Back to a little bread baking, although this time it isn’t a sourdough (Alice in Wondoughland does need a workout, so stay tuned for that). Perusing the new Christmas Baking Cookbooks that I received, I did come across this one for a Finnish Pulla. It’s very similar to a German Hefezopf, only with the addition of cardamom and dried cranberries, and I decided to make this particular version partially whole wheat. It’s hearty and nutty and very yummy. Breakfast for a week!
Every once in a while, you come across a cool cookie cutter that you just need to have. OK, I do. Maybe not everyone. So I saw this one, believe it or not at a Dollar Store, and for $1.25, I really couldn’t resist. So, I made more cookies. Also not surprising with me. Almond. Vanilla. Chocolate. Great little snack for a cold January.
Happy Epiphany! Today marks the end of Christmas. As most of you know, I am not particularly religious, but I do love the cultural aspects around some traditions, and as far as this one goes, I’m in because it involves food. So, this is the day, allegedly, that the three wise men or three kings came to present offering and a little boy rocked out on the drums. In some cultures, there is a three kings cake — galette des rois and gâteau des rois in France, the roscón de reyes in Spanish-speaking countries, the Bolo-rei in Portugal, in Greece there is the vasilopita which is similar, and in German-speaking countries, there is the Dreikönigskuchen. It’s also the beginning of the Mardi Grad / Fasching / Carnival season, where New Orleans has it’s traditional, very colorful King’s Cake.
What is common in all of these is that there is a toke hidden in the cake — a nut, a coin, a marble, or in the case of the New Orleans style cake, a baby figurine. If you are lucky to find the token, and not break your teeth in the process, you will have luck and prosperity for the coming year.
So here is my version: is a Swiss-inspired style Dreikönigskuchen made with a yeasted, or in my case, sourdough base. There is a marble in there some place and I was going to make an actual crown, but my baking skills are better than my arts & crafts skills.
Every year at Christmas, I try to make a fancy dessert, and while a meringue pie isn’t all that fancy, it is a little more effort than an ol’ apple pie. So for this year, I made a Cranberry Meringue Pie, seasonally appropriate, I suppose, with candied cranberries. Very pleased with the outcome. Tart and sweet — and the sugared cranberries add a nice pop — and the meringue is very silky. It does take a bit of time to let things cool in between steps, but I think it’s worth it.