Mmmm cake

[British Red]

BB has been "cake pixie" this weekend, icing and decorating the cakes we distribute to the neighbourhood


Cake by British Red, on Flickr

Always love it when she's doing cakes, the house smells of dried fruit and brandy and warm cakey smells.

Interesting that one of the neighbours dropped off a pigeon and chorizo pie whilst she was doing all this. Never had that combination before but it looks lovely!

 

[Harvestman]

I wanna live near you!

 

[Marmite]

Excellent pics. I'm afraid I'm a total incompetent when it come to making cakes (fortunately SWMBO's very good) not to bad when it comes to sampling though and it doesn't matter how old you are the best bits licking the spoon and bowl when she's finished. You've got some lucky neighbours.

 

[Macaroon]

I think I need to have your postcode...................I have a sudden and urgent need to look up property prices before Harvestman drives 'em up too far!!! Lucky neighbours, I says!

 

[Mesquite]

They look great Hugh...

Our Christmas cake is getting its final dose of brandy this weekend before it's iced next weekend. I've been involved in the dosing so it's smelling particularly nice this year

 

[Clouston98]

Nice one! I like the sound of pigeon and chorizo!

 

[British Red]

Ahh the dosing There's always some left in the glass though that needs disposing of - shame

Large amounts of brandy held together with small amounts of fruit Thats the secret of a good cake - and I don't care what anyone says - marzipan and icing is also mandatory for a proper fruit cake

We live in about the poorest county in England so property prices are fine - there are lots of nice houses round here guys - so come on down - all are welcome here

 

[Toddy]

Looks like the festivities are well underway

I love the baking and the smell of the cakes cooking and cooling, and later too when you open up the tin, but you can keep the marzipan. Horrible stuff. I love almonds, and I eat a lot of wild fruit, but that cyanidey smell and taste is just wrong to me.

Chorizo are those finger thick dried spicey sausage things ? I have pigeon breasts in the freezer, I was just going to cook them with prunes for HWMBLT.
http://www.cuisine-plus.tv/cid24173/pigeons-en-cocotte-pruneaux-et-raisins.html
Does it matter what kind of chorizo?

atb,
M

 

[Mesquite]

Ahh the dosing There's always some left in the glass though that needs disposing of - shame

Large amounts of brandy held together with small amounts of fruit Thats the secret of a good cake - and I don't care what anyone says - marzipan and icing is also mandatory for a proper fruit cake

As for leftover Brandy... never seen any of that when I'm dosing the cake

I totally agree with you on the marzipan front Hugh... however it's a battle with the wife to get her to put it on as she doesn't like it, strange woman Still I can't complain too much about her choices as I was one of them

If you fancy trying a slice drop me a PM with your address and I'll pop a bit in the post to you

 

[British Red]

Chorizo are those finger thick dried spicey sausage things ? I have pigeon breasts in the freezer, I was just going to cook them with prunes for HWMBLT.
http://www.cuisine-plus.tv/cid24173/...t-raisins.html
Does it matter what kind of chorizo?

Mary it was "Tim teach" the neighbour who made them - but I know he said he had finely diced the contents. Chorizo is a dried Spanish sausage loaded with paprika - usually small salami sized (maybe 2" diameter) but I can't see it matters what size as its going to get chopped. Tim's theory is that the fatty chorizo will balance out the lean almost dry pigeon. Should work well - its a bit of a competition as Sue the nurse did a great pigeon and herb burger meal a while ago.

Pigeon are the main vermin round here and attack our gardens so need a good cull. It seems a shame to waste the meat so we are experimenting (I'm not a fan of pan fried pigeon breast - I find it a muddy tasting meat)

 

[British Red]

If you fancy trying a slice drop me a PM with your address and I'll pop a bit in the post to you

I'll save you a slice of ours mate - BB bakes the cakes quite shallow and makes a sandwich with marzipan in the middle so you get a double marzipan hit!

 

[Toddy]

The pigeons (the big cushiedoos, I mean, the woodpigeons) are abundant around here too....probably why we get given bags of the breasts. Lot of birds been given just now, from goose to duck. I prep them, cook and serve them, but I just don't see them as food. Indeed the smell of them cooking puts me right off.....cake on the other hand is usually a goodie
I like Black Bun instead of Christmas cake though. Not so sweet and no marzipan just fruits and spices, brandy and treacle and pepper, and light buttery pastry
I'm hungry

cheers,
M

 

[Macaroon]

In our family the pigeon breasts were a much-loved feast, but my mother and a few others refused to eat them pan-fried unless they had been marinated in gin for about an hour before being fried and served with the time-honoured port sauce; she always said that the gin got rid of what she called the "thick" taste of them.

 

[Marmite]

I'll save you a slice of ours mate - BB bakes the cakes quite shallow and makes a sandwich with marzipan in the middle so you get a double marzipan hit!

Now that's just naughty! Loving the the sound of the double marzipan hit.

 

[Mesquite]

I'll save you a slice of ours mate - BB bakes the cakes quite shallow and makes a sandwich with marzipan in the middle so you get a double marzipan hit!

Now that does sound delicious

I suggested that we could try doing it this year and the answer was a resounding no, the marzipan stays on the outside of the cake

 

[santaman2000]

The pigeons (the big cushiedoos, I mean, the woodpigeons) are abundant around here too....probably why we get given bags of the breasts. Lot of birds been given just now, from goose to duck. I prep them, cook and serve them, but I just don't see them as food. Indeed the smell of them cooking puts me right off.....cake on the other hand is usually a goodie
I like Black Bun instead of Christmas cake though. Not so sweet and no marzipan just fruits and spices, brandy and treacle and pepper, and light buttery pastry
I'm hungry

cheers,
M

Do you ever make Divinity? I used to love coming home from school during Christmas season when my grandmother would have sheet pans full of Pecan divinity cooling on the sideboard.

Those cakes look quite devine also BR!

 

[Toddy]

We make nougat instead, santaman2000. I sometimes use it as a centre for mignardises or chocolates too.

I suspect that your divinity is more aerated than ours though; more like a thickish meringue ?

cheers,
M

 

[santaman2000]

I haven't tried yours so I'm unable to make a direct comparison. But yes, divinty is more aerated than most confections. It's EXTREMELY rich!

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5244/5370128705_7264c30e76_z.jpg

Or more like my grandmother made it:

http://backtoherroots.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG_1237.jpg

 

[santaman2000]

I had outstanding good luck tonight and bad luck at the same time. There are several English ladies who are members of my Church (it is after all the American branch of the Aglican Communion)

Oh well, onn to the good luck. There was a raffle of three Christmas cakes after the service. Two of them were American sheet cakes shaped and iced to look like Santa, the third was made by one of said English ladies and was a proper English Christmas cake. To my good fortune, I won the first pick! To my ill fortune, another of said English ladies (a sweet, blue haired old lady that I just couldn't say "no" too) asked won second choice and asked if I would trade with her

 

[Goatboy]

Well done on winning the raffle Santaman and good on you for being a good soul and being happy to swap with the lady. Always nice to know there are other gentlemen about. Merry Christmas.