Christmas Treats

Christmas is a time for celebrations and sweet indulgences. Get your children to help you rustle up these Christmas treats!: writes Khushboo Nehaal Jashnani Christmas cake (5 servings) Ingredients • 2 tsp black raisins • 1 tsp green raisins • 2 tsp orange peel • 2 tsp cranberries • ½ cup apple juice • 2 tsp chopped walnuts • 2 tsp roasted and chopped almonds • 270 gm unsalted butter • 3 cups maida/flour • 1 cup brown sugar • 2 cups sugar • 5 eggs • 1 tsp baking powder • 1 tsp nutmeg powder Preparation guide • Soak dry fruits in the apple juice overnight. • Beat butter, sugar and brown sugar thoroughly. • Add salt, nutmeg powder and vanilla essence. Blend well. • Add eggs and continue to blend. • Sift flour and baking powder, and add little by little, blending everything. • When the mix has reached a thick, pouring consistency, add dry fruits. • Preheat oven to 250oC. • Bake for 20 minutes. Use a fork to pierce and check if the cake is cooked. If not, bake for another five minutes. Star cinnamon-ginger cookies (3 servings) Ingredients • 2 ½ cups maida/flour • ¾ cup butter • 2 eggs • 1 tsp baking powder • 1 tsp vanilla essence • ¼ tsp cinnamon powder • ¼ tsp dry ginger powder • ¼ tsp salt Preparation guide • Mix soft butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an eggbeater or cake blender until fluffy. • Add eggs and vanilla essence. Continue to blend. • On a large tray, sift maida, salt, cinnamon powder, ginger powder, and baking soda in a sieve, breaking small lumps to get fine flour consistency. • Add flour to the butter mix little by little, blending until you have a thick dough. • Make a large ball of dough and put inside a plastic cover. Set aside in the refrigerator for three hours. • Roll out the dough, and use star cookie cutters to cut out the stars. • Grease a baking tray and place the star cookies. • Preheat oven to 175oC. • Bake for 7-8 minutes. Strawberry Santas (4 servings) Ingredients  • 200 gm strawberries • 100 gm butter • 30 gm cream • 100 gm sugar • 1 tsp vanilla essence • Black sesame seeds   Preparation guide • Wash strawberries well. Slice neatly into two parts, with the top part smaller. • Add butter, cream and sugar in a bowl. • Beat well with a cake-blender, then add vanilla essence and blend again until the mix is slightly fluffy. • Use a spoon to layer the strawberries as shown in the photo. • Use a kebab stick with a little cream to pick up and place sesame seeds for the eyes. • Arrange creamy strawberry santas on a plate and display as the centrepiece of your Christmas celebrations.   Also read: How to make a quick Christmas cake Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp