Simnel Cake - Bury Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp butter/margarine
2 tbsp lard
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 cups currants and/or raisins
2 tbsp chopped candied peel
1 beaten egg
2-3 tbsp milk
whole blanched almonds
cherries

Instructions:

1. Cut the butter and lard into the flour.
2. Add in the sugar, spices, chopped peel and currants.
3. Add the egg and mix into a very stiff dough, adding some of the milk if necessary.
4. Form the dough into a round flat cake and put it on to a greased baking tray.
5. Decorate with the nuts and cherries on top.
6. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Cool on a cooling tray and serve.

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.

Hot Cross Buns for Easter

You'll need a bread maker for this recipe

INGREDIENTS -

• 3/4 cup warm but not hot water
• 3 TBSP butter
• 1 TBSP powdered milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/8 tsp salt
• 1 egg + 1 separated egg
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 TBSP active dry yeast
• 1 cup dried currants, dried cranberries or raisins
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 TBSP water
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp milk

DIRECTIONS-

Preheat oven to 375F/190C.

Put warm water, butter, milk powder,sugar, salt, 1 egg, 1 egg white, flour, and yeast in bread maker and start on dough program.

When about 5 minutes of kneading are left, add currants/raisins and cinnamon.

Leave in machine till double.

Punch down on floured surface, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes.

Shape into 12 balls and place in a greased 9 x 12 inch pan.

Cover and let rise in a warm place till double, about 35-40 minutes.

Mix 1 egg yolk and water well.

Brush on balls.

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, until starting to turn golden on top.

Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.

Ice once completely cooled if you are to eat them later. Ice once warm but not hot if you want them right away. Yum!

To make crosses: mix together powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Drizzle, squeeze or paint an X on each bun.

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**

Easter Egg Jello Jigglers

Ingredients~
2.5 cups boiling water
2-6oz pkgs or 1-12oz pkg JELL-O any flavor
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 cup cold milk
Assorted decorating gels

Directions~

• Pour Jello powder into large glass or metal mixing bowl


• ADD boiling water and stir 2 min. until completely dissolved.


• Cool 30 min. at room temperature.


• BEAT pudding mix and milk together in another bowl with whisk 2 min.


• Pour into to gelatin mixture slowly


• Stir until well blended.


• Pour into 13x9-inch cake pan.


• REFRIGERATE 3 hours or until firm.


• Dip bottom of pan in warm water 15 sec.


• Use 2-inch egg-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes, being careful to cut all the way through gelatin to bottom of pan.


• Remove JIGGLERS from pan.


• Decorate with gels to resemble Easter eggs.


• Keep refrigerated.

*The Jello scraps remaining in the pan after the cutouts are done can be refrigerated in a tightly covered container then tossed together with cut-up fruit for a colorful dessert the whole family will love.

Thank you, Kraft Foods!