Planning Ahead

Yesterday finally decided to get my Christmas Cake baked this weekend, and made sure of it by laying out the ingredients on a tray ready to throw together today. As you can see from the photograph below, the fruit is in a bowl, soaking in cold tea and citrus juice (you can see the citrus shells in a box - these will not be discarded, more about those tomorrow - if I can remember).
The recipe was adjusted to 'cut costs', so used 2 lbs (900kg) fruit rather than 1 kg, and one lemon instead of two (making up the shortfall of by adding a further two ounces of water to the tea). Every little bit saved means more for another day! Even the sugar is demerara instead of the more expensive soft brown (will grind it down in a blender).


The other ingredients are plain flour, eggs (cheapest at 10p each), vanilla extract and mixed spice. All I have to do is find the cake tin!!! Am SURE cake tins were brought with us when we moved, but cannot find them anywhere - probably still in a box in the garage. If I can't find the one I want, then will have to improvise by using a shallower tin lined with stiff card covered in kitchen foil, then lined with baking parchment.

It really has given me a good feeling knowing that this morning all is ready and waiting for me, and I haven't the chore of measuring out as well as the making and baking.