Fruit Cake | Short Crust Pastry | Classic Victoria Sandwich | Biscuits• Fruit Cake (for class 40)
Ingredients:
200 g (8 oz) self-raising flour 50 g (2 oz) mixed peel
200 g (8 oz) dried fruit 2 eggs
100 g (4 oz) margarine pinch of salt
100 g (4 oz) caster sugar 70 ml (2.5 fluid oz) milk
50 g (2 oz) chopped cherries
Method:
Cream margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time with a little sieved flour and beat well. Stir in milk and add a little more flour; add fruit and rest of flour, stirring continuously. Bake in a lined 18cm (7-inch) diameter tin for 1hr 20 mins at 160ºC (Gas Mark 3).
Useful tips!
Cooking times and temperatures vary according to your oven. Please check manufacturer’s guidelines. To check when your cake is cooked it should be golden, coming away from the sides of the tin and when skewered in the centre, the skewer should come out clean.
• Short Crust Pastry (for class 37)
Ingredients:
200 g (8 oz) plain flour
50 g (2 oz) hard margarine
50 g (2 oz) lard or white vegetable fat
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cold water
Method:
Rub fat, flour and salt in to resemble fine breadcrumbs, using finger tips. Sprinkle on cold water and mix to a non-sticky dough using rounded blade knife (if really necessary, add a little more water to bind together). Wrap in greaseproof paper or cling film and chill before using.
NOTE: Above quantity enough for apple pie up to 22cm.
Useful tips!
Keep cool including hands.
Avoid handling more than necessary.
First rolling is always best.
Do not turn pastry over during rolling.
• Classic Victoria Sandwich (for class 38)
Ingredients:
2 medium eggs
100g (4oz) self-raising flour (sieved)
100g (4oz) caster sugar
100g (4oz) butter or margarine
Jam to fill 2 x 7”/13cm round tins
NOTE: For 8” tins, change amounts to 3 eggs and 6oz each of flour, sugar and butter.
Method:
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs well. Gradually add the beaten eggs to the creamed butter and sugar – 1/3 of the egg mixture at a time alternated with 1 tbsp of the sieved self-raising flour to prevent the mixture from curdling.
Cut and fold in the remainder of the self-raising flour. The mixture should be of a soft dropping consistency. If it is too dry add a little milk or water to achieve the required consistency.
Divide mixture equally between 2 greased and lined 7” baking tins and bake in a pre-heated oven 180ºC/Gas Mark 4 for 20-25 minutes or until golden, risen and lightly springing back to the touch. Remove from the oven and, once cooled, sandwich together with jam.
• Biscuits (to decorate for class 61)
Ingredients:
175g (7oz) soft unsalted butter 1 teaspoon salt
200g (8oz) soft brown sugar biscuit cutters
2 eggs 2 non-stick baking sheets
¼ teaspoon almond extract
350g (14oz) plain flour (plus more if needed)
50g (2 oz) ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180ºC / Gas Mark 4
Cream the butter and sugar together well, then beat in the eggs and almond extract.
In another bowl, combine the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture and combine gently but surely.
If you think the finished mixture is too sticky for rolling, add more flour –
but sparingly.
Halve the dough, form into discs, wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least an hour. Roll out on a floured surface to approx.
½ cm thickness and then cut into shapes. Place biscuits a little apart on the baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes, by which time they will be lightly golden brown around the edges but otherwise still quite pale. Cool on a rack, they will firm up when cool, and then decorate as desired.
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