The Wassail Gingerkuchen Excerpt from "Released"

The Wassail Gingerkuchen
Excerpt

“May I escort you, Mistress?” He led her into the Reading Room alight with glowing candles and whispered, “Don’t they look real? The only bad news is the man you hired to play St. Nicholas came down with the flu.

“What will I do?” Alarmed, Liberty fumbled in the brocade pouch at her waist for her cell phone. “We can’t do this without St. Nicholas.”

“You will have your St. Nicholas, madam.” Gregory stepped close to her side and smiled down at her. “I have experience.” He gently placed her arm on his. His St. Nicholas outfit was no rented Santa costume. The smooth velvet of his red jacket caressed her bare arm. The ruffled shirt, tight black pants, and high black boots complemented his masculine form perfectly. 

Before Liberty could speak, Lily announced, “Wassail time.”

Aldwyn, in a dinner jacket, entered carrying a steaming silver punch bowl, followed by Emma and Rebecca holding platters piled high with spicy, fragrant gingerkuchen.

Liberty whispered to Gregory, “Is it safe for you here?”

“Perfectly safe. This is a magic night.”

Outside the window, a flash of lights illuminated the huge outdoor tree and they heard the loud “Ah” as the people of Shipsfeather gasped in pleasure.

The strains of “Greensleeves” floated from the Local History Room. Liberty didn’t remember hiring a quartet.

        

Within moments the library doors were thrown open and guests paraded in. Gregory served wassail and Liberty passed out warm gingerkuchen, greeting smiling Shipsfeather residents and their visitors. Many of Liberty’s regular library patrons passed by. Gregory embraced members of old Shipsfeather families. An elderly gentleman called him. Chronus and a woman with a British accent curtsied and addressed him as Sir Gregory. Replying to foreign visitors in their own languages, Gregory was the perfect host. He looked handsome, courtly, and comfortable in ruffled shirt and velvet jacket and each guest lit up at his attention. 

And the Recipe

St. Nicholas Wassail

From The Shapeshifters’ Library celebration in “Released”

4 cups apple juice or cider

2 cups cranberry juice

1 cup orange juice

1 cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 t. ground ginger

½ t. grated nutmeg

½ t. cardamom

3 sticks cinnamon

Fresh orange slices for garnish

Combine ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Then turn to low for 2-8 hours.

(In a hurry? Heat in just to boiling in a saucepan, then pour into a slow cooker to keep warm.)

Oranges on top make a pretty addition.

What I love about this recipe is you can vary it to suit your taste in juices and spices (or what you have on hand). With our without alcohol (some revelers) add dry sherry or Madeira), a cup with fill you with warm holiday cheer.

 

Read

Chapter One of

"Released"

Available from:

Kindle
Amazon Print
Barnes & Noble
Read the blog post "Researching St.Nicholas Eve"
for my personal remembrances of the celebration 
And the St. Nicholas excerpt from "Released"

Character Interview - Lily Mumford & her Wassail Recipe

Lily Mumford

Retired Librarian

Being a retired librarian is wonderful. I live in a wonderful old Victorian house with a spectacular garden. I cook for my tenants who are teachers and have no time for the culinary arts. I garden and plant flowers around the  Public Library and help out at the Shipsfeather Shelter for Travelers and the Temporarily Homeless. I visit the library and read all the books I’ve promised myself I’d read after I retired. 

Or at least that was my life until I met Liberty Cutter, the current Shipsfeather Library Director. At first she thought I was a homeless old bag lady. As she began to trust me, she asked me if I knew anything about dog-shifters and werewolves in town and confided she had a friend who was a talking dog.

The next thing I knew I was helping her find the gingerkucken recipe my Aunt Leila baked for St. Nicholas celebrations. And there I was in the middle of the old battle with werewolves. I’d had enough of werewolves when I served as Assistant Library Director under Elsie Dustbunnie, the meanest werewolf ever to burn a book. When Elsie attacked me, I’d have been a goner if sweet Liberty hadn’t come to my rescue.

On a happier note, I resumed an old romance with Aldwyn Chisholm, who had been my professor in library school. Through the years we’d met at library conventions, but that’s another story... 

Aldwyn wants to move in with me in “Retrieved” Book 2 of the series. But now that he’s Mayor of the town and I’m Chairperson of the Library Board, Amber says that wouldn’t be quite respectable for two retired librarians, so there must be wedding bells for us. 

Favorite Reading: I love cookbooks, gardening guides, and novels in every genre except werewolf fiction. 

(Read the Wassail Excerpt from Released)

Interesting notes: Wassail (Middle English wæs hæl, literally 'good health' or 'be you healthy') refers both to the salute 'Waes Hail' and to the drink of wassail, a hot mulled cider. Wassail bowls were traditionally made from lignum vitea wood. The dense oily wood retains hot liquids.

To warm you for the coming holiday season I’ll share the ancient dog-shifters St. Nicholas wassail recipe. Just remember to imbibe only when in human form.

St. Nicholas Wassail

4 cups apple juice or cider

2 cups cranberry juice

1 cup orange juice

1 cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 t. ground ginger

½ t. grated nutmeg

½ t. cardamom

3 sticks cinnamon

Fresh orange slices for garnish

Combine ingredients in a saucepan. Cover and bring almost to a boil. Then on low for 2-8 hours.

Oranges on top are so festive. With or without alcohol (for some adult revelers) add dry sherry or Madeira), a cup with fill you with warm holiday cheer.

Complete List of Characters 
in 

The Shapeshifters' Library Series

  Read 

Released (The Shapeshifters' Library Book 1)

to learn more about Lily, the dog-shifters, and the werewolf book-burners.