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| Piglottie |
Thingmas cooking
I always do my Thingmas fayre baking/cooking in mid-October and got this little lot finished the other day. Two small Christmas cakes (just one for us and one for my mum this year); two Christmas puddings (one of which will probably be a gift although I'm slightly concerned that I couldnt get any barley wine so used some ale in - only cos I couldnt resist the name of the ale, Fursty Ferret  ); and four jars of home-made mincemeat which will probably not last until new year as MrP is addicted to mince pies and they taste so much better with home-made mincemeat (and its sooooo easy, so great for gift hampers).
I just need to start on the cards (and soon!)
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| Auntie Noo |
ooooh that all looks so delicious - I love mincemeat! - can I come to your house to play
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| jessica |
Oh you have done well. I have done lots of pickled onions, red cabbage. Sloe gin, vodka and brandy. Made sloe and apple chutney. MMM do you have a favourite mincemeat recipe, that's next on my list. Then Christmas cake, more different chutney and of course cards. | ||
| GrannySmith |
I made mine two weeks ago, but felt it was a bit early  , I made one bigger Christmas cake, two puddings without the barley wine, just put more stout in  and lots of home made mincemeat.
I love the way you have labelled all yours up.  I never thought to take a photo of my hard work 
I have bought some bits and bobs to start making cards, just need to buy christmas fabric as I want to wrap everything in re-useable christmas fabric bags. So organised this year Next, thing on the thingmas cooking list is the sausage rolls.
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| Piglottie |
You are welcome anytime Noo! If I lived nearer, I could trade you some mincemeat for eggs (if the girls are laying atm ).
GS - I just did a simple little label using Word and Clipart. I have so many jars of things it makes sure I dont get them all mixed up lol. I find that this sort of time is great for the puddings and the cakes, as they have time to mature plus you can feed them loads of brandy I make quite a few batches of different pastry in one go and then freeze them, as it makes it easier nearer Christmas.
Jessica - I use Delia's recipe and its never failed me http://www.deliaonline.com/recipe...-christmas-mincemeat,1235,RC.html I've done most of my pickling and preserves too. I just want to try and get some Piccalli done and then I should be sorted. |
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| terri |
what recipe do you use for mincemeat piglottie??
I want to do some christmas baking this year, and I LOVE mince pies...... not to many though 
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| Piglottie |
LOL - there's no such thing as not many mincepies If you click on the link in the message above you that should take you to Delia's mincemeat recipe. It really is soooooo much better than shop bought (plus you can add as much brandy as you want ).
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| terri |
or maybe no such thing as TOO many 
off to look at the recipe! Ta muchly my little piggie chum
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| slowasasnail |
I might have a go at that mincemeat. I don't really like mince pies but DH loves them. | ||
| Blossom |
My mum cooks the sausage rolls on Christmas Eve every year! Bit of a tradition at home!
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| KnittingLadybird |
I could just eat a mince now actually...
piglottie your picture is making drool...and getting me all giddy for christmas!!! |
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| loobyj |
Ooo - lovely things - and so many organised people!!!! Must make my list and decide when I'm going to do it all I love all the Thingmassy food - we always make far tooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much
Must look in my Thingmas cupboard and see how many jars of chutney and pickle onions I've got left from last year. Feeling all festive now - my Thingmas preparations start in earnest from tomorrow! lj |
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| Aknita |
I've been thinking it must be time to start!
PL it all looks wonderful - I wish we had smellyputer because there is nothing nicer than Christmas preparation smells. I LOVE braised red cabbage Jessica. |
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| Farmgirl |
I can never find barley wine either now as I always used to put it in the xmas pud (and my dad used to drink it )
I even looked for it on the internet and I found this recipe for it (not that I would make it!) http://www.harvington.org.uk/hic/barleywine.html |
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| Piglottie |
Hehe that would be good Joy - think Brandy (lots!), mixed spice and orange. Delicious! |
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| pictish |
*swoon* They look and sound SO gorgeous PL!!!!! I love Christmas puds and I was just looking at mince pies the other day in the co-op. I think part of the reason I put on so much weight is because I was a bit addicted to them last Christmas  I've gone all my life never being bothered by a mince pie and then SUDDENLY ........... It must be this change thing 
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| GrannySmith |
Barley Wine is actually beer and sold in cans but over £5.00 for four small cans. Some pubs might sell you a can over the counter, because what do you do with 4 small cans. 
