Christmas Cake recipe

I thought that some people might be interested in my Christmas cake recipe.....

It is from Family Circle magazine (now no longer published) and I first made it in December 2000, so it has been around a while!

This makes one 8" round cake.

On Day One, I mix together:

8oz raisins, 7oz sultanas, 7oz currants, 6oz no-soak dried apricots, 2oz glace cherries, 2oz chopped mixed nuts, 2oz chopped mixed peel, 7tbsp brandy and 6tbsp orange juice.

This is mixed together and covered, and then frequently stirred again throughout the next 24 hours, so we are now onto Day Three - Day Two is spent stirring and enjoying the aromas!

Day Three - grease and line the tin. Preheat the oven to 150C/GM2.

Cream 8oz softened butter with 8oz dark brown sugar. Gradually add in 4 beaten eggs, each with a little flour. Total flour to be added is 8oz so use a little at a time and then add whatever is left with the spices: 1tsp cinnamon, half a tsp ground allspice, half a tsp ground ginger and quarter tsp grated nutmeg (fresh if possible). At this point, I also add in the grated zest of a lemon and an orange.

Once the basic mixture is together, the fruit can be very gently folded into it.

Then I put the mixture into the tin for baking, levelling it off and making a small dip in the middle. It needs to cook for about 3 hours - it may take a little longer but no more than 3 hours and 15 minutes. When a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean, it is done. If it is getting too darkly coloured, I just pop a double layer of greaseproof paper over the top to shield it a little.

Leave it in the tin until it is completely cold - I leave it to the next day. Then take it out of the tin and take off all the greaseproof paper wrappings. Re-wrap in fresh paper and then some foil as well, and store in a tin in a cool place until we need to marzipan/decorate them.

In addition to the brandy we used to soak the fruit, I also make fork holes in the base of the cake and pour a capful of brandy over it, probably three times between now and when I will put the marzipan on.

Historical cake tin

I have just unwrapped the Christmas cakes from their greaseproof paper, ready to be re-wrapped and then encased in tinfoil and put in a tin until the time comes to marzipan them, nearer to the big day. It struck me that one of the tins I use is a very old one, which my grandfather used in his bakery, and which my father gave to me years ago.

Since my grandfather was at least the second generation to run that bakehouse, it is possible that that cake tin is over a hundred years old - antique, in fact! Apparently, once the bread baking was done for the day, the bakehouse used to produce some fruitcakes, and this is one of the tins they used to make those in.

I don't make fruitcake very often as the FGs don't like raisins and sultanas in their food, so it doesn't get much use on a regular basis but I do find it good for the seasonal baking as it is a very solid tin and allows the cakes to bake evenly.

I have had an hour outside this morning, feeding and watering the hens, moving a rabbit house around, watering a couple of rabbits which the YFG seems to have overlooked this morning, and then doing a bit of general tidying up around the garden. The Partridge Orpington/Black Orp/Gold-laced Orp run has also been moved along the grass a little as the rain is turning everywhere to mud. There looks to be one Partridge Cockerel and four hens, and I think that the Blacks and the Gold-laced might all be hens too. Having a ready-made group of Partridge ones will be excellent come the spring and I shall try to breed another lot from them next summer, and I shall be looking for some more Gold-laced eggs to hatch as well, as one on its own is not a lot of good, except for looking pretty!!

Now I am going to make a chocolate sheet cake, some Twinks and some cheese scones for the Songs of Praise evening tomorrow - although I am not kidding myself that they will all make it there as the gang here love the cheese scones with a passion - better make a double batch!!

A quiet day at home

I have had a peaceful day today with the FH. It was less peaceful after 3pm, but it was still good all in all! This morning, as I couldn't find anything I could eat that I wanted to eat for breakfast, I made a crumble out of some pears and pineapple that were lurking in the fridge. The FH and I enjoyed that at about 9.30am once all the animal chores were tended to, and then we settled down to the morning's work: laundry for me as it was a good, blowy day outside so I was getting stuff washed and out on the line, in between ironing the last lot!

The FH was sitting at the table, sorting out the hymns for the Songs of Praise evening we are organising at church on Saturday. It took him quite some time, and in the end I had to help him. Lunchtime came and went, and then all too soon it was time to fetch the YFG from school and chat with some of the mums. I have missed that lately as the YFG has been cycling to and fro to school but now that the weather is colder and a lot wetter lately, she is more reluctant and I am the mum-taxi service again!!

