I've found a new Christmas tradition, my friends, Cranberry and Orange Loaf! The festive red and the wintry warming orange scent just speak Christmas all over to me. I adapted the recipe from Joy of Baking. Have to say, recipes from this website rarely fails me. That's why it's been 25 years and going strong!
Cranberry and Orange Loaf, adapted from Joy of Baking.
4 tablespoons (55 grams) melted butter 1/4 cup ground almond
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 grams) baking powder 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) salt 1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice (from the zested orange) topped up with yogurt 1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract 1 cup (120 grams) fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped (I use scissors)
1/4-1/2 cup of dried fruits with candied citrus peels
1-2 tablespoons of Demerara sugar for topping
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C. Butter and line a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan.
In a bowl mix sugar and orange zest with your fingers or a rubber spatula to release the scented oil. Your sugar will quickly turn orange color. Whisk the egg until frothy. It usually takes me three minutes with electric beaters. Drizzle in melted butter to the egg mixture with the beats on.
Sift in all the dry ingredients from ground almond to salt to the wet bowl. Pour in juice/yogurt and vanilla. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Lastly stir in cut up cranberries and dried fruits/candied peels. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the back of a spoon or offset spatula. Scatter the Demerara sugar on top.
Bake for about 35 - 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Then remove the loaf from the pan and let cool completely. This loaf is best if stored overnight before serving. It can also be frozen.
5 peaches , peeled, cored and sliced (about 4 cups) 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt
or 4 450g-cans of peaches (4 cups of peach slices)
For the batter:
6 Tablespoons butter 1 cup gluten free flour 1 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract 3/4 cup milk ground cinnamon
Add the sliced peaches, sugar and salt to a saucepan and stir to combine.
Cook on medium heat for just a few minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and helps to bring out juices from the peaches. Remove from heat and set aside.
If you use canned peaches, you need a kg can, fruit and juice.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice butter into pieces and add to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place the pan in the oven while it preheats, to allow the butter to melt. Once melted, remove the pan from the oven.
In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Stir in the milk, just until combined. The batter will be thin, like single cream.
Pour the mixture into the pan, over the melted butter and smooth it into an even layer.
Spoon the peaches and juice (or canned peaches, if using) over the batter. Sprinkle cinnamon generously over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 38-40 minutes. Serve warm, with a scoop of ice cream, if desired.
1/4 tsp salt 4 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp mixed spice 75 g butter 75 g honey 75 g treacle 125 g crystallized ginger, finely chopped 25 g honey (to make up the ginger syrup) 125 ml milk 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1.5 tsp baking powder 1 large egg
Preheat the oven to 160'C / Fan 140'C / Gas Mark 3. Line a 2lb loaf tin with a loaf tin liner and set to one side.
Add the butter, honey and treacle to a large saucepan and place on a low heat. Keep stirring until the butter has melted and it's fully combined. Remove from the heat for 1-2 minutes to cool slightly.
Mix the plain gluten free flour, xanthan gum, salt, ground ginger, mixed spice, baking soda and baking powder into a bowl and stir.
In a separate bowl, add the milk and egg to the cooled butter honey mixture, thoroughly whisk.
Sift the flour and spices into the butter-egg mix and whisk together until fully combined. Fold in the chopped stem ginger, and then pour the batter into the baking tin. It should be quite a runny batter.
Place in the centre of a hot oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean and the cake is starting to come away from the sides of the pan.
Remove from the oven and leave in the tin on a cooling rack until completely cool before slicing. For best results and sticky-ness, leave for at least 24 hours before tucking in - the longer you leave this cake, the better it is!
1/2 tsp mixed spice 100ml kefir/yogurt/milk/tea 1 cup of assorted dried fruit, soaked in 1/4 cup of liquid (water/tea/rum)
1/3 cup of walnut pieces
You will need a metal cake tin, 20cm in diameter (round) or length (square).
Line the cake tin on the base and sides with lightly buttered baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 160C.
I use all-in-one method to prepare the batter. First beat together sugar, salt, butter, eggs and ground almond in a large bowl. Add in flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, vanilla, mixed spice and your choice of liquid. Beat for another minute or two. You should have a cohesive batter, on the thick side.
Stir in the dried fruit (and the remaining liquid), then transfer to the lined cake tin and lightly smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake the cake for about 35 minutes (the original baking time is 70 minutes). Test for doneness by inserting a metal skewer into the cake. If it comes out with any raw mixture attached, return the cake to the oven for 10 minutes longer then check again. Set the cake to cool in its tin, then remove and leave until cold.
Not the job I just earned, but the personal transformation I've had. Asking for opportunities to be seen differently and guiding people to see what I can offer. Stepping out of my comfort zone doesn't cut it. It's like walking from north pole to south pole.
I truly have no regrets of doing this. I am apprehensive of what may come but I already started to enjoy the feeling being relied upon for my expertise.
Frankly, I wasn't sure whether I had enough time to prepare. I had two very busy weeks before this week and travelled to the US and back. To be honest, my slides were only finalized two nights before the day, one day to practice and adding a last-minute slide the night before which turned out to be one of the most discussed slides.
Stars must have been aligned for me this week.
The most amazing thing from this experience is that the support and encouragements shown by the people I know. My current colleagues (some of them interviewers) and my ex-colleague who offered to help me prepare the interview.
Thank you, G, N, C, M, J, T, F and D, your belief and kindness meant a world to me.