It’s that time of year – we’re prepping for Christmas.
I soaked some fruit to make my version of this amazing recipe I use from BBC Good food.
Other than in Fruitcakes and Traditional English Christmas Pudding, this is my great new idea. That this fruit mix could be sold in wonderful jars at the finest stores. I particularly like it in Stage 3, Stage 1 being the soaking, and Stage 2 being when the fruit is pureed.
Stage 3/ Cook Cake Mixture
“In a large pan, combine the fruit paste, the other half of the soaked dried fruit and any remaining liqueur, cherries, apricots, mission figs, sugar, butter, zests and juice of the lemon and orange and all of the brandy-liqueur from the soak. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the butter has melted, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and bubble for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally”; Recipe
Once cooked – cool it, and use in many different ways – see suggestions below!
Breads
- Knead some into a sweetened, enriched bread dough to make a fruit loaf
- Make a sweetened pizza – Galette de Perouges, topped with lemon, sugar and fruit paste
- Spread onto bread dough to make a fruity roll, reminiscent of the cinnamon bun. Glaze with orange frosting
- Add to pancake or waffle batter and cook as normal
Cookies & Pastries
- Mix some into cookie dough, for a fruitcake cookie
- Stuff some into shortcrust dough to make great mince pies
- Make Fruitcakes
- Make Christmas Pudding
Read: The many faces of Fruitcake
Desserts
- Warm and scoop some over ice-cream
- Add to bread pudding
- Make a trifle with citrus supremes, sweetened whipped cream and chunks of fruit cake
Condiments
- Stir into softened butter to make a compound butter. Great on toast.
- Make a brandied/cider fruit sauce for roasted meats and poultry
- Make stuffing, with bread crumbs, grated apple and fill a bird with it :), or the slits in a Turkey Breast Hasselback
Drinks
- Mulled wine
- Fruit-spiced beverages – coffee, tea and hot chocolate 🙂 with whipped cream
What would you use yours for?
