Christmas Cherry Cake

This cake dates from 1709 according to Sadie Dell the Brit. Those who posted on the old AOL Comfort Food Board remember her well.  In pace requiescat et in amore.

Sadie was a WWII war bride and a famous baker. Sadie translated this British recipe into American measurements. This is a terrific alternative to Fruit Cake.

Christmas Cherry Cake

1 cup Sugar
4 Eggs
1 cup all purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 pound Cherries, candied
1 pound Dates, pitted
1 pound Pecans, chopped
2 slices candied Pineapple
1/2 pound Coconut

Mix Sugar, Eggs, Flour, Baking Powder, Salt and Vanilla. Put Cherries, Dates, and Pineapple through a food grinder on coarse. Add ground fruit to the sugar mixture; then add Pecans and Coconut. You will have to use your hands to mix it. Grease and flour an angel food cake tin. Place mixture evenly in the bottom and cover with waxed paper, then brown paper. Tie with string. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. When cake is cool, pour Sherry over it and let it sit until Christmas.

English Cottage Pie

This is another recipe from Sadie Dell. She writes:

 “Proper English Cottage Pie is a delicious, very traditional mince pie topped with mashed Potato. Serve with garden or mushy peas.”

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground Beef

1 Onion, diced

3 Carrots, diced

2 tablespoons all-purpose Flour

½ teaspoon ground Nutmeg 

1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Parsley

1 ½ cups Beef Broth

1 tablespoon Tomato Paste

Salt and Pepper to taste

4 Potatoes, peeled and diced

¼ cup Butter, softened

1 cup Milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

¼ pound shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Crumble in ground Beef and saute one minute. Add Onion and Carrot and continue to saute until Meat is no longer pink and Onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

Mix in Flour, Nutmeg, mixed Herbs and Parsley. In a small bowl, combine Beef Broth and Tomato Paste. Mix together and then add to the Beef mixture. Add Salt and Pepper to taste. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost all of liquid has been absorbed. Spoon the mixture into a 9 inch pie plate.

Place diced potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and boil until potatoes are tender. Drain. Mash Potatoes until smooth, and then add Butter and Milk. Whip until fluffy. Add Salt and Pepper to taste. Spread potatoes over Beef filling. Sprinkle with Cheddar Cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until top is browned and Cheese is bubbly.

Treats for Doggos

“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” ― Will Rogers

I love my dog. She is my baby and that is her name Baby. I fuss over her because she fusses over me. I make her these treats from Sadie Dell. Baby will not eat any other kind of dog treat.

Sadie Dell's Dog Biscuits

2 and 1/4 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup powdered Milk
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Egg
6 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
8 to 10 tablespoons Water
2 small jars of strained Baby Food (beef, chicken, lamb or liver)

Mix all the ingredients together and knead for 3 minutes. Roll out 1/2 inch thick. Using a dog bone shaped cookie cutter or the baby food jar, cut biscuits and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven set at 350 degrees.for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen doggie biscuits.

Ms. Sadie Dell's Chicken Curry to Make at Home

I think of Sadie Dell's Chicken Curry as British Soul Food. Take Out Indian food is as common in London as Take Out Fish and Chips. This is a delicious easy Curry. I give it to you as Sadie Dell wrote it.

Curried Chicken to Make at Home

1/2 cup unbleached all purpose Flour

Salt and Pepper

3 boneless whole Chicken breasts halved

5 tablespoons unsalted Butter

1 medium Onion

2 cloves Garlic

2 Red Peppers, seeded and diced

3 tablespoons best quality Curry Powder

1 can stewed Tomatoes

1 can Coconut Milk

a dash of Tabasco Sauce

a dash of Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 cup Currants or Raisins

Gather up all the ingredients and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Finely chop the Onion and mince the Garlic cloves. Seed and dice the Red Peppers.

Season the Flour with Salt and Pepper and lightly coat Chicken with the mixture. Heat 3 tablespoons Butter in a skillet over medium heat, add chicken and lightly brown on all sides. Remove the chicken. 

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons Butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat. Add Onion, Garlic and Peppers and saute, stirring frequently until the Veggies are soft (5 to 7 minutes). Stir in the Curry Powder and cook 2 minutes longer. 

Place Veggies and Chicken in a casserole dish. Combine the Coconut Milk with Tabasco and Worcestershire Sauces, Currants and stewed Tomatoes. Add the Coconut Milk mixture to the Chicken and Veggies. Bake for 30 minutes.

Ms. Sadie Dell's English Pickled Red Cabbage

Click Me!

"We always had a jar of Pickled Red Cabbage to go with any meat at a meal sitting on the dining room table. Makes 3 one pound jars.

Red Cabbage Pickle

1 large Red Cabbage

Salt

2 1/2 cups Vinegar

1 tablespoon Pickling Spice

2 teaspoons Dry Mustard Powder

Quarter the Cabbage and rinse. Cut out the thick centre stalk. Shred the Cabbage finely, place in a very large flat dish and sprinkle with Salt. Leave to stand in a cool place for at least 24 hours. Drain the Cabbage in a colander thoroughly, then pack it into clean jars. Boil the Vinegar, Spice and Mustard for 5 minutes, then leave until cold and remove the Spices. Pour over the Cabbage in the jars and seal or cover." - Sadie the Brit. 

Editor's Note: Sadie the Brit has her own LABEL. Look in the LABELS in the left margin to find more of her recipes. I think you could add a tablespoon of Mustard Seed instead of the Dry Mustard Powder.
COMING SOON: Sadie's Almond Cake, Chicken Curry and English Cottage Pie. Stay tuned.