Well, there was a time . . .
when October came and I used to bake my Christmas cake to my old-fashioned Christmas cake recipe, then store it in a tin until Christmas. It would be wrapped in greaseproof paper, then tinfoil, then in a tin, and would be removed periodically so that brandy could poured into the cake via holes made with a knitting needle.
In recent years, certainly the last two, I've neglected this tradition for one reason or another. But tonight, I have revived that tradition here in rural France. I've had to borrow a cake tin from a fellow ex-pat as my favourite large family size, old fashioned metal tin is nowhere to be found, and I've had to use French flour which comes in a bewildering variety of varieties, and French sugar, which seems to be ultra-sweet, so we will see what the result is like. I'll have to stay up until midnight of course to check that it's cooked, maybe one in the morning, but it should be worth it! And I love Christmas cake in all its varieties, and so does Harry.
Growing up in the North East, recipes for cakes, bread and other savouries would also come from the Be-ro book via my mam, and many a battered copy was always in the house (no pun intended, but even now I sometimes refer to the Yorkshire Pudding recipe, just to be sure!). My Christmas cake recipe is one I got from a magazine about 30 years ago, and the 'old-fashioned' bit is they say the inclusion of prunes, which it states were used many, many years ago in seasonal cake recipes.
So, off now to check the oven, as the oven is new as well, therefore strange to me, so fingers crossed for the cake-tasting in less than three weeks time, with Christopher and Jess here to join in the tasting.
© Marie Tyler, 2012
