Well, here’s another of my Christmas fixations...after roasts and toasts...the one only sweet mosts! As Christmas knocks on our doors, as the musty flavours of holly and mistletoe make for a heady infusion with the epicurean tastes and aromas of roasts, wines and most importantly, desserts, one fact is proven for sure…we are NOT afraid of diabetes! With the cake shops standing on the threshold of brisk business, and our appetites growing only bigger, I decided to chalk out a love story between two of Christmas’ most beloved elements…alcohol and confectionery! Be it in form of a overpowering, rum-sozzled traditional Christmas pudding, or as amaretto-sozzled cakes whispering sweet nothings (pun intended!), sweet desires make for a heady Christmas ritual…one that we are not ready to let go.
Cake –Mixing marks the initiation of a two-month gastronomic extravaganza. A number of my Christian friends and their family members get together in November to savour the magic of mixing the ale and the raisins to create the base for the classic Christmas cake. Other than the fact that there is a lot of alcohol, the ritual marks a collation of family time.
The secret to the right rum cake is making the batter in a huge quantity. More the ingredients, the better it turns out. Similarly, Christmas puddings are also the symbol of Christmas appetites. Reeking of rum, not in the least subtle (!), and dotted with enough dry fruits to tease the taste buds, that’s the perfect pudding for you.
Every year Flury’s, the legendary cake shop in mon Kolkata, brings with it a different yield of rum cake. Last year I remember how the aroma has been particularly good. The cardinal rule for a good Christmas plum cake is plenty of raisins with every bite and whiff of rum to warm your throat, too! While adults can have their share of rum cakes and Christmas puddings, children, too regale themselves with chocolate, be it chocolate Dundee cakes or novelty choco-treats, and with the magic of globalisation, even strawberries dipped in chocolate. Sinful? Dark desires? You bet!
While desserts call for indulgent treats, the alcohol bit isn’t far behind! A very dear family friend has been ritually making mulled wine for as long as I can remember. Sweet yet piquant and spicy enough to add a kick, without the traditional sipping of mulled wine, every Christmas of mine is simply incomplete without those long evenings darkening into black nights, amidst gracious sips of that heavenly nectar and long, winding conversations that, in their philosophical elevation, would do Kerouac proud! While wines and liqueurs feature high on the wanted list, eggnog happens to be a classic Christmas drink that has been morphed into various forms to suit children’s as well as adults’ palettes.
In my sweet city of Kolkata, that prides itself on its nostalgic treasures, is there something that has really TRULY changed? Well, as far as I see it, Nothing has changed…the demands remain the same, the people remain the same and Christmas is still about cheer and familial bonds. And truly, as an ode to that fact, let’s raise a cheery toast to the good life and another rum-soaked year ahead. Till then, let’s pray for a speedy advent of winter…and safe drinking!
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