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My Christmas Bake today


idun

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In the past I have posted a recipe for mascapone pastry.

Well today, I have made up a traditional batch of parcels with this pastry, with a prune puree filling. That apparently was what this pastry was always used for, 'Xmas Prune Puree Parcels'.

Couldn't find any prune puree here, in fact couldn't find any last time I was in France either, so made some up. So last night I boiled prunes, with a good shot of rum and a little vanilla, boiled off the excess liquid and liquidised it and put it in the fridge.

It does not look appetising, in fact it looks rather revolting if one doesn't know what it is, but it tastes lovely.

So today, made the pastry, rolled it out and cut it into squares, a good dollop of prune puree in the middle each square. I brushed the edges of the pastry squares with milk and then pulled the opposite corners together and pinched them together. I left them for a while and then pinched them again, just in case they started coming apart and then baked at about 190-200°C for about 20 minutes until golden.

When they have cooled I shall dredge icing sugar on the ones I am leaving out, the others I shall freeze, and they defrost very well.

This is how I make my mince meat pies now too, as parcels. And just to ring in the changes, sometimes put some creme patissiere and chopped peaches in them too, at this time of year, with a bit of booze in the creme pat.

This pastry isn't to everyone's taste, but most people do really enjoy it.

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[quote user="mint"]I haven't had prune pastry parcels but I used to go mad for prune jam doughnuts from a Polish deli.

Alas, not able to cook or even eat as I am off all food and drink and feel like a Christmas tree with all its needles dropping off[:'(]

[/quote]

Sorry to hear the, Mint. Is it a bug that's going round?
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Yes, SECOND time this year[:'(]  Once in the summer and now.  Norovirus I think as I was taken ill on Saturday night after eating with OH's table tennis club friends.

I didn't get back to normal for about 3 weeks the first time round and this time I still feel like death warmed up after 4 days............just yuck!

Thank you for the sympathy, GG.  I take it you are in the UK with les petits enfants for Christmas?

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I am indeed, Mint. Not actually on Christmas Day, but before and after; got back just in time for the nativity play - 100+ 5 and 6 year olds, just lovely.

It doesn't sound as though you'll be celebrating much around Christmas, unfortunately - fingers crossed it doesn't take as long for you to be back to normal as in the summer.
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[quote user="Judith"]Thanks Idun, 

I like the idea for mince pies - I hate the faff cutting out tops and sticking them on!  This sounds much easier!

[/quote]

Not sure whether they are easier, but with a light dusting of icing on top they look really 'special'[:D]

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Any tips for getting my royal icing to 'peak' I made three cakes this year and have followed Delia's recipe for the first two, but the moment I add any glycerine ( even half a teaspoonful) the 'peakiness' goes. I do want a little 'give' in the icing to avoid broken teeth but I'd like little peaks too.....would lemon juice be better ?
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Wish I could help with that, but cannot. As a child I loathed the marzipan laced with bitter almond, which would 'infect' the delicious icing, so have never iced a cake in my life. Apparently people do not tend to 'bitter' the marzipan any more, but I still don't ice a cake.

Now a question for you russethouse.

I remember cookery class at school, being shown how to make royal icing, in fact they let me make peppermint creams instead. And NO mention of glycerine, still that was a long time ago. So what does the glycerine do??

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