On Mon, 05 Jan 2004 07:01:58 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:

>"Diane Epps" > wrote in
:
>
>>
>> "Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in
>> message . ..
>>> "Charles Gifford" > wrote in
>>> hlink.net:
>>>
>>> >
>>> > "Daisy" > wrote in message
>>> > ...
>>> >> I read a newspaper article yesterday written by a non-USA person,
>>> >> who had experienced life in a Brtitsh-style culture for a while.
>>> >> The article was all about fruit cakes.
>>> >
>>> > One thing I've noticed in this thread is that, while the thread is
>>> > titled "Christmas Cake", the conversation so far is about fruit
>>> > cake, plum cake or similar. For me, a Christmas Cake is similar to
>>> > a fruit cake, but has layer(s) of marzipan and nice crunchy icing
>>> > over that.
>>> >
>>
>> I am British, and you are quite right that the Christmas cake is fed
>> with brandy/rum for a week or two and then it is painted with warmed
>> and sieved apricot jam [jelly] which helps the marzipan to stick the
>> cake is then fully covered in Marzipan and finally iced with Royal
>> icing and either made to look like a snow scene if you are not so good
>> at icing or it is flat iced and them elaborately decorated with piped
>> icing rather like a wedding cake. Diane
>
>Diane, I'm not sure that the progression of your quotes are right, so I'm
>not sure if you're responding to what I posted.
>
>However, thank you for confirming what I believed about British
>Christmas Cakes. I had forgotten about the apricot jam. While I do bake
>fruitcakes, I don't cover them in marzipan, but if I'm prsenting the
>whole cake I do glaze them with apricot jam.
>
>Thanks,
>Wayne

Hello again Wayne and all other interested posters: A true Christmas
cake is supposed to have warmed apricot jam (or a thick sugar syrup)
brushed on top and then the almond paste spread on that, and topped
with Royal icing (whatever that is!!!). Then there is the Christmas
cake wrap - a sort of kitchy Christmassy-type of thing with fringes
top and bottom ()about 3-4 inches high) and pinned (or taped) in
place.

It is a big occasion, presenting the cake all done up like this!
Some people even put candles on it (though why I can never fathom!).

For me, I buy the so-called royal icing from a local cake shop and
then festoon the top with all sorts of Christmas trivia - a tree, a
Santa, a few holly leaves - you know ... the very very British thing!

On other occasions if I am making a cake that is not designed to be
iced but to have a topping encrusted with nuts, I use brazil, almond,
pecan and hazelnuts and then glaze the top with a sugary syrup to hold
the nuts in place.

Have you tried all this alcohol stuff with summer berry fruits (which
we are enjoying right now - eat your hearts out!)? I macerate fresh
raspberries in cassis - and strawberries in the same or kirsch.

I find the little grandchildren eat up EVERYTHING when the berries are
done like this. Now there has to be some sort of message there!



Daisy.

Don't assume malice for what stupidity can explain.