đFruitcakesđ„
đ”Teađ«
đ„Pastriesđ°
đ„Eggnogđ¶
đȘHoliday Treatsđ„
100
What is typically in a fruitcake?
A fruitcake is a dense, rich cake packed with candied or dried fruits (like cherries, raisins, pineapple, dates, currants) and nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds), held together with a spiced batter of flour, butter, sugar, eggs, and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice), often "fed" with liquor like rum or brandy for flavor and preservation, resulting in a festive, moist treat.
100
What are some of the most popular types of tea? Do you enjoy drinking tea?
Darjeeling, Chai, English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Green, Matcha, Oolong, Ceylon, White and Turmeric.
An early credible record of tea drinking dates to the third century AD, in a medical text written by Chinese physician Hua Tuo. It was popularized as a recreational drink during the Chinese Tang dynasty, and tea drinking subsequently spread to other East Asian countries. Portuguese priests and merchants introduced it to Europe during the 16th century. During the 17th century, drinking tea became fashionable among the English, who started to plant tea on a large scale in British India.
100
This buttery, flaky pastry is traditionally associated with France and named for it's historical crescent shape.
Croissant
Crescent-shaped breads have been made since the Renaissance, and crescent-shaped cakes possibly since antiquity. Kipferls have long been a staple of Austrian cuisine, and are often found in French bakeries and pĂątisseries. The modern croissant was developed in the early 20th century when French bakers replaced the brioche dough of the kipferl with a yeast-leavened laminated dough. In the late 1970s, the development of factory-made, frozen, preformed but unbaked dough made them into a fast food that could be freshly baked by unskilled labor.
100
What is in a traditional eggnog recipe?
A traditional eggnog usually has egg yolks, sugar, milk, gloves, cinnamon, heavy cream, nutmeg, vanilla extract and some type of alcohol if you prefer!
100
This broad category of baked goods is often formed into houses and people shaped cookies, flavored with cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and one other key ingredient.
Ginger(bread)!
Gingerbread is claimed to have been brought to Europe in 992 AD by the Armenian monk Gregory of Nicopolis (also called Gregory Makar and Grégoire de Nicopolis). He left Nicopolis (in modern-day western Greece) to live in Bondaroy (north-central France), near the town of Pithiviers. He stayed there for seven years until he died in 999 and taught gingerbread baking to French Christians. It may have been brought to Western Europe from the eastern Mediterranean in the 11th century.
200
True or False: Fruitcake dates back to ancient Roman times.
True!
Although itâs possible fruitcake is even older than what records indicate, the earliest reference to fruitcake is found in ancient Roman archives. Itâs documented that Romans created a confectionery concoction of pine nuts, barley mash, raisins, honeyed wine, and dried pomegranate. Then, they baked this doughy substance into a cake-like shape.
200
Where was the famous tea party which involved throwing British tea into the harbor?
Boston, Massachusetts
In 1767, to help the East India Company compete with smuggled Dutch tea, Parliament passed the Indemnity Act, which lowered the tax on tea consumed in Great Britain and gave the East India Company a refund of the 25% duty on tea that was re-exported to the colonies. To help offset this loss of government revenue, Parliament also passed the Townshend Revenue Act of 1767, which levied new taxes, including one on tea, in the colonies. Instead of solving the smuggling problem, however, the Townshend duties renewed a controversy about Parliament's right to tax the colonies.
200
These sweet meringue-based confections are made with egg white, icing sugar, granulated sugar and almond meal on a special baking sheet.
Macarons
Not to be confused with macaroons (totally different ballgame). According to legend, the macaron was introduced in France during the Renaissance by the Italian chef of queen Catherine de Medici, but a confection by the general description appears in the 8th century in the Cormery Abbey. Since the 19th century, a typical Parisian-style macaron is a sandwich cookie filled with a ganache, buttercream or jam.
200
True or False: Traditional eggnog was made with alcohol to kill bacteria.
True!
