If It's October, It Must be Time to Make Christmas Cake!

Every year I try manfully to get the Christmas cake made as early as possible. Sometimes I manage it, sometimes I don't. It makes a big difference to the quality of the cake however, as if the cake is made in October, that gives me over two months in which to water it well with copious jollops of brandy once a week! Last year the cake was sheer perfection as it had been steeping in alcohol for nigh on three months...this year I have once again made it nice and early.

I have used a recipe from a Stork Margarine cook book given to me by my mother when I left home at the age of seventeen.....so it's a very old cook book. It has stood me in good stead over the years, with plenty of simple, tasty traditional dishes and the Christmas cake recipe hasn't let me down yet.

So tonight when the dinner has been cooked, into the oven it will go to bake slowly for three hours in its newspaper overcoat to prevent the sides and bottom from burning - a little trick learnt from my mother. The house will be warm and aromatic with the scent of mixed spice, nutmeg, brandy and cake......mmmmmm.....