My paternal grandmother wasn’t the warmest woman, but we felt she redeemed herself every year by sending us Christmas pudding – we ate hers on Boxing Day – and a ham.
My father would always say, as he walked through the back door, letting in a gust of wind, “There’s a ham and a pudding from my mother,” his tone suggesting that his affection was being communicated in the gesture. Some Christmas dishes carry messages that are appreciated only within families.
If you want to give edible gifts, now is the time to give it a go, too. December is too late for chutney. I’m sticking with jellies and alcohol this year which is great with ham and cranberries and ginger vodka which is just tossing and shaking.
As my jelly bag was stained with years of cranberries, I bought a new one – a huge one that can hang on the back door handle, the juice from the fruit pulp dripping into a bowl. Underneath – but Tala’s Jam – the filter kit (£ 13), a bag and holder that can sit on a kitchen counter, is good enough for making small batches of jelly.
Despite the effort that goes into the Christmas pudding, we’re surprisingly lax about presenting it on D-Day. By the time we get there, we’re pretty scaly, not finding the holly sprig for the top, a little reluctant to set it on fire (in case we catch fire too).
I use the smallest frying pan I have and tilt the warmed brandy over the gas flame to light it (or you can use a match), then quickly pour the licking blue fingers over the pudding and yell at someone. ‘one – anyone – to turn on the lights outside.
Christmas pudding, the only steamed pudding most of us make all year round, needs a fanfare. It’s rich and beautiful, and most importantly, it connects the present with the past.
The best edible Christmas gift ideas to make at home
What you put in this festive jelly depends on what you can find – and if you can’t get anything wild, you may have to resort to cultivated fruits, like plums. Wild fruits should be used immediately, especially berries, as they deteriorate quickly.
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Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-12-03 10:05:58
