On the Twelfth Day of December

I liked today's reference to the bishop who suggested that his clergy fill the aisles of their churches with cow dung and horse manure to remind worshipers of the reality of the nativity.  I do wonder what Jesus would make of Christmas in 21st century Britain.  It's so far removed from the stable in Bethlehem that I sometimes struggle to appreciate the impact of the event.  So replacing the incense with an 'eau d'ecurie' might not be such a bad idea after all.

Meanwhile, I attended our local church's Carols by Candlelight service this evening.  We were asked to contribute mince pies.  I didn't have time to faff around with shortcrust pastry so I opted for these palmiers which allowed me to cheat with ready-rolled puff pastry.  The mincemeat, however, was my own, made at the weekend.  You can find the recipe for the palmiers here.