Travels With My Cat

Our Instafriends, @sunnymals requested this recipe, so here it it.  It’s been taken from Delia – who else – but we’ve changed it a bit here and there because we don’t like some things like glacé cherries or candied peel (but you can add these if you do), and we do like brandy (so we added lots more of this).  We’ve also broken it down into stages so you can follow the time plan too.  It does take a while to plan and make, but it’s so delicious and actually quite easy to do, so definitely worth it.

Stage 1: Early November – Soak

Do this as early as possible, a month or so before Christmas if you can.

Ingredients

• 800 g of mixed fruit – currants, sultanas, raisins

Delia’s recipe actually asks for 450g  of currants and 175 g of each sultanas and raisins, but we forgot to check our store cupboard before we started, so just went with what we had, which was only a  few pawfuls of currants and much more of the sultanas and raisins to make up more than 3/4 of the mixture.

• 50 g of almonds – chopped into tiny pieces
• 100 mls brandy (a good splash and a half)

Instucktions

(NB: That’s how cats say, ‘instructions’, I’m not sure why, but it’s true).

• Put all the dried fruit and almonds into an airtight tin or jar that has a flat lid (this is a tip from our aunty Rosita Pet).
• Pour on the 110 mis or a good splash and a half of brandy (you can also use rum and/or sherry)
• Put the lid on and keep in a cool place.
• Every so often, give the tin a shake and turn it over so the dried fruit get a good soaking (that’s why you need a flat lid)

 

 

Stage 2: Stir Up Sunday – End of November – Make the Cake

Traditionally, Stir Up Sunday – the Sunday before the first Sunday of Advent (usually around the 20th Nov or so) – is the day to make your Christmas Puddings in the UK.  Tipsy also uses the date to start making our cake, as this gives us plenty of time to feed the cake with more brandy.  Mind you, this year, we were late, and only soaked the fruit on Stir Up Sunday, and made the cake a week before Christmas; I’m happy to say it tasted perfectly yummy.

Equipment

• 20 cm round loose based tin (this time we used a couple of tree-shaped tins instead which were fun) – we just greased these with butter.
• Baking parchment
  • Place the tin on top of the baking parchment and cut round it so that you get a circle that fits into the base of the tin.
  • Make a long, thin strip of baking parchment – this is going to go around the inside of your tin.  To do this, we wrap it round the outside of the tin.  Cut it so that it is a bit wider than your tin.
  • Next, fold the bottom inch into a sharp crease that runs all the way along the strip.
  • With a scissors, cut up into this inch all along the strip, so you get little flap (this helps it to sit down in your tin).
  • Wrap it round so that the two ends join together and tuck them into each other and put it into your tin,
  • Push down the little flaps so that they sit on the base and the strip fits snuggly around the inside of the tin.  Just in case it doesn’t and there’s a gap, don’t worry, cut another little strip, make the crease, cut little flaps and tuck this piece into the long strip so that it all joins up.
  • Then just put the circular base on top and it should all fit snuggly. (paws crossed).
  • Grease with butter.
  • You also need some brown paper for the outside of the tin and some string to keep it together.
  • Pre-heat your oven – GM 1 (140°C)

 

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Ingredients

• 225 g butter (unsalted)
• 225 g brown sugar

• 4 lightly beaten free range eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt

• 225g plain flour
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• the zest of an orange
• 1 tbs golden syrup (the recipe wanted black treacle, but we didn’t have any – we really need to get some, but the golden syrup worked fine too).

Instucktions

1. Cream the butter and sugar together
2. In a separate bowl, light beat the eggs and add the salt
3. Then combine with the butter and sugar
4. Slowly fold in the flour (we did all this in our mixer)
5. Add the nutmeg and spices and combine
6. Finally add the zest and the syrup.
7. Pour into the lined baking tins and give a little shake – it’s quite heavy
8. wrap the outside of the tin with brown paper and tie
9. Place in the bottom of the oven for four to five hours (we know it’s ages, but it’s worth it
10. Take out and allow to cool before storing it in an airtight container.

Stage 3: Every now and then – Feed

You then need to feed the cake with brandy, so make some holes in the cake with a knife, and pour in a little brandy.  Repeat this whenever you remember.

Stage 4: Before you eat – Ice

You don’t need to ice your cake, but it does look nice if you do.

Ingredients

• Ready rolled marzipan
• Ready rolled royal icing
• Some marmalade
• Some nice cake decorations

Instucktions

1. Heat the marmalade in a pan (you can also use apricot jam, but we like the Christmassy, citrus flavour of the marmalade).
2. Spread some on your cake – this is going to be the glue.
3. Carefully cover with marzipan – use a rolling pin to help you.
4. Spread some more marmalade on top.
5. Carefully cover with royal icing.
6. Decorate
7. Enjoy!

 

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