Day 38, 62 to go: Daring the Fates...

An English Tradition

I finished the list I was working on yesterday and uploaded it to our family website.  Let the changes of life commence. I have dared the Fates.

I learned a lot while determining the whereabouts of some extended family members, even managing to glean a story or two from my mother about her cousins in the process.  

Proper Cracker Procedure (See the crowns?)

What I spent the most time making today was: family bonds and memories.   I raided the local TJ Maxx for our traditional Christmas crackers with Borg #7 of 8.  Crackers are an English Christmas tradition—you and a partner pull them open and they snap loudly.  Inside, there are a paper crown, a toy or trinket and usually a slip of paper with a Christmas-themed joke or riddle.   Any British movie set at Christmastime will include a scene with at least one character wearing a silly tissue paper crown.  Now you know why.

Later, we went out to dinner to celebrate my sister’s birthday again.  It was the same crowd from yesterday plus our 2 oldest nieces and our friend Bridget.  The restaurant is a former Elks lodge hall complete with a wall carved with the initials of Elks of generations past.  They had an interesting gingerbread carrot cake on the dessert menu that I am going to have to go home and re-create.  The gingerbread flavors in a moist carrot cake are inspiring.  They serve the cake with a coffee caramel sauce which I did not have.  (Coffee and caramel are yucky to my palate. I’d rather eat Brussels sprouts.) I am thinking I will do a chocolate hazelnut sauce instead. 

Tomorrow will be the Christmas celebration with the whole family.  There will be so many people packed into my mom’s living room that we have to turn off the heat a couple of hours beforehand and sometimes even crack a window to offset all the warm bodies.  It is a noisy, joyous raucous time.  Disappointingly, my brother, sister-in-law and their awesome kid will not be able to make it in person, but at least can join us by Skype for the gift-opening and annual family portrait. 

Until the crowd arrives, I had better spend tomorrow crocheting the rest of that lacey hat I started the other day.

Day 29, 71 to go: Light Gingerbread dough.

Yummy Nutella filling...

I had a plan this morning.  I was going to make a double batch of dough for Nutella Pochettes and stick it in the fridge overnight so I could make them in the morning.  Sadly, I didn’t have quite enough flour on hand, so those will have to wait.  I was being so good at getting the cream cheese and butter to room temp.  Oh well.

In case you are unfamiliar with the Nutella Pochette, here is a picture.  A former co-worker came across this recipe last year and thought I would like it.  She was so right.  For those of you who are rugelach lovers, I recommend this variation.  Like rugelach, the dough is made with flour, butter and cream cheese.  Only instead of preserves, nuts, raisins, poppy seeds or other traditional fillings, these are stuffed with Nutella.  Sigh. 

Of course, since they are filled with Nutella, I can’t make just one batch.  I need to make at least a double batch.  And even then, the chances they will make it out of my house to someone else are kind of low…

Light gingerbread bunnies--honey bunnies?

Without enough flour for that double batch, I made a batch of light gingerbread dough which I will cut out tomorrow (after I go out and get more flour, right?)  This is a recipe I came across the year before last.  Instead of molasses as a sweetener in them, this recipe calls for honey.  I really like them.  They have that same intoxicating mix of spices—ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg & allspice that go into regular gingerbread.  But with honey rather than molasses, they have an entirely different flavor profile.  I love the way my house smells when I bake gingerbread. 

So, tomorrow, there should be some cookies to show for the dough I am making… I guess this week will involve a lot of cookie baking… and gnome making… How can it be less than 2 weeks until Xmas already? 

Golden Gingerbread Cookies
(by Jennifer Lindner McGlinn from her cookbook, Gingerbread)

Description: This was in my Gingerbread cookbook. They are such a nice take on regular gingerbread because they use honey instead of molasses.   They have a more gentle spice and are excellent cut-out cookies.   This makes a fairly small batch.

Ingredients:

2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 c (1 stick) butter at room temp
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c packed light brown sugar
1/4 c honey
1 large egg

Royal icing or sugar sprinkles
Directions:

1. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and spices.  
2. Beat butter on medium hgh until smooth.
3. Add the sugars and continue beating until light and fluffy.
4. Spray 1/4 c measure with Pam and then measure honey into it and add to sugars and butter. (The Pam lets the honey slip into the batter instead of sticking to the measuring cup)
5. Beat until smooth.
6. Drop in egg and mix until incorporated, scraping sides as needed.
7. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture just until dough comes together.
8. The dough will be very soft.
9. Turn the dough out onto a large sheet of plastic wrap, press into a disk and wrap tightly.
10. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
11. Position rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking liners.
12. Roll the dough onto well-floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick and cut out with cookie cutters.
13. Arrange on cookie sheet (If you are decorating with sugar, this is the time to sprinkle it on)  
14. Bake for 8-10 minutes until they are barely golden brown.
15. Cool on pan for a minute or two and transfer to airtight container placing wax paper between layers.
16. Cool completely and decorate with royal icing if desired.

Number Of Servings:20 4" cookies
Preparation Time:Several hours including 2 hours in fridge