Jump To Recipe Jump To Video It is this time of the year again. Halloween! This is an old recipe of mine and I made this every year for Halloween. This recipe is about 7 to 8 years old and it is nostalgic each time I am making these fingers. Kinda like walking down memory lane. My kids' friends will come over and have a smashing Halloween party and I would serve them goodies like this. Fond memories indeed. And years went by, they are already grown up and Halloween party is probably a thing of the past. Well, at least for them, but not for me. Haha! Anyway, you can add green coloring to the cookies by combining 5g matcha powder with the dry ingredients. If you are lazy to make a strawberry compote, you can use strawberry jam. You are after all the tinker of your witch fingers. I have left all the pointers and tips in the directions down below, cos there are lots of ways to screw everything up, especially during the shaping process. Please read and understand before proceeding. In closing, here I wish all you lovely people a very Happy Halloween! Ingredients: (Make 20 fingers) Cookies: Unsalted Butter Softened, 113g Icing Sugar, 63g Egg Lightly Beaten, 25g Pure Vanilla Extract, 1/2 TSP Amaretto, 1 TBSP Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 135g Wholemeal Flour, 40g Baking Powder, 1/2 TSP Sea Salt, 1/2 TSP Almonds, 20g Strawberry Compote: Cornstarch, 5g Water, 23g Strawberries Frozen or Fresh, 225g Demerara Sugar, 25g Spiced Rum, 1 TBSP Fresh Lemon Zest, 1/2 Lemon Fresh Lemon Juice, 1/2 Lemon Equipment: Oven Stand Mixer / Hand Mixer Sauce Pot Directions: Make the Cookie Dough In a large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and continue beating until well combined. Mix in egg, vanilla extract, and amaretto. Whip until fully incorporated. In another bowl, whisk together flour, wholemeal flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry mix to the butter mixture in thirds, mixing between additions. Scrape down sides and knead until dough comes together—about 1 minute. Cover with cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes. Prepare the Strawberry Compote In a sauce pot, whisk cornstarch and water until smooth. Add strawberries and sugar. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add spiced rum and deglaze (careful—it may flambé). Remove from heat, mash strawberries. Stir in lemon zest and juice. Taste and adjust sweetness. Set aside. Shape and Assemble the Cookies Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Scoop 1 TBSP of dough and roll into finger-length logs. Place on a parchment-lined baking tray. Use two fingers to make gentle indentations. Use a sharp knife to carve 9 shallow lines for knuckles. Press an almond at one end to mimic a fingernail. Tip: Chill each shaped finger if your kitchen is warm. Repeat until all cookies are formed. Bake the Cookies Bake for 20–25 minutes until bottoms are golden brown. Rotate tray halfway through. If cookies spread too much, lower oven temp to 150°C (300°F). Remove from oven and gently remove almonds while still warm. Add a small spoonful of compote to each fingertip. Return almonds on top of the compote for a "bloody" effect. To Serve Serve warm with extra strawberry compote on the side. Best enjoyed fresh from the oven! The process... Before bake... After baked... Let's dip on some blood and feast... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Barmbrack is the center of an Irish Halloween custom. The Halloween Brack traditionally contained various objects baked into the bread and was used as a sort of fortune-telling game, where an item, usually a silver ring, is placed inside the bread, with the person who receives it considered to be fortunate. You can read more about it on Wiki . This tea loaf really reminds me of the Xmas cake; it has the same dense and fruity citrusy intense flavors. Anyway, to make life easier, I am using high quality dried fruit mix. Be sure they are high quality; makes all the difference. If you wanna go to another route, you can purchase dried raisins, apricots, cranberries, lemon, or orange peels separately and combine them. In case you are wondering, I am using dried fruits mix from Foodsterr . The hardest part after baking is to wait for the tea