LAST MINUTE MADNESS


After finishing work last Friday, life has been a haze of Christmas drinks, crazed shopping and wondering what day of the week it is.

This morning I realised I'd completely forgotten to make a Christmas cake. So, today is a kitchen day with BBC 4, mulled wine and my mother's amazing "Cheat's" Christmas cake recipe which short-cuts all the overnight dry fruit soaking with a simple jar of Christmas mince. 

Fabulous Nigella Lawson also has a similar recipe in "Feast" which she unashamedly calls  The Non Cake-Maker's Christmas Cake.


Here is the recipe I  use - eaten "natural" with a dusting of icing sugar or finished off with a plonky Cognac Butter icing.

Cheat's Christmas Cake

125 gr butter
225 gr soft dark brown sugar
175 gr flour
100 gr ground almonds
2 t baking powder
zest of a lemon
zest of an orange
4 T cognac
2 eggs
400 gr Christmas mincemeat
1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 cup whole almonds

Preheat oven 175°.

Whizz butter and sugar in food processor, add flour, almonds, baking powder, zest, cognac and eggs. Whizz again.
Add Christmas mincemeat and pulse without breaking up the the mincemeat too much. Stir in sultanas.

Pour into greased and floured baking tin, sprinkle over whole almonds and bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Check at 1 hour.

Dust with icing sugar when cold or go for a boozy, plonky cognac butter icing.


Boozy Plonky Cognac Butter Icing


50gr butter, softened
2 tablespoons boiling water
2 - 3 tablespoons Cognac
3 1/2 cups icing sugar



Comments

  1. Jill22 December 2010 at 10:20

    Merry merry merry Christmas to my favourite blogger. Another huge fan, love reading your blog, it really helps me get through my French ex-pat existence. Christmas cake recipe has inspired me to bake today.Jill

    ReplyDelete
  2. Susie @ DesperateAngloHousewives, Bordeaux22 December 2010 at 12:34

    @ Jill, really touched, merry Christmas to you too! Susie

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lucille22 December 2010 at 17:49

    Fabulous easy Christmas cake..just made it. YUM!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous23 December 2010 at 08:05

    Amazing food blog. Just discovered you looking for a xmas cake recipe. Merry Christmas, will be making your cake today. Sara

    ReplyDelete
  5. John24 December 2010 at 10:14

    Merry Christmas Desperate Anglo Housewives!! Love your blog...

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

We so look forward to reading your comments.....

Popular posts from this blog

PULLING OUT MY HAIR, again!

Image
What makes this Desperate Anglo Housewife rant, rave, stomp, pull out her hair...? You guessed it, more bad customer service. Just how hard is it to train shop staff in this country to be polite, respectful, to leave their condescending attitudes at home! End of sales, picture the left over stock, all marked right down to clear.  I walk into a shop in Bordeaux looking for summer trousers. Find a couple of quite ordinary ones, good for work, marked down by 70%...this was not haute couture. I'm talking BASIC pants! Roll up to checkout... Shopgirl ( herein, SG)," We have some lovely little summer tops that would go with these ." Moi, " No thanks" (smile politely) SG, " There's some great shirts that would match too " Moi, " No thanks " ( smile slightly) SG , "Do you need some blazers? Accessories...?" Moi, " No thanks " ( smile dissipates....) 10 second pause. SG, " You are just so
Read more

OLYMPIC SOB

Image
As the Olympics draw to their end,  this DesperateAngloHousewife is wondering where her next wee buzz will be coming from.... I know I should be having a good old rant about sportsmanship, international cooperation and team spirit but instead I am going to be completely honest. ...All those bodies beautiful! Am I the only 40-something who has been blowing bubbles into her Chardonnay during the  men's diving?  Was I the only creature on the planet who was reaching for the smelling salts as the men swimmers came out announced and pranced across to their starting block whilst unzipping their sweatshirts to reveal not just the most heavenly of six packs but also shoulders to  weep over? Of course one can wax lyric over the grace of the pole vaulting, the panther speed of Mr Bolt, the incredible concentration of the archers, the tenacity of the walkers... Did anyone else notice the female athletes, their tone and all of that in their " undies?" I did have a momen
Read more

THE GRACIOUS ART OF MEDITATION

Image
How relaxed are you..? My year has started off with a couple of explosions.  The kind of explosions which create major stress and inner anguish. I won't bore you with the details...suffice to say that I have turned to my iPad for support. I love my iPad. Not usually a gadget oriented gal, this wee beauty and I have become inseparable.  The iPhone has NOTHING on it..to start, now that I am 40-something I need to get out my glasses everytime I use my iPhone or stretch my arms as long as possible and squint to read those all-important texts from girlfriends.. meet you at wine bar at 6pm...anyone for a gin and tonic...Spanks on sale at underwear lady down Cour Clemenceau. .. Even though the iPhone has all the "apps," the "style-plus" ingredient etc etc it just doesn't measure up. I love the way the iPad gets called " a tablet"...so ROMAN! Imagine myself in floaty toga with elaborate hair, down at the local forum..although I would pro
Read more