Wassail? Yes. Figgy Pudding? Help!

I can Wassail, but I need help with the Figgy Pudding.....

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 Here is a fun tidbit about," Going A'Wassailing", which is an old English New Year's tradition:

"Wassail" was originally a salutation. From the Old Norse ves heil, it is related to the hale in the expression "hale and hearty" and means "in good health." In Anglo-Saxon times, according to Crippen, it was customary for someone offering a drink to say "Wassail!" and for the recipient to respond "Drink hail!" and for the participants to repeat the exercise until comfortably horizontal."                    (  ....Bill Bryson in Traditional Home Magazine, 1995)

                                            

                                                              

via

Easy Wassail Punch                                                                                  

1 Apple
1 Orange
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg
¼ Teaspoon Ginger
3 Cinnamon Sticks
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
½ Cup Sugar
1 ½  Cups Hot Water
2 Cups Cranberry Juice
1 Bottle of Hawk Haven Red Table Wine
Brandy to “Taste”

I am not a Talent in the kitchen...This year I am trying to expand my horizons, be more adventurous,  and make Figgy Pudding for Christmas. 

Sigh...Wassailing really should be revived and happen more frequently if I am going to get through a figgy pudding dilemma:  What dilemma? Well... There are two concerns: First, how to avoid having to set the thing on fire --as so many say to do.  And second, what recipe to use that does not taste anything like nasty fruitcake.


The choices on Google are endless. Google Images (below) just makes it worse...

• that "figgy pudding"cake on fire (pictured below)  is for not me...disaster waiting to happen.
• the one that looks like a dark poundcake with <not-too-much-I-hope> fruit in it looks pretty good...
•  (figs, right? such  genius...)
• the heart one looks like it would be a Valentine's Day cake 
• then there's a mud-ball looking one....
• Do I have to stick leaves on top?
• and what's in the pan with the wooden spoon?!?

 I hope you can offer guidance about avoiding all fire and all or most of the similarities to fruitcake.

Happily, I am good with the drinks, and we shall definitely be going a'wassiling this year!

Have a Tasty Day!
     +Cheers!

xo

Valerie