It's time to make the cake

 For the past two Christmases, I've made a Christmas cake from Delia Smith.

Here is the link to the cake on her website:

https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/occasions/christmas/christmas-cakes-icings-and-toppings/classic-christmas-cake

The first step, which I am doing tonight, is soaking the dried fruit and peel in brandy. Then tomorrow I add in everything else, bake it for four hours and then wrap it up, place in a tin and every week or so, prick it all over and drizzle more brandy over it.

Nearer the time, I will make the almond marzipan and then white icing, and its ready to go. 

My mum used to make a cake every year but she wasn't a fan of icing, so she'd cover it in almonds and glace cherries. I, however, love icing and marzipan. LOVE IT!

Doing your own thing is just one of the joys of being a grown-up, especially with the feeling that Christmas really is just around the corner!

Nearer the time, the other thing I love to do is make Christmas Mince Pies. So yummy but I'll probably do those the week before Christmas. No specific recipe like the annual Delia cake, and I make my own sweet pastry and my own pretty basic fruit mince: nothing fancy but easy peasy and oh so nice.

~ Maddie.


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