Za Recipes

Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Vegan Alcohol Free Christmas FruitCake

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups cake flour

2. 1 cup brown sugar

3. 1 cup mix dry fruits (I use here figs, dates, raisins(black and yellow), apricots) chopped

4. 1 teaspoon baking powder

5. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6. 1/2 cup mix nuts (walnut, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts) chopped

7. 1/2 cup candied peel ( I use here mango, papaya, kiwi, strawberries) chopped

8. 1 teaspoon flax seed powder

9. 3/4 cup margarine

10. 1 teaspoon pie spices or you can use dry ginger cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and cardamom powder

11. Grape juice (soak for the dry fruits)

12. 1/2 cup apple sauce

For the Caramel:

1. 1/4 cup sugar

2. 1/2 cup boiling hot water

Method:

1. Soak the dry candied, nuts, fruits along with the required grape juice anywhere between 1 day and 1 year.

2. Make the caramel in a heavy bottom pan, place the 1/4 cup of sugar and heat slowly.

3. The sugar will begin to melt, stir this mixture with a spoon slowly as the caramel forms.

4. When all the sugar crystals have melted, slowly add the boiling water and stir to form a smooth mixture. Cool this completely.

5. In a mixing bowl, add the margarine add sugar and beat well. Now add flax seed, apple sauce and beat for few minutes.

6. Sift the flour, baking powder, pie spices, in mixing bowl, add this flour and cooled caramel in margarine slowly and beat again about 4 - 5 min.

7. Combine in this mixture fruits and the nuts by turns, whisk well.

8. Grease and line baking tin and add the batter, bake at 180 C for about 60 minutes.

Tips:

* Reduce temperature if your cake up side getting brown other wise it will dark brown.

* Try storing it for a week before consuming it, to do this wrap the cake in foil and then cover it with cling film.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS PLUM PUDDING

200 grams fresh bread crumbs

200 grams butter
50 grams refined flour
2 teaspoons instant coffee (Nescafe or Bru)
2 teaspoons golden or date syrup
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs beaten well
1/2 cup rum
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
100 grams raisins
100 grams chopped sultanas
100 grams mixed peel
½ teaspoon salt
100 grams sugar
Cream the butter and sugar together then add the eggs and mix well. Gradually add all the other ingredients and mix well. Grease a Pudding Mould or any suitable bowl with butter. Pour the pudding mixture into it then steam the pudding for about 1 hour on low heat till it is firm to touch

Note: This pudding can be made in advance and refrigerated till required. Steam for 10 minute or microwave for 3 minutes before serving. For a more exotic taste, when still warm make a few small holes all over the pudding and pour about 6 tablespoons of rum over it.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

CHRISTMAS FUDGE

Christmas is almost here and everyone I know is running around looking for that last minute mini-gift for the mailman, a teacher, the newspaper boy or even the UPS man!!

This fudge recipe is the perfect answer!! Not only is it quick and easy to make, but it tastes great and I love that it can be made way ahead of schedule.

4 cups white sugar
1 twelve ounce can of evaporated milk
8 ounces of real butter (no margarine or spreads)
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 TABLESPOON vanilla
chopped nuts if desired (we like honey roasted peanuts)

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, mix the white sugar and evaporated milk; bring it to a boil over medium high heat. Once it is at a full rolling boil (one that you can not stir down), turn the heat down to medium and boil for 6½ minutes (stirring CONSTANTLY). I stir with a wooden spatula that has a square end and I stir in a figure 8 (the flat blade of the spoon really scrapes the bottom of the pan well).

After 6½ minutes at a full rolling boil, remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, a TABLESPOON of vanilla and all of the chocolate.

At first the butter will sort of stay separate from everything, but if you use a whisk, it will incorporate quickly. When its all smooth, add the nuts if you are using them (as many as you like).

Pour into a FOIL LINED 9" x 13" pan and cool overnight in the fridge. If you are using these cute little tin foil stars (instead of the 9" x 13" pan), you can just wrap them in clear cellophane bag (after they are chilled) and tie it up with a bright Christmas bow!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FRIENDS!!!

NOTE: You can make this with any flavor chocolate chips you like.
Ive tried them all and the only one I DONT recommend is using ALL semi-sweet. The three chocolate blend listed above results in a wonderful flavor (you wont taste the white chocolate, but it adds a lot to the final taste).

Note: Make sure you use a good quality butter, not a soft spread butter or a diet butter and definitely no margarine.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Christmas Dinner Menu Ideas

Though it is true that Christmas is celebrated as the day of the Birth of Christ into this world, yet it also symbolizes a very deeply significant truth of the spiritual life. Jesus Christ is the very personification of Divinity. Christ it is EXTREMELY important to us Christians. We celebrate the miracle-virgin birth of the Savior of the World. Without this birth there would be no salvation. Christmas is also a time where we exchange gifts (representing how God gave his son to us as a gift), and to many, giving and receiving is important. This simple tradition gives joy to those who partake, and brings family and friends closer together. This is exiting time of the year for my family. Here is some ideas to make your holiday dinner planning easier:)))

Chicken Rice Meatballs (Tefteli)