Paleo Christmas Fruit Cake & Christmas Recipe Round-Up

Braised Brussels Sprouts, Quirky Cooking
Braised Brussels Sprouts and Second Chances
October 26, 2017
Slow-Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Red Wine Sauce
December 19, 2017
22
Paleo Christmas Fruit Cake, Quirky Cooking
Paleo Christmas Fruit Cake, Quirky Cooking

by Jo Whitton, recipe by Sarah Moran

Well it’s that time of year again, when the Christmas excitement (and the Christmas stress) begins to escalate, and we madly scramble for Christmas cooking ideas and gift ideas, try to tidy up the house because family is coming, and wonder why we didn’t get organised earlier this year like we were planning to??? (Or is that just me? Ha ha!)

Christmas always seems to creep up on me. Probably because I’m working and travelling hard, planning for next year, finishing off the homeschool reports for the year, developing new Christmas recipes, cooking for gifts and parties and Christmas day, and also trying to take some time out with family and friends. 

However, we DID manage to get a beautiful Quirky Christmas recipe ebook together using the grain free dough/pastry recipe from our Life-Changing Food cookbook – yay us!!! Hopefully you got your copy via our newsletter, but if not you can subscribe to our newsletter and you’ll get the link in your confirmation email*. (If you don’t have our cookbook – or it’s wrapped up and sitting under your Christmas tree and you’re not allowed to open it yet – you can use your favourite pastry recipe with our filling ideas, so make sure you check it out!)

* Note: If you are already subscribed to our newsletter and can’t find the link to the ebook, we’ll send it out again soon in our Christmas Cooking Newsletter!

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For those of you are still trying to work out your Christmas cooking, here’s a Quirky Christmas Recipe Round-Up for you, as well as our new Paleo Christmas Fruit Cake recipe. And don’t miss our latest Christmas podcasts with three very inspiring women – you’ll find them very helpful for planning your Christmas menus, and calming down that Christmas stress with simple ideas and helpful ways to make this season a time of love, joy, peace, and deliciousness!!


 
Listen in to our Christmas podcasts here:

 

Quirky Christmas Recipe Round-Up

Chocolate Christmas Tree, Quirky Cooking
Raspberry Jelly Cheesecake Slice, Quirky Cooking
Raw Macadamia Lime Cheesecake, Quirky Cooking

Breakfast Ideas

  • Christmas Breakfast Casserole (pictured left) – prepare ahead with a delicious casserole you can pop into the oven on Christmas morning while everyone opens their gifts!
  • Huevos Rancheros – another savoury breakfast favourite that can be prepared ahead
  • Pancakes, 3 Ways (spelt, gluten free & grain free options) – for those who like a sweet breakfast on Christmas morning; serve with blueberry syrup for a delicious start to the day
  • Chia Pudding with Roasted Berries – prepare ahead and layer in the morning
  • Coconut Vanilla Rice Pudding – an old favourite; add some sultanas and spices to make it Christmassy if you like!
  • Banana Pecan Spice Bread – keep it simple and make this bread days ahead, slice and freeze, and toast on Christmas morning

Mains, Sides & Salads

Baking & Treats

  • Christmas pastries (grain free) – see our Quirky Christmas Recipes Ebook (above) for party favourites like Chocolate Hazelnut Christmas Tree (pictured left), Grain Free Mince Pies, Boxing Day Pasties, Mini Beigli, Apple & Nutmeg Franigpane Tarte, Feta & Mint Fatayer, and more!
  • Steamed Christmas puddings (grain free) – GAPS & Paleo friendly recipe with Thermomix method
  • Gingerbread Biscuits (grain free) – make your gingerbread men and gingerbread stars, and even Pfeffernussen with this dough!
  • Chocolate – our favourite chocolate recipe is in our LCF cookbook – Nutty Chocolate – or if you don’t have the book use this recipe and get creative with fillings!
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge – cheaper than chocolate as it used butter instead of cacao butter, and very ‘moreish’ – we nickname it ‘fat bomb fudge’ as it’s half peanut butter, half butter!
  • Rapadura & Maple Syrup Butter Toffee – my kids’ favourite Christmas time treat, perfect for a little treat in Christmas stockings, or for gifts

