I've just put a load of mixed fruit to soak in brandy

[OracleInaCoracle]

ready to make my cake, mincemeat and pudding tomorrow, Ive spent all day looking at recipes. we are making salt dough decorations tomorrow too. I feel ever so christmassy!

OOOOhhhhh that sounds lovely if I'm cooking with brandy I can never resist a little glass for me :). I will look up salt dough decorations they sound interesting!

I have just put my Christmas cake fruit in to soak too. Whiskey though not brandy as it's what I happen to have half a bottle of.

I'm so . I love making Christmas cake, but I'm the only one that likes it in this house. The year before last I ate THE ENTIRE CAKE. Yes, a whole Christmas cake over Christmas/New Year. And I wondered why I was so overweight! So no more cake-making for me.

Suprise - me too none for me either this year. :(

this is the first year Ive made everything myself, ds is 5 now so this is a really big christmas for him (before he gets bogged down with the "does FC exist?" crap)

Surprise, make yourself a tiny one? I've made a 6" round one with one egg for my dad because my sister doesn't like xmas cake so they never get one even though he likes them!

That way you get to have something you enjoy

Or make a really big one!
I do a 10inch square one (2x standard size recipe)and cut it into four 5inch cakes.

I keep 1 which does me and FiL when he visits.
Others go to my Sis, my Dad and family friends.
So covers 3 gifts.

Cakes are perfect size for 2 people (or 1 greedy one like my Dad).

Made mine today too - lovely smell throughout the house.

this has to be the most middle class mumsnet thread ever

poundland does a small cake tin just big enough for one. I got one to make ds's elderly aunt a cake

SEA Im just excited to be actually making my own! dont think ive ever had alcohol in the house that ive kept for cooking before

:D

that's where mine's from too lissie

which christmas pud recipe would you recommend for a novice pud maker??

Everyone's recommended I use Delia so that's the one I'll be trying out

Im going to be using delia for both my pud and myu mincemeat, cake is a recipe that mil used and has been handed down through her family.

this shuld be a thread for newbie cake/pud/mincemeat makers

i found a saltdough recipe that incorporates cinnamon so the decorations smell nice!!

share please lissie?

& mincemeat recipe if you don't mind?

The delia puddings and mincemeat recipes are lovely, even better when left for a while so making them now will be great. I'm going to make mine in half term I think as I'm not well at the moment. Love Christmas :o

mincemeat

makes 2 large cakes

500g butter
500g flour
125g flaked almongs
2tsp mixed spice
2tsp cinnamon
500g brown sugar
1200g mixed fruit
8 eggs
225g glace cherries

Put fruit to soak in brandy (as much as you like) for roughly a week beforehand, store in a cool, dark place.

cream butter and sugar til fluffy, add the eggs one at a time. Add spice, cinnamon and almonds. mix well.
add the fruit, cherries and flour and mix well again.

pour into a large greaseproof papered tin and bake for 3.5-4 hours on 180. cover the top of the cakes for the final hour to prevent burning. leave to cool in the tins.

prick and pour 1tbsp brandy over every 2w or so. marzipan and ice on christmas eve!

ty lissie, will definately be doing the mincemeat with dd's help, of course!

AAm making our cake with ds4 today, been soaking for a while LOL. We're doing the GHI vanillan vodka one.

Then will get started on the cakes for family etc.

Last eyar I amde puds from a recipe on MN but can't find it any more- used to be an annual thread but I had it copied into word and then our PC had a virus. The delia one has stuff in we won;t eat so undecided where to got erhe so far.

No mincemet, away for Christmas so limited on what we can take.

Hi all

Was wondering if any of your pud experts out there, could advise on how I should store my pud (once I've made it) I have the pudding basin, do I need to store it in that? Was hoping to make more than one, so don't particularly want to buy loads of them!

Thanks

Shiraz x

My mum makes her own xmas puds and she does store them in the basin, I don't think you can take them out but if anyone else knows different I'm sure they will let you know.

x

my house was smelling gorgeous this time last week - just reminded me to top up the cake (that nobody really eats but I enjoy the ritual of making)

Sanction, could you just substitute some of the ingredients you will eat for ones you won't? So for eg. swap 2oz of cherries for an extra 2oz mixed peel if you won't eat the cherries but will eat the peel

Shiraz, I've never made a pud before but...... could possibly wrap well in greaseproof and tin foil maybe and store like that out of the basin. Not 100% sure though, sure someone else will be along shrtly to tell me I'm wrong