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[annieb]

Not really a menopause matter? but actually maybe it is??  We always have Christmas pudding that my Mum buys and brings to our house if it is our turn for the family Christmas. yum!!  She makes the most delicious white sauce to accompany it ( sweetened with a little sugar and finished with nutmeg - double yum!!) When everyone was at our house for Christmas she would make it too but, though she still makes great sauce, in recent years I am loath to ask her to do so as she is 85 and takes ages to make the sauce which then causes us a problem getting the main meal out (small kitchen) and there's no hurrying her up .  It doesn't keep very well so can't really get it made well in advance and though at one time I could make it quite well in recent Christmases I seem to have lost my touch and the sauce has been AWFUL
No-one like brandy butter so, after that long ramble, am seriously considering replacing the white sauce with custard - the lovely Ambrosia type - shock horror out of a tin.  It's delicious - will only take minutes to heat through BUT wonder what it will taste like
Anyone ever tried that or maybe have any other suggestion?

[Elizabethrose]

Hi annieb

I used to be the sort of weird whacky woman who felt the need to make everything consumed in our home, especially at Christmas. So I'd make the canapés, starters, bread sauce cranberry sauce, pudding, brandy cream, cake, mince pies, shortbread......get the drift? Given I fed numbers anything up to 17, I was always like this.....

Nowadays, I buy the cranberry sauce, bread sauce, brandy cream, canapés and if it's been manic the mince pies and shortbread too. I always make the cake as I've used the one recipe for a million years and make them in batch for presents.

I would highly recommend the M and S brandy cream. Taste it and doctor it to suit your taste by adding more brandy, nutmeg etc. They also do a delicious fresh vanilla custard, which is a million times better than the tinned sort. However, whatever floats your boat! I keep a couple of tins of Ambrosia in the larder for emergencies, still delicious!

Enjoy! x

[Ju Ju]

My lot love ambrosia custard! Plus shop bought Christmas pudding! And as the cooking bounced over my head from my Mum to my DD, she is the Christmas chef. This is what I call stress free Christmas dinner! For me anyway. 

[annieb]

Thanks Ladies -  I do make mince pies and usually edible and good to have in case you get a surprise visitor.  I used to make a proper fruit Christmas cake until hubby started moaning about it being too tempting and his weight gain !!!  Mind you it was  full size 8" cake and very good even though I say it myself. Not sure what his problem was as it kept for ages and he could have had smaller slices. I did make some tiny ones a few years ago (using cleaned out baked bean tins) and that was quite successful  but simply have not had the time this year
I do make chocolate eclairs (only at Christmas as they are a faff) - another family tradition . My Gran used to make them and then my Mum so now it's my turn.  I enjoy baking (and choc eclairs) as you can see but don't do as much as I used to as mostly there's only the 2 of us at home (& hubby as you may have guessed is concerned about the calories - as am I to a certain extent)  Shop bought (M&S) Christmas pud is already in the pantry
not keen on any "dessert" sauce with alcohol in it.  Most people seem to love it - just me I guess.  The various vanilla custards sound delicious so think that's the way to go.  Ambrosia is lovely but somehow doesn't seem special enough for Christmas
I'll report back after the DAY and let you know how it was x

[dulciana]

All this reading about Christmas pudding has made me want some......now!  How can I wait nine days?   

[cubagirl]

Used to make all of the above too. Now I prefer the less stressful route. This year we're all sharing the cooking. Though son & DIL have got easiest course, starters which I'm lead to believe is prawn cocktail. I'll forgive them though as they are only just married & will be jetlagged after their Floridian honeymoon.

[Elizabethrose]

I adore chocolate eclairs annie, probably my absolute favourite pastry! What a lovely Christmas tradition.

Mines a massive C cake but I don't ice it, it's topped with a selection of nuts covered in a brandy and apricot jam glaze. The thing lasts for months and tastes better the longer you keep it though my hubby sounds like yours. He's like the 'secret lemonade drinker' I swear he creeps down in the night. Trouble is he never puts on an ounce, it's just so annoying! We're away this year which seems to have given my husband the green light to start early on the cake: it's a quarter gone already! Cheeky fella!

I'm not keen on anything alcoholic annie, so always opt for plain cream on my pud or mince pies. Even if you don't want your mum to struggle with the making of the sauce, do ask her for the recipe, maybe in the middle of the year so she's not reminded to make it this year. Even though brandy sauce is essentially a béchamel with brandy and sugar added, every family will have it's own recipe. I make my grandmother's recipe which boils the milk with a vanilla pod and a dash of nutmeg, leaving it to absorb the flavours. Some years she used rum instead of brandy and you could taste the difference. It's lovely to keep family recipes: my kids have both requested lots from me and it makes my heart glad when they cook one of my recipes, especially if it's been passed down to me.

Have a lovely one! x

[dulciana]

One of my Hubby's violin pupils' mum gave him/us an iced Christmas cake, so all we have to do is get some nice decorations for it!  (Lidl's, maybe.....?)

[CLKD]

Will your Mum be hurt?  It is something to make the evening before when there is ? more ? time, then re-heat in the microwave?

Otherwise it would be nowt for me as I'll be too full up but if push comes to shove, a bowl of Ambrosia custard will do fine 

[annieb]

Doubt it CKLD - she doesn't take offence (if handled properly)
All this talk of food was not a good idea. Craving cake with marzipan and icing now 
Thanks for all the suggestions

[ellie]

I don't like Xmas pud  , so  I will be having a chocolate pudding, with chocolate oozing out of it..... ohhhhhh heaven   

[Ju Ju]

I bought a big gluten free pud all for myself. The others have to share a pud. He he! 

[CLKD]

   - >hands over bowl<

I like my C.mas pud mid-July with a glass of white wine, in the sunshine on our patio 

[babyjane]

I'm having mince pie ice cream 

[Tempest]

That sounds delicious Babyjane! I love mince pies - I could eat them all year round (but my waistline wouldn't permit). It goes back to when Mum would let me help fill the pastry cases with mincemeat when I was small and I was allowed a teaspoonful for helping. It's totally a comfort thing, I think.