Desserts

  • Raspberry Jelly Cheesecake Slice (both dairy & dairy free versions) – this looks so festive with the bright red jelly on top, and is a healthy, delicious version of an old favourite!
  • Raw Macadamia Lime Cheesecake (dairy free) – a Quirky Cooking classic, loved by thousands of people the world over! If you’ve never tried it, you need to!!
  • Lemon Berry Trifle (gluten free, grain free) – this quirky trifle is a healthier version of traditional trifle, but don’t be scared off – it’s always been a hit at every party I’ve taken it to!
  • Strawberry Jelly Pie (gluten free, grain free) – beautiful, bright red, strawberries-in-jelly filling with an almond meal pastry
  • Coconut Vanilla Sorbet (dairy free) – this sorbet is very refreshing, great for a hot Christmas day, served alongside pie or fresh berries
  • Dairy Free Chocolate Mousse – simple to make, and an impressive dessert served in crystal glasses with fresh berries on top!
  • And of course our Paleo Christmas Cake, recipe below!
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HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

We hope you have a wonderful holiday with family and friends, plenty of delicious, wholesome food, and some time out to rest and recover from a busy year. Please post some photos of your Christmas cooking in our Quirky Cooking Chat Group or tag #quirkycooking or #lifechangingfood on Instagram, we’d love to see what you make! 😀

Love from Jo, Fouad and the team at Quirky Cooking xx

Paleo Christmas Fruit Cake

Spice up your Christmas with this delicious, grain free Christmas Cake!

Paleo Christmas Cake (Grain Free)
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Ingredients
  1. 100g Medjool dates, pitted
  2. 1 large orange, zest and juice (100g juice)
  3. 3 eggs
  4. 1 tsp vanilla extract
  5. 60g olive oil, macadamia oil or coconut oil
  6. 600g dried fruit, preservative and oil free, chopped finely (eg. sultanas, raisins, apricots, cranberries and figs)
  7. 100g whole pecans
  8. 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  9. 1 tsp ground ginger
  10. 1 tsp nutmeg
  11. 1 tsp mixed spice
  12. ¼ tsp salt
  13. 200g almond meal
  14. 100g (approx) blanched almonds or pecans, to decorate
Thermomix Method
  1. Preheat oven to 150ºC.
  2. Grease and line a 22cm round cake tin.
  3. Place pitted dates into TM bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 6.
  4. Add orange zest and juice, eggs, vanilla and oil and mix 5 sec/speed 4.
  5. Add fruit, pecans, spices, salt and almond meal and mix 10 sec/Reverse/speed 4.
  6. Scrape edges of bowl and mix 5 sec/Reverse/speed 4.
  7. Pour into prepared cake tin and decorate with blanched almonds.
  8. Bake 1 ¼ -1 ½ hours (check by inserting skewer into cake after 1 ¼ hours) on the middle rack of the oven.
  9. Cool in tin before serving.
Conventional Method
  1. Preheat oven to 150ºC.
  2. Grease and line a 22cm round cake tin.
  3. Chop pitted dates finely in a food processor or by hand.
  4. Mix together chopped dates, orange zest and juice, eggs, vanilla and oil in a large bowl or food processor, until well combined.
  5. Add fruit, pecans, spices, salt and almond meal and mix until combined.
  6. Pour into prepared cake tin and decorate with blanched almonds.
  7. Bake 1 ¼ -1 ½ hours (check by inserting skewer into cake after 1 ¼ hours) on the middle rack of the oven.
  8. Cool in tin before serving.
Quirky Cooking https://www.quirkycooking.com.au/

Our lovely assistant, Sarah Moran from Pursue What is Lovely, has joined us in the kitchen to develop this great recipe for Paleo Christmas Fruit Cake for us. Thanks Sarah!

