Baking for Christmas
I haven't had much time for sewing lately - as you can see! :) The last days I've spent shopping and baking for Christmas. My late mom always made at least seven different cookies for Christmas, but I'm afraid I'm not that eager when it comes to Christmas cookies. Usually I make fruit cake, but this time I forgot about it. You may wonder how that is possible?! Yes, it is possible, because last year I discovered the "Black Cake" from the Caribbean Island St Lucia. The dried fruits for this cake have to be soaked in cognac or rum for approx 2-3 months - the longer the fruits are soaked, the better the cake becomes! I simply forgot to buy dried fruits and rum in time... That's why there's no fruit cake this Christmas! :) 
As you can see; I've made ginger nuts, or perhaps they are called ginger cookies or gingerbread? I made one batch last Saturday, which turned out so yummy that I decided to make another batch a few days later! :) I have yet to decorate the gingerbread pigs, hearts, men & women, and I hope I'll do it before we eat them all!!! :)
Another "must" when it comes to Christmas cookies in Norway, is "smultringer", which I have translated to "Norwegian Christmas doughnuts". Believe me; this was the first time in my entire life I've made "smultringer"! Perhaps this is a myth, but I have never heard anyone who succeeds in making "smultringer" the first time; the dough becomes too "liquid" and more flour has to be added. I have several recipes, but I picked the wrong one!!!! When the dough is done, it has to stay in the fridge the night over. I was near to give up when I discovered the dough was too liquid to be rolled! I had to add twice as much flour as I already had, and even then I had to add more so it was possible rolling it! Phew!!! I believe there's a printing mistake in the recipe...
I must confess I don't have much patience when things go wrong.... Thanks to DH who encourages me to continue when I want to give up! After adding more flour to the dough it was possible working with it. In the end the "smultringer" turned out as tasty as the ones my mom always made! No, not really... In Norway "smultringer" is fried in lard, which I don't get here - as far as I know. I had to use clarified butter, which is not the same, and it gives another taste.
DH frying "smultringer"! :)
For a novice like me, they didn't turn out that bad! Some of them could have been more roundish, but never mind..... :)) We shared some with MIL - later on she complained she had eaten too many!!! :))
I haven't had much time for sewing lately - as you can see! :) The last days I've spent shopping and baking for Christmas. My late mom always made at least seven different cookies for Christmas, but I'm afraid I'm not that eager when it comes to Christmas cookies. Usually I make fruit cake, but this time I forgot about it. You may wonder how that is possible?! Yes, it is possible, because last year I discovered the "Black Cake" from the Caribbean Island St Lucia. The dried fruits for this cake have to be soaked in cognac or rum for approx 2-3 months - the longer the fruits are soaked, the better the cake becomes! I simply forgot to buy dried fruits and rum in time... That's why there's no fruit cake this Christmas! :) 
As you can see; I've made ginger nuts, or perhaps they are called ginger cookies or gingerbread? I made one batch last Saturday, which turned out so yummy that I decided to make another batch a few days later! :) I have yet to decorate the gingerbread pigs, hearts, men & women, and I hope I'll do it before we eat them all!!! :)
Another "must" when it comes to Christmas cookies in Norway, is "smultringer", which I have translated to "Norwegian Christmas doughnuts". Believe me; this was the first time in my entire life I've made "smultringer"! Perhaps this is a myth, but I have never heard anyone who succeeds in making "smultringer" the first time; the dough becomes too "liquid" and more flour has to be added. I have several recipes, but I picked the wrong one!!!! When the dough is done, it has to stay in the fridge the night over. I was near to give up when I discovered the dough was too liquid to be rolled! I had to add twice as much flour as I already had, and even then I had to add more so it was possible rolling it! Phew!!! I believe there's a printing mistake in the recipe...
I must confess I don't have much patience when things go wrong.... Thanks to DH who encourages me to continue when I want to give up! After adding more flour to the dough it was possible working with it. In the end the "smultringer" turned out as tasty as the ones my mom always made! No, not really... In Norway "smultringer" is fried in lard, which I don't get here - as far as I know. I had to use clarified butter, which is not the same, and it gives another taste.
DH frying "smultringer"! :)
For a novice like me, they didn't turn out that bad! Some of them could have been more roundish, but never mind..... :)) We shared some with MIL - later on she complained she had eaten too many!!! :))
4 comments:
I remember long time ago where we had to bake our own cookies for the Eid Fitri. A must is the open pineapple tarts. Then when everyone left home leaving only me with mum, and our bodies grown older we turned to our aunties to just buy the cookies. We (well mum and her Indonesian helper) made a few batches of 100 Good Cookies which we give to people.
they look like doughnuts to me. We used to make them a lot when I was a child - no yeast in them so more like a cake doughnut that is fried. Your husband could eat all of them - he has no extra fat on his body from the looks of it!
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/
Oh, look at that baking! So yummy looking and DH was involved! My MIL makes doughnuts and we enjoy rolling them in icing sugar. Do you do that too?
I'm not much into needlepoint either but the design is nice! Did your friend Johnny want you to make for him? :)....
Thanks for your comments! Zarina, it is much easier buying cookies/cakes, and many people do nowadays. I love the fun of making them, as long as it is not too much.
Karen, LOL! DH never gains weight! He can eat anything.
Peg, never heard of rolling them in icing sugar, but I'll try it out later. The needlepoint picture is for me. It was a gift from Johnny for my birthday.
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