Another Baltic Christmas - Day 10, ginger and white chocolate cookies

This year 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas is almost entirely coming to you from Greenville, with the exception of a few guest posts. The series is an enormous undertaking, and the 2015 edition wouldn’t be possible without a few key people. First of all, there is Roberts; not only do you have him to thank for fewer sentence fragments and grammatical errors, he also takes charge of the boys in the evenings, giving me a few hours to pull everything together. Then of course the boys, who serve as work elves & tasters, and who pass rather severe judgement on which projects are suitable for the blog as kids’ projects.

But there are also the friends who have been instrumental in bringing you 24 days of Christmas (as opposed to two or three!), such as Holden and his mom. This duo not only cooked up a storm & crafted their way through a half dozen projects, but were also an invaluable source for pine cones & acorns, a sounding board for project ideas, photographers for several posts, and finally test subjects for a few of the craft projects. A sincere thank you for all the hours spent making a Baltic Christmas a success this year! PS Holden’s dad deserves a thank you as well; at the very least I know he participated in one or two craft store visits – no easy task this time of year!

Photo credit: Katie

One recipe that was cooked in Holden’s test kitchen was for ginger and white chocolate cookies. According to the cookbook “The Food and Cooking of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania" (Igauņu, latviešu, lietuviešu ēdieni is the version I have), these gingerbread cookies are traditional holiday cookies in the Baltics. Truly, ginger and chocolate tend to be holiday staples not only in the Baltics but also here in the US, and as we’ve already tasted the ginger in the Latvian piparkūkas and the Estonian Pehme piparkook we can consider this a good candidate for a Baltic holiday favorite.

Photo credit: Katie

Ginger & white chocolate cookies

(makes 45-50 cookies)

200 mL corn syrup*

185 g sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground pepper

225 g melted butter

2 eggs, beaten

~500 g flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough

2 tsp baking soda

200 g finely grated white chocolate

1. Heat syrup and sugar over medium heat until sugar has dissolved, constantly stirring to avoid the sugar burning. Add in the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger and pepper.

2. Mix in the melted butter. Set aside until fully cooled.

3. Transfer to a large bowl and add eggs, mixing well. Gradually incorporate flour and baking soda. Fold in ground chocolate. The dough should be rather thick.

Photo credit: Katie

4. Lightly flour work surface and knead dough, adding flour if needed. Wrap tightly in seran wrap and refrigerate overnight.

5. Preheat oven to 355˚F and fit a piece of parchment paper to your baking sheet. Allow 15 minutes for the dough to reach room temperature.

6. Roll out the dough very thinly (3 mm), and using cookie forms cut out shapes of your choosing. Bake 6-8 minutes or until golden-brown. Let cool.

Photo credit: Katie

Notes: Molasses was substituted for the corn syrup. The dough can be frozen to use at a later date, and the cookies will keep in an airtight container for one week. 

Thank you, Holden, for testing this recipe. Always more fun when there are delicious results!! Please join us again tomorrow for natural decorations from Inese on Day 11 of 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas!

Another Baltic Christmas - Day 9, the ice mandala

A mandala is defined by Wikipedia as “a spiritual and ritual symbol in Indian religions, representing the universe.” Although usually not associated with Christmas, the general theme is often found in Latvian culture; cycles and circles are of great significance in the traditions celebrated year round. Similarly, decorating with natural materials is a unifying theme behind holiday decorations, and when combining these two elements one aesthetically attractive result is the ice mandala*.

To be fair the making of ice mandalas isn’t Baltic per se, although I imagine that these simplistic decorations are in line with the traditional elements of a Latvian Christmas. More suited to colder climates, the mandalas are easy to make and provide endless variations in theme, color, size and design.

It starts with another hike, the boys picking up leaves, berries, twigs and seeds that strike their fancy. When we get home I sit them down at the table with several circular containers and they arrange their favorites until they are satisfied with the result. Of course you don’t really have to leave the house, you could instead use some of your dried orange slices and cranberries along with a branch or two you didn’t utilize in making your wreath.  

Cut a piece of twine and tape the edges on the side of your container so that a loop is formed. This will be how you hang your finished product.

Slowly pour in a layer of water. If your objects float it may be desirable to initially pour in only a bit of water, freeze it anchoring the contents in place, and then adding more water until satisfied with the depth.

There are dozens of articles on how to achieve “clear ice,” but I have never really been bothered by the opacity of our mandalas and so I haven’t gotten around to reading them. I’ll leave the research up to you, if you find it important.

We stick our cake tins and bowls in the freezer overnight, although those of you in colder climates can leave them outside for a more ‘natural’ result. When ready to enjoy, just run the underside of the container under cool water (warm and hot water will often crack thin sections) and remove the tape holding your twine in place.

Maybe not a microcosm of the universe, the ice mandala is a microcosm of a Baltic Christmas with a simple, natural charm that provides color, motion and light to your holidays. 

* Although these decorations can be found in many places on the internet, in only one did I see them termed 'ice mandalas.' However, I think it is a lovely name and quite approriate for this craft! For GardenMama's version please see her posts Ice Mandalas (2010) and Ice Mandalas (2011). 

Another Baltic Christmas - Day 8, God's eyes

On Day eight of 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas we welcome Lelde of the blog Dabas mamma. You might remember her from last year’s delightfully playful feather snowballs, or you might have already stumbled upon her blog on your search for crafts inspired by nature and the outdoors.

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Kad biju maza, Ziemassvētku laiku pavadīju pie savas omītes laukos. Nedēļas nogales, garās ziemas brīvdienas un vasaras, likās es tur dzīvoju visu laiku!

When I was young I spent the holidays on my grandmother’s farm. Weekends, Christmas vacation and summers, it felt like I was there all the time!