loaf to be cooled and stored. It does taste better after 24 hrs. I kept it loosely wrapped and outta sight, so I wouldn't be tempted to slice and eat, cos I know once I start, I won't stop. These are usually served well with some butter spread and a cup of tea on the side. Without much further ado, let's get started with the recipe. Here I wish all you lovely people a very Happy Halloween! Ingredients: Inspired By Donal Skehan (Make 1 loaf) Earl Grey, 2 Tea Bags Irish Whiskey, 50g High Quality Dried Fruit Mix, 375g Unsalted Butter, For Greasing + Serving Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 200g Wholemeal Flour, 25g Baking Powder, 2 TSP Light Muscovado Sugar, 60g Demerara Sugar, 60g Chinese 5 Spice Powder, 1/2 TSP Sea Salt, Pinch Egg, 1 Equipment: Loaf Pan Oven Directions: Pls visit my " How To Make Chinese 5 Spice " page for the recipe. Soak the Fruits Brew 250g of simmering water with earl grey tea in a saucepan. Cover and steep until slightly cooled. Remove tea bags without squeezing . Stir in whiskey until combined. In a large bowl, add dried fruit mix and pour in the tea-whiskey blend. Stir to coat and submerge all fruit. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 24 hours. Prep the Loaf Pan The next day, preheat oven to 170°C (340°F). Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment, leaving overhang on the sides for easy unmolding. Set aside. Mix the Batter Strain the soaked fruit over a bowl and reserve the liquid. In another large bowl, combine flour, wholemeal, baking powder, sugar, 5 spice, and salt. Make a well in the center. Add the egg and strained fruit. Fold gently to mix. Gradually fold in the reserved soaking liquid until a sticky, wet (but not runny) dough forms. Transfer batter into prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top and run a knife through the center for even rise. Bake the Barmbrack Bake for 1 hour, or until the top is deep brown and a skewer comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan. Loosely cover with foil and let rest overnight for best flavor. To Serve The next day, unmold and slice. Serve warm or toasted with butter. Enjoy with a cup of tea. Look at that glossy shine... Cheers! Tastes even better with a heaping spread of butter... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I just recovered from Covid19. I will slowly ease back into recipe creating once again. Thank you all for your kind wishes and patience. Anyway, I think by now, everybody knows about the viral TikTok cloud bread; I even jumped onto the bandwagon myself and made 1. As expected, it was disappointing. The texture is weird, something like a fluffy chewy meringue without much flavor, except for that sugar bomb. It even deflates once it cools. Here's some snapshot of the cloud bread. More than a year went by and I thought of recreating that kinda fluffiness with this omelette instead. You have probably seen this recipe before. Probably on YouTube on some other social media platform, either way, this is the recipe nonetheless. I sorta gave it some Japanese vibes with nori flakes and shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spices). You can use any dried herbs or spices you desire. You are in fact the starlet of your omelette. Lol! Please give this recipe a try, if you are still interested in that cloud bread recipe, it is included in the video (I got you covered, always). Ingredients: (Serve 2) Egg Whites, 5 Sea Salt, Pinch Egg Yolks, 3 Unsalted Butter, 2 TBSP + More Nori Flakes / Or Any Dried Herbs, Pinch Shichimi Togarashi / Or Any Spice, Pinch Equipment: Hand / Stand Mixer Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Directions: In a large mixing bowl, add egg whites and salt. Using a hand or stand mixer, whisk until stiff peaks form. In another large bowl, add egg yolks. Using a hand or stand mixer, whisk until pale yellowish. Fold in the yolks into the whites, 1/3 portion at a time, until fully incorporated. Melt butter in a skillet over low heat. Once the butter has melted, add in the egg mixture. Smooth the top with a spatula. Cover and cook for 4 mins. Slide some butter into 4 corners of the omelette. Sprinkle some herbs and spices over the top. Cover and cook for another 2 mins or until the bottom is browned. Transfer onto a serving plate, folding in half. Serve immediately. So light and fluffy... This just melts in my mouth... