To begin with, we would like to say welcome to the Wearside Kitchen. In short, this cakes and biscuits section has three pages of recipes. Obviously, the ingredients are all easy to obtain and cooking them is simple.
So, go on and give you or the kids a treat and make some cakes and biscuits today. Firstly, we start by showing you how to make Christmas Cakes. But, please remember we have a whole host of different recipes in the Wearside Kitchen.
Cakes and Biscuits, Page 1
Christmas Cake
Main Ingredients:
1lb raisins
1lb sultanas
6oz glace cherries
14oz plain flour
¼ teaspoon mixed spice
pinch of salt
10oz butter
10oz soft brown sugar
grated zest of orange
grated zest of 1 lemon
5-6 eggs, beaten
3oz ground almonds
2 tablespoons brandy
4oz apricot jam
1¾lb marzipan
For The Icing
4 egg whites
2lb icing sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons glycerine
Start Baking
In the first place, wash and dry all the fruit the day before you make the cake. The next day, preheat the oven to 170°C/300°F/gas mark 3. Then, grease and line an 8inch square cake tin, using a double thickness of greaseproof paper. Tie a band of double thickness greaseproof paper round the outside of the tin.
Sift the flour and mixed spice into a bowl with the salt. In a separate bowl, cream the sugar, butter orange and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs gradually, beating well. Gradually fold the flour lightly into the mixture with a metal spoon, then fold in the ground almonds. Then fold in the fruit. Turn the mixture into the tin, spreading it evenly and make a hollow in the centre.
Cooker Settings
Bake for 1 hour, then reduce the oven to 130°C/250°F/gas mark 1 and bake for a further 3 hours. Then leave the cake to cool. Remove the lining paper, prick the bottom of the cake with a fork and pour the brandy into the cake. Put the apricot jam into a pan with 2 tablespoons of water and heat gently until the jam melts. Bring it to the boil and simmer for 1 minute, then rub it through a sieve. Brush the warm jam over the sides of the cake.
On a surface dusted with icing sugar, roll out two thirds of the marzipan and use it to cover the sides of the cake. Smooth the joins with a palette knife and trim the top and bottom edges so they are square. Then brush the top of the cake with the jam (reheat jam if necessary). Finally, roll out the remaining marzipan and use to cover the top of the cake. Then, leave it to dry for 4-5 days before icing the cake.
To Decorate
To make the icing, whisk the egg whites in a bowl until frothy of course. Then sift in one quarter of the icing sugar, stirring with a wooden spoon. Gradually add more of the sugar, beating well after each addition, until about three quarters of the sugar is added. Add the lemon juice and beat until the icing is smooth, then beat in the rest of the icing sugar.
Stir in the glycerine, cover and leave for 24 hours before icing the cake. Spread two thirds of the icing on the top and sides of the cake, using a palette knife. Leave the first layer of icing for 24 hours. Spoon the remaining icing on the top of the previous layer, then pull the icing into peaks, using a palette knife or the back of a teaspoon. Finally, leave to dry for 24 hours.
Madeira Cake
Ingredients for Madeira Cakes:
6oz butter, softened
6oz caster sugar
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
3 eggs, beaten
8oz plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
pinch of ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Firstly, preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Grease and line a 7inch round cake tin. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy, then beat in the lemon zest. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition, sifting in a little of the flour if necessary to prevent curdling.
Sift the flour with the baking powder, salt and cinnamon, and lightly stir it into the creamed mixture with the milk and lemon juice. It is important not to beat at this stage, just mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the tin and smooth the top. Finally, bake for 1½-1¾ hours, until a fine skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Then, cool on a wire rack.
No-Bake Fudge Brownies
12oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
14oz can sweetened condensed milk
8½oz chocolate wafers, finely crushed
4oz chopped nuts, divided in half
Melt the chocolate chips over hot (not boiling) water, stir until smooth. Add sweetened condensed milk, chocolate wafer crumbs and 2oz of nuts, stir until well blended. Press into foil-lined 8inch square pan. Press remaining 2oz of nuts into top of brownie. Finally, let stand at room temperature until firm. Then, cut into 2inch squares.
Peanut Crunch
1oz butter
8oz peanut butter
5oz icing sugar
4oz rice crispies
6oz plain chocolate
Firstly, melt the butter and peanut butter in a pan. Stir in the icing sugar, then add the rice crispies and mix well. Spread the mixture in a Swiss roll tin, pressing to level the surface. Melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and pour it over the peanut mixture. Finally, leave to set in the refrigerator. Then cut into squares.
There are also two other pages of cakes and biscuits recipes, see below.