Christmas favourites

On the table tops of Café Sarwaa in Sasthamangalam, Thiruva­nant­hap­uram, this Sunday will be an assortment of cakes, cookies and pies from the kitchen of Jagee John of Jagee’s Cookbook. Coffee Walnut Cake, Lemon Cheese Cake, Orange Pound Cake, Flortentine Cake, Key Lime Pie and a bunch of other Christmas favorites. “You know it is Christmas time when the air is full of cinnamon. I remember the smells that come from the kitchen when grandmom or mom was inside. It is such a good way to welcome Christmas. I want the Sunday bake sale to be fun, because Christmas is all about love and sharing,” she says. At 4 pm the same day, Jagee will also be doing a free demo of some of her special dishes like the Pizza Omlet, the Calamarie Pasta Salad and a cocktail of wine and a little bit of Brandy and fruits. Here, Jagee gives the recipes to two of her bake specials.

Florentine Fruit cake

This moist and semi-rich Christmas cake is one of my favorite recipes because the cake does not need any separate high-calorie messy frosting, making it a breeze to bake. It is topped with a delicious, sugary crust of fruit and nuts that looks really stunning especially when it is glistening with drizzled amber honey .
Ingredients

• Unsalted butter (softened) 250 g
• White sugar 250 g
• Eggs (beaten) 4
• Vanilla extract 2 tsps
• Almond extract 3 drops
• Plain flour + 2 tbps baking
• powder 275 g
• Baking soda
• Mixed spice (freshly ground) 1 tbsp
• Flaked almonds 125 g
• Glace cherries (halved) 125 g
• Sultanas 150 g
• Raisins 150 g
• Double cream 1 tbsp
• Whole almonds 50 g
• Honey to drizzle

Method:

• Soak cherries, sultanas and raisins in one cup of brandy/red wine or rum for 24 hours (This step is optional if you want to avoid alcohol). Grease and line or flour the base and sides of a 23-cm round cake tin. Grease the butter paper.
• Cream 225 g of butter and 225 g of sugar until pale in colour and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and almond extracts. Mix in the mixed spice. Now, you have a lovely fluffy spicy sweet buttery mixture. Keep aside.
• Sift 275g of flour, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl. Using a large metal spoon, fold the flour into the butter mixture. Add 75 g each of the flaked almonds and cherries and 125g each of the sultanas and raisins. Mix until just combined. Do not over mix at this stage.
• Transfer the cake batter into the prepared cake tin and level the surface. Melt the remaining butter in a small pan and stir in the remaining sugar. Add two tbps of flour, cream and remaining fruits and nuts including the whole almonds.
• Scatter over the cake batter and bake in a preheated oven (150 degree C), for 1 3/4 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the baked cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in cake tin. Drizzle golden honey to serve.