Crafts ~Recipes ~ Victorian Santas ~
Wassailing
Victorian Santas:
Wassailing:
abundance of food.
Wassailing, for example, is a well-loved custom and the term wassail comes
from Ves heill, Norse for "be in good health". Wassail is a drink
consisting of ale, cider, and/or wine sweetened with sugar and flavored
with citrus and spices. This brew is traditionally served in a large
"wassail bowl," garnished with small roasted apples and ladled into
serving cups. Slices of toast might also be set to float in the bowl,
later to be offered to the tree. In places where cider orchards flourish,
there is the ritual of wassailing the trees, by pouring libations and
sticking the cider soaked toast in the branches of the apple trees.
Shotguns are then fired to drive away harm and traditional wassailing
songs are
sung. 
and great bushel baskets full. Recipes
Black Annis Snowballs ~ Hogmanay Bread ~ Plum Pudding ~ Snow Shake ~ Yule Brew
Black Annis Snowballs
November
1 cup uncooked quick
oats
1 ½ cups confectionary sugar, divided
2 tablespoons cocoa
¼ cup cream (or whole milk)
1 cup butter (or margarine)
Use a
fork to combine the oats and 1 ¼ cups sugar in a bowl. In a separate large
bowl mix together cream, cocoa, and butter. Stir oats/sugar into large
bowl mixture. Shape into 30 balls. Roll into remaining confectionary sugar
to coat balls. Place on wax paper lined tray and refrigerate at least 30
minutes. Enjoy the snow balls of the Winter Crone, then store leftovers
covered in the refrigerator. These are very rich, so only eat a few at a
time. 
-By Ann Moura
Hogmanay Bread
January
1 loaf frozen bread dough
(thawed)
1/2 cup mixed candied fruit
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup
chopped almonds
¼ cup chopped walnuts
2 Tablespoons sugar
½
teaspoon cinnamon
Icing:
1 cup confectionary sugar
1
tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons water
12 candied cherries
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake
pan. Let dough rise until doubled, then roll out to a 14 x 7-inch
rectangle. Sprinkle half of the dough with fruit and nuts, and fold the
other half over the fruit. Roll out again, shape into a round ball, and
place in greased pan. Brush the top with butter, sprinkle with sugar
and cinnamon. Cover and let rise until doubled (1 to 1 1/2 hours). Bake
30—45 minutes. Beat icing ingredients together. Frost cake. Place candied
cherries on top of icing.
- By
Ann Moura
Plum Pudding
December
Toss in large bowl and let
sit for 1-3 hours:
¾ cup each cognac and fine-cut citron
½ cup
each candied lemon peel and orange peel
1 cup raisins
2 cups
currents
In another large bowl mix:
1 cup flour
½ cup finely
chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons cinnamon 
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾
teaspoon mace
½ teaspoon each nutmeg and salt
¼ teaspoon ground
cloves
Add to flour mixture, blending with fingers:
1 cup packed
brown sugar
2 cups (1/2 pound) finely-diced suet (no meat)
Then
add marinated fruit.
In a medium bowl combine:
3 beaten eggs
1
cup dark corn syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Add:
4
diced slices of soft bread
Stir into the batter. Spoon batter
into greased pudding mold with lid. Place on rack in pressure cooker
with 3-4 cups water, cover cooker with safety valve 
open, steam 15 minutes,
close valve, and cook 1 hour at 15 pounds pressure. Release steam all at
once, remove mold, cool, and unmold onto plate.
- By
Ann Moura
Snow Shake
CAUTION! If you live in an area heavy
with pollution, I would not recommend this recipe!!
3 cups snow 
2
Tbsp. milk
Flavoring Any Kind
3 to 4 cups sugar, or to taste
1.Put snow in a large bottle.
2. Add milk and the flavoring of
your choice.
3.Add sugar.
4.Seal bottle with lid or cap and shake
until milky.
Serve This drink can be stored
in the refrigerator. 7-8 cups
Yule Brew
4 parts cinnamon
4 parts
allspice
2 parts nutmeg
2 parts lemon peel
2 parts clove
1
part bay
2 parts chamomile
50 parts black tea
Heat until well
steeped. Serve with thin apple slices
Crafts
Kissing Ball
Items needed:
together, one inside the other, at a 90 degree angle. Secure
in this position with florist wire or hot glue
