A slice of Christmas cake or a small piece of Christmas pudding served with brandy butter... Lovers of tradition know what I’m talking about, especially those coming from an English-speaking country or those who have celebrated Christmas in one of them. More and more Mauritians now know about this British delicacy and it is growing in popularity.

Patty Jones, pastry cook at the “Boulangerie de Pamplemousses”, is very much aware of this. Three or four years ago, nobody asked for Christmas puddings or cakes. This year, she has made around fifty. “Many Mauritians are now travelling abroad and have already tasted Christmas cake. Most of them come to the bakery before a special meal with relatives and buy one to give as a present to their hosts.”

Cakes are packed in a special transparent paper with green and red ribbons, which are Christmas colours. There are little decorations like Christmas trees or snowmen on the cake to remind us that it is specially made for Christmas.

Patty began these cakes one month ago. “We make them one to three months ahead because the cakes must have enough time for the various dried fruits and, above all, the brandy to steep into the mixture. Christmas cakes are made with five main ingredients: raisins, cherries, almonds, lemon peel and prunes and a little bit of flour… Not forgetting the brandy with which the cake has to be laced every week. Then, you put your mixture into the oven. ” As for the Christmas puddings, it’s exactly the same method except that cooking takes place in a bain-marie and not in the oven.

So if you want to enjoy a Christmas pudding for dessert, or a Christmas cake for tea, you just need to go to the Pamplemousses bakery. The price is around Rs400 so spoil yourself or your family and friends this Christmas…