As an immigrant to Wales, I was excited to experience the Mari Lwyd for myself. Sadly, I live in a top-floor flat and the horse wouldn't go in the lift. 😟
Wasn't there a guy who completed marathons with a fridge strapped to his back? Maybe you could get a set up like that and meet them on the ground floor.
This is absolutley brilliant! The Mari Lwyd tradition adds such a playful dimesnion to the idea of keeping your larder safe during the holidays, and tying it to a lighter cake recipe feels just right. I love that youve gone for a less dense version since those traditional fruitcakes can be genuinly intimidating. The spiced syrup trick for moisture is clever too.
Given that it looks like I'm going to need to use these to make soup in addition to everything else -- I would like to know what brands of these other experienced Wonkette chefs like and are using ...?
Thank you! I like their products generally. I had a recipe tell me the other day I had to measure 2 lbs of sweet potatoes to make soup — in a family where “cooking” means “eyeballing everything” — and I was like “Oh, ugh”
There is a little known early winter practice where ASSHOLES of MAGAs gather together around an effigy of the trump. From the flip of a crypto marker asshole #1 begins the drooling into a cup. That is followed by each additional asshole tries to steal his cup from under his chin. If successful that asshole gets to share the contents of the cup with the rest of the assholes. This revelry has been known to last for minutes! So far a champion of assholes hasn't yet been decided on.
I look forward to you telling me how it turns out when you do. Please feel free to share photos if you're happy with the results.
Even with a sugar substitute, you'll still find the carbohydrates in the flour will affect your bloodsugars, it should be less than it would be with regular sugar though.
I have started using whole wheat flour in practically everything. I don't mind the changes in texture, but does that not also help with blood sugar? Ditto pasta--only WW varieties, and A1C had entered "prediabetes" range this time last year but bloodwork last week showed I dropped it to 5.4. Also cut back on sweets at night, my nemesis--I just don't crave desserts during the day like I do in the evenings 😬. Thanks! Hope you get to the Bakeoff someday, you're better than so many I've seen there!
Wholewheat usually contains fewer carbohydrates overall, but it can be harder for those of us usingbinsilin to allow for as it's usually a slow release carbohydrate, it can often leave us having to split our insulin doses in order to avoid hyperglycemia.
Thanks--very interesting, I learned something. Appreciate it. I might make your cake for my birthday in January with whole wheat flour and halve the sugar as I usually do these days and will let you know how it goes!
My dietician says there should be no issue with halving the sugar content of most recipes. I don't usually as I'm a stickler for following instructions, and pretty much all my recipes are adaptations of classic recipes, so I tend to keep to the base recipe measurements.
There's loads of information out there about low GI foods, but it's always important yo remember that we all react differently to different foods. I'm a weirdo who can get a bloodsugar rise from eating cucumber sticks or au unseasoned, grilled chicken breast, I don't know many people who experience that.
The gourmet supermarket very close to me not only has a variety (different imported brands) of panettones available, but also an imported British 'Christmas Pudding' in 2 lb, 1 lb, and individual sizes. Not sure about the individual ones, but the larger sizes include a microwaveable bowl.... might get one just for the bowl.
This sounds AMAZING! I look forward to trying it out! For the non-Brits, "mixed spice" is a concoction like the following blend of ground spices (obvi, this makes way more than you need for one cake. Oh NOES! MUST BAKE MOAR! 😉) 👇
I throw a little Beijing 5 spice blend (we are talking about 1/4 teaspoon) into my pumpkin pies in addition to the cinnamon nutmeg and cloves. Yes I realize there is some rendundancy but my family seems to like my pumpkin pies better then store-bought. I am using the Moosewood cookbook recipe with scaled down molasses.
I go heavy-handed on the cinnamon and ginger in pumpkin pie, and also usually add a whisper of clove (which recipes really never call for?). I'll try that Chinese 5-spice (I use that on meat, a lot, so have it on-hand).
So, here's another spice tip, since you seem to cook like we do: a shake or three of sweet curry blend (again, there's our pal cinnamon!) and a couple of pinches of garam masala on ground beef when you're browning it for nearly any use. It doesn't make it taste any specific WAY, it just enhances everything about it! It's our signature move when making pasty filling alongside all the root veggies! 😉
Mrs Brit 🦡🍄🐍 starts her Christmas cake at least two months early, by soaking random dried fruits in a congenial amount of booze, stirring, adding more booze, etc. Then the cake recipe itself is just some flour, maybe some OJ if it needs a bit more liquid, then bake. It’s awesome!
Was driving home from the bike shop last night (picking up chainwheels to repair my commute bike) and heard a commercial encouraging people to get vaccinated.
Obviously, this was 91X broadcasting from Tijuana, where the Federal Government wants people to be healthy, unlike this shithole country.
OT: We saw another really good epi of Alfred Hitchcock hour. This one had a very young Bruce Dern as a "creepy" guy, and it doesn't turn out the way you would expect.
They used "official acts within the scope of the office" or some blather like that -- and to me it seems one of the tremendous weaknesses of the so-called opposition is that nobody really challenged them on what that phrase actually means under the laws.
