As the Christmas countdown begins, LAURA LEA joins someone who already has their cake tinned, mince meat jarred and pudding raised – her mother, Jayne Lea.

WHILE a survey this week revealed one in ten of us would chose takeaway over turkey, a reassuring majority still vouched for the old bird above all, showing that deep down we’re still a country of traditionalists. And what’s more traditional than cake, pudding and mince pies?

For as long as I can remember, long before Christmas lists were written and decoration colour themes decided, the Christmas foods were well under way in my house.

It was actually before Halloween and bonfire night too, as it is the October half term holiday when my mum cooks her Christmas cake, pudding and mince meat.

“I started doing it at half term firstly because you’ve got to be home for a while as it takes a few hours to cook, but it was also a time when we were all here as I have that thing that I like you all to stir it,” she says.

Like many aspects of Christmas, this has become a yearly ritual in my family, as has the requirement for each of us to stir the cake mixture and make a wish before it goes in the oven.

As routines changed, one year I even sent a ‘virtual’ stir by text message, as I was away at university.

“I like links with tradition and you create your own traditions too,” my mum says.

“This will be the 25th year of making a Christmas cake. I’ve been making it ever since I was married. It just seemed the most natural thing to do.”

We haven’t gone a year without one since. On one of the few years we were abroad for Christmas, sure enough the cake came with us, to Florida.

Before my mum was cooking them, my Nan was in charge, who in turn made one for her mother. So it’s safe to say a shop bought cake has never been part of our family’s Christmas.

“I like the traditional element. I use the bowl my grandmother used to soak the fruit in.”

While my mother has always been a passionate cook, she is not known for her organisation.

“It’s a nice thing to tick off the Christmas list and a good job to get done. But it’s well known that the flavours actually mature.

“I also have to feed the cake – a couple of spoonfuls of brandy every two weeks. “

This year she has made two cakes, one for my Nan as well as for us, a Christmas pudding and all her mince meat.

“The main reason I do it all together is because you buy all the fruit, so you may as well do it at once. And when it’s cold and wet in Autumn, it’s a nice thing to do and they are lovely comforting smells to have in the house.”

The cooking takes at least 24 hours, as you have to soak the dried fruit the night before with brandy and cover with a tea towel. The Christmas pudding alone has to steam for six hours.

“I make the mince meat early because I have to then make all the mince pies.”

And my mother makes a lot of mince pies. This year she’s made about ten jars of mince meat which will equate to almost 200 mince pies. But the pies themselves aren’t made all at once.

“I do them in batches of three dozen, mainly because I just have three trays,” she explains.

“We’ll start eating these on December 1 and probably have them nearly every night from them on.”

My mother is a loyal follower of Delia Smith and it is her recipe she uses for the cake and mince meat.

“I stick basically to the same recipes. I add more nuts to my mince meat mixture and I chop them as I prefer the texture than flakes. I also do a lighter Christmas pudding than I used to.”

In the last three years, she has switched to Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s pudding and I’m sure it’s nothing to do with the fact the recipe is called ‘Granny Jane’s’ pudding.

But there’s always a personal touch. This year’s cake will feature the Spanish brandy my parents brought back from holiday and the mincemeat has apples from a friend’s garden. While they’ll be mince pies a plenty throughout December, they’ll be no cake.

“I don’t like to cut it before Christmas, even though we don’t end up eating it on Christmas day because we are so full. It lasts well into the new year and bits get taken into work so it soon goes.”

There have been no major disasters over the years, although my Dad did turn the oven off mid-bake once, which only led to him having to get up in the middle of the night to check the delayed baking.

“It really isn’t hard. It’s just measuring ingredients. It’s by no means a technical challenge from Great British Bake Off,” my mum insists.

“My mother had built it up to be a big deal because they were expensive ingredients for her generation. So initially I had it in my head as a big deal, but I actually find it quite therapeutic now. I enjoy making it and I really like Christmas cake.

“People should have a go. Don’t be frightened. There’s something that’s always a bit different about shop bought pies and cakes- they can’t compare with homemade.”

My mum’s cake is very moist. This is down to both Delia Smith and the commitment of my mother’s feeding.

“Soaking is the main thing and a bit of feeding. It doesn’t have to be alcohol – it can be orange juice. But keep it wrapped up and in an air tight container,” she says.

“There’s not a lot that can wrong really. Just don’t be too eager to get the cake out of the oven. When it’s cooking I put a double layer of grease proof on the top and brown paper around the sides to stop it burning.

“I’ve always used vegetable suet so everyone can eat it, but it’s also because I don’t notice the difference and it’s easy to buy.

“I would start cooking early in the day so you’re not rushing it and it’s not keeping you up. A wet day when you’re stuck in the house is perfect. “

Despite the cake being out of the oven weeks before Christmas, decorating doesn’t get started until Christmas Eve.

“With decorating – you don’t have to be precious about it. I just put the marzipan on a day before icing, so the oils don’t seep through. Oh and don’t let your eldest daughter loose on it with a pot of edible black glitter.”

Needless to say I’ve been banned from all decorating duties ever since ‘that year’ when my Nan said the cake looked like it had been “down the mines”.

“I see myself making you and your sister’s cakes for quite a while yet,” my Mum says.

Phew. I‘ve got a while before I need to start worrying – along with the rest of my family – about when the mantle will be passed to me.