My Method for Christmas Baking
By cynthiann
@cynthiann (18602)
Jamaica
December 10, 2012 4:51pm CST
I bake about 8 or 9 Christmas puddings/cake each year. It used to be about 20 when I lived on the farm. But over the years I have developed a method that really helps me and I hope will help you.
I should tell you that I was late soaking fruit this year so I simmered about 8 lbs of fruit in Fruit/Prune wine and before I put it in glass jars I added a little rum - about one bottle.
I will be baking on Wednesday so on Tuesday night I get ready by doing the following.
I grease and line all pans that will be used.
I measure dry ingredients like flour and spices and sift them to gether and put in one bowl covered with cling film. Likewise with sugar and all wet flavourings like vanilla,lime juice etc.
20 eggs are separated into two bowls and covered. I take out the eggs from the fridge early in the morning to reach room temperature before using.
Butter is measured and left out to soften.
So on Wednesday, after dropping the twins to school then I can begin my mixing of ingrediants and pouring them into the pans and begin to steam/bake. My secret tip is that if you add flour last then the fruit will not sink to the bottom of the pan. Don't pay attention to what the recipe says - this is the best way.
Do you have a method for Christmas baking? Would my method help yu?
I will be baking on Wednesday so on Tuesday night I get ready by doing the following.
I grease and line all pans that will be used.
I measure dry ingredients like flour and spices and sift them to gether and put in one bowl covered with cling film. Likewise with sugar and all wet flavourings like vanilla,lime juice etc.
20 eggs are separated into two bowls and covered. I take out the eggs from the fridge early in the morning to reach room temperature before using.
Butter is measured and left out to soften.
So on Wednesday, after dropping the twins to school then I can begin my mixing of ingrediants and pouring them into the pans and begin to steam/bake. My secret tip is that if you add flour last then the fruit will not sink to the bottom of the pan. Don't pay attention to what the recipe says - this is the best way.
Do you have a method for Christmas baking? Would my method help yu?3 people like this
8 responses
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
10 Dec 12
Sounds like u have got it down to a t. Are ur cakes like what we call fruit cakes?they have all that candied fruit [which i can't stand, lol], nuts & stuff like that. I would give anything to have a fresh coconut & chocolate cake like my Bigmama use to make. If i made one it wouldn't be as good as hers. I also love boiled custard to drink w/my cake. Do u like it?Don't work too hard. U are mighty spot to make that many cakes at one time. Bet u give some of them away, do u??
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
11 Dec 12
I don't know what sultanas are, hate raisins, lol, like prunes tho. I have just never cared for any kind of fruitcake. Hope your coconut cake made alot of money for your friend. That was very sweet of u to do that for her w/all u have going on.I use to do alot of baking but since the boys left home, don't do much anymore because i sure don't need anything fattening. I do keep cookies baked for the grands. The little grand just loves 'tookies' & heads for them first thing when she comes in the door.
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
11 Dec 12
I would bake something for u if i could. U are a good person Cynthi & i'm certainly glad to call u a friend.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
11 Dec 12
Sultanas are just big raisins. I bake every Saturday or early Sunday morning. Someone else brings hot dogs and I have cookies and one cake. I am trying to get more people to assist with sodas etc. In five weeks I have only made US$200 so it is slow going but am stepping up and have asked two persons to bake a bread pudding or something. I am trying to give her US$500 before Christmas so this will pay a few bills for her. My son is paying for her CT scan and this is US$500 but he has a fund for medical expenses for people in his area so he said that he will pay half and then apply for the other half from this fund. She is stage four and it is in her lymph nodes so she really needs a miracle.
2 people like this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
11 Dec 12
I will send you a recipe that you may want to half so if you feel in the mood then you may try it
@GardenGerty (160626)
• United States
11 Dec 12
My dad's wife has a recipe for a fruited cake that my family, at least part of it, really enjoys, it is a friendship cake. It uses a cake mix and pudding mix, but the secret of it is "brandied" fruit. We get the "starter fluid" from a friend and go through a month long process of adding sugar and stirring while it ferments. I have found it online and the original starter starts with brandy for the fruit. It is soooooo good. Today I made cookie dough.Three types. Using the same basic recipe, with different add ins, and I baked one type tonight. Others will be baked tomorrow. I actually was thinking of starting a similar discussion about "sequential cooking". I like to be able to get one thing after another in the oven or on the stove while I have the whole process happening. Then I have dishes to clean up once. I will bake the other two types of cookies,tomorrow and then move to a different recipe that uses oatmeal and raisins and cooks at a different temperature. I am trying to get most of it frozen before I over indulge. Yes, a method like yours helps. The reason I did the three recipes today is that they all used the same measuring cups and basic ingredients so I could use all the same measuring cups, too.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
10 Dec 12
sadly my days of coo king and baking came to an end when our l ife was turned upsdie down and i had to comc here to Gold Crest retirement center to live.That is on of the things I do so miss.I loved to cook and bake. S o yes I think your
methods would be most helpful to anyone who had a lot of C hristmas baking
to do.The gathering of all the necessary ingredients will lessen the actual
time used to make the Christmas baking.thus
you or anyone else following
your method would have time for other things.
you or anyone else following
your method would have time for other things.1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
10 Dec 12
Having it all ready means that my 9 - 10 am hlf of it is in the oven baking. I find this way less tiring. It really does take time to line all those pans
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
11 Dec 12
I don't really do any baking. At one point I was really getting into making cookies, but that stopped when we moved into our trailer and I didn't have the room anymore. I have the room now, but not the time!
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
11 Dec 12
I don't do anything like the amount of baking that I used to do. But I do like to do my fruit cakes at this time. Take care and try not to overdo it.
@marguicha (222855)
• Chile
11 Dec 12
I don`t do much baking for Christmas now. My children never liked much fruit cakes and this year I will only bake some cookies so that my granson and I can put some frosting over it.
.@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
11 Dec 12
Now that should be fun with your grandson decorating with you. We love fruit cakes so it is a bit of a tradition in my home. Have a wonderful Christmas
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
11 Dec 12
I agree. They will certainly like doing it together - and so will you.
@marguicha (222855)
• Chile
11 Dec 12
Merry Christmas to you too, cynthiann! While I was writing the answer to your post, I thought that maybe I should also invite another one of my grandsons for this cookie decorating. If the house will turn into a mess, let`s do it well
1 person likes this
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
12 Dec 12
You do have a system going! I hardly bake anything anymore. I'll just be making some pumpkin bread and banana bread. I made cut out cookies with my granddaughter earlier and they are already gone!!!! When I get together with family it seems like there is so much...way to much so I have cut back.
@RitterSport (2451)
• Lippstadt, Germany
28 Apr 13
hi dear cynthiann that reminds me of Christmas Baking in my childhood. My mother baked in the last days before Christmas when I was out of school for the holidays already so we did all the cookie baking in two or three days together. She also had her methods in getting through all the baking. It was a little hectic at times but fun. Sometimes we had as many as 20 different cookie recipes to make.
