​The impulse to offer generous hospitality is one of the most ancient of human motivations. The Greek Classics are filled with stories of kings welcoming strangers from foreign lands with lavish food, wine and companionship. The familiar story of Abraham and his wife Sarah and their three visitors, later revealed to be angels, demonstrates this deeply felt urge to provide food and friendship to those who are away from the comforts of home. Note the tone of urgency as Abraham literally begs his guests to accept his hospitality:
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​The happy ending to this story is that God gives to the elderly and childless Abraham and Sarah, a son, Isaac, as a reward for their generosity and kindness to the three travelers. This priceless gift is also a reward for Abraham’s humility, his willingness to become a servant to the strangers, to put his own ego and status aside to provide food and comfort to those in need.

​This spirit of generous hospitality underlies Christmas celebrations throughout the world. Although our culture can certainly be accused of excess and ostentation in our often ridiculous yard and shopping mall displays of lighted Santas, reindeer, snowmen and even cartoon characters as a way of recognizing the season, let us look beneath the glitzy surface to discern a sense of welcome and shared friendship. There is indeed something addictive in the pleasure one derives from providing a little happiness to others, even if that delight is only bright colors and glittering lights. But as we learned from the story of Abraham’s generosity, there is always a deeper meaning embedded in every act of kindness. During this Christmas and Hanukkah Season, we might be wise to keep our judgments and “shoulds” to ourselves and look for the angels in disguise.

​I admit that I have succumbed to the heady addiction of getting carried away with holiday hospitality. It started when I was in my twenties, a young wife, mother and college student with no money at all to spend on Christmas gifts. Remembering the powerful childhood magic of Christmas morning when my sister, brother and I woke up to find what seemed to be hundreds of gifts, wrapped in bright colors, spreading out from under the tree in glittering piles, Iwanted to bring the same joy to my family members.

​In fact, my parents were not wealthy at all, and our gifts were small and inexpensive, but my parents had generous hearts and were willing to spend their own time and energy to surprise and delight their children. One Christmas, when we were just barely old enough to go to school, my mother stayed up late into the night to sew my brother John a Lone Ranger mask by hand from black velvet. Johnny was thrilled and wore that mask with his red flannel shirt for months as though he really were the Lone Ranger.

​I never learned how to sew, but the impulse to make something with my own hands to offer as Christmas gifts almost overpowered me in early adulthood. I couldn’t see any natural talents or artistic skills in myself, and I didn’t even know how to cook, but I turned to the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook that someone gave me when I got married. As it turned out, my love for reading was my hidden talent, and I was able to follow the simple instructions in the cookbook to make cookies and simple candies like fudge. These I wrapped up and gave as gifts to my relatives and friends. Over time, I tried more complex recipes like Banana Bread and Fruitcake, and read with fascination all of the details associated with baking, like greasing and flouring the pans, pre-heating the oven and making sure that all of the ingredients were at room temperature before starting to make the batter.

​I made many mistakes and learned from almost all of them. My very kind family members were tolerant and forgiving when my gifts turned out to be overcooked, under baked, or just sort of mediocre. I will always be grateful to them for not criticizing me for my lack of baking expertise, and to this very day, it breaks my heart when I hear people badmouthing a family member’s cooking or belittling any gift which is freely given.

​Eventually, I became a pretty good home baker, and I was struck with the idea of hosting a Holiday Dessert Party before Christmas for my family members, friends and even for some of my students. Once this idea took hold, I could not stop myself. I read cooking magazines year-round and saved recipes that seemed to have promise. I started my menu planning in July, writing up lists of possible cakes, pies, puddings, candies and cookies to include. Then I would spend hours picturing how all of the finished desserts would look arranged on the lace table cloth, interspersed with Christmas candles and greenery. I would plan which bowls, platters and dishes to use, making sure to include treasured old plates and bowls I had inherited from my grandmother. I also thought about the various flavors, colors, sizes, shapes, textures and temperatures of the many desserts I wanted to offer and how they would complement each other.

​Then the idea of including international holiday desserts like German Spritz Cookies and Greek Baklava took hold, and I also started researching historic foods like Fruitcake and Plum Pudding. Each year the menu grew larger, and I started creating contrasting pairs such as two pies, two pound cakes, two puddings, two chocolate creations, etc. To manage all of this, I needed to obtain special equipment, such as candy molds, a cookie press and various Bundt and spring form pans, etc. I also had to do long-range planning, figuring out which desserts could be made early and aged, which could be frozen, which could be made the day before the party, and which had to be made just before the guests arrived. I derived hours of pleasure and joy in planning and anticipating my yearly Christmas dessert party, and this process continued for several decades until Wayne and I retired and moved to the small house on the ocean in Hawaii where we now live.

​I still bake for every holiday and offer my creations to neighbors and new friends here in Oahu, and I still mail my brother-in-law Rudy Pedulla, a Panforte for his birthday every year. I gave my complete set of Lennox Holiday china to my great-niece Amanda before I moved, and I only miss it a little bit. I still try at least one new recipe every Christmas, and I hope to continue baking as long as I live. I should not have been surprised when my niece, Kathleen Pedulla, suggested that we write a book on Afternoon Tea after I moved here to Hawaii. It has been my joy to share the recipes I have collected over my entire adult life with my readers, especially at Christmas time. I hope you will look at our Christmas Tea in the December calendar section of myteaplanner.com.

​As another gift to those of you who love to read, as I do, I recommend a poignant and beautiful Christmas story by the Irish writer, James Joyce, who lived from 1882 to 1941. Although it has the unfortunate title, “The Dead,” it is really a story about the living.  In this complex tale with many hidden meanings, we meet the shy, awkward, and self-conscious protagonist, Gabriel (an angelic person,) who attends a family Christmas party in Dublin with his wife and ultimately discovers the deeper significance of generosity, sacrifice and love. “The Dead” is the final story in Joyce’s famous collection, Dubliners, which should be available in any library.

​In this story, Joyce includes a description of the holiday party table prepared by Gabriel’s two elderly aunts. This gorgeous description has always resonated for me as an example of that “impulse to offer generous hospitality” that has motivated Abraham and so many other people of good will over the centuries.

​May your holiday table be as festive and hospitable as this fictional feast, written more than a hundred years ago. And finally, I would like to leave you with a composite menu from my many Christmas Dessert Parties over the years and a recipe for a Christmas Cake I plan to bake this year for the first time. In the menu, I have indicated the location in myteaplanner.com where some of the recipes can be found. Merry Christmas to you and your families, and may you always be generous in welcoming the stranger.

Aunt Rose’s Holiday Dessert Party

Traditional Fruitcakes
Old English Fruitcake with Hard Sauce (An American Southern Tea)
Panforte (An Italian Tea)

Pound Cakes
Ellen’s Fabulous Coconut Cake (An American Southern Tea)
Orange Poppy Seed Cake

Chocolate Cakes
Queen of California Cake (A California Tea)
Chocolate Biscuit Cake (A Classic British Afternoon Tea)

Caramel Cakes
Caramel Toffee Yule Log (A Christmas Tea)
Sticky Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce (A Tea for Our Elders)

Yeast Bread and Pastry
German Christmas Stollen
Danish Christmas Wreath (A Christmas Tea)

Pies
Lemon Chess Pie (August Family Reunion Tea)
Chocolate Almond Fudge Pie

Chilled Molded Desserts
Spiced Apple Gelatin (North American Family Reunion Tea)
Chestnut Bavarian with Chocolate Sauce (A Winter Afternoon Tea)

Cheesecakes
Pumpkin Sherry Cheesecake
Chocolate Mocha Cheesecake

Chilled Puddings
Christmas Trifle (A Christmas Tea)
Tiramisu

Rustic Puddings
Warm Bread Pudding with Lemon Sauce (Afternoon Tea for a Large Group)
Afghan Rice Pudding

Steamed Puddings
Steamed Pumpkin Pudding with Candied Cranberries (A Christmas Tea)
Steamed Gingerbread

Quick Breads
Lemon Tea Cake (Tea Menu Basics)
Persimmon Bread (Tea Menu Basics)

International Pastries
Baklava (A Greek or Middle Eastern Family Reunion Tea)
Madeleines (A French Afternoon Tea)

