Cooking
It's 9.30 a.m., Martin just left for work and I snuck my computer with me into bed. Wham's "Last Christmas" is playing on the radio, it's grey outside and it's the first Sunday of Advent. Heh! Heeeee. I like December so far. Later today, we're going to my Dad-in-law's place for a little roll-the-dice present-game and food - we're bringing bread. The dough was done yesterday, so I just have to shape it, let it prove and bake it off. I have HOURS on hand, it seems, right now. Yes, yes - I need to wrap a couple presents for that game, and um... Did someone mention I have an exam in the middle of January? 'Cause I'm very good at ignoring that fact.
I oughta be planning what the whole of December should look like, when to bake cookies, when to take care of all of those things I still haven't done on my 2007 Foodie Dares, when to buy Christmas presents and - you know the drill, I don't have to keep rubbing it in, do I? Instead, I'm listening to the radio and contemplating leafing through a couple of the cookbooks that's occupying M's side of the bed as I write. Yes, I'm actually LISTENING to the radio - call me old-fashioned. I am, and I'm proud of it. I'm also going to set up a couple of posts for the next few days. I'm only two days in, and already I seem to have problems figuring out what to entertain with. Shesh!
Speaking of cookies - it seems I have totally forgotten I promised you a recipe last year. Shame on me. Here it is - these are probably my favorite Christmas Cookies around.
Vaniliekranse - a Family recipe
550-600 g. flour
200 g. potato starch
325 g. sugar
500 g. butter - semi-soft
2 pinches ammonium carbonate
5 vanilla beans - cut open and the seeds taken out. Stick the leftovers in your vanilla sugar or vanilla extract.
150 g. almonds - blanched and finely chopped
Mix together all of the dry ingredients. Rub in the butter, untill you get something looking like a coarse pie dough. With the warmth of your hands, quickly assemble the dough, and roll into logs that will fit into the opening of a meat grinder. Leave in the fridge, at least for a couple of hours, but preferably for a couple of days.
When ready to bake the cookies, take them out of the fridge and leave to get to room temperature - if you don't do this, it will be near impossible to get them through the meat grinder. Yes, you did just read the words "cookies" and "meat grinder" in the same sentence. What? ;)
This is the fun part, you know. You attach a star-shaped disc to the meat grinder - I have one that fits my KitchenAid meat grinder, and that works perfectly. The dough is simply too hard for using a star-shaped nozzle on a bag - at least this particular recipe is. So - on it goes. One by one, gently push the cookie-dough logs through the grinder - around here, this is usually done with one person pushing through dough, one person catching the dough, and one person shaping the dough. Baking Christmas Cookies is not a one-person job! :)
Once you have a sheet full, bake the cookies in a 190 degree hot oven, for about 8 minutes. They need to go just very ligthly browned around the edges, and no more. Allow to cool, and keep in airtight jars.
I have no idea how many cookies you get from this recipe, for some reason, I haven't noted it in my little book. Once I've made this years batch I'll get back to you.
Other cookies I might make this year:
Hazelnut Crescent Cookies
Alfajores
Mexican Wedding Cakes
Korova Cookies
Hey, I just made a list - that's almost planning! What are you baking?
- Christmas Countdown: The Last Of The Cookies
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } We're cookie O.D.ing here, I know, but I promise, this is the last one this...
- On The Sixteenth Day Of Christmas: Oh. So. Tired!
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Vaniliekranse - again... Yes, another excuse. There was loadsa people. And great...
- On The Fifteenth Day Of Christmas: Oh. So. Busy!
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } That's what I am. Good thing I had a substantial breakfast - Martin makes...
- On The First Day Of Christmas: Dining With The Bloggers - Downright Comfort Food
I did warn you - old(er) pictures and ideas would be coming up. Let's start Christmas off nicely, with a little DwB'ing... Homesick Texan's Refried Beans .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align:...
- Before It's Too Late...
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } ...and before we completely forget all about the Christmas we just had, let me...
Cooking
On The Second Day of Christmas: [DANSK] Vaniliekranse
I oughta be planning what the whole of December should look like, when to bake cookies, when to take care of all of those things I still haven't done on my 2007 Foodie Dares, when to buy Christmas presents and - you know the drill, I don't have to keep rubbing it in, do I? Instead, I'm listening to the radio and contemplating leafing through a couple of the cookbooks that's occupying M's side of the bed as I write. Yes, I'm actually LISTENING to the radio - call me old-fashioned. I am, and I'm proud of it. I'm also going to set up a couple of posts for the next few days. I'm only two days in, and already I seem to have problems figuring out what to entertain with. Shesh!
Speaking of cookies - it seems I have totally forgotten I promised you a recipe last year. Shame on me. Here it is - these are probably my favorite Christmas Cookies around.
Vaniliekranse - a Family recipe
550-600 g. flour
200 g. potato starch
325 g. sugar
500 g. butter - semi-soft
2 pinches ammonium carbonate
5 vanilla beans - cut open and the seeds taken out. Stick the leftovers in your vanilla sugar or vanilla extract.
150 g. almonds - blanched and finely chopped
Mix together all of the dry ingredients. Rub in the butter, untill you get something looking like a coarse pie dough. With the warmth of your hands, quickly assemble the dough, and roll into logs that will fit into the opening of a meat grinder. Leave in the fridge, at least for a couple of hours, but preferably for a couple of days.
When ready to bake the cookies, take them out of the fridge and leave to get to room temperature - if you don't do this, it will be near impossible to get them through the meat grinder. Yes, you did just read the words "cookies" and "meat grinder" in the same sentence. What? ;)
This is the fun part, you know. You attach a star-shaped disc to the meat grinder - I have one that fits my KitchenAid meat grinder, and that works perfectly. The dough is simply too hard for using a star-shaped nozzle on a bag - at least this particular recipe is. So - on it goes. One by one, gently push the cookie-dough logs through the grinder - around here, this is usually done with one person pushing through dough, one person catching the dough, and one person shaping the dough. Baking Christmas Cookies is not a one-person job! :)
Once you have a sheet full, bake the cookies in a 190 degree hot oven, for about 8 minutes. They need to go just very ligthly browned around the edges, and no more. Allow to cool, and keep in airtight jars.
I have no idea how many cookies you get from this recipe, for some reason, I haven't noted it in my little book. Once I've made this years batch I'll get back to you.
Other cookies I might make this year:
Hazelnut Crescent Cookies
Alfajores
Mexican Wedding Cakes
Korova Cookies
Hey, I just made a list - that's almost planning! What are you baking?
- Christmas Countdown: The Last Of The Cookies
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } We're cookie O.D.ing here, I know, but I promise, this is the last one this...
- On The Sixteenth Day Of Christmas: Oh. So. Tired!
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Vaniliekranse - again... Yes, another excuse. There was loadsa people. And great...
- On The Fifteenth Day Of Christmas: Oh. So. Busy!
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } That's what I am. Good thing I had a substantial breakfast - Martin makes...
- On The First Day Of Christmas: Dining With The Bloggers - Downright Comfort Food
I did warn you - old(er) pictures and ideas would be coming up. Let's start Christmas off nicely, with a little DwB'ing... Homesick Texan's Refried Beans .flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align:...
- Before It's Too Late...
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } ...and before we completely forget all about the Christmas we just had, let me...