Christmas cake time nears

Press, 19 November 1981, Page 15

Christmas cake time nears

The time of year is near when New Zealanders forsake budgets and diets for the traditional Christmas binge on food, drink, and presents. If you have not already baked a Christmas cake be warned — a 20 sq. cm rich fruit cake can cost up to $l5 without icing or the cost of electricity. Five years ago the same recipe would have cost about $7, but with present' grocery prices some people may prefer buying ingredients in'instalments to avoid straining the household budget. Cooking tips from the home science department of the University of Otage include insulating the cake tin with light cardboard at the

bottom, and adding two layers of brown paper and two layers of greaseproof paper at the bottom and the sides. Fruit should be washed and dried before mixing to remove extra sugar. Many people prefer to bake their own cakes several weeks in advance, storing them in a deep freeze or in a sealed tin to mellow. Icing and a plastic Santa Claus or holly sprig add the finishing touches. Home-made cakes are part of the Christmas tradition and generally taste nicer than the more economical shop-bought variety, but if the time and money involved is discouraging, a I.2kg or I.3kg uniced cake costs from $5 to $7.

The Christmas cake bill: This year (1977) 500g sultanas and currants $1.80 (63c) 500g raisins $1.78 ($1.25) 150g cherries $1.20 (80c) 150g almonds $2.74 (43c) 450g flour 30c (15c) 250g brown sugar $2.68 ’ (40c) Six eggs 79c (45c) ,250g butter 50c (40c) Spices 50c (35c) Brandy 70c (50c) Decoration and frill $2 ($1.50) TOTAL: $14.49 ($6.86) Note: Prices are averaged from two supermarket chains.