Page 23 - Lifestyle 2

THE RE:STORE
Christmas cake
Serves: 16 | Prep: 20 mins plus soaking overnight Cooking Time: 2 1⁄2 to 2 1⁄4 hours
INGREDIENTS
250g raisins
250g sultanas
250g apricots, chopped
400ml strong cider + enough to feed the cake 225g butter
250g golden granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
50g dark chocolate
4 medium free-range eggs
125g chopped mixed nuts
250g plain wholemeal flour
100g SR white flour
METHOD
1. Start the night before, placing the raisins, sultanas and apricots in a large bowl and pour in 300ml of the cider. Cover and leave to soak overnight.
2. Cut the butter into chunks and place in a large pan with the sugar, the soaked dried fruit, the cinnamon and the remaining cider. Heat gently, stirring frequently until the butter has melted. Continue to cook over a low heat for 10 minutes or until the fruit has plumped up and the juices are thickened and syrupy. Let the juices bubble gently and don’t cover the pan. Remove from heat, stir in the chocolate and leave to cool for 30mins.
3. Preheat the oven to 140 degrees C, gas mark 1. Line the base and sides of a 20 cm round (or 18cm square) tin with baking parchment.
(Top Tip – use the bags your mix came in!)
4. Beat the eggs into the fruit mixture then stir in the nuts and flours until evenly combined. Turn into the tin and level the surface. Secure a strip
Lifestyle MAG
of brown paper or several
thicknesses of newspaper
around the tin with string to prevent the cake drying out during baking.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for about 2 hours until firm and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin then turn out.
6. Make in November as a Christmas cake – it can be stored for six to eight weeks wrapped in double thickness of foil over the paper lining. Keep it moist by feeding once or twice with the cider. Peel away the foil, prick the top all over with a skewer and drizzle with 4tbsp cider. Wrap up again until the next feed.
THE RE:STORE
THE RE:STORE zero waste shopping
MORAY'S ZERO WASTE REFILL SHOP
Ever thought about a waste-free Christmas?
At the Re:store you’ll find lots of low waste Christmas gift ideas, PLUS all the ingredients for your cake and pudding! COMING SOON
The return of the popular Christmas Cake in a Bag - all the dry ingredients you need to make a delicious Christmas cake.
VISIT US AT THE RE:STORE MORAY ON FACEBOOK FOR UPDATES AND INFO
Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 4pm • Closed Sunday & Monday
Tel: 01343 815000 - 4 Queen Street • Lossiemouth • IV31 6NU
1921