Tās sajūtas, smaržas, krāsas....

The feelings, the smells, the colors...

Tuvojoties Ziemassvētkiem laikam, mājā bija jūtams neparasts svētku miers. Vecmāmiņas svētdienas plācmaizes smarža, malkas dziesmiņa, krāsnij kuroties,  skuju vainadziņš. Ak jā, sniegs, likās tas vienmēr bija svētku laikā un tik DAUDZ!

On the approach of Christmas a sense of peace permeated the house. The smell of grandmother’s Sunday tarts, the song of the firewood in the woodstove, the fir wreath. Oh yes, and the snow, there seemed to always be snow around the holidays, and LOTS OF IT!

Krāsaini dzijas pavedieni, mazi koka skaliņi izbērti uz galda, tapa pirmie svētku rotājumi - dziju rombiņi. Man tik ļoti patika skatīties, kā krāsiņām mainoties tapa svētki. Drīz jau pati mācēju tos taisīt, liekot skaliņus krustiņā un vijot pavedienu aiz pavediena. Tik vienkārši un tik īpaši. Likās, es tajos iepinu ko nozīmīgu.

Colorful yarn skeins, little twigs scattered on the table, so were born the first holiday ornaments – God’s eyes. I loved to watch how through the progression of colors Christmas arrived. Soon I could make them myself, forming a cross of twigs and weaving around thread after thread. So simple, yet so particular. It seemed something meaningful was woven into them.

Dienu pirms Ziemassvētkiem, kad eglīti atnesa mājās, bērnu pienākums bija to izpušķot. Es savus sapītos rombiņus gribēju uzkārt zārā, kur tos vislabāk varēja redzēt. Iekarot eglītē, tie atdzīvojās. Griežoties uz riņķi vien. Te sarkana krāsa, te atkal dzeltaini pavedieni pazibēja. Vērot un domāt, kas tas ir, kas tos iegriež?  Vai eglītes gariņš, vai vējš, kas āra durvīm atveroties, ieskrien neaicināts?

It was the responsibility of the children to decorate the Christmas tree when it was brought home on the day before Christmas. I wanted to hang my ornaments on the branch upon which they could best be seen. Once hung, they came alive. Spinning in circles. Now red, now yellow again as the threads zipped around. Watching and thinking, what is it that turns them so? The spirit of the Christmas tree, or the wind entering the house uninvited?

Laikam ejot un pašas bērniem augot, tā īpašā svētku smarža, atmiņas un sajūtas ir atgriezušās. Kā rombiņam griežoties eglītē, es sežu pie galda ar bērniem, visriņķī krāsaini dziju gabaliņi, skaliņi un top pašu darinātie rotājumi.

As time goes by and the children grow, the special holiday scent, memories and feelings have returned. As a God’s eye spinning in the Christmas tree, I’m sitting at the table with my children, colorful yarn pieces and twigs all around, handmade ornaments in the works.

Pēc 25 gadiem es zinu atbildi uz manu uzdoto jautājumu. Tie esam mēs paši. Es to sapinot arī iegriežu. Četri gadalaiki  sapīti ar  krāsainiem un interesantiem pavedieniem - kāds būs mans gads.  Tas griežas tik ātri, cik es to vēlos. Ja kādreiz likās tas griežas ļoti ātri, tad tagad, rokās to paceļot, rombiņš lēni un cēli griež manu nākamo gadu.

After 25 years I know the answer to my question. It is us. In weaving the God’s eye I am also turning it. Four seasons woven with vibrant and interesting threads – what the next year will bring. It only turns as fast as I will it. If once it turned too fast, then now, lifting it in my hands, the God’s eye slowly and graciously turns my future.

Bet pagaidām, lai tie priecājas, sagūluši uz adventes vainaga. Lai nesteidzina to īpašo laiku, kad dabā notiek kas mierīgs, cēls un neparasts. Kad saule vēl tik tālu, bet zinu, tā tūlīt jau parādīsies. Skatoties uz savu šī gada rombiņu, atceros par aizvadīto gadu, cik daudz tomēr man ir dots. Cik īpašs šis laiks, šie mirkļi. Un atceros, ko mana omīte teica, liekot žāvētus ābolus uz svētku plācmaizes: “Meitiņ, šis ir mirklis, ko tu atcerēsies vislabāk. Nesteidzini to, bet izdzīvo!” 

But for now, may they rejoice in their positions on the Advent wreath. So that this special time, when Nature is calm, noble and unusual, may leisurely proceed. When the sun is still so far, but I know, that it soon will reappear. Looking at the God’s eye I’ve made this year, I muse over the past year, how blessed I was. How exceptional these moments really are. And I remember what my grandmother said while arranging dried apples on the holiday tarts: “My dear, this is a moment that you will remember with clarity. Do not rush through it, but live in it!”

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Thank you Lelde, for this emotional post! When I was a girl we utilized toothpicks for our ornaments, clipping off the sharp ends once we had formed the God’s eye. I remember watching them twist and turn, just like you did! What precious memories of your grandmother – may you someday share ones just as wonderful with your grandchildren!

(Lelde can also be found on twitter as @Dabasmamma!)

Another Baltic Christmas - orange you glad it's Day 7?

In our home we associate the holiday season with an abundance of citrus in our diet, especially the little mandarins and tangerines which disappear faster than I can peel them. Once we start buying our oranges by the box I know it is that time of year again; their natural beauty, invigorating scent and stimulating color herald the approach of Christmas.

Keeping with the natural theme in our décor, one of the simplest holiday decorations we make are dehydrated oranges. The resulting translucent slices can be used in a multitude of ways: wreath embellishments, Christmas tree ornaments, adornments on wrapped presents and in garlands. This year every wreath we made had a couple or more pieces adding color and texture, and the rest are currently hanging in my kