It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

Florenceem

-taff - I won't need to cook at home on Christmas day - will be full up from eating at the SA and tired after running around serving people. 
Mr F and I always wanted to volunteer on Christmas day - last year was our first. It is lovely to feed and entertain lonely folk.

MovingForwards

I may buy a 'Black Bun' which is best described as Garibaldi top and base with a Christmas cake/pud inside, couple of quid from my local bakery for a slab which lasts me a few weeks.

https://www.bigoven.com/recipe/traditional-scottish-black-bun/165856

Oddly enough I can't stand Christmas cake, but do like marzipan and icing. Can stomach pud but only if there's loads of custard.

Nargleblast

In a library book a few years ago I found a recipe for a three ingredient Christmas cake. Not quite believing it, I gave it a try and found it surprisingly quite edible as well as economical. It involved soaking a packet of mixed dried fruit in orange juice for 24 hours then adding self raising flour the next day and baking it. Can't remember the quantities but I am sure Google would provide a recipe if anyone fancied a challenge.

Brambling

Nargleblast said:

In a library book a few years ago I found a recipe for a three ingredient Christmas cake. Not quite believing it, I gave it a try and found it surprisingly quite edible as well as economical. It involved soaking a packet of mixed dried fruit in orange juice for 24 hours then adding self raising flour the next day and baking it. Can't remember the quantities but I am sure Google would provide a recipe if anyone fancied a challenge.

I was once given a recipe which was 3 ingredients but using chocolate milk rather than orange juice and as you said it does work, I'm told you can add Baileys to the chocolate milk!  I do make a malt loaf which  soaks all bran and dried fruit in milk I can see the logic of the chocolate milk and I don't think it took the hours my mum's cakes did

I've never made a Christmas cake even though I do like to bake which used to horrify my late mum and she did for years make me a very small one as she couldn't cope with me going to M&S to buy one 🙂 I don't buy one very year but I do like their small bar ones and i agree their gluten free one is very nice.

when we were children in the 70s my mum would buy a Tunis cake every Christmas which I remember as being very dry with horrid cheap cooking chocolate on top 

Rosa_Damascena

Brambling said:

Nargleblast said:

In a library book a few years ago I found a recipe for a three ingredient Christmas cake. Not quite believing it, I gave it a try and found it surprisingly quite edible as well as economical. It involved soaking a packet of mixed dried fruit in orange juice for 24 hours then adding self raising flour the next day and baking it. Can't remember the quantities but I am sure Google would provide a recipe if anyone fancied a challenge.

I was once given a recipe which was 3 ingredients but using chocolate milk rather than orange juice and as you said it does work, I'm told you can add Baileys to the chocolate milk!  I do make a malt loaf which  soaks all bran and dried fruit in milk I can see the logic of the chocolate milk and I don't think it took the hours my mum's cakes did

I've never made a Christmas cake even though I do like to bake which used to horrify my late mum and she did for years make me a very small one as she couldn't cope with me going to M&S to buy one 🙂 I don't buy one very year but I do like their small bar ones and i agree their gluten free one is very nice.

when we were children in the 70s my mum would buy a Tunis cake every Christmas which I remember as being very dry with horrid cheap cooking chocolate on top 

This brings back memories! I remember my mum being persuaded to use the ridged top of the Tupperware lid to create a decorative top with the cooking chocolate, which is inedible whichever way it is moulded. Chocolate ganache (which is as simple as melting standard chocolate and adding cream) is a much better alternative.

Interestingly the Tupperware is still going strong after 40 years, it's indestructible 

London_1

My lovely sis-in-law always makes some tiny Xmas cakes from a recipe cooked in small empty clean baked bean tins.they are beautifully decorated with marzipan and icing.
She always makes me one as only myself and my DDs ma-in-law Margaret eat xmas cake. I carefully cut it in half and I have half and Margaret has the other half. Just enough for a slice or two each with a cuppa on a cold January afternoon.No one else in the family like Xmas cake at all

 I would never buy or make one as I would be still eating it at Easter as I'm not a big cake eater .I like a mince pie or two though and do make those at Christmas for the family along with several dozen sausage rolls I do sausage ones and cheese and onion ones . I like a small amount of christmas pud but usually have it around tea time on Christmas day as after my son-in-laws Christmas dinner I am too full to eat anything for ages.

JackieO xx

littlemoney

I have successfully frozen rich fruit cake but don't know if a Christmas cake can be frozen.

-taff

You don't need to freeze them, they'll last for months tightly wrapped in the dark. If you ice it, it can last for years. And if you keep feeding it booze, it'll last even longer

And apparently, having googled, yes, you can freze it, sans marziapn and icing though...

RobM99

Tupperware? More like Tupperwhere's the lid?

JIL

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/nov/28/the-20-best-easy-christmas-baking-recipes
Thought I would add this, theres some interesting recipes and a little bit different.