Christmas baking/cooking thread.

B0jangles · 10-12-2019 10:08am

Tip: Adding apples is good, subbing plain beef mince is not.

https://twitter.com/imbadatlife/status/1204074621059948544/photo/1

Apparently the person in charge of creating photos to go with the recipe was unaware of the difference between 'mincemeat' and 'minced meat' :P

SarahLil · 10-12-2019 1:57pm

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Has anybody tried to make a mincemeat swirl?

You get a sheet of puff pastry and roll it out.
You spread out a layer of mince meat and roll it back up.
Then you cut it into slices and bake.

Love the sound of this, any recipes please for a mince meat ? I wouldn't mind giving this a go I am not a baker

Scarinae · 10-12-2019 3:16pm

I finally got around to making gingerbread dough last night - I'm planning to actually bake the biscuits on Wednesday as we have friends coming around, and I thought decorating them could be a fun thing to do with their kids. It was my first time using molasses for gingerbread but the texture of the dough seems fine.

The only thing is, as I was clearing up afterwards I realised I forgot to put salt in - I had it the salt ready to go, I must have got distracted. It was only half a teaspoon, but I'm wondering is the gingerbread going to be really bland without it? Should I just make a completely new batch?

tscul32 · 10-12-2019 3:19pm

I wouldn't think it'll make a huge difference but why not just bake one cookie now and test it. I certainly wouldn't throw it out without checking first.

And for the mince swirls, if you're not much of a baker just buy a jar. Add a splash of some alcohol or other and it'll be lovely.

Scarinae · 12-12-2019 5:06pm

So we had friends over for dinner last night, here is some of the gingerbread that I made (which tasted great, incidentally):

I also made a Yule Log, but I think next time I'd add some decorations because I think it looks a bit plain:

And finally, an Oreo cheesecake - not directly Christmassy but always a crowd pleaser:

tscul32 · 12-12-2019 5:37pm

Getting hungry here....all looks fab

SarahLil · 12-12-2019 6:18pm

They look amazing I bet your visitors will be back for more

Loughc · 12-12-2019 10:11pm

Can I order 4 Yule logs please.

Neyite · 13-12-2019 12:23pm

Loughc wrote: »

Can I order 4 Yule logs please.

Aren't you going to get any for your guests??

Loughc · 13-12-2019 8:30pm

Neyite wrote: »

Aren't you going to get any for your guests??

Nope.

Daisy78 · 15-12-2019 2:19pm

Love love love gingerbread cookies at Christmas. Though a lot of recipes have treacle as one of the main ingredients which I really don’t like. That log looks impressive Scarinae!

Graces7 · 15-12-2019 2:41pm

B0jangles wrote: »

Tip: Adding apples is good, subbing plain beef mince is not.

https://twitter.com/imbadatlife/status/1204074621059948544/photo/1

Apparently the person in charge of creating photos to go with the recipe was unaware of the difference between 'mincemeat' and 'minced meat' :P

Actually that person is historically accurate and we are not! It used to be that they were made of minced meat.

So yes, they are correct and it is a good alternative filling..

Have a read of Wikipaedia and other sites re the history of mince pies, Makes sense too of the name as mincemeat is not minced?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 15-12-2019 5:24pm

Sampling the first batch of Mrs S's mince pies as she puts more in the oven. They are delicious but I may need a few more...just to be sure.

New Home · 15-12-2019 7:14pm

Arlo Quiet Silicon wrote: »

Sampling the first batch of Mrs S's mince pies as she puts more in the oven. They are delicious but I may need a few more...just to be sure.

I'm willing to provide you with a second opinion. I'm nice, that way.

New Home · 15-12-2019 7:24pm

B0jangles wrote: »

Tip: Adding apples is good, subbing plain beef mince is not.

https://twitter.com/imbadatlife/status/1204074621059948544/photo/1

Apparently the person in charge of creating photos to go with the recipe was unaware of the difference between 'mincemeat' and 'minced meat' :P

Here's the original website:

https://www.thespruceeats.com/mincemeat-and-apple-tart-recipe-435106

conor_ie · 17-12-2019 4:31pm

I made another batch of mince pies.. (forgot to take pics!) and I'm a lot happier with this one.

