Christmas Yummies...

Today I had my first mince pie, a Christmas tradition here in England. Mince meat is actually a blend of dried fruits, liquor, candied peel and suet. The treats have never been something I have been eager to try, as I just didn't have a notion of what they could possibly taste like. Today at break Kath made some, which were nice and warm - she made certain that I got one. All present in the moment were shocked that I had never tasted the warm gooey goodness before now. Sprinkled with powdered sugar on the flaky crust my pie was indeed a sweet treat and one which I savored.

Likewise, Christmas pudding, as I have previously blogged about, was also something I had never actually tasted. In the States I don't really know anyone who makes their own, and it is not something I would typically purchase at the store during the holiday season. The traditional Christmas pudding is something I always equated with the Cratchit household; I never understood why this large family was so excited at having such a small bundle of pudding. In August I got to have a taste of Mel's Christmas pudding and it too was a gooey goodness - and very rich, so a little can feed a lot of people - hence the excitement in the Cratchit household. Ironically, many people I have met here don't really like Christmas pudding, but they make one, or buy one anyway, just to have it on the table. Yesterday, Mel brought me my very own Christmas pudding to pack in my suitcase and take home with me. Attached was a recipe for brandy butter...can't wait to have a taste and share it with my family on the holiday.

Thank you to Kath and Mel for providing my taste buds with a cultural pleasure!