Apricot and Pecan White Christmas Cake
The Perfect Pecan Fruitcake
Pecan Plum Pudding
Rum Surprises
Festive Fudge

 

Apricot and Pecan White Christmas Cake

Cake Ingredients: 250g butter 1 cup castor sugar grated rind of 2 oranges and 1 lemon 5 eggs 1¾ cups plain flour ½ tspn baking powder ½ cup Grand Marnier

Fruit Mix: 500g glace apricots chopped into small pieces 1 cup sultanas 250g Pecans - chopped small Combine with ¼ cup plain flour

Method: Cream butter and sugar. Add grated rind of oranges and lemon. Gently beat in eggs one at a time. Sift dry ingredients; add alternately with Grand Marnier to creamed mixture and then combine with the Fruit Mix. Turn into a greased and lined 23cm round cake tin. Bake in a slow oven 150-160°C for approximately 1½ hours. Allow to cool in tin.

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The Perfect Pecan Fruitcake

This superbly flavoured cake is richly studded with Pecans and fruit, and the angostura bitters is the secret ingredient.

Ingredients: 250g seeded raisins 250g dried apricots, quartered 155g sultanas 90g glace cherries, quartered 250g chopped glace fruit, (eg pineapple, apricots, pears) 500g Pecan nut halves

1 tbspn angostura bitters (optional) ½ cup dark rum 6 eggs 1¼ cups castor sugar 1½ cups plain flour 1 tspn baking powder 90g shredded coconut

Method: Combine all fruits. Add the angostura bitters, and rum. Allow to stand several hours or overnight. Whisk together the eggs and sugar. Sift the flour with baking powder and fold into the egg mixture. Stir in the coconut, combined fruits and Pecan nuts, reserving a few for decoration. Fill the mixture in a greased and lined 23cm cake pan.Bake in a slow oven for 3 hours or until cooked when tested and firm to touch.

(Alternatively this mixture can be divided between 2 smaller 15cm pans and baked for about 2 hours or until cooked when tested.)

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Pecan Plum Pudding

Ingredients: 1¾ cups each sultanas, currants and chopped seeded raisins 250g mixed glace fruits, chopped (cherries, apricots, pineapple) 1 cup pecans, quartered 2 cups plain flour pinch of salt ½ tspn each baking powder, mixed spice and ground nutmeg

250g butter or suet, chilled and grated 2 cups brown sugar 250g soft white breadcrumbs grated rind ½ lemon 6 eggs 150ml milk 3 tbspns brandy, whisky or sherry

Method: Combine all the fruits with the pecan nuts. Sift flour, salt, baking powder and spices into a large bowl. Add fruit, butter or suet, sugar, breadcrumbs and lemon rind. Beat eggs with milk and brandy, whisky or sherry. Add to the mixture and blend well. Grease one large or two medium sized pudding basins. Add the pudding mixture and cover with a layer of greaseproof paper and foil. Tie securely with string. Place in a large saucepan on an upturned plate with boiling water to reach 2/3 up the side of the basin(s). Cover and cook 6 hours for the large pudding and 4 hours for the smaller ones. Top up boiling water as necessary during cooking. Allow to cool then replace covers with fresh paper and foil and store in the refrigerator. Boil a further 2 hours on the day of serving.

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Rum Surprises

Ingredients: 1¾ cups cornflakes, crushed 170ml condensed milk 2 tbspns rum 100g choc-bits 125g margarine or butter

60g glace cherries, chopped 60g Pecans, chopped 60g raisins, chopped extra cup Pecans, toasted, chopped

Method: Combine crushed cornflakes, condensed milk and rum. Melt choc-bits and margarine, add to the crumb mixture, combine also the cherries, Pecans and raisins. Chill until firm enough to roll (20 minutes). Mould tspns of mixture into small balls and coat in the extra chopped Pecans. Chill before serving.

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Festive Fudge

Ingredients: 2 x 100g packets white marshmallows 60g butter 1 tbspn water 125g dark chocolate, chopped

1 tspn vanilla essence 1 cup chopped Pecan nuts ¾ cup chopped seeded raisins

Method: Combine the marshmallows, butter, water in a saucepan and stir over a medium heat to dissolve. Remove from heat, add the chocolate and vanilla essence. Beat for 1 minute. Stir in Pecan nuts and seeded raisins. Pour mixture into a slice pan about 26cm x 16cm lined with foil or greaseproof paper. Refrigerate to firm before slicing.

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