Mercedes55 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 That looks sooo nice! I'd feel bad cutting into it If you right click and select 'open image in new tab' you can see it full size. Ah right ty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Another gorgeous cake. I must get on and do mine! I've got ready roll icing although I fancy trying royal icing for a different effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted December 21, 2011 Author Share Posted December 21, 2011 I have just Royal iced mine - I used some weird ready made stuff that you warm through,which I bought by mistake,but it has actually worked really well & looks nice & spiky Will post a picture once it is finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 My friend told me about some packet royal icing that she bought but I couldn't see any in Tesco's. Not sure if I feel brave enough to make it myself. I had a quick squint at a recipe and its got egg whites and that was as far as I got. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 I make it each year I use the recipe in Delia Smith's Christmas cookbook. http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/party-food/accompaniment/royal-icing.html I hope the link works It is quite simple, well I can manage it Just needs a lot of mixing, I use a machine. Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 I don't usually bother with a christmas cake as only one or two family members will eat it, but I have a voucher for a free Delia's cake in a box from Waitrose, so if I can get one, I'll be making that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Thanks Purplemaniacs - I might give it a go. Just about to make a beef stew, then I'll get on and put the marzipan on so that I can ice tomorrow or Friday. I only want to do spiky icing as I bought some silver edible spray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 I'm putting my marzipan on later too. Only doing a top ice this year. Dogmother - the voucher sounds good! It is a nice cake to cut up & give any visitors. The only downside is your oven being on for 4 hours! But if you have anything else you want to do at a similar temperature that wouldn't taint your cake - then it's not too bad. Plus the house smells lovely whilst cooking! I'm quite Christmassy today as hubby is doing the exchange of gifts. He's popped back to Cheshire to give my parents, sister, brother in law & nephew etc their prezzzies ready for Sunday. He will then be bringing our prezzies off them back with him later this evening. I've had to stay here to continue business as usual & see to the chooks etc. Plus mum & dad are working up to Xmas Eve. Will have them over here to stay in the New Year! I might sit watching TV tonight in my Santa hat, just for the hell of it. Will make hubby laugh when he gets back! Is it me or does anyone else get tearful this time of year? I think of all the animals that will end up in Rescue Centres as unwanted Xmas presents. I think of all those less fortunate who might not know what a hot meal is, let alone a Xmas dinner. I think of all the children in care & I think of all the young soldiers in faraway lands fighting for us. How lucky we are eh? Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 it takes 4 HOURS to cook? I'm not sure it's worth the fuel costs to be honest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted December 21, 2011 Author Share Posted December 21, 2011 I got another one yesterday & am making it,wrapping storing & feeding it & saving it for Easter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 it takes 4 HOURS to cook? I'm not sure it's worth the fuel costs to be honest My experience after baking this cake for 2yrs running is that it takes exactly 4hrs. If I recall a thread on here last year on this topic a few people found that their cakes were a bit burnt as Delia says to not open the oven door for at least 4hrs. I use an oven thermometer and find that my oven is actually hotter than the temperature it says it is so I turn it down by about 10c and it's still cooked in that time. The cake is really lovely though, worth the time it takes to bake. Noticed plenty of the Delia cake boxes still on sale in our local Waitrose yesterday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 That looks very nice. I made the Delia one and I'm a bit cross as last year you could download the star shapes for the top, but this year you are expected to buy snowflake cutters. Now I am fine with that, but after going to JL, Lakelands & Waitrose and not being able to find any I am going to have to make star ones, which isn't what I wanted to do The templates were on the side of the box - large and small snowflake. The shapes were cut out of the cardboard, and there was just a bit of plastic backing that peeled off that covered the hole. Not much use to you now I should imagine, as it wasn't obvious and would have thought the box would have been thrown out a while ago... But in case this is of use to anyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 My tree is up and the presents are wrapped. Phew. Just some minor tweaking to be done now. Him Indoors has done the Christmas baking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Thanks Purplemaniacs - I might give it a go. Just about to make a beef stew, then I'll get on and put the marzipan on so that I can ice tomorrow or Friday. I only want to do spiky icing as I bought some silver edible spray I hate marzipan too. My cake is not marzipanned It also was fed with cointreau instead of brandy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodinparts Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Vicaring means Christmas has to take its chance rather....I'm sitting in the study completely surrounded by unwrapped presents, wondering what to do about the people whom I would actually LIKE to have sent cards to but haven't managed to, and still with 2 carol services (out of 7 in all), 2 Crib Services, 2 Midnight Masses (well, one's a 10.00 & one an 11.30 to be strictly accurate) & 2 Christmas morning services. Just realised I forgot to order a turkey - though we have the other bits......so will have to brave Sainsbury's on Friday......and a few vaguely crucial presents are still not showing up as "despatched"..... So...I think it's just as well that there is alot of wine in the garage, a large collection of books waiting to be wrapped, and a very accommodating set of offspring due home at any moment. Life in a vicarage is never quite normal...but it's even less so at Christmas! Chooks are happy, though...they got new run covers, just in time to avoid the Somme! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 In our house Christmas is getting there . . I've baked, brandied and iced the cakes. I baked one for a friend this year as her oven's temperamental. Food shop is mostly done, cards are written and posted, gifts are wrapped, just a Chritmas cross stitch to finish, greenery to be cut and a serious tidy up needed. My two eldest are choristers into final rehearsals for all those lovely Christmas services. Loving all of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammiboo Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 had my first festive arguement with OH without boring you too much, his sister asked for a specific gift from next. we went to the trafford centre last friday and sold out. he went to next in chester nr work - sold out. tuesday i asked him to ring one of the places in shrewsbury and to find out where the nearest store was which was in shrewsbury itself (which i would collect). i asked him to see if he could ring them and see if it could be resrved and i would get it wednesday after work. which in itself is a pain cos i would hace to get park and ride in town etc but i would go if he made the call... yesterday a girl at work offered to collect it when she sees the midwife today, she is heavily pregnant due in two weeks so wanted to make sure it was there, text him 12pm yesterday... nothing again 4pm.... 6pm he text back and said he would tell his sister its sold out as its a lot of trouble to sort it! i cannot repeat what i text back just annoys me, typical bloke leaves it to the last minute, his sister asks for a specific inexpensive gift and cos its not a walk in the first shop and pick it off the shelf he doesnt want to know. I am soo angry at him. i am in two minds whether to sort it myself but he is a grown man and its his sister sorry i said i wouldnt be too boring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 The templates were on the side of the box - large and small snowflake. The shapes were cut out of the cardboard, and there was just a bit of plastic backing that peeled off that covered the hole. Not much use to you now I should imagine, as it wasn't obvious and would have thought the box would have been thrown out a while ago... But in case this is of use to anyone! Actually when I saw the cake kits in Waitrose the other day I did wonder about those cut out things on the side of the box. However I had thrown the box out ages ago so not much use to me. I still think it's easier to do with actual cutters rather than using cardboard as the snowflakes look a bit fiddly. On the Waitrose video for the cake you see Delia use snowflake cutters, so I had assumed you could buy them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 The templates were on the side of the box - large and small snowflake. The shapes were cut out of the cardboard, and there was just a bit of plastic backing that peeled off that covered the hole. Not much use to you now I should imagine, as it wasn't obvious and would have thought the box would have been thrown out a while ago... But in case this is of use to anyone! Actually when I saw the cake kits in Waitrose the other day I did wonder about those cut out things on the side of the box. However I had thrown the box out ages ago so not much use to me. I still think it's easier to do with actual cutters rather than using cardboard as the snowflakes look a bit fiddly. On the Waitrose video for the cake you see Delia use snowflake cutters, so I had assumed you could buy them They were a bit fiddly! I pressed the shape onto the icing to get an impression, then cut the shape out with scissors... Would have been MUCH easier with cutters, and agree, would be something nice to add to the kit. Still a bit confused why the icing/marzipan aren't included, but guess £10 is a nice price for the kit, and adding the icing/marzipan would push that up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Just got back from Tesco. It was heaving ... and there was a drunk being abusive ... at 8am! Must have called in on the way home from the office party. He was invited to leave from the looks of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 I was going to go to M&S on Christmas Eve and pick up a nice trifle. Mentioned it to my sister, who cooks everything from scratch, she was appalled that I could even consider buying one when a home made one is so much easier and tastes so much nicer. So now I have to go off to the shops again and get all the ingredients for that as I doubt M&S would sell vanilla pods. Sometimes I should just keep my mouth shut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Frankly, if I am going to someone else's house at Christmas, I am grateful for whatever they give me - home made or bought. If your sister's so keen on home-made trifle, I'd suggest she bloomin' well makes it for you! I am making trifle for Christmas Day, but only because I enjoy it and I've got all day on Christmas Eve to make custard and fiddle with things. I like baking, but "Ooops, word censored!"ody should feel that they have to make everything from scratch. Does your sister grind her own flour and churn her own butter, too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Put it in your own bowl and don't tell her. What a nerve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowberry Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Home made is a lovely idea but in the end it does cost more in terms of ingredients unless you're stocked up on everything first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 I finish work at midday tomorrow. I still haven't put any decorations on the tree or hung up any of the Christmas cards, but I've managed to put some lights round the door frame, and found my Christmas spicy scented oil for the oil-burner. - I'm trying to do it a la Flylady, in 15-minute bursts. I still have quite a bit of baking to do, and some sewing to finish, but I've had two very late nights so I decided to have an evening off. I've cleared the fridge and moved the shelves, so that when the Waitrose order comes tomorrow evening I can (I hope) fit everything in. The mild weather has somewhat scuppered my plans to store stuff outside, It's not just the weather, I don't trust the cats not to anticipate Christmas dinner and make a raid on the turkey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
