Merry Christmas from me to you - My Xmas Cake Recipe!!

Hi all,

I've had a stack of requests for the Christmas Cake that I made last year.  Unfortunately I just don't have the oven time and space.  You also have to charge a lot of money for them because the ingredients are expensive and the time it takes.  So to make up for some peoples disappointment I have decided to give you one of my favourite Christmas Cake recipes and you can give it a go yourself.

This recipe is easy and it doesn't use too many different ingredients.  Some have lots of different dried fruits but I like the traditional mixed fruit combo and you don't have to spend hours cutting up fruit.  You do need to be  prepared though.  The fruit needs to be soaked for 24hrs before and the cake needs 24hrs to come to room temp before serving.  Here it is:

Bridie's Favourite Cointreau Xmas Cake Recipe

250g Butter, softened
250g Brown Sugar (or dark brown sugar if you want it richer)
4 eggs
2 Tbsp Orange Marmalade
1.5kg Mixed Dried Fruit (use good quality, you can tell the difference)
225g Plain Flour
75g  Self Raising Flour
2 Tsp Mixed Spice
125ml Cointreau (or Gran Marnier or Triple Sec or try Brandy or Sherry for a different flavour)
Extra Cointreau (or alcohol of your choice) for pouring when cake cooked

Soak the fruit in the cointreau 24hrs before making the cake.

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees celcius, if oven is fan forced you may want to reduce this a little, say 10 to 20 degrees.

Prepare a deep 19cm square cake pan or 22cm round cake pan.  Line the base and sides of the pan with baking paper 3 times so it is 3 thicknesses bringing the sides at least 5cm above the top of the pan.  All of this helps with stopping burning.  Cooking spray is great to help with all of this paper sticking.

Beat butter and sugar with mixer until just combined; beat in eggs, one at a time, until just combines.  Mixture may look curdled but it will come together in the end.

Scrape this mixture into a large bowl; add marmalade and the fruit (with any excess alcohol left).  Mix this thoroughly with one hand.  Sift flours and spice over mixture and mix well with your hand - all good xmas cakes and puddings are mixed by hand!

Drop dollops of the mixture into the corners of the pan - this will hold the paper in place.  Spread the remaining mixture into the pan.

Drop the cake pan onto the bench to settle the cake and remove any large air bubbles.  Level the surface of the cake with a wet metal spatula or spoon.

Bake cake in the oven for about 3 hours.  Skewer should come out relatively clean, no uncooked mixture.  If during the cooking process the cake is getting too dark on top put foil loosely over the top of the cake.  Also turn the cake a few times during cooking.

Remove the cake brush or pour over extra alcohol (depends on your taste) and cover tightly with foil and leave on the bench, if pouring put skewer holes first for the alchohol to soak into.  Allow 24hrs for the cake to come to room temp.  This cake can be frozen up to 12 months or wrapped tightly in cling wrap then foil then kept in a cool dark place for up to 3 months.  If using over the next few weeks keep in a tin or tupperware container.

Decorating is left up to your imagination!

Good luck to all who try this recipe, I hope you like it.

Enjoy!
Bridie

Christmas Orders Reminder

Just a quick reminder that Xmas orders close next Monday 5th December. 

So if you want to guarantee that you get Macarons and Treats for the christmas table and lots of treat boxes for all those 'hard to buy' gifts for teachers, daycare, friends and kris kringle then pop over to the Christmas tab and get thinking.

I'll be at market throughout December, including Xmas eve, but I already have a lot of orders for christmas, birthdays, weddings and our stockists so I can't guarantee what and how much will be available at market.

If there is something you really want get in now and just send me an email.  Payment is on pick up.

Oh and I've added jars of salted caramel and Brandy Butter to the list.

Enjoy!

Bridie

Three French Hens Market

Treats by Bridie will be featured at the Three French Hens Hamilton Market tomorrow (Saturday 19th December).  So if you want something to do why not come for a drive to the Hamilton Showgrounds 10am - 4pm.  Click on the link below for more info....

http://www.threefrenchhens.com.au/

Please support McHappy Day!!