A combination of Paul Hollywood's Pastry recipe and Phil Vickery's mince pie filling recipe.

Mena Mitty · 18-12-2019 5:13pm

Apologies if I'm posting this in the wrong thread. I read this thread regularly and enjoy the recipes and tips.

I'm trying to find a recipe for 'Snowballs' as made by a Donegal lady on Catherine Fulvio's 'Taste of Home' last week.

I can remember most of the ingredients digestive biscuits, carnation milk, butter, marshmallows, chocolate powder, desicated coconut, but not the quantites or method.

I'd appreciate if anyone could post the recipe or a link to same. T/A

New Home · 18-12-2019 5:22pm

https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/recipes/2019/1209/1098031-anytime-apple-pie-and-snowballs/

Is this it?

conor_ie · 18-12-2019 9:09pm

I was baking again!

Mena Mitty · 18-12-2019 10:01pm

New Home wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/recipes/2019/1209/1098031-anytime-apple-pie-and-snowballs/

Is this it?

Thank you ever so much for posting the link. I think my grown up children will love these.

conor_ie · 23-12-2019 10:47am

The smell in the house yesterday after all the baking.. unreal!

Tom Mann Centuria · 23-12-2019 6:26pm

My 14 year old son had a go at making a Yule Log and it's delicious!

B0jangles · 23-12-2019 7:19pm

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

My 14 year old son had a go at making a Yule Log and it's delicious!

That looks absolutely amazing! Has he baked much before or is he just naturally gifted?

Tom Mann Centuria · 23-12-2019 7:22pm

B0jangles wrote: »

That looks absolutely amazing! Has he baked much before or is he just naturally gifted?

I'll pass on the comment, he'll be delighted. He's made a few things from his home economics book at home but this was his first attempt at a recipe from elsewhere. He often helps his sister who loves baking though.

He was properly pleased with it. Tastes lovely too.

B0jangles · 23-12-2019 7:36pm

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

I'll pass on the comment, he'll be delighted. He's made a few things from his home economics book at home but this was his first attempt at a recipe from elsewhere. He often helps his sister who loves baking though.

He was properly pleased with it. Tastes lovely too.

Please do - I'd be absolutely thrilled with myself if I managed to make one that looked even close to as neat and perfectly shaped as that

Loughc · 23-12-2019 11:57pm

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

My 14 year old son had a go at making a Yule Log and it's delicious!

That looks amazing!!!

Millicently · 24-12-2019 12:26pm

This year I decided to make a Bailys cheesecake for Christmas instead of getting the usual Christmas pudding. I haven't made it for years and made the mistake of mentioning that I was making one to my brother so I ended up making two. I didn't realise the food processor had broken until I switched it on to crush the biscuits so I ended up using a hand blender to crush them. I thought I'd bought too much Philadelphia but the recipe quantities I found online were far too small so I ended up doubling up. There's a lot more than a shot of Bailys in them, a heart attack in a tin.

Happy4all · 24-12-2019 12:32pm

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

My 14 year old son had a go at making a Yule Log and it's delicious!

Wow. Very impressive. He should be very proud of his achievement.

Makes me hungry for a slice.

Tom Mann Centuria · 24-12-2019 12:34pm

Happy4all wrote: »

Wow. Very impressive. He should be very proud of his achievement.

Makes me hungry for a slice.

Thanks, I think he is quite proud, though teenage lads tend to be monosyllabic in response to anything!

B0jangles · 24-12-2019 5:02pm

I finally got the cake iced!

Beware eurogiant icing bags - the one I got exploded the first time I used it, like a seam gone and a hole appeared in the side - total, complete collapse.

Millicently · 24-12-2019 6:23pm

B0jangles wrote: »

I finally got the cake iced!

Beware eurogiant icing bags - the one I got exploded the first time I used it, like a seam gone and a hole appeared in the side - total, complete collapse.

You think that's bad, I turned on the Lidl food processor I bought in in January last year and never used, turns out it doesn't work so that was a waste of money. Note to self, don't buy any more electrical products in Lidl. Your cake looks great.

B0jangles · 24-12-2019 6:35pm

Millicently wrote: »

[/B]You think that's bad, I turned on the Lidl food processor I bought in in January last year and never used, turns out it doesn't work so that was a waste of money. Note to self, don't buy any more electrical products in Lidl. Your cake looks great.

Oh no - what a massive pain in the proverbial :mad: Any idea what's wrong, like any chance at all that it's just a bad fuse?

edit: also - thank you!

Postgrad10 · 25-12-2019 3:39pm

Lidl are very good at exchanging/ getting a refund. No quibbles.

Millicently · 26-12-2019 3:29pm

B0jangles wrote: »

Oh no - what a massive pain in the proverbial :mad: Any idea what's wrong, like any chance at all that it's just a bad fuse?

edit: also - thank you!

I ended up crushing the biscuits with a hand blender which was really frustrating, the worst part was when I'd eaten a slice the next day I got a massive headache and remembered that I don't usually eat cream cheese because it gives me a headache.

I think worse than that was hearing my husband on the phone to his mum discussing Christmas day and making it sound(unintentionally) that we didn't get a Christmas cake or pudding because I'm not really into them. We said we wouldn't get a pudding this year because most of it gets thrown out and we haven't made or bought a Christmas cake for years for the same reason. It was because he didn't want pudding and specifically asked me to make the Bailys cheesecake that we didn't get the pudding. :rolleyes:

Graces7 · 28-12-2019 8:57am

Cheesecake is my one serious omission this year! How on earth did I omit it!

My greatest success was my improvised trifle! Had no cake in for the base; packet of ginger biscuits fell out of the cupboard... ( I never put fruit in the base) … Custard then double cream. Simple... utterly delicious and all gone! I have more biscuits and jelly and custard but no cream.. maybe my home made cream liqueur..... mmm....

Millicently wrote: »

I ended up crushing the biscuits with a hand blender which was really frustrating, the worst part was when I'd eaten a slice the next day I got a massive headache and remembered that I don't usually eat cream cheese because it gives me a headache.

I think worse than that was hearing my husband on the phone to his mum discussing Christmas day and making it sound(unintentionally) that we didn't get a Christmas cake or pudding because I'm not really into them. We said we wouldn't get a pudding this year because most of it gets thrown out and we haven't made or bought a Christmas cake for years for the same reason. It was because he didn't want pudding and specifically asked me to make the Bailys cheesecake that we didn't get the pudding. :rolleyes:

phormium · 28-12-2019 9:15am

Even though I own several electrical implements that would process biscuits I always crush mine in a plastic bag with a rolling pin and then roll over the bits while still in the bag to get crumbs.

But on another note I bought an electric carving knife in Lidl just before Christmas as my old 20+ yrs one gave up, the blades kept coming loose. Anyway the stupid thing wouldn't cut butter! Not a hope would it cut meat, flimsy blades that were not even firm when inserted and the blades just kind of made crumbs of the meat rather than slicing through it. Had to resort to normal carving knife which did a much better job, it's true they don't make things like they used to!

Millicently · 28-12-2019 11:35am

phormium wrote: »

Even though I own several electrical implements that would process biscuits I always crush mine in a plastic bag with a rolling pin and then roll over the bits while still in the bag to get crumbs.

But on another note I bought an electric carving knife in Lidl just before Christmas as my old 20+ yrs one gave up, the blades kept coming loose. Anyway the stupid thing wouldn't cut butter! Not a hope would it cut meat, flimsy blades that were not even firm when inserted and the blades just kind of made crumbs of the meat rather than slicing through it. Had to resort to normal carving knife which did a much better job, it's true they don't make things like they used to!

When I'd make the cheesecakes years ago I'd always crush them in a bag but since I hadn't used the food processor before(I bought it last January) I thought I'd try it out, I really shouldn't have used the hand blender but it worked. I forgot cream cheese gives me a thumping headache, until after I'd eaten a slice, anyway I'd better bin the leftovers because my husband is gradually working his way through it.

Christmas baking/cooking thread.

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