It's poncetastic 2019!

[NerosFiddle]

Since no one has started it yet, I thought I would.

Happy Rudolph Day

So come on, show us yours!

[Whitecandle]

@QueenOfIce mince pie gin omg. Sounds unreal.

[bwydda]

On the theme of mince pie gin- I've made this mince pudding vodka to much appraisal in the past https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/christmaspuddinggvodka45343

[Christmasglitterfairy]

Hi there lovely ladies, may I join this ponce-tastic thread?
I have started planning my christmas get-together with friends, a gift list for friends and family and some DIY (embroidering a tablecloth for my nan, not christmas themed though). As you can see, I'm a little behind but desperate to catch up.

[QueenOfIce]

@Whitecandle 2 of my favourite things combined! @bwydda thank you for that I'll swap the vodka for gin.

[QueenOfIce]

You don't sound behind @Christmasglitterfairy [santa]

[Christmasglitterfairy]

@QueenOfIce a little, compared to everyone here and the last year too. No advent calendars, no food-stuff. But I'm getting on it now. Also planning what to bake. I can't decide what to do as I have lots of traditional and non traditional German christmas biscuit recipes from my mum.

[QueenOfIce]

@Christmasglitterfairy start baking now for quality control purposes and then choose your favourites

[Christmasglitterfairy]

That is a wonderful idea. In theory I have had them all since childhood. Guess I'll have to try them again anyway, who knows whether they changed😉
Will gladly share my favourite recipes if you want them (after quality control of course)

[QueenOfIce]

Yes please!

[livingthegoodlife]

Does anyone make their own candied orange slices (dipped in dark chocolate?)

I'd like to give it a go as they are DH favourite.

How long do they keep? And please can someone direct me to a tried & tested recipe? There seems to be a variety of methods....

[BelindasGleeTeam]

I made them last year. They were delicious.
Sadly nobody else liked them sorry

This year's major poncing is going to involve making Hessian poinsettia for my tree. My local posh garden centre has Xmas up already....saw some beautiful clip on tree decorations at £8 a pop!!! Not paying that, I can do them myself.

[Oddgirlout]

I think I'm going to make some Christmas cakes for presents this year. I've done it before, I make a normal size, square cake and then cut it in quarters. Icing and marzipan for those that like, cake boards, wrap it. Looks quite good I think!

[didireallysaythat]

@Oddgirlout

I've baked little Xmas cakes using medium sized baked bean tins before - quite cute!

[BiddyPop]

I made a double batch of Darina Allens' mincemeat a couple of weeks ago, I used a German fruity liqueur as my alcohol (a DDad of an Au pair we had years ago had brought it, and we never drink it so this was a good way to finish it off). I usually use the Hairy Bikers' recipe for pastry.

I also have a bottle of Limoncello infusing - I add the juice as well as the zest from my lemons which makes it more sunshine yellow than acid yellow, (and needs a second straining through coffee filters) but a lovely flavour.

Otherwise, my poncing has been slow to start this year. I have done a couple of small cross-stitches to make bookmarks, but I don't know if I will manage to do enough for my planned presents, so they may wait for another year.

I have said, for the past 3 years, that I was finally going to make a cake this year, and failed again. I am the only one who would really eat it in our house, but a good (and well preserved! hic!) cake is lovely. I may get around to it in a few weeks time.

I think DH wants to re-use last years' decoration for the front door - we used to have a wreath but he had an idea and I found wide enough ribbons to "wrap" the front door like a present. Basically, a very wide plaid ribbon (about 6" wide), and a narrower hessian one over it (4.5" or so), around the door as if it were a present, and then a narrower plaid (3" ish?) in the same colours making a bow where the horizontal and vertical ribbons intersected, with a couple of tail ends hanging down. It needed 2 people to put up (extra hands to pin things, and to make sure they stayed straight while being pinned), but looked lovely once done. Hardest part was finding the ribbons.

I'm also delaying DH cutting back the ivy from the back wall in the garden, which does need doing, but I want to get a good collection of it in a bucket with water for arranging and wreath making so another couple of weeks would be great! I know it will last a fair while in the bucket, but the longer the berries have to get properly big, the better (it's looking really nice this year, for the 1st time in years!). I'll buy most of the rest to put into the arrangements, but can get some more greenery and maybe some berries in the garden and the trees out the front.

[Whitecandle]

@BiddyPop where did you get the ribbon and do you have a pic?? Always wanted to do this!! X

[BiddyPop]

I don't have a pic - I forgot to take it before we pulled it apart at the end .

I got the ribbon in a shop that changes to Christmas from October onwards (mostly garden furniture type stuff the rest of the year) and does a lot for corporate clients as much as sales in store. They had some interesting things I hadn't seen anywhere else (and I check ALL Christmas shopping opportunities!). Christmasland.ie

[Oddgirlout]

@didireallysaythat I LOVE that idea! Did they cook quite fast? Was it just big standard tins or different?

[TheWoollybacksWife]

Does anyone make stollen? I've found a recipe for the bread maker that looks straightforward but I'll have to put them in the freezer or I'll scoff the lot in one go. The recipe says I should brush with melted butter and dust with icing sugar when it's baked. I assume that I should freeze it before this step and do it just before serving - can anyone confirm this?

I planned to make them soon because I've got soaked dried fruit that needs using up. Alternatively can I put the dried fruit in a jar and store it until I am ready to bake?

[MuseumOfYou]

I assume that I should freeze it before this step and do it just before serving - can anyone confirm this?

Can't confirm for definite but that sounds right to me.

[MuseumOfYou]

I was reminded earlier of something I watched a few years ago and tried to find an image but to no avail. A salutory lesson in what happens when poncing gets out of hand....this was a post I made at the time. 5 years ago and I still think of it!

'Been watching Alex Pollizi doing Christmas crafts whilst wrapping. I'm a great admirer of hers but you're not seriously telling me she makes gift tags from last years cards, and more unbelievably, decorates her £5 million pound plus London home, by punching letters into empty baked bean tins and lining them up on the mantle piece. Even if, 'in a nod to her Roman heritage' they do say something in Italian. Pish.'

[didireallysaythat]

@Oddgirlout

I follow the pink whisk website - has times on it too. Easy

[Waitingforadulthood]

I'm considering wrapping in cloth this year- some nice brocade or Christmas patterned? the dc no longer believe in Father Christmas and cloth is much better for the environment - has anyone else done this, or have any ideas on how I achieve it?

[princessbear80]

Haven’t had a chance to catch up but just wanted to jump on and say thanks doodle it was the snowman one I wanted to do so I’ve just ordered your pattern.

Bought some wool and a polystyrene ring already - hope they work ok with the pattern.

[starryeyedsnowgirl]

That pink whisk website looks lovely.

The bread machine stollen sounds lovely. Are you able to share the recipe. The dried fruit should keep well enough in a airtight container until you are ready to make it though.

I think I shall add bread machine stollen to my bake in advance list.

Is @hairspraybabe still around somewhere? She usually does hampers every year all made from scratch which sound incredible. And is it @trumpton (apologies if I have names wrong) who grows bulbs of.some kind each year. And who was it who redecorated the dining room each year for a different theme? You all amaze me.

[TheWoollybacksWife]

@starryeyedsnowgirl this is the stollen recipe. I might prepare one half of the dough as per the recipe and have a play with the other half to see if I can make stollen bites.