Five tried and tested Christmas recipes



CL-Raecheybaby's homemade mince meat

'I make this mince meat every year. You need to put it together at the beginning or middle of November as it has to brew/infuse for three weeks before you can make mince pies.

I take about three biscuit boxes full to work on the last day before the Christmas holidays and I usually only return with the empty boxes and a few serviettes!'

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb shredded beef or vegetable suet
  • 4 cups seedless raisins
  • 2 cups dried currants
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped almonds
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried figs (optional)
  • 1 & 1/4 cup mixed peel
  • 4 cups coarsely chopped, peeled and cored cooking apples
  • 1 & 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp cloves
  • 2 & 1/2 cups brandy
  • 1 cup dry sherry

Instructions:

  1. All together in a BIG bowl, pour over the alcohol, mix up and keep cool, but not in the fridge for three weeks.
  2. Stir once a week, and top up the alcohol as needed. Then seal in sterilised jars and use within three months.
  3. This does make the best tasting mincemeat I've ever tried, I hope you enjoy it too.



Mrs Bates's classic Christmas cake

'This is my recipe for Christmas cake. I love it and make it every year. I've only got the quantities in 'old money' as it's years old, written on a scrap of paper.

'When it comes to the dried fruit, I usually use raisins currants and a few figs. You could use dried cranberries for a Christmas feel and glace cherries, whatever you like. I don't happen to like either! The apple keeps the cake light and moist.'

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 lb dried fruit
  • 8oz Grated Bramley apple
  • 4oz mixed candied peel
  • 4oz Flaked almonds (ground don't seem to do the same job)
  • 10 1/2 oz Plain flour
  • 2tsp mixed spice
  • zest and juice of a lemon
  • 8oz butter
  • 1tsp vanilla extract (the cheap essence doesn't do the same job)
  • 1tbsp black treacle
  • 4 medium eggs
  • 1/2 bicarbonate of soda
  • 1tbsp milk
  • Brandy or Rum (or whatever you fancy)

Instructions

  1. Soak the fruits in booze for at least 12 hours.
  2. Cream together butter and sugar add the eggs slowly and then the vanilla and treacle. Stir in the fruits and almonds and then the flour.
  3. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the milk stir into the mix. Line an 8in round (7in square) cake tin with brown paper and then greaseproof.
  4. Bake at 140 degrees (gas mark 1) for three hours (check by putting a knife into the centre, it will come out clean when it's cooked). If it needs longer give it another 20-30mins and then check again.
  5. Have fun, it's really easy!



CL-Rachaeybaby's Chrimbo marshmallows

'My marshmallows are perfect for munching, melting on hot chocolate and whatever else you fancy doing with them.

'This recipe is NOT vegetarian, as it contains gelatine.'

Ingredients:

  • 13oz sugar
  • 1/4 pint water
  • 2 tbsp gelatine (2 sachets)
  • 3 tbsp warm water
  • 1 tbsp vanilla essence
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • icing sugar

Instructions:

  1. Put the water in a pan, dissolve the sugar and bring to the boil, then allow to cool (20 mins cooling or longer).
  2. Put the vanilla, salt and colouring (if you don't want white marshmallows) in a large bowl, dissolve the gelatine in 3 tbsp warm water and add to the vanilla mixture. Pour in the sugar syrup and mix with an electric mixer until the mixture turns thick and soft and starts to climb up the beaters to the motor.
  3. Pour the whole mixture into a dish that has been lightly oiled and dusted with icing sugar. It won't take long to set, maybe 15 minutes.
  4. Turn out onto a surface dusted with icing sugar and use scissors to cut into cubes, roll in icing sugar and then store in an airtight tub.
  5. It shouldn't stick together once it has been rolled in icing sugar, and will keep for several weeks (if you have that much self control).



Mrs Bates's gingerbread people

Ingredients:

  • 125g unsalted butter
  • 100g dark muscovado sugar
  • 4 tbsp golden syrup
  • 325g plain flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tsp ground ginger

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 170C, gas mark 3. Line baking trays with baking parchment. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a medium saucepan, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat.
  2. Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ginger into a bowl and stir the melted ingredients into the dry ingredients to make a stiff dough.
  3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll to a thickness of about 5mm. Dip biscuit cutters into flour before cutting the dough. Place the shapes onto the lined baking trays and bake, in batches, for 9-10 minutes until light golden brown.
  4. Remove from the oven. While still warm, and using a skewer or chopstick, make any holes that you will need to hang up the biscuits with ribbon or to make a yuletide garland.
  5. If you are decorating your Christmas cake with gingerbread people, make the holes in their arms so that ribbon can be threaded through at a later stage.
  6. When completely cool, decorate with icing. The gingerbread biscuits can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks.



Rachel's clove oranges

They smell delicious and look lovely, but aren't meant to be eaten!

You need about 4-6 oranges and a pot of whole cloves, possibly more; and a spent match or cocktail stick.

Wipe over the oranges and use the match to make a pattern of holes in the skin. The pattern is entirely up to what is pleasing to your eye really; and into each hole push one clove.

Arrange the finished oranges in a bowl or basket and put on display and WASH YOUR HANDS (clove oil is a local anaesthetic)!

If you do this in the first week of December they should keep nicely until after Christmas.