Gingerbread biscuits and festive lights – it must be almost Christmas

Gingerbread biscuits make lovely Christmas tree decorations or gifts

If you are a fan of Christmas, it is always exciting when the festive lights are switched on in our towns. The lights in my hometown of Wakefield were turned on last week and I was lucky enough to be invited into the cathedral to a small party an hour before the lights went on.

We were served mulled wine, Prosecco and canapes and it was as warm as toast in there and so very beautiful.

At the appointed hour we stepped outside and listed to Rhubarb Radio do the countdown; five, four, three, two, one... and on they went to a huge roar of applause.

There was a whole weekend of attractions and activities laid on too, including a small Christmas market.

On the Saturday I was working in the Ridings hosting the last of this year’s children’s workshops.

Naturally I had set a Christmas theme and baked gingerbread biscuits for the children to decorate with royal icing, sweets and candy canes.

The sessions were a great success, and the children were all set to take home their creations to hang on the Christmas tree. I have a sneaky

feeling that those biscuits never made it that far!

Dave from Rhubarb Radio caught up with me before I packed up and came home.

We had a few minutes chat on air, mostly about the workshops but also about Christmas food preparations.

He has invited me along to do a whole show with him before Christmas so we can discuss our favourite festive drinks and nibbles.

I have already started baking and freezing a few things for the holiday period.

Good things to make are sausage rolls, quiche and mince pies.

With the sausage rolls and mince pies you can either freeze them uncooked or cooked but either way, it is the time taken in the preparation that you have saved.

I already have my pickled onions in jars, but it is not too late to do some - nothing like a crunchy pickled onion with your boxing day buffet!

I have done feeding my Christmas cakes with brandy and am moving on with them now and getting them covered with marzipan.

The only thing I haven’t made a start on yet is the present shopping -always a bit of an ordeal for me as I have never been fond of traipsing around the shops.