These are pretty moreish and are gluten, added sugar and booze free. The dried fruit is plenty sweet enough and we tea soak it to give a depth of flavor usually enhanced by brandy. They could also be made dairy free pretty easily by replacing the butter with something rich like Macadamia oil if this is your preference. And if you want them to last longer and have no problems with a little alcohol, then by all means include a nip or two of brandy!
CHRISTMAS CAKES
*Gluten free, refined sugar free, can be dairy free
In a large heavy bottomed saucepan place:
2 cups sultanas
1 cup raisins
1 cup currants
1 cup diced dates
1 ¼ cups Bibba Sweetener (if you have got any of this handy then replace with sugar free apple puree)
75g salted butter
1 cup strong tea (we make it with two teabags and allow to steep well)
2 tsp bicarb soda
DRY INGREDIENTS
1 ¼ cup rice flour
¼ cup millet flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
¼ ground cloves
WET INGREDIENTS
3 eggs (lightly whisked)
METHOD
Preheat oven to 130 degrees Celsius. Thoroughly grease and flour dust 10 muffin pans.
Put saucepan on the hob and bring to the boil whilst stirring ingredients. Turn down heat and simmer for a further 4 mins. Remove from heat and allow mix to cool.
Meanwhile whisk dry ingredients in one bowl and eggs in another. Add dry ingredients to pan with cooled fruit mixture and stir thoroughly. Add eggs to mixture and stir until well incorporated.
Add to prepared muffin molds (approx. ½ cup of batter per mold), smooth top and decorate the centre of each cake with a blanched almond. Bake for approx. 35mins, oven dependant.
We serve them like individual puddings – approximately muffin sized - but this batter can also be made into two smallish cakes or one large one - whatever works best.