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Traditional fruit cakes
It should be remembered that ovens
can vary over time, therefore cooking
times can vary, making it difficult to be
precise when baking fruit cakes.
It is necessary therefore, to test the
cake before removal from the oven.
Use a fine warmed skewer inserted
into the centre of the cake. If the
skewer comes out clean, then the cake
is cooked.
■ Do not attempt to make Christmas
cakes larger than the oven can cope
with, you should allow at least
25mm (1 inch) space between the
oven walls and the tin.
■ Always follow the temperatures
recommended in the recipe.
■ To protect a very rich fruit cake
during cooking, tie 2 layers of
brown paper around the tin.
■ We recommend that the cake tin is
not stood on layers of brown
paper, as this can hinder effective
circulation of air.
■ Do not use soft tub margarine for
rich fruit cakes, unless specified in
the recipe.
■ Always use the correct size and
shape of tin for the recipe quantities.
Roast turkey
Roasting turkey involves cooking two
different types of meat - the delicate
light breast meat, which must not be
allowed to dry out, and the darker leg
meat, which takes longer to cook.
The turkey must be roasted long
enough for the legs to cook, so
frequent basting is necessary. The
breast meat can be covered once
browned.
■ Always make sure that the turkey
is completely thawed and that
the giblets are removed before
cooking.
■ Turkey should be roasted at gas
mark 5 for 20 minutes per lb, plus
20 minutes, unless packaging
advises otherwise.
■ The turkey can be open roasted,
breast side down, for half of the
cook time, and then turned over for
the remainder of the cooking time.
■ If the turkey is stuffed, add
5
minutes per lb to the cooking time.
■ If roasting turkey covered with
foil, add
5 minutes per 1lb to the
cooking time.
To test if the turkey is cooked, push a
fine skewer into the thickest part of the
thigh. If the juices run clear, the turkey
is cooked. If the juices are still pink,
the turkey will need longer cooking.
Using the Ovens