Poncetastic Christmas 2024

[StiffyByngsDogBartholomew]

@vivajen hasn't posted on MN for a year so I've taken the bull by the horns. I can't wait any longer !
Wherever you are, Fellatio, here's to you. I hope you're brining a turkey and had crafting authentic organic woven tinsel somewhere.
"OK, first of all, I know it's still September by we need to start this thread now because as you all know, having a truly Poncetastic Christmas involves precision planning, strategy, bravery, heroics, and frequently martyrdom.
So, if you, like me, actually want to make the next twelve weeks of your life a misery by hand-crafting your cards, finding a huge bucket for Nigella's turkey in brine, pickling pears, shrivelling oranges in a low oven for those rustic au naturel decorations, dragging half a holly bush back from the woods, and just generally being a smug annoying jobs worth ponce, join me on this thread.
Feel free to post photos of previous tree-trimming, cake icing or table centrepiece triumphs, discuss this year's bauble colour themes, debate the merits of Delia versus Gordon, road-test a selection of canapés and cocktails, (all in the line of duty) and link to lovely inspirational photos/craft ideas for a truly Poncetastic Christmas.
Warning: If your idea of a good Christmas involves Pizza, ITV, gravy granules or anything with 'Aunt Bessie’s' on the packet, this is not the thread for you".

🎄🎄🎄🎄

And, yes yes to the convenience of the slow cooker going into an out of the way corner for the day. So useful.

@TheSandgroper we'll be keeping one for next year so then need to be pretty well cooked, but yeah, I'm sure 70⁰ is hot enough.

Hello everybody, it's been lovely to catch up on everybody's Christmas poncing this morning🎄 Now that I've de-Halloweened the house, I feel ready to dive back in!

I ended up making our Guinness & chocolate Christmas cakes on Halloween, which might become a tradition. We had a stand mixer sugar explosion, much to my 2yo's delight (not so much me or the poor dog, who were absolutely covered, but the toddler laughing gleefully while licking brown sugar off the counter did cheer me up!). I decided to scoop off a few spoons to make cupcakes, because frankly 4 hours baking time is far too long for a little person to wait for cake, let alone 2 months 😄 We covered the mini cakes in marzipan and icing and enjoyed them while watching a Halloween movie with the kids and greeting trick or treaters, which was really lovely.

Now, does anyone have tips for how to store cakes? We had two big tubs of sweets for the trick or treaters (Swizzels I think, standard quality street tub sort of size) but my cakes won't fit 😅 I'm pretty sure they're both 8 inches. I don't have cake tins and would prefer to have an excuse to buy more chocolate to obtain empty tubs not buy anything unnecessary.

Does anybody have Christmas poncing planned for the weekend? Now that the cakes are done, I'm hoping to find time to get my sewing machine out again to continue with quilted stockings (if my 4mo will settle with DH for a couple of hours in the evening🤞)

@Edgeofthesea I wrap cakes in a greaseproof paper layer and then a foil layer.

Today I dehydrated satsuma slices in the Airfyer. I froze them first so I could slice thinly. 6 hours later they are like jewels.
I need to think of my table runner and napkin rings and cutlery holders. I think I know how I am going to do them.

Oh love a dried/dehydrated orange slice and they smell so good! Please show us what you do with them

Today I've finished my stars. I do love a glue gun project!

Thanks @TheSandgroper , that's what I've done so far too, but I fear I mat need extra protection from curious children & pets haha 😅

@Christingly Those stars are so pretty, sorry if I missed it before, but what are you planning with them? Are they wall decorations?

@Trumpton Lovely! I bet your house smells delicious. I might crack out the dehydrator before Christmas too for some garlands. Freezing them first is a great tip 👌

They are stunning!

Not really poncing but got our meat for Christmas today at a very bargain weekend butcher sale. The fillet was £40..
So beef wellington will be for Christmas Lunch and the turkey will be for cold meat for a family lunch on Boxing Day for hopefully around 20 :) A local hotel is auctioning all its contents prior to a refurb so I'm watching two 6ft round tables and a load of pretty function chairs 😂
I got a load of mushrooms really cheap in Aldi yesterday so I'm currently making duxelle for thr wellington stuffing.