Those killings are MURDERS. Murders have a specific definition under U.S. law. We are NOT AT WAR with Venezuela.
And even if we were, at least one country (Colombia, I think) has complained that the murder was also a human rights violation under INTERNATIONAL law. The crooked Fascist Six on SCOTUS don't have any jurisdiction over that.
Charge him. Let him defend those crimes.
One of the reasons he gets away with so much is that NO ONE FORCES HIM TO DEFEND HIMSELF AND GET HIMSELF OFF THE HOOK.
Too many people have been doing that work FOR him.
We've had a whole plan for court expansion and reform since 2020
(even though it was stupidly mislabeled so people with more reactive sense than common sense skittered away from it like little animals in the headlights)
I told my Italian friend the eviscerated parmisan I just saw was at a cafe near my fkat where the Pretty Egyptian (her girlfriend's words) works. She asked who that was.
She is too young for me to write a Pretty Flamingo parody in response.
As an immigrant to Wales, I was excited to experience the Mari Lwyd for myself. Sadly, I live in a top-floor flat and the horse wouldn't go in the lift. 😟
Wasn't there a guy who completed marathons with a fridge strapped to his back? Maybe you could get a set up like that and meet them on the ground floor.
This is absolutley brilliant! The Mari Lwyd tradition adds such a playful dimesnion to the idea of keeping your larder safe during the holidays, and tying it to a lighter cake recipe feels just right. I love that youve gone for a less dense version since those traditional fruitcakes can be genuinly intimidating. The spiced syrup trick for moisture is clever too.
"Digital kitchen scales"
Given that it looks like I'm going to need to use these to make soup in addition to everything else -- I would like to know what brands of these other experienced Wonkette chefs like and are using ...?
OXO Good Grips makes several different scales. I have the 11 lb version and highly recommend. Use it daily in my home kitchen.
Thank you! I like their products generally. I had a recipe tell me the other day I had to measure 2 lbs of sweet potatoes to make soup — in a family where “cooking” means “eyeballing everything” — and I was like “Oh, ugh”
A scale is a game-changer, especially when baking. Saves a lot of time (and extra dishes too) if you have a lot of ingredients to measure out
There is a little known early winter practice where ASSHOLES of MAGAs gather together around an effigy of the trump. From the flip of a crypto marker asshole #1 begins the drooling into a cup. That is followed by each additional asshole tries to steal his cup from under his chin. If successful that asshole gets to share the contents of the cup with the rest of the assholes. This revelry has been known to last for minutes! So far a champion of assholes hasn't yet been decided on.
Oh, I think we know who the champion of assholes is.
Ms. Cakes:
I have, as you may know, bought a food scale. I use it to measure portions of snacks.
One of these days, I will make one of these cakes!
I may use a sugar substitute like allulose. Supposedly, that does not affect blood sugar.
But these photos look so tasty, I wish I could eat the screen.
Yours,
Birdie :)
I look forward to you telling me how it turns out when you do. Please feel free to share photos if you're happy with the results.
Even with a sugar substitute, you'll still find the carbohydrates in the flour will affect your bloodsugars, it should be less than it would be with regular sugar though.
I have started using whole wheat flour in practically everything. I don't mind the changes in texture, but does that not also help with blood sugar? Ditto pasta--only WW varieties, and A1C had entered "prediabetes" range this time last year but bloodwork last week showed I dropped it to 5.4. Also cut back on sweets at night, my nemesis--I just don't crave desserts during the day like I do in the evenings 😬. Thanks! Hope you get to the Bakeoff someday, you're better than so many I've seen there!
Wholewheat usually contains fewer carbohydrates overall, but it can be harder for those of us usingbinsilin to allow for as it's usually a slow release carbohydrate, it can often leave us having to split our insulin doses in order to avoid hyperglycemia.
Thanks--very interesting, I learned something. Appreciate it. I might make your cake for my birthday in January with whole wheat flour and halve the sugar as I usually do these days and will let you know how it goes!
My dietician says there should be no issue with halving the sugar content of most recipes. I don't usually as I'm a stickler for following instructions, and pretty much all my recipes are adaptations of classic recipes, so I tend to keep to the base recipe measurements.
There's loads of information out there about low GI foods, but it's always important yo remember that we all react differently to different foods. I'm a weirdo who can get a bloodsugar rise from eating cucumber sticks or au unseasoned, grilled chicken breast, I don't know many people who experience that.
Yikes! Good luck with it all! Bodies--can't live without them, can't live with them sometimes! Plus getting old sux and makes it all worse...
Okay. I did not know that. But I will do my best.
I will send photos! :)
The gourmet supermarket very close to me not only has a variety (different imported brands) of panettones available, but also an imported British 'Christmas Pudding' in 2 lb, 1 lb, and individual sizes. Not sure about the individual ones, but the larger sizes include a microwaveable bowl.... might get one just for the bowl.
Thank you very much. It's a festive cake! If I were to try this, I would leave out sultanas. I don't know what it is, but I'm raisin phobic.
