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Hi everybuddie!
The Christmas issue went down quite well
with some nice comments, so as it is still some weeks before Christmas,
this issue will contain some more Christmas recipes.
We will be spending Christmas day at the
Rustenburg Kloof holiday resort. It will be a sorta family gathering with
about 15 people present. Our Christmas lunch will be outdoors, on the lawn
under shady trees and will consist of the usual South African outdoor
Christmas fare, cold meats (chicken, turkey, gammon) with a variety of
salads, ending with the traditional Christmas pudding, smothered in
custard. After that the obligatory watermelon! Just remember that we
are in the middle of summer here, a white Christmas will always just be a
dream!
I belong to the Danville Help Group, a few
dedicated volunteers who are planning a Christmas tree party for the less
privileged children in Danville, a suburb of Pretoria. Please click
here to read more about
the project and
here to read about
the Christmas party. Any assistance or contribution will be
greatly appreciated. Contact details on the Danville site. This Saturday
all the helpers are gathering in Pretoria to wrap presents, going to be a
really fun day!
Some feedback on the Vaal camping trip, out
first outing using our new tent! We were well and truly introduced to
camping life as the first evening we experienced the mother of all
thumderstorms, with wind, thunder, lightning, the works! Next morning we
were still at the same camping spot, the river didn't flood and wash us
away!
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~Featured Site~
Maggiejean's World
Take a look at the site of this remarkable woman!
Truly an example to us all!
Please sign the Guestbook to show you were there, Maggie will really
appreciate it a lot!
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When you have had a look at the recipes
below, click
here to visit the main recipe page on my site.
Any
comments, positive or otherwise on this Newsletter will be
appreciated!
That's it for now
Totsiens!
Peter
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Christmas loaf
450 g cake flour
100 g dried fruitcake mix
2 ml salt
125 g castor sugar
10 g instant yeast
125 g margarine
225 ml milk
2 extra-large eggs, beaten
100 g marzipan, diced
Preheat the oven to 180 ºC (350 ºF). Spray two small loaf tins with
non-stick spray. Sprinkle half the cake flour over the dried fruitcake mix,
set aside. Sift remaining cake flour, salt and castor sugar together in a
large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the instant yeast on top. Melt margarine and add
milk, heating slowly if necessary, until mixture is lukewarm. Pour lukewarm
milk mixture over dry ingredients and mix well. Add eggs and knead well for
five minutes until dough is smooth. The dough will however, still be sticky.
Add fruitcake mix and diced marzipan and knead into mixture. Mix well, cover
with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for about 10
minutes to rest. Mix again, place in prepared tins, cover with plastic and
leave to rise for 40 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Remove plastic wrap
and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until done in the preheated oven. Cool
slightly in the tins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve with butter. Makes two small loaves
Cold Christmas pudding
270 g instant pudding, chocolate, butter caramel and caramel flavours
1 l cold milk
100 g pecan nuts, finely chopped
200 g Tennis or Nuttycrust biscuits, crushed
300 g maraschino cherries, halved
Use a deep, round glass bowl for the pudding. Blend the instant chocolate
pudding with 400 ml of the milk. Whisk for one minute and pour into the
glass bowl. Leave for a few minutes to set. Sprinkle one third each of the
nuts, crushed biscuits and cherries on top. Mix the instant butter carmel
pudding with another 400 ml milk and whisk for one minute. Spoon on top of
the cherry layer, spreading evenly. Sprinkle another third of the nuts and
crushed biscuits on top, followed by a third of the cherries. Mix the
instant caramel pudding with the remaining 400 ml milk. Whisk for one minute
and pour on top. Sprinkle with the remaining nuts and crushed biscuits and
decorate with the remaining cherries. Chill until needed. Serve with stiffly
whipped cream if desired. Serve 6-8.