After school, we went to town to get the EFG some football boots as she is playing rugby for the rest of the term and has been told she must have a pair as the ground is so slippery. There went £25 very quickly - she has such wide feet that we had to get a pair of men's size 6.5! The YFG also got a pair of black school shoes for a more reasonable £8. We took a neighbour with us, and went to Tesco as well, so our neighbour could have a look around. She is older and has no transport, relying on her family to get her out of the village, so she appreciates a ride out now and again. Her family are very busy, working full time, so it is hard for them to fit in, I suppose.

This evening, I am going to get out some cookbooks and do a bit of menu planning, and then do some knitting. I know it is gone 10pm already, but I will probably stay downstairs until about 11pm tonight! I also want to look at some cake recipes for the Songs of Praise evening.

And the lights went out..........

Most inconveniently, last night at the gym, there was a power cut! We had just finished the first class and the girls were arriving to start the second, when all but the emergency lights went out. The resulting dim lighting was not sufficient to take a class so we had to pack up early and send the kids home. Result was an early night all round - and the HC gave me some more of his delicious Picasso potatoes.

Today I have finally made the Christmas cakes - the last pair are in the oven right now and the house smells divine! I have made two loaf shaped ones and two round ones - I am sure that one loaf will get eaten rather soon and will never make it through to Christmas. The others will be wrapped and stored somewhere safe until nearer the time, although I will have to "feed" them with brandy regularly.

I just have to rave about a new book I bought - it is just Gorgeous!! It is called Gorgeous Christmas and is by Annie Bell , continuing in her "gorgeous" series. I already have the cake book so when I saw this one for £4.99 at the Book People, I had to get it, and it didn't disappoint.
The photography is superb so it is almost worthy of being a coffee table book, but the recipes are great too: puddings, baking, leftovers, gifts, "hand-me-rounds", the big birds - chapter headings which just don't do the recipes justice. Look it up in the library, ogle it in the bookshop but find one somewhere!! I'll be trying some of the ideas out soon, so I'll report back.

We have had the YFG's parents' consultations this afternoon - she's doing very well in all areas and could do with a little kick up the backside in Maths. She is showing a lot of potential and knows her number facts, but is frightened of having a go in case she gets it wrong, apparently. However, the level that she is recorded as having got to now is not a significant improvement on where she was when she entered school two years ago, so I will be making some enquiries as to why this hasn't been picked up before...

Jane Austen

I haven't forgotten about the tapes giveaway - what with the holiday and getting ready for it, I just haven't got round to doing the draw........I will do it now......the winner is...Caroline!

Hopefully they will make the ironing less of a chore for you, Caroline. Please send me a comment (which I won't publish) with your name and address, and I'll get them in the post this week. Fingers crossed you like them.

Everyone else, watch out for some more giveaways in the weeks to come as I am in a decluttering mood and there may be more treasures in store.

Note to the Mom over the seas in Ohio - a new neighbour got me some pumpkin from the base and I made your pumpkin bread today but she got the 29oz cans so I ended up making four loaves instead of two......and news from your old house - the beautiful pantry I so envied has been made into a downstairs shower room!! To explain that to everyone else, the Mom rented a house not too far from here which was a Methodist manse - it was vacant because two local Methodist ministers were married to each other and only needed one of the manses, instead of one each, so there was a spare for a while. It is a gorgeous old house with lovely big rooms, and there was a great pantry. Now that the new minister moved in about 18 months ago, he happens to be our minister at our church - he's the Superintendent of the area. I was telling him that I loved his house and that I was envious of the pantry as these modern houses are sadly lacking in the pantry department, and he said that it had been made into a shower room; I am sure that his family are finding that useful! You can see I have a serious pantry-envy problem, I can tell! I did have one once, I promise.

I haven't made the Christmas cakes yet as the YFG was too busy today with friends and going with the FH to his art club. Unfortunately she is back to school tomorrow so I think that I will have to make them on my own anyway.

Scents of autumn

Yesterday it was the colours, today the smells! This afternoon, I prepared and chopped all the dried fruit for two Christmas cakes, and they are now soaking up brandy and orange juice in the kitchen until tomorrow, when they'll get used to make the cakes.......can't wait - then the smells will really be good!!!

