Christmas!!! Bring it on!!

[Rolfster]

I always used to escape to Spain for climbing at Christmas with the wife. Last time we went there was a pan pipe version of slade banging out of a sound system in the local square as we arrived, with father Christmas and 2 reindeer giving presents to local kids. The following year we hosted all the family at ours and have loved Christmas ever since. I have still got Christmas puds left over from last year....
Cake will be on this coming week, as will the last Christmas ale.... I am looking forward to it. And loving the fact that I don't have to buy so much from the shops!
:

 

[dennisdk2000]

The absolute best thing to do with left-over Christmas pudding is to make Pudini balls - sort of Christmas pudding truffle balls. Yum! I'll dig out the recipe if anyone's interested.

Dennis

 

[Antony]

the only asvantage is that you have a longer period to eat mince pies! And a reminder to put the Xmas ales on in time (I'm making some rum finished ale, looking like itll be good )

 

[calumscott]

The absolute best thing to do with left-over Christmas pudding is to make Pudini balls - sort of Christmas pudding truffle balls. Yum! I'll dig out the recipe if anyone's interested.

Dennis

Mmmmmmmmm... Nigella's bonbons...

 

[dennisdk2000]

The absolute best thing to do with left-over Christmas pudding is to make Pudini balls - sort of Christmas pudding truffle balls. Yum! I'll dig out the recipe if anyone's interested.

Dennis

Mmmmmmmmm... Nigella's bonbons...

Indeed - who wouldn't want to nibble on those...?

 

[calumscott]

The absolute best thing to do with left-over Christmas pudding is to make Pudini balls - sort of Christmas pudding truffle balls. Yum! I'll dig out the recipe if anyone's interested.

Dennis

Mmmmmmmmm... Nigella's bonbons...

Indeed - who wouldn't want to nibble on those...?

Last year's ones...

 

[Redcar]

- Just mixed up the Mincemeat which will get cooked off and potted tomorrow. Be warned, if you decide to do this you will have to do it EVERY year from now on, commercial mincemeat is vile by comparison.

A bit off/topic Mr CS but could you give us your recipe please? :)

 

[graysalchemy]

Trying to make a stilton for christmas

 

[calumscott]

- Just mixed up the Mincemeat which will get cooked off and potted tomorrow. Be warned, if you decide to do this you will have to do it EVERY year from now on, commercial mincemeat is vile by comparison.

A bit off/topic Mr CS but could you give us your recipe please? :)

It's actually a Delia Smith recipe from "Complete Cookery Course" (which is a brilliant easy book). I've found it online though:

http://patientgardener.wordpress.com/20 ... mincemeat/

I was a bit hasty potting mine this year and some of the fat has separated in the jars. Make sure it's reasonably cool when you pot it. :thumb:

 

[calumscott]

Trying to make a stilton for christmas

Here's hoping for a less leany, less runny and altogether more stiltony stilton than Stilton 1.0! :lol:

 

[graysalchemy]

The hard part is over it is just draining now as we speak. :grin: :grin:

Its all down hill from now, I just hope I manage to keep the friendly mould and get rid of the other molds and bacteria :twisted:

 

[dennisdk2000]

- Just mixed up the Mincemeat which will get cooked off and potted tomorrow. Be warned, if you decide to do this you will have to do it EVERY year from now on, commercial mincemeat is vile by comparison.

A bit off/topic Mr CS but could you give us your recipe please? :)

It's actually a Delia Smith recipe from "Complete Cookery Course" (which is a brilliant easy book). I've found it online though:

http://patientgardener.wordpress.com/20 ... mincemeat/

I was a bit hasty potting mine this year and some of the fat has separated in the jars. Make sure it's reasonably cool when you pot it. :thumb:

That's the recipe I use too. She also has a version that replaces half of the cooking apple with cranberries - it's less sweet, but just as delicious. Make sure that the mincemeat is absolutely cold before stirring in the brandy in or that's when the fat might separate out.

Dennis

 

[Redcar]

Thanks Gents! :thumb:

I have the last of this year's apple harvest so will get the rest of the ingredients tomorrow and give it a go.

 

[Tim_Crowhurst]

I currently have batch 1 of my apple chutneys on the hob.

This first one should hopefully have a bit of bite:

3kg bramleys
1kg raisins
1kg leeks
750g sugar
750 ml vinegar (2:1 split cider & red wine)
4 green chillies
1 star anise
25g black mustard seeds
1" grated fresh ginger


I'm doing a second on Wednesday:

3kg bramleys
1kg raisins
1kg leeks
750g cranberries
750g sugar
750 ml vinegar (2:1 split cider & red wine)
juice & grated rind 2 oranges
4 green chillies
1 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
6 cloves
4" grated fresh ginger

The last one (which I'm not 100% sure I'll actually make) will be an experimental batch:

1kg bramleys
250g raisins
500g shallots
250ml maple syrup
250ml cider vinegar
100g sugar
100g chopped walnuts
Pinch ground cinnamon, cloves, cayenne

Over the next couple of months I'll also be making Christmas cake and mince pies - using my mum's recipe for gluten-free pastry, which IMO is nicer than ordinary shortcrust, and far superior for making mince pies. All the fruit is now in the rumptopf, so it just needs to sit and macerate. I've also got five gallons of elderberry porter enthusiastically bubbling away just behind me, which will be bottled later this week. That, plus the dozen or so bottles of elderflower ale I have left, and the two pints of sloe gin I'll be bottling just before the big day, should keep us merry - especially if (as he usually does) my uncle goes overboard on the kir royales and gaelic coffees :grin: That said, it's a BIG family Christmas this year (expectations are between fifteen and twenty people, only five of whom will be under 18) so a lot of booze will be needed! I'll also be making apple butter later this week, and at some point I'll also be making apple & ginger jam, hawthorn jelly, and possibly some spiced rosehip jelly if I have the time. I've got loads of elderflowers still in the freezer, far more than I need for cider, so a batch of elderflower cordial is also a possibility.

For future years, I'll be putting together three 1.8L jars of sloe port on Christmas eve (using the sloes from the gin, plus some extras that are currently in my freezer). I may also do a couple more jars of sloe gin. Tomorrow I'll be starting off my ciders, which will hopefully be ready for Christmas next year. Plus there's all the various wines which will be maturing at various points over the next five years or so.

 

[calumscott]

We should start a petition for a display embargo until 1st December!

Hmmm... :hmm: I wonder...

They approved it!!

Sign up!! Sign up!! And share it round wherever you go online!

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/56333

 

[graysalchemy]

Signed it

 

[calumscott]

Signed it

:thumb: :lol:

 

[graysalchemy]

Just need Justin Bieber to tweet it :rofl: :rofl:

 

[graysalchemy]

Or at least Stephen Fry :whistle: :whistle:

 

[calumscott]

Or at least Stephen Fry :whistle: :whistle:

Do you twit?