Christmas Cooking

[CaroleF]

I hope there won't be an outcry of - it's too soon to be discussing Christmas! This is for those who may be cooking in preparation for Christmas, some of it really needs to be done in advance in order to reduce stress nearer the time for those who will be cooking for families on the big day - hopefully, Covid allowing. I thought it might be a topic well away from those that have taken over in public conversation. When I talk to someone I haven't been in communication with for a while it doesn't take long for Covid to be a topic, or, given the ages of many of us on here, medical chat.

So, my thoughts turned to thinking of what I could contribute to Christmas foodwise. For many years I catered for the family Christmas lunch/dinner but I doubt I shall do one again and as my elder daughter has a much larger house we will be going there. So yesterday I thought there were two things I usually make - mince pies, which can be frozen and apple and grape chutney which is best prepared in advance anyway. I looked at the Ocado site to discover there were only two different jars of mincemeat, one from M&S, sold out and the other a Vegan one with no suet. Is there a national shortage of mincemeat? That could be the next panic purchase! Waitrose are advertising many different ones on their website so I'll try there. Then I remembered I thought I had a jar, a large jar from last year in a cupboard in what I call a cellar, but it isn't really, just down two steps where I also have washing machine etc. Yes, I did, reached in to get it, then dropped it, straight onto a stone floor!
I scooped it into a dustpan and took it to the kitchen but there was no way I could use any, too many miniscules shards of glass so the whole lot had to be thrown away. Then I went to look in my kitchen cupboard for spices, Cinnamon and Mixed Sprice. I knew, or thought I knew I had both. I do have Cinnamon but the label says best before August 2020, but it's never been opened so I'm tempted to use it. I do have a jar of All Spice but having just looked it up it's not the same as Mixed Spice. All Spice is not a blend like Mixed Sprice but it's the dried fruit of Pimenta dioica! It's sometime known as Jamaican Pepper apparently. So maybe, once I've bought some All Spice and some Mincemeat I may be able to start cooking - not sure how much room there is in the freezer for the mince pies - so that's another job! And I'm not sure how much plain flour I have, I wonder how long that lasts!
Maybe others may have recipes they cook every year and it would be interesting, well to me anyway, to hear of any.

Carole

[Ray B]

Hi Carol, the Cinnamon should be OK if kept in the dark.
My beloved has made all her sweet mince using the recipe from Delia's Happy Christmas, and as always is just the business.
She has just finished 60 + mince pies ready for the freezer, Christmas pudding and cake done a few weeks ago being kept cool in the garage. I expect the sausage rolls will be in production next week.
Bit of hard luck dropping your last Jar of mince so think about giving Delia's a go and you will not need to buy shop mince again plus any alcohol that suits you.
Happy Christmas cooking.

[Kendhni]

Never to early to talk Christmas. I am sure XmasLisa would agree with that.
There is a lot to be said for getting someone to deliver them ready made - much less hassle. We gave up making such things quite a few years back when we realised we could get just as good quality pre-made from the supermarkets or local farm shops. MIL does however still make us a Christmas cake (and very nice it is too). We have ordered some goodies from a nearby farm shop with delivery due the week before Christmas.

[Onelife]

Hi Carole…never to early for a lovely post such as yours.

When I think of Christmas I think of Christmas lights, Mince pies and sausage rolls. It’s taken my wife 35 years to perfect them but her mince pies are to die for. Now here’s the funny thing…since covid, my wife has overstocked on everything (not excessively just enough to feed a small community} this includes 7 jars of mincemeat, which if you are correct, will come in very handy if there is a shortage. She also has sausage meat in the freezer... so all that is left is for me to put out the lights.

Happy Christmas.

[Manoverboard]

Waitrose have been selling 600g boxes of Milk Chocolate ( or Assorted ) Lindt Truffles for a tenner ... just don't tell OL

[Whynd1]

We have been married for 42 years and have always made my own mince pies.
Isnt it funny how every family always say mums mince pies are the best.
Our daughter lives in Cardiff and takes some back with her.

