Festive Maids of Honour

My hubby loves Christmas treats and particularly loves traditional Christmas bakes.

He knows how I love trying out new bakes and putting my twist on things so we have compromised, I will bake traditional bakes as well as my new ones!

So when he asked me to make some maid of honours I knew I had to do my own style!

No traditional raspberry jam in these!

I have made 3 different filled maids of honour.

I have used homemade plum jam, cranberry sauce and marmalade.

I have not made a traditional sponge either.

I have gone for a festive spiced sponge to make them even more Christmassy!

Here is what I got...

 

Festive Maids of Honour

 

Ingredients

 

Pastry

 

165g plain flour

25g ground almonds

120g unsalted butter, chilled and diced

55g caster sugar

1 medium egg

 

Filling

 

100g baking spread

100g caster sugar

2 eggs at room temperature

100g self raising flour

1tspn mixed spice

Jam/Marmalade/Cranberry sauce

 

Method

 

1 - Put the flour, ground almonds, sugar and butter into a food processor and blitz until you have breadcrumbs

 

2 - Add the egg and blitz until it the ingredients come together

 

3 - Remove and work a little and make into ball, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for about 3 hours

 

4 - When your pastry is chilled roll out and cut out the bases. With this amount of pastry you should get about 24

 

Pre heat the oven to 180C

 

5 - To make you spiced sponge cream the butter then add the sugar and continue to mix until light and creamy

 

6 - Gradually add the eggs along with a little flour to prevent curdling

 

7 - Sift in the flour and mixed spice and mix until evenly combined

 

8 - In the pastry case place a teaspoon of the jam, marmalade or cranberry sauce

 

9 - Place on top of the jam a teaspoon of the cake mixture

 

10 - Place in the pre heated oven and bake for 20 - 30 minutes

 

11 - Remove from the pie tray and cool on a cooling rack

 

Once the Maids of Honor have cooled sprinkle over some icing sugar and decorate how ever you like.

These are delicious little treats and are a great, lighter alternative to mince pies.

My favourite is the cranberry Maid of Honor, I love the light sponge with the sharpness that the cranberry adds. But they are so versatile and you can add what ever fruit filling that you like.

Enjoy x

 

 

 

The Christmas Great Bloggers Bake Off is hosted by the lovely Jenny at Mummy Mishaps and Helen at The Crazy Kitchen

http://www.mummymishaps.co.uk/2013/12/christmas-great-bloggers-bake-off-berry-white-chocolate-panettone.html

http://www.thecrazykitchen.co.uk/p/the-great-bloggers-bake-off.html