Hi all,

I am asking everyone I know to please support McHappy Day tomorrow.  We stayed at Ronald McDonald House throughout Greta's Brain Surgeries and it was such a relief to have a bed so close to the Hospital.  The staff and volunteers are amazing and boy did we have some fantastic meals while we were there.  A big shout out to the volunteers from AXA Insurance - best lamb shanks and mash ever!!  It really is set up like a home and helps out so many people.

I am sure we will be there in the future and it is great to know that support is there.

Buy a big mac or if your not really into Maccas like me, you can buy a helping hand, which is a $2 donation.

Our little princess!

Please forward this, tweet it, post it on facebook etc!

Thanks,
Bridie

Christmas is coming!! 52 Sleeps to go.....

Hi all,

Well its coming up to that time of year again and Christmas preparations are well under way in the West household:

1. because this coming weekend is my last free one until late Feb and I need to make sure Santa is well prepped and

2. we need to get you all thinking about our yummy christmas goodies so you can get your orders in asap!

The 2011 Christmas Range will surely have something to delight everyone.  Macarons, Moments and Brownies with Christmas themes and some other delights to make Christmas extra special!  All boxes are presented in a Christmas Theme and make the perfect gift.  They can be ordered directly through me or purchased at Market in Port Fairy & Hamilton.  Pronto Fine Foods in Warrnambool and Lilypond Boutique in Geelong will have their own select ranges.

Plenty of trialling and tasting has been going on around here for the past couple of weeks and I've finally settled on our Christmas Macarons.  A beautiful selection of flavours, some traditional, some a little more contemporary but all sure to get you in the Christmas spirit.  They are:

*        Cointreau Christmas Pudding

*        Ginger, Fig & Honey

*        Egg Nog (Nutmeg & Brandy)

*        Boozy Cherries & Chocolate

*        Peppermint Candy Cane

*        Pistachio, Rhubarb & Red Berries

So click on the Christmas Tab to see the full range of treats, details of markets, delivery and pick up options and most importantly, how to order.

At the Port Fairy Market all this month the Christmas boxes on display and I will be taking orders.  Pronto are having a Christmas preview day on Saturday 12th November, and we will have tastes available.

Any queries don't hesitate to drop me a line or give me a call, especially for larger orders.

Enjoy!

Bridie

In the news....

I had the opportunity to give some of my Macarons to the Herald Sun Food Editor a few weeks ago.  Kind of forgot about it and went on as normal.  Tan & Liz from the Merrijig Kitchen informed Michael that we were getting some great press on Twitter from the Herald Sun.  Obviously they are more up with it than us being on twitter so the next hour or so involved Michael and I trying to work out Twitter (OMG I hardly even do Facebook) sign up and see what was going on.  After a little time feeling old and outdated we were on and this is what the lovely Zoe from the Herald Sun had to say....

"New contender for Victoria's best macarons all the way from Port Fairy by Treats by Bridie" :: http://yfrog.com/h0c15mdfj

Then to my surprise Pierrick Boyer complimented them, very happy with this - Thanks.  Pierrick Boyer is the Founder and Manager of Le Petit Gateau in Melbourne, Little Collins St at the bottom of the RACV Club.  He is a world renowned pastry chef and produces amazing creations.  If you're in the City during the week pop in for some of their beautiful sweets but if you want Macarons go early because they don't last long!

Market @ Port Fairy Sat 7th Oct

Hi all,

Tomorrow I'll be at the Port Fairy Market, 8-1pm (actually if you know what I'm like, more like 9-1), not that good in the mornings!!!

Macarons, macarons - I'm thinking....
Cassis (changed the colour, lighter purple, really stunning)
Vanilla Bean, Rosewater & Turkish Delight
Strawberries & Cream (with a metallic dust)
Salted Caramel
Coconut & Honey

I will also be featuring a Pierre Herme (the Godfather of Macarons from France) Flavour each market.