Christmas Cake Recipe (gluten free too)

Well its that time of year again when our Christmas cake gets made and stored away to be brought out again every couple of weeks and have brandy tipped in the bottom of the Christmas cake! As you know we have a nice range of dietary requirements in our family so I thought I’d share with you this fabulous recipe we use for the cake. Its Gluten free and soya free and can be dairy free, nut free and egg free too!

Ingredients

*         100g/3½oz dairy-free margarine (or whatever kind of butter that you can eat)

*         1 large ripe banana

*         2 large lemons, finely grated rind and juice only

*         100g/3½oz glace cherries

*         75g/3oz raisins

*         75g/3oz sultanas

*         75g/3oz currants (Personally I don’t like currants so add extra raisins or cherries)

*         150g/5oz soft dried apricots, chopped in fairly large pieces

*         50g/2oz mixed peel (if you don't want to use ready-made mixed peel which will include sugar, you can scrape the pith from the rinds of twooranges and two lemons, chop it small and blanch it for three minutes in boiling water)

*         75g/2½oz walnuts, halved and 25g/¾oz hazelnuts, chopped OR 75g/3oz large pumpkin seeds and 25g/¾oz sunflower seeds (This can be left out!)

*         2 eggs OR 2 level tsp gluten-free baking powder

*         150g gluten-free flour

*         2 heaped tsp ground nutmeg

*         1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon

*         1 heaped tsp ground ginger

*         ½ teaspoon ground cloves

*         2 tbsp brandy (optional)

Method

*        Preheat the oven to 160C/300F/Gas 3.

*        In a food processor beat the butter/margarine with the banana and the lemon juice and rind. Pour into a bowl.

*        Mix in the dried fruit and nuts or seeds.(we tend to soak them in tea overnight beforehand)

*        Beat the eggs if you are using them.

*        Sieve which ever flours you are using with the baking powder (if you are substituing it for the eggs) and the spices.

*        Fold the eggs (if you are using them) into the fruit mixture alternately with the flours. Add some brandy if it is too dry.

*        Line a 20cm/8in cake tin with greased greaseproof paper. Spoon the mixture in and level off the top.

*        Bake for about two hours or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

*        Remove from the tin and cool on a rack.

*        Eat as it is or store to be iced for Christmas.