The Wassail Gingerkuchen
Excerpt
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
"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"