A Very Merry Christmas to the Cakes Family!
It's all dried grapes.
I know! It makes no sense. I do love currants in all forms.
We're funny creatures aren't we.
You know it!
This sounds AMAZING! I look forward to trying it out! For the non-Brits, "mixed spice" is a concoction like the following blend of ground spices (obvi, this makes way more than you need for one cake. Oh NOES! MUST BAKE MOAR! 😉) 👇
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp allspice
½ tsp mace
½ tsp cloves
I throw a little Beijing 5 spice blend (we are talking about 1/4 teaspoon) into my pumpkin pies in addition to the cinnamon nutmeg and cloves. Yes I realize there is some rendundancy but my family seems to like my pumpkin pies better then store-bought. I am using the Moosewood cookbook recipe with scaled down molasses.
I go heavy-handed on the cinnamon and ginger in pumpkin pie, and also usually add a whisper of clove (which recipes really never call for?). I'll try that Chinese 5-spice (I use that on meat, a lot, so have it on-hand).
Oh yeah the ginger I use that too (it's in the recipe) but the Beijing blend adds just a little je ne sais quoi for me. Happy that I could share this.
So, here's another spice tip, since you seem to cook like we do: a shake or three of sweet curry blend (again, there's our pal cinnamon!) and a couple of pinches of garam masala on ground beef when you're browning it for nearly any use. It doesn't make it taste any specific WAY, it just enhances everything about it! It's our signature move when making pasty filling alongside all the root veggies! 😉
What! No EYE of NEWT?
Gingrich?
Let me make a phone call...
Coriander seeds, NOT cilantro leaves.
Yes, in the US, "coriander" is the name of the seed, "cilantro" is the name of the leaf. Most people don't even know they are from the same plant.
See, I'm providing an education.
Thank you!
YUM
My go to Hanukah dish for a group of people is my own recipe for what I call:
Amaretto Apple Almond Kugel.
Best kugel ever
I'm more of a savory kugel guy-my grandmother used to make the most amazing potato kugel.
At a family friends house we were served POTATO SAUSAGE. There was plenty of pepper and some other stuff to make for a new experience.
Sounds good
Truman Capote's A Christmas Story is divine.
Made me want to be a writer.
http://www.sailthouforth.com/2009/12/christmas-memory.html
Ta, Jen. Lovely.
It's a beautiful story.
Mrs Brit 🦡🍄🐍 starts her Christmas cake at least two months early, by soaking random dried fruits in a congenial amount of booze, stirring, adding more booze, etc. Then the cake recipe itself is just some flour, maybe some OJ if it needs a bit more liquid, then bake. It’s awesome!
Was driving home from the bike shop last night (picking up chainwheels to repair my commute bike) and heard a commercial encouraging people to get vaccinated.
Obviously, this was 91X broadcasting from Tijuana, where the Federal Government wants people to be healthy, unlike this shithole country.
OT: We saw another really good epi of Alfred Hitchcock hour. This one had a very young Bruce Dern as a "creepy" guy, and it doesn't turn out the way you would expect.
It was called "The Night Caller."
SCROTUS gave Trump immunity from prosecution, so he started killing people. Who could have possibly seen this coming?
𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/07/politics/trump-immunity-drug-boat-strikes-hegseth
I'm going to argue it (if it ever comes to that)
They used "official acts within the scope of the office" or some blather like that -- and to me it seems one of the tremendous weaknesses of the so-called opposition is that nobody really challenged them on what that phrase actually means under the laws.
Those killings are MURDERS. Murders have a specific definition under U.S. law. We are NOT AT WAR with Venezuela.
And even if we were, at least one country (Colombia, I think) has complained that the murder was also a human rights violation under INTERNATIONAL law. The crooked Fascist Six on SCOTUS don't have any jurisdiction over that.
Charge him. Let him defend those crimes.
One of the reasons he gets away with so much is that NO ONE FORCES HIM TO DEFEND HIMSELF AND GET HIMSELF OFF THE HOOK.
Too many people have been doing that work FOR him.
Maybe let's not do any more of that.
But his minions aren't.
We'll be dealing with this corruption for GENERATIONS unless we reconfigure SCOTUS
We've had a whole plan for court expansion and reform since 2020
(even though it was stupidly mislabeled so people with more reactive sense than common sense skittered away from it like little animals in the headlights)
https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2024/10/15/expand-the-court-the-elie-mystal-interview
https://www.thenation.com/podcast/politics/elie-mystals-court-packing-plan/
Too bad White Democrats ignored it
The Sleazy Six see nothing wrong with anything God's Anointed King does!
They've proven themselves so corrupt -- so thoroughly and so many times -- that maybe more people ought to just ignore what they think
https://www.wonkette.com/p/those-cakes-we-like-are-ready-to/comment/185305045
I told my Italian friend the eviscerated parmisan I just saw was at a cafe near my fkat where the Pretty Egyptian (her girlfriend's words) works. She asked who that was.
She is too young for me to write a Pretty Flamingo parody in response.
Favorite version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umqkmepAe8s