Its the most wonderful time of the year! and for this festive christmas season, it would be almost disrespectful not to have the two main staples on the Jamaican dining table, so to prevent offence to anyone, and in the spirit of christmas, for this edition of“ Delectable Diary” Rosie Marie Mullings-Hemans provides her easy, yet tasty light fruit cake and and her daughter Rhianna’ s christmas sorrel recipe.
ROSIE’ S LIGHT CHRISTMAS CAKE
INGREDIENTS
• 3 / 4 cup Red Label wine
• 2 / 3 cup golden raisins *
• 2 / 3 cup currants *
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 / 4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1 / 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 tablespoon White rum •( Fruits can be those that have been soaking) Prunes can be used instead of currants or added to.
PREPARATION 1. Preheat oven to 325 ° F with rack in middle
2. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, for 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition( batter will appear curdled), then add vanilla, zest, and fruit with brandy and beat until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
4. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until incorporated. Spoon batter into pan, smoothing it,
5. Bake until a long wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 1 1 / 2 to 1 3 / 4 hours. Run a thin metal spatula around side of cake, then cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes.
6. Loosen side of cake with thin metal spatula again, then remove side of pan and loosen bottom of cake. Transfer cake from pan to rack.
7. Cool cake completely, about 3 hours.
RHIANNA’ S SORREL RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
• Sorrel
• Ginger
• Sugar
• White rum
• Pimento
• Red label wine
• Kola Champagne
PREPARATION 1. Wash Sorrel and place in glass bowl, add hotwater and pimento.
2. Wash, peel and grate ginger. Add to glass container with sorrel, water and pimento. Cover and let‘ draw’ for a day or two.
3. Strain sorrel, pimento and ginger.
4. Sweeten with sugar, add white rum and wine to taste,
5. Add Kola champagne to taste.
6. In a tall glass place ice cubes, then add sorrel drink.
ENJOY!