St Stephen’s Pudding

The Feast Day for St Stephen falls on 26 December (Boxing Day), hence the Christmas Carol, Good King Wenceslas:
“Good King Wenceslas looked out
on the feast of Stephen, …” 
I have no idea why this is called St Stephen’s Pudding.  There is no reason given with the original recipe, where it is suggested as an alternative to [...]

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Stollen

Stollen is a traditional rich Christmas bread eaten in Austria and Germany.  It is full of dried fruits and candied peel with hidden marzipan centre topped with a drizzle of glace icing.  The way the yeast dough is rolled around the marzipan log is intended to remind us of the cloths that swaddled baby Jesus in the manger.  The usual [...]

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Basic Recipe: Marzipan (Almond Paste)

Marzipan is an ancient sweetmeat.  One of its major uses is as a layer under icing on a rich fruit Christmas cake and also at Easter as the top layer of a Simnel Cake.  It is also used in Stollen, a rich and fruity yeast bread eaten at Christmas, mainly in Germanic and Scandinavian countries.  It can also be [...]

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Lebkuchen

I love Lebkuchen, the spiced Christmas-time biscuits from Germany which are slightly soft rather than crisp.  They are often called German Gingerbread with the most famous type originating from Nuremburg. The German Food Guide gives more information on the different types of Lebkuchen.  This recipe is for the most well known type: Brown Lebkuchen, but there is a lesser known White Lebkuchen made with almonds and [...]

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Cranberry & Orange Relish

If you are having a Turkey this Christmas the chance is that there will be some Cranberry Sauce on the table.  It’s difficult to get excited about the shop bought variety, however, even if it is one of the better quality brands.  I usually find it is not worth the bother – a bit like [...]

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Last Minute Mincemeat & Mince Pies

Mincemeat is a traditional sweetened filling which has altered down the centuries.  It no longer contains minced meat (originally mutton or pork), of course, but most mincemeat includes shredded beef or vegetarian suet.  Mincemeat is relatively easy to make, but sometimes time is tight and this is a useful shortcut.  This is an easy version for improving on [...]

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Sloe Gin

Sloe Gin is one of the tastes I associate with Christmas and this delicious plummy flavoured liqueur is very easy to make.  Sloes can be found in hedgerows during Autumn and are easy to pick. It is worth freezing a batch as they are not always easy to find: if you find a good source then make a note [...]

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Lime Syllabub

Margot, a friend in our last church in Ipswich, Suffolk, was a cookery teacher and this was one of the recipes she gave at a cookery demonstration. She recommended it as a lighter alternative to Christmas Pudding. It could be served on its own or with Sliced Caramel Oranges.

Lime Syllabub
4 tbsp lime cordial
4 tbsp [...]

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Sliced Caramel Oranges

Margot, a friend in our last church in Ipswich, Suffolk, was a cookery teacher and this was one of the recipes she gave at a cookery demonstration. She served this simple orange dessert as an accompaniment to Lime Syllabub, which she recommended as a lighter alternative to Christmas Pudding.

Sliced Caramel Oranges
Peel and slice oranges (half to [...]

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