Christmas Cake

Christmas cake

Jingle bell, Jingle bell
Jingle all the way!!!
No Christmas is complete without a yummy fruity cake.

INGREDIENTS

1. Eggs                      4
2. Plain flour             115 gms (1 cup)
3. Unsalted butter     100 gms
4. Brown Sugar         3/4 cup
5. Vanilla Essence     1 teaspoon
6. Lemon juice          1/2 teaspoon
7. Caramel                 1/4 cup
8. Mixed spice powder(cinnamon, cardamom)     1/2 teaspoon
9. Dry fruit : 

• Candied peel         1/4 cup
• Raisins                   75 gms
• Dates                      10-12
• Chopped glazed cherries     1/4 cup
• Almonds                25 gms
• Cashews                 25 gms

STEPS

1. Mix together all dry fruit, cut in even size pieces. Soak in water.
2. Beat egg whites till stiff and keep aside.
3. Beat  together butter and brown sugar till it becomes light and fluffy
4. Add lemon juice, vanilla essence and caramel. Beat again.
5. Beat in the egg yolk gradually.
6. Mix together  the flour, spice powder and soaked fruit and fold this into egg-butter batter.
7. Fold in egg whites.
8. Transfer to a tin immediately and bake at 160 degree Celsius in a preheated oven for 50-60 mins or till golden brown
9. Remove from oven and let it cool. Place on wire rack for further cooling.

Tooty fruity cake

INGREDIENTS

1. Sifted all purpose flour     3 cups
2. Baking powder                1 tablespoon
3. Salt                         1/2 teaspoon
4. unsalted butter at room temperature  1 cup
5. granulated white sugar       1 3/4 cups
6. Eggs, at room temperature    4 large
7. Pure vanilla extract         2 teaspoon
8. Room temperature milk        1 cup
9. Tooty-fruity 1 cup

STEPS

Preheat-

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). 
2. Butter or spray a cake pan with a non-stick vegetable spray. 
3. Then line the bottom of the pan with parchment or wax paper, then spray the paper.

Cake batter-

1. In a bowl, sift or whisk together the dry ingredients, i.e., flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Now beat the butter until soft using a hand or electric mixer. Then slowly add sugar and beat the mixture until it's light and fluffy.
3. Now add the eggs and beat the mixture. 
4. Add vanilla extract and milk. Mix well.
5. Add sifted flour mixture prepared earlier while the mixer is on slow speed.
6. Take tooty fruity and mix a little dry flour in it. Mix this tooty-fruity to the cake batter.

Baking-

1. Transfer the batter to the cake pan and bake for 40-45 mins. 
2. Then remove and insert a tooth pick at the center. It should come out clean, otherwise bake for 5-10 mins more.
3. Place the cake on wire rack to cool and remove from pan.

Enjoy with evening tea.
Cool cake completely if you are going to do icing over it. 

Coconut macaroons

Delicious macaroons with simplest ingredients.  Perfect stuff to nibble in weekend night.

Yield     2 dozen
Total Time   40 mins

INGREDIENTS

• Egg whites at room temperature    4 large
• Granulated white sugar    200 gms (1 cup)
• Pure vanilla extract    1 teaspoon
• Sifted plain flour(maida)   65 gms (1/2 cup)
• Dried sweetened coconut, shredded or flaked    300 gms 3 cups

STEPS

• Place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. In the bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar.
• When this mixture is warm to touch, it should be nice and creamy. 
• Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, flour, and coconut. Cover and refrigerate for about two hours, or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Place small mounds of the batter on the baking sheet, spacing few inches apart. 
• Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes and then place on a wire rack to cool further.

Notes-
Chocolate chips can also be added to the batter.