Our American commercial culture has completely overlooked this holiday, which is particularly odd, considering the celebration is all about gift-giving. We're missing out on a fine excuse for good parties and great food, including Kings' Cake, baked and decorated to look like a crown. The lucky guest who receives the slice of cake containing a hidden token is crowned King or Queen of the feast, or, in Britain, "Lord of Misrule" for the rest of the celebration.
If you didn't set out a bowl of Wassail on Christmas Eve, you can still heat some for this evening and tomorrow. And although it can hardly be called a recipe, I'll list the basic instructions below.
Recipe: 12th Night Wassail
Apple Cider
Cranberry Juice (cocktail)
Pineapple Juice
Orange Juice
brown sugar
whole spices tied in a coffee filter:
cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves
Lemon Juice to taste
Bring everything to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and simmer for at least 2 hours.
After pouring the hot Wassail into the punch bowl, you may add whatever spirits you prefer. Rum is traditional, but brandy or a sweet whiskey such as Jack Daniels would be perfectly acceptable.
If you sincerely do NOT want spirits in your Wassail, you would be wise to assign a guard to watch over the bowl. Because, after all, it's Twelfth Night.
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