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This is a rather simple and easy recipe. The only tricky part is not breaking the yolk when separating yolks from whites and keeping the yolk intact during assembly. A baguette or a ciabatta will be excellent as the toast. The texture of the cloud eggs is fluffy, light and airy, kinda like a meringue. It pairs really well with that runny yolk. I added shallots and smoked paprika which add even more depth in flavors. You can create your own flavors as well. Garlic and ginger will be a great combination. Avocado also lifts this simple toast up a notch with that creamy and rich touch. And the star of this dish is the infamous Vegemite! Yes, love it or hate it, it adds that subtle umami at the back of the mouth. A tiny bit goes a long way. So, do not treat it like Nutella. Don't say I didn't warn you. Ingredients: (Make 2 toasts) Cloud Eggs: Eggs, 2 Sea Salt, Pinch Black Pepper, Pinch Smoked Paprika, Pinch Shallots Finely Minced, 3 Toasts: Unsalted Butter, 2 TBSP Baguette / Ciabatta, 2 Slices Vegemite, 2 Tiny Spread Avocado Thinly Sliced, 1 Fresh Lemon Juice, 1/2 Lemon Fresh Lemon Zest, 1/2 Lemon Pink Himalayan Salt, Pinch Black Sesame Seeds, Pinch Parsley Finely Chopped, A Small Handful Equipment: Oven Hand / Stand Mixer Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Directions: Prepare the cloud eggs. Preheat oven to 230 degrees celsius or 450 fahrenheit. Carefully separate egg whites from yolks and set them aside. *Careful not to break the egg yolks.* Transfer the egg whites into a stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer. Add in salt and whisk until soft peaks form. Add in pepper and paprika. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Add in shallots and fold with a spatula until well combined. Transfer onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, dividing into 2 portions and shaping them into “clouds”. Using the back of a spatula, create a small crater in the middle of each “cloud”. Wack into the oven and bake for 4 to 5 mins or until the top is light golden brown. Remove from oven and gently slide the egg yolks into the crater. Return to oven and bake for a further 1 to 2 mins. Remove from oven and set aside. Assemble the toasts. Spread the bread with butter. In a skillet over medium-low heat, add in the bread, buttered side down. Toast until golden brown and remove from heat. Spread vegemite onto each toast. Place slices of avocado on each toast. Squeeze lemon juice and grate lemon zest over the top. Place the cloud eggs on top. Garnish with salt, black sesame seeds and parsley. Serve immediately. Ain't nothing better than egg porn... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I still have some nagaimo leftovers so, I thought why not make this dish. I was hesitating to post this recipe. Cos I do not think that this is actually a recipe. But then again, this is too good not to share. The title of this dish describes it all. All we have to do is to saute or pan-sear some nagaimo slices. I added some je ne sais quoi with some wasabi-white soy sauce solution and black sesame seeds. It is a chefy touch. The sauteed nagaimo already tastes so yummilicious on its own. Nagaimo has a mildly sweet flavor with a slimy texture, but pan-searing it, adds an extra crispy texture and flavor. You can use a cookie cutter for perfectly round discs, but I like to keep them rustic. As simple as this is, you have to give it a try. Ingredients: (Serve 2) Nagaimo / Japanese Mountain Yam, 1 Stem Sesame Oil, 2 TBSP Wasabi, 1 TBSP White Soy Sauce, 3 TBSP Black Sesame Seeds, A Sprinkle Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Directions: Peel and slice nagaimo into 1/2 inch thick. In a skillet over medium heat, add sesame oil. Once the oil is heated up, add in the nagaimo slices. Sear until the bottom is crispy browned. Flip and continue cooking for about 1 to 2 mins. Remove from heat and transfer onto a serving plate. In a small bowl, mix wasabi and soy sauce until well combined. Drizzle the wasabi mixture over the nagaimo. