Opening up another session of FNCC! Everyone is welcome to share what they have been up to this week, post photos of their work, ask for help or provide help if you are able to.

Sorry for the belated start, I've complitely lost track of time due to the Holidays. I hope everyone had a nice Christmas and I wish you all a happy new year!

Julie

Christmas Fruit Cakes. These New-Zealand style fruit cakes are full of candied fruits, nuts, and spices. They were baked in November and then stored, un-iced, in a cool, dark place. Each week I brought them out, unwrapped the glad wrap and cheesecloth from around them, and fed them brandy dripped into holes in the top of the cakes. I re-soaked the cheesecloth in brandy and wrapped them back up again. Finally, about 5 days before Christmas, I covered them in hand made marzipan flavored with rose water, and then on December 23rd, I covered them with hand made fondant and decorations. I am forever grateful to be located on Guam, where I have been forced to be resourceful, plan ahead, and learn how to make things I never would have if things were more convenient. My 11 year old daughter has been the best assistant I could have and sat with me many hours watching and learning. Tylose glue was used to stick on the decorations and balls. Candy melts were used to stick the ribbons together because sticky tape didn't hold, but I only had brown. Luckily I covered the join with the "Handmade with Love" stickers, which were also stuck on with candy melts, the best glue ever!

Beautiful fruit cakes!!

Christmas baking is over!! I made ginger pound cakes with chocolate ganache, chocolate Bundt cakes with grand marnier glaze, apple pie with bourbon whipped cream, sweet potato pie, raspberry linzer cookies, apple cider sugar cookies and orange zest melt away cookies. Did I take ANY PICS????! NO!!! I was slightly frazzled :)

Finally - my eight year old was allowed to use the airbrush:). CAke was for daddy’s birthday instead of a paying customer - he was so excited!! And he did a pretty good job :)

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Oh Anneliese67,  your fruit cake look so festive! I think I feel a little tipsy just by reading your post.

You've been busy MerMadeBakedGoods! Your son did a wonderful job with the airbrush

I baked a persimmon cake but forgott to take pix   That sure is a super moist cake!  

I had to google persimmon to know what you were talking about kakeladi! Never ate one of those thing. How did you use it in your cake, purred it?

There are 2 (maybe more) types of persimmons  Oone is good for “ out of hand” eating -like you would eat an apple   The other needs to ripen until they are mush  once off the tree   This can be hastened by freezing them but you don’t get their full flavor  so yes they are used as purée   They have a very distinct flavor 

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I haven't posted for a while. Here are my 3 most recent cakes made over the last 3 weeks.

That turkey cannot possibly be a cake. :)

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Beautiful work louglou! Your turkey looks so realistic, I can't believe it's a cake!  Also, I realy would have take your elegant chocolate gold cake for my own birthday...

Thanks Laetia and MerMade. The turkey cake was the best cake I have ever made. I don’t know how I’ll top it. 

Hi Louise!  Your turkey cake is awesome, but you will do others just as amazing.  The messy bedroom is so cute and, like Laetia, I would love the chocolate extravaganza for my own birthday!