Home Economics 

CHRISTMAS COOKING FOR SENIOR ELECTIVE GROUP

This week our seniors learnt how to make a Christmas cake. They carefully prepared the baking paper to come over the tins. Then students worked hard in their groups to weigh, measure and mix the ingredients for their individual Christmas cakes. The cakes baked for an hour at 150 C. The students did a great job for the first stage.

This Christmas cake recipe is from Cookery Book by the Country Women’s Association of Victoria. 

Easy Christmas cake for Busy People

Ingredients

900 g mixed fruit

4 eggs

3 tablespoons verjuice or orange juice                            

125 ml milk

½ teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon vanilla

225 g butter

350 g plain flour

500 g brown sugar

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 

Method

Combine fruit, sherry or juice and sugar in a bowl. Mix well and allow to stand for 2 hours but preferably overnight. Add spice and bicarb soda. Melt butter in milk and add to fruit mixture. Add beaten eggs and sifted flour. Pour into a well-greased 22 cm tin, lined with baking paper. Bake 150 C for three and a half hours or if using small individual tins 10 x 10 cm bake for one hour. This will make four small cakes. 

Next time the students will learn how to carefully cover their cakes using royal icing. This year they will be challenged to cover a square shaped cake. Students will roll out the icing then use a template to cut out the icing and fit it onto the cake. Our students will be looking forward to the fun part, decorating the cakes. 

Upper junior students enthusiastically prepared and assembled their individual trifles. A trifle consists of a few layers of sponge cake, fruit, custard and homemade jelly. It originated in England in the 18th century. Trifle is a popular dessert and often on the menu for Christmas lunch. Our students enjoyed eating them!