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top. Serve immediately. Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Usually, on this festive season, I would whip out recipes preparing you lovely people for the holidays. But unfortunately, my health isn't in the right place. I am still having lower back pain as well as a nasty cough (post covid19). I am also breathless with fatigue. In the meantime. as much as I can, I will continue to post simple and easy recipes. This recipe is actually inspired by the great Jacques Pépin. His version is more elegant and classy than mine; he made it looks so easy. At the age of 85, he is still sharing his recipes and knowledge about cooking and baking. A legend indeed. To make this dish my own, I used some Japanese ingredients, and of cos, I have to present this classic dish differently. I hope I did not offend the French with my version. Anyway, during the cooking of the eggs, you can stop at 3 mins. You will get runny and creamy eggs. You can dip the croutons into the eggs and serve the cream of mushrooms on the side. It will be heavenly too. Ingredients: (Inspired by Jacques Pépin) (Serve 3) Croutons: Stale Bread, 3 Slices Sesame Oil, A Few Drizzle Sea Salt, Pinc Nori Flakes, Pinch Shichimi Togarashi, Pinch Cream of Mushrooms: Olive Oil, 2 TBSP Red Onion Finely Diced, 1 Shiitake Mushrooms Finely Sliced, 220g Unsalted Butter, 1 TBSP Sea Salt, Pinch Nori Flakes, Pinch Shichimi Togarashi, Pinch White Soy Sauce, 2 TBSP Garlic Finely Minced, 3 Cloves Heavy Whipping Cream, 120g Eggs: Sesame Oil, For Brushing Nori Flakes, Pinch Shichimi Togarashi, Pinch Eggs, 3 Fresh Lemon Zest, 1/2 Lemon Equipment: Oven Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Pot Ramekins Directions: Make the Croutons Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Slice bread to fit the top of your ramekins. Place on a parchment-lined tray. Drizzle sesame oil to coat. Sprinkle with nori flakes and shichimi togarashi. Bake for 15–20 minutes until golden and crisp. Set aside. Prepare the Creamed Mushrooms Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions until translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until they begin to release moisture. Stir in butter, season with salt, nori flakes, and shichimi togarashi. Cook until mushrooms caramelize slightly. Deglaze with white soy sauce. Add garlic and cook until aromatic. Deglaze again with cream. Simmer until cream reduces by ¾ (down to ¼ of original volume). Remove from heat and set aside. Steam the Eggs Fill a pot with ½ inch of water and set over low heat. Brush ramekins with sesame oil and coat with nori flakes and shichimi togarashi. Crack eggs into ramekins. Place ramekins into the pot of barely simmering water. Cover and steam for 5 minutes ( or 3 minutes for a runnier egg ). Remove ramekins and let cool slightly. Assemble and Serve Run a knife along ramekin edges to release eggs. Invert croutons over ramekins and flip to release eggs onto the croutons. Spoon the creamed mushrooms onto serving plates. Place crouton-eggs on top. Grate lemon zest over each plate. Serve immediately while warm. Creamy mushrooms... Yolk porn... The perfect bite... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Ever since I have recovered from Covid19, I'd been having this lingering cough. It is affecting my breathing. I read a bunch of natural remedies online and found out that garlic actually builds up our immune systems. So why not make some garlic soup? *Please note that this is by no means will cure any Covid19 or Post-Covid19 related illnesses. If you are sick, consult a doctor.* The trick to making a great soup is to cook it as fast as you can. By doing so, will prevent the vegetables from losing their fragrances and aromatics. The best way to achieve that is using room temperature or warm ingredients. This is to maintain the high temperature of the pot while cooking. If you happen to walk into the kitchen of a Chinese restaurant, you will be mesmerized at how fast the chefs are cooking the dishes. We are applying the same theory when making soup as well. There are quite a lot of steps in making this soup. I still prefer to make everything from scratch as much as I can. It allows me to control the flavors and texture. You can skip the croutons and the roasted garlic if desired, but garlic oil is a must. It adds so many flavors to the soup. I really do hope that you give this recipe a try. Ingredients: (Serve 4) Croutons: Stale Bread Diced, A Few Slices High Quality Olive Oil, 2 TBSP Sea Salt, Pinch Black Pepper, Pinch Italian Seasoning, Pinch Garlic Oil: High Quality Olive Oil, 1/4 Cup Chili Deseeded Finely Sliced, 1 Adjust To Preference Garlic Finely Sliced, 3 Cloves Roasted Garlic: Garlic, 1 Bulb High Quality Olive Oil, 2 TBSP Sea Salt, Pinch Black Pepper, Pinch Soup: Vegetable Stock, 1 Liter Garlic Powder, 1 TSP Any White Potatoes / Yukon Gold Peeled Wedged, 2 High Quality Olive Oil, 2 TBSP Yellow Onion Finely Sliced, 1 Sea Salt, Pinch Black Pepper, Pinch Demerara Sugar, Pinch Leek White Parts Only Coarsely Sliced, 1 Garlic Crushed, 2 Bulbs Heavy Whipping Cream, 240g Herbes de Provence, 1 TSP Parsley Finely Chopped, For Garnishing Equipment: Heavy Sauce Pot Blender Oven Skillet Directions: Prepare the Croutons Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Toss bread with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings in a large bowl. Bake for 15–20 minutes until golden and crisp. Set aside. Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Make the Garlic Oil In a skillet over low heat, add olive oil. Add garlic slices and chili. Cook gently for 8–10 minutes until garlic edges start to brown. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Set aside. Roast the Garlic Preheat oven to 205°C (400°F). Slice off the top of the garlic bulb, keeping it whole. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and roast for 30–40 minutes until caramelized and soft. Set aside to cool slightly. Make the Soup In a small pot, combine vegetable stock, garlic powder, and diced potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are fork-tender. Set aside. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onions with salt, pepper, and sugar until slightly caramelized. Add leeks and garlic. Sauté until aromatic. Pour in the stock and potato mixture. Stir to deglaze. Add cream and herbes de Provence. Simmer for 3–5 minutes until thickened slightly. Carefully transfer to a blender (in batches if needed). Add roasted garlic and blitz until smooth. Return to the pot and cook for another 1–2 minutes over medium heat. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. To Serve Ladle soup into bowls. Top with croutons. Drizzle garlic oil, along with chili and garlic slices. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately. The fragrance of roasted garlic is heavenly... Garlic and chili infused olive oil... A flavor bomb... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video During my covid19 isolation period, friends were sending fresh fruits and vegetables to me. Bless them for their kindness! I have lots of apples and before they go bad, I decided to make some apple pie. And not some typical apple pie. A deconstructed one to be exact. You can use a mixture of apples; Honeycrisp, Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, McIntosh, etc. I am just using whatever I have on hand. For the apple fillings, I grated apples, diced peeled and unpeeled apples for different layers of texture contrast. I also added a thin layer of apple crisp on the side. So, you will get chewy, crispy, crunchy and silky smooth apples. As for the crémeux, it is just an extra chefy touch. You can totally omit this and bake the apples covered with puff pastry on a shallow bowl, and it would be an excellent apple pie. I cheated my way thru' with store-bought frozen puff pastry. It makes things a lot easier than making a pie shell from scratch. Right? Ingredients: (Serve 3) Apple Crisp: Apple Thinly Sliced, 1 Crémeux: Gelatin Sheet, 1 Heavy Whipping Cream, 225g Pure Vanilla Paste, 1/2 TSP Egg Yolks, 58g High Quality 35% White Chocolate Preferably Valrhona or Callebaut, 75g Apple Fillings: Apples Peeled Cored, 375g (Weigh After Peeled & Cored) Fresh Lemon Juice and Zest, 20g Sea Salt, Pinch Apples Cored, 250g (Weigh After Peeled & Cored) Calvados or Any Apple Liqueur, 2 TBSP Muscovado Sugar, 50g Cornstarch, 6g Cinnamon Powder Preferably Hexa's , 1/2 TSP Ginger Powder, 1/2 TSP Puff Pastry: Frozen Store-Bought