Well, the answer is obvious; make your Christmas Cake.
I tend to keep well away from the kitchen when such operations are in progress. I believe that Lady M used Mary Berry's 'Classic Rich Christmas Cake' recipe. I've just had a look at the page, and the list of ingredients is staggering. It took 4½ hrs in the oven.
Yesterday was my shopping day, and Lady M asked me to look out for cake decorations (Santa, Reindeer, Tree, Crib, Sheep, Elves, etc), but France has no tradition of either rich fruit cakes or small plastic Yuletide figures, so we'll have to search around for our old ones. Normally they sit atop a covering of Marzipan, sprinkled with Icing Sugar (snow).
Christmas cake is rather like Christmas Pudding. You really look forward to them, but when the time comes, you're usually stuffed with Turkey or Goose.
She's also started mentioning the word 'tree'. Personally I wouldn't have one in the house before about the 15th (later if possible), but her excuse is that the children will have so much fun decorating it.
I think they'd have even more fun decorating on the 15th.
The cake is now resting in a large Le Creuset pot, and having it's bottom anointed with Armagnac every few days. It should be ready for eating in a couple of weeks; unless we can't resist.
Looks great - the family will enjoy helping you eat it.
ReplyDeleteIt weighs a lot.... there'll be plenty to go round.
DeleteThat's what I was thinking.
DeleteI'm surprised the children haven't already been clamouring for a tree. Have they put one up at the barn?
ReplyDeleteYou're late, you're late, for a very important date, but only this year.
Next year I'm going to be grumpy and wait till the 20th
Great cake. I've made two test cakes, just fruit cake really with alcohol and they've gone, poor. We will be in over fruit cake by Xmas the way I'm going this year. In fact we will be over Christmas by xmas
Poof... Not at all 'poor'
DeleteI'm hoping we can avoid the cake being all eaten before Christmas. I like a slice with afternoon tea between the 25th and 1st Jan.
DeleteNo, still no tree at the barn. I think they are like me, and try to keep any excitement to just a few days before the big day; otherwise there's nothing special when it comes to the 25th.
I only encountered Christmas cake after I got married and MiL produced one. Christmas cake and pudding served on the same day? They're basically the same thing but one is served with sauce and the other has icing. Why would you do it?
ReplyDeleteCertainly they are both filled with dried fruits etc, but you really wouldn't want to eat both on the same day. Even the pudding after a huge lunch is too much for most people.
DeleteLooking good. I've made 6 this year and. I iced them all on Thursday. The irony is that I never make one for myself because I could never eat it.
ReplyDeleteYou deserve a medal; it's enough angst for Lady M to make just one!
DeleteClever Lady Magnon! Like you I keep out of the kitchen when Mrs Pudding is making the annual Christmas cake. We'll be eating it right up to the end of January.
ReplyDeleteLike minds! But, I can't see ours lasting that long.
DeleteSorry YP, I had to remove the enlargement offer.
DeleteOur Christmas cake is maturing nicely on the sideboard, having been well anointed with the Christmas spirit! For the last 25 years we have used Delia Smith's recipe and it has never failed us.
ReplyDeleteLady M always used the Guinness Cake recipe, but for the past few years she's followed Mary Berry. They're all very similar, and all taste good.
DeleteWhat to do on a cold, wet, and windy, December day - I suspect it might be a very active day for bloggers.
ReplyDeleteEither that, or they stay in bed.
DeleteWhen the kids were at home the Christmas cake was often devoured before Christmas and I had to hastily make another. lol
ReplyDeleteBriony
x
I hope there'll be some left for post-Christmas teas.
DeleteI am going to make a boiled fruit cake on my next days off
ReplyDeleteEveryone's at it; cakes by the dozen!
DeleteI find Christmas cake a little bit too rich so I shall make a whisky Dundee cake instead. Doesn't last too long though.
ReplyDeleteThey are really far too rich, so small slices are best. It's difficult to know quite when to eat a piece, so as not to spoil the next meal.
DeleteThat looks AMAZING. Although I'm a savoury cook, I am quite good at the old Christmas cake ! I start mine around late October and then feed it with booze until the big day but, I haven't made one for a few years .... it seems to get neglected and other things are liked better. We aren't really a cake family and, another thing that is a problem is that our son, who loves his food and isn't fussy, can't stand anything with dried fruit in it so, he doesn't like, Christmas cake, Christmas pudding or mince pies.We all have them and he has a chocolate fondant ! XXXX
ReplyDeleteI object to nuts and green angelica in cakes. I got my way with the green bits, but was too late to stop the chopped almonds.
DeleteI've never had a proper English Christmas cake, only the poor substitute of American fruit cake, which I don't enjoy. Yours looks good though. How about I pop over and have a slice with some tea???
ReplyDeleteYou'd be very welcome, but you may have to be quick!
DeleteI love the cakes and puddings but I can not have all the brandy and such that goes into them.
ReplyDeleteSo enjoy reading all the different things that are baked and cooked at your home.
The alcohol disappears, but it just leaves a beautiful aroma.
DeleteThat is a lovely tradition and having your grandsons around for all the festivities, will make this a lovely and memorable Christmas.
ReplyDeleteWe are having the same weather today and I will be in the kitchen also. I will be baking Christmas cookies which is an American tradition. Unfortunately it will just be My Retired Man and I who will eat them.
We have held with the same traditional Christmas fare since I can remember. Nothing ever changes; only the amount of people we have around the table, etc.
DeleteLuckily rich fruit cake is something I can resist,
ReplyDeleteOne a year is enough!
DeleteI understand that Christmas cakes and Christmas trees hold the same schedule.
ReplyDeleteNormally the cake is made about a month before Christmas, and the tree brought inside just 6 days before. The tree is then taken down 6 days after (making the 12 days of Christmas, but the cake is usually long gone.
DeleteWell, that looks pretty amazing! Things haven't got off to a great start here re prepping. Plastic tree up but no decorations on, biscuits have been planned, maybe mince pies (courtesy of Lady M's inspiration), but no action taken. It's a hot wind blowing so the oven doesn't tempt, and a strange ailment has struck me down so I cannot do anything beyond loll. And anyways, it seems we'll be only 3 for Xmas this year, so fancy treats in the foodstuffs department may just be too silly!
ReplyDelete