Simnel Cake - 2 Shrewsbury Recipes

RECIPE #1~

Ingredients:

1 1/4 sticks butter/margarine·
3/4 cup sugar·
2 cups flour·
1 1/2 tsp baking powder·
3 eggs·
3 cups mixed dried fruit·
1/2 cup chopped almonds·
1/2 cup cherries·
1/2 cup mixed peel·
2 tbsp milk·
1 tsp pumpkin spice

Almond Paste:
2 cups ground almonds·
1 cup powdered sugar·
1/2 cup sugar·
1 tsp lemon juice·
2 drops almond extract
1 beaten egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300F/150C

Cream butter and sugar together.
Sift flour, baking powder and pumpkin spice together.
One at a time, beat an egg and add it with a spoonful of flour into the butter/sugar.

Gently fold in all the other ingredients.

Make the almond paste: Mix almonds, powdered sugar and regular sugar together.

Add lemon juice, almond essence and enough egg to form a fairly dry paste.

Separate out enough almond paste to make 11 balls to decorate the top of the cake with.
Divide the remaining almond paste in half and roll out two 8 inch circles.

Put half the cake mixture into a greased 8-inch cake pan

Carefully place one almond paste circle on top of the cake mixture

Add the rest of the cake mixture on top of the almond paste layer
Bake in oven for 2-2 1/2 hours.
To test, gently press the cake with a finger; it should be firm.
Allow to cool in the tin for transferring to cake plate
When completely cool, top with the other almond paste circle and decorate with the little balls you made. The traditional way is to put the 11 balls around the top edge but many people decorate with a spring or Easter theme. You can shape the paste into flowers, leaves, butterflies, baby chicks, crosses...

Brush top marzipan with a beaten egg white and put cake under grill 1 or 2 minutes until you see it start to brown. Remove promptly.

RECIPE #2~

Ingredients:

3 oz butter or margarine
3 oz sugar
3 oz flour
milk
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt
2 eggs, beaten
12 oz mixed dried fruit
3 oz glacé cherries
1 large pack of marzipan/almond paste
apricot jam or honey

Directions:

Preheat oven to 340F/170C

Grease a 8-inch round cake pan.

Line with waxed paper

Beat the butter and lemon zest together until very soft.

Add the sugar gradually and continue beating until light and fluffy.

Slowly beat in the eggs.
Sift the flour with the mixed spice together in a separate bowl

Add the ground almonds, candied peel, currants, sultanas and glace cherries.

Fold all the ingredients together and set aside.
Spoon half of the mixture into the cake pan and smooth the surface.

Remove enough marzipan to make 11 balls to decorate the top of your cake with. Set aside.

Roll the remaining almond paste on a surface dusted with powdered sugar into two 7-inch circles.

Put one almond paste circle on top of the batter in the tin and set the other one aside.

Next cover with the remaining cake batter.

Smooth the surface and make a slight hollow in the middle

Brush lightly with cold water.

Wrap a double layer of brown paper around the outside of the pam and secure with a string

Bake for 1.25 hours.

Cover with grease-proof paper, lower the oven setting to 300F/150 C and bake for another 1.5 hours or until cooked to the centre.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 1 hour

Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Brush the top of the cake with jam

Top with the other marzipan circle that you made

Put the 11 balls in a circle along the edges of your cake or reshape them into spring or Easter shapes.

Brush the top marzipan with a beaten egg white and put it under the grill 1 or 2 minutes, just until it starts to brown. Remove promptly.

Decadent Reese's Peanut Butter & Chocolate Pie

Ingredients~

• 1 Oreo cookie pie crust
• 2 cups smooth peanut butter
• 1 box instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1.5 cups chocolate Cool Whip
• 6 Reese's peanut butter eggs
• 1 cup caramel sauce

Directions~

• Prepare pudding according to box instructions and set aside.
• Spread peanut butter in bottom of crust
• Layer pudding on top of peanut butter
• Top with Cool Whip
• Arrange Reese peanut butter eggs on top
• Drizzle caramel over pie.
• Chill at least 1 hour and serve. Cut slices between each egg.

Adorable Easter Basket Cupcakes - The Easy Version!

INGREDIENTS~

• One boxed cake mix
• 1 (16 ounce) can vanilla or white ready-to-spread frosting
• 3-4 cups Sweetened Coconut Flakes
• green food coloring
• jelly beans (the spotted ones if you can find them) or bird-shaped Peeps
• strawberry licorice strips

DIRECTIONS~

• Make cupcakes according to directions on box.
• Let them cool completely.
• Combine 2 drops of green food coloring with 1 tsp of water
• Pour coconut into a glass or metal bowl
• Drizzle green coloring on top of the coconut.
• Mix immediately and well to get even distribution of color.
• Ice each cupcake with vanilla or white frosting
• Arrange tinted coconut on each cupcake in the shape of a ring/circle. This is the outside shape of a "nest"
• Place a few jelly beans in the center. These are the "bird eggs" for the "nest" or place a Peep in the middle.
• For handle of "basket" poke wooden skewer into opposite sides of the cupcake. This is where the handles will go
• Bend a Twizzler into the curve you need for the handle, and poke ends deep into those holes you made with the skewer.

Carrot & Pecan Cake

INGREDIENTS~

6 cups grated carrots
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup raisins
4 eggs
1.5 cups sugar
1 cup apple sauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
3 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 tsp ground cinnamon
1.5 cups chopped pecans


DIRECTIONS~

• Combine grated carrots and brown sugar by hand.
• Set aside for an hour
• Stir in raisins
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grease and flour two 10-inch cake pans.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs until light.
• Gradually beat in the sugar, apple sauce and vanilla until well blended.
• Stir in the pineapple.
• Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a bowl until blended
• Carefully stir flour mixture into the egg mixture until absorbed.
• Finally add the carrot mixture and ONE CUP of the nuts
• Pour evenly into the pans
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until cake tests done with a toothpick.
• Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
• Cool in refrigerator (cold cakes are easier to frost)
• When completely cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting:

FROSTING~

• 16 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream together the cream cheese and butter until well blended and creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the powdered sugar. Ice the cake. Lightly pat sides with finely chopped nuts. Store in the refrigerator after use.

**Carrot cakes should be stored in the refrigerator**