Delia's Christmas cake just out the Oven [grin]

[brockleybelle]

Oh, I love Christmas baking!! Adore it. My house smells wonderfully festive, with a just- baked Delia Christmas cake on the side. I never knew making a 50p-sized hole in baking paper and wrapping a tin in string could give such joy! It was so satisfying to get it out the oven, test it through said-hole to make sure it was done and snip off the string. I know, I'm a saddo . But a very happy one Anyone else made there's today?

(i was eager to get one of these - - in the title too!)

I made mine 2 weeks ago!

Have also made my Delia pudding, and several items for the freezer for Christmas......

I'm making mine next weekend. I've cheated this year and bought the Waitrose kit - am v short of time but worried that it won't be quite the same

What's with the hole in the baking paper? And the string is presumably round the brown paper on the outside?

Mine is resting - made a couple of weeks ago - it's such a lovely thing to do, isn't it?
Now, how often do you feed the bugger?

I always make Delias every year but this year am feeling a bit meh about Xmas and maxed out with college so decided I would not bother. But today DD2 asked if she could help me decorate our Xmas cake the week before Xmas like she did last year and looked forlorn when I said no xmas cake.

So I think I may relent and have a baking day on Tuesday which gives me time to shop for the ingredients and soak my fruit.

Iamcounting - as often as possible, with lots of brandy!

Somuchtobits I'm making my Delia Christmas pudding on Monday. It's delicious, isn't it? I can't set aside 8 straight hrs tomorrow (Stir up Sunday!) as I'm out at Church. Did you hide money in it? I've never done that before but thinking of following the Nigella tip of soaking £ coins in coca cola overnight.
What have you stashed away in the freezer? Inspire me! I'm planning to freeze my mincepies this year, then cook as needed. I must take a bow here - I made mincemeat this year! I get a warm glow when I look at the jars in the cupboard.

Fatsuma, I'd be ever so interested to hear how the Delia kit works out. Please do report back. How much did it cost?

You cover the top of the tin with baking paper to prevent cake over-browning, with a hole to let the steam out. Yes, the string is to hold the brown paper in place wrapped round the tin.

Mine came out of the oven an hour ago. It was the Waitrose/Delia one too. It smells gorgeous.

Mum72, it's such a wonderful part of Christmas, isn't it? The shared traditions with our children. Go on, get those ingredients and enjoy making more memories with DD. My ds is 2.6 and I can't wait to start including him in the Christmas baking. I must confess though, I didn't call him into the kitchen to help me stir the mixture as Delia emphasies that it has to be folded to keep the air in and he couldn't manage that But he'll be let loose on the pud on Monday!

No money in ours Brockley, too worried about sister who has had a bit too much wine ds swallowing it!

So far for freezer, have made:-

Braised red cabbage (for Boxing Day tea)
Prune and Armagnac ice cream (for whenever we need it)
Quick cheese, sage and onion bread (Christmas Eve dinner)
Potato, Feta and rosemary bread (Boxing Day lunch)
Broccoli and cream cheese soup (also Boxing Day lunch)
Cheese, onion and olive mini scones (general snacks)
Glamorgan sausages (for vegetarian sister etc)

Will also be making normal and veggie sausage rolls, 2 quiches, and mulled wine sorbet.

The Waitrose kit cost £10

However, in my defence for such wanton extravagance, 1) it will save a lot of time as all the ingredients are already weighed out and I will probably have at least 2 children 'helping' me, and 2) it saves buying packets of things and only using a small amount...

I do always make my own mincemeat (Delia's again) as it's so easy and so nice to have during the year (apple and mincement crumble, yummmm), and yes, I know exactly what you mean about the warm glow . And making and freezing mincepies is v handy and easy.

The other thing I always do is the BBC Good Food Christmas Pie - great for Christmas Eve/Boxing Day or whenever, and looks much harder than it really is

Sorry, should have said, I make and freeze the Christmas pie.

Ds (nearly 10) loves cooking, and has helped with several of the recipes .

I've made 16 christmas cakes so far with another 5 to go.....

DH is drooling at the constant smell of baking and cooling cakes, then the added aromas of marzipan and sugarpaste.

Me, I'm sick of the sight of the blasted things .

£10! But I bet they're still flying off the shelves, Delia effect 'n' all. 'buying packets of things and only using a small amount' - Now have a big tin of black treacle in the cupboard. Not really sure what else to use it for (my mum used to have it on Shredded Wheat when I was a tot ugghh).

Yes, my mincemeat's delia's too. Did you put the mixing bowl in the oven, like she says to? I thought it sounded risky (possibly bowl cracking?) So put it in a roasting pan. I've never thought of putting it in a crumble. What a good idea! I bet the mincemeat mingled with the apple is heavenly. Yum!

Is that Christmas pie the one with sausages, chicken, cranberries etc? I saw that mentioned on another thread and thought a great alternative to turkey leftovers!

SIXTEEN Christmas cakes?? That is seriously impressive! I feel like I've accomplished something making the one! Do you give them as pressies/sell them? When I was young we used to make individual Christmas cakes in marmalade tins at my church youth group.

They're to sell, and any that don't sell will be given to family various people as presents .

I'll be making mine today!
I was all set to do it 2 weeks ago andhad soaked my fruit, then 2 weeks ago my oven broke

New oven has now arrived and was fitted yeturday so i have well soaked fruit and will be making Delias cake today

Frosty, I think you will need your own string, baking parchment etc. Could you improvise with something else (not sure what though)?

Brockley, yes, that's the one. It's really Christmassy and a lovely mixture of flavours.

have no working oven at the moment.

I suddenly realised I had no string last year! I improvised by stapling the brown paper together.....

Or you could use garden twine if you have any.