Christmas Cake

jings Thank you for the mince pie recipe; I will have another try at making them this year. Since I changed to a fan oven my pastry has been hopeless, but someone else suggested that half and half butter and lard is the only way to make good pastry.

That's not my recipe - mine has grated orange peel in! I'll try to remember to post it!

Soon as please Kittyl! I've still got a jar of mincemeat from last year that Needs using up before I start again.

Ok * jings* later on!

Can't find it jing - suspect a DD has stolen it!!

As far as I can remember the fat was butter, not lard or marge. For 4oz of flour, stir in grated zest of 1 orange [or 2 satsuma/clementine] with the sugar then stir in orange juice before you add milk to the required consistency. That's it really. Let me know if it works!!

Will give it a go. I think it sounds delicious.

Thank you.

I use my Good Housekeeping 1975 edition every year which gives the ingredients list for every sized tin and either square or round. It always turns out well and I have also used it for wedding cakes.
I've just got my fruit soaking in brandy tonight and the smell is delicious.
I think it is a similar recipe to Delia.

I've decided on the Peyton & Byrne one this year with some additions from me and suggestions from Gransnet esp the toasted/roasted almonds. Doing it next Sunday I think after the Remembrance Service.

GNHQ are on the case about making it easier to access the recipe section!

That'd be great MiniMouse , well worth asking, thanks x

I made Grandmanorm's christmas cake yesterday on your recommendation Jings. It looks great, I may have to do another just to taste.

I made the cake from the Bero recipe book last night ,the one with the little girl on the cover. Forgot the cherries so stuck them on top and pushed them down. Looks a bit messy but the marzipan will cover all sins. I'm using up Amaretto to feed it. The house does smell lovely.

It's a lovely cake Baubles.

Xmas pud making for me tomorrow. Cake next.

I've ordered M&S gf

I use Laurie Colwins version of the Caribbean Black Cake that she in turn was given by her child's babysitter from St Vincent. It does require copious glugs of rum over a few months so it is probably too late now to produce a totally authentic one although a later version is still lovely.

With Christmas puddings we eat them a year in arrears. Husband makes them on stir up Sunday using his own recipe then we feed them throughout the year, keeping them in the cellar to ripen. We have eaten one that was three years old in the past- it was eye rollingly lovely.

Oh I just love the prospect of making the cake and pud - I make my grandmother`s recipies which she learnt as a girl at was in the day The Tech - technical college.

I used one of Delias kits from Waitrose to save wasting ingredients , as it's the only time I use dried fruit. I found it amusing that in the Waitrose kit she tells you to chuck it all in, whereas in her book, although practically the same ingredients , she stresses the importance of creaming the sugar and butter first.

Sultanas are much nicer than currants in any fruit cake, and I like some chopped dates too.

Normally at this time of year I would be making a Christmas cake, we usually give our DD1 half of it and keep half. However she doesn't want any this year, so am wondering if I should bother or simply buy a small one for us.Does anyone know of a really good bought one?

Oh! I have just come across this

I want to buy all of them. (And make one as well of course)

I love the second one - Fiona Cairns. Now she does make very good cakes!

Are they for this year or last? I kept seeing 2013.
They all look a lot better than the one I've made.

My two DS's love Christmas cake but their wives didnt want to make them and the DS's didn't dare for fear of initiating a stroppy sulk from aforementioned wives. So I always made three and gave them one each. Last year my one remaining DIL came over all earth mother for once and made a Christmas cake, so I put the one I'd made for them in my freezer. Do you think it will be alright for this year?

The cake will be fine speckie but the icing will most likely be sticky.

Definitely 2014 Stansgran.

(They are probably photo-shopped!) Yours will taste better.

this recipe has a jar of mincemeat in the ingredients That's different. No nuts though. And you'd have to add some cherries!