Christmas Cheer

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SOMETIMES I am, that’s why every year you’ll find me preparing the same stuffing and turkey recipe from years ago.

Variations on the lunch on Christmas Day will be seen in the side dishes and of course the desserts. This year, why not try something a little different. Apples are plentiful at this time so prepare this luscious apple cake to accompany your turkey lunch this Christmas. Marry Merry Christmas to you all!

Caramalised apple cake -

Caramelised apple cake

½ cup butter

2 eggs

1½ cups brown sugar

2 cups flour

½ tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

3 apples

1 tsp cinnamon

½ cup brown sugar

2 tbs unsalted butter

Grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan.

Preheat oven to 350F

Peel core and slice apples.

Melt 2 tbs butter in a non stick pan, add ½ cup brown sugar, stir and add apples, cook for about 3 to five minutes, add cinnamon and remove from heat.

Spoon apples into a nine-inch cake pan.

Grease and flour one 9-inch cake tin.

Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy, add eggs one at a time.

Beating well between additions.

Combine vanilla with milk

Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda.

Add flour mixture alternately with milk in three additions, beginning and ending with flour.

Spoon batter on top of apples. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until well risen and a wooden pick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Remove and cool for five minutes on baking rack.

Invert onto serving plate.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of heavy cream or ice cream.

Makes one 9-inch cake

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West Indian roast turkey with fresh herb marinade

1 12-14 lb turkey

10 cups stuffing

½ cup butter, softened

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup minced fresh herbs pureed with ¼ cup olive oil (¼ cup fresh thyme, ½ cup chopped chives, ¼ cup fresh parsley, 1/8 cup garlic, 1 cup water)

10 to 12 cups turkey stuffing

The night before cooking your turkey, rinse the turkey, pat it dry and season it inside out with salt and pepper. Rub the minced herb mixture over turkey completely, cover and leave refrigerated overnight.

The next day bring your turkey to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 425F.

Pack the neck cavity loosely with some of the stuffing, fold the neck skin under the body of the turkey and fasten it with a skewer.

Pack the body cavity loosely with the remaining stuffing and truss the turkey.

Rub the turkey with the butter, place it on a roasting pan and roast it in the oven for 30 minutes.

Reduce the temperature to 325F. Baste the turkey with the pan juices and add the water to the pan.

Roast the turkey, basting it every 20 minutes for 2½ to 3 hours more. Or until a meat thermometer inserted into the fleshiest part of the thigh registers 180F, and the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced.

Transfer the turkey to a platter, remove the string and cover loosely with foil.

Remove stuffing. When turkey has cooled. then proceed to carve.

Serves 10 –12 persons.

Turkey cooking times:

Here are some guidelines for you to follow when roasting your turkey. Some recipes will tell you to start the roasting process at a temperature of about 425F, this is to brown your turkey before the cooking process begins, after this time you will lower your temperature to 325F and continue cooking.

Weight Unstuffed Stuffed

10-18 pounds 3 to 3 ½ hours 3 3/4 -4 ½ hours

18-22 pounds 3 ½ to 4 hours 4 to 5 hours

22-24 pounds 4 to 4½ hours 4 ½ to 5 hours

24 to 29 pounds 4 ½ to 5 hours 5 ½ to 6 ¼ hours

Ponche de creme -

Ponche de creme

6 eggs

3 14 oz tins evaporated milk

1½ tins condensed milk, or 14 ounces condensed milk

2 cups dark rum

½ tsp grated nutmeg

1 tsp minced lime zest

1 tsp bitters

In a blender process eggs with lime zest until light coloured, and fluffy.

Add evaporated milk and condensed milk, process to blend well.

Add bitters, nutmeg and rum, mix well, taste and adjust flavourings to suit.

Serve over crushed ice, and garnish with lime slices.

Basic sugar syrup

1 cup granulated sugar

1 pound sugar

Combine water with sugar in a small saucepan.

Cook over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Boil for 10 minutes.

Cool , bottle and refrigerate until ready for use.

Ginger beer

1 pound green ginger

10 cups cold water

1 lime

2 cloves

Wash, peel and grate ginger.

Peel and juice lime, keep the peel.

Mix ginger, water, cloves, lime juice and the lime skin.

Pour this mixture into clean bottles and leave to ferment for about one day, preferably in the sun.

Strain the ginger beer and sweeten to taste with basic sugar syrup.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Sorrel -

Sorrel

To make sorrel drink just clean the sorrel, by removing the seeds, put the sepals into a large non-reactive pot, add some cloves and cinnamon bark. It does not matter the quantities, do this to your taste preference. Add enough boiling water to barely cover the sorrel, cover tightly and steep overnight. Sweeten to taste with sugar syrup. Chill and serve over crushed ice or with club soda for a refreshing sorrel cooler.

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"Christmas Cheer"

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