A Very Aussie Christmas

by Cheryl Wright

  3/4 cup currents

  1/4 cup sultanas

  Few drops vanilla essence

  1 saccharin tablet

  Pinch salt

  PREPARATION: DAY BEFORE, prepare fruit, carrot, rind and apple. In a separate container, soak sago and breadcrumbs in milk overnight.

  Day of cooking: Rub butter into flour, add spices and salt. To the sago and breadcrumbs, add beaten eggs. Then add flour, apple, rind and remaining fruit.

  Last of all, add bicarbonate soda dissolved in 1 dessertspoon hot (not boiling) water.

  Mix well and steam in a greased bowl for two hours. (Alternatively, bake in a cake tin at 300 degrees F for two hours)

  Cut into eight slices. (Each slice equals two portions.)

  Quick and Easy Diabetic

  Christmas Pudding

  THIS IS BY FAR THE easiest plum pudding I’ve ever made, and it’s delicious! It can also be eaten year-round. This one also comes from my mother-in-law, who is also a diabetic.

  2 CUPS WASHED MIXED fruit

  2 cups mashed bananas

  2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

  1 cup milk

  (with 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda dissolved in it)

  Squeeze of lemon juice

  2 teaspoons mixed spice

  COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS and steam for two hours.

  SUITABLE FOR FREEZING but cut into individual slices first.

  Copha Alternative

  COPHA IS SOLIDIFIED coconut oil, and until writing this book I had no idea it was only available in Australia.

  So if you can’t get it, what can you do?

  Melt the equivalent amount of chocolate or chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave . (For example: if the recipe calls for 9oz Copha, use 9oz chocolate chips.) In each case you need to do this slowly to avoid burning.

  Hint: Chocolate cools and sets much quicker than Copha, so have everything ready in advance!

  Measurement Converter

  NEED TO CONVERT MEASUREMENTS? If you find it as confusing as I do, you owe it to yourself to check out this site.

  They have a very useful FREE tool which allows you to convert oven temperatures, measurements, and all sorts of other things:

  http://joshmadison.com/software/convert/

  This nifty little tool (above) is downloaded to your computer. However, it is an .exe file so is not suitable for Macs.

  If you fall into this category, here’s a similar tool which you use online:

  http://www.epicurean.com/calc/

  HERE’S ANOTHER SITE along these same lines. It doesn’t convert for you, but gives the alternative weights etc.

  http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001723.html

  About the Author

  MULTI-PUBLISHED, BEST selling and award-winning author, Cheryl Wright, former secretary, debt collector, account manager, writing coach, and shopping tour hostess, loves reading.

  She writes both contemporary and historical western romance, as well as contemporary romance and romantic suspense.

  She lives in Melbourne, Australia, and is married with two adult children and has six grandchildren.

  When she’s not writing, she can be found in her craft room making greeting cards.

  Check out Cheryl’s Amazon page for a full list of her other books.

  Join Cheryl's newsletter here, to learn more about her books.

  Other Links:

  http://cheryl-wright.com

  https://www.facebook.com/cherylwrightauthor

  I hope you have enjoyed my favourite Christmas recipes, and they soon become yours.

  Merry Christmas!