Guest Post & Giveaway: The Twelfth Night Wager by Regan Walker

Today on the blog I have the perfect post and giveaway to get you in the holiday mood! I am so pleased to be hosting historical romance author Regan Walker's guest post on some Regency-Era Christmas desserts, and I also have a giveaway for an eBook of her latest novel The Twelfth Night Wager and the short story that follows it, The Holly and the Thistle!

What’s for Dessert? by Regan Walker

In Regency England, in the early 19th century, which is the setting for my Christmas novella, The Twelfth Night Wager (and the short story that follows it, The Holly & The Thistle), they indulged in many wonderful desserts at Christmas, such as marchpane (marzipan), mincemeat pie, fruit tarts, gingerbread and of course, plum pudding.

Plum pudding is the traditional accompaniment to a Regency holiday feast. But the making of it can be a chore. Should you want to try, here is the recipe:

Christmas Plum Pudding

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lb. Suet
1 lb. Demerara (cane) sugar
1 lb. raisins
1 lb. sultanas
4 oz. citron peel
4 oz. candied peel
1 tsp. mixed spice
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 lb. breadcrumbs
1/2 lb. sifted flour
1 lb. eggs (weighed in their shells)
1 wineglassful brandy
1/2 pint milk

Prepare all ingredients, well whip the eggs, add to milk, and thoroughly mix. Let stand for 12 hours in a cool place, add brandy and put into well-greased basins and boil 8 hours or longer. Sufficient for twenty to twenty-eight people.

I know. I know. Who would go to all that trouble? Not me. So, if you’d prefer something equally seasonal, but a lot less fuss and effort—and the Christmas dessert my son prefers above all others—I suggest my recipe for Persimmon Pudding. It’s moist and tasty and with whipped cream, not to be missed:

Christmas Persimmon Pudding

Use only Hachiya persimmons (pictured) and make sure they are soft and ripe!

Sift these ingredients together:

1 c flour
1 c sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Add:

1 c persimmon pulp (2-3 persimmons)
1/2 c milk (or if you are feeling indulgent, use half and half)
1 Tablespoon melted butter
1/2 c nuts (I use walnuts)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 and 1/2 hours in a covered casserole set in a pan of water about 1/2" deep. Serve warm!

The smell alone that will fill your house will have your guests’ mouths watering, I promise!

About The Twelfth Night Wager

 

Boroughs Publishing Group | eBook; 134 pages | ISBN: 978-1-938876-83-7

THE REDHEADED RAKE

It was a dull day at White’s, the day he agreed to the wager: seduce bed and walk away from the lovely Lady Leisterfield, all by Twelfth Night. This holiday season, Christopher St. Ives, Viscount Eustace, planned to give himself a gift.

THE INNOCENT WIDOW

She was too proper by half—or so was the accusation of her friends, which was why her father had to find her a husband. But Lord Leisterfield was now gone a year, and Grace was at last shedding the drab colors of mourning. The house felt empty, more so during the coming Christmastide, and so tonight her coming out would begin with a scandalous piece of theater. The play would attract rogues, or so promised her friend the dowager countess. It would indeed. The night would bring about the greatest danger—and the greatest happiness—that Grace had ever known.

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About The Holly and The Thistle

Publication Date: November 23, 2012 | Boroughs Publishing Group | eBook; 59p

Genre: Historical Romance

A chance meeting at Berry’s wine shop, a misunderstanding and Christmastide all come together to allow the most handsome Scot in London to give Lady Emily Picton the best Christmas gift ever: a marriage not of convenience, but of love.

About the Author

Bestselling author Regan Walker loved to write stories as a child, particularly those about adventure-loving girls, but by the time she got to college more serious pursuits took priority. One of her professors encouraged her to pursue the profession of law, which she did. Years of serving clients in private practice and several stints in high levels of government gave her a love of international travel and a feel for the demands of the “Crown” on its subjects. Hence her romance novels often involve a demanding sovereign who taps his subjects for “special assignments.” And in each of her novels, there is always real history and real historic figures. Regan lives in San Diego with her golden retriever, Link, whom she says inspires her every day to relax and smell the roses.

For more information please visit Regan Walker’s website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Giveaway

To enter to win an eBook of The Twelfth Night Wager and an eBook of the short story that follows it, The Holly and the Thistle, please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below.

Rules

- Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on December 17th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
- Giveaway is open to US residents only.
- Only one entry per household.
- All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion
- Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

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