Loving catching up with the ponceing.
Just realised that I don’t know whether the Airbnb we’re staying in over Christmas has an oven or not which seems an important consideration! We had this situation once before and did a wonderful pasta con patate which was as gluttonous and carby as it sounds with lots of cheese added in.

Did buy a festive magazine today for more ponce ideas but really must start the Christmas cards before looking for more projects 😳

Totally in awe of the decorations people have been making.

I've started trying a cross stich Christmas card but keep making mistakes...my husband says I don't lack ability just patience!

Have purchased several festive magazines and think I've decided on a chocolate pavlova stack with festive berries for pudding.

Also just been out for a walk and collected these chestnuts to use with sprouts. So feeling a little poncey!

@FestiveMess foraging for your own chestnuts has to be the epitome of christmas poncing! Top marks! We haven't figured out the Christmas day the pudding yet. In the past I've made a red berry pavlova and amaretto and raspberry trifle, which is what DM always made when she hosted the family. But the past few years we've hardly managed to eat them, they're very rich. So I want something lighter this year. Can't think what though, suggestions are welcome!

@Edgeofthesea yes, wall decorations, i found them on vinted, a bit bashed up and bent and thought they'd be a fun diy. I tried spray painting them gold first, but they still looked a bit naff, so covered them in gold fabric and blinged them up to the eyeballs with pearls!

We've started bringing the Christmas decorations out of the loft today 🫣... Not the tree... Not yet😶‍🌫️

@Christingly for me, you can't beat a good lemon cheesecake for pudding at Christmas. It's somewhere in between palate cleansing and indulgent. I use Nick Nairn's recipe.

Edited to add: I've tried different biscuit bases in the past too. Ginger snaps made a nice change one year, as did a few Amaretti biscuits bashed up and added to the usual digestives.

@RainbowZebraWarrior I sometimes do my base with Speculos which I love.

Thanks @Christingly ! So I've traditionally always done a chocolate roulade with fresh cream and a cranberry/orange jam type of thing. It doesn't actually end up tasting that sweet.

Amaretti biscuits in a cheesecake base sounds fabulous.

I have a turkey ordered with Marks and am working out the rest of my menu. I have small children, traditionalists and vegans so it should be fun!

I think the key to having room for pudding on Christmas Day is to have it several hours after Christmas dinner. And cheese and biscuits several hours after that. My favourite schedule is approx:
9am - breakfast
Midday - nibbles
3pm - Christmas dinner
6pm - Pudding
9pm - Cheese and biscuits

Love the orange slices @Trumpton I did some one year in a low oven but DH mercilessly teased me about them. He does not understand the appeal of festive poncing! I like decorations that can be reused or recycled.

I have started knitting Santa's washing line using odds and ends of yarn. Thank you to whoever posted the pattern 🧶

@RhinestoneCowgirl
Ah after 50 years of marriage DH is totally used to my endless Christmas poncing!
Thank you for your kind words and the washing line was mine as well!

I'm really enjoying the knitting, I usually make socks so have plenty of bits left over. Nice to have a project on the go.

I have been to Sostrene Grene today and bought a Christmas planner, poncing for the use of.

I did this one year for pudding - some hours after dinner and I’m debating doing it again . It’ is one of those things that people think is much more complicated than it really is .

I’ve done this too!

It is one of my favourite desserts because it has a wow factor and people are impressed but at the same time, it is incredibly easy.

People overestimate the difficulty in baking meringue. And a wreath shape is a novelty.

Yours looks fab, @plominoagain. Did you use cream or ice cream?

I did cream , it being a lot easier to spoon on ! And it gave me a quiet 20 mins being very busy and undisturbable in the kitchen ….

I think you're right @Xmasmusings , finding space for pudding is all about the timetable.
Ours is:
10.30 Bucks Fizz. If anyone wants breakfast they can make it themselves! Mostly no one does.

1.30 Lunch

4.00 Pudding

6.30 onwards cold meats, pickles, cheese and biscuits etc available for people to help themselves to whenever they want

I love the pavlova wreath idea and looks so pretty.

We do smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels with a fruit platter at about 10am then main meal about 3pm but noone ever fancies the christmas pudding as too full but i do it anyway then a few hours later I put the cheeseboard out.

I've got a pudding I made last year which I might just leave in the cupboard and do a pavlova wreath instead.