Cool! A food section!

[xrheax]

Thank you to whoever arranged a food section and whoever added it!

I LOVE FOOD

I'm so excited, this has made my day.

This year, I have made christmas cakes for presents (I have the second batch of fruit soaking in whisky) I also want to make cranberry sauce but I have several problems:

I cannot find cranberries anywhere. My husband says I might need to buy them online.
I am having a hard time finding maripan too - it is worth making it myself.

[onlyme]

OH NO...! I'm definitely going to go 'POP' now that there's a food section!

[nattynetty]

Yes yes yes definitely make your own marzipan it is soooooo much nicer than the shop bought stuff. Ever since I can remember my mum has made her own marzipan for her xmas cake, she always makes more than she needs so we can eat the left overs. Nowadays when she tells me she's marzipaning the xmas cake, for some strange reason I always manage to pop around her house that day

[xrheax]

Yes yes yes definitely make your own marzipan it is soooooo much nicer than the shop bought stuff. Ever since I can remember my mum has made her own marzipan for her xmas cake, she always makes more than she needs so we can eat the left overs. Nowadays when she tells me she's marzipaning the xmas cake, for some strange reason I always manage to pop around her house that day

Can you send me the recipe please, if it isn't too much trouble. I shall love you forever if you do!

[onlyme]

I love marzipan. Can't stand Christmas or wedding cake but I love the marzipan. When we got married many years ago (I suddenly feel very old) we had a two tiered horseshoe cake, the bottom was traditional w/cake and the top was sponge - just for me, lol!

[sunrise]

I didn't know you could make your own marzipan lol
please share the recipie would love to try it

[Ifor-Jones]

I didn't know you could make your own marzipan lol
please share the recipie would love to try it

Oh yes, homemade marzipan is yummy - I generally use the recipe in Delia Smith's Christmas cookbook. However, I often run out of time and buy some!!!!!!

[nattynetty]

Can you send me the recipe please, if it isn't too much trouble. I shall love you forever if you do!

My mum is on holiday until Tues but as soon as she gets back I'll ask her for the recipe and post it on here...I think it's pretty easy to make but cos my mum does it so well I've never had the need to try myself .

[Louise88]

I got my marzipan from tesco http://www.tesco.com/superstore/fram...rames/main.asp just look down the baking aisle

[cupcake]

Homemade marzipan is fab, and fairly straightforward, but Tesco sells it ready made if you don't have time. Sadly I can't really have it in the house anymore as my son is allergic to nuts

You can get dried cranberries in most of the big supermarkets, they're usually in the baking aisle with the nuts and other dried fruits. Fresh ones tend to be available a bit closer to Christmas in the fruit and veg section.

Oh and a food section, hurrah

[Fluffy Squirrel]

oooooh, yummy!!! A food section to share all of those lush recipes - I can feel my waistline explanding already lol

[staceyjlew]

I made my own Christmas cake for the first time last year - boy - does Royal Icing take forever to make, you have to have arms of steel it gets so stiff - Here is a recipe for Almond Paste (think this is the same as Marzipan) if any one needs, from a fab old cookbook my Gran gave me:

Makes enough to cover a 8 inch round or 7 inch square tin.

350g ground almonds
175g sieved icing sugar
175g castor sugar
1 large egg and 1 egg white
Juice of 1/2 lemon
A few drops of ratafia essence (although I missed this out as couldn't find it!)
A few drops of almond flavouring
A few drops of vanilla flavouring
1 teaspoon orange flower water (they sell in tesco)
2 teaspoons brandy, rum or sherry

1. mix ground almonds and sugars together
2. Beat whole egg and add lemon juice, ratafia, flavourings, orange flower water and alcohol
3. using a wooden spoon, mix liquid carefully into almond and sugar. Do not add it all at once because if becomes too soft, it will be difficult to roll out. Work it into a firm, but manageble paste, kneading with hands.
4. Then use 1/3 for top of cake and 2/3 for sides, roll out to desired length and attach to cake with beaten egg.
5. once on cake, brush all over with egg white and leave to dry before adding icing.

Yum Yum!!!