Puff Pastry, 1 Sheet Icing Sugar, For Dusting Edible Gold Dust, For Dusting (Optional) Equipment: Oven Sauce Pot Skillet Sphere Mold Cookie Cutter (I'm using snowflake) Directions: Make the Apple Crisp Preheat oven to 100°C (210°F). Lay thinly sliced apples on a parchment-lined baking tray. Discard seeds. Cover with another sheet of parchment and add light weight to prevent shrinking. Bake for 1½–2 hours, checking at the 1-hour mark. Apple slices should be caramelized and crisp when cooled. Remove and set aside. Prepare the Crémeux Bloom gelatin in cold water. In a saucepan, heat cream and vanilla over medium heat. Once bubbles form at the edges, remove from heat. Temper the yolks: whisk in ⅓ of the cream mixture, then another ⅓. Return yolk mixture to pot and cook until slightly thickened (do not overheat). Pour into white chocolate. Add bloomed gelatin. Whisk until smooth. Transfer to silicone sphere molds and freeze 2–3 hours until set. Make the Apple Filling Grate 375g peeled apples into a bowl of lemon juice and zest. Sauté grated apples in a skillet over medium heat with a pinch of salt until dry. Dice 250g of peeled and unpeeled apples (soaked in lemon water to prevent oxidation). Add diced apples to the skillet and sauté to combine. Deglaze with Calvados (careful—it may flambé). Cook until fork-tender and remove from heat. Mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and ginger in a small bowl. Stir into the apple mixture off heat to prevent clumping. Add ¼ cup water and return to heat. Cook until syrupy. Set aside. Bake the Puff Pastry Preheat oven as per pastry packaging. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters (e.g., snowflakes). Transfer to a parchment-lined tray and bake until golden and puffed. Remove and dust with icing sugar. Assemble the Dessert Unmold frozen crémeux onto individual serving plates. Spoon warm apple filling around the crémeux. Dust crémeux with edible gold dust. Add apple crisps and puff pastry on the sides. Serve immediately. The beautiful caramelization of apple crisp... Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow... A wonderful combination of texture and flavor... In every mouthful... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video After making my deconstructed apple pie, I still have some leftover apples. I decided to make a Russian apple cake. Sorry to disappoint anyone, but this is a much better cake compared to Italian or French apple cakes. I love the 2 different layers of texture contrast after baked. The top is fluffy and crispy while the bottom is dense and moist with pieces of apples. You have to bake this cake to find out for yourself. This is a very simple cake which uses only a few ingredients, which I love. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication; my kinda cake actually. If you have known me, you should know that I dislike sugary spongy cakes with lots of unnecessary creams. I am always looking for texture and flavors. And not an explosion of sugar and cream on my palate. I hope you will give this lovely Russian apple cake a try. Ingredients: (Make one 8" cake) Apples Cored, 250g (Weigh After Peeled & Cored) Eggs, 113g Demerara Sugar, 150g Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 113g Baking Powder, 1/2 TSP Sea Salt, Pinch Apple Vodka or Any Apple Liqueur, 2 TBSP Equipment: Oven 8" Spring Form Cake Pan Hand / Stand Mixer Directions: *I like the contrast of peeled and unpeeled apples, so I diced a combination of both. To slow down oxidation, I soaked the apples in a bowl of water with lemon juice and zest.* Set aside the diced apples in the fridge. Preheat oven to 175 degree celsius or 350 fahrenheit. Grease and line cake pan with parchment paper, at the bottom and sides. Wrap the cake pan with foil at the bottom to prevent any leakage. In a bowl, add eggs. Using a hand or stand mixer, whisk the eggs until tripled in volume. Add in sugar, 1/2 portion at a time, whisking until the sugar has completely dissolved. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt until well combined. Add in the flour mixture, 1/3 portion at a time, folding until fully incorporated. It should thicken like a brownie batter. Add in apple vodka and fold to combine well. Drain the apples and add to the cake pan. Pour the cake batter over the apples. Shake to level out the cake batter. Wack into the oven and bake for 40 to 45 mins or until the top is browned and pass the skewer test. Set aside to cool down slightly. Unmold and dust with icing sugar. Slice and serve immediately. I prefer having them warm with a cup of tea. Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video As of 2019, I have posted this Xmas fruit cake recipe every year. I have to admit, sometimes, I was trying to be over-creative and forgetting that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. My feet are on the ground now. This is my basic version of the Xmas fruit; without fermenting the dried fruits for weeks. And certainly without adding chocolate. The question is does the cake tastes any lesser without the fermentation. The honest answer is, it doesn't make any difference. Yes, guilty as charged. Anyway, to make my life easier, I am using a dried fruits mix from Foodsterr . You can of cos use a combination of your favorite dried fruits, or purchase them separately. You are after all the Drake of your Xmas fruit cake. Let it flambé... The most important steps are to mix each ingredient properly before adding another. The oven will do the magic. Well, of cos with a bit of effort, patience and love, this would be a lovely fruit cake for Xmas. Here I wish all you lovely people a Merry Xmas! Ingredients: (Make one 8 inch round cake or one 4.5 inch X 8.5 inch loaf) Fruits: Dried Fruits Mix Preferably Foodsterr , 163g or A Combination of Raisins, Sultanas, Green Raisins, Currants, Dried Apricots, Candied Orange Peels, Candied Lemon Peels, Dried Cranberries or Blueberries. Dates Pitted Thinly Sliced, 75g Glazed Cherries Halved, 50g Crystalized Ginger Cubes Quartered Preferably Foodsterr , 50g Cointreau / Grand Marnier / Dark Rum, 90g Spices: Cinnamon Stick Preferably HexaFood , 1 Cloves, 4 Allspice Berries, 8 Nutmeg Freshly Grated, Pinch Cake: Unsalted Butter, 138g Dark Muscovado Sugar, 60g Demerara Sugar, 60g Eggs, 3 Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 138g Blanched Almond Flour, 38g Sea Salt, Pinch Fresh Lemon Zest, 1/2 Lemon Fresh Lemon Juice, 1/2 Lemon Walnuts / Pecans / Cashews Corasely Chopped, 20g Pistachios / Hazelnuts / Macadamia Corasely Chopped, 20g Cointreau / Grand Marnier / Dark Rum, 30g + More For Feeding & Flambé Equipment: Oven 8" Round Cake Pan / 4.5" X 8.5" Loaf Pan Hand / Stand Mixer Spice Grinder Cast Iron Skillet Blow Torch Directions: Soak the Fruits In a large bowl, combine dried fruit mix, dates, cherries, ginger, and Cointreau. Cover with cling film and let sit at room temperature for 24–48 hours. Prepare the Spice Mix Toast cinnamon, cloves, and allspice berries in a skillet over medium heat until aromatic. Blitz into powder using a spice grinder. Grate in nutmeg and mix well. Set aside. Make the Cake Batter Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Lightly grease loaf or cake pan with butter and line with parchment paper (bottom and sides). Wrap the pan with a ring of aluminum foil (reflective side out) tied with thread to prevent uneven rising. In a large bowl, cream butter until mayo-like in consistency. Add sugar in two additions, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Add ground spices and salt. Fold to combine. Fold in flour in three parts, followed by almond flour. Mix in lemon zest and juice. Fold in nuts and soaked fruit mixture until everything is fully incorporated. Transfer batter into the prepared pan and level the top. Bake the Cake Bake for 2 to 2½ hours, or until golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Begin checking after the 1½ hour mark. Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan. Flambé and Store Unmold cooled cake onto a shallow bowl. Heat Cointreau in a saucepan and carefully light with a blow torch. Pour the flambéed liqueur over the cake. Use caution. Once the flames subside, let the cake cool again completely. Wrap in parchment, then a layer of foil. Store in a cool, dry place. Optional:  Feed with 1 TBSP of liqueur weekly. Best aged at least 2 weeks before serving. To Serve Slice and enjoy on its own or with coffee or tea. Moist, dense, fruity and Xmasy... Recipe Video: