MINCE PIES AND CHRISTMAS PUDDING.....

[lissiethevampireslayer]

i need recipes and support. this is our first christmas by ourselves and i really want to make it perfect. i am starting the cake this weekend but i need help with the rest

x

Two words - Wait and rose.

Respect to you Lissie, would not occur to me to make these things but hope you find a good recipe. I am about as far away from being a domestic goddess as it is possible to get.

nah

M & S

Ok, what you actually need is a copy of Nigella from the library- most people on here seem to swear by it.

Don't try and do everything- for example there are easy ways to make things just that bit mroe guaranteed- a turkey crown for example is easier than the full birdy (have a look at M&S pre orders), and yes make one type of stuffing but do you really need THREE?

And whilst dad's mince ies are served with coffee after the meal, the rest are from the store- and why not? Its a break for all of you.

lol, me too normally but i want it to be a big deal for ds. his first 2 christmases were so stressful and not enjoyable at all!

my lil bro is a butcher but we are having chicken instead of turkey, dh is making kedgeree(sp) for breakfast

in fact he is cooking lunch too, but i would like to make the rest.

ah, i know i'll end up dashing to tesco!

chicken is fine, we're having one of thsoe duck stuffed into a chicken into a turkey things. well not for christmas, but when family comes up a few days later.

at Kedgeree- am only one n family who likes it. It's dad's greasy fry up and bucks fizz all round at theirs, 'cept I cant have the alcohol- boo! (Am no saint but will save up for a glass of something decent with Lunch)

For pud, we have nigella's chocolate orange cake- its actually called storecupboard chocloate cake or something like that, but its really festive and you could ahve it with Cointreau cream if you wanted.

Keep the starters simple- damned good smoked salmon SO much better than fiddly stuff imo. or skip it- Dad never does one, but there are so many roasties etc it would be pointless.

Goose fat for roasties, obv.

good luck

cook your favs and enjoy

Do you really want to make your own pudding? Duchy Originals make fab ones and it probably costs the same as buying all the stuff to make one - they really are gorgeous.

How many of you will you be cooking for?

I agree with Peachy - keep the starters really simple: we usually have some sort of fruity thing but a simple salad could be good too, with a sharp dressing - it could be nice before the richness of the main and the pud.

It will be more "perfect" if you don't try and do too much, so that you can relax and enjoy it too and enjoy ds enjoying it.

there are 3 of us and we arent doing starters just lunch and pudding.

i suppose i just know that everyone knows im a bit crap at domestic stuff, so i want to push the boat out.

peachy, i'll send you some

I'm sure I would accept (to feed the baby, obviously )

TH I'm far worse than you- we have Mum and dad coming abck to Wales with us and I've already blown a fortune on rpe-ordered food - I just dont gett eh chance to do Chrsitmas myself, I tried to get it as a family this year but it didnt work!

If you want to make mince pies you could opt for the easy way of making them - frozen ready made pastry and some jars of mincemeat or try this recipe from Nigellas Domestic Goddess:

Star Topped Mince Pies

240g plain flour
60g vegetable fat
60g cold unsalted butter
juice of 1 orange
pinch of salt
200g mincemeat
1 large egg mixed with tbsp water (optional glaze)
icing sugar for dusting
round biscuit cutter & star cutter

Measure the flour out in a shallow bowl and using a teaspoon dollop in small mounds of the veg fat, add the butter (diced small), combine with your hands and put in the freezer for 20 mins
Mix the oj and salt and put this in fridge
Empty out flour and fat into bowl of food processor and blitz until you've got a pale pile of prooridge like crumbs.
Add salted juice and pulse till dough is about to cohere
Turn out of the processor and in your hands combine to a dough
Form into 3 discs and wrap each in clingfilm and put in fridge for 20 mins
Preheat oven to 220/gas mark 7
Roll out discs one at a time as thinl as you can without them being prone to splitting
Out of each rolled out disc cut out circles litle wider than your tart tray moulds
Press the circles into the moulds and dollop a teaspoon of mincemeat
Then cut ou needed stars and place on the mincemeat
Brush with glaze (opional)
Pop in oven and bake for 10-15 mins jeeping an eye on them
Once all cooked and cooled, dust with icing sugar before serving

Enjoy!!

Christmas Pudding is more complicated so I would always recommending purchasing one but if you really are determined........

500g mixed sultanas, raisins & currants
310g mixed dried fruit (chopped)
45g mixed peel
125ml brown ale
2 tbsp rum/brandy
juice & rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon
225g grated suet (pref from butchers)
245g soft brown sugar
3 eggs beaten
200g fresh white breadcrumbs
90g self rais flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
100g blanced almonds, chopped

Place mixed sultanas etc, dried fruit, mixed peel, ale, rum, orange & lemon juice and rind into a bowl and leave overnight
Next day
Mix tgether fruit mixture, suet, brown sugar, eggs, breadcrumbs, flour, spices, alomds and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Mixture should fall from spoon, it it's too stiff add a little more ale.
Place a 2 litre pudding basin (pref metal) on a trivet in a large pan with a lit which will comfortably hold it and pour in enough water to reach halfway up side of basin
Remove basin and boil water
Grease pudding basin and line base with a circle of baking paper
Fill with pudding mixture
Cut sheet of baking paper and a sheet of foil big enough to fit comfortably over the top of the basin and come halfway down the sides
Lay the baking paper on top of the foil, grease paper then make a pleat in the centre
Put the cover, paperside down on top of the pudding and fold everything down over the edge.
Cver with a lid if your basin has one or tie a double piece of string securely around the rim of the basin just under the lip and make a handle which runs across the top with another piece of string.
Place basin carefully on trivet in pan and turn down to a fast simmer
Cover pan and steam for 8 hours replenishing with boiling water when necessary

If you want to keep your pudding and reheat it later steam it for 6 hours and steam it for another 2 hrs on the day you would like to heat it. Store in a cool dry place for up to 3 mths.

Lissie I swear by Delia for Christmas recipes toppped up with Nigella and a trawl thru the Christmas issues of Good Food mag etc.
My advice to you is -don't aim for "perfect" or else you will end up exhausted(been there done that)
Plan plan plan ahead-decide what you want to do-I always make my own mincemeat and mince pies cos DH and all the DCs love them-and my own cake, but usually buy a Christmas pudding.
Use your freezer as much as you can.
And top up with shop bought stuff if all else fails(and you can afford it)
Above all-enjoy it!

oooh, the pud looks a bit scary but will def do the pies (thank you countto10)

pumpkins, how do you make mincemeat?

Lissie it is soooo easy and so yummy....Will go get the recipe(when I can wipe the tears of laughter away enough to read....just been on the thread about the fake BBC article...classic!)

isnt it fab?! had me fooled for a bit!

Christmas FruitMince recipe:

2-3 bramley apples (cores removed, chopped very small)
225g vegetarian suet
350g raisins
225g sultanas
225g currants
50g mixed peel
350g soft dark brown sugar
grated zest and juice of 2 large lemons and 2 oranges

4 teaspoons mixed spice(ground)
1 tspn ground cinnamon(or less if you prefer)
grated nutmeg
8 tablespoons brandy(or less)

Combine all ingredients except brandy in a large mixing bowl, cover and leave in a cool place for a day or two(usually 2 in my house, minimum 12 hours)

When ready, preheat oven to 110 degrees C, cover bowl with foil and place in oven for 3 hours.

Remove from oven and then stir it every half an hour or so so avoid the suet clumping
Stir brandy in when cold and then store in clean glass jars(I usually sterilise them in a 50 degrees C oven for about 10 mins first then let them cool)

You can add some nuts if you like before you cook.

It makes the whole house smell Christmassy!

Yep sorry to say had me fooled for a second ...was ROFL though!

thank you! tesco tomorrow methinks!

I'm doing mine tomorrow Lissie. Have fun! Keeps for ages too!

yes im doing mine tmrw too from the Christmas Book...its fab and gorgeous too!!!...

Last year i made it 2 days before Xmas, my mum was full of cold but she had some Xmas pud..it blew her head off with the brandy in the pud!! ..........................and it blew mine too!!

lol i would love to make my own pud, but think that will be pushing my luck tbh