Pound Cake to Snow Sugar Cookies: Explore these unique festive recipes

Christmas may be over but the festive season allows us to indulge in treats that can be eaten through this week all the wway into the new year tooWhile Indian dishes are really popular there are some classic recipes from around the world that are really favourites during this festive season Among the many are recipes by Kerry Washington Dr Sharon Malone and Nicole Avant from Audibles Your Mamas Kitchen podcast who share their childhood favouritesFrom the rich and fruity Jamaican Fruit Cake decadent Pound Cake and the delicate Snow Sugar Cookies these treats are sure to delight your senses and bring holiday cheer to your home These dishes passed down through generations capture the essence of the holiday season with each bite full of tradition and love These classic recipes are perfect for sharing with loved ones and creating lasting holiday memoriesJamaican Fruit CakeIngredientsChopped fruits including dark and light raisins dried fruit mixture citron cherries lemon and orange peel pineapple etc prunes and currents 8 lbs 16 cups or 4 quartsChop fruit in a processor or blender with sherry and rum as the liquid about a month before you plan to bake the cake Drain any excess liquidBaking soda 1 teaspoonBaking powder 1 teaspoonButter 1pound roughly 450gmEggs 1 dozenDark brown sugar 1pound roughly 450gmAllpurpose flour 4 cupsCinnamon 2 tspNutmeg 12 teaspoonAllspice 18 teaspoonCloves ground 18 teaspoonMethods1 Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit2 Grease pans and flour Use bakerrsquos spray which is oil with flour for the pans Cut parchment or brown paper to fit the top of the pan Spray each piece to cover the pan3 Beat eggs cream butter and sugar add eggs and mix4 Combine dry ingredients cinnamon nutmeg allspice baking powder baking soda and flour Add to mixture then add fruits5 The mixture will be very thick and needs to be mixed by hand Pour the mixture into pans and cover with a piece of greased and floured paper6 Bake at 250 degrees for two hours time may vary depending on the size and weight of the pan A pan of water should be placed at the bottom of the oven throughout the cooking time to provide steam Check after 1 hour and periodically to test doneness by inserting a toothpick If it comes out clean the cake is done7 Cool on rack Drizzle with rum8 Wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap and follow with aluminium foil9 This mixture will make about 5 cakes depending on how large and full the pans are The new nonstick pans work well instead of greased and floured paperFlavoured Pound CakeIngredientsButter soft 4 sticksSugar 3 cupsSifted cake flour 3 12 cupsExtra large eggs beaten 6Baking powder 14 teaspoonMilk 1 cupLemon extract 1 teaspoonVanilla extract 1 teaspoonRum 1 teaspoonCoconut oil 1 teaspoonImitation butter 1 teaspoonMethod1 Beat cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy2 Add eggs and beat well3 Add flour and milk interchangeably4 Add the lemon extract vanilla extract rum coconut oil and imitation butter5 Grease and flour a large Angel food tube bake pan and add the cake mixture6 Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit7 Bake for 7585 minutes or until the cake is clean from inserting a toothpick8 Let the cake cool for at least 23 hours before removing it from the panSnow Sugar CookiesIngredientsAllpurpose flour 3 cupsBaking powder 1 12 teaspoonSalt 12 teaspoonUnsalted butter 1 cupRoom temperature brick cream cheese 2 OzGranulated sugar 1 cupGranulated sugar On the side for rolling the cookies in 12 cupRoom temperature large egg 1 noAlmond extract 12 tspVanilla extract 1 12 teaspoonMethod1 Whisk flour baking powder and salt until combined and set aside2 In a large bowl mix butter and cream cheese for about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy3 Add granulated sugar and mix until fluffy and light in colour4 Mix in eggs vanilla extract and almond extract You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl to fully mix5 Slowly mix in flour salt and baking powder combination on low speed6 Remove the dough from the bowl wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours minimum to a maximum of 2 days7 When ready to bake remove the dough from the refrigerator if it was refrigerated for more than 4 hours let it rest on the counter for 20 minutes so that it is easier to work with8 Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line baking sheets with parchment paper9 Scoop and roll spoonfuls of dough into balls and roll in granulated sugar until coated place on baking sheet 3 inches apart10 Gently press the cookie balls down to semiflatten and bake for 1315 minutes rotate the pan midway through to ensure even baking11 Allow cookies to rest for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before moving them to a cooling rack or serving plate