Sunday 20 November 2011

Stir up Sunday

Tradition says that this is the day to make your Christmas puddings. I already have 2 leftover from last year (we were given three!) so I made my Christmas cake instead...

I normally follow(ish) the Delia recipe which involves soaking fruit overnight. I do a mix of tea & Quince Brandy (I was given a carrier bag full of quinces a few years ago & made lots of Quince Brandy). I tend to add more liquid than Delia because I like my cake really moist rather than dry.

I added apricots, figs and cranberries too...

I also like my cake to be quite spicy so I add ground mace and ground cardamom in addition to the other spices Delia recommends.

When it comes to wrapping the cake up I'm much more obedient & follow Delia's word precisely. The utter ridiculousness of the resulting parcel never fails to make me laugh...


I love the fact that you have to give a huge chunk of the day over to Stir up Sunday, the fiddliness of the cake wrapping, the 4-5 hours in the oven, the huge pile of washing up afterwards...


I shall feed/pickle my cake with additional servings of Quince Brandy every week between now & Christmas.  (Christmas is only 5 weeks today...!)

13 comments:

Karen S Booth said...

I LOVE using Delia as a base for most of my recipes! Sorry not to have met you, time ran away with me, but I am more than happy to post the much travelled jelly to you! I will email for your address!
Karen

jackiescrafts said...

Mmmm your cake sounds delicious, I too am a great fan of Delia and use her recipes a lot

Jackie

Not So Granny said...

I do the delia too but with extra booze and no nuts (because no-one in our family likes nuts in cake much) Must get on it soon...

CATHY DANIEL said...

It looks yummy. I tried the Delia cake in Waitrose this week and it did taste good - maybe even I could attempt it!

Anonymous said...

Eek! Yes, missed that deadline - I'll have to make my cake in a week or so...

Mrs. Micawber said...

This sounds like something my husband would love. (To eat, not to make or clean up from the making thereof.) Mace and cardamom ... mmmmm.

Annie Cholewa said...

A quince brandy pickled Christmas cake ... yum! My invitation to Christmas holiday tea is in the post, yes?

Annie Cholewa said...

Back again. Just thought I'd add that you get more than a mention on my latest knitsofacto post x

Anonymous said...

A timely reminder and I am making a shopping list today. The aroma of the Christmas cake cooking does start to put me in the mood for the festivities. (Well, no, let's be realistic- it's more like makes me panic and then I make copious lists).

grace said...

oh no! I feel behind already, the ridiculousness of the parcel made me laugh as I always think that!

litlove said...

I don't make Christmas cake or pudding, but it is always fascinating to watch you cook - as I can say from experience now! And I'll bet your cake will be completely delicious when Christmas comes around (all too soon....).

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Love stir up sunday. My daughter is bringing the Christmas cake this year so I made two Christmas puddings. The whole kitchen smelt of spice and rum all day.

Pomona said...

The last time I made Christmas cake I followed a Nigel Slater recipe from the newspaper, and made it full of very expensive exotic dried fruit. I then iced it and decorated it, and when we cut into it on Christmas day it was completely sloppy and uncooked in the middle. It then occurred to me that none of the family even liked dark fruit cake, especially raw, so I retired from the field bruised and battered. I should have stuck to Delia . . .

Pomona x

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