I'm taking part in the Virtual Cookie Exchange blog hop and today is my day for sharing. A big thank you to Carol from Just Let me quilt for organising the hop. The hop is about sharing a Christmas recipe but also traditions or quilts. I love sharing and sharing recipes and traditions from Christmas is always good fun.
We always have a Christmas cake at home and from the time I left home to start my nurse training I took over making the Christmas cake. As a family we like a rich fruit cake and I've used the same recipe for as long as I can remember. I even used this recipe to make my wedding cake. It comes from the Good housekeeping recipe book, which has been used so often over the years that it is falling in pieces. It would have a lot of pages missing it they weren't held in place with sellotape.
Traditionally we made the Christmas cake during the October half term and then every weekend we would pour a little brandy over it to keep it nice and moist. At the beginning of December the almond paste or marzipan would be added to cover the cake prior to the icing. The introduction of moulding icing made decorating the cake much easier and far more fun.As we had been away on holiday I made the cake on the 17th November and this coming weekend I will add the almond paste. The cake decorations are different every year. In 2016 it was a very simple design with white icing and white and blue snowflakes sprinkled over the icing. One Christmas we had polar bears on one half of the cake and penguins on the other. I haven't worked out the decoration for this year but I want to use more colour, maybe Santa in his sleigh with a large bag of presents.
Traditionally we made the Christmas cake during the October half term and then every weekend we would pour a little brandy over it to keep it nice and moist. At the beginning of December the almond paste or marzipan would be added to cover the cake prior to the icing. The introduction of moulding icing made decorating the cake much easier and far more fun.As we had been away on holiday I made the cake on the 17th November and this coming weekend I will add the almond paste. The cake decorations are different every year. In 2016 it was a very simple design with white icing and white and blue snowflakes sprinkled over the icing. One Christmas we had polar bears on one half of the cake and penguins on the other. I haven't worked out the decoration for this year but I want to use more colour, maybe Santa in his sleigh with a large bag of presents.
Another tradition that we have done over the years is to make sugar mice in the lead up to Christmas. Sometimes we add food colouring to make them brighter but in 2016 we left them white. These days we use the moulding icing to create the mice
Every year I buy stollen as John and I love it but this year I decided to have a go at making it. Last year I was given this recipe book and the recipe for stollen is in it.
Stollen is a traditional Austrian fruity yeast bread that is filled with almond icing (marzipan) The top can be glazed with a light glace icing but I prefer it just with icing sugar over it. It is so tasty served warm. If it doesn't all get eaten while it is fresh, it can be toasted . It also freezes very well. You can get Delia's recipe HERE The recipe goes together quickly and it worked very well. Once cooked and cooled I sprinkled icing sugar over it.
When you cut into it it looks very pretty with the different dried fruits. I should have used white marzipan but I only had the yellow marzipan.
A very important part of the lead up to Christmas is our advent calendar. I made this when the children were very small but we have been using it every year since.The pockets aren't very big but we manage to get enough sweets for one sweet each every day.
A few years back I won the fabric used for this Christmas quilt in a blog hop. It is a favourite family Christmas quilt. It looks beautiful on my bed but we tend to bring it downstairs and cuddle under it whilst watching TV.
I love Christmas and have got quite excited just thinking about it. Last year I was still feeling the effects of my cancer treatment but this year I feel very well and happy so I'm hoping for some snow at Christmas and looking forward to a very family centred time.
Now you need to go and see what everyone has posted on their blogs. Thank you for popping by and I hope to see you again soon.
November 27
November 28
November 29
See you all soon. I'm going to make a cup of tea, cut a slice of stollen and enjoy reading all of todays posts.
Take care
Lyndsey
Oh my, Lyndsey, you made some really amazing Christmas treats. I love Stollen bread, but never have made it. Your's looks perfect! Thanks for sharing your Christmas yummy's and quilt.
ReplyDeleteI like stollen, too, but have never tried to make my own. Your Christmas mice are adorable, and the cake looks so elegant with those blue snowflakes. Be sure you show how you decorate this years, when you do it.
ReplyDeleteSo loved hearing about your Christmas traditions. Everyone looks so inviting, the mice are adorable, that is if mice can be adorable (smiling).
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing your Christmas traditions. The stollen looks wonderfully delicious. Enjoy that hot tea with it!
ReplyDeleteYour Christmas mice are adorable!! And I love the snowflake cake - reminds me of the movie Frozen!! Thanks for sharing your traditions. Stollen sounds like it would be awesome! Thanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteI want a piece of that cake n.o.w. You have such beautiful traditions and your Christmas quilt is lovely!
ReplyDeleteI would love to join you with a cuppa tea~ Must go get one now to read and enjoy with you. Thank you for sharing your time worn traditions. These are wonderful. I think much people tend to get lost in the hustle and bustle and forget the lovely foods that take so much time ~
ReplyDeleteIs that a Cairn Terrier? What a wonderful tradition you have, I could do without the mice though. Denise@fortheloveofgeese
ReplyDeleteThe Christmas cake looks so pretty and must taste delicious. I love those little mice too. It sounds like you have such a wonderful Christmas tradition.
ReplyDeleteOh how pretty, and I love the sugar mice. I've never tried moulded frosting, but it sure makes the cake looks pretty! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOh how I had to laugh. My favorite cookbook looks much like yours, all taped together. You really brought back some wonderful memories with the stollen. My grandmother used to make it all the time. I haven't though of it in years. Have a very blessed holiday season.
ReplyDeleteHi Lyndsey! I am so glad you are feeling better and able to participate this year!! Oh my, your description of the Christmas cakes bring back memories. I remember 'helping' my mom add brandy to a fruit cake each year. I don't recall ever eating it - just the brandy part. And your cookbook!! It looks like it is well loved and used. A sign of a great cook/baker in my opinion. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us today! ~smile~ Roseanne
ReplyDeleteYour traditions are beautiful and that quilt has my favorite colors. Love it. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteAs a child we had an Advent calendar as well. It was made of felt and the top portion had the shape of a tree on it. The pockets were below the tree and each held an ornament that would be pinned to the tree to decorate it. Not many people like Christmas cake, but my dad loved it! Thanks for sharing your traditions. Blessings. MelvaLovesScraps at NolanQualityCustoms dot com
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post full of holiday traditions. Thank you so much for sharing them with us. I love your advent calendar. Congrats on the upcoming healthy Christmas season.
ReplyDeleteYou shared so many wonderful Christmasy things - fruit cake, Christmas mice, a Christmas quilt - and that delicious looking Stollen. That's right up my alley. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on you anniversary as a cancer survivor, the best gift your family could ask for, no doubt.
ReplyDeleteLove all the recipes and the traditions shared. Congrats on the cancer anniversary and a happy holiday with family.
ReplyDeleteThat stollen looks delicious. Its funny how some of our favorite recipes come from these well worn books.
ReplyDeleteSugar mice are cute idea! Love the colors of your Christmas quilt. So pretty!
ReplyDeleteYour Christmas quilt is lovely. Love the cake it is gorgeous, and the mice are so very cute.
ReplyDeleteWhat a unique dessert for the cookie hop - love it! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post! Coming from Newfoundland, fruit cake was a staple at Christmas. I make my own and sometimes throughout the year because Hubby, who is English, is very fond of it. I have had stollen and love fruit breads. Daughter and I plan on doing some baking and I'll add this Delia's link to our list.
ReplyDeleteWhat is it about that aqua colour that just brings out the reds and looks so cheery. Beautiful!
Merry Christmas! The cake is beautiful.
ReplyDelete