Category: Recipe

Christmas on a Dime – Baking Ideas

This Christmas may seem a bit dismal with the high prices of food and the high cost of living. But guess what? This shouldn’t stop you from having a jolly Christmas with your family and friends. You don’t have to have a lot of money to enjoy the festive season, just a few creative ideas and you’ll be good.

If you’re new to baking or took a long break away from the kitchen, this is the time to get back in the groove and start digging up some recipes and creating some mouth-watering holiday pastries. Yes, you can if you try hard enough.

There are a ton of recipe books or recipe cards filled with delicious, scrumptious Christmas recipes for even a novice.

Although food prices have skyrocketed this year, you can still bake on a budget, while using things you may have sitting in your cupboard such as raisins, mixed peels, prunes, etc.

Baking your own holiday pastries can be fun and rewarding, especially if you get the family involved. The kids will love putting their own personal creative touch to these pastries and you will have a lot more help than you bargained for.

You can use a baking mold to form different designs and colors. These festive Christmas silicone molds can quickly shape and mold colorful pastries for the holidays such as cookies, candy, fruit pie, cupcakes, and puddings.

Now that you have an idea of how to bake on a dime this Christmas, what are you waiting on? Go use your newfound skills and capture the hearts of your guests this Christmas.

 

How to Make a Rich, Moist Coconut Rum Fruit Cake Without Butter

Homemade Christmas Fruit Cake with Coconut
Extra Moist Coconut Rum Fruit Cake

If you are planning on making a Christmas cake but not sure what type to make, here is a recipe that has a unique twist to it, yet is still delicious and moist. This recipe does not require butter, so if you only have vegetable oil, you can still make this scrumptious coconut rum fruit cake without sacrificing the taste and texture.

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 cup grated coconut
  • 1/4 cup coconut flakes (Will be used for topping before and after baking)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3  cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder (sifted with flour)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1 teaspoon grounded mixed spice
  • 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • Grated rind/lime skin from 1 lime

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons margarine (optional)
  • 5 eggs
  • l lime (squeeze the juice from it)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1-2 tablespoons white rum
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 2 tablespoons burnt sugar
  • 2 cups pureed fruits (pre-soaked in rum and wine)
recipe for coconut rum fruit cake
Dried Ingredients Mixed Together

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place a pot with water on the bottom rack in the oven. This will create steam to prevent your cake from drying out as well as keep it moist. 

Mix all the above dry ingredients together (except the sugar and the  coconut flakes) until it looks almost like large breadcrumbs. See photo to the left.

  1. Whisk or mix the eggs together until it is foamy.
  2. Mix the oil and sugar (margarine, if you used it) then add the whisked eggs.
  3. Mix all three ingredients until creamy.
  4. Add the premixed dry ingredients a little at a time, while using a wooden spoon to cut and folding it in.
  5. Continue to add the dry ingredients until there’s none remaining.
  6. Add the molasses, burnt sugar, and the other remaining spices.
  7. Add the pureed fruits.
  8. Mix the batter thoroughly to distribute the fruits evenly
  9. Pour mixture into a greased baking pan with grease paper lining the bottom.
  10. Sprinkle some of the the coconut flakes over the top.
  11. Lift the baking pan with the batter about 2 inches off the kitchen counter then firmly drop it on the kitchen counter. This will make the air bubbles come to the top of the batter.
  12. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour.
  13. Sprinkle the rest of the coconut flakes on the top when cake is cooled.

Tips

To give your fruit cake a stronger rum taste, mix some rum and wine together and brush it on the cake when it’s warm.

Storing Your Fruit Cake

To keep your coconut rum fruit cake moist for days, keep it wrapped in plastic wrap.

 

 

 

How to Make Breadfruit Punch Without a Blender

fit yellow heart breadfruit
Breadfruit That is Ready to be Picked From the Tree

I’ve eaten breadfruit, also known as Artocarpus altilis, for years and didn’t know that it could be used to make a drink similar to smoothie. One day a nice elderly Caribbean lady offered me a glass of breadfruit punch while visiting her. I was a bit hesitant but decided to try it, and to my amazement, it tasted really delicious. If you don’t have a blender and want to try making this drink, check out the steps below.

You’ll Need:

  • 1 Green or half-ripened breadfruit
  • 1/4 Teaspoon salt
  • 1 Can or 1 cup Condensed milk (Sweetened milk). Add sugar if not sweet enough.
  • 1 Teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon or cinnamon sticks
  • 2 Teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 Tablespoons rum or Red Label wine (optional)
  • Strainer
  • Whisk or mixer

Directions for Breadfruit Punch

  1. Wash the breadfruit thoroughly and dry it.
  2. Slice it in half or four parts.
  3. Remove and discard the middle part, which is called the breadfruit heart.
  4. Cut the breadfruit into small slices.
  5. Peel the skin off (the green rough outer layer)
  6. Cut them in about 2 inch pieces.
  7. Add 5-6 cups of water to a pot with the breadfruit, cinnamon stick/bark, and salt.
  8. Boil until soft enough to crush.

After the breadfruit is properly boiled, drain off the water and set it aside to cool. You will need the water to make your breadfruit punch.

Mash the boiled breadfruit while it’s still warm, since it’s easier to crush while warm.

Add the liquid from the pot as you mash, then use a mixer or a whisk to help bring it to a smoother texture. You will still see lumps but that’s okay for now.

Making breadfruit punch recipe
Smooth, Creamy Breadfruit Punch, Ready to Drink

Pour the mix through a big strainer to remove any lumps then add the other ingredients (spices, condensed milk, and rum or wine). Your breadfruit punch should now be rich, creamy, and tasty. Serve chilled with or without a straw.

This is my way of making breadfruit punch without using a blender. Add this new drink to your Thanksgiving table this year and have your guests talking about it for a very long time.