Wondering what to cook for Christmas?
Christmas is a tricky time with visitors who don’t eat eggs, are on a diet, are gluten intolerant etc. So what do you cook that most people can enjoy? What to take to the office party that you and everyone can enjoy?
Here is one suggestion by Rose Elliot, a well known British vegetarian cook and author.
Rose Elliot’s Everything-less Fruit Cake
ingredients | |
225g | dried, stoned dates |
275ml | water |
350g | dried mixed fruit |
50g | dessicated coconut |
225g | gluten free flour |
3 tsp | baking powder |
1 tsp | mixed spice |
4 tblsp | orange juice |
Notes
- as this recipe was originally in Imperial units this is why the values in the metric system seem a little strange
- dried mixed fruit is a mixture of currants, raisins and sultanas (and in the UK it includes some candied peel of citrus fruits) – if you want to you can enhance the fruit by soaking them in alcohol or cold tea.
- a tsp = a teaspoon = 5 ml and a tblsp = a tablespoon = 15 ml
- mixed spice contains a mixture of spices which you can buy ready-made in the UK but can be readily made – my mixture is half cinnamon, one quarter ginger and one quarter nutmeg.
instructions
- Set the oven to 160°C. Grease a large loaf tin and line it with baking parchment.
- Put the dates and water into a saucepan and heat gently until the dates are soft, then remove them from the heat and mash the dates.
- Add the dried fruit, flour, coconut, baking powder, spice, grated rind and orange juice. Stir well to combine the ingredients.
- Spoon the mixture into the tin, level the top and optionally sprinkle with seeds or almonds.
- Cover the cake with tin foil and bake for about 1 1/2 hours, until a skewer or sharp knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Uncover the cake for the last 15 minutes or so to let it brown. Cool a little in the tin before turning out the cake and cooling it on a wire rack.
Try it – Here is the recipe in PDF format for you to print off.