HOLIDAY Tiaditions

摘要

The holidays are my absolute favorite time of the year, providing a time to celebrate, and entertain friends and loved ones. The first flakes of snow have me running to the kitchen, baking up a festive storm of mince pies, fruit pies, fruit cake, and holiday cookies, which is just one reason why Kara Andretta's how-to on Buche de Noel, and mixing old traditions with modern flair, really appealed to me. Christmas was always a time of joy growing up in England. In fact, the first cake I ever made, and decorated, was our family Christmas cake. I was nine, and I can still remember making a little fondant Santa, sitting by a stove warming his socks, and sooty chocolate footprints tracked across a canvas of white rolled fondant. Making sherry trifle with my mum on Christmas Eve, setting out a mince pie and a glass of sherry for Santa (and a carrot for Rudolph). When I emigrated to the U.S. almost 10 years ago, I brought those holiday traditions along with me, although, I must admit, I did leave the figgy pudding and stodgy steamed Christmas pudding safely on the other side of the Atlantic. England, you can keep those!