The Kitchen Witch
 Feasts, cakes & ale, sacred foods for the festivals and potlucks are all an integral  of the pagan life.  This page is full of wonderful recipes that will make the food and drink at your next gathering memorable.  If you have a recipe you'd like to share, just email it to us.  The first recipes are for Real "cakes & ale".

Scottish Shortbread
Ingredients:  2 cups butter (NOT margarine)
                   1/2 cup sugar
                    2 1/4 cups flour
                   dash of salt
    Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Sift flour and salt into mixture and work in.  Mixture will be crumbly.  Press into 9"x9" baking pan.  Score top with fork or press designs in with cookie stamps.  Bake at 350F for 25-40 minutes.
    You can make individual cakes on a cookie sheet using the same recipe.  There are even "shortbread boards" that have seasonal designs.  These can be found in some Scottish catalogs or some fancy cookery shops.

Apple Ale
Equipment:  1 bucket or crock that will hold 5 gallons of liquid
                   Cheesecloth
                    5 One gallon bottles
                    Funnel
                    5 Large balloons
Ingredients: 10 pounds of UNWAXED apples
                    (5lbs. Granny Smith, 5lbs. Delicious is a good mix)
                    5 pounds white sugar OR 5 pounds light brown sugar
                    (makes a "drier" ale)
                    10 cinnamon sticks
                    3 Tablespoons whole cloves
                    ! inch long piece of ginger root

Begin by measuring 5 gallons of water into your container and marking the "water line".  Then dump water out.  Core and destem but DO NOT PEEL the apples.  Grate the apples (a food processor is invaluable here) and then dump the grated apples into the container.  Add water to make 5 gallons TOTAL (this is what the "water line" is for).  Cover lightly with a cloth and put in a warm, dark area for 7 days.  STIR ONCE A DAY.  If you stir it more often, you get cider vinegar.
On the 8th day, add all of the remaining ingredients.  Pulp the ginger root before adding it.  Stir well and recover.  Stir ONCE a day.
On the 11th day, dip out and press the liquid out of the "apple glop".  Strain liquid through cheesecloth until it looks like "natural" apple juice.  This usually takes at least 5 passes through the cloth.  It is best to have several pairs of helping hands with this.
After the juice is strained, pour it into the gallon bottles.  DO NOT CAP THESE BOTTLES.  Top the bottles with balloons.  Set the bottles in a warm area and leave them undisturbed for a week.
Cap  bottles loosely and put into the refrigerator to keep the ale from souring and to age it further.  Ale should be aged at least one week in the frig and is best after this.  This ale can be aged in the frig for up to 2 weeks and will keep  for a further 2 weeks if refrigerated (total of 4 weeks).  REMEMBER to loosen the caps on the bottles everyday to prevent explosions caused by the effervescent nature of the ale.
This recipe is perfect for Samhain festivals and, if you start it at Mabon, it's ready just in time.


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