Who is making for Christmas?

[albertajune]

Last year I didn't do too much as it seemed a lot of bother for just 2 of us. However it just didn't seem the same, so a couple of days I made a Christmas cake. I also tarted up some shop bought mincemeat with dried cranberries and a few chopped dried apricots and finely grated orange rind. Of course it needed a drop of spirit to let it all mingle. We just happened to have whisky in, so used that.
I already feel Christmassy with just the smell of it all

[wendy]

I am afraid, now the children don't come here Christmas day, I don't make the pudding, cake etc.
What I am looking for is a dessert I can make for my diabetic sister to have, while we have the pudding.

[silverback]

I made a Christmas cake last year, went down well, providing you didn't go near a naked flame! , a tad over zealous with the brandy, but hey it all got eaten!
This year homemade carrot cake is the order of the day, with some mince pies, oh and the homemade stuffing, got turkey and rib of beef this year

[mrs boodles]

Well, I have made the cake, we don`t have Christmas pudding but might make a chocolate roulade for the evening. Going to make my own mince pies but will cheat with the pastry as I can`t make pastry for love or money.

Am hoping hubby will be ok to bone out a turkey and then Stuffit with sausagemeat, ham and stuffing. Having a turkey like this is a bit of tradition that we have had for quiet a few years. Will also make my own stuffing.

Sounds like we are going to be having a complete pig out but it will all last quite a few days and cooking doesn`t feature on my list for Christmas week if I can help it.

[manda]

Do you know what June I've struggled with this ever since we moved out to NZ....The fact that it's summer coupled with the fact that most of the time I've been working ( I work Night duty) over Christmas which has made really getting into anything major cooking wise difficult - the whole Christmas thing has changed so much for us ...No cold dark weather it's usually it's open prezzies then out later in the morning for a walk on the beach in the lovely sun

This year I'm actually off duty ...and now I've got no idea what I'm going to do about anything!

I am afraid, now the children don't come here Christmas day, I don't make the pudding, cake etc.
What I am looking for is a dessert I can make for my diabetic sister to have, while we have the pudding.

There might be something here...
http://diabeticgourmet.com/Food_and_Din ... Christmas/

[Sara]

Im off duty this year

I really do love making the whole thing but this year ive been invited to spend christmas with my boyfriends family.... They are renting a big house in the countryside and the whole family will be there so I have no turkey to roast or anything....

But i have made 2 cakes and a pudding to take for them to try, and i shall make some mince pies but thats it this year

[jemberelli]

We're having a quiet Christmas, just the two of us in our new place. My family are 4 hours away and hubby's are about 2 hours away. We usually spend Christmas Eve with my parents and all the family as we lived locally to them and are expected to travel to see his father & his wife on Boxing Day. This year, my parents are not expecting us and we will be telling his father that we won't be travelling over Christmas. If they want to see us, they can come to us (something that in 4 years has never happened, Christmas or at any other time ).

I have no idea what we will be cooking - previous years have usually been Indian takeaway, bought the day before and reheated! Think we might go traditional this year for a change

[HedgeHugger]

I'm going to try and make a panettone this year

http://www.kenwoodworld.com/uk/cooking- ... panettone/

I will make some mince pies. I also quite fancy giving a Stollen a go. I usually buy at least one or three, but the last ones we bought were lacking the previous years quality.

[albertajune]

I'm going to try and make a panettone this year

http://www.kenwoodworld.com/uk/cooking- ... panettone/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I will make some mince pies. I also quite fancy giving a Stollen a go. I usually buy at least one or three, but the last ones we bought were lacking the previous years quality.

I love the look of the panettone that you have given the link to. Although I have made a cake, which I share with two other people who live alone, I think I must have a go at this recipe.

[saint-spoon]

I have got five gallons of bitter maturing and another five gallons of cider ready to bottle up, the white wine should be ready (6 bottles) as should a similar quantity of red. We have got the in laws around again this christmas, I will make up some sausagemeat and something or other stuffing but we will most likely just do a turkey crown and perhaps a small sirloin (I really don't like turkey). I might do a light soup to start with, we will buy a small pudding in as apparently it is not christmas without one, the girls might eat it.

[davina112]

Ours will be a quiet Christmas, hubby, brother in law and myself. I will cook traditional lunch. Pudding already made and maturing
After lunch I will chill out and watch TV then eat more food

[p.penn]

I will make the pud and a gazillion mince pies for the hoards on Xmas eve!

Oh and ice cream and jelly for Xmas day too!

[albertajune]

I have got five gallons of bitter maturing and another five gallons of cider ready to bottle up, the white wine should be ready (6 bottles) as should a similar quantity of red.

I did forget to mention that I have some very nice rhubarb wine ready for Christmas. Taken of course from Helens recipe.

[HedgeHugger]

Resurrecting an old thread :)

I did make a Panettone last year, it turned out great

Today I decided to give a stollen a trial run.
All I can say is, I made a monster!
It didn't half grow when rising hehe.
So trial run over, I will definitely make another closer to crimbo. In fact I'll use the same recipe but halve it and make 2.
Recipe I used was this one
http://goodfoodshared.blogspot.co.uk/20 ... ollen.html

I think I'll roll the marzipan a little thinner and try and roll, rather than fold, the dough.
YuM! :)

[Mercedes]

I've made 3 Christmas cakes so far this year, two are still being fed, the other one I have iced. It started off as a Christmas cake but somewhere down the lane it morphed into something totally different and no longer looks remotely festive so we have started eating it already