MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
Title: Simnel (Dry Cake)
Categories: Cakes
Yield: 1 Cake
4 1/2 c Flour
1/4 c Sugar
1 ts Yeast
1/2 ts Nutmeg; freshly grated or
-ground
1 ts Ground ginger
1/4 ts Black pepper; freshly ground
-or pre-ground
1/4 ts Ground cloves
1/4 ts Mace
1 1/2 c Raisins
1 1/3 c Currants
3/4 c Milk
2 Egg whites; beaten
1 c Beer
1 oz Sack (Sherry)
[This reminds me of an dry Italian raisin cake.]
Mix the dry ingredients--flour, sugar, yeast, spices--in a large,
sturdy bowl. Add the raisins and currants.
Add the milk to the dry mix and stir it in. Add the eggs and continue
stirring. Add the beer and the sack. The mix should resemble a rough
dough that you can shape into a ball. If it's too wet to handle, add
a little more flour by the tablespoonful. Alternatively, if it's too
dry, add water, milk, or beer by the tablespoonful to soften it.
Knead the dough on a floured surface for five minutes until the dough
is smooth. It should look glossy and consistent. Don't worry if the
raisins and currants keep falling out of the dough! Just fold them
back in. Shape the dough into a ball.
Place the dough into a bowl greased with butter, baking spray, or
oil. Set in a warm place to rise for about an hour and a half. This
dough doesn't rise dramatically because of the huge amount of dried
fruit mixed into it. The dough is ready to bake when it springs back
when poked.
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease two baking sheets with butter,
baking spray, or oil. I shaped my dough into two, round, free-style
loaves, but you can also bake it in a well-greased rectangular or
circular baking tin.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the loaves are nicely browned on top and
bottom. When you turn them over and tap the bottom, the bread should
make a hollow sound.
Recipe by Marissa Nicosia
Recipe FROM: <
https://rarecooking.com/2016/03/21/to-make-a-simnel/>
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