This morning's DIY service at church went well - we lasted just on the allotted hour with no problem, and the music, played from the EFG's laptop, worked well. I was relieved about that. Now we have to do a Songs of Praise evening on Saturday with the same method - say a prayer for us!! It should be fine, but I am sure that someone will want to sing a hymn we don't have the music for. Always the way!

We had a late lunch at 2pm of my sausage plait, lots (nearly said "lashings" there!) of gravy, roast potatoes, carrots and broccoli, then I made a microwave sponge pudding with pineapple. That lot sorted them all out for the afternoon!! They have only just managed a little sandwich and cake for tea, and now I am going for my Sunday night treat, Doc Martin on the TV and my feet up on the sofa. Uncle J has been persuaded to stay for one more night, and the YFG is looking forward to helping me with the baking tomorrow - might take some photos too if the weather stays fine.

Colours of Day

The place we have spent the last few nights is in a woodland at Kelling Heath on the North Norfolk coast near Sheringham. The woods are clothed in their most majestic attire at this time of year - russet reds, gold, yellow, warm browns, beautiful colours, which are just amazing. We had a lovely couple of days there, and I did take some really good photos.....we lost them in the transfer to the laptop so I was a bit miffed with the EFG over that, but hey ho and all that..what is done is done and hopefully we'll go back this time next year and I can try again!

We left here a bit later than we hoped on Thursday but even with a quick stop at Morrison's in Fakenham, we still arrived by about 2pm, which gave us plenty of time to saunter around for a while and relax. It gets dark so quickly these days that we had had supper, washed up and settled in for the evening by 6.30pm! That first night, we watched "In Pursuit of Happyness" which stars Will Smith and his son. It is an inspiring film, and one I hadn't seen before. One to watch, if you haven't already seen it.

Friday we got up late and pootled around the caravan until about 11.30 and then went to Cromer. The FH snoozed in the car whilst the girls of the family hit the shops and grabbed some fish and chips for lunch, then I drove whilst they ate and we headed off to Holt. As I remember saying before, Holt is posher than Cromer and Sheringham, but we love them all for their own attractions. I was angry with a shop assistant in Holt who refused to accept a Scottish tenner because of the risk of forgery.....I suppose some people can only cope with keeping track of one set of notes whereas in Scotland we have three or more issuing banks, and they all issue all the notes - so that makes at least 15 notes to know instead of only four - there are still pound notes up north too!! I went into Barclays and changed it for a more acceptable version. In Holt there is a very posh department store called "Bakers & Larners" and it sells pretty much everything you could possibly want - food, wine, clothes, books, stationery, cookware, housewares, soft furnishings, shoes.......it is really very nice - and it sells things that other shops don't bother with, too, so we like to have a good browse in there.

After Holt, it was back to the caravan for another little wander and then I cooked myself some supper and made the others more of a high tea with sandwiches, cake and a little pud. The movie of that evening was Inkheart - I remember buying the book for the EFG but she says that she found it boring - the film wasn't boring but it wasn't as good as the Will Smith one of the previous night, and I watched it with only half my attention as I was knitting again. Again - well, I knitted last time we went there, and I brought it back to do more, but I hadn't done any in the meantime. Shame on me.

Today dawned rather damp but totally in keeping with the autumnal feeling in the air. We packed a little and then went to Sheringham to poke around the market and the shops. Two hours later, we had bought the Christmas puzzle, some books, some new woolly hats, some sweets, etc and had some very fresh sea air. The streets were busy and there was a surprise on the High Street. The town which has been fighting hard against the intrusion of Tesco has allowed a Sainsbury Local to go into the old Woolworths' store. It is due to open on 10 November, so I wonder what the effect will be on all the lovely little shops which the townspeople of Sheringham have treasured for so long. I would love to understand the rationale for letting Sainsbury in but fighting so hard against Tesco. I would have thought that all the same arguments would apply.

After our shopping expedition, we returned to the caravan for some lunch and then had a lovely hour sitting round the table playing cards with the girls. The YFG is delighted to have got the hang of whist now and wants to play often - she has had Uncle J playing tonight already. We left the caravan and headed home, stopping off at a restaurant for a meal near King's Lynn.

I seem to have come home to a lot of news - one blogger has announced a pregnancy, one neighbour came round with some hot gossip almost as soon as we got home, I had 80 odd emails to download, and I am a bit overwhelmed tonight with it all! Time to have a bath and think about tomorrow's service at church, I think!