I used to make the cake and pudding now but buy them now.

Lindsey

[Onelife]

We have been married for 42 years and have always made my own mince pies.
Isnt it funny how every family always say mums mince pies are the best.
Our daughter lives in Cardiff and takes some back with her.

I used to make the cake and pudding now but buy them now.

Lindsey

Only recently Lindsey… for 34 years my wife’s mince pies were awful…but please don’t tell her I’ve said that… squeak! squeak!

[Stephen]

Too late .

[Kendhni]

Isnt it funny how every family always say mums mince pies are the best.
Lindsey

I think that is down to what you are used to and what you have been brought up to understand as the gold level standard.
Personally I think many of the supermarket offerings are as good as you can get (quality has come a long way since those foul things made by Kipling). Last year we got some lovely ones from Lidl and others from M&S

[CaroleF]

I've usually used Delia's recipe for mince pies, although never made my own mince meat. As good as I think they are I was never able to get the pastry the same as I remember my mother made and I couldn't understand why. Then one day I had a sudden thought. I remember being there when she made them and it was Self Raising flour she used, not Plain like most people do today. My mother was an inveterate baker and of course for cakes she used Self Raising flour. So I tried using it to see and hey presto just like my mother used to make. It's a much more cake like texture than the crispier pastry produced by plain flour. I've only once made a Christmas Cake, again Delia's but my family had different likes and dislikes - John didn't like icing but liked marzipan, I don't like marzipan but don't mind icing and our girls didn't like either. So I resorted to buying one that was decorated with glazed fruit and nuts on the top which everyone liked!

Carole

[oldbluefox]

I cheat on the mincemeat I buy just a cheapie jar and then start adding my own ingredients - chopped nuts, cherries, a good dose of brandy and anything else I think can be added. It saves much of the preparation when working from scratch but nobody has complained or not survived my pies.
Whatever you do just enjoy Christmas.

[Whynd1]

I use Delia's recipe for mince pies as well, pastry is usually good. Always soak the m and s mincemeat with brandy.

I once did Nigella's orange pastry mince pies and took them inyo the office, did not go down well. My boss had been a pastry chef in Copenhagen once and she said lots of Nigellas recipes do not come across well.

I also use Delia's cider gammon recipe, its delicious.

Lindsey

[Meg 50]

Mincemeat ( made mine last weekend )

So easy a child can make it. It’s actually years since I made this recipe. SD has made it every year since she was 8. Mum is allowed to prepare the apples. Every year we try to analyse at which point in the proceedings it starts to smell like Christmas. Popular with children cos the high apple content means it is gentler than many shop ones

Makes 4-5 lbs. Must be stored in the freezer.

1½ lbs. cooking apples 10 oz soft brown sugar
1lb seedless raisins grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
8 oz currants ½ level tsp mixed spice
6 oz sultanas 4 tbsp Brandy
2 oz cut mixed peel
8 oz shredded suet (we use veggie suet)

Peel, core and slice apples. Cook gently without water, stirring to pulp them Cool.
Add dried fruits to all the other ingredients then stir in apple. Mix well.
Place in rigid containers.
Store in fridge for 3 –4 days to mature. Then transfer to freezer until ready to use.

[Manoverboard]

A jar of Taste the difference mincemeat from Sainsbugs is a whole lot easier

[Stephen]

Better still, a box of six from M&S

[screwy]

Screwess has soaked the mince meat in half bottle of Brandy,soaking it up nicely,the rest will go in and on at some stage.Bit later than wanted but we’re in the middle of having a new kitchen.

[Stephen]

Screwess has soaked the mince meat in half bottle of Brandy,soaking it up nicely,the rest will go in and on at some stage.Bit later than wanted but we’re in the middle of having a new kitchen.

We have that pleasure starting Feb next year.