Not a sudden snowfall in the Cornflower kitchen, just a dusting of icing sugar to top off a suitably seasonal offering from Agnes Jekyll's marvellous Kitchen Essays. While you read what Lynne has to say about the book, can I offer you a cup of tea and a slice of Stollen Cake?
It's not as rich as a festive fruit cake, but it has far more character to it than a simple currant loaf, and while Lady Jekyll earmarks it "for the hungry Schoolroom, when friends come to tea", she goes on to say that "if treated more lavishly in the matter of candied peel and raisins [as above], there is no board it might not suitably adorn."
Enjoy a virtual piece of this Christmas confection while you ponder her ladyship's words: "... the true spiritual home of the tea-pot is surely in a softly-lighted room, between a deep armchair and a sofa cushioned with Asiatic charm, two cups only, and these of thinnest china, awaiting their fragrant infusion whilst the clock points nearer to six than five, and a wood fire flickers sympathetically on the hearth."
Your Stollen Cake looks delicious! Though I've passed it at the grocery store many times, I've never tried it. Something tells me that it wouldn't be as good as homemade. I just so happen to have Delia's Christmas cookbook home from the library and there's a recipe...hmmm.
Posted by: Darlene | 09 December 2009 at 12:31 PM
My mouth is watering now - I love Stollen. Keep thinking I ought to try making it, but like Darlene, not sure how well it would work.
Posted by: Choclette | 09 December 2009 at 04:43 PM
Stollen isn't hard to make, but it is a yeast dough and you need oodles of icing sugar to sift over it and drown it in to make it properly! For those who like it, there should be marzipan running along the middle...
The tradition for a long time was for the dough to be taken to the local bakery for baking and what a fest day that was ;)!
And btw, it keeps for ages - they say the best Stollen is at Easter...
Enjoy!
Posted by: MelD | 09 December 2009 at 05:43 PM
Am a little shocked to see a cup of tea ON a book. Are standards slipping?
Posted by: Lindsay | 09 December 2009 at 08:10 PM
Never! All appropriate precautions were taken, and no book was harmed in the making of this post!
Posted by: Cornflower | 09 December 2009 at 08:16 PM
Perfect! x
Posted by: dovegreyreader | 09 December 2009 at 08:20 PM