Rich fruit
Christmas cake as we know it today started life In the middle ages, In England
a day of fasting was part of religious worship and to line the stomach after the
fast, in the bitter cold of winter, plum
porridge or pottage was the traditional food eaten. The pottage or porridge
was a kind
of broth made in large batches and included raisins and other dried
fruit, spices and wine and meat or at least meat stock and it was thickened
with breadcrumbs, oats or ground almonds.
During the 16th century more expensive
ingredients were added to the pottage instead of oats flour, butter and eggs
were used. Eventually with the advent of ovens the mixture changed to become
baked rather than boiled and other dried fruit was added. Because the cake had such keeping qualities
bakers would make them a year In advance.
The cake was originally eaten at Easter then evolved to be known
as the Twelfth Night cake when seasonal dried fruit and spices, which were symbolic,
the spices bought by the Magi, were added. It was consumed on 5th
January, the last day of the festivities.
The first time Christmas cake was eaten on Christmas day was
during the Victorian era in 1830’s. and the bakers would decorate them with winter
snow scenes. They became very popular for Christmas parties and
by the 1870’s
the traditional Christmas cake was the same as we know it today.
I’m sure you’ll recognise that no bake Christmas cake contains
the same type of ingredients, but instead of cooking it we can benefit from it’s
full nutritional content by eating the ingredients uncooked.
Just as traditional Christmas cake is covered in marzipan
and icing, this none baked Christmas cake will receive the same treatment and
can be iced using xylitol.
This is such a wonderful cake. Below are the recipe cards I used in the video.
I've also added extra special ingredients not shown in the film, but which I added to the mixture to give it an even more delicious taste.
Grab all your organic ingredients from my Amazon links
Don't forget the Vegan Block. I never cook anything without it. It makes everything taste amazing!
If you can afford to buy organic food then do. Not only is it better for your body because you avoid eating pesticides but it is kinder to the environment and allows for greater biodiversity on our planet.
Share with me the pictures of the cakes you make, and let me know what you think to the flavour.