I am only saying this because I didn't know and several shop keepers didn't know either, but a very nice older manager in the Co-op knew and showed me where the cans were - in the beer department
I use all of Delia Smith's receipes - lovely
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| Farmgirl |
I use all her recipes as well GS - I love the Creole xmas cake
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| loobyj |
oooo yes - I love that too FG - so yummy - that's if there's any fruit left after Mr L helps himself everytime he passes while it's soaking
lj |
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| Jobo |
That little lot all looks very yummy I always buy my pud and cake but I do make the mince pies. I am like Pictish, I just can't stop at one mince pie.
A friend of mine once gave me a tip, mix a little soft cream cheese with some grated orange rind and a couple of spoons of orange juice and then put a teaspoonful in on top of the mincemeat before you put the pastry lid on to cook them. Makes them extra specially fattening but seriously luxury mince pies
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| pictish |
Oh no Jo I want one NOW just thinking of that Just as well I can't get them in the village. Last Christmas I sometimes ate a whole box on my own
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| Jobo |
I have done that too Ali. Then hid the box at the bottom of the bin so nobody knows I bought them in the first place
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| pictish |
I wasn't as crafty as that and Mr Pictish found it and he likes them too and they'd all gone
This is a bad thread for Crafty Slimmers isn't it
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| Piglottie |
LOL! I bake batches of a dozen usually which lasts all of about, err, 2 days lol I make extra special ones, using ground almonds in the pastry and not topping them with pastry, but icing them on the top once they've cooled. Seriously moreish!
If you haven't made your own mincemeat though, you should give it a go as it is so delicious! |
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| pictish |
STOP IT!!!!! I'm going to have to stop reading this cos that just sounds SO nice PL I will try my own mincemeat but maybe AFTER I've lost the weight cos I just can't imagine what would happen - would be trying to lose 4 stone not 2 and a half
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| Piglottie |
So you dont want me to post pics when I've made my first batch on Friday?
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| Jobo |
Go on then PL We NEED temptation - it is nearly Xmas after all
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| jessica |
just done first stage of mincemeat!! you lot are making me drool and I have just had dinner. Off to Pilates tonight so wanted to eat before. I can't think about cooking at 8.30 pm.
My house is crammed with pickled everything at the moment and i still want to do more, the smell of cooking and prepping is something else isn't it. So happy cooking girls and keep the ideas coming. Oh just off ot look at the Creole cake recipe
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| pjmck |
I'm safe with this thread so far as I hate dried fruits so no mince pies for me. There's too many things at Thingmas that have them in.
Paula |
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| pictish |
Go on then PL!!!!!
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| Piglottie |
I'll try and snap a photo on Friday when I make them then, if I can get to them before MrP although I dont have any holly leaves to decorate them with this year (I had little icing holly leaves that I bought from a craft fayre).
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| loobyj |
I do the ground almonds and icing thing too PL - seriously yummy. This year I'm going to try a macaroony type topping on some - they might not make it to Thingmas
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| Aknita |
I use an egg yolk in my pastry, but replace the white with it's own volume of water ( I make a lot of merigues at this time of the year too )
I LOVE Delia's recipes, but was disappointed with her mincemeat which I found dry so just had to add more brandy to it
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| jessica |
I sometimes make a mincemeat bakewell tart, it's really lovely with almonds on top that go all brown and crunchy. | ||
| loobyj |
This coming Saturday is dedicated to Thingmas Cooking. My niece is coming to stay and help in return for some pocket money. We are planning to make:
Sausage Rolls Mincemeat Fudge Truffles Marzipan Date Cheese & Marmite Pinwheels Gingerbread figures Various biscuits Apple Chutney Cauliflower Piccalli And possibly more...... lj |
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| loobyj |
Well, it was a successful weekend cooking wise  Though honestly, my niece talks sooooo much she makes me seem like a trappist monk
Anyway we made: Mincemeat Fudge Marzipan dates Apple chutney Piccalili And lots of cookie type biscuits for presents No pastry stuff done though  Mr L will be tackling that this week.
Still feel as though there's loads to do - must make A Proper Plan for food too - it seems to be working with the knitting! lj |
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