Christmas celebrations in town

The town is all decked up for Christmas. People are flocking to the shops to buy Christmas goodies and other gifts including cakes, clothes, and other stuff. There are huge offers too and it attracts people of all religions.

The above images show Lulu's hypermarket. Lulu has changed the way people shop and now another shop has been opened in a city in our state.

Christmas has always been special in my state but with the onset of the pandemic, people have become wary of going outside to shop. There is news of another COVID variant but not many are bothered or scared to venture outside. I did see many people wearing masks though.

Plum cakes are the most in demand during the Christmas season. Plum cakes aka fruit cakes are prepared by many bread houses and by home bakers too. There are many versions and you even get gluten-free and vegan cakes now.
People also bake cakes in their homes and gift them to relatives and friends. Other delicacies like the 'achappam, kuzhalappam', and other sweets are also very popular.

People in the villages make stars and sell them for a profit. So, such small-scale industries also prosper during such festivals. Make sure that you purchase such products from small shops so that they get some profit as well.

There has been a video that went viral in our state recently. It shows a young woman who made her own Christmas tree by entwining green colored shiny ribbons around makeshift poles shaped into a tree. It not only saves money but looks better. The cost is one-eighth as well. I hear many people are following her advice. She has not only got many views but helped a lot of people save money as well.

Here are some baking tips for a Christmas plum cake.

• powder nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove and mix them well and add to the cake mixture so that it gets that unique taste and smell
• make sure you prepare some caramel sauce. You can store it in the refrigerator
• adding jaggery can enhance the taste of the cake
• soak dry fruits ahead of time
• add a teaspoon of coffee powder to darken the cake and also increase the taste
• cool the cake after baking and use it after a few days
• baking your cake is better than buying it from a shop
• you can also bake a cake on the stove using a thick-bottomed pan - there are many videos on YouTube with instructions
• You can bake a cake without eggs if you use chocolate powder and baking soda along with lemon juice or vinegar
• a cup of flour needs only 1/4 baking soda with a teaspoon of vinegar provided you use chocolate powder or you can also use home made curd and mix the soda in it and use it after it rises.

There are many recipes to bake a fruit cake. Do try to bake one this season and make sure you stay safe and away from food added with preservatives and harmful colors.

images - own