IT’S A CHRISTMAS MIX

Christmas cake is an English tradition that began as plum porridge. People ate the porridge on Christmas Eve, using it to line their stomachs after a day of fasting. ... Over time, dried fruit, spices and even raw honey were added to the porridge mixture, which eventually resulted in it turning into Christmas pudding. While the Christmas pudding was and still remains part of the Christmas celebrations, the baked cake, which in its early form still contained yeast, was not originally made for Christmas but for Twelfth Night. The cake played a significant role at this feast day from at least the 16th century onwards. The mixture for the cake used seasonal dried fruit and spices. The spices represented the exotic eastern spices brought by the Wise Men. Richer families with ovens began making fruit cakes with marzipan, an almond sugar paste, this cake became known as ‘Christmas cake’. Can you complete the puzzle below where all the clues relate to the cake ingredients mix? One word has been given to start you off. When you have completed the whole puzzle can you unscramble the letters in the shaded squares to reveal a related word.

4 letter words            8 letter words            12 letter words

 EGGS                         CINNAMON                BLACK TREACLE

 SALT                           CURRANTS               GROUND CLOVES

5 letter word               SULTANAS                 GROUND NUTMEG

 SUGAR                      9 letter word              13 letter word

6 letter words             LEMON ZEST             GLACE CHERRIES             

 BRANDY                   10 letter words           14 letter word

 BUTTER                     MIXED SPICE             VANILLA EXTRACT                    

7 letter words             ORANGE ZEST         16 letter word

 ALMONDS                  PLAIN FLOUR             MIXED CANDIED PEEL

 RAISINS