Fellatio's thread for a PONCETASTIC Xmas - PART 2!!!

[BudaisintheZONE]

Well we seem to have filled up the last one so I started a new one. Hope that is ok with everyone!

Jacaqueen - I finally remembered to have a look at my Angel Chime. It is small - about 10 inches tall. Very light metal. Easy to put together. Looks ok. Word of warning - was searching for who it was who asked me and came across a post from someone whose parents had one and it burnt their table! So they get v. hot.

[Bucharest]

lol @ Murderhell- When I'm in the UK I'm about 20 mins from there,(presuming it's the big blue roofed place I'm thinking it is) but my Lakeland of choice is Nottingham.

Y'know, I think it might be the bicarb I can taste in the brittle....(it's the peanut one in Nige Christmas) Am going to make more for gifts and general poncery as it's easy peasy, and will try leaving it out.

Oh, thankyou for ebay Angel Chime link. Truly am in heaven today, Chimes sorted and also dsi ordered. (not that that is poncey mind)

[PiggyPenguin]

Those little stokings are very very lovely but too tricky round the heel for me. There are some alternative Jean Greenhowe ones here which are incredibly simple for people like me who aren't so good at knitting

[staranise]

Regarding the White Company code, I had to open a different internet browser in order to avoid it automatically applying the 15% discount (I got that via an email from them).

Poncetastic top three? For me it's mainly:

1. Homemade everything: this applies to all decorations (wreaths, holly/ivy, hand baked biscuits for the tree) plus all cards and wrapping paper etc. You get extra points if you hand make any presents - hand-knitted socks/scarves etc
   
2. Tasteful decs - no tinsel, real greenery, lots of mistletoe, cloves, cinnamon, citrus fruits and spices, lovely Christmassy, candle-lit spiced scents
   
3. Smile in ultimate-domestic-goddess-smug-manner when all the other mothers groan over the shopping/cooking/wrapping etc. Make it appear effortless.

[BananaGio]

bloody cake is burnt . I had it in for half an hour less than Delia said as well! And it was covered in various forms of paper. Just seems to be the outside. Do any of you experienced cake makers know if it will taste ok if I cut off the burnt bit. I have failed at my first attempt at being poncetastic

[Decorhate]

Have just the first phase of mincemeat making, soaking overnight now.

My homemade ripoff version of the Winter candle is almost used up, just wondering if I have inclination to make more or will I just make do with the real one I got last week...

[SuePurblybiltByElves]

Spent the afternoon stacking my winter log delivery. It felt very Christmassy

[BudaisintheZONE]

Oh no BananaGio! I chucked one last year as it burnt. How bad does it look?

I bought crackers today. Not poncetastic ones and can't do handmade as can't get bangs so have to make do with what is available from the one shop that sells them here.

Am planning on putting my outside lights up tomorrow before it gets too cold. I won't switch them on yet though!

[BananaGio]

burnt crust all around it. Have hacked it all off, looks slightly oddly shapen now but am figuring you wont be able to tell under icing?? Hate Delia with her "don't even look at the cake for 4 hours" remark. Am guessing mine was done at 3.5. May have a go at another one but not really worth it as I am the only one who really likes Christmas cake... ah well. Might have a browse through all the websites being mentioned on this thread to see if I can buy some Christmas ponceiness to cheer myself up.

[kickassangel]

i'm one of those people who rushes around in january & buys all the reduced things. well, having written all the cards & wrapped all the presents, i have enough cards & wrapping left for another 2 or 3 christmases.

and there was me planning my wrapping 'theme' for this year, and eyeing up new paper as it arrived in the shops.

I am STILL using up the lilac & silver rolls i used about 4 years ago (just for stocking presents, 'real' ones will be themed in red, gold & green)

i was hoping to get some of these to put presents in.

[Ellie4]

Banana

Don't bin it just yet.

This happened to me last year. Don't check it for 4 hours my @rse! I did hack off all the rock hard black burnt bits which was a good half inch all round and it was yummy underneath.
This year I cooked it for 3 and a half hours and reduced the temp after 1 hr to 115 degrees and it was still a bit dark round the edge. Next year will check after 3hrs 15 mins.

[Bucharest]

Gio- I reckon it's Italian gas. I can't ever follow English recipe guidelines, my Yorkshire puds need about 3 mins tops in my oven here.

I remember my Mum burning the edge of the cake once, and we just sliced the burn off. Try a bit of the non-burnt bit though to make sure the burny taste hasn't gone through.(It prob won't on a fruit cake, lighter cakes though tend to absorb the acrid taste a bit more)

Am going to try and get into the WC (that's poncey candles, not lavatories btw)via another browser then for the 20%. I only need a couple of candles (I want everything, but am restricting myself)

[soppypreggyloon]

Ponciness has begun!
:)
I started knitting my teeny stockings but stopped at the heel bit as I was too tired to concentrate!
Hav bought separate cocktail sausages and bacon for dh's essential pigs in blankets. This is despite the fact sainsburys sell them ready made I'm gonna roll my own!
Also have a plan to make felt decorations with pic of Ds (and dc2 next year) for each Christmas so will have loads showing how they've grown up by the time they get embarrassed by mummy's madness!
Cheesy but if it's homemade it's still poncy right???

