The Christmas cake.
I make a rich all-butter dark fruit cake well in advance, soaking the fruit and peel for at least three days in dark rum. I usually bake at least one extra as a gift for a friend, and this year I will be making two, because I need one to share at the book launch for The Christmas Invitation with my Novelista friends – the group of 12 authors I meet up with every month.
The Christmas Invitation
The Christmas Tree.
Every year, out comes the gold tinsel Christmas tree that my son fell in love with at a garden centre when he was two. I sometimes have a second, real tree, too, but I have to have the gold one!
Decorating the tree.
On go all the old fragile glass ornaments – the trumpets, birds, spheres, fruit, dogs, bears and bells. And then, the finishing touch: the papier mache Santa tree topper, which is over a hundred years old – my mother’s eldest sister bought it with her pocket money when she was four.
Mince Pies.
Home-made are the best and you can make lots and freeze them ready. All you need for the shortcrust pasty is fat and flour – half the weight of the flour in fat, so that’s easy to remember. You don’t need sugar when you are putting in a sweet filling. I also often use mincemeat to make Eccles cakes and flapjacks, too.
Potpourri.
A big bowl of spicy Christmas potpourri is an essential element! I keep the large fir cones from year to year, but add new dried branches of bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and slices of dried citrus to the mix and perhaps a drop or two of Christmas scented potpourri oil, too.
Christmas Eve.
I love the feeling on Christmas Eve when the house is clean and smells deliciously of spices and baking, and there is enough food and drink to withstand a small siege. Time to relax and chill out for a while – and whoever is cooking Christmas dinner next day, gets the evening off.
Christmas morning.
The old Bing Crosby film, White Christmas, has to be playing in the background during the present opening even though no one ever watches it.
Meanwhile, the Christmas dinner is cooking, but I don’t obsess about getting it on the table at a certain time – it’s ready when it’s ready. If it’s running hours late, break out the pate, crackers, mince pies and booze and chill.
After that – relax, eat, drink, watch lots of films and go for walks in the fresh, cold air.
Happy Christmas, everyone!
Trisha xx
The Christmas Invitation by Trisha Ashley is out now
Tagged in Christmas