oyster forcemeat . 12 oysters , cooked or 1 small tin oysters 1 oz finely chopped suet 2 eggs 6 oz breadcrumbs salt and pepper 2 tablesp cream . mix the breadcrumbs with the suet , add the liquor from the oysters , a good sprinkling of salt and pepper , the cream and the oysters cut in small pieces . mix well with the beaten eggs . stir in a double saucepan over boiling water for 5 mins . leave until cold , then use . chestnut stuffing . 2 lb chestnuts 1/2 pt water 2 oz butter salt and pepper . slit each chestnut and roast them for 20 mins in a moderate oven . then allow to cool a little and remove outer husk and inner skin , put in a saucepan and just cover with water and simmer till soft and floury . be careful that they do not boil dry and catch . put through a fine moulin or sieve , stir in butter and seasoning and stuff breast of turkey . sausage forcemeat . 1 lb pork sausages or 1 lb pork sausage meat 2 tablesp fine breadcrumbs 1 tablesp stock or gravy 1 teasp finely chopped fresh herbs or good pinch of dried ones 1 finely chopped onion . remove the skin from the sausages . mix thoroughly with the other ingredients , moisten with the stock and use . celery stuffing . 1/2 lb finely chopped celery 4 oz shredded suet 1 tablesp chopped parsley grated rind of 1/2 lemon 1 finely chopped onion 2 eggs 1/2 lb breadcrumbs 2 oz ham good pinch of dried mixed herbs salt and pepper . use white heart of celery . mix all the dry ingredients together and blend with the well-beaten eggs . use any two or three . if you intend to serve a different bird or two smaller birds : duck : mixed herb forcemeat with 2 oz finely chopped onion and 1 teasp sage instead of mixed herbs . pheasant or chicken : any one or two stuffings . goose : as duck with the oyster or celery stuffing in addition . having stuffed and sewn up turkey , place him on a large baking tray . put 2 rashers of bacon fat over the breast . spread 1/4 lb softened margarine or cooking fat fairly thickly all over the rest of him , and cover him with aluminium cooking foil , pressing it well over him . on Christmas day , allow 15 mins to the pound , so that a 10-lb bird will take 2 1/2 hrs . a 16-lb bird will probably be ready in about 3 1/2 hrs rather than his full 4 hrs , and should be tested with a skewer after this time . preheat the oven to Elec , 300 &amp;deg; F ; gas , mark 5 ; solid fuel , moderate , and keep it at these low temperatures until 3/4 hr before the bird should be done , basting every 30 mins , and using more fat if necessary . then , 3/4 hr before serving , turn the oven up to Elec , 450 &amp;deg; F ; gas , mark 7 ; solid fuel , hot - remove paper and bacon rashers , baste well and allow the breast to brown to a rich mahogany . some people prefer to turn the bird right over and finish breast downwards to prevent drying , but this is difficult with a large bird , and should not be necessary if he is properly basted . sausages and bread sauce may be served with the turkey . cranberry sauce is also excellent . the traditional vegetables are brussels sprouts and celery and roast potatoes , but with frozen vegetables a much greater choice is open . if there is no room round the turkey for roast potatoes and not enough space in the oven to cook them in a separate tray , well-creamed potatoes with plenty of butter and milk are very good . tinned or fresh stewed cranberries served in half lemon skins , one for each person , are unusual and delicious . Christmas pudding . ingredients : 3/4 lb shredded suet 4 eggs 1/2 lb each prunes , stoned , mixed peel , cut in long strips , small raisins , sultanas , currants , sifted flour , sugar and brown crumbs 1/4 lb dates 1 teasp mixed spice 1/2 nutmeg , grated 1 teasp salt 1/4 pt milk juice of 1/2 lemon a large wineglassful brandy 1/4 cherries . shopping list : 1 lb suet 4 eggs 1 lb prunes ( large ) 1/2 lb peel 1/2 lb raisins 1 lb sultanas 1 lb currants dates 1/4 lb cherries spice nutmeg lemon brandy . this is a very old and special recipe . the quantities given make one large and two small puddings . mix the dry ingredients , stir in eggs , beaten to a froth , and the milk lemon juice and brandy mixed . stand for 12 hrs in a cool place , then turn into buttered basins . boil for 6 hrs . on Christmas day , boil for 2 hrs before serving . cover the basins with buttered greaseproof paper and then tie each one with a cloth . stand in a fish kettle or bath or separately in large saucepans , so that the water comes half-way up each bowl . renew water by adding more boiling water from time to time . mincemeat . all mincemeat , if it is to be made at home , should be prepared at least a fortnight before Christmas , and to make it in November is better still . mincemeat keeps almost indefinitely and some people prefer it when it has been kept from the year before . if you have some from last year , you may find that it has become a little dry and crumbly-looking . in this case turn it into a bowl and mix it with a little brandy , which will restore the consistency and improve the flavour . failing brandy , use cooking sherry or lemon juice . mincemeat . ingredients : 1 lb raisins 1/4 lb sultanas 1/2 lb marmalade 1/2 lb suet 1/2 lemon 1/2 teasp mixed spice 1 gill brandy 1/2 lb currants 1/4 lb candied peel 1/2 lb demerara sugar 1 lb good cooking apples 1/4 teasp nutmeg good pinch of ground ginger . shopping list : 1 lb raisins 1/2 lb currants 1/2 lb peel 1/2 lb sultanas 1/2 lb suet 1/2 lb marmalade ( thick ) 1/2 lb demerara sugar ground ginger