[girlywhirly]

Banana, are you sure the cake is really burnt, or just really dark in colour? Because really dark is fine and normal. If you scrape a bit off and it tastes burnt, that's different.

I'm wondering if your oven is hotter than normal, is it fan assisted, which might make a difference, in Delia's complete cookery course, her fruit cake recipe states put the cake in the lower half of the oven, in an ordinary one that would be slightly cooler than the temp. stated for baking. The temp you set this type of oven for is correct for the centre of the oven, the top is slightly hotter and the bottom slightly lower. In a fan assisted oven, the heat is uniform in all areas of the oven, so doesn't matter where you place things, but it might just have been too hot in this case. The only way to find out how accurate the temp is in your oven compared to the control setting, is to get an oven thermometer.

I would cut off any burnt bits if it was me, nobody will notice under the icing.

Profiterole, how sweet making the guinea pigs stockings! You make me feel better about filling a stocking with treats for our cat. Soppy's little stockings are really cute, but I have no inclination to learn to knit. I will sew happily, though. I have been to Ikea, and pretty much resisted everything in the Christmas dept. I did get a couple of Poang chair cushions, which I am in the process of making smaller to fit another pair of Ikea chairs, like slightly smaller versions of Poang but with no foam cushion pads. After they are done I have a jewelled throw to embellish, for the sofa at Christmas. I have all the beads and gems ready, and the throw itself is a pale gold quilted bedspread from Dunelm Mill, reduced in price.

[Bucharest]

Have managed now to get the White Company 20%
Thank you!

[PiggyPenguin]

Definitely just cut off the burnt bits. Mine was a bit charred around this edges this year too, and I have scraped those bits off and am planning to put loads of feeding in between now and christmas. I reckon the brandy will mask any slight taste from the burnt bits!

[BudaisintheZONE]

SunshineonLee - not sure but watching with interest as I want to make some and should have done it last week!

I was planning on making a big square one and cutting it into 4 though.

[kickassangel]

sunshine - christmas cake is just much richer (and more expensive) fruit cake. it is the cake part which goes stale, but the preserved fruit doesn't, so if's there's loads of fruit, it shouldn't go off. if there's less fruit, the cake in between will taste stale.

baked bean tins may be a bit thin for fruit cake - the tin itself may be too thin - a thick tin, lined twice, is generally recommended so that the heat doesn't scorch the outside of the cake. it could also be hard to get the cake out (though you could always use a tin opener)

if the shape of your tin gives narrow bits, they may also burn. i don't know exactly how long to reduce it by, but if, for example, you are using 1/4 of the recipe for the small cake, you will need to reduce cooking times by MORE than a quarter. in fact, i would think it could possibly be as little as 30 mins - as fruit cake doesn't need to rise, you can open the door & check it quite often. in fact, it is possible to take them out, leave them for a while, then finish cooking them later if they're not done in the middle. check by putting a skewer in.

[Blatherskite]

I've made 2 cakes in baked bean sized Pork Pie tins this year. Cooked them for about 2 1/2-3 hours and they came out fine.

I got the tin from John Lewis and it's very thick and also has a loose bottom to help get the pie/cake out which is helpful. Think they were quite cheap too.

Would agree with kickassangel that bean tins might be too thin. If they're all you've got maybe wrap the tins in a few layers of paper to protect them else you might find the outside burns before the middle is cooked.

[CherryMonster]

sunshine- why not make a large square cake and cut it into 4 to ice seperately? you can make more cakes that way too.

[Decorhate]

I have just made Delia's mincemeat - hope I haven't cooked it for too long... the whole house does smell lovely as a result though (wonder if you can get mincemeat scented candles?)

[taffetacat]

Jet - so glad you're enjoying Sarah Raven. I bought Delia's Christmas book from last year today, I've been into M and S so much copying down the canape recipes its embarassing. Sainsbo's had it for £12.99 and I couldn't resist. Its not a patch on Sarah's book, but its always good to have a wide repertoire, eh.

Ickle knitted stockings for guinea pigs sound gorgeous, I wish I had a craft bent. I am hopeless at sewing.

I am liking Christmas decs from Cox and Cox this year, and if you have a really good rootle around at John Lewis there are a few good ones.

Cloves in oranges people - how do you stop the oranges going mouldy? I thought they only lasted a few weeks. Where do you buy your cloves?

On my to do list next 2 weeks: Make and freeze mince pies, bring forced hyacinths indoors, make pink grapefruit marmalade, make and freeze stuffing, make cranberry compote, make cakes and festive biscuits for school and kindergarten Nativity and Christmas fair. Buy some more white indoor lights for the kitchen - any recommendations for bargain plain ones?

[taffetacat]

I've just read my post and decided I sound a little .

[soppypreggyloon]

Remember those cut knitted stockings?

Well I just finished my first one!
I have never knitted anything sock-like before but it was actually easier than I thought! I did make one mistake and had one too many stitches at the end but you can't tell! I am very proud of myself and will try a patterned one next.

Sorry that was a rather smug and boastful post!