All that’s sweet about Xmas

Not just cake by the way, the gingerbread man is here

December 21, 2014 11:50 pm | Updated December 22, 2014 01:01 am IST - Bengaluru

It isn’t just plum cakes that are synonymous with the celebration of Christmas. To go with it are an assortment of sweets, the queen of which is the Christmas pudding. Though it resembles a small cake, this delicacy is not baked in an oven, but steamed for hours. It's made of a heady mix of dry fruits — almonds, raisins, figs — and apple.

Following it is a platter full of yummy chocolate fudge, guava cheese, kalkal, rava laddoos, gingerbread cookies and rice laddoos.

These traditional sweets, which consume a lot of time and effort in preparation are now becoming increasingly rare, even during Christmas. While guava cheese is popular among Goans, rose cookies are a Kerala delicacy, and kalkls are a favourite in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Horamavu-based Theresa Varghese, an avid baker, who has been making these goodies for over three decades, says that these sweets were popular among the older generation. “Earlier, for Christmas, we would get together in groups and make all these items since it is rather time consuming and involves a lot of labour. But now, with nuclear families and people who are busy, they are bought from the local store, or celebrations kick off with just the cake,” she says. This could be because people are probably more health conscious now, she adds.

Ms. Varghese says her most popular dish is the Christmas pudding, which is usually made at the end of November. “Once it's made, every week we then keep adding brandy and the pudding is moist and very different from when it is first made. On Christmas Day, it is served with brandy butter and we do a flambé by pouring brandy over the top and setting a flame to it. You will see a light blue flame topping the pudding,” she says, adding that this delicacy has universal appeal, even among non-Christians.

June Carvalho, freelance editor from Richards Town, says she usually spends 10 days before Christmas making all these delicacies, and distributes them among family and friends. “Each year, I wonder if I should continue making so many sweets as even my children are not very fond of tasting all the dishes. But I just keep doing this year after year to keep the tradition alive,” she says.

Those who do not make these sweets at home can also buy them from bakeries or home bakers. But Nishchita C., a college student, says these sweets are brought in small quantities. “Buying it from stores does not really help recreate the spirit of Christmas at home,” she said.

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