Eggnog was originally made with alcohol, not for taste but for safety. In medieval times it was quite risky to drink milk straight, similarly to today where it can be risky to drink milk that hasnât been pasteurized. So the solution was to add alcohol to the milk so it would kill any harmful bacteria found in the dairy product. Old recipes would suggest that you cure the raw eggs in alcohol such as rum for a few days to ensure any bacteria from the eggs were also eliminated. Most people would leave their eggnog to sit for a few days to a week to make sure all bacteria was gone before consumption.
200
Also known as drinking chocolate, this is a heated drink made using milk, chocolate and a sweetener (often topped with marshmallows or whipped cream).
Hot Cocoa
The first chocolate drink is believed to have been created by the Maya around 2,500â3,000 years ago, and a cocoa drink was an essential part of Aztec culture by 1400 AD, by which they referred to as xocĆlÄtl. The drink became popular in Europe after being introduced from Mexico in the New World and has undergone multiple changes since then. Until the 19th century, hot chocolate was used medicinally to treat ailments such as liver and stomach diseases.
300
What dessert in British literature was the same as a fruitcake?
a. Plum Pudding
b. Scottish Shortbread
c. Old English Trifle
d. Jammy Dodgers
a. Plum Pudding
If you were ever made to read Charles Dickens as a child, you have probably heard of plum pudding. A traditional British Christmas treat, plum pudding isnât a pudding-âitâs a cake. Confusing, we know. Whatâs even more of a head-scratcher is that the word âplumâ is a generic term for any dried fruit.
300
The rejuvenating properties of green tea were first discovered in which country?
a. United States of America
b. United Kingdom
c. China
d. Brazil
c. China
China claims to have first used green tea more than 5000 years ago. There are many versions of how the discovery was first made but one widely accepted version relates the story of how a Chinese scholar was boiling water for his evening meal when some leaves of a tea plant fell into the water as he was replenishing the fire. On tasting the water he found the drink so refreshing he further refined the process and passed the knowledge on to subsequent generations.
300
These Sicilian tube shaped pastries are made with fried dough that is filled with a sweet, creamy filling containing ricotta, sometimes sprinkled with powdered sugar and chocolate chips.
Cannolis
Holy Cannoli! Some food historians place the origins of cannoli in 827â1091 in Caltanissetta in Sicily, by the concubines of princes looking to capture their attention. This period marks the Arab rule of the island, known then as the Emirate of Sicily, giving rise to the theory that the etymology stemmed from the Arabic word qanawÄt meaning 'tubes' in reference to their tube-shaped shells. During this time, the Arabs influenced Sicilian baking with the introduction of candied fruits, pistachios, and cinnamon.
300
Eggnog most likely originated in the 14th Century, which was what era in history?
a. Renaissance
b. Victorian Era
c. Tudor Era
d. Medieval Times
d. Medieval Times
Medieval "eggnog" was actually posset, a warm, curdled milk drink with ale or wine, spices, and sometimes eggs (especially for monks), initially a rich luxury, evolving into a spiced holiday favorite in the American colonies where ingredients were plentiful, eventually becoming the "eggnog" we know, though the term itself appeared later.
300
This traditionally wintertime associated flavor comes from the leaves of a certain hybrid plant, commonly used to flavor drinks and candies as well as ward off pest insects and rodents.
Peppermint
Peppermint is a hybrid species of mint, a cross between watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, the plant is now widely spread and cultivated in many regions of the world. It is occasionally found in the wild with its parent species.
400
What can fruitcake be infused with to make it last for decades?
Hint: It's a typical ingredient to spike the eggnog or punch bowl!
Alcohol!
In 2017, a liquor-soaked, 106-year-old fruitcake was discovered in East Antarctica. Since it had been infused with enough alcohol, the cake was described by the discovering archeologists from the Antarctic Heritage Trust as being in âexcellent conditionâ and âalmost edible!â Fruitcake has also been taken to space! One of the food staples sent with astronauts on the first space missions was fruitcake. Because fruitcake is a shelf-stable pantry item requiring no refrigeration and no cooking before consumption, it was an ideal snack to pack.
400
True or False: The United Kingdom drinks the most tea in the world.
False, Turkey is actually the largest consumer of tea in the world!
