Sloe Gin Coming

At the start of September I was wandering round a wide playing field that had two smaller than average goalposts at either end. To those of my generation it was known as the "Playscheme". A place where many of us would go on hot summer evenings after a day at Primary School to play football and many other things. During my recent trip there I was reflecting on a very memorable summer that I had been lucky to be a part of.

The Playscheme is bordered on one side by lots of red brick council houses with steel frames hidden beneath the brickwork. One such house was the scene of one the most exciting, yet dangerous, house parties I ever attended back in the summer of 2009.

Nine years on I found the Playscheme and the Council Houses to be separated by thick hedges containing wild Sloe Berries. These wild berries prove a fantastic ingredient for festive Sloe Gin and with some foresight I was inspired to procure fifteen ounces of them from a local source.

When the Dogg and I returned home I stuck onto the player Jethro Tull's difficult yet rewarding effort "A Passion Play". If you want to tackle this album then why not have a listen at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZFlq3zQhQ0 

It's an album that was willfully obscure in terms of the concept behind it and the lyrics. However it contains some of the band's best playing and strong musical themes even if the interlude, which sounds like it was meant to emulate Monty Python, "The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles" can grate a little after several listens. Nevertheless like all the best albums you hear something new every time you listen to it.

I took a one litre plastic bottle and added the Sloes to it with five ounces of Caster Sugar and two thirds of a litre of Gin. I screwed on the bottle cap very tightly and shook the contents well. I then left it for three months and two weeks, in the back of one of my kitchen cupboards, apart from making sure I shook the bottle once every week or two weeks and then replacing it back in the cupboard.

I also made some Elderberry Gin by taking six Ounces of local elderberries and added them to a  half a litre plastic bottle with three ounces of caster sugar and one third of a  litre of Gin. I stored this bottle of Gin for the same time and in the same manner as the Sloe Gin.

When the Gin was opened it was the Christmas Holidays. After bottling it up in September I had returned briefly to the North Country to take the ashes of a close relative back home. Then after closing that part of the book I had achieved three big victories in my professional life and been partying and socialising non-stop since the start of the month. I was a lucky man to have done all this. The holiday season and the month of December had reminded me of the many good people in my life.

As I type this I've got Mike Oldfield's 1982 record "Five Miles Out" on the player. It's a record that shows how an artist who had been requested by his label to make a 'pop' album was able to come up with something that ticked that box while still having one track that is a twenty-four minute opus as well as two big hit singles. It is a good metaphor for life in the sense that; you should be sure you have plenty of memorable moments that you can share with many others but don't forget to create things that are uniquely yours. Have a butchers at this album and then, if you like it, buy it to support the artist. Here's a link to the record: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAiEZhVPekI&list=PLfimnwaZdumhjRFkLSiHSB0y9ag5XJUw5

The Sloe Gin was tested on my Dad at the inaugural family Boxing Day Gathering at my home. Although he's usually a beer and whisky fan he enjoyed the Gin and it contributed to many new memories that were made that evening on what could have been a day of melancholy for the family.

The girlfriend of a very good friend of mine also thought the Sloe Gin was a hit when the pair of them visited me the day after Boxing Day. As she is a genuine connoisseur of Gin this was a great compliment that was as kind as the wonderful Christmas Presents they presented to me on their visit.

Sloe Gin with some Tonic, Juniper Berries and a Lemon

The Dogg looks on as I prepare to sup a glass of Elderberry Gin

Red and White Christmas

"Christmas comes but once a year, relatives come from far and near" so starts the famous song by the Two Ronnies that covers the ups, and downs, of the Christmas. Also made once a year for this occasion is Christmas Cake. In my family for as long as I can remember it was the job of my grandmother to make the Christmas Cake. However these days although she's still here in body, her mind has long since started its final journey into the sunset.

That said I volunteered to step into my Gran's Shoes and make a family Christmas Cake this year. Preparation began early in November by soaking the Sultanas and Raisins used in the recipe in whisky for around three weeks. I got round to making the cake towards the end the last working week prior to the Christmas holiday.

I felt pretty punch drunk but was aided in being motivated to make the cake by listening to "Christmas" by Low. The album is one of the most mellow Christmas Albums out there and offers a different and enjoyable musical take on the holiday season. A link to this great album is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IippcraBPKA&list=PLPaztBWnatcifcyPsq5cymXi4V8kYhXab

The ingredients for this rich cake were as follows:

Cake Mix

Five hundred grams of Unsalted Butter.
Five hundred grams of Brown Sugar.
Five hundred grams of Plain Flour.
Four hundred grams of Sultanas.
Four hundred grams of Currants.
Four hundred grams of Raisins
Two hundred grams of Glace Cherries.
One hundred and fifty grams of Mixed Peel.
Eight Eggs.
A tablespoon of Mixed Spice.
A tablespoon of All Spice.
A tablespoon of Vanilla Essence.
One hundred and fifty grams of Ground Almonds.
Five Tablespoons of Black Treacle.
Five Tablespoons of Syrup.
A quarter of pint of Whisky.

Decoration

One Kilogram of ready to roll Marzipan Icing.
A quarter of a Kilogram of Red Icing.
A tablespoon of Icing Sugar.

The way to make this cake is as follows:

1. In November at some point towards the middle of the month soak the Sultanas, Currants and Raisins in a bowl with the Whisky. Cover the bowl in clingfilm and leave in the fridge until the third full week in December.

2. When preparing the cake pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark Two and grease a twenty-five centimetre wide and ten centimetre deep cake tin with Unsalted Butter.

3. Stir the Unsalted Butter and Brown Sugar together until they become light and fluffy.

4. In a separate bowl or measuring jug beat the eggs together.

5. Once the Eggs are beaten together add them gradually to the Butter and Sugar and stir them in carefully.

6. Add the Glace Cherries, the Fruit soaked in Whisky, Mixed Peel, Vanilla Essence, the Ground Almonds and flour and stir them all together. Once this is done add the Black Treacle and Syrup and stir them in thoroughly.

7. Carefully pour the ingredients into a the Cake Tin and bake in the Oven for around five hours on Gas Mark Two.

8. Remove from the oven and remove the Cake from the tin and leave it to cool overnight.

9. The next day roll out the White Marzipan Icing and cover the cake in it. Add the red icing to decorate the top and sides accordingly with it and then dust with Icing Sugar.

This cake was extremely rich and heavy with the Treacle and Whisky giving it a smoky and burnt taste that took me back to Bonfire Night and the taste of Bonfire Toffee and the smell of smoke in the November Air.

A cross section of the finished cake. Don't mistake the Red Icing for uncooked Sirloin Steak.