A Rosy Hue Settles All Around

So, I have been baking and icing in equal measure this evening. All the while listening to Magic FM through our digibox, singing along to some truly atrocious songs and enjoying myself immensely. I hadn't realised that I know all the words to When A Child Is Born - including the spoken bit in the middle.

I made the royal icing and then left it for an hour, just to make sure it was as rock solid as it should be - I didn't want to ice the cake and then find that next morning all the icing had slid off the cake, sitting like a big dollop of Preparation H round a giant haemorrhoid.

Anyway, with that marvellous visual image firmly implanted in your minds, let me then say that I went on to make my mince pies. I'd made the mincemeat about a month ago, so it was just a case of making the pastry. Doug has eaten one and told me they're very good. Personally, I prefer shop-bought, but there you go :-)

Whilst the pies were in the oven, I iced the cake. Now, its not going to win any prizes for being pretty, but its big, white and its got snowmen on the top. So has Ben Nevis, I hear you cry, but Ben Nevis isn't made of a pound or two of brandy soaked fruit, two pounds of ground almonds and a shed load of icing sugar and eggs. So the cake wins, sorry Ben.

The other night, as I was taking it out of its wrappings to put the marzipan, a chunk fell off (yes, really) so I had a little taste and thought it tasted a bit bitter. So then I started wondering if I hadn't added the sugar and worrying somewhat. But then I realised that between the marzipan and the royal icing, there is 1.5kg of icing sugar in it.....

I doubt I'll get a chance to stick the photos of it up before Christmas, as the in-laws are due tomorrow and I've got a lot of tidying up to do. I might even save a piece for Adrian, if he asks very nicely.

One little thought before I finally head off to bed for a few paltry hours of sleep before the little demons wake me up: I don't actually like Christmas Cake!