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Saturday, December 6, 2014

Mmmm…. looks good enough to eat

Can I have a pat on the back?  For only the second time ever I’ve made a Christmas cake, so I’m feeling really pleased with myself.  This is an Alison Holst recipe, using a can of crushed pineapple in the mix.  For those readers who are not Kiwi born, Alison is known as St Holst in some circles!  The first stage was to soak the fruit, pineapple and a couple of splodges of booze - we didn’t have any sherry or brandy so used port, but I’m sure it will still taste just as nice.

PC050034Christmas cake fruit soaking, and it smells delicious

Then came the mixing.  This is a big mixture, so none of my mixing bowls were large enough.  No problem, I used my very big soup pot instead.  In went the other ingredients, including 6 large eggs, just as well we buy jumbo free range eggs.  Are you meant to make a wish, when you mix a Christmas cake, or perhaps that is when you are mixing up a Christmas pudding?  It all went in the very deep cake tin and I decorated the top with halved almonds.  Some hours later it was all done.

PC050035  Looking good, and still smelling delicious

I’ll planning to make a Christmas pudding too.  Not using suet, but I have a recipe I’ve cooked up for the family for quite a few years, using grated carrots.  It makes a lovely fruity moist steamed pudding, and I’ll cook it in the crock pot ahead of time.  Then we can take it away in the caravan with us, and heat it up on the big day.

PC060040 My collection of Christmas Mice sent to me over the years from pen friend Carol

We are just about sorted for Christmas.  The family gifts have been purchased and they just need wrapping and delivering.  Our house is festooned with Christmas quilts, Santas, lights,  and other assorted decorations.  And Robin will be stringing some Christmas lights up outside today, so he promised.  No doubt I’ll be required to help hold the ladder for him.

2 comments:

Katie said...

It smells good. All the way to here! :-)

I don’t think our lights will be up until Sunday. Rain tomorrow darn it.

Nancy J said...

looks yummy, and a pud as well, maybe this will inspire me to do one, I make mini cakes, soak the fruit in brandy/whiskey/rum the night before, and when you get to the part" Put soaked fruit into the other mixture" remember to lick out that first bowl!!!They are so easy, I bake them in silicone muffin cups. Have a great weekend, Jean.