Christmas is coming...

I'm late making the Christmas cake this year, but last night I finally got round to it. I love the steeping-in-brandy stage, especially this year, as I'm trying a new recipe and apricots, figs, prunes and a whole orange (zest and juice) are joining the usual lexia raisins, sultanas, glacé cherries, candied peel, currants and brandy in my largest mixing bowl*. The whole of the downstairs of my house smells like Christmas.

*I've realised that this requires me to empty the fruit out in order for me to actually mix the cake. I seem to remember doing this last year, as well.