the business of baking

[gfrancie]

A bunch of Christmas cakes. Because you know... I happen to have some lying around. As one does.


Then I cover them with some marzipan. To get them to adher to the cake, this year I used some marmalade I had in the fridge. I figure orange is a nice flavor to go with all the bourbon happening in those cakes. Here. MORE.

Now everything needs to hang out and read a Jonathan Franzen novel while it waits. (don't your cakes read well-respected works of literature?) Then I will break out a large quantity of confectioner's sugar, and a few other ingredients and ice the ever living hell out of those cakes. And again let them sit a bit. (I figure they can read some sort of manual while they wait. Because they will need time)

Comments

[thiscantbesoy.livejournal.com]

Christmas cake is a strange phenomenon.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

It is.
I have read some interesting recipes that were created during WWII in England when most ingredients were hard/impossible to get.

[queenthesixth.livejournal.com]

I love making Christmas cakes and over the years, I took over from Momo who always made cakes for various relatives dotted around the city and county. But they're dead now and neither me nor my mother eat Christmas cake (though she is very partial to plum pudding)and other people have said that they're getting a cake from someone else so I only have one cake to make this year for my godmother.
It's a bit sad in a way, to be honest with you.

I use apricot jam myself when sticking the marzipan on. It's ingrained in me. I have vivid memories of Momo and her jar of apricot jam on the table and her sticking it on good-o. She was brilliant at baking. She never needed to measure out anything. She just knew by looking at it.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

It sounds like Momo was an alchemist in the kitchen.
You should advertise that you make cakes and then people who don't have lovely relations to make them cake anymore, could hire you to do it. A limited edition sort of thing.

I often use apricot jam but the marmalade was in the fridge. (the other choice was blackberry nectarine jam but Senor Onion is partial to that on his toast)

[jess-faraday.livejournal.com]

NOM!

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

and how.

[needlediva.livejournal.com]

did you know Jonathan Franzen is a fan of edith wharton's? arent you glad you know that now? and yes, i want some xmas cake. just sayin'.

[emmabovary.livejournal.com]

He was also BFF (and an admirer) of the late great David Foster Wallace.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

That's rather sweet and also sad. (to have lost someone he must have loved so dearly, like that)

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

That kind of makes sense. I think they both have a similar sensibility.

[emmabovary.livejournal.com]

These are such pretty cakes. Shame I hate how they taste...who actually likes these?

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

I wasn't a fan of fruit-cake until I tried my Mother inlaw's cake. I have to say that over the years I have messed with the recipe a bit. I got rid of the mixed peel and only use dried fruit. Well except for the glaced cherries. I also use bourbon which I think improves the flavor of things.

I freely admit that it isn't for everyone. I do love the ritual in making the cake. I can see why there are some monastic communities that make these kinds of cakes as part of their work.

[gracefruit.livejournal.com]

I love the colour of your mixer!

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It is called, "Ice Blue". (and yes I am bringing it with me. I am making the investment in a transformer so I can use it)

[gracefruit.livejournal.com]

The ice blue is very pretty. I've narrowed it down to that one or the espresso brown one.