Turkey is the world's largest tea drinking country, with each person consuming an average of 1,300 cups of tea per year (around 3 to 5 cups daily). In the wintertime, this number can increase to at least 10 cups a day though! The culture of drinking tea was ingrained into Turkish culture as it was an occasion to sit and talk in tea houses historically.
400
This pastry is made with choux dough, filled with cream using a piping bag and topped with a flavored icing (typically a chocolate ganache).
Ăclairs
The word comes from the French Ă©clair, meaning 'flash of lightning', so named because it is eaten quickly (in a flash); however some believe that the name is due to the glistening of the frosting resembling lightning.
400
What ingredient in eggnog does the FDA warn against using in raw and unpasteurized form when making it at home?
Eggs!
Yes, FDA regulations require commercial eggnog to be pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized to kill bacteria like Salmonella, making it safe; for homemade versions, use pasteurized eggs/products or cook the egg base to 160°F (71°C) to ensure safety, as alcohol doesn't reliably kill bacteria. You can buy pasteurized eggs in-store or use liquid/frozen pasteurized egg products for safe, no-cook eggnog.
400
This drink is historically known as a milk punch, a rich chilled sweet dairy-based beverage that is made with milk, cream, sugar and a special trademark ingredient.
Eggnog
Throughout Canada, the United States and some European countries, eggnog is traditionally consumed over the Christmas season, from late October until the end of the holiday season. A variety called ponche crema has been made and consumed in Venezuela and Trinidad since the 1900s, also as part of the Christmas season. During that time, commercially prepared eggnog is sold in grocery stores in these countries.
500
In which Oceanic country is fruitcake typically used as a wedding cake?
New Zealand!
In New Zealand, wedding cakes are traditionally made from several layers of expertly-baked fruitcake. Finely iced and supremely decorated, these fruitcakes are often large and several layers high. Sometimes served alongside a hot custard, these cakes can be flavored with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
500
Tea made its way from Asia to Europe via the Dutch East India Company in the early 17th century. First it was a novelty, then a luxury item, and it finally became widely available and affordable during which British monarch's reign?
Queen Victoria
It makes sense that a beverage so steeped in tradition should become popular during an era preoccupied with manners and etiquette. Once everyone discovered tea's refreshing benefits, it quickly became so ingrained in everyday life that a "cuppa" is considered a solution to any personal problem. It's not a bad start!
500
This is a multilayered, laminated sweet pastry in the viennoiserie tradition, made with a variant of a puff pastry with a filling such as jam or a cheesy custard added to the middle.
Danish
The origin of the Danish pastry is often ascribed to a strike amongst bakery workers in Denmark in 1850. The strike caused bakery owners to hire workers from abroad, among them several Austrian bakers, who brought along new baking traditions and pastry recipes. The Austrian pastry of PlundergebÀck soon became popular in Denmark and after the labour disputes ended, Danish bakers adopted the Austrian recipes, adjusting them to their own liking and traditions by increasing the amount of egg and fat for example. This development resulted in what is now known as the Danish pastry.
500
Which United States president was a known lover of eggnog and regularly served it to guests?
Hint: He was one of the first presidents.
George Washington!
Washingtonâs variation of eggnog contained multiple alcohols to enhance the taste. He had his own preferred recipe and method of making eggnog which he would give to his cooks. Washingtonâs personal recipe was; âOne quart cream, one quart milk, one dozen tablespoons sugar, one pint brandy, 1/2 pint rye whiskey, 1/2 pint Jamaica rum, and 1/4 pint sherry.â His method started with âmixing the liquor first, then separate yolks and whites of eggs, add sugar to beaten yolks, mix well. Add milk and cream, slowly beating. Beat whites of eggs until stiff and fold slowly into mixture. Let set in a cool place for several days.â
500
This traditional Christmas dish originates from medieval times, made from honey, fruits and nuts (sometimes rum or other distilled alcohols too)!
Figgy Pudding
Often associated with the original traditions of Christmas, it is most notably referred to in the Christmas carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" in the line "Now bring us some figgy pudding!" Figgy pudding is not plum pudding, although it can be considered a precursor to it. It is not as rich, nor as complex in its recipe.