I am so very traditional when it comes to my Christmas Cake. I made it in October, on the same days as Bob's birthday cake. If the oven is on for hours I might as well have two cakes cooking. My kit is rather old...
- Good Housekeeping Cookbook 1978 [Book Club]
- Salter Scales 1988 [Holiday bargain purchase in Yorkshire]
- Kenwood Chef 1994 [from Bob]
- Mason Cash Mixing Bowl 2002 [from Steph]
- Red Melamine bowls 2009 [from SIL Denise]
- small M&S Mason Cash bowl [2015, CS]
But it is reliable, and used every year to produce my cake. Some years I have pushed the boat out a bit and tried making fancy Christmas foods.
I note that this year Aldi have a recipe for a charcuterie wreath
This looks truly amazing, 40mins prep time, serves two [is that all?] It does look glorious.
Costa are serving 'festive cherry bakewells' Methinks with some green marzipan and a holly leaf cutter, and I could pimp up a pack of regular supermarket ones...
I haven't decided how to decorate the Christmas Cake yet. Something simple. One year I made a croquembouche as well as a fruit cake. Stacks of choux pastry balls, drizzled with caramelised sugar. Never again! The kitchen floor felt sticky for days!
For about 10 years we had Snowy Mountain Pudding -it looks impressive but is incredibly rich
Do you have a go-to Christmas recipe in your family?
Always, always, Delia Smith mincemeat. With whisky, not brandy. My mother had a medical syringe for injecting shop bought mince pies with brandy AFTER heating them!
ReplyDeleteBob is not fond of candied peel. I can't stand whisky. One year Deluta did a cranberry mincemeat which we both enjoyed
DeleteI’m making trifle(no jelly) and a lemon cheesecake for dining at our daughter’s house on Christmas Eve. That’s the limit of fancy food these days in our house! Catriona
ReplyDeleteWe will be at our daughter's house over Christmas. This should mean less responsibility
DeleteWe do have roast meat and potatoes,but also then a couple of salads and French bread etc.For pudding I make a traditional steamed plum pud but the younger ones prefer pavlova. My personal specialty is a chocolate, peppermint slice which my family joke I am not allowed in the door without.Sometimes Christmas Day can be hot here, so we mostly gather at my sister’s much larger house ( which also has a pool) from JennyP
ReplyDeleteThat all sounds lovely.The mint slice especially . I can't remember where you live Jenny. Obviously not the UK if it is hot in December
DeleteIn the U. S., we will be celebrating Thanksgiving next Thursday. Our tried and true family dessert for Thanksgiving is pumpkin roll. Moist pumpkin cake filled with a cream cheese filling. It makes my heart so very happy when the cake doesn't crack whilst rolling it. A triumph!
ReplyDeleteI have not heard of that one, only pumpkin pie
DeleteI always used to make my own Christmas cake but no longer bother. No one else seems to enjoy it now, other than the two of us, so we end up eating far too much of it.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea why I'm suddenly anonymous again but it's me: Pensive Pensioner!
Angie x
I make a much smaller cake these days, as we two eat most of it.
DeleteI don't really have any go-to recipes that I have to accomplish, I'm always a bit hit and miss with what gets made. When the boys were small we HAD to have a mint Viennetta for our Christmas dessert and Schloer in both red and white to drink, but they were easy and just bought in.
ReplyDeleteVienettas seem smaller than they once were
DeleteOh wow, I loved seeing your Christmas specials.
ReplyDeleteI make my own mincemeat and piccalilli. I used to always make a stollen, but not recently , I may revive that as I could now make the enriched dough easily in the bread machine.
Alison in Devon x
I have never made stollen. In Leicester we had a friend who always made delicious ones as Christmas gifts. Nowadays I buy the little stollen bites.Using the breadmaker for the dough is something to consider.
DeleteThe trusty Kenwood Chef, Salter balance scales, Maison Cash mixing and pudding bowls, 1972 Good Housekeeping Cookery Book, (a wedding present). We must be of the same vintage!
ReplyDeleteWe must be!! Were the items in your kitchen orange and brown? And did you get Ravenhead Glassware as wedding gifts?
DeleteI grew up in England but some years ago here in Canada I sometimes bought bags of Pfeffernusse, which we quite liked. So I decided to try homemade ones. Christmas baking is not how it used to be now though, since both DS and DDIL are sensitive to gluten, and DGD is seriously allergic to nuts and peanut butter. You wouldn't believe how many handy recipes here include those! I do bake some things with gluten free flour, and Mars Bar Squares with Rice Krispies work for everyone.
ReplyDeleteYou clearly work hard to find tasty treats for your family
DeleteI like that charcuterie wreath. I used to make Christmas cake when my mother was alive and a type of egg bread called "breudher" which is of Dutch origin. But, my daughter doesn't like either of them, so, we make a semolina based cake known as Love Cake, instead.
ReplyDeleteSounds lovely 🩷
DeleteTo my shame I have no Christmas recipes!! I should do. I'm a pretty useless example of a baker or Christmas host
ReplyDeleteBut the music at your Christmas feasts is wonderful I'm sure 🎶
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