Christmas Bread

Good Morning Lovelies

Back to earth with a little bump after my lovely anniversary spent with MrD. 

I really do love our time together...

A little festive music helps throughout the day..

Like the wonderful Nat King Cole 

The Christmas Song 1946

Photo: London 1940

As I washed the dishes this morning.. I watched our neighbours trying to get a huge Christmas tree though their front door. They did it... eventually.. minus quite a few pine needles.. and I wondered...

Does anyone else still have a real tree every year?

So then it was back to Christmas baking with this lovely braided yeast loaf thats packed with dried fruit and a festive cinnamon flavour.

Original Magazine Clipping

Featured on the December 1940 edition of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.. this recipe makes two good size loaves.. so I half it which is enough for me and MrD. Its a bit dense...but that could be my kneading technique but its lovely with a spread of butter and a cup of tea. Plus when it gets a bit stale its wonderful toasted

2 cups milk, scalded

1/2 cup shortening

2/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed cardamon seed

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cakes compressed yeast

1/4 cup lukewarm water

2 beaten eggs

4 cups flour

1 cup white raisins

1 cup shredded citron

1 cup chopped maraschino cherries

4 cups flour

• Combine milk, shortening, sugar, salt, and spices; 
• Cool to lukewarm. 
• Add yeast softened in lukewarm water. 
• Add eggs; mix well. 
• Add 4 cups flour; beat well. 
• Add fruits and remaining 4 cups flour. 
• Let rise until double in bulk. 
• Punch down and knead lightly. 

• Form in two round loaves or braids
• Let rise until double in bulk.
• Bake in a moderate oven (350°) 45 minutes. 
• While warm, brush with butter.

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
December 1940

Chocolate Dipped Orange Slices

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful MrD

The years have flown by... with each new moment happier than the last

Thank you for being you..

All my Love xx

MrD surprised me by coming home early.. with some beautiful roses

He then treated me to a late lunch at our local Mexican cafe. 

The food there is absolutely delicious

We really should go more often

Back home I finished off another homemade gift.. This time from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, November 1940.

Chocolate Dipped Orange Slices are just oranges candied in a simple syrup and once dried.. dipped in chocolate They are an easy and tasty sweet treat perfect for Christmas and gifting. Omit the chocolate and use the slices for decorating cakes, cupcakes or quick breads!

3 oranges

1½ cups sugar

1/4 cup water

Juice of 1 lemon

2 3-inch sticks cinnamon

• Cook unpeeled oranges in salt water to cover 30 minutes. (I omit the salt)
• Drain and slice inch thick.
• Place in a baking dish ( I used a lined tray for easier clean up)
• Combine sugar, water, lemon juice and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan
• Heat gently until sugar dissolves.

Original Magazine Clipping

• Pour over orange slices in baking dish
• Cover and bake in slow oven (300° to 325°) 1 hour.
• Transfer the slices onto a wire rack and let them cool completely
• Sprinkle with salt or sugar.. or dip in melted chocolate

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine

November 1940

Royal Icing

Sunday Blessings Lovelies

a very thought provoking yet festive morning at church

 as we sang Christmas hymns in praise of the Lord

Back home MrD continued with his wood working 

Family gathered round, icing Christmas cake

Liskeard, Cornwall, England.- December 1941

For me it was time to ice our Christmas Cake..

while listening to the dulcet tones of Mr Bing Crosby..

with festive tunes like this

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 1942

My preferred icing for my Christmas cake is a very old recipe. Royal Icing from Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management first published in the 1860s. My grandmother used it..as did her mother... so why change a good thing 

You can have a smooth finish to the icing.. and use some in piping if you're so inclined. But I kept it simple and fluffed it up a bit.. in an attempt to make it look like snow. This amount covers a small cake.. you can easily double the amount. And dont forget Royal Icing is brilliant for cookie decorating too

Just remember this piping takes at least four hours to dry hard.. so dont lay anything on top for a while

½  lb. of icing sugar

1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice

1 white of egg.

• Put the white of egg into a basin
• Add the sugar gradually and work well with a wooden spoon. 
• When the preparation presents a smooth, white brilliant appearance add the lemon-juice
• Use as required.
• Leave to dry for at least four hours 

Citrus Slices

So here it is.. the first of December. Where did November go? So now all thoughts are turned towards Christmas...my absolute favorite time of the year

With Thanksgiving being later and helping MrD in the garden over the weekend.. I’m a little bit behind in starting my decorating. But I still had time to take Prince for an early morning walk... and just look at that sky!! 

Albert Noakes helps his family put up the Christmas paper bunting

at their house on Christmas Street, south-east London, 

while his wife Mary continues with the ironing December 1946. 

I know many will think that it’s still very early.. but I like to be done by December 3rd. It’s the anniversary of my dear mother's passing. She loved Christmas so much and made it so special for all of us.. that I decorate in memory of her.

Dudley decorates the tree
The Bishops Wife 1947

So.. my house looks like an explosion in Santas workshop... and I had to get todays housework done too. But by the this evening.. it was all starting to take shape. And I'm loving every busy.. chaotic moment of it. If only I could decorate as easily as Dudley

So today I did a very easy craft ready for Christmas... with the added bonus of having a sweet smelling kitchen. I dehydrated citrus fruits (Grapefruit, Oranges, Lemons and Limes) to use in Christmas decor come December. So simple to do.

• Preheat oven to a low temperature 170°F
• Wash the citrus and slice it into ¼ inch thick rounds.
• Pat the slices dry on both sides, removing excess moisture.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
• Arrange the slices in a single layer, making sure they do not overlap.
• For better air circulation, you can also use wire racks placed over the baking sheets.
• Bake for 3-5 hours or until crisp and brittle and not at all sticky
• Flip the slices every 30 minutes to ensure even drying
• Remove them when they are dry, translucent, and slightly darkened, but not browned.
• Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place until ready for Christmas decorating