Opinion: Ask and you will receive ... my recipes for eggnog, and banana, coconut and ginger cake

YOU asked for them, so here again are two Christmas recipes that will leave you feeling exceedingly smug. Now this time, write them down!

THANK you so much to everyone who wrote to me following last week’s column about my grandmother Zeta Lyons, nee Bliss.

I think – and so does my mother – she would have been rather chuffed to know that her words of hope still resonate with people today, particularly today.

YULETIDE YUM: Top chefs’ Christmas recipes

As for me, I’m chuffed that so many of you have asked for my banana, coconut and ginger cake recipe, because if you knew my reputation as a cook, you would also know that this is the first time in my entire life anyone has asked for my recipe for anything. Well, apart from my annual Christmas eggnog recipe, but I don’t think that counts as I feel its attraction for many of you lies in the fact it is mostly liquid, and that liquid is alcohol.

Illustration: Jonathan Bentley

But it is a cracker, and every year about this time, I usually get a few requests for it by people who, for reasons known only to themselves, steadfastly refuse to write it down each year.

Instead, they write to me demanding to know when it is going to appear, like the man who once wrote: “Dear Frances, Merry Christmas, goodwill to all men, blah, blah, blah. Where is the eggnog recipe?’’

So I thought it would be timely to give you both recipes this week – both for the eggnog and the banana, coconut and ginger cake – on the condition that you don’t attempt the second after you have attempted the first. I cannot stress this enough. Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to make the banana, coconut and ginger cake, either after or during the making of the eggnog.

If you do, please note, I and my employer cannot be held responsible for any consequences, burnt cake, or rum and brandy and banana cake pregnancy that may result.

One other thing you should know – the cake is big, really big. It’s a big, robust, heavy, dense piece of heaven, and you will need a very big, deep tin to bake it.

Other than that, enjoy – and thank you for your letters.

Basic Eggnog Recipe

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¾ cup rum
• ¾ cup brandy
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups whipping cream

Beat eggs until frothy, add in sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, then stir in rum and brandy. Add milk and cream, stir vigorously. Pour into jug. Makes 1½ litres.

Banana, coconut and ginger cake

• 180g butter
• 360g golden syrup
• 600ml milk
• 500g plain flour
• 240g soft brown sugar
• Half cup desiccated coconut

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 tsp ginger powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed

Warm butter and syrup together. Warm milk. Put dry ingredients in bowl, stir with wooden spoon. Add milk, egg, and bananas. Add syrup mix, stir with wooden spoon. Bake at 150C for about 1 hour, check with skewer. Take out of oven, feel unbearably smug.

[e-mail]

Twitter: @franceswhiting