Xmas Cakes

[ShellyHall]

I am wanting to treat my work colleagues and make some xmas buns for coffee time. I don't want to make a xmas/fruit cake and we get loads of mince pies - have any of you got a simple recipe for something yummy?

[ursula62]

Why not make chocolate fairy cakes and ice them with white icing to look like christmas puddings? You could put some icing holly berries on them too.

[Plocket]

How about Baklava? I always think they taste Christmassy!

8oz Shelled walnuts, ground; 2oz soft brown sugar; 1/2 level tsp ground cinamon; 1lb packet filo pastry; 5oz butter, melted; 6oz clear honey

Grease a 24 x 18cm roasting tin. Mix the walnuts, sugar and cinamon in a bowl. Half each sheet of filo pastry to make 25cm squares. Fit one sheet of pastry into the bottom of the tin, allowing it to come up the sides, and brush with melted butter. Repeat with five more sheets of pastry, and keep the rest covered with a damp teatowel. Sprinke the pastry in the tin with 1/5 of the nut mixture. Repeat with layers of pastry then nut mixture to produce five layers of the walnut mixture, and top with the remaining pastry. Mark the surface of the pastry into 20 squares with the tip of a sharp knife. Bake in the oven at 220 degrees C/Gas 7 for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180 degrees C/Gas 4 for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Meanwhile, warm the honey in a saucepan over a low heat and spoon over the hot cooked baklava. Leave to cool for one or two hours then cut out the marked squares. Ensure you take serviettes with you because it's sticky stuff!!!

[machiavelli]

Here we go:

Zabaglione is one of the most famous of Italian puddings. Here it is flavored with Grappa, but you can let your imagination run wild and try other flavorings as long as you keep the proportions the same.

* 4 egg yolks
* 4 tablespoons sugar
* 8 tablespoons Grappa wine


Beat egg yolks and sugar until creamy in a double boiler; add Grappa. Cook at low heat, continuing to beat, until thickened. Remove from heat; keep beating until lukewarm. Pour into sherbet glasses.

Serve as is, ice cold or pour over cake or fruits.

Emmanuel
http://www.machiavellifood.com