Christmas edible treats

[sunflower]

Well, today I made my two Christmas cakes( one for my son in the Navy who will be you know where at Christmas) I seemed to have been extravagant when buying the dried fruit for the cakes. So I have come up with an idea.
I am going to put all the dried fruit, which includes, apricots, peaches, dates, figs cranberries, sultanas raisins and stem ginger into four jars steeped in brandy and ginger syrup....one each for my sons for Christmas. Then tomorrow, the last of my holidays I'm going to find four silver teaspoons at the antique and junk market and tie these to the jars. I think that will be a very hummy present.

[sunflower]

sorry, I meant yummy!!!

[keepersdaughter]

What a great idea! I'm going to an antique fair this weekend, maybe I'll keep my eyes open for spoons or some such to make a great addition to some home baked goodies I plan on making. Which recipe did you use for your cakes? I've never actually made a christmas cake, but plan on making a couple this year. One to send home to my Mum. I got a few things last weekend, but I'm not sure about which would be the best recipe. I've been looking at Delia's and Nigella's. I may do something based on these and add a few bits and pieces I have on hand. Do you use, brandy, rum, sherry? Which do you think would be best?. I was planning on soaking the fruit in the alcohol to plump it up and give it flavour. I'd be grateful for any tips.

Will your son still be going overseas? I thought/hoped that they would be winding down & going home soon.

[sunflower]

My original recipe was from a Margerette Pattern book I bought when first married. However, since then I have built on that recipe since being given a Christmas cake made by Canadian Monks a few years back which was wonderful...it was all fruit, hardly any cake. I soaked the dried fruit in Brandy the night before. The fruit I used was all the above. I also looked recipes up on the net and there are some good ones. I went into google and just wrote Christmas cake. I looked at so many I can't remember, except there was one on a BBC site that included dried apricots like mine. I thought that looked the best. Yes He's still going.

[sunflower]

Hi Keepersdaughter, it is Salvanno Franco on BBC.co.uk Traditional Christmas cake. That is not the recipe I used but looked good to me.