Английский рождественский кекс - традиционная holiday pastries. One of the distinguishing features is that in the process of cooking a dish a large amount of spices, dried fruit and alcohol is used.
The history of the dish
Traditional English Christmas Cupcake has its predecessor.The ancestor of this delicious pastry is an ancient Roman ritual cake, which was made from porridge (mainly barley), pine nuts, raisins and pomegranate seeds. With its appearance and especially taste, it resembled kutya. In the Middle Ages, dried fruits, spices and honey were added to the recipe of the dish, and from the 16th century - sugar.
Traditional recipe
Christmas cupcake (English version) byTraditions started cooking 6 weeks before December 25, Catholic Christmas. Why so early? There are reasons for this, and we will now tell about it.
To make delicious EnglishChristmas cake, you first need to soak the stuffing components with alcohol. To this end, traditionally used rum, brandy, sherry, Madeira, brandy. Other spirits are less commonly used.
Начинкой блюда традиционно выступало ассорти из raisins (light and dark), citrus peel (orange and lemon) and candied fruits. In modern recipes often use dried apricots, prunes, cherries, pineapple cubes, currants, dates, and more.
According to existing traditions, the weight of the filling is notmust exceed five hundred grams. It is placed in a jar and poured alcohol (about 0.5 cup). Ingredients should be marinated for at least a week, they must be constantly mixed. Next, make the dough. Moreover, the whole family took part in the mixing of the semi-finished product. By tradition, all its members could make any of their wishes, which are necessarily fulfilled. Christmas cupcake english baked for four hours at a temperature of at least 140 degrees. Traditionally, it was decorated with marzipan or white icing.
Modern techniques in the preparation of traditional baking
Currently, an English Christmas fruitcake with dried fruits and nuts готовят несколько иначе.The main difference is that this amount of time is not given to this process. Modern housewives skip the above steps and go straight to the preparation of delicacies.
In order to give baking a traditional taste,a special marinade is made for the filling. Impregnation consists of a mixture of alcohol and very strong boiling tea. It is able to quickly soak into dried fruits, candied fruits and nuts, giving them a slightly tart and unique taste. Now even cheese is often added to the filling.
We offer some simple modern recipes for this baking.
English christmas cupcake. Recipe with photos
First prepare the filling.To do this, half a kilo of a mixture of dark raisins, candied fruits, chopped prunes and nuts, you need to pour a small amount of good brandy. Mix the filling, add vanilla and a drop of rum essence. Let pickled.
English Christmas fruitcake with dried fruits and nuts Cooked from a very high-calorie dough.
Two packs of butter must be rubbed with450 g of sand. The result should be a fluffy foam. Mix six hundred grams of flour with a small spoon of soda. Wash twelve eggs. Next, start gradually kneading the dough. In the creamy sugar mixture periodically add flour and one egg. Stir well. At the very end add the stuffing. Mass put in the form. Beforehand, it should be oiled and sprinkled with flour or semolina. Cooking in the oven without opening it.
After the first lifting of the dough on the surface, it is recommended to make small strips with a sharp knife. This will allow the product to keep its shape. Christmas cupcake english should bake about fifty minutes. The finished dish can be decorated with powdered sugar. Cut into portions and serve.
English Christmas Cupcake "Everyday"
Желтки от десяти яиц перемешать с 400 граммами sand and butter (one and a half packs). Grind all ingredients until white. Put the stuffing: raisins (200 g) and ground candied fruit (100 g), vanilla to taste. Pound a pound of flour. Stir all ingredients very carefully. At the very end add whipped whites. Knead the dough very carefully and put it into a round shape. Be sure to anoint it with butter. Cook in the oven for about fifty minutes, setting the temperature to 220 degrees.
After the cupcake has cooled, it can be served with tea.
Dark Christmas cupcake with "Gorgeous" icing
Этот вкуснейший десерт готовится дольше, чем previous options. But the result will appreciate all the guests at the table. We offer a recipe according to which you can make a real festive English Christmas cake. The photo is not able to convey the great aroma and unique taste of this dish, but it will help to decide on the design. So, let's begin.
On the first day of the morning doing stuffing.To do this, mix two hundred and fifty grams of dark raisins and the same amount of light, one hundred and seventy-five grams of chopped cherry in four pieces of chocolate, two hundred grams of chopped dried apricots and a handful of candied fruits. Pour all brandy and leave for a day, and if possible for two.
The next day, start with a test.Blend the following ingredients thoroughly with a blender: three hundred grams of flour, a pinch of grated nutmeg, two packs of soft butter, four hundred grams of cane sugar, five eggs, orange and lemon zest, a large spoonful of molasses and a quarter cup of chopped almonds. At the very end be sure to put a pinch of crushed seasonings (coriander and cinnamon). Now you can add neatly stuffing.
Put the dough into a round shape, whichIt is recommended to lay out with oiled paper both at the bottom and on the sides, tightly pressing it to the edges. Next, with the other side of the spoon, level the mixture. On top it is better to put a double layer of baking paper. You need to bake a cupcake for at least four hours. The readiness indicator will be that the skewer stuck in the dough will remain dry and clean.
После этого оставляем кекс охлаждаться на Twenty minutes. Next, take out of the form and remove the paper. Carefully pierce the base with a skewer, making equal intervals, and gently pour brandy into the holes. After complete cooling it is recommended to wrap the product in a double layer of baking paper, and then also in foil. Leave for a day.
A win-win recipe for protein glaze
The next day we finish cooking our festive English cupcake.
To prepare the glaze, beat the egg white infor two minutes, so he began to foam. You can do this in different ways - a mixer, hand mixer or a simple fork. The main thing - the process should not stop for a second. Next, we begin to gradually pour the icing sugar. It will take at least half a glass, perhaps more. When the icing thickens, pour in a small spoonful of lemon juice. Continue to beat for thirty seconds. Now we very quickly lubricate the entire surface of the cake with apricot jam, and on top with the resulting icing. Sprinkle with stars or any other decorations. Once the top layer is completely hardened, the dish can be cut into portions and served with tea.
Dark Christmas cupcake with "Gorgeous" glaze, prepared according to this recipe, can be stored for a long time subject to certain rules. Let us dwell on this in more detail.
How to store pastries
Christmas cake (English), if properly prepared, can be stored for a long time - up to three months. For a start, it is recommended that pastries be put in parchment paper or foil.
In addition, the cupcake must be watered with strong alcohol every two or three days. As a result, the alcohol will evaporate, and the dessert will remain fragrant and juicy.
