Recipe - Mini Christmas Cakes

These are just the most perfect little cakes the world ever did see. I made these to give to my friends at our dinner party as presents and are perfect if you are looking for a homemade gift (the recipe below makes 20).

Ingredients

1kg mixed fruits
zest and juice of 1 orange
zest and juice of 1 lemon
150ml brandy
250g butter
200g light brown sugar
175g plain flour
4 eggs
500g pack of marzipan
500g pack of white icing
Apricot jam

Method to the Madness 

Put the dried fruit, alcohol, butter, zests and juice and sugar in a large pan. Bring the mixture to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Once combined tip the fruit mixture into a large bowl and leave to cool for 30 mins. Heat oven to 160C, grease your ramekins and line the bottom of each one with a circle of greaseproof paper.

Once the mixture has cooled add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir until all folded in. Divide your mixture between the ramekins until all used up. You may have to do this in batches.

They will need about 30 minutes in the oven and when they are done run a knife around the outside to loosen and tip out, setting aside to cool.

Whilst they are cooling cut out the marzipan circles and the icing circles to top the cakes.

Heat the apricot jam with a little bit of water. Spread apricot jam on a marzipan circle before pressing on top of the cake, repeat. Wet the marzipan with a little water before placing the icing on top and gently smoothing it over the sides.

Tie the cakes with ribbon for an extra Christmassy touch!

C x

Hosting a Christmas Dinner Party

Every year my friends and I have a Christmas meal together and this year it's my turn. Que carefully planned preparation. ... except it isn't like that at all which is why I have prepared this handy guide to getting round the kitchen with ease for those parties that I'm am sure you will be having!

It's always a good idea to sit down before and plan. Make a list of all the food you will need and when you are going to prepare and cook the meal. Luckily I have the day off before our meal so will be doing a ton of prep work and pre-cooking to help me out before the main event. If you don't have the whole day off then try and do bits in stages when you are free in the evening. I have also enlisted the help of my friends as feeding for thirteen is no easy task and not particularly cheap either! One couple are bringing desserts, whilst another are bringing carrots, another tray of potatoes and a big, fat meaty bird to add to the 3 others that I have cooked. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it!

To make sure I get all my timings right I have created a grid so I know how long everything needs to be cooked for. I need it to be all ready to go at the same time so this should help. How much do you want to bet that I still have to microwave something though?!

If you are having a dinner party for anyone over 4 people then it might be an idea to make a seating plan. Seating plan politics are not something that you should take on lightly. I spent a LONG time trying to seat everyone and opted for the separate the couples option which should enable people to break out of their comfort zones a little bit and be paired with new people for the games,

Speaking of games, it is always fun to have a few lined up. We normally tend to play Taboo, Cards against Humanity and Heads Up when we get together and they are always competitive! This year I've also bought some really brilliant Dinner Party Napkins which have games like battleships and drawing activities printed on them - you can get them here. Try and think of a few games to play after the main meal and before dessert.

Create your playlist for the evening. As it's Christmas this was particularly easy for me as I already have one on my Spotify ready to go each year. It includes old classics, choir pieces and some pop songs too. A Spaceman came travelling is my favourite Christmas song.

Decorate the house! Try and fill it with messages of goodwill and fortune and the odd piece of tinsel. We will be eating in our Kitchen/Dining Room which currently isn't particularly festive so I will be hanging a few homemade snowflakes from the ceiling and stringing up some garlands.

Remember not to stress. At the end of the day if you ply your guests with enough drink they won't care anyway! Cheers!

C x

Recipe - Mulling Syrup

Now I don't like Red Wine in the slightest, but what I do like is Mulled Wine! It's the smell of the rich Christmas tones that make me really happy. In previous years I have bought bottles of pre-made but this year I decided to make my own and it has worked beautifully plus its hella easy and will save you money!

Ingredients

250g caster sugar
2 oranges, halved
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
1 heaped tsp nutmeg
small piece of ginger, sliced
1 heaped tsp allspice
1 litre water

Method to the Madness

Put all the ingredients in a pan with 1 litre of water and simmer for 20 minutes.

Strain through with a fine sieve once cool and decant into sterilised bottles. It's worth noting that although I have called this syrup don't expect it to have a thick consistency.

