilk and stir into the batter. Mix well.  Tip into your prepared tin and level off as best you can then pop into the oven for about 12 -14 mins.

Let it cool for a couple of mins, then turn out onto a clean tea towel or baking parchment that you have lightly dusted with some sifted icing sugar. Roll up starting at the short end, evenly and tightly and allow to go cold. If you make a little cut half an inch in, this will help to start you off.

Filling

approx 8 fl oz double cream

a dessertspoonful of icing sugar

3 oz finely chopped or grated, 70% cocoa solids chocolate

a level teaspoonful of gelatine, stirred into a little very hot water then allowed to cool for a few moments.

Whisk the cream and icing sugar until you have soft peaks, then stir in the chopped chocolate. Add the cooling gelatine. Chill for an hour or so until it is starting to set.

Unroll the cake and spread over the cream filling. Re roll and dust with icing sugar or drizzle over some melted chocolate, thinned with a little more double cream. 

Just lovely. Absolutely delish. A dessert cake, with fresh cream, so store in the fridge. I also added some extra chopped chocolate on the top.

Flapjacks

Another yummy recipe from A Taste of Stithians booklet. The ingredients are a little different from the usual flapjacks and they are a complete doodle to make. I do hope you all had a super Christmas. A very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to you all!

You will need a well butter baking tray around 11 x 14 inches. Pre heat your fan oven to 140C

4 oz cornflakes

8 oz Quaker Oats [medium oats]

4 oz plain flour

8 oz caster sugar

12 oz butter

1 tablespoonful golden syrup

1 tablespoonful treacle

Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Dissolve the syrup, treacle and butter in a pan and mix with the dry ingredients. Tip into your prepared tray and smooth the top as best you can. Bake for 30 mins. When cold cut into squares or fingers.

I love flapjacks!! This is a proper all fashioned recipe! Delish.

Stem Ginger Bavarois

What a mouthful - what a posh word. I think I will call it a mousse. Whatever. A scrumptious dessert recipe from the A Taste of Stithians booklet. You all know that I love anything with ginger! A lovely make ahead dessert, especially around this coming festive season. With this recipe I am signing off until the New Year. Too much baking and cooking to get extras done! A very Merry Christmas to you all and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. Laurie xx

You will need a glass mould or individual glasses. Makes 4-6 depending on appetites! .

3 egg yolks

2 oz caster sugar

2/3 rds of a pint of whole milk

2 tablespoons gelatine

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons water

4 tablespoon ginger wine [or 2 tablespoons of the syrup and make up with Tia Maria or Cointreau]

10 fl oz double cream

4 oz finely chopped stem ginger

In a basin, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale. Warm the milk and whisk into the eggy mixture. Place the basin over a saucepan of barely simmering water and cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Mix the juice, water and dissolve the gelatine over gentle heat. Stir this into the egg mixture, then chill until on the point of setting.

Whisk together the cream and ginger wine to soft peaks. Fold into the egg custard along with the very finely chopped stem ginger. Turn into a wetted 2½ pint mould or your individual glasses. Chill. for a few hours.

If using a mould, turn out onto a serving dish and further decorate with whipped double cream or anything else that might take your fancy, if you wish. It is so yummy, it needs little garnishing, except perhaps a lovely little dollop of Clotted Cream.  Absolutely delicious.

Note: I used syrup from the jar and Cointreau.

Cheerio for now!

JAN’S “SECRET” NO BAKE MINI PLUM PUDDINGS

Well, here is a big treat for us. My cousin Jan, from Melbourne, Australia has given me this very special Christmas party recipe. She swears by these little gems at Christmas time and has been making them during the festive period for many years. They are absolutely scrumptious!

Good news too, for anyone with gluten intolerances. They are gluten free as long as you check your chocolate used. Jan passed this to me in metric weights. I know I usually use imperial, but for once I will type it out as Jan has written. 60 grams = 2.1 oz

You will need some Petit Four cases to serve them. The quantity below makes 20 mini puddings

60 gr chopped sultanas

60 gr chopped dates

1 tablespoonful crystallised ginger

1 tablespoonful mixed peel

60 gr ground almonds

Grated zest of one orange

2 tablespoonfuls icing sugar

60 gr dark chocolate, grated

1 tablespoonful brandy

1 egg white

Mix all the ingredients together, but you must leave the egg white until last.

Make into small round balls - place in the little cases and then have a thought about how you want to decorate them. So many options:

Jan’s suggestions: 

Cut out some fondant holly leaves/red berries and stick with some glacé icing.

Melt some white chocolate and spoon over a teaspoonful [looks like custard] - I did not have any.

or, her preference:

melt 90gr dark chocolate with 45 gr unsalted butter and spoon over.

Any more ideas?

As Jan says, “they are hard to resist but rich and super yummy”. Thank you, dearest cousin, see you in April!

Just wonderful! If you have any left over [REALLY?] store in the fridge.

If you want to make ahead, mix up everything except the egg white the day before and keep in the fridge.

Note: I think I might use chilli chocolate the next time?

Mincemeat Surprise

Christmas is coming and here is a delicious, easy peasy recipe for a festive bake! Easily doubled as they are very moreish!! Another recipe from the A Taste of Stithians booklet, although I have adapted it slightly. Use your own or a good quality mincemeat - definitely not a runny one.

You will need a [round] baking sheet, well greased and pre heat your fan oven to 190C.

12 oz self raising flour

3 oz lard

pinch salt

2 heaped tablespoonfuls of caster sugar

1 small egg

1 teaspoonful mixed spice

zest of an orange

Buttermilk or whole milk to mix

Good quality mincemeat.

In a medium bowl, rub the fat into the flour, salt and sugar and mix with the beaten egg, buttermilk or whole milk until you have a soft scone like mixture. On a floured surface, roll out into a rectangle about ½ an inch thick. Mine was about 11 inches by 7 inches,  Dampen the edges with a little more milk or egg.

Spread with mincemeat  [keep the edges clear, it will spread] then roll up like a Swiss roll. Cut into about 8-10 sections and place these on your greased baking tray, nearly touching in a circle. Bake for about 16-18 mins until nicely browned and then cool. Make up a glacé icing, just runny enough to drizzle over generously. Decorate with flaked almonds and some chopped dried cranberries or cherries.

A lovely alternative to mince pies.