When Christmas was invented...

When Christmas was invented

Did someone really think

It would be fun

To run around

Being driven to the brink?

That we'd enjoy ourselves

burning the midnight oil

and the candle at both ends

with the presents that we have to buy

and the list of cards to be sent?

Add to this the parties

and late nights,

the missed sleep and the tired kids

Of course there's always a bug

going around and, despite best efforts,

will be impossible to miss. 

And every year

I promise myself

that next year will be fun

But maybe the truth is

I'm happiest being a busy Christmas elf

when all is said and done ; )

When I were a lass....

I hope I'm not sounding too old when I say this but advent calendars certainly aren't what they used to be - or maybe I had a deprived childhood. Where was I during the commercial metamorphosis of what was a very simple concept of a perforated paper window on a calendar with a nativity scene to open each morning into windows the size of small boxes hiding exciting and brightly packaged daily offerings of chocolate/sweets/toys... More than some children might receive on THE big day itself.

I'm not taking any moral high ground here and count myself amongst those whose joy at seeing their children's excitement means that I find it hard to reign in the purse strings and keep things modest. Three years ago in the lead up to my son's first Christmas as a little person (at 18 months it was the first time he noticed the tree, toddled up to the presents and had some kind of comprehension that something out of the ordinary was going on), I bought a wooden advent calendar in the form of a train.

Driven by a snowman(!), the carriages on the train have numbered doors and behind each one is a surprise delivered by the Christmas fairy. From those early days when the doors hid fruit(!), this year I found myself shopping for miniature toys and bitesize sweets and chocolates. Thanks to Netto and Søstrene Grenes for stuffing the aisles with ideal mini-treats and thanks too to Lego for the mini-figure series - what fun I've had. If only the children knew what lay ahead, they'd be as giddy with excitement as I am!!! Happy first day of advent everyone...

Christmas baking

This really was a Christmas spent in the kitchen and what fun I had. We hosted a couple of family events and so I spent a long time cooking the Christmas turkey dinner, which was a joy and a pleasure, but the real fun was the Christmas baking. The fridge was well stocked.

Of course, I made a few batches of mince pies. Some with traditional mincemeat filling and some with a port and cranberry mince that had a wonderful fruity tang. I stuck to my usual recipe and made sure there was plenty of cream to hand for those who preferred a mince pie after dinner.

I chose a couple of other recipes to bake including old favourites and some new experiments. My husband is a chocoholic and when I bake chocolate treats I do like to try and use recipes that incorporate 'healthier' ingredients. I made these itsy bitsy chocolate chip cookies from my favourite cooking blog, 101 cookbooks.

These use rolled oats, molasses, walnuts and natural cane sugar so that I don't feel too guilty about the children eating them but they are also incredibly good with morning coffee.

I have to confess that whilst the recipe purports to make enough cookie dough for twelve dozen of these little gems, I only made about 60. They are described as 'bite size' and maybe my re-sizing says a lot about what I consider a proper amuse-bouche!

The chocolate theme continued to the fridge cake. A recipe I first made about 5 years ago and that is now a firm favourite when family are in town.

This is the easiest thing to throw together although there is a fair amount of time spent chopping and crushing. Break up 150g digestive biscuits, chop 300g dried dates, 200g pecan nuts and 100g hazelnuts and mix the whole lot together with 300g condensed milk. Melt 200g plain chocolate with 100g unsalted butter and add to the biscuit, fruit and nut mix. When all the ingredients are combined, empty the lot into a greased baking tray and put it in the fridge to set. Slice into bite size pieces and this makes another great accompaniment to morning coffee (or afternoon tea!!)

And from an old favourite to something new...

Cinnamon buns are definitely a treat on mornings when cereal hasn't really done the trick at breakfast. I've enjoyed them with my Canadian family and they are a national dish in Denmark (my soon to be adopted home country). I had been thinking about looking for a recipe when 101 cookbooks dropped one in my lap last week. I was so excited that I set about making a batch of buns on the day my guests were due to arrive and managed to follow Heidi's very clear instructions about freezing so that we have enjoyed them fresh and I also have a freezer stocked with uncooked dough rolls!!!

Finally, I made a mincemeat cheesecake, courtesy of a recipe from the Christmas cooking special from Nigel Slater (OFM, December 2010). This too proved to be a success and even my toddler son enjoyed the contrasting flavours of baked cheese marbled with port and cranberry mince. Unfortunately, the busy-ness of the day didn't permit any photos but I strongly recommend this wonderful alternative to the Christmas pudding.

Well, with all this baking behind me, the new year and new beginnings beckon. Back to the challenges of the move to the Denmark and, first, finding somewhere to live...

Gingerbread angels

This weekend we hosted a Christmas/goodbye party and I was looking for a cookie recipe that was festive, healthy and tempting enough for children. I didn't have to look far and came across this recipe for gingerbread men on my favourite food blog 101 Cookbooks. I love Heidi Swanson's writing and her culinary creations. I've discovered so many wonderful recipes for healthy and appetising dishes and she often features her own variations of the recipes I have in my own collection of cookery books.

Its the detail of her recipes that I particularly like and it was thanks to her exacting instructions in this gingerbread recipe that my angels came out just right. They are chewy but hold together well. The quantities were perfect and I managed to make enough for our party with about a dozen left over to take to the nursery Christmas party too.

