#FestiveEdition: Recipes From Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel

In the next part of our Christmas recipes series, we reached out to the talented chefs of Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel. They shared with us some Christmas essential recipes. 

GINGERBREAD COOKIES
(by Nirata Kar, Junior Sous Chef, Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel)

Ingredients

Butter 225gm

Brown sugar 225gm

Eggs 1 1/2

Honey 56gm

Cocoa powder 75gm

Baking powder 3gm

Refined flour 442gm

Mix spice 10gm

Method

Cream the butter sugar until combined.

Add eggs and honey slowly.

Sift all the dry ingredients, and combine with the above mixture.

Rest the dough in the chiller for at least an hour.

Sheet and cut according to the desired size and shape.

Bake at 180 degree Celsius.

Cool it, before you apply royal icing on it.

INGREDIENTS FOR ROYAL ICING

Egg white  2nos.

Lemon juice 10ml

Icing sugar 500gm

Cornflour 10gm

Method

Sift the icing sugar.

Add egg white, lemon juice and cornflour.

Mix until well combined. Use it for piping.

Christmas Mince Pies
(by Chef Nitish Kumar Singh, Executive Sous Chef Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel)

Ingredients

For Pastry

300gm plain flour

70gm caster sugar

160gm chilled butter, chopped

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons iced water

Filling

360gm dried mixed fruit

200gm (firmly packed) brown sugar

50gm slivered almonds, finely chopped

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, quartered, cored, coarsely grated

40gm butter, melted

2 tablespoons brandy

3 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon mixed spice

Pinch of ground nutmeg

1 egg, lightly whisked

White sugar, to dust

Method

1. Finely chop half the mixed fruit. Place in a large bowl. Add the brown sugar, almond, apple, butter, brandy, lemon rind, lemon juice, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg and the remaining mixed fruit. Stir until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside overnight, stirring occasionally, to macerate.

2. To make the pastry, place the flour, sugar and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and water, and process until the mixture just starts to come together. Turn onto a clean work surface. Shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to rest.

3. Preheat oven to 180C. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until 5mm thick. Use an 8.5cm-diameter round pastry cutter to cut 20 discs from the pastry. Use a 5cm-diameter star-shaped pastry cutter to cut 20 stars from the remaining pastry.

4. Line twenty 80ml capacity muffin pans or tart shells with pastry discs. Divide the fruit mince among the pastry cases. Top with pastry stars. Brush the stars lightly with the egg and sprinkle with white sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden. Set aside in the pans for 5 minutes to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.