........ smell a lot like Christmas, as I baked the cake this afternoon. As always I used the recipe in this book, which I have had for years
as I always make the same size, I long ago highlighted the column, to make it easier to follow
is it just me that is getting a bit bah-humbug about the Christmas-isation of so many things ..... I just don't see why the butter has to have special packaging!
the ingredients assembled
I washed and dried the cherries, then cut them in half. I added them to the fruit, which had been soaking in brandy since Monday. I then stirred in a spoonful of flour - this helps stop the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the cake
the cake tin buttered and lined, and wrapped in brown paper to stop the outside of the cake from cooking too quickly
a little tip - before you put the cake in the oven, poke a hole in the middle - this helps keep the top of the cake flat
testing the cake with a skewer, to see if it is cooked in the middle
the cake tin is a loose-bottomed one, so standing it on a tin makes it easier to remove the outer ring
cooling on the wire rack, before being wrapped first in baking parchment, then foil. Over the next couple of weeks, I will feed it with brandy before I ice it
it got rather overcast and dull later in the afternoon, but then we had a glorious sunset
with the dark clouds contrasting nicely with the pinks and oranges
hopefully the clouds will stay, and it won't freeze overnight
Little Miss Smarty Pants sorry, I mean my dear friend, the lovely Meredithe, is now on her 16th pair of socks, while I am on my 15th, so we should both complete our "16 in 16" challenge by the end of the year. When I showed Malcolm my latest effort, he said what you are no doubt shouting at me ........ you numptie, you forgot the heel!!
but this is a pair of "afterthought heel" socks. The pink stitches were knitted with an oddment of wool, which I removed to reveal the stitches for the heel
and here is the sock with its heel
I will be back tomorrow with an extra post, to make a very special announcement, so please do pop in to read all about it!!