I didn't limit my cookie cutting to the celestial but also used the Christmas tree shape to make a gingerbread forest! The children loved them and although the recipe was heavy on ginger and used a couple of cups of molasses(!), the cookies tasted intense but not overbearing and were enjoyed by all.

If the cookies look darker than traditional gingerbread cookies that one sees in the shops, that's because they're made with wholemeal flour. Yes, they really are healthy cookies. Thanks Heidi!

First mince pies....

Growing up, I hated mince pies. Every Christmas my mother would bake batch after batch of mince pies and although I loved the pastry, I couldn't bring my underdeveloped taste buds to appreciate the spicy taste of dried fruit, candied peel and spirit. My mother was kind enough to make miniature apple pies for me.

How my taste buds have matured. These days I look forward to a mince pie with a cup of coffee on a cold winter morning in the run up to Christmas. I also look forward to making my own and this week I made my first mince pies of the season.

Once upon a time BC (before children) I even made my own cranberry mincemeat. Alas, nowadays I am satisfied with simply baking the pastry and assembling the pies!! My favourite pastry recipe is from a baking supplement that was published with the Guardian newspaper in 2007 and gives an optional twist of adding ground almonds.

Shortcrust pastry has to be the easiest and tastiest kind out there. For this recipe, simply sift 250g of plain flour together with 50g of icing sugar and a pinch of salt. If you are adding ground almond too then this is the time to do it (75g). Rub 150g of butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Beat 2 egg yolks with 2 tbsp of cold water and stir this into the flour mixture to make a smooth dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Of course, traditionally mince pies are made from two circles of the rolled out pastry, one larger one to line a muffin tin and a smaller one on top (covering the filling) with a hole snipped into it to allow the steam to escape. I prefer to use a star on top. Its more seasonal and it means that mince pies are never confused for apple ones! This style tip isn't my own but adopted Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess.

Dab a drop of water on the tips of the stars so they stick to the bases and then brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with caster sugar. Bake at 180 degrees C (fan assisted oven) for about 20-25 mins.

What could be easier? Well, if your experience of rolling shortcrust pastry has left you with a sticky worktop and pie bases that collapse when lifting them into a tin, then let me pass on a tip I saw when watching Raymond Blanc bake his Apple tart 'Maman Blanc'. When you take the pastry dough (wrapped in cling film) out of the fridge, roll it out between two sheets of cling film. The dough can be easily peeled off the cling film and it stops it from sticking to everything else!

Family Christmas cards 2010

This week I have made my Christmas cards! It is only November and you cannot imagine how happy I am that this task is already behind me. Whilst I love making and sending my own cards, it can sometimes become a chore as the days get busy and creative time becomes scarce. I have made my own Christmas cards for as long as I can remember - never lacking the inspiration I have to confess that on occasion my artistic talent has lagged behind! However, this year, they are done and I am ahead of the game.

How have I achieved this timely advantage? Well, this year I have chosen a very simple yet (I think) poignant design - a red silhouette of a reindeer in a forest surrounded by festive symbols on crisp white square cards. My choice of colours is not accidental; I chose red and white as they are seasonal but they also represent our impending move to Denmark where the national flag is a white cross on a red background. (I should add that red also happens to be my favourite colour and one day I will blog about the predominance of red in my life!!).

The design of the silhouette is also reminiscent of the paper cut outs that are so popular in Denmark and the rest of Scandinavia. The cut outs are hung from mobiles and in windows all year around but at Christmas time ('Jul') the designs are more festive and are made in seasonal colours. The characters and symbols are not only beautiful to look at but they come from folklore and within the details lie cherished folk tales.

Together with a simple design, the other secret to my speedy success in getting these cards ready is that I've used a stamp. This one is hand carved and from Noolibird. This was my first experience with 'stamping' and it was simple, clean and very quick. To all the crafty die-hards out there, yes, it did feel a bit like cheating to use a stamp rather than making one myself. But with two small children and limited time, this year it is all about doing what works. I'm thrilled with the results and I can't wait to start sending my christmas greetings...

Christmas footprints...

This Christmas will be my daughter's first and I have been on the same creative pottery jaunt as I did with her older brother 3 years ago: a pilgrimage to the Pottery Cafe on Fulham Road to paint Emma Bridgewater pottery with my little girl's footprints. Of course, the success of the venture depended entirely upon my baby's cooperation and the delicate timing of feeds and naps (and not on my own artistic talents). I am pleased to report that my 7 month old treasure came up trumps and after having patiently indulged me while the soles of her feet were painted pink and pressed onto plates, cups and a milk jug, she slept soundly in the buggy as I embarked upon a pottery painting extravaganza. It was such fun.

These are the keepsakes that will be given to a great grandma living in Winnipeg, Canada, grandparents in (less exotic sounding) Middlesbrough in North East England and her 'Nonny' (my mother in law) in Ottawa, also Canada.

To me, capturing my baby daughter's footprints on pottery is a beautiful way for relatives far away to share a moment in her young life and, of course, I cannot deny that it is a real treat to take time out to sit in the pottery cafe and indulge my cravings for creativity, sip cappuccino and chat with mum friends.