General Chat

Brenda, the Christmas pudding recipe is one we've been using for years now. It is ideal for us as it gets too hot here in summer for us to do conventional cooking, but still allows us to have our 'pud' :-)

sounds lovely iris,might try that tonight. :-D

this is the recipe i use to make shortbread ,got it from our village mag many years ago....the family love it ..
2 0zs caster sugar , 4ozs butter (NOT MARG) 6ozs plain flour
warm the butter ,cream with sugar ,work the flour in with the hands .halve ,roll each piece into a round ,place on tray ,pinch edges, prick all over with fork ,mark into 8 pieces . gas 2 for 30 mins

you can double the amount and push it into a 7"x11" tin mark into fingers ,this needs 1hour at gas 2.

i've made this every christmas for years ,there is never any left.
. iris

I didn't make tomato chutney this year either Sharron. No tomatoes and no apples.

I have a Julian Graves Christmas pudding recipe which is very good but it does not keep so you can't do the traditional thing and store it for next year.

I did try.It was vile.

I havesome green tomato mincemeat from last year.Itcould even be the year before. The tomatoes were so sparse this year I didn't make any.

Like the look of your Christmas cake recipe...I remember forcemeat stuffing but can't think how it was made ....sounds much better than your guinea pigs.
I made all the puddings and cakes for the family for years,but going to daughters this year and hoping to be waited on ...and not making her the usual cakes or pies...done my bit!!

No, Suzanne, my mum was not into the culinary delights of small animals...it's just something that I have developed a taste for :-D :-D

forcemeat stuffing Allan? did your mum force in up the guinea pigs bum before grilling him on the BBQ?? :-D

My late Nanna's Christmas cake recipe. She passed the secret recipe to me just before she died. What a priveledge :-D.

We also do a sausage meat stuffing, but cook it seperately. My mother used to call it forcemeat stuffing, but I don't think that it was the true forcemeat. It has a bit of lamb's liver added to it. Our son absolutely loves it :-)

Christmas Puddings

8oz 200 gm S R Flour
3 tsp 15 ml Mixed spice
3 tsp 15 ml Nutmeg
3 tsp 15 ml Cinnamon
6 oz 175 gm Breadcrumbs
1 cup 1 cup Olive oil
1¼ lbs
600 gm 1½ lbs Mixed fruit (currants, raisins, sultanas)
2 oz 50 gm Mixed chopped peel
2 oz 50 gm Glace cherries – quartered
8 oz 225 gm Soft brown sugar

1 Orange Grated rind
1 Lemon Grated rind + juice of ½ lemon
1 mandarin Grated rind
1 Apple Grated and peeled


4 Eggs Beaten

4 Tbs 4 x 15 ml Black treacle
2 Tbs 2 x 15 ml Milk
¼ pint 150 ml Stout (Guinness)

4 oz 100 gm Flaked almonds
4 oz 100 gm Crushed nuts
1 cup 1 cup Carrot

Method
• Sift flour and spices into a large bowl.
• Add all dry ingredients and mix well.
• Mix in all other ingredients and leave overnight in cool place.
• Stir again, making a wish

• Lightly grease 3x1 pt or 2x 1.5 pt pudding basins.
• Divide mixture into basins, covering with clingwrap – slit few holes in it.
• Cook in microwave - small puddings for 5 minutes or larger ones 7 to 8 minutes turning half way through cooking.
• When cool, wrap in greaseproof paper, then put in plastic bags and freeze.

• Defrost.
• Re-heat for 3 to 4 minutes and serve with brandy sauce.

Alternatively; cover basins with greased greaseproof paper, then securely with aluminium foil. Steam in a steamer over a pan of gently boiling water,or boil in a saucepan with a tight firring lid. Cook for 6-7 hours depending on size, and again for 2-3 hrs before serving
• (to cool! - pudding before eating pour brandy over hot pudding then the sauce). Hic…

Merry Christmas.

PS. The amounts of ingredients can be varied according to taste, some can even be left out all together

my brother makes a lovely sausage meat stuffing(more like a meatloaf) he makes it for all of us every year. :-D

12 for christmas lunch again this year. :-D

Lissys fav of mine and says it not chrimbo without it is sausagemeat stuffing.

THis year her boyfriends parents have pleaded with them to have lunch with them as they will be on their own and Lis has asked if I will make her the stuffing to take with her as it wont be the same without it and his parents dont do it. Going to be strange without her for the first time .

Thish ish mine fravorite reshipee.. Hic


* 2 cups flour
* 1 stick butter
* 1 cup of water
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 cup of sugar
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 cup of brown sugar
* Lemon juice
* 4 large eggs

* Nuts
* 2 bottle wine
* 2 cups of dried fruit

Sample the wine to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the wine again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat.
Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again.
At this point it's best to make sure the wine is still OK. Try another cup... Just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy.
Break 2 eggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.

Pick the frigging fruit up off floor. Mix on the turner.. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the wine to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something. Check the wine. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or some fink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.
Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the wine and wipe counter with the cat.
Go to Tesco and buy cake.

Bingle Jells

oh roast guinea pigs with cranberry stuffing yummy. :-D :-D

mine is homemade mince pies with fresh cream ,made a load last wk and put them in the freezer.... :-D

Wake up on Christmas Day,

remember that all the family are coming for Christmas lunch, panic - you have'nt even bought a turkey, no stuffing, and there's no whiskey for Grandad. Pull duvet back over head, and ignore the doorbell.

Wake up - it was only a dream, and you are totally organised! :-0

my turkey and white bean soup with fresh bread <3

Get a cheap tub of vanilla ice cream, pour copious amount of Baileys over same,add a naggin of Brandy, stick a few nuts on top, and you wont remember you burnt the turkey!

:-D :-D :-D

2 slices of white bread, spread with butter,
coat one in turkey, add some cranberry sauce, add a dash of salt,
put other slice on top

yum yum, seriously turkey sarnies r the best lol

We have Guinea Pigs....we just call them Gerbils to confuse the little blighters :-D