The aroma and satisfaction you get from being well-prepared for the big day is enough encouragement to make your own cakes and puddings. But don’t skimp on the brandy
I like to make my own Christmas puddings and cakes because the smell alone makes me feel psychologically prepared for the forthcoming festivities. It’s a bit of a ball ache, to be honest, and I’ve tried to replicate the smell with candles – but for some reason, the scent doesn’t seem particularly edible.
That said, I don’t really like eating any of this stuff. I don’t like the heaviness of the cake, the booziness of the pudding or the crushing disappointment when you bite into a delicious mince pie and find it full of mincemeat. But on the other hand, if you take the sense of plenty you get from having two full, two-litre puddings on your shelf; add in the self-righteousness of a cake that is mostly made six weeks before you need it, rather than half an hour; and spend a second ruminating on what a great host you are, you understand why you might have given several full days of your life over to making this stuff, without ever feeling moved to put it in your mouth.
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