Join “Jayni’s Kitchen” this week for “English Christmas Traditions Old and New.”

Host Jayni Carey and guest Mo Godman will prepare the following recipes: English Christmas Cake, Sausage Rolls, Mince Pies and Turkey Curry.

A new show airs at 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6. The show also is broadcast at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday; 9 a.m., 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Wednesday; 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday; 9:30 a.m. Saturday; 10:30 p.m. Sunday; and 10 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Monday.

English christmas cake

6 cups dried fruit (mixture of dark raisins, golden raisins and currants)

Scant 1 cup candied cherries, halved, rinsed and dried

Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon

3 tablespoons brandy or whisky

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon each nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon

1 cup butter

1 1/3 cups brown sugar

1 tablespoon molasses

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup flaked almonds (or, add 1/2 cup more dried fruit in place of almonds)

Soak the dried fruit, cherries and orange and lemon zest in the brandy or whisky overnight, or up to 3 days. (Add 1 tablespoon extra of brandy or whisky for each additional day).

Grease a 9-by-3-inch round baking pan with a removable bottom, or 10-inch springform pan. Line the pan with baking parchment and grease the parchment.

Sift together the flour, salt and spices. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and molasses using an electric mixer. Add the eggs, alternating with the flour mixture. Add the almonds and the dried fruit. The batter will be of a stiff consistency. Turn the batter into the greased cake pan. Tie a piece of brown paper (use a paper grocery sack) around the pan, allowing a collar of paper to stand 2 to 3 inches above the height of the pan. Stand the pan on a double thickness of brown paper on an insulated cookie sheet. Place a circle of brown paper on top of the paper collar that surrounds the pan. This is necessary as the cake cooks very slowly and needs to be protected from the heat.

Place the cake in a 275-degree oven and check after 2 hours of baking by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake. If cake mix remains on the toothpick, return it to the oven. At this point (after 2 hours of baking), remove the protective circle of brown paper on top of the collar in order to let the top of the cake brown. The cake can take a total of 3 to 4 hours to bake, but check regularly to avoid drying it out. When done, cool completely; wrap the cake in foil and store until ready to frost. This cake keeps well if stored in a cool dry place. (Recipes for decorating the cake follow.)

To decorate the cake:

2 tablespoons apricot jam

Marzipan (almond paste):

Marzipan: 2 8-ounce cans or packages of ready-made marzipan or almond paste may be substituted for homemade marzipan.

Royal Icing

4 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Sift the confectioner’s sugar to remove any lumps. Put the egg whites into a large bowl and beat lightly with a wooden spoon, or with an electric mixer on low speed. Add the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until a smooth, stiff consistency and a white color is obtained. Add the lemon juice. If the cake will not be consumed within a few days, add 1 teaspoon glycerin after the sugar has been added to keep the icing from hardening.

To frost the cake: Have a pan or bowl of very hot water on hand. Dip a palette or frosting knife in the hot water, shake it free of drops and apply the icing. Allow the icing to dry out at least overnight, then tie with a ribbon to complete. To serve, slice the cake into very thin slices.

Sausage rolls

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

3/4 pound pork sausage

1 egg, beaten

Pinch of mixed, dried herbs, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Separate the thawed puff pastry into three rectangular sections. Dab any excess moisture from the pastry with a paper towel. On a lightly floured surface, lightly roll out each rectangle to about 14-by-3 inches (don’t stretch them too much).

In a mixing bowl, combine the sausage and about 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg. Add a pinch of the dried herbs. Divide the sausage mixture into three portions. Form each portion into a long sausage shape and place in the middle of a pastry rectangle. Using a pastry brush, moisten one long edge of each rectangle with some of the beaten egg and fold the other edge over to enclose the sausage. Turn the rolls over so that the seams are underneath. Brush each roll with the remaining beaten egg. At this point the sausage roll can be frozen for later use. If frozen, place them in the refrigerator to thaw partially before baking.

When ready to bake, cut the sausage into 1 1/2 to 2-inch rolls and prick each with a fork. Brush with beaten egg. Place the sausage rolls in a shallow baking pan and bake in a 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden. Makes about 28 sausage rolls.

Mince pies

Short Crust Pastry:

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening

5 to 6 tablespoons water

1 20-ounce jar mincemeat (use as much as needed)

Caster sugar for dusting

Short pastry crust: Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender or an electric mixer, cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water gradually until mixture comes together. Roll out the pastry between two sheets of waxed paper to 1/8- to 1/16-inch thickness. Using large and medium crinkled cookie cutters (3 inches and 2 3/4 inches) cut out enough circles to fit the number of spaces in a patty tin. Place the large pastry rounds in the bottom of the tin and place about 2 teaspoons of mincemeat in each. Wet the rims of the pastry and place the smaller rounds on top and press down to seal. Prick the pies with a fork.

Patty tin: The pies taste best when baked in a patty tin, which is a shallow tart tin, available at specialty stores.

Turkey curry

Curry Sauce:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

3 tablespoons Patak’s mild curry paste with cilantro and cumin (or other curry paste)

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons mango chutney (or any kind of chutney)

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 14-ounce can chicken or vegetable broth, or combination of broth and left over turkey gravy

2 to 3 cups cooked turkey pieces

Cooked white Basmati rice

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Curry Sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft, but not brown. Stir in the tomato paste and curry paste and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the bay leaf, brown sugar, mango chutney, tomatoes and broth (or combination of broth and turkey gravy). Bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat and cook for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Makes 5 cups of sauce.

To serve, add the cooked turkey to the curry sauce and heat throughout. Serve the curry over cooked rice and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serves 6 to 8.

Option: Chicken, beans or hard-boiled eggs may be substituted for the turkey.

– Recipes by Mo Godman. Short Crust Pastry for Mince Pie recipe courtesy of Arlene Eversole.