 

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26 Comments

  1. Annabelle says:
    December 15, 2017 at 11:27 am

    Any chance anyone has tried this egg free?

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      December 16, 2017 at 7:10 pm

      No we haven’t, it would probably need a bit of baking powder if you replace the eggs, as it’s already quite a dense cake and the eggs help it to rise.

      Reply
    • Sarah Tangye says:
      December 20, 2018 at 9:16 pm

      Use chia seeds in water to make chia eggs. 1 tablespoon chia seeds to 2-3 tablespoons water. let it soak for 15 minutes. It ill go gluggy and a perfect substitute for eggs

      Reply
  2. Heidi Holt says:
    December 16, 2017 at 11:09 am

    Oh Jo and Fouad!! Thank you thank you for all of these paleo and gluten free recipes for Christmas! I cannot Wait get into the kitchen and start cooking now. Mwah!

    Reply
  3. Jen Crawford says:
    December 17, 2017 at 5:04 am

    Hi Jo. Thank you for your beautiful recipes. I was wondering how far ahead the cake can be made and how long it will keep for? Have a lovely Christmas. Jen

    Reply
  4. Nancy says:
    December 17, 2017 at 9:17 am

    Would that be 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract?

    Reply
  5. Therese says:
    December 18, 2017 at 9:10 am

    I had a piece of this cake made by my daughter in law! it was so delicious , I’m off to get the ingredients to make it now!

    Reply
  6. Karen says:
    December 19, 2017 at 8:31 am

    Hey Jo, I have made the same Womens Weekly cake for over 30 years up until 3 years ago when I gave up grains and have not made one since, but your Paleo Christmas Cake will be the start of a new tradition. Fabulous!

    Reply
  7. Selina says:
    December 19, 2017 at 8:57 pm

    How long will this cake keep for Jo? Thank you

    Reply
  8. Christmas recipes roundup - Live Well Physio says:
    December 20, 2017 at 12:08 pm

    […] Paleo Christmas Fruit Cake […]

    Reply
  9. Tracey says:
    December 22, 2017 at 11:17 am

    Made this cake today, it’s so easy to make. It’s in the oven now, wish I could share a pic. Thanks Jo for all your grain free, dairy free recipes, Merry Christmas to you and your family.

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      January 3, 2018 at 3:21 pm

      Yay Tracey! What did you think of the cake? 🙂 Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas too. xx (PS – feel free to share pics on Facebook or instagram)

      Reply
  10. Sarah Pearce says:
    December 23, 2017 at 11:44 am

    Hello beautiful Jo. Can you make the grain free dough a few days before using for the Choc hazelnut tree?

    Reply
  11. Jacquelyn says:
    December 24, 2017 at 12:37 pm

    Thank you for giving me back Christmas cake! My mum has a tradition of making boozy Christmas cakes so it doesn’t seem like Christmas without drunken raisins- so I snuck in brandy to soak the fruit instead of orange juice – delicious!!

    Reply
  12. Naomi says:
    December 28, 2017 at 3:34 pm

    Thanks for this recipe Jo. I made this cake for my dad. My mum who recently passed away would make fruit cake often. He loved it and loves that it’s a healthy version. Have you ever tried soaking the fruit in brandy or rum? It would make it quite wet tho wouldn’t it…maybe just add some more almond meal do you think?

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      January 3, 2018 at 3:12 pm

      Hi Naomi, glad your dad loved the cake. 🙂 Yes, you can soak the fruit first (soak overnight to soak up the brandy/rum). It is very moist so you could add a little more almond meal but it’s not necessary. xx

      Reply
  13. Kerri says:
    January 16, 2018 at 7:36 am

    I made this and it was absolutely wonderful. Thank you.

    Reply

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