The holidays are upon us and my favorite part of all the activities is preparing the food and sharing it with friends and family. So much goodwill can be made this time of year. My husband is British and in the last 25 years that we have been married Christmas Day has come to be a very special and a very English tradition.
When my daughter was small we took her to England for Christmas to meet the relatives. So many wonderful memories came from that trip, the smells, the sights of small villages that look right out of a storybook, or Dr. Doolittle, and of course the British holiday traditions we experienced. We did our shopping in Formby and Southport and went to the butchers and quaint shops to collect the bits for the meal. We went to the pub, Hesketh Arms in Churchtown, and enjoyed a pint with Bruce's mum, Freda, Dad and Frank. I remember outside the pub there was a little excitement, joining others, we went out to watch the Morris Dancers. Morris Dancers, for you who are wondering, are English Folk Dancers whose dance is based on rhythmic stepping using sticks, swords and handkerchiefs. It's very colorful and entertaining. After returning back to Formby and the grandparent's house, we got ready for Christmas Eve and went to St. Peters Church to their Christingle Service. Christingle means "Christ Light". Every child carried an orange with a candle inserted. The orange represents the world, the candle as Christ, the light of the world, and decorated with small jellied sweets in different colors. It was so beautiful; you knew it was a special time of year, something magical. Christmas Day, it was off to Auntie Hilary's and Uncle David's where the rest of the family would be joining us.
Now Hilary is quite a cook and made everything, and I mean everything, from scratch. This Christmas meal: goose, roasted parsnips and potatoes, Christmas Puddings made the previous summer and Elderberry wine from hand-picked berries. We happened to bring Patti's Plum Pudding to share for their opinion. And, lucky for us, it was a good reception! One of the best they said. Patti does make her plum puddings with the utmost care. Oh my, almost forgot, but my kids will never let me is the Christmas crackers. A cardboard tube wrapped in bright paper with the ends twisted like an oversized sweet. The cracker is pulled by two people, usually one sitting next to you or across. This results in a small bang. The person with the larger portion of the cracker is then awarded with a small prize, paper hat and a joke. The hat made of colored paper is required to be worn, a joke of British humor, which we all have come to love. So, back to the pudding, since we found Patti's nothing is better. Patti's Plum Pudding is a spicy, moist, fruity cake that embodies all the flavors of Christmas in one bite. Served hot, steamed, or flaming with brandy, Patti's Brandied Hard sauce or a homemade Angel Sauce, each bite is a taste of Christmas past.
Each of Patti’s puddings is hand-made individually chopped, stirred, mixed, molded and steamed and wrapped in brandy soaked cheesecloth. Patti's Plum Pudding , on sale now at Vine & Table, has been the finale to the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite's famed Bracebridge Christmas Feast. Patti’s Plum Puddings have also been featured in Los Angeles Times, Gourmet Magazine, Victoria Magazine and Saveur Magazine.
Angel Sauce
This velvety sauce is the perfect accompaniment to traditional
Christmas plum pudding, other steamed or bread pudding, or
poached fruit.
Ingredients:
4 egg yolks
1 cup whipping cream, whipped separately
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons brandy, or to taste
Directions:
1. Beat egg yolks well, stir in sugar until well blended and mixture is thick and creamy.
2. Stir in brandy, can adjust amount to taste.
3. Gently fold egg mixture into whipped cream.
4. Serve immediately.
Angel Sauce.pdf (96.82 kb)
