Christmas cake, mince tarts, and shortbread

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DougJ

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December 1, today, is the unofficial beginning of the Christmas season in our household.

Of course, we've already done some Christmas cards to catch the overseas mail, but now it's serious business to work through the list.  This is the time where we write personal notes to many of our friends, you know, the notes that are exchanged only at this time of year.

But the real mark of the Christmas season is my wife and I sitting down in mid-afternoon with a pot of tea, some good china cups (may be not the best), and some Christmas cake (suitably covered with marzipan), tasty mince tarts, and shortbread that goes "poof" in your mouth.

Mind you, after about a week of this, we seem to lose the taste and have these delicacies only once or twice in the remaining weeks.

Just wondering if any of you have routines that are other than the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping?

Ciao,

Doug
 
DougJ said:
...some Christmas cake (suitably covered with marzipan), tasty mince tarts, and shortbread that goes "poof" in your mouth.

My mouth is watering just reading that Doug!
 
My mouth is watering just reading that Doug!

Just need to find the right baker, Tom.  Oh, in case you're wondering, we don't do any baking.

Ciao,

Doug
 
Howdy, Doug.

What is Christmas cake?  What are it's ingredients?  I love shortbread.  Yum.

TNX,
Liz
 
Hi Liz, I see that Tom has gone to THE place (the BBC) for THE word on Christmas cake--can tell he's got some British Isles roots ;)

The recipe he's linked us all to describes what I think Christmas cake is made of--and note the marzipan coda ;D.

My mother used to make a rum cake for Christmas and weddings (this I think is a Guyanese treat).  The recipe is very similar, I think, except that the fruit is first soaked in some high powered rum for six weeks or so as a starter.

The only time we come across this cake nowadays is when we get a small portion from Guyanese acquaintances.

Ciao,

Doug
 
DougJ said:
--can tell he's got some British Isles roots

All I did was run a Google search.

BTW Christmas pud with custard is my favorite of all.
 
BTW Christmas pud with custard is my favorite of all.

Yes, I too am partial to the Christmas pud, but I prefer a sauce other than custard (even without those dreadful lumps) with it.

Doug
 
DougJ said:
I prefer a sauce other than custard (even without those dreadful lumps) with it.

What sauce is that Doug? I haven't had lumps in my custard since I used to eat school lunches that included spotted dick with custard.

BTW we used to like to find the silver threepenny pieces (aka thrupences) hidden in the pud.

Remember the saying "Birds make custrad and Lyons make ice cream"?

 
What sauce is that Doug?

Generally a cream sauce, stiffened with a good liqueur.  I'm not big on deserts, except around Christmas time, and as a result don't make many myself.  this means that I race off for my copy of "Joy of Cooking" or some similar publication when I decide I'm going to do a sauce.

I haven't had lumps in my custard since I used to eat school lunches

My experience with custard was gained almost entirely in a boarding school in Chertsey, Surrey.  There it was slathered over just about every desert that had something solid on the plate (besides the custard, of course LOL).  However, I can report that my guardian families were far better at making the custard sauce than the school; also, they were more incline to put a thruppence in the pud than were the school authorities.

Ciao,

Doug
 
DougJ said:
also, they were more incline to put a thruppence in the pud than were the school authorities.

LOL Doug, I didn't mean to suggest that they put thrupences in the pud at school and definitely not at grammar school in south Wales. The coins were only in the home made Christmas pud.
 
Howdy, Tom and Doug.
So Christmas cake is a fruit cake. I was fascinated with the marzipan topping. I am going to show that recipe to Jack and ask him if his Mom ever made anything like that. Jack is Australian. My mother-in-law made steak and kidney pie which Jack loved. I could get it down if I put lots of catsup on it.  :D  My mother-in-law was a good person. She has been dead for many years now and I still miss her.

Thanks for the info. :D

Liz
 
Jackliz said:
My mother-in-law made steak and kidney pie which Jack loved. I could get it down if I put lots of catsup on it.

Oh my, I can't imagine anyone putting catsup on steak and kidney pie; Was that to disguise the taste?
 
My mother-in-law made steak and kidney pie which Jack loved.

Well, Liz, while I'm not totally averse to steak and kidney pie, I want it only in very small quantities and definitely very infrequently.

Ciao,

Doug

PS:  Try the marzipan treatment on the fruitcake; I'm sure you'll love it.
 
Tom said:
Oh my, I can't imagine anyone putting catsup on steak and kidney pie; Was that to disguise the taste?

But then I cannot imagine enjoying Steak & Kidney pie. ;D  Guess it is what you are raised with.  Anybody enjoy the Australian spread called Vegemite? ??? ???
 
Anybody enjoy the Australian spread called Vegemite?

Yes, I do; but I much prefer marmite (British stuff, I think).

Doug
 

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