Christmas Cake

Tags

almonds, bicarbonate of soda, brandy, butter, Cake, Castor, cherries, Christmas cake, Cook, eggs, Flour, fruit cake, glace cherries, mixed fruit, recipe, salt, sugar flour, Wax paper

You might say Christmas cake now? Christmas is still four months away.Yes I say now so it has time to mature into the cake it should be.

I share with you today a very old recipe which has been passed down through 4 generations.

Ingredients :

 1 kg mixed fruit

60 g Glace Cherries

125 ml + Brandy

110 g butter

110 g Castor Sugar

110 g Brown Sugar

5 eggs

550 ml (265 g) cake flour

5 ml Bi-Carbonate of Soda

pinch of salt

5 ml mixed spice

60 g whole Almonds

 Method :

Soak fruit in Brandy for 2 days or more.

Cream butter, brown Sugar and Castor sugar – well.

Add eggs one at a time mixing in well.

Sift flour,bicarbonate of Soda, salt and mixed spice.

Add dry to butter/sugar mix a little at a time, alternating with fruit mix.

Turn into cake tin lined with wax paper. Newspaper on the outside of the tin.

Cook 3,5 hours on 259 F or 130 C. Start testing after 3 hours.

Tips :

If butter and egg curdle – add some flour.

Peel of wax paper, add Brandy and wrap in a Tea towel and then in newspaper. 

Feed with Brandy often

Enjoy!

Biltong, a South African speciality

Tags

beef, bicarbonate of soda, Biltong, coriander, coriander seeds, food, jerky, pepper, pestle and mortar, recipe, saltpetre, spice mixture, sugar, vinegar, wire hooks

There are seemingly endless theories as to how biltong is best prepared . When making biltong choose good cuts of meat. The usual preparation time is 3 days, and the biltong should be hung until dry.

You will need the following ingredients to yield 4,5 kg of biltong.

10 kg meat (game, beef or ostrich)

2,5 cups brown vinegar

75 g Brown sugar

8 ml saltpetre

8 ml bicarbonate of soda

10 ml pepper

3 tablespoons whole coriander seeds

275 g salt.

Cut the meat into suitably sized strips and rub thoroughly with vinegar, ensuring that all the meat is coated. Next mix sugar, saltpetre, bicarbonate of soda and pepper, set aside.

Roast the coriander in a pan over a medium heat, remove and mince, or pound with a pestle and mortar until fine. Combine with the sugar mixture.

Place the thicker biltong strips at the bottom of an enamel container, cover with a layer of salt and then a layer of the spice mixture. Repeat the layers until the thins strips are on top and add a final dressing of salt. Leave for 12 hours.

Remove the thinner strips and dip them quickly in hot water.

Dry the strips very well, then hang on S-shaped wire hooks. Take care to hang the pieces of biltong well apart so that air can circulate between them.

Here I have place it in the drying box. The drying time depends of factors such as temperature, air circulation and personal preference.

For serving, cut the biltong into slices and serve as a snack! Enjoy!

Some handy household tips

Tags

bicarbonate of soda, Boiling, cooking, home, household tips, Parboil, shopping, Sodium bicarbonate, Soups and Stews, Stainless steel, Toilet, vinegar

1. Roasting potatoes – Parboil, roll in oil, then in flour, roast. Result lovely golden outer crust.

2. Sprinkle a little bicarbonate of soda under paper lining in bread tin and bread will remain fresher.

3. Add 1 tsp vinegar to water in which you wish to poach an egg if you have no poaching pan. It helps coagulate the white neatly.

4. Cream that is very thick can be brought to pouring consistency by stirring in a very small amount of iced water.

5. Slightly old cream is freshened by adding a little bicarbonate of soda.

6. To crisp wilted lettuce stand it in a little water in which you have placed a piece of coal.

7. Ants, sprinkle a little borax around, or some baby powder.

8. To remove ballpoint or koki pen – moisten with methylated spirits and wash in cold water.

9. To remove ink – soak in sour milk or lemon juice and salt.

10. To remove coffee stains – use borax and boiling water.

11. To clean tarnished brass – soak in brown vinegar over night, wash in cold water.

12. If a saucepan has been burnt – pour in cold water and vinegar and boil slowly for 1/2 hour. The surface will then clean easily.

13. To remove smells – baby vomit of fridge odors – wipe with a mixture of 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda to 600ml water.

14. Before cutting onions, dip your fingers in vinegar to prevent the smell from adhering to your hands.

15. Vinegar mixed with lukewarm water is excellent for washing down leather, carpets or upholstery to remove unpleasant odors such as baby’s vomit or cat’s wee.

16. Blunt scissors? Cut through a piece of sandpaper to sharpen.

17. Too salty soup? Slices of raw potato added to the soup absorbs the saltiness.

18. Shoes pinch? Place a freshly peeled potato in the shoe and leave overnight, helps the leather expand and shoes to fit better.

19. To keep stainless steel in tip top condition rub with a few drops of baby oil or olive oil on a soft cloth.

20. To remove chewing gum from fabric or hair – soak with a little paraffin and rub between the thumbs. Wash out with soap and warm water.