nutmeg mixed spice 1 lb apples lemon . stalk currants , and wash all the dried fruit . grate the rind of lemon . peel , core and slice apples , put all through mincer . when minced , stir well , add lemon juice and brandy , stir again , fill into jars and tie down so that they are airtight . keep in a dry , cool place . mincemeat - without brandy . ingredients : 6 oz suet 1/2 lb currants 4 oz castor sugar juice and peel of 1/2 lemon 2 oz blanched almonds 6 oz raisins 1 lb cooking apples 1/2 teasp each salt , mixed spice . shopping list : 1/2 lb suet 1/2 lb currants 1/2 lb castor sugar lemon 2 oz blanched almonds 1/2 lb raisins 1 lb cooking apples salt mixed spice . peel , core and cut up apples , and stone the raisins . grate lemon . mix all the dry ingredients thoroughly , then add the others . when well mixed , put into jars , cover and store in a dry , cool place . Christmas cake . ingredients : 8 oz self-raising flour 6 oz butter 6 oz soft brown sugar 3 eggs 3 tablesp milk 3 dessertsp rum , sherry , whisky or brandy 2 oz Jordan almonds 6 oz raisins 6 oz currants 4 oz sultanas 2 oz glac&amp;eacute; cherries 2 oz mixed peel 1 teasp mixed spice 3/4 teasp ground ginger 3/4 teasp cinnamon 1/2 teasp salt . shopping list : 3 eggs rum , brandy , sherry or whisky 1/2 lb raisins 1/2 lb currants 1/2 lb sultanas 1/4 lb cherries 1/4 lb peel spice ginger cinnamon . quantities are for a 7-9-in cake tin . prepare tin by lining with greased greaseproof paper . blanch and chop the almonds , prepare fruit , chop peel , and cut cherries in half . sieve all the dry ingredients together . beat the butter and sugar to a cream and beat in the eggs . mix dry ingredients with the fruit and stir in , moistening with milk and rum or sherry . turn into prepared tin and hollow out the centre slightly . place on the second runner from the bottom of the oven . bake at Elec , 325 &amp;deg; F ; gas , mark 4-5 ; solid fuel , cool , for 2 1/2 hrs . leave in the tin until cold . this cake would last four or five people two or three days . Christmas cake . ingredients : 1 lb fresh butter 1 lb flour 1/2 oz mixed spice 1 lb candied peel ( substitute raisins if peel not liked ) 1 lb sultanas 10 eggs 1 lb moist sugar 1 lb currants 1/2 lb almonds 1/2 lb cherries . shopping list : 10 eggs 1 lb butter 1 lb sultanas 1 lb currants 1/2 lb almonds 1/2 lb cherries 1 lb brown sugar 1 lb peel . beat the butter to a cream and stir into it the yolks of the 10 eggs well beaten with the sugar , then add the spice and the almonds chopped very fine . stir in the flour , add the currants washed and dried , the sultanas , the candied peel cut into pieces or the raisins chopped up . as each ingredient is added , the mixture must be beaten . then butter a paper , place it round a tin , put in the cake , and bake it for 3 hrs at Elec , 300 &amp;deg; F ; gas , mark 4-5 ; solid fuel , cool . this is a very much larger cake and is very rich . it keeps very well and may be baked in a very large tin , 10 or 12 in , or two smaller ones . icing the Christmas cake . shopping list : for all icings : 1/2 lb ground almonds 2 lb icing sugar 2 lemons 4 eggs . almond icing . ingredients : ( quantity for 8-9-in cake . ) 1/2 lb ground almonds 1/2 lb icing sugar 1 egg 1 teasp lemon juice 1 dessertsp water . sieve almonds and sugar together into a mixing bowl . stir in the beaten egg and lemon juice and water . dust pastry-board with icing sugar and knead the almond paste on it till it is smooth and coagulated . roll out about 1/4-in thick . brush the cake over with warm apricot jam . fit almond paste over and press gently on to cake , being careful not to break . cut any surplus from bottom edge of cake . the other method is to cut a circle the size of the top of the cake . roll out remainder to length of circumference of cake ( measure with string ) and trim to a strip the depth of the cake . then brush sides of cake with jam and lay on the strip and roll so that the strip adheres . brush top with jam and apply circle . gently press cut edges together . the almond icing may be put on the cake as soon as it is really cold - allow 24 hrs after baking . it should then be stored in an airtight tin in a dry , cool place , to be iced and decorated later . some people dislike almond icing and it can be replaced by a layer of glac&amp;eacute; icing . glac&amp;eacute; icing . ingredients : 1/2 lb icing sugar 1 tablesp water 1 teasp lemon juice . a soft icing to be put direct on the cake instead of almond paste if preferred . sieve the icing sugar into a saucepan in which you have already put the water and lemon juice . stir it over a low heat , holding it off the fire , until the sugar is melted and the temperature is just above blood heat . pour it over the cake and allow it to run down the sides , smoothing it with a hot knife . royal icing . ingredients : 1 lb icing sugar 1 dessertsp lemon juice 2 egg whites . this is the icing to use for the final coating and for the decorations . sieve the icing sugar , making sure that it is quite free from lumps and lying slightly fluffed in the bowl . stir in the lemon juice . whip the whites of eggs to a medium stiffness , not until they will stand in peaks . stir in gently , and then beat with a wooden spoon till you have a perfectly smooth , very white cream . if there is any delay before using , cover the bowl with a damp tea towel tightly stretched across the top to prevent air entering and hardening the icing . if icing seems too thin , more sugar may be beaten in . 