Christmas cake recipe perfect to do with kids

Want to get in the festive spirit with the kids? Why not try these recipes for mince pies and Christmas cake.
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Little Cooks Co is a monthly subscription-based recipe kit that’s posted through the letterbox, direct to kids, in a neat 100% recyclable box with compostable packaging. The box is packed with all the natural and healthy dry ingredients of that month’s delicious and nutritious recipe for kids to bake in the home.

It is on a mission to teach kids to love cooking and eating healthy food and to create happy family memories along the way.

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The recipe kits, for kids, delivered straight to your door from £8.33 a month. Visit www.littlecooksco.co.uk Christmas Fruit Cake

Christmas CakeChristmas Cake
Christmas Cake

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 50 minutes

Serves: One Christmas Cake

Allergens: Egg & Dairy (optional)

Mince pieMince pie
Mince pie

Tasty Tip: No licking the bowl with this recipe unfortunately! Gram flour needs to be cooked to taste yummy

Did you know...

This cake is sweetened with dried fruit. Dried fruit is made by taking the water out of fresh fruit so it looks smaller and more shriveled! But what is left is still full of minerals and fibre which are really important for keeping us healthy.

Ingredients:

3 medium/large oranges

2 eggs or vegan equivalent

80g butter or coconut oil

180g gram flour

100g pitted dates

55g raisins

35g chopped apricots

30g chia seeds

1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

Implements:

Chopping board and knife

Mixing bowl, 2 x small bowls

Measuring scales

Small saucepan

Wooden spoon

Whisk or fork

20cm/8” cake tin

Sieve

Grater

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150c (160c if not fan assisted)

2. Grate the zest (skin) of one of the oranges on the smallest setting.

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3. Cut all of the oranges in half and squeeze the juice out of them into a bowl until you have 200ml of juice – you can use your hands or a juicer

4. Pour the juice and the zest into a large mixing bowl and stir in the chia seeds.

5. Carefully chop the dates into small pieces and then stir the dates, raisins and apricots into the orange and chia mix, and let it sit for a few minutes.

6. Line your cake tin with parchment paper and grease the paper (this will stop the cake from sticking).

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7. Gently melt the butter/coconut oil in a saucepan and pour it into the cake mix.

8. Next, whisk the eggs in a small bowl and add them to the mix and then sieve the gram flour, spices and baking soda in, and stir everything thoroughly.

9. Pour the mixture into your cake tin and bake for 50 minutes – keep an eye on it from 45 minutes to make sure it isn’t going too brown. It is ready when you can put a knife in it and it comes out clean!

10. Leave to cool and then peel the parchment off and decorate it! Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Mince pies

Prep: 30-40 minutes

Cook: 12-15 minutes

Serves: 12 mince pies

Allergens: Nuts & Dairy (optional)

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Tasty Tip: These are delicious served warm, and with a dollop of cream!

Cooking tips...

-Peel and chop the apples before you start cooking as its quite-time consuming.

- If the dough sticks when you roll it, ass a little flour to it (ideally almond but any will do!).

- Don’t worry if the pies don’t look golden after 7 minutes in the oven – if they brown too much they don’t taste as nice!.

Ingredients:

3 apples – peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces

Juice of 1 orange

1 egg

1 dessert spoon of honey

140g almonds

60g walnuts

90g raisins

90g dried cranberries

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

½ teaspoon salt

Implements:

Food processor

Chopping board & knife

Spatula and wooden spoon

Saucepan and lid

Cupcake tray

Rolling pin

Pastry cutters

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160c (170c if not fan assisted).

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2. Place the almonds and walnuts in your food processor and blitz until ground – check every 30 seconds.

3. Add the egg, honey, salt and bicarbonate of soda and then blitz again until a dough forms (around 1 minute).

4. Carefully remove the blade and shape the dough into a ball (use a spatula to scrape the mix off the sides if needed) and pop in the fridge while you start making the filling.

5. Heat the butter, chopped apple, raisins, cranberries, cinnamon, ginger and juice of 1 orange on a low heat with the lid on for around 15 minutes. Stir regularly – if it starts to stick, add a little water.

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6. Whilst the filling is cooking take 2/3 of the dough and roll it between 2 pieces of parchment paper to about 2mm thick.

7. Use a circular cutter to cut 12 pie bases and pop them in a greased cupcake tray – bake for 5 minutes.

8. Once baked, fill each base with a heaped teaspoon of the filling.

9. Roll the remaining dough and cut into 12 smaller circles or stars and place on top of each mince pie. Bake for 7 more minutes and allow to cool before gobbling!

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

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