Chocolate Mousse Cookies |
These cookies melt in the mouth |
Chocolate Mousse Cookies |
These cookies melt in the mouth |
Paper craft |
Last year I shared with you how to make these lovely paper stars, see here I shall be making some miniature ones this year too and back in 2017 I showed how to cut out paper baubles here as well as a fun take on the age-old Scandinavian tradition of weaving paper hearts to put on the Christmas tree here
You can use fancy paper, wrapping paper or plain paper to make these Father Christmas place names, but the thickness of the paper matters |
Festive serviette folding |
We are using these for every day place name settings |
We now now into the week of Christmas, today is the fourth Sunday in Advent and the countdown really begins. Our home has
Snow cookies with a warming spice |
Today's cookies are the 6th that I share out of the 7 that I am baking this year. these are traditionally made with only cocoa powder and the other spices are omitted but as it is the season for warmth, spices have been added today. Should you wish to omit the spices and travel don't he traditional route, then use 2 tbsp. of cocoa.
Don't hold back on the dusting of the icing sugar, here more is better |
I rolled the dough balls in icing sugar although it is nicer to roll them in caster sugar |
Snøkake ~
Spiced Snow Cookies
75g softened butter
1 egg
300 plain flour
1 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
sugar for rolling the dough into
icing sugar for dusting
Place the Snow balls spaced apart as they will spread a bit on baking |
Bake until the cookies have just begun to crack |
Snø kake ~ Eat and be merry! |
♥ Government announcement yesterday has changed our plans for Christmas, but we will try and keep the Christmas cheer, sending you warmth and good wishes in this difficult time ♥
Gløgg and Brente mandler (burnet caramelised almonds) |
You will need:
Almonds, water and icing sugar is all you need to make caramelised almonds |
Stir continuously to avoid the almonds actually burning |
❤️Once the water has absorbed and the icing sugar has dissolved, the almonds will look like they are coated in a white goo. I couldn't photograph this as this is the stage where you need to stir vigorously. This is to ensure the almonds do not actually burn. Keep stirring until the sugar has caramelised.
Working speedily tip the almonds onto an oiled baking sheet and separate them |
❤️Again working quickly tip the almonds out of the pan and onto a pre-oiled baking sheet. Using two forks, one in each hand separate the almonds from each other. Don't try doing this with your hands! The almonds cool and become hard quite quickly so make sure you separate as fast as you can.
❤️Place on a dish and serve with drinks, preferably some gløgg.
Brent mandler ~ Caramelised burnt almonds |
A warming gløgg and brente mandler, so very festive |
Brente mandler make a lovely gift too |
♥ Do you make edibles to gift at Christmas?
What are your favourite nibbles for Christmas? ♥
It's the season of gløgg (mulled wine) and pepperkake (Scandinavian spiced biacuits). Both often drunk and eaten together. Normally house visit after house visit by the end kf the winter most Norwegians are ready to call it a day on bith these foodie delights. It's a bit like putting the decorwaway after Christmas, you loved having them out but its time to have a minimalist feel back in the home. That sais we are still goimg strong in the wintwr season so why am I blabbering on about having too much of a good thing.
I decided it woukd be lovely to combine the too in a slightly different way and to create a gløgg topper. Im nit thr fitst to think of this, it is a bit akin to how tapas began, putting thefood as a lid on red wine to combat the flies. Well we dont have flies as its not hot but its a fun way to present a cookie.
Gløgg cookie topper |
Use a pizza cutter for speed and straight(ish) lines |
Use the cup or glass you are going to serve your gløin as a cutter |
Gently tease the pastry out from the cup and place on the lined baking sheet |
You can place the gløgg toppers quite closely together on the baking sheet |
Bake till golden brown |
Skål! as they say in Norway |
A festive tray of gløgg, gløgg toppers and Norwegian Brent mangler ( burnt almond) more on this tomorrow |
Hope you are all feeling the festive cheer |
Cranberry gløgg with cranberries and an orange slice |
Here you see my gløgg topped with a gløgg cookie, more on this tomorrow! |
Apple gløgg on the left and Cranberry gløgg on the right |
Salt dough heart ornaments for the Christmas tree |
The tealight cone tree that gave me the inspiration |
You can clearly see the two I made but in the dim light of December days, I think I can get away with it |
Add salt dough decorations to your house plants |
Homemade Fimo Nisse, salt dough tea light Christmas cone trees and plant decorations made from salt dough too |
First attempt at a kanzashi flower |
You will need:
Fold the squares diagonally, keeping the fabric design showing on the outside. Iron to create a crisp fold. |
Fold the right-hand corner towards the top corner |
Repeat with the left side. |
Iron to create sharp folds. |
Turn the square over and fold back each side so they meet but do not overlap |
Here you see the front on the left of the photo and the back on the right of the photo. Hold with pins and iron. |
All folded and ironed, pins removed. |
Pick up the folded square and fold in half vertically as shown in the above photograph. This shows how the front looks. Remember to do this for all seven. |
This shows the back at this stage. |
Hold each in place with a pin. |
Snip off the end of each petal as shown above, just taking off the slanted section. |
All petals sniped. |
Ensure from one white cross to the next that you go through all the layers of fabric. This is the front of the brooch. |
This is the back of the flower brooch. |
To sew the actual petals together which binds the whole thing, sew each edge from one petal to the neighbour petal together, see next photograph for further clarification. |
Once each petal is sewn with the next, gently pull the threads together to form a tighter flower. Be gentle or the thread will snap. This is the front of the flower. |
This is the back of the flower. |
Here you can clearly see how the flower has been stitched together. |
A Christmas Kanzashi Flower Brooch. You need to sew on a brooch fastener to the back and you are all done. |
On this thin cotton fabric, I brushed on fabric stiffener after I had assembled the flower. |