The add-on to Spittoon - Recipes, Photographs and Travel
Not so much chuck out your chintz more throw out the holly, pack away those decorations and move the tree back outside – for it is Twelfth Night.
As with so many Christian festivals Twelfth Night has its roots in pagan traditions; it is a time for games, feasting and general merriment. The festivities would be controlled by a King of the Bean or Queen of the Marrowfat. A bean or pea is cooked into a cake, whoever finds the pea or bean in their slice is crowned the King or Queen of the day.
Decorated here with toasted almond slithers but glacé cherries and crystallised fruits are suggested.
A cake for twelth night, a Christian festival with its roots in pagen times. Will you be crowned King or Queen of the Day?
Ingredients
- 225g butter
- 225g caster sugar
- 4 eggs beaten
- 3 tablespoons brandy
- 225g plain flour
- 225g currants
- 225g raisins
- 225g sultanas
- 50g chopped nuts
- pinch of cinnamon
- dried pea or bean
Instructions
- Grease and line a 12inch tin. Cream butter and sugar, stir in beaten eggs and brandy. Sift flour and cinnamon and fold into mix alternatively with fruit and nuts. Add pea/bean.
- Pour into tin and bake for 3 hours at 180C. Cool and remove from tin after 15 mins.
- Decorate with glacé cherries and crystallised fruits. Glaze with melted honey
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