Interfaith and Multiculturalism

Untidy piles of tinsel, tiny Santa Claus's and reindeers, and ropes of tiny, candle shaped lights are tumbling already from supermarket shelves. The sight of these shimmering trinkets to decorate an exotic conifer to which splotches of white paint give the impression of snow, is faintly ridiculous as our parching summer approaches. Still more, lots of people will sweat over stoves to roast a turkey, to poach a variety of vegetables, to boil a pudding and to warm a ham pricked with cloves, orange peel and brown sugar.

It's the ritual, isn't it, that holds us in hypnotic thrall? The moment the tinkling notes of Jingle Bells or We Wish You a Merry Christmas come over the shop speakers, notes which last year drove us crazy with the repetition, the signals for shop-a-mania and over-indulgence are given. Our children feel the same bursting anticipation for a day full of gifts that we felt at their age, and have perpetuated for them

This year, as last, we'll be fasting, and probably dozing in the midday heat of Christmas Day. It seems to me one of the better celebrations of the birth of Jesus. We are from Christian and Buddhist traditions, and fasting informs us deeply of these. Christmas will never be the same.

But ... we will still have a tree, and this year will buy new twinkling lights. We'll give gifts to our family to delight them. And we'll have a sugar house, a quaint European treat which always reminds me of the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. They found an edible house to nourish them when they were lost in the deep, dark woods. Built from gingerbread, glued together and streaked with snowy, sugar icing, daubed with lollies. We can nibble it when we break the fast. No use throwing the baby out with the bath water.

A SUGAR HOUSE FOR CHRISTMAS

Gingerbread
125g butter (not margarine)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons golden syrup (like molasses, but lighter in colour)
1 egg yolk
2 cups plain/all purpose flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3 teaspoons ground ginger

Using a fork or electric beaters, combine and beat well butter, sugar and syrup. Then add the sifted dry ingredients, finally kneading to amalgamate. The mixture is a bit stickier than pastry. Roll out on a lightly floured bench top to about 3mm thickness. Now transfer, as best you can, to a large baking tray. Don't worry if it all breaks up (mine does too). Just gently squeeze together the torn pieces with your fingers on the tray, and smoothing the surface.

Bake in a moderate oven (360degF/180degC) for 15 minutes. Careful it doesn't burn. The gingerbread has to be stiff, but not brittle.

Step 1. Now, with your sheet of cooked gingerbread on the table in front of you, work out the design of your dream house - maybe 4 sides and a roof, or 4 high walls topped with crenellations, or 3 sides of a pyramid, or whatever your fancy dictates. Then scale it to fit the amount of gingerbread you have made - making more if necessary. When you are happy with the design ... cut the gingerbread with a sharp knife. Cut out doors, windows, spy holes, chimney holes, if wanted, carefully.

Step 2. Lay pieces out on the table to decorate. Have some royal icing, lots of candies (small ones are most effective), a flat bladed knife and an icing bag (to force the icing neatly onto the gingerbread).

ROYAL ICING

2 egg whites
500g pure icing sugar
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Beat the egg whites slightly, and sift in the icing sugar and salt. Beat and add the lemon juice. Bear well and long for a glossy icing. If it is too soft, add some more icing sugar. The mixture can be coloured. It can also be kept in an airtight container for a week in the refigerator. Keep it covered to stop it drying out when you are decorating.

Step 3. Put icing into a bag and decorate each surface of your sugar house as you wish - perhaps drawing shingles on the roof and sticking candies on here and there for colourful and appetising effect. Further decoration, particularly features like icicles hanging from the roof, can be added later when the house is built.

Step 4. Using a knife, put icing along the joins of the house and stand them up. Easy to say ... sometimes hard to achieve quickly! I've watched my beautiful house gracefully sink into an inelegant pile many times. Use lashings of patience, the hands of other family members, and rest assured that the icing does (eventually) set! The placement of a few props, and leaving the roof until after the walls are solid helps matters.

Step 5. Do final decorations on the standing house. Add last blobs of icing to attach even more candies to tidy up any ugly bits along the joins. Add the chimney or other individual features.

Step 6. Place in the centre of the Christmas table, breaking off pieces as hunger strikes. Note : may require protection from candy robbers. Otherwise, this confection lasts for weeks and remains edible in a dry atmosphere.