Christmas classics

Cassata Cake

Ingredients
For cake
1¾ cup sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar powdered
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 eggs separated at room temperature
½ cup sunflower oil
½ cup butter milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp cream of tartar (optional)
For ricotta cream 
400 gm whole milk ricotta (can be made at home with ½ kg curd and 200 gm full cream — boil both the ingredients together until it splits, drain the water and hang the cheese in the muslin cloth for two to three hours)
½ cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange
1 tsp vanilla extract
50 gm bitter sweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
For macerated strawberries
400 gm strawberries sliced and few for garnishing
3 tbsp of orange liqueur
2 tbsp of sugar

Method
Sift flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt together. Add 1/3 cup of granulated sugar to the bowl. In another bowl, mix oil, buttermilk, vanilla and egg yolks. Gently stir the yolk mixture into the dry ingredients with rubber spatula till the batter is smooth.

In a clean bowl beat the egg until fluffy. Add cream of tarter and beat until it forms stiff peaks. Add the 1/3 cup of sugar and beat. Using rubber spatula fold in 1/3 of the whites into the batter. Then fold in the remaining whites. Divide the batter into three, eight inches round baking tins and set to bake for 15 minutes at 1900C. Cool on wire rack.

Puree the ricotta, sugar, orange zest and vanilla in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl. Freeze the chocolate before grating it coarsely, then fold it into the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour to thicken up. Toss the strawberries in a bowl with the liqueur and sugar. Lightly mash them to release their juice.

To finish the ricotta cream, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and fold it into the ricotta mixture until well combined.

Strain the juice from the macerated berries in a bowl and set aside. On the serving plate place one of the cakes with top side up. Layer with berry juice, berries and ricotta cream.  Place the other layers of cake repeat the process.

Decorate with the full cherries on top. 

Christmas Pudding
(This has to be done at least a week ahead of x’mas. It can be stored for over a month)

Ingredients
500 gm butter
500 gm seedless raisins
500 gm sultana
250 gm currants
125 gm candied orange peels finely chopped
125 gm candied or glazed cherries finely chopped
125 gm blanched almonds
500 gm fresh bread crumbs
125 gm plain flour
1 tbsp spice powder
1 tbsp spoon nutmeg and cinnamon powder
300 ml milk
8 eggs
300 ml rum 
Juice of 2 lemons
A pinch of salt
Zest of 2 lemons

Method
Mix all the dry fruits and butter well. Add bread crumbs, flour, spice powders, lemon zest, salt and mix further. Add the milk and the beaten eggs, one by one. Add rum and lemon juice and mix well.

Put the mixture into a greased pan, cover with cling film and set it to steam. 

Steam it for about two hours on medium slow. Take it out and store in a cool place. 

Best stored for at least a week before serving. When serving, slice the pudding and steam it. 

Tip:
To make the spice mix, grind cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, ground ginger together. Store in an airtight container.

Shipra Chenji, Celebrity chef

Mulled Wine
(Mulled wine is a Christmas classic which is a little boozy, spicy and full of festive cheer. Serve warm or hot)

Ingredients
1 bottle red wine, around 750 ml
1 cup of orange juice
1 cup of apple juice
1 inch piece of ginger
1 tbsp sugar
5 cloves
2 star anise
3 inch piece of cinnamon stick
Thinly sliced peel of an orange
1 lemon sliced thinly

Method
Put all the ingredients in a pot except the lemon slices. Stir. Simmer on a medium heat, for about 30 minutes to an hour. 

Do not boil, else the alcohol will evaporate. Ladle into mugs discarding the spices. Garnish with lemon slices and cinnamon sticks. Serve warm or hot.

CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE
Ingredients
Fruit and nuts (a mixture of raisins, currants, tutti frutti, candied orange, lemon peel, dates, apricots, cashewnuts, almonds and walnuts)
1½ cup maida
1 cup sugar(¾ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup granulated sugar)
½ cup butter
½ tsp soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp spice powder 
½ tsp vanilla essence
¼ tsp almond essence
¾ to 1 cup orange

Method 
Sieve the maida, soda, baking powder and spice powder together.

Cream the butter and the sugar till fluffy. Chop all the fruits and soak them in orange juice.

Add in the essences. In a bowl, put half of the orange juice and fruit mix, half of the creamed sugar and butter mix and half of the maida. Fold to mix. 

Put in the rest and fold again (do not over mix). Grease and dust a nine inches tin and pour in the batter. Bake at 1750 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. 

Check with a toothpick to see if the cake is done.

Smita Dugar, Celebrity chef