At this magical time of year, the world is united in savouring the delicious cooking smells wafting from the family kitchen.
Let’s be honest here, a big part of Christmas for many of us, is the FOOD… right! Hhmmm… who wants to be sensible at Christmas? Isn’t it another one of those holiday traditions to stuff ourselves silly during the Yule time?
Each year about this time I make a start on my Christmas baking. I have my favourite recipes that I dust off especially for the occasion. Some of the recipes are family favourites, while others have been collected and added to my file over the years, forming what is now our family baking tradition. My children (even the Princess) join in the fun of baking yummy gifts to give and of course, we also like to fill our house with the usual Christmas treats during December.
I start my Christmas baking with the traditional fruit cake… you know the real fruity kind with a ‘boozy’ festive flavour. If you are making one of these alcohol infused cakes, then now is the perfect time to make a start. This allows you to top it up with brandy (or rum) each week between now and when you use it. Do you save your cake for Christmas day or do you prefer like me to enjoy it throughout December?
Fruit cake has been around for centuries and with a history as rich as its ingredients it’s an old holiday tradition. Unfortunately, I think it is one of those foods that you either love or hate. This brings me to the ‘other’ fruit cake I make at Christmas – our family fruit cake. You see, my family doesn’t really enjoy the REAL traditional fruit cake that I so love. They each have their likes and dislikes so I make their cake according to their needs; no mixed peel, not too much fruit, not too rich and dark… have you guessed what I make? Yep, it’s just a big old sultana cake, but they love it!! LOL
What’s happening in the studio: Yesterday I was doing some Christmas baking of a different kind. Well, not strictly baking as such [giggle]. I was making a batch of my faux cakes with a Christmas theme for a friend.
She’s using them in her Christmas displays for her shop. If you’d like to make your own ‘faux’ Christmas cakes you can get the recipe here at my Boutique Bakery.
Giveaway: to inspire your gift making projects, I have this lovely book by Helen Philipps as the Friday Giveaway.
Check back Friday to see who the lucky winner is!
Anyhoo, back to the real baking. What are your Christmas baking traditions? Are you carrying on what you grew-up with or are they new for you and your family?
Christmas fruit cakes are so varied and often come from family recipes passed down through the generations. I’d love for you to share some of your favourite fruit cake recipes and tips, so if you’d like to join in please add your post link below.
Now Christmas baking and goody making I do ….do!
My Kids also love to whip out the Chrissy choc moulds and just make a heap of christmas themed choc’s!
Easy and fun!
I have plans to much of this leading up to Christmas when the kids have finished School and we will be avoiding th eshops and their mayhem but needing to keep the kids busy.
I don’t make xmas cakes, I always by a Lions one. I do make a yummy sherry trifle though!
Hugs
Jo
We do the visiting at Christmas and find plenty of xmas cakes whereever we go.
My maternal Grandmother made the best Christmas cakes ever! LOvely memories.
My oven is not good enough to do anything close.
This year i started cake decorating classes, so I have started making them. I have three fruit ones to do and a white chocolate mud. I am making chirstmas bags for all the little ones in my mother’s group to hang on their doors.
I love making chirstmas things, they are so bright and cheerful..
I just found your blog and love to make gifts and look forward to seeing more of your ideas.
Debbie
I just love a really solid fruity boozy fruit cake…. but no-one else in the family does so I end up almost eating all of it!!! Luckily it keeps well and so I cut it up and freeze some….
Hugz
I love the traditional Christmas cake (but I do leave out mixed peel and nuts). Another “must” for me are mince pies! The smell, the taste! Mmm!
I can’t stand fruit cake,instead I make I make a steamed pudding with a butterscotch sauce with whipped cream and icec-ream Mmmm 🙂 Barb.
We are planning to bake our christmas cakes next weekend – just a delia recipe though! We make one for each of our relatives as part of a homemade hamper!
We don’t make christmas cakes, but I love to bake cookies.
Last year I made more than 60 pounds. And I’m still using cookbooks one of my grandmothers gave to me more than 20 years ago. And my other grandmother made the best cookies ever. Mmmmmhhhhh
I always make my great grandmothers recipe for the dark rum fruit cake. Love it!
I always make a christmas cake but no mixed peel for us – everyone hates it!
Gill
Somehow the fruit cake seems to difficult for me to make. I am lucky to have a sister living in England, who sends me a fruit cake at Christmas each year. And boy, is that good!
But then, maybe I should try to make one.
Love the giveaway!
I make a christmas cake – the boozy type every other year. This year Christmas is at our house, so I’ll be making the cake within the next fortnight. I also make a shortbread using my grandma’s recipe – her book printed in 1885 – adapted to modern measurements. I also mke marzipanfruits, but the only attempt at gingerbread was a 2kg failure.
Hey Kerryanne! Your cake looks YUMMY! I don’t really bother with the cake, cos my beloved doesn’t eat sultanas, so then I’m the one who would eat it all and be as podgy as ol’ St Nick by the time Christmas got here! Tee! Hee! Hee! Funnily enough, our family’s fave Christmas treat – it just isn’t Christmas without it! – is a meatloaf made from my Grandma’s recipe! We love the apricot balls, lemon shortbread and plum pud, but without Grandma’s meatloaf, it just isn’t Christmas! :0) Yep … my whole family is as odd as me! Tee! Hee! Hee! Bear Hugs! KRIS
Yes, delicious cooking smells wafting from the family kitchen. I can totally relate. I love this time of year…and so do my kids. I work with Better Recipes and am always reviewing and testing new recipes. Right now I am focusing on Christmas cakes. Check out the Fruit Cake, Cheesecake, or Eggnog Cake with Brandied Sauce Recipes and many more Christmas Cake Recipes
We used to make over 200 dozen cookies but when my daughter moved away I started making Amish Friendship bread in small loaves and giving 3 in a gift bag to friends. I also make peanut brittle every year for some peoples gifts. I also make my own cards with something added to the front and a handmade Christmas ornament to add to the gift bags. I have all that done for this year. The breads are safe in the freezer. Now I do not have to rush for Christmas.
You just can’t beat that home baked smell that infuses the house at Christmas time. I make a delightful fruit cake that is enriched with a lovely dark brandy. Mmmm my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
I don’t make xmas cake, but I do have a recipe for Christmas scrolls which has become an absolute favourite and I can’t get away without making some!
What a great book. Thanks for the chance to win. My family loves my boiled Christmas cake and I always have to make “White Christmas”.Sharyn
i am NOT a good cook but my sister is and she is COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!! after over 7 years abroad she is coming home to stay and it will be our first christmas together in over 8 years. she made christmas pudding one year and even popped a few coins in for us to find….she even cooked a bomb alaska another year!
xxrosey
I at least remembered to get the ‘family’ pudding recipe from my Mum this year – you never know, I might get some made….for next year LOL
Toni :o)