Season's Greetings

ALF_SeasonGreeting.jpg [1]

Season's Greetings and a Happy New Year from all at the Macular Degeneration Foundation. We will be closed over the festive season from 5pm Friday 21 December, returning 9am Wednesday 2 January.

To celebrate the holidays, Australia's first MasterChef, Julie Goodwin shared her Grandma's Christmas Cake recipe with us as a treat this Christmas. Make sure you head over to Julie's website for more delicious Christmas fare www.juliegoodwin.com.au [2]

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cooking time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 500g butter
• 500g sugar
• 500g plain flour
• 250g self raising flour
• 500g currants
• 250g raisins
• 60g mixed peel
• 8 eggs
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Pinch salt
• 200g glace cherries, roughly chopped
• 200g blanched almonds
• 1 tablespoon brandy

Method

• Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).
• Grease a large cake tin and line with baking paper.
• Cream butter and sugar until thick and pale.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
• Add lemon zest and juice, fruit, cherries and brandy.
• Gently fold the flour through.
• Spoon the mixture into the cake tin.
• Arrange blanched almonds in a pattern on the top.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 150°C (130°C fan-forced) and bake for a further 30 minutes.
• Reduce the heat again to 120°C (100°C fan-forced) and cook for another 2 hours or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

18 December 2012