Reply to: When's the right time to make XMas cake/pudding?

[Pogle]

I have a special Christmas pudding tin that allows you to make a round pudding with just one flat side to stand it on - Beano stylee
And I usually make my Christmas cakes about the first week of Dec, but as I am on t'bench maybe I should do them this week.....

[d000hg]

Has anyone ever tried or considered using something like amaretto in an Xmas cake? Not sure if the combination with marzipan would be overpowering or complementary (we both love marzipan).

[cojak]

The only Christmas Pud I like:

Marguerite Patten's recipe for microwave Christmas pudding

Ingredients (serves 4-6)
50g Butter
50g plain flour
Half a teaspoon of mixed spice
75g white breadcrumbs
100g soft dark brown sugar
150g sultanas
75g Raisins
50g Dates
50g Cherries
125g currants
25g coarsely chopped peel
grated rind and juice of half lemon
2 eggs
2 tablespoon treacle
1 tablespoon golden syrup
50ml Orange Juice
50ml Apple Juice

Method:
Sieve all the dry ingredients together and mix well.
Stir in all remaining ingredients until completely mixed.
Lightly grease a half litre (1 pint) pudding basin and fill with the mixture.
Cover with cling film and make a slit in the top to allow steam to escape.
Cook on microwave high for 10 minutes.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes after cooking.
Sprinkle with brandy and serve.

My instant Chirstmas pud!!

Marguerite Patten is a goddess and one of the most modern bakers going.

[Halo Jones]

Make the cake this week, give it a day to rest then stab it with a skewer & feed 2-3 tbl spoons of your chosen drink every 7-10 days.

Do the last feed 5 days before decorating

My preferred tipple for this: Bloody Furlong

[norrahe]

Me too. Never like any of that stuff at all until I tried Marguerite Patten's recipe. Truly scrummy.

Nope, anything with dead flies in it, not for me.

[alluvial]

I'd never eat home made, never mind shop made, anything with dried fruit of any kind is evil.

Don't get me started on mince pies

Me too. Never like any of that stuff at all until I tried Marguerite Patten's recipe. Truly scrummy.

[socialworker]

If you want a serious answer, I would either:
A) buy a good one, or
B) get a good recipe e.g. Delia, buy double the ingredients, make one cake and note the temperature and time it took, then try it. Adjust the oven temperature for the next one if necessary. Ovens vary and in my experience that's where things go wrong.

The good thing about making one is that you can leave out things you don't like, e.g. I cannot stand candied peel, vile stuff.

[MaryPoppins]

I'd never eat home made, never mind shop made, anything with dried fruit of any kind is evil.

Don't get me started on mince pies

I shouldn't eat it given the reaction it gives me but I love it, figure its worth the risk/time on the loo

[norrahe]

Ooh crikey no, I don't think so. I'm not fussy about much but I'd never eat shop bought xmas pud. Get cracking now!

I'd never eat home made, never mind shop made, anything with dried fruit of any kind is evil.

Don't get me started on mince pies

[mudskipper]

Marguerite Patten? Isn't she ancient? I thought she pre-dated microwaves.

She's 97. Here she is 5 years ago aged 92



Looking fine, so must be doing something right. Mich?

[barrydidit]

It's called 'stir up Sunday'. Wikipedia says it's 24th Nov this year. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stir-up_Sunday

Seem to recall my mum always did it at half term, which would be about now.

[mudskipper]

The only Christmas Pud I like:

Marguerite Patten's recipe for microwave Christmas pudding

Ingredients (serves 4-6)
50g Butter
50g plain flour
Half a teaspoon of mixed spice
75g white breadcrumbs
100g soft dark brown sugar
150g sultanas
75g Raisins
50g Dates
50g Cherries
125g currants
25g coarsely chopped peel
grated rind and juice of half lemon
2 eggs
2 tablespoon treacle
1 tablespoon golden syrup
50ml Orange Juice
50ml Apple Juice

Method:
Sieve all the dry ingredients together and mix well.
Stir in all remaining ingredients until completely mixed.
Lightly grease a half litre (1 pint) pudding basin and fill with the mixture.
Cover with cling film and make a slit in the top to allow steam to escape.
Cook on microwave high for 10 minutes.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes after cooking.
Sprinkle with brandy and serve.

Marguerite Patten? Isn't she ancient? I thought she pre-dated microwaves.

[norrahe]

We normally buy a pudding and don't bother about a cake even though we love it, but this year my mother and brother are joining us for Xmas so maybe it's worth the effort.

Is it too soon or even too late to make these? Should I have started last Xmas?!

Now is normally a good time, you just need to keep moistening the cake with brandy once week until xmas. My mother used to use poitin.

[alluvial]

The only Christmas Pud I like:

Marguerite Patten's recipe for microwave Christmas pudding

Ingredients (serves 4-6)
50g Butter
50g plain flour
Half a teaspoon of mixed spice
75g white breadcrumbs
100g soft dark brown sugar
150g sultanas
75g Raisins
50g Dates
50g Cherries
125g currants
25g coarsely chopped peel
grated rind and juice of half lemon
2 eggs
2 tablespoon treacle
1 tablespoon golden syrup
50ml Orange Juice
50ml Apple Juice

Method:
Sieve all the dry ingredients together and mix well.
Stir in all remaining ingredients until completely mixed.
Lightly grease a half litre (1 pint) pudding basin and fill with the mixture.
Cover with cling film and make a slit in the top to allow steam to escape.
Cook on microwave high for 10 minutes.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes after cooking.
Sprinkle with brandy and serve.

[MaryPoppins]

TBH I think we probably will buy a pudding, they are not expensive and generally of great quality.

Ooh crikey no, I don't think so. I'm not fussy about much but I'd never eat shop bought xmas pud. Get cracking now!