Christmas trifle
400 g strawberries
30 ml brandy
80 g port wine jelly powder
1 large OR 2 small jam rolls, cut into 1 cm thick slices
80 ml orange juice
30 ml lemon juice
15 ml brandy
100 g pecan nuts, chopped
825 g peach slices, drained
785 g pineapple chunks, drained
500 ml custard
3 fresh granadillas, pulp removed (OR 1 x 115 g can granadilla pulp)
500 ml cream, stiffly beaten
Rinse and hull the strawberries and pour over the 30 ml (2 T) brandy. Leave
until needed. Dissolve the port wine jelly in 250 ml (1 c) boiling water,
stirring until dissolved. Add 250 ml (1 c) cold water and stir. Leave in the
fridge until set. Arrange the jam roll slices in the bottom and along the
sides of a glass bowl. Mix the orange juice, lemon juice and 15 ml (1 T)
brandy. Pour over the cake. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Arrange the peach
slices and pineapple chunks on top. Pour the custard over and chill. Cut the
set jelly in squares and sprinkle on top of the custard. Pour over the
granadilla pulp. Spoon the whipped cream into a piping bag and decorate the
trifle with cream rosettes. Arrange the soaked strawberries between the
cream rosettes. Chill until needed. Serves 10.
Christmas ham
3 kg pickled leg of pork
30 g sugar
1 bay leaf
5 ml pickling spice
GLAZE
1 egg
30 ml prepared mustard
15 ml sugar
75 ml plain breadcrumbs
Place pork in large saucepan and add water to almost cover leg. Add
remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Boil gently for 30 minutes per 500
g, or until meat begins to come away from bone. Remove from saucepan and
peel away skin. Preheat oven to 220 ºC. GLAZE: Mix egg, mustard and sugar
and spread over pork. Sprinkle over breadcrumbs and bake for 10 minutes or
until brown. Serve hot or cold.
Christmas tree cheesecake
CRUST
240 g cake flour
pinch salt
180 g butter, diced
25 ml castor sugar
25 ml lemon rind, finely grated
1 egg yolk
15 ml iced water
FILLING
40 g lemon jelly
75 ml boiling water
397 g Nestlé condensed milk
125 ml lemon juice
5 ml lemon rind, grated
250 g smooth cottage cheese
DECORATION
1 piece angelica
10 red glacé cherries
11 whole blanched almonds
4 fresh strawberries
2 canned peach halves
1 piece glacé pineapple
GLAZE
40 g lemon jelly (remainder of that used for the filling)
125 ml boiling water
Sift the cake flour and salt together in a mixing bowl and add the butter.
Rub the butter into the flour mixture until well blended. Add the castor
sugar and grated lemon rind and mix. Add the egg yolk and just enough water
to form a stiff, manageable dough. Knead lightly until smooth and shape into
a ball. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Leave the dough at room temperature
for five minutes before rolling out into a 5 mm thick rectangle on a lightly
floured surface. Line a 28 x 20 cm loose-bottomed pie dish with the pastry.
Roll the rolling pin over the rim of the pie dish to remove excess dough.
Neaten the edges and prick the prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork.
Chill for 30 minutes. Bake blind as follows: Line the pastry with
greaseproof paper, fill with dried beans and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove
the greaseproof paper and beans and bake for another 10 minutes. Cool
completely before filling the piecrust. Add the lemon jelly to the boiling
water, stirring until the jelly has dissolved completely. Beat the condensed
milk and lemon juice together and add the lemon rind and cottage cheese. Mix
until smooth. Add the jelly, mix and pour into the cold crust. Chill until
set. Slice the angelica into thin strips and arrange in the shape of a
Christmas tree on the cheesecake. Decorate the Christmas tree with glacé
cherries and almonds. Halve the strawberries and arrange in the shape of a
container for the Christmas tree. Cut a star and other shapes out of the
peach halves and decorate the tree. Arrange strips of glacé cherries on the
tips of the tree's branches to represent candles. Dissolve the lemon jelly
in the boiling water and cool but do not allow it to set. Pour over the
cheesecake and chill until completely set. Makes about 40 small pieces.
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