Christmas Cookies
Spritz Cookies (A Christmas Tea)
Orange Ginger Cookies (A Christmas Tea)
Shortbread Cookies (A Classic British Afternoon Tea)
Almond Butter Cookies (A California Tea)
Mexican Wedding Cookies (A Tea to Honor Our Ancestors)
Mexican Chocolate Cookies with Chili (A Tea to Honor Our Ancestors)
Chocolate Chip Cookies (A Tea for Our Elders)

I am fascinated by the idea of a Lemon Fruitcake filled with golden raisins and nuts rather than the usual candied fruits. I found a similar recipe in the November 2004 edition of Gourmet Magazine and have been saving it for several years with the intention of making a few adaptations, adding a rum glaze and baking this cake as a Christmas gift for special friends. The recipe actually makes two large loaf cakes (9” x 5” x 3”,) but you could also make a large Bundt cake and perhaps a small loaf cake with the batter. Note that this cake bakes at a very low temperature for a long time—more than two hours. You will have to make adjustments if you choose to use different sizes of pans. As with all cakes, it is done when a thin knife or a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, but you will want to start testing a little early if you use smaller pans.

​For the Cake:

• 1 pound golden raisins (3 cups)
• 4 ½ cups (1 pound) chopped toasted almonds
• 3 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• grated rind of 1 lemon
• 6 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• 1 (one-ounce) bottle pure lemon extract
• cooking spray containing flour
• For the Lemon-Rum glaze
• 2 cups sugar
• ½ cup light corn syrup
• ¾ cup water
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup rum (or orange flavored liqueur)

​Preheat oven to 250° F

Special equipment: large mixing bowl, medium sized mixing bowl, small mixing bowl, small bowl, sieve or flour sifter, electric mixer, rubber spatula, aluminum foil, cookie sheet, citrus zester, citrus juicer, 2 (9” x 5” x 3”) loaf pans, parchment paper, thin knife, wooden skewer, 2-3-quart saucepan with lid, wire rack, plastic wrap

Makes: 2 large loaf cakes or 1 Bundt cake and 1 smaller loaf

1. Toast the chopped almonds in a 350°F oven on a foil lined baking sheet for 10 minutes, until lightly browned, stirring twice to prevent burning. Set aside to cool, and lower the oven temperature to 250° F.
2. Grate the zest from the lemon onto a paper towel and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and set it aside to use in the glaze. Spray the loaf pans with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Spray the parchment and set the pans aside. Combine the raisins, lemon zest and nuts in a medium sized mixing bowl and toss with 1 cup of flour until well coated. Set aside.
3. In a small mixing bowl, sift together the remaining 2 cups of flour with ½ teaspoon of salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat again until very light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg yolks and beat until well incorporated.
4. Add the flour and salt mixture at low speed, and beat until just combined. In a small bowl, stir the baking soda into 1 tablespoon of warm water until dissolved. Add the baking soda mixture and the lemon extract to the butter mixture and beat on low speed just until incorporated.
5. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the raisin and nut mixture, including the flour remaining in the bowl, until none of the flour is still visible. Clean and dry the beaters, and beat the egg whites in a clean medium sized bowl until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until the mixture is well combined. (It will be lumpy.)
6. Divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Gently tap the bottoms of the pans against the counter to release any bubbles. Bake until the tops of the cakes are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 2 ¾ hours. When the cakes have almost finished baking, make the glaze.
7. Combine all of the glaze ingredients except the rum in a 2-3-quart saucepan. Stir slowly over medium high heat until the mixture boils. Cover and boil until the mixture is clear and the sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove the glaze from the heat, uncover and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the rum.
8. Cool the cakes on a wire rack for 10 minutes; carefully remove the cakes from the pans, and remove the parchment. Replace the cakes into the pans, and poke holes into the cakes with a thin wooden skewer. Carefully pour the warm glaze over both cakes and allow them to continue cooling on the wire rack.
9. When the cakes are completely cool, wrap them in plastic wrap and then in foil, and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks or freeze them for one month.  This cake is best when aged for at least one day to allow the flavors to develop.