Why oh why

[porridgeisbae]

Have people gone off Christmas cake and Christmas pud?

Both are delicious.

More for me I guess.

I don’t understand how people can dislike dried fruit though.

porridgeisbae I'm now going to reveal myself and admit I don't like turkey or any meat or Brussels sprouts either! But I'm partial to a nut roast, toasties, carrots, broccoli and parsnips. And then chocolates with coffee.

I rarely host Christmas for obvious reasons...

Not gone off Christmas pud, I never liked it. I do like a Christmas cake though.

I love both! And mince pies! I'm making my Christmas cake on Saturday, it's a Hairy Bikers last minute one, that comes out like it was made months ago! Sticky, boozy and fruity, it's lush! Have bought an Aldi toffee centre Christmas pud, may have that on Boxing Day... Merry puddingness!!! 😁😁😁

I like about one annual slice of Christmas cake if it’s the very dark, damp, boozy kind, but I’m mystified why anyone likes pudding, apart from the setting it on fire part. Maybe also because it’s too substantial for the end of a big meal, too?

I made my Christmas pudding from a recipe in The Radiation Cookery Book this year. It was published in the 1920s and contains just about every variation of a suet pudding known to man. I assume that not having been brought up on suet pudding, many people don’t really have a taste for it. Perhaps they don’t even get much dried fruit either. It was sad to see even Nigella has given up expecting people to like fruit cake.

@roundcork awesome.

I like about one annual slice of Christmas cake if it’s the very dark, damp, boozy kind, but I’m mystified why anyone likes pudding

It's quite similar in theory, isn't it? Just cooked/served differently. I suppose they do taste quite different though. Mince pies are in theory similar, but the gloopiness of a decent mince pie makes it different.

A bit grim to think how similar they all are really lol (after I'm already full of treats this evening.)

Never been a big fan of either - too rich or too dry? Not quite sure but never quite appealed.

I love them both. When people ask what dessert you're having for Christmas Day it wouldn't even occur to me not to have Christmas pud. My mum makes our cake - it looks proper 70s with snow and a Santa ornament and it's drowned in brandy.
Yum!

OP, have you tried Christmas Cake with a slice of cheese? It's surprisingly delicious......

@mamaduckbone Ooh I want a Santa cake ornament now

OP, have you tried Christmas Cake with a slice of cheese? It's surprisingly delicious

@FofB I had fruitcake once somewhere as part of a cheeseboard, so I can imagine. Thanks for the tip- has to be done.

Christmas pud definitely with rum or brandy sauce. Homemade mince pies with shortcrust pastry and brandy butter. Christmas cake yep, sometimes served with mature cheddar and port, and definitely only with royal icing, not fondant. Find the shop bought versions of all 3 way too sweet and dense, and the cake often too dry.

In my case you’re right that I wasn’t around in the 70’s. I had parents from the 50’s who still make it now though. It was probably around 25 years ago that the Xmas pudding was known as disgusting

I like Christmas pudding, but DD doesn't, so I just buy a small one. This year I bought a Dundee cake as neither of us are fond of icing and DH hates marzipan. We aren't that fond of fruit cake so I bought a cake rather than made one as I can't make one small enough.

I've never liked either and I can do without mince pies. The only Christmas sweet worth having is Yule log imo.

DH looooooves mince pies and Christmas cake though. My mum makes him a big Delia Smith Christmas cake to have to himself!

This year I bought a Dundee cake

@RampantIvy Aww but the cherries in fruit cakes are the best bit. Maybe you could get some glace cherries to go with it.

I’ve never liked either. Don’t like dried fruit (even our wedding cake had a sponge layer) and detest marzipan

My mum makes him a big Delia Smith Christmas cake to have to himself!

@MrsToothyBitch Sounds like a great mum and MiL.

My bestie has kidney failure so my mum makes him a special one with reduced/substituted ingredients as they're not allowed much fruit or marzipan. I end up eating most of that too tho

My 7 year old loves it all! She'd fight you for the last mince pie! I'm a fan too

I'm the opposite OP, I've started to like them more over the years. I especially love dark, rich Christmas puddings with brandy butter and/or cream 😋 M and S do a lovely one.

As for marzipan, I clearly have the taste buds of a heathen as I could happily eat it by the block 😳

I ate my third (individual!) Xmas pudding with cream of the month last night.

Not a fan of Xmas cake though, I just pick off the icing and marzipan to eat

We have eaten our way through a few mince pies already. I particularly liked the Morrisons The Best Deep Filled Mince Pies.

I absolutely love Christmas cake and Christmas pud! Anything crammed with dried fruit and booze is a winner with me.

If I say so myself, I make a bloody BRILLIANT Christmas cake. I've perfected it over the years to make it exactly the way I like it 😎