With Christmas 2024 a warm, happy memory and the resolutions made on New Year’s Day still unbroken, tonight I will take down our Christmas tree and put away the shiny ornaments for another year. Today is the twelfth day of Christmas, or Epiphany, celebrated by many Christians as the day the three kings arrived in Bethlehem bearing their gifts of gold, myrrh, and frankincense.
Many of the early colonists in America brought with them customs from merry Old England and December 25th marked the first day of Christmastide. After attending church, they might decorate their homes with a yule log, green boughs, and wreaths of holly. Singing Christmas carols, eating plum pudding, and playing games were activities enjoyed by young and old. Throughout the next twelve days, small handmade gifts might be exchanged with friends and loved ones.
The twelfth day of Christmas crescendoed into a celebration of the day the three kings presented their gifts to the baby Jesus. The colonists feasted on mince pies and Twelfth Cake, washed down with spiced ale while they exchanged gifts of clove-studded oranges, spiced nuts, gold coins–or perhaps a special book or piece of jewelry.
I love those traditions and so I honor them with my own tradition of taking down our sparkly tree while I enjoy the last ginger cookie of the season on this day. It’s the day I put the sweet memories of last year behind, and look toward new treasured moments and all the possibilities a new year bring. Today is also a time for me to reflect on the joy of giving, realizing the gift of a smile, time, or understanding are as precious as gold, as beautiful as silver.
I wish you much love, joy, and hope in 2025!
Love, Rebecca
“Have I not commanded you: Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 NIV
A Christmas Cake Recipe For You
Ingredients:
- 3 1/2 C currants 1 1/2 C golden raisins
- 1 1/2 C dark raisins 3/4 C candied peels, chopped
- 1 C glace cherries, halved 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp salt 1/2 level tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 level tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 level tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 1/4 C softened butter 1 1/3 C brown sugar
- 1/2 lemon zest 6 large eggs. lightly beaten
- 3 T brandy or flavoring
Directions:
Heat the oven to 300 degrees. The temperature is low, as the cake needs a long, slow bake. It is packed with sugars, fruits, and brandy, and if the temperature is any higher, the outside of the cake will burn and the inside will be under cooked.
Line a 9-inch cake tin with 2 thicknesses of parchment or grease-proof paper. Tie a double band of brown or newspaper paper around the outside. This acts as an insulator and to prevent the cake from burning.
In a large roomy baking bowl mix the currants, sultanas, raisins, peel, and cherries with the flour, salt, and spices.
In another large bowl cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the lemon zest. Add the beaten egg to the butter mixture a little bit at a time, beating well after each addition – do not try to rush this process as the mixture could curdle. If it does curdle simply add a tablespoon of flour and mix again, this should bring the mixture back together.
Carefully fold in half the flour and fruit into the egg and butter mixture, once incorporated repeat with the remaining flour and fruit. Finally, add the brandy.
Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin making sure there are no air pockets. Once filled smooth the surface with the back of s spoon and make a slight dip in the center.
Stand the tin on a double layer of newspaper in the lower part of the oven. Bake for 4 1/2 hours. If the cake is browning too rapidly, cover the tin with a double layer of grease-proof or parchment paper after 2 1/2 hours. During the cooking time avoid opening the oven door too often as this may cause the cake to collapse.
Insert a skewer or fine knife into the center of the cake. If there is sticky dough on the skewer when you pull it out it needs cooking longer, if it is clean, the cake is done. Remove from the oven.
Cool in the tin on a wire rack for an hour. Remove from the tin and leave to cool completely. Once cooled prick the surface of the cake with a wooden pick and slowly pour over 2 to 3 tablespoons brandy. This feeding should be repeated every two weeks up until Christmas.
The cake should be stored wrapped in grease-proof or parchment paper in an airtight tin, until ready to serve. Pure yum! Decorate with a white sugar frosting and sprigs of holly, if desired.
You should bake this traditional English Christmas cake at least 2 months before Christmas.
