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'Well, more than just starting ...

Have this arvo made several batches of White Christmas and my own v v v successful/popular Rocky Road to ~ tomorrow night ~ parcel into 90 celophane parcels for 90 students who leave in a few days for their senior exams.

Last year I made same plus decorated cinnomon (Sp? how do you spell that word?; can't be bothered looking up)) cookies which I WONT be repeating as so damn labour intensive to decorate, plus various other treats ... I practised on these for my staff/colleagues then made more for staff/family members of Mr Suse.

|But this year I want to do the mini Christmas cake thing. I start a huge 20 day marking project (national exams) soon so think I'd like to have a big baking day next weekend. Then I fancy chucking booze ~ brandy probably ~ over said cakes in the weeks leading up till the big day. I have a recipe for cakes in terracotta pots. Am not sure though if they're what I am after. I don't necessarily need to ice them ... maybe will accompany with brandy butter.

Ideas please, oh you wise ones.

Good on you Suse. That is quite an undertaking - no wonder the kids all love you ! Re the cakes, well, you could always decorate the top with assorted nuts and glace cherries, - both green and white, some mixed peel and glazed . Very effective Suse although I know nuts are not cheap if you have several to do. Actually buying the ready made marzipan and icing and rolling it out very thin and applying it over a layer of thinned apricot jam is not too difficult and looks nice with a length of ribbon tied around each cake. On small cakes the decoration does not have to be elaborate at all. I had some ideas t that I might try making some nini cakes in a set of the large texas muffin pans.
Gawd, i wish I could get that Christmas feeling I need something to spur me on this year. I have not even made a xmas cake yet, and normally I have made several over labour weekend . I have made some batches of chutney which I will give as small gifts , and on Friday I went out and spent up large on Christmas decorations and goodies for Christmas Hamper raffle prizes for work. Not once while all that was going on did I feel a twinge of Christmas spirit No excitement, no anticipation , No idea what to give everyone for presents. - Remember last year I was as excited as could be because all my family were coming home , and the tree got put up nice and early, and decorations adorned all the rooms etc, etc. Baking was all completed early, and menus were all planned. Today I am thinking, OMG... I will have to drag that wretched tree down out of the attic again soon, and it feels like I only just packed it all up and put it away !. This year, I just want to go off with a stack of good books, and forget Christmas exists but I can't . My daughter in law to be's family is going to be here for Christmas. I suppose I have to make some sort of an effort.

Suse, Regarding the mini cake thing. I used to bake huge slabs of fruit cake and then "cut" out mini cakes with a really sturdy cooke cutter - round one. Decorate, wrap and deliver!

I have a wonderful foolproof Alison Holst recipe for Christmas cake, Suse, and I make these in multiple batches (for selling at Christmas fairs etc). I also don't ice them but stud with glace cherries and almonds. I use brandy or whisky in my cake (not the ones I sell though) and also lace it leading up to Christmas. The best one I made had a single malt whisky. I will hunt it out when I get home and post it here later, Suse. Your Christmas efforts leave me for dead. I'm stunned!

Thanks ladies. AJ, how small are the multiple ones?
I do like the idea of the large texas muffin tins as I can imagine putting those on a wee piece of sturdy cardboard and wrapping in beribboned celophane.

Sorry I didn't get the recipe on here last night Suse. I forgot to take my laptop home from work and tonight I am going to be out until late so it will be tomorrow night before I can do so. I double the recipe and make two large cakes or one large and four small ones. For the small ones I use the large tinned smoked fish cans. They are a great size or sometimes I make a large square cake, mark it with the almonds and cherries for four small square cakes then cut it into four when cooked. I wrap a red tartan ribbon around them and cellophane them to make them look pretty. Time consuming though!

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread. I want to make some yummy xmas treats for the family this year

Using the smoked fish cans is a great idea Aj. Thanks for that. I saw a neat way of decorating these mini - Christmas cakes in a mag. I was flicking through at the hairdressers the other day.
They were baked in Texas Muffins pans, and they were iced with a very thin layer of marzipan and royal icing . Using a biscuit cutter , the royal icing had a star cut ot the middle of it before it was set over the marzipan which had a thin syrup of apricot jam painted over it. Finally the hollow of cut out star part was filled with those little silver ball cake decoration thingamies... I can never remember the name of them... like shing beads.. you can get gold ones too. The finishing touch around the cake was a wide ribbon with silver edging. Do you get the picture.. in your mind's eye ? Very simple , but beautiful. The cut out stars were used to decorate the tops of home made mince tarts. They also looked great, and I was thinking that if you were running short of time, that maybe you could just cut out stars and decorate nice purchased Christmas mince pies for giving .
Someone will help me over those silver thingies please - the name of which is going to bug me for the rest of the day. I keep wanting to say cabachons... but that is not quite right. That is a precious stone.... right ? Nah... not them, can't eat stones ! eek I am loosing my marbles .. tiny silvery ones. !!