Wednesday 11 November 2015

Christmas Cake and a Beach Walk

I decided to make my own Christmas Cake this year and it is of the boiled variety - dead simple! 
Most of the ingredients go into a saucepan and are boiled for 10 minutes, then left to cool thoroughly before adding the flour and eggs.


Looks good enough to eat - and I have to confess I felt duty-bound to 'try' several samples for quality control, of course.  The addition of Cherry Brandy was a brilliant idea; I wonder if there's enough in there? The aroma spreading through my home is gorgeous!


If it had been before the advent of the digital camera, you might have assumed I was using black & white film, rather than colour, but it was a typical November day with colourless skies and a very weak sun. However, the photo of some dog-walkers adds a touch of colour.
This is the River Seaton, running high and fast today after several days of rain, racing past the walls of Seaton Beach Cafe.


While the wind is whipping the waves up on to the beach, the river is flowing in the opposite direction, down to the sea. It all looks rather chilly, doesn't it? 



Conifers were brought down after the erosion of the cliffs along this stretch leaving the houses above in precarious positions, no longer protected from the vagaries of the sea and wind.



Brought down, partly buried then stripped of its bark by the sea.


Touches of colour among the grey rocks.



The low sun was so weak that I was able to point the camera straight into it without any glare ruining the photo.


And finally - Zac in his favourite element!



17 comments:

  1. That bit of coast certainly caught the awful weather. How precarious the house looks.
    Dear Zac, peeking out of the photos, wouldn't be the same without him!

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    1. Just a couple of years ago, you could only glimpse the top of the roof of that house from the beach; the cliff suffered badly from the same storms which destroyed the Beach Cafe. Zac, as always, loves to get into the water!

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  2. That rock with the red in it is amazing isn't it. Your Christmas cake sounds as though it is going to be delicious!! xx

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  3. And that delicious Christmas Cake, oozing with Cherry Brandy, is MINE, all MINE! Because I'm the only person amongst my family and friends who likes either Christmas Cake or Christmas Pudding. Yum.yum,yum! All attempts at dieting will be suspended over the Christmas period.

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  4. Your description of making that Christmas Cake being easy interests me. We don't have such cakes over here, although my brother does help my 97-year-old Mom bake a delicious fruit cake from my Grandmother's recipe. I'll have to do some research about boiled cakes...is there a recipe that you prefer?

    Those shoreline photographs are certainly dramatic. The house on the cliff does seem to be in danger of falling when the next round of storms come calling. Zak clearly loves the water and can dismiss all thoughts of erosion!

    xo

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    1. I'm not sure how this would translate into the American way of measuring ingredients, but this is the recipe I used:

      8oz butter.
      10 oz dark brown sugar
      2x500g mixed fruit including cherries,
      rind and juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon (unwaxed)
      Brandy, Sherry or whatever to taste (I used Cherry Brandy and once the cake is cooked, insert knitting needle in the base and add more!)
      1 teaspn mixed spice
      1 teaspn cinnamon.

      Put all in pan and stir till butter melts then boil gently for 10 mins.
      Pour in basin and i leave it overnight to cool thoroughly before adding -

      Beat in 4 eggs and stir in 10 oz plain flour with half teaspn baking powder.

      Spoon into lined tin and bake for 1 hour in fan oven at 130 then lower it
      to 120 for 2 to 2 and half hours till knife comes out clean.

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    2. Sorry, forgot to add that I wait until about 2 weeks before Christmas before covering in marzipan and icing it a few days after that.

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    3. Thank you so very much, Rambler, for writing out this recipe. I do have a kitchen scales and have baked from British recipes before, so i just might give this a try. I am going to research some similar recipes, and then will most likely be asking you for a few more tips.

      Many thanks! xo

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  5. Boiled cake was the only cake Irene's Aunty would make, very good it was to. I must start thinking about Christmas!

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    1. This version is richer than the usual boiled cake, Brian, especially with the addition of the Cherry Brandy! The aroma of it cooking has started to get me in the mood for Christmas - Christmas present list now being prepared, with names down one side and presents down the other. *Feeling smug*!!

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  6. I love the indoor colours contrasted with the outdoors :)

    XO
    WWW

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    1. Quite a contrast at this time of year, isn't it? November is so GREY; living high up on Bodmin Moor, we seem to be enveloped in the clouds a lot of the time. From a few miles away, our village is hidden in cloud while lower down from the Moor, visibility is clear. My kitchen tablecloth is one of those oilcloths which put up with kids painting, making a mess and even messy eaters! I need brightness in my life!

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  7. Your Christmas cake method sound easy and looks very colourful on that tablecloth. On the other hand your beach photos look positively wintry - not the sort of weather to stay out in long - although Zac seemed to enjoy himself - rather him than me - paddling at this time of year - definitely a nono.

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    1. I agree that it looks wintry in the photos, but it was surprisingly mild and very pleasant to walk along the beach, even with a stiff breeze off the sea. When we returned to the Beach Cafe, I sat at an outside table to eat lunch , drink cappuccino and have a read of the newspaper; Zac enjoyed a dog treat and a snooze at the side of the table, as well as greeting a few doggy friends who were there.

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    2. I agree that it looks wintry in the photos, but it was surprisingly mild and very pleasant to walk along the beach, even with a stiff breeze off the sea. When we returned to the Beach Cafe, I sat at an outside table to eat lunch , drink cappuccino and have a read of the newspaper; Zac enjoyed a dog treat and a snooze at the side of the table, as well as greeting a few doggy friends who were there.

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  8. Beautiful beautiful photos! I love walking along the beaches in the winter, and the photos of the trees are a reminder of the power of mother nature.

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    1. I'm with you on the wintry beaches, a place to blow away the cobwebs, cares and worries while breathing in that wonderful fresh ozone. Guaranteed to refresh those parts that nothing else can reach, indeed!

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