Festive cooking

[Gemini]

Has anyone started yet?

I always make a Christmas cake, and in recent years I make one for my mum as well. Marzipanned and iced for us, plain for her.
I always make mince pies and one year made my own mincemeat. This year I am considering buying mince pies, as we don't seem to eat that many (and nor should we! I have some homemade mincemeat in the fridge which someone gave me, so I may make one batch with that, and buy the rest.
I must buy my cake ingredients, I may make one this weekend!

OH doesn't like turkey much, mum eats the smallest slice imaginable, so this year we are just doing roast pork for Christmas Day, which we all 3 like. We will get turkey on Boxing Day at DD2's, our big family meal.

[Oma]

B Iced our Christmas cake on Monday ,
Each year we always made a couple one for us and a small one for FIL he loved his Christmas cake , but now we only make a small one as apart from the odd slice there is only me eats it now ,
Don't bother with making mince pies or puddings anymore for same reason , although B and I loves Christmas puds none of the family will eat them , DS said its the food of the Devil

I love Turkey we go to DD for Christmad day they always have Turkey and maybe Gammon or Pork for those that don't , we always come home with a plate full

[Gemini]

I bought my Christmas pud a couple of weeks ago Oma

[Clover]

Just been thinking about making the cake.I’ll order ingredients next week.I always buy my mince pies,my homemade ones are usually a disaster for some reason.Usually the filling comes out or they’re all pastry.Also buy small pud..

[Nana]

I put on another thread somewhere that I made my Christmas cake this wk but will get the mince pies from Morrison's. My sister said she's tried them & they were really tasty. I've saved a Christmas pud from last yr which is still in date, so no need to make one. Nearer the day I'll be making the ham (slow cooker recipe) to take to my brother's on Boxing day. I made one last yr with cloves etc & it was absolutely delicious.

[Nanto2girls]

I usualy make 4 Christmas cakes,but eldest GD has asked for one this year, so will be making 5.
We prefer ours plain. I make them in loaf tins.
Will get a little pudding for hubby,i will have something else.Don't really care for it.
Always make my own mince pies,along with rich coconut tarts.
For the past few years we have had a turkey crown,but hubby has asked for beef,so will probably do a ham as well.

[Plantaholic]

I haven't made a cake for years, only OH liked a rich fruit cake, he liked it with a glass of port. I always make my own mincemeat and mince pies, the family insist but this year I am not going to make Christmas puds, family not keen, I shall buy a small one for myself. Don't yet know if DS and his family are coming to me for lunch.

[aggie]

I have made my Mincemeat , but letting it sit for a while before doing Mince Pies , did 2 Puddings yesterday , had them mixed from Sunday , so now they have dry covers on and are hiding in my room A Christmas cake from last year is lurking in the cupboard I will inspect it tomorrow . I had been going to try the Cake Bites as advertised in Lakeland , but not if the stored cake is ok

[Daisy]

I always used to make our Christmas cake, and the marzipan and the icing, but now I buy a plain cake and marzipan and decorate it myself. OH made mincemeat last year, and there's one jar left which should be ok. When I was baking last week-end I made a dozen mince pies and froze them. I always buy at least one Christmas pud. OH and I both love cake, mincepies and pud! Out waistlines groan (and grow!) in despair!!

I always do turkey - everyone likes it, thank goodness, but we haven't sorted out what we're doing yet this year - it IS only November!!! Apart from the GSs coming for a sleep over on the 22nd and OH's niece plus her mum and dad are coming for lunch on the 23rd.

[Gemini]

I made our Christmas cake yesterday. It smells lovely I make a small one for my mum, which I will do on Sunday I think. I may make a few mince pies and freeze them too, as I have a jar of mincemeat in the fridge.

When do you ice your cake, if you ice it?
I always do it just before Christmas, often marzipanning on 23rd and icing on 24th. I notice that Oma said her OH has already iced theirs. For some reason I thought icing had to be done as late as possible. I don't know why though really, as iced cakes have been in the shops for some time already!

[Plantaholic]

I must get on and make my mincemeat.

[Daisy]

I made our Christmas cake yesterday. It smells lovely I make a small one for my mum, which I will do on Sunday I think. I may make a few mince pies and freeze them too, as I have a jar of mincemeat in the fridge.

When do you ice your cake, if you ice it?
I always do it just before Christmas, often marzipanning on 23rd and icing on 24th. I notice that Oma said her OH has already iced theirs. For some reason I thought icing had to be done as late as possible. I don't know why though really, as iced cakes have been in the shops for some time already!

Gem - it might be related to the kind of icing your use. I used to make Royal Icing, which is a bit of a faff, but keeps for ages, but if you buy ready-made fondant icing it doesn't keep so long. I've never made fondant icing so don't know is that keeps better or not.