Xmas Hints and Tips

[enaid]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

If you are buttering crackers for cheese, if you place them on a slice of bread they won't crack.

[cinders]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

Go to your parents and let Mum do the flapping, sit back with a glass of port and chill until dinner

[WendyB]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

I'm loving the idea of cooking everything on Christmas Eve. But I'm at work till lunchtime, hairdo at 12.30, stables by about 4 ish, then out for a mega curry with loats of friends and family cos its our Wedding anniversary. So I think its best not to attempt any cooking whatsever after that lot.

[WendyB]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

Tempty I can see you lurking - where's that trifle recipe??????

Bloke is adamant he wants the orange cointreau onebut I might do a choccy one for me and my sister in law who's a baileys addict.

[Tempty]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

Bailyes choc trifle

ok i warned you... now don't be sick.... tis very rich

you will need

175ml freshly made coffee (ground or instant choice is yours)
85 g castor sugar
cinnamon stick (optional)
3 tbsp brandy (optional) i usually replace this with baileys too...lol

500 g fresh custard (either make your own as i do... i add in a few drops of vanilla essence...or buy ready made.. it's up to you)
285 ml double cream
3 tbsp Baileys for cream mix
3 tbsp Baileys for custard
pack of mini choc swis rolls, or a large one cut into pieces (you can use choc covered ones to provide extra crunch....)

1 bar good quality choc (i usually use cadburys milk, but for more depth try using half milk,half dark) obviously we are not talking the giant bars here... lol


Method

place coffee and sugar in saucepan and bring to boil.... stirring occasionally
add cinnamon stick and brandy/baileys and leave to simmer for 8 - 10 mins
remove cinnamon stick, leave to cool

place swiss roll in bottom of bowl, pour over cooled coffee mix leave to soak in

melt choc (leave a little to grate over the top)
mix in baileys into melted choc, then mix that into custard.
pour into bowl covering cake mix...... stop eating it...lol

whisk cream and baileys together to form soft peaks, spread over trifle
grate remaining choc over the top to decorate.

ok have fun with it, tweak it a bit if you want.... sometime i go mad.... double up and layer cake custard and cream etc......

be warned this will make you sick if you eat too much LOL

[WendyB]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

Sounds scrummy but I think I'd have to leave the coffee out. Weird, cos I drink coffee all day but don't like coffee flavoured stuff.

Her's my recipe for Orange Cointreau trifle

Swiss roll
orange jelly
contreau (no measuremnts, just slug in as much as you like)
orange segments (fresh or tinned)
custard
cream ( I cheat and buy the Asda one with orange pieces and cointreau already in)


Method
Cover the bottom of the dish with swiss roll
Chuck in a few orange segments
Put in cointreau, leave to soak up.
Make jelly as directed, use a bit less water if you like and substitute with cointreau
pour jelly over the top.
Leave till jelly has set.
When set, pour custard over the top of jelly. Leave custard to set, somewhere cool (my conservatory is one big fridge at this time of year)
Just before serving, open your Asda cream, pour on top, decorate with whatever.

Serve.

retire to settee in a drunken heap

Asda do this lovely thick cream with various booze in it -the Harveys bristol cream one is lovely if you use the same method as above, but with sherry, red jelly and strawberries. Cos we all like different booze, I usually do both. My favourite is Southern Comfort, though I've never tried it in a trifle - do you reckon it would work?

[Tempty]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

Hmmm can't see why not...
strange as it may sound hun... in the choc trifle you really don't taste the coffee at all... and yes the measurments there are just a guide... i usually just slosh away with the baileys lol

[enaid]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

Bloody lot of Fanny's on this thread and not many Johnnies lol, come on lads some of you must be able to cook or at least have some idea of what you'd like to eat.msl:msl:msl:

[Paule]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

Okey Pauls Xmas Lunch

Christmas Eve
Prep all the veg, peel chop etc, sort ready for cooking
Wrap sauasges with bacon
Clean turkey, mix stuffing get all ready
Wrap/Build Kids presents

Order curry, and relax and get drunk

Christmas Day
Kids up at 6am
All downstairs, get a brew
Get turkey out of fridge, stuff and cover with Bacon
Put turkey in roasting tray, surround with bacon wrapping sausages
cover with foil, stick in oven
Open presents, keep kiddy kids happy.
Mid morning, visitors start to arrive
Throughout morning keep basting turkey.
About 1ish, start roastie spuds and take turkey out to stand
about half 1.45 start veggies cooking.
All cooked by 2pm, put into serving dishes to keep warm, while turkey is carved
All sit down eat dinner

[WendyB]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

Lovely pk. But is that you doing all that preparing and cooking or do you just watch Mrs PK lol.

[Paule]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

Ile have you know I do most of the cooking, but on xmas we both do a bit

[WendyB]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

Well done that man!

[littlesally]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

My xmas tip I have done for years. I gave it out last year and think people did it.

To get kids in to bed xmas eve, when they are all excited and dying to open presents, let them open one, but make sure it is something they can't play with i.e. pyjamas. teddy etc.
Then on xmas night, when all the presents are opened and the kids want to play with them rather than sleep, tell them there is one final present waiting for them on their pillow for when they go to bed, Again make it something that can' be played with.
This worked with my two and even now at 22 and 24 they insist on pyjamas and teddies for night time presents. We do it with my OH kids and even though they know what it will be, they don't care as they've opened a present!

I also try to keep some presents back for the afternoon, that way all the different bits of games don't get mixed up. Usually they get opened before dinner because I can't wait.

Sally x

[enaid]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

http://www.somerfield.co.uk/christma...ef++Wellington

[Happyolddog]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

I don't like to brag but I have to admit, I have bought all of the Christmas pressies already.......oi don't poo poo it. I can now relax and play on my computer untill the decks go up.
Pressies,
Channel No5 ............wife
Laptop....................Daughter
Watch and 6 mega pixal camera...son 1
Furniture for flat and £300 .........son 2
Little gifts for all 22 nephews and neices sorted.
400 ciggies for my mum (her choice).......nope I aint trying to kill her, YET.

I will be doing all the cooking as usual as the last time the Mrs had a go she left the bag of giblets in the bird and ruiened it.
I will post the Christmas lunch menu at a later date.

Best wishes,
Hod...Liam..