With Georgina Protheroe Beynon

Mark is the author of the second Gospel, one of the earliest to be written. The details of his life can only be gleaned from the Acts of the Apostles where there are several references to Mark or John- Mark, and by inference, from his own gospel. One of the earliest disciples, he was cousin to Barnabus and travelled with him and Paul. Mark was very young at this time, a Levite or priest-in-training. Paul thought he was a bit of a weed and sent him home to his mother in Jerusalem. Maybe it was here that Mark collected the nickname of “Stumpfinger.” It is said by some contemporary writers, that he hacked off one of his fingers to render him ineligible to become a Jewish priest.

It was to Mark’s widowed mother that Peter went following his miraculous delivery from prison. Mark found Peter more congenial, and travelled with him to Rome, writing down Peter’s sermons and reminiscences. At the request of the Christians of Rome, Mark published this gospel with Peter’s approval. It is the simplest of the gospels and since a third is devoted to the last weeks of Jesus’s life, it underlines the fact that Christians expected to suffer and die for their faith. (Nero had the jolly habit of plunging Christians in tar and mounting them on iron candelabra in his gardens. Set alight they burned so brightly at night that the Emperor could wander with his friends, admiring the roses when he couldn’t sleep.)

Eventually, Paul relented towards Mark. During his last missionary journey he wrote to Timothy whom he’d left as Bishop in Ephesus “….do come and bring Mark with you He’s a good lad and works well….”

Mark moved to Egypt to bring the Good News, and became the first Bishop. Tradition says that he was martyred there, and his tomb became a shrine. In 815 AD a Venetian trader on a buying expedition to Alexandria, took the opportunity of obtaining the remains and transporting them to Venice to save them from desecration by Unbelievers. Mark was made patron of Venice with the winged lion as his emblem. (St Mark’s Cathedral has frescos of supposed episodes in his life.)

THE RECIPE:
St. Mark is traditionally associated with any food containing marzipan. This comes from the Latin “marci panis” or, “Mark’s Bread.”
Preheat your oven to 180°C/gas 4. Butter and flour a 20 x 30/8”x12” cake tin.
Wash the fruit and pat dry. Make the marzipan, cover and set aside to become fragrant.

For the Marzipan:
300 gr/10 oz Ground almonds
125gr granulated and 125gr caster sugar
1 egg white lightly beaten
A dash of orange flower water or brandy
½ teasp almond extract
A tablesp apricot jam warmed with a little water.
Sift the sugars over the ground almonds, add the egg white and mix lightly to a paste with your hand. Add the brandy /flower water and extract and form paste into a sausage. Dust with a little icing sugar and cover.

The Cake:
200gr/7 oz glacé cherries, halved
150gr/5oz ground almonds
150gr/5oz plain flour
250gr/9 oz butter
350gr/12 oz caster sugar
5 lightly beaten eggs + one yolk
1 teasp. almond extract
Cream butter and sugar until very pale. Add the eggs, beating them in bit by bit with a teasp of flour with each addition to keep the mix smooth Stir in the remaining flour, the ground almonds and the cherries. Scoop into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes

For the Icing
300gr/10 oz icing sugar
3-4 tablesp boiling water or lemon juice

To Finish
When cake is risen and golden remove and allow to cool. Cut in squares, and spread a little warmed apricot jam or jelly on top. Divide your marzipan into equal amounts to cover each cake. Flatten by hand and press gently on to the jammy surface. Finally, mix the icing sugar with little drips and drizzles of hot water until it is like thick pouring cream. Spoon over the marzipan lids and leave to cool. Decorate as you will. Coffee or “Qaveh” was first imported to Europe from Egypt. Serve these cakes with a freshly brewed cup of Fair Trade coffee, and think of the green boy who became a strong minded Evangelist, unafraid of any question or criticism.