The festivity starts on the Christmas Eve and it is the evening or day before Christmas Day i.e. 24th December. Some people go to church on the Christmas Eve and others attend the next day morning Mass that is on the Christmas day. Together, both days are considered one of the most culturally significant celebrations. The head of the family organizes the breakfast so every family member is invited. We enjoy and sing Christmas carols and have lot of fun.
Moreover, it is common to organize a special meal, often consisting of Roasted Turkey, hunter beef and a lot of other festive foods, for our family and friends and exchange gifts with them. Children, in particular, are very excited and anxious to find surprise gifts under the Christmas Trees from their parents and other relatives and the mythical figure Santa Claus. This has led to Christmas Day becoming an increasingly commercialized holiday, with a lot of families spending a large part of their income on gifts and food.
We celebrate Christmas Day in many ways. In the days or even weeks before Christmas Day, we decorate our homes and gardens with lights, Christmas trees and much more.
We bake special Christmas fruitcakes, gingerbread men cookies, caramels etc. You know the joke: There’s really only one fruitcake in the world, and every year it’s passed from family to family. Fruitcakes are a Christmas tradition that must endure! Fruitcakes forever!
Ingredients:
- Plain flour (maida) – 1 kg or 4 cups
- Baking powder - 4 tsp
- Sugar powder - 1 kg or 4 cups
- Banaspati Ghee 1 KG packet or 4 cups melted
- Unsalted Butter - 250 gms melted
- Eggs – 20
- Cinnamon powder – ½ tsp
- Jafel (hot spice) powder- ½ tsp
- Vanilla essence – ½ tsp
- Orange Peel trimmed – 200gms
- Black Currant – 200gms (very nicely washed with no sticks)
- Walnuts – 200gms (chopped)
- Almonds – 200gms (chopped)
- Pistachio – 200gms unsalted (chopped)
- Raisins - 200 gms (nicely washed)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven @ 180’ C for 10-15 mins, before baking.
- In a large deep bowl beat eggs together put in melted butter & ghee.
- Add sugar and mix well with a mixer or egg beater until fluffy.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, Jafel powder and Vanilla Essence.
- Stir in dry fruits and chopped nuts.
- Christmas fruit cake requires you to caramelize sugar (don't be like me and worry about it, it's really not that hard, you just need to be careful while doing it).
- In a pan on medium heat, melt ½ cup sugar slowly. It will melt first and then turn into a dark brown goop.
- Keep stirring and let it turn a deep dark caramel color.
- Don't let it burn.
- Turn off heat and add about ¼ cup water. The sugar will harden.
- Turn the heat back on and slowly heat the mixture until the sugar crystals dissolve.
- This will take few minutes.
- Pour it slowly in the batter and mix it briskly with mixer or egg beater.
- Grease the baking pan and line with baking paper.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tins.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 50-60 minutes or until the pan inserted comes out clean
