In Spain, there is a good luck tradition, that at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, you eat twelve grapes, one each as the church bells chime. This is actually no small feat, and I’ve managed to nearly choke on a grape or two. This year, I decided to riff slightly on the Doce Uvas de la Suerte tradition, by making this Twelve Grapes Cake so instead of wolfing down the grapes, you can enjoy a piece of cake instead. Happy New Year!
So it’s that time of year again that I remind you that there is an entire page dedicated to my “Christmas Cookie Madness” here. If you want to know “the Story” or are looking for a recipe, you’ll likely find it there. And in the meantime, this happened recently….
Happy Easter! Just popping in to say Hi, and happy days for those who celebrate and to show off my Osterkranz, which is a sweet, challah-like bread that is perfect for Easter Brunch and coffee time. Hefezopf/kranz (braid/wreath) always remind me of my Oma and Opa…. and he would have been proud at how this one turned out. A little sweet, a little vanilla-y and surprisingly light. This one is sourdough, but if you search on the CSPS site, there is a yeast-based version as well.
Here we are on Easter weekend, and as most years, I bake some Hot Cross Buns, most years with a new twist. This year, I went with a sourdough, no surprise, with a touch of lemon as my spice and golden raisins. I know, I know, raisins are controversial, so substitute whatever dried fruit that you like — I am also a big fan of tart cherries and/or diced dried apricots. The sourdough came out well though, very similar to my brioche-style danishes. Great with breakfast or tea…. or really, do you need an excuse to have a hot cross bun?