So I admit the traditional English Christmas cake does not tempt all American palates, or even many, especially my family, who have been tortured with too many renditions of dry, tasteless, stale, American versions. Even the Irish won't touch it.
Also, Americans are not able to encompass the scope of this ancient traditional cake which began as a porridge to break a long Christmas eve-day fast centuries ago. It morphed into plum porridge, then dried fruit, spices, and honey were added to the porridge mixture, and eventually it turned into Christmas pudding.
In the 16th century, oatmeal was removed from the original recipe, and butter, wheat flour, and eggs were added. These ingredients helped hold the mixture together and in what resulted in a boiled plum cake. Richer families that had ovens began making fruit cakes with marzipan, an almond sugar paste, cake using seasonal dried fruit and spices. The spices represented the exotic eastern spices brought by the Wise Men. This cake became known as "Christmas cake."
It is hard for us to imagine the preparation and planning that went into the ingredients of this cake which included the harvest and drying of fruits used to punctuate the cake with bursts of intense flavor and sweetness along with the addition of expensive sweetner hoarded by poorer families all year to sweeten the cake, which is still not sweet enough for most Americans' palates. Small quantities of spices were available only to the wealthiest tier imported from across perilous seas.
This glamorous holiday cake crammed with fruit and nuts, covered w/marzipan, and iced a dazzling white is truly the rock star of the Christmas dinner!
In our too-busy lives everyone, including the English, cuts corners and purchases more processed and store-made food items. We try not to eat processed food at all and although this takes months to create, it is slow food at its very best!
Also, Americans are not able to encompass the scope of this ancient traditional cake which began as a porridge to break a long Christmas eve-day fast centuries ago. It morphed into plum porridge, then dried fruit, spices, and honey were added to the porridge mixture, and eventually it turned into Christmas pudding.
In the 16th century, oatmeal was removed from the original recipe, and butter, wheat flour, and eggs were added. These ingredients helped hold the mixture together and in what resulted in a boiled plum cake. Richer families that had ovens began making fruit cakes with marzipan, an almond sugar paste, cake using seasonal dried fruit and spices. The spices represented the exotic eastern spices brought by the Wise Men. This cake became known as "Christmas cake."
It is hard for us to imagine the preparation and planning that went into the ingredients of this cake which included the harvest and drying of fruits used to punctuate the cake with bursts of intense flavor and sweetness along with the addition of expensive sweetner hoarded by poorer families all year to sweeten the cake, which is still not sweet enough for most Americans' palates. Small quantities of spices were available only to the wealthiest tier imported from across perilous seas.
This glamorous holiday cake crammed with fruit and nuts, covered w/marzipan, and iced a dazzling white is truly the rock star of the Christmas dinner!
In our too-busy lives everyone, including the English, cuts corners and purchases more processed and store-made food items. We try not to eat processed food at all and although this takes months to create, it is slow food at its very best!
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