Today is Thanksgiving in America. Although not a part of our local tradition, I use it as a countdown to Christmas since it is roughly a month away from December 25 and this is when we tend to begin our planning. I hate the rush of Christmas shopping, as it gets me cranky and confused, so I whip out pen and paper and begin to write lists of food items that I need and start to collect them over the weeks leading up to Christmas so things won't pile up on me.

In England, many bake Christmas cakes on the last Sunday of Advent, and during the next few weeks leading up to the holiday will "feed" the cake by adding liqueur to keep it moist and boozy. Another method some people use is to bake at the last minute; however, the trick is that they have had fruits soaking for weeks, even months before the Holy Season. The Caribbean tradition of Christmas rum or black cake, as some call it, came from the British colonial period.

Many stores now have Christmas-related items on sale. Most notable are the common dried fruits such as sultanas, raisins, prunes, mixed peel, and maraschino cherries which are a big feature in our famous Christmas cakes. You will also see dried figs, dates, peaches, apricots and cherries which are more expensive but also utilised in Christmas desserts. Pineapples are popular to garnish our hams. Nuts are also a big feature, so now appearing on shelves you will see big bags of peanuts, cashews, pistachios, almonds, walnuts and pecans as well as mixed nuts.

Baking is a huge activity during the season, so with all of the above ingredients you will need other essentials on your check list such as vanilla, almond and rose water, spices such as cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, good quality eggs, butter, sugar and flour. Now remember, for a good cake you need a decent, all-purpose flour or specialty cake flour. Using counter flour will not give you the best results in your cakes and pastries, so do invest in the good stuff.

Another major component is alcohol. Sometimes you taste some cakes which will make you feel slightly tipsy after a couple of bites, while with others there is just a nice hint of alcohol which complements the rest of the cake. There is a cake to suit all palates. Personally, I like a nice balance. I dislike when the alcohol component is too strong, but I love when it highlights the other flavours as a backdrop instead of overpowering the taste buds. I want to experience the fruit and spice as well. One should not dominate the other and it takes an experienced baker to get it just right. Rum naturally is the most popular spirit used in cakes and in our famous sorrel drink. However, the commercial Red Label wine is good for baking purposes, although some people prefer to use brandy or whiskey.

Ensure that you have your baking pans, and stock up on aluminium foil, baking paper such as wax or parchment, and cling film. If you will be making jams, jellies and chutneys, you need to purchase glass jars which are quite reasonable when you buy them in bulk. They make lovely food gifts too. In the next few weeks I will be covering a different topic such as stuffings and side dishes, beverages and main courses for your Christmas entertaining. Today I will be sharing chutney recipes which are pretty easy to make and the earlier you prepare them the more delicious they will taste with your roast meats or with cheese platters. The recipes should yield at least 6 to 8 small 200g jars.

Spicy Apple and Raisin Chutney

This is a traditional chutney and a typical crowd pleaser. It goes really well with roast pork or with Cheddar cheese.

Ingredients:

900g/2lbs apples, peeled, cored and chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

125g/ 1/2 cup raisins

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp salt

350g/ 1 1/2 cups sugar

425ml/ 13/4 cups cider vinegar

Method:

Put all ingredients into a large pot.

Slowly bring to the boil and simmer gently for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Cool down and add to sterilised jars.

Seal and keep in a dark, cool place for at least a month until ready to serve.

JuicyChef's Cranberry Sauce

Jamaicans enjoy cranberry juice, so why not sauce? It's excellent with turkey or a lovely roaster chicken. Yes, I know it's not local, but it's available, so why not give it a go if you can afford it? In select supermarkets you can now find fresh or frozen cranberries for the holiday season.

Ingredients:

500g/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

2 cups of sugar

125ml/1/2 cup of water

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 cinnamon stick

Grating of nutmeg

2 cloves

1 tbsp aged rum

1 orange, juice and zest

Method:

In a medium saucepan, add cranberries, sugar and water, mix well and bring to a boil on high heat then reduce to medium heat.

Add ginger, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, cloves, orange juice and zest and continue simmering for 10 minutes then turn off the heat.

Add rum and mix well. You should have a nice chunky texture as some fruit will remain whole, while others would have burst.

Cool down and chill until ready to use. This can be made up to one week before using. Serve at room temperature.

JuicyChef's Sorrel Chutney

I love sorrel chutney and there are excellent brands on the market. I first published this recipe in the former Air Jamaica's Skywritings magazine a few years ago and it has been one of my most popularly requested recipes, so today I am sharing it with you, my dear Thursday Food readers.

Ingredients:

6 cups/1 1/2 lb of sorrel calyces

2 cups/500g sugar

2 cups/ 1/2 litre water

1 onion, finely diced

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 1/2 Inch piece ginger, finely grated

1 lime, juiced

1 tbsp white cane vinegar

6 Pimento (allspice) grains, crushed

1 yellow Scotch bonnet, deseeded and finely chopped

1 cup golden raisins

Method:

In a large non-reactive saucepan add water, sugar, pimentos, ginger and garlic and bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to a simmer.

Add sorrel calyces, raisins, lime juice, vinegar and Scotch bonnet and stir well.

Keep stirring occasionally and continue cooking until the mixture has the consistency of jam.

Remove from heat and cool down.

Place chutney in sterile jars and it is ready to use; however, the flavour improves after a couple of days.

A special thanks to my weekly sponsors MegaMart

Contact me at juicycheffoodmedia@gmail.com

Bon Appétit!

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