Christmas truly makes December a coveted month because it brings food, family and friends together and closer to our hearts than any other time of the year. Cooking by recipes endemic to the season is a perfect example of how we celebrate the spirit of togetherness, for we bring down the once-a-year cookbooks from hibernation, oil the baking tins and ready pouches of flour, punnets of strawberries, ladels of sugar and bundles of eggs for the sweets our guests will enjoy. As a child, the first day of December traditionally meant I could put the hedonism switch on for all the hard work was done already, the presents and food were on their way and the laughter came easier than any other time of the year. I distinctly remember the simple joys of decorating and celebrating, in hanging candy canes from the highest reaches of our synthetic tree, storing bonbons from the ends of branches, draping tinsel and hooking nativity scenes and the golden star upon the top point of the tree. It was a tree we loved, even for its fatal flaws; it was awfully unstable and unpleasant tree, supported on the base by a cast-iron clamp and a few dirty bricks concealed with a tablecloth, with unsightly power-coated bristles and branches that would cut, scratch and itch the skin. But it was well worth the effort since it involved plucking carefully hidden chocolates from inside the tree.
The Sydney Christmas as a whole is now largely celebrated as a secular holiday in the summer season, representing the exchange of presents as a token currency of the deliverance of a goodwill; in the minds of many, gift-giving is a practice largely foregoing its pre-existing religious significance. Nevertheless, regardless of religious inclination, you will agree with me that Christmas is a particularly special and memorable time of year, because it is one of the few seasons of the year where our traditions and memories are renewed, reflected upon and practiced. We bubble fruit cakes in the pot, glaze our turkey roasts, drink some delicious aged port and most importantly, reflect upon how our families and friends have grown with us, grown as individuals and also reflect on how arguments and dissent have perhaps drawn loved ones apart.
In my eyes, December is the month of the celebration of communion and here on Wild Thyme and Sweet Pea, I wish to introduce to you to the almond as a traditional Christmas dish that is sure to aid your get-togethers and gift-giving ideas. In the weeks leading to Christmas, my mother would pour one kilogram of dry-roasted almonds into a large pot of boiling water, let it cool for fifteen minutes and call us from our rooms to partake in an activity colloquially known as “losing one’s fingerprints”. To this day, I am unsure why it was known this way to us, as I have never permanently lost my fingerprints nor my sense of touch from dipping my hands into the hot, almond-laden water. The almonds were blanched by carefully squeezing and peeling of their skins, arranged on a baking tray without any oils or glazing agents and roasted in the oven until golden-brown. It was a sublime pleasure to smell the aroma pour through the house on a hot, summer day.
Since the earliest days of this recipe, I have tried many variations and practiced many times and decided in recent times by preparing the oven-baked almonds with a soft, sweet coating made from a simple solution of caster sugar, water, golden syrup and cinnamon, gently combined over a stovetop. If you are feeling adventurous enough, I have even made separate batches using natural food colouring – one in green and the other red, to make an appealing and festive-looking medley. The almonds – still hot from the oven – are then coated in this rich coating and left to cool in the refrigerator. Once hardened, the the contrast between the coating and the almond makes for an absolute delight. Try them wrapped in waxy baking paper and tied up with a piece of wrapping string for a rustic-looking present. It is a good idea if you wish to create individually colour-themed almonds, to create seperate small batches of almonds for colouring, so that you don’t mix up the colours in one great pot of mess!
INGREDIENTS
1kg dry-roasted almonds
2.5 litres boiling water
100g caster sugar (optional)
pinch cinnamon (optional)
red and green food colouring (optional)
non-stick baking tray or containter (optional)
The Wild Thyme and Sweet Pea project found its roots when it was plucked excitedly from the garden, washed briskly in a basin of water and lovingly left out to dry in a soothing marinade of vision and ambition ... More »
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