Recipes & Blessings for Yule from “Enchanted Kitchen”

Here, Enchantments brings you excerpts from Gail Bussi’s Enchanted Kitchen (perfect for gifting, too!), including a Winter Solstice Blessing, a Brandy Butter recipe, decorating ideas, and more.

​From Enchanted Kitchen by Gail Bussi. © 2022 by Gail Bussi. Used by permission from Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd.

As the season for rest and reprieve comes upon us, what better way to celebrate Yule than a little practical kitchen magic? In her book Enchanted Kitchen, author Gail Bussi offers seasonal tips and rituals to enliven the holidays and brighten up those long winter nights. The book also includes more than seventy-five seasonal recipes for each month, so it's perfect for gifting, too. Here are a few gems to help make your Winter Solstice extra special this year, while honoring the change of season and sacred stillness. 

Enhance Your Home With Essential Oils
“Essential oils and scented candles can echo this warmth by using fragrances such as myrrh, frankincense, juniper, sweet orange, and sandalwood. Citrus fruits can be hung as pomanders or simply piled in wooden bowls; chili peppers and cranberries, too, lend a bright warmth to the winter kitchen and can be added to wreaths and other decorations.”

Blessing for December 21st, the Night of Yule
“Earth, you have given us both light and
Darkness. On this night we give thanks
For the return of the sun and for the 
Blessings of warmth and growth. The old
Yer has passed away; the new year is
Here. May we all be blessed with light,
With warmth, with grace. And so it is.”

Image by Nina from Pixabay

Gift Homemade Recipe Cards
“If you have any treasured old handwritten recipes, copy and laminate a few of them as very special Yuletide cards or simply keep them as page markers in your very favorite cookbooks.”

Try a Traditional Yuletide Recipe
“Brandy butter, a traditional Yuletide recipe from Britain, is usually served with hot Christmas pudding, but in my opinion just about any excuse will do! Mix 1 stick of softened butter with enough confectioners' sugar to make a soft and creamy mixture, then stir in about 2 tablespoons of brandy. Keep in the refrigerator and use with desserts or cake as a sauce or topping.”

Image by Дарья Яковлева from Pixabay

​Bring the beauty of outdoors table-side
“Decorate your kitchen with sprigs of rosemary and pine tied with red ribbons, symbols of immorality and blessings; these make a lovely natural place setting, too. For abundance and prosperity, create a simple kitchen wreath with holly leaves and berries, juniper, small pine cones, and a few cinnamon sticks, trimmed with a gold or green ribbon.”

​From Enchanted Kitchen by Gail Bussi. © 2022 by Gail Bussi. Used by permission from Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd., www.Llewellyn.com. To purchase the book directly from the publisher, click here or head to the Enchantments shop in New York City.