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

-taff

I just looked at that one and decided to make the quince and cheese shortbreads being as I have quince cheese I made a few years ago and some parmesan. I also have some manchego that's been in its wrap for four years so I'll try that too.....

Siebrie

Chrismas cake with marzipan and icing brings back memories.... I was au pairing with a doctors' family in London from January until June of 1996, and they had 3/4 of a Christmas cake left, and told me to feel free to have some whenever I fancied, because they all had their fill at Chrismas. I finished that cake at the end of February! Every day I'd have a thin slice with my morning tea and I'd feel 'really English'

These days, I'm allergic to hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts and I don't like the fake marzipan.

Bluegreen143

Must admit I don’t like any of the Christmassy puddings/desserts except mince pies (I hate dried fruit but for some reason like mince pies). I think I’ll make a chocolate Yule log type thing for the day which the children and I will appreciate far more than a Christmas cake!! 🙂

GaleSF63

-taff said:

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...

Yes, people used to keep a layer of wedding cake for years, didn't they - the traditional ones would have been similar to Christmas cake. 
I love marzipan but home-made is the best of the lot. Radiation cookery book recipe for that and Christmas cake.

Pollycat

GaleSF63 said:

-taff said:

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...

Yes, people used to keep a layer of wedding cake for years, didn't they - the traditional ones would have been similar to Christmas cake. 
I love marzipan but home-made is the best of the lot. Radiation cookery book recipe for that and Christmas cake.

I think it may have been tradition to keep the top tier for the christening of the first baby.
Why do we save the top tier of a wedding cake? | Elite Marquees - Marquee Hire Liverpool, Manchester & Cheshire (elite-marquees.co.uk)
Other links say it was saved for the 1st wedding anniversary.

RobM99

Pollycat

I think it may have been tradition to keep the top tier for the christening of the first baby.
Why do we save the top tier of a wedding cake? | Elite Marquees - Marquee Hire Liverpool, Manchester & Cheshire (elite-marquees.co.uk)
Other links say it was saved for the 1st wedding anniversary.

With good timing, both!

freyasmum

I've done quite well recently with getting some reduced bits and pieces. 

I got a corn-fed rotisserie chicken in waitrose for £1.99, which I was quite happy with - I wouldn't have paid £8, mind you. Few packs of mince reduced in aldi, so those will make some chilli/bolognese and a couple for the freezer. 

Then I got a carton each of whole eggs and egg whites reduced in the cash and carry, which have been portioned into 100-ml ice cube trays (2 whole eggs per cube) and frozen. I used 2 cubes for our toad in the Hole recently. I mention this because I reckon a lot of people probably don't realise that you can freeze eggs (not in their shells). I have egg yolks in the freezer from making meringue, which i will use for custard to go with our Christmas pudding.

I do love a mince pie, especially warmed with some cream. I will eat a tiny slice of Christmas pudding if it's there, but really its for my MIL, and our Christmas pudding of choice is a toffee and pecan roulade.

I make marshmallows with my eldest and shortbread with my youngest, which we enjoy with some hot chocolate on Christmas Eve, while reading the night before Christmas. It's magical ❤️

Indout96

GaleSF63 said:

Yes, people used to keep a layer of wedding cake for years, didn't they - the traditional ones would have been similar to Christmas cake. 

We didn't actually get any of our wedding cake as we had to leave our reception before the end as the train for our honeymoon had been brought forward. on getting back we found out it had all be given out and they had forgot us.
40 years next March and I have still not got over it LOL
 

Toonie

@QueenJess and @Pollycat I have three different sizes of bundt tins, they really are some wonderful shapes. My Mum would always make half a dozen cakes at Christmas and we would keep one and the others would be gifts.

The roast dinner didn't happen as DP went to bed with a headache. So, instead I jointed the chicken, popped some in the freezer, kept some to make chicken wrapped in prosciutto for supper tonight (his served with pasta, mine served with roasted veggies and salad), and then have made stock with the carcass and will turn it into soup for my lunches.

Florenceem

I had to buy a Tunis cake as my first husband didn't eat fruit cake only Maderia type. I only bought it one year - made my own after that.