When you are ready to use heat up some red wine in a pan and add roughly 90ml per large glass of red wine, although I like mine quite sweet so make sure you add a bit and taste to test. Stir through until hot and drink. This would also work with cider, I'd suggest Old Rosie's. Serve with a slice of orange or just gulp down on its own.

It really is that easy! It makes the house smell absolutely divine, I'm tempted to have some simmering away at all times just for the smell. I've already got through a bottle of syrup and am on to my second!

C x

The Christmas Tag

If you hadn't already guessed I'm a bit partial to Christmas so what better way to find out more than to do the Christmas Tag!

1. What is your favourite Christmas movie/s?
I don't really have a favourite Christmas film! I've never even seen Elf! I quite like to watch Love, Actually and I always seem to end up watching The Polar Express on TV without even meaning too!

2. When do you open your presents?
I always used to open my Santa stocking very early in the morning before sitting round with my whole family and opening presents before Chrsitmas lunch was served. The children always for to go first and even at 26 years old I am still counted as a child and get to go first!

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?
I have so many! My Gran always used to take her granddaughters to see The Nutcracker at Christmas and it was just magical. Also when we were little we always used to sleep over at my Grandparents house on Christmas Eve. Being excitable little things we could never get to sleep until my uncle told us that he knew Father Christmas and would wait up to tell him that he couldn't deliver the presents because the children were awake! We would go to sleep quite quickly after that!

4. Favourite Christmas food?
Pigs in blankets, Bread sauce adn Grandad's stuffing

5. Favourite Christmas gift?
I got a huge board covered in Barbie clothes when I was younger - that was a pretty good year!

6. Favourite Christmas scent?
Mulled wine and spiced oranges

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?
I always put out a mince pie, carrot and glass of milk for Father Christmas and his reindeer.

8. What tops your tree?
An angel

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?
A pony, I'm still waiting.

10. What is the best part about Christmas for you?
Everything! The build up, the lights, the tinsel, the smells, the music, the food, making family happy, the gifts and all of the cheese.

C x

Recipe - Mince pies

Mince pie time! This recipe will work perfectly with that mincemeat you made earlier, the recipe for this can be found here.

Ingredients

350g plain flour
pinch of salt
110g lard,cubed
110g butter, cubed
300g mincemeat
1 egg
icing sugar for dusting

Method to the Madness

Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the salt. Rub in the lard and butter into the flour until you have a firm dough. You may want to add a little bit of water to do this. 

 

 

 

Wrap the pastry dough ball in clingfilm and pop in the fridge for 30 minutes. Dance around the kitchen to Christmas music whilst you wait and preheat the oven to 200c. Now would also be a good time to butter your mince pie tin.

Remove the dough from the fridge, cut in half and roll out one of the halves putting the other back in the fridge. Cut out circles to fit the pan and line each hole with the pastry pressing lightly into the bottom of the tin

Spoon the mincemeat you made earlier into the pastry, make sure you don't overfill!

Roll out the rest of the dough and cut out Christmas shapes to sit on top.

Brush with beaten egg and pop the little beauties in the oven for 20 minutes.

When they are golden brown leave them to cool and dust with icing sugar

Enjoy them warm with cream and happy in the knowledge that you made every single bite from scratch!

C x

CHRISTMAS IS HERE!

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

I love Christmas! I spend most of the year wishing it was Christmas again and then getting super excited on the months leading up and now it is the 1st I can finally explode with excitement.

Of course my Christmas tree takes pride of place in my living room for the 1st December and I love the smell of tinsel and the Christmas bits that have been packed away in the attic all year waiting to be taken out of their box.

Of course no tree decorating is complete without the soundtrack of some of my favourite Christmas tunes, a mince pie and a warming drink. I never let myself listen to Christmas music until the 1st but you can be sure that it will now be played every single day until the 31st.

I am looking forward to blogging this Christmas too - I have some posts lined up for you!

I really do wish it could be Christmas everyday.

C x

Happy Christmas!

As you may have guessed I love Christmas. 

Every year Leigh and I alternate spending time with my family and Leigh's and this year it was my turn for Christmas Day and Leigh's for Boxing Day. I am pleased about this because my brother is moving to Australia in January and we don't know how long he will stay so it was nice to have all the family together.

It's so special spending time with family and although it's hectic it's so much fun. I'm so sad its over for another year  because I really do wish it could be Christmas everyday!

I hope you all had a very lovely Christmas :)

xxx