The FastDay Forum

This is not a thread for careful or fast days

this is about those fond memories we have of the best ever
- Christmas pudding with home made brandy sauce and custard
- rich Christmas cakes with only the best Glace fruit and nuts
- the best ever Mince pies made from scratch
- rich German stollen or Polish Christmas cake
- pretty iced shaped christmas biscuits
- gingerbread men and cakes
- savoury stars of the table like Baked hams

Christmas is a big thing in Australia and i guess in some countries in Europe and even bigger affair.

We love our barbies here but we do still, or many of us bake a big dinner even on a hot summers day. Stupid i know but its done

Wondering if anyone can share their best Christmas baking recipes here

this is an amazing collection of recipes

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/category/christmas

My OH makes a great Christmas pudding which is a mandatory addition to the table and ill have to dig out the recipe. Need to anyway cause it needs to be baked this week or next.

so no diet-conscious or healthy recipes allowed here.. i think theres's a "do not get fat Christmas thread for that somewhere on this forum ..

and speaking of Christmas, if you joined the tent, dont forget to check in at least once this month if you haven't already, and update your signature as im collating total weight lost. so far its about 90kg since October 1.
here's that thread for check ins..
post121369.html#p121369

I make this one every year:

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/r80026/Mincemeat-streusel-

Use a really good mincement and it's fab.

I made my cake a month ago, but I'm sworn to secrecy on the recipe!

I make this one every year:

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/r80026/Mincemeat-streusel-

Use a really good mincement and it's fab.

I made my cake a month ago, but I'm sworn to secrecy on the recipe!

That looks scrumptious!

I just remembered one thing i make every year.. .liquid Christmas pudding. starts with a bottle of vodka and goes great on icecream.. tomorrow, im buying the vodka!!! will see if i can find the recipe too as its quite a unique one

Liquid Christmas Pudding? Tell me more!

Hi Juliana! You have got me interested with the Polish Christmas cake? I'm from Poland and was curious what the Polish Christmas cake is in the wide world?

Here's my holiday pumpkin pie:

Special Pumpkin Pie

Makes 2 9-inch or 3 8-inch pies
Chill crusts while preparing filling

Recipe found in a Sunday supplement in 1964 and made for holidays ever since. The bourbon and rum give it a unique flavor. The beaten egg whites give it a light, chiffon-type texture as opposed to the usual heaviness of pumpkin pie.

If alcohol is not desired, try separating the eggs and stiffly beating the egg whites in your usual recipe to achieve the light texture.

Lower-carb versions:
Bake in a casserole dish or individual custard cups as if it were a pudding–forget the crust.
Use skim milk and oil instead of butter.
Try cutting back a little on the sugar.

4c pumpkin
4c milk
1T butter
1t vanilla
2c sugar
4 egg yolks, beaten
1T flour
½ t salt
1t cinnamon
½ c bourbon or applejack
1T rum
4 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Scald milk. Add remaining ingredients, gently folding in the egg whites

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Pour into pie pans and bake one hour or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool completely on racks before covering and refrigerating.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Optional topping:
Mix a little cinnamon and ground cloves with small amount of confectioner’s sugar. Sprinkle mixture and chopped walnuts or pecans on pies while they are still hot.


Enjoy!

[janeg]

My name is jane and I am addicted to marzipan
So
We have marzipan mince pies from a supermarket flier, which I have adapted.
Good mincemeat, add brandy or amaretto
Good rich short rust pastry , pâté sable
Marzipan and more marzipan
Large flan dish thing
Roll out pastry thinly and line buttered dish
Dollop on half the mincemeat and check the amaretto to make sure it's fine.
Taste the marzipan to check for quality
Roll out three quarters and place ove the mincemeat
Check the amaretto again
Dollop the rest of the mincemeat on top
Check the marzipan again and probably the amaretto too. Leaving the lid off can cause it to go off, you know!
Make stars or pretty holly cut outs or whatever your Christmas theme is with nearly all of the rest of the marzipan.
Cook the pie and about ten minutes before the end put the decorative bits on top and finish baking.
Tidy up the rest of the marzipan.
I make this for tree day, 17th dec and this launches the Christmas season for us. We sometimes even share it

Ginger wine oooooh lovely

[Betsysgr8]

Ummm .. @Janeg do you actually add any amaretto to the pie or just serve on the side?

[janeg]

just gets added to the cook betsy! and maybe a splash to the tart (who is the cook anyway)

I have to admit I am not really a big fan or marzipan and I don't like icing much at all (its way too sweet) but I love heavy rich fruit cakes. Luckily hubby doesn't like the cake, but loves the marzipan and icing. Sorted.

I'm afraid I don't really have any Christmas specific recipes as I just by a small cake and a box of mince pies. the rest is basic cooking of a roast dinner, so sorted.

Everyone here must must make this one.
it's a little expensive as i think a bottle of vodka is about $40 even the cheap ones. but anyway worth every bite. serve with icecream. i usually eat it before christmas or did last year. this year. its only 2 days i can do that!

as i have 3 x fast and 1 x careful. oh how the life has changed due to "that BBC Horizon program" and this forum.

http://www.abc.net.au/local/recipes/200 ... 006375.htm

ngredients

1 bottle (about 700ml) vodka
250g dark brown sugar
100g mixed peel
250g sultanas
150g raisins
Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
1 tsp almond essence
6 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 vanilla beans,split,seeds scraped
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp mixed spice

Method

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and cover well with plastic wrap (reserve the vodka bottle and cap). Set aside in a cool place for 1 week, stirring once a day.

(THIS PART IS THE ORIGINAL RECIPE INSTRUCTION BUT I LEAVE IT OUT THUS I END UP WITH AN AMAZING LIQUID FRUIT DESSERT.....Strain the contents through a very fine sieve, pressing down well to extract all the liquid.

Pour liquid back into the vodka bottle and screw the cap on tightly.)



Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

* for an added treat, you can also remove the cloves, cinnamon sticks and vanilla, and then fold the macerated fruits through softened ice-cream to create a very boozy pudding.

Hi Juliana! You have got me interested with the Polish Christmas cake? I'm from Poland and was curious what the Polish Christmas cake is in the wide world?

jak idzie pani

All Polish cakes are yummy.. see this to get that sweet tooth going.

http://www.yummly.com/recipes/polish-cake

http://www.yummly.com/recipes/polish-baking

and for Christmas
this ones a cracker..

http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/po ... ngcake.htm

i havent ever made it but always wanted to.

Liquid Christmas Pudding? Tell me more!

Melanie, see post above for recipe. note that i dont strain the mixture.. just leave it all together and just marinating.. honestly one of the best things and i hand aruond a small jar to friends if i have enough around

I need to stop looking at porn (food porn that is)

2nd recipe on this page - orange and pistachio marzipan

i love pistachios
i love marzipan
i love cardoman

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle ... dan-lepard

i am so making this in the coming weeks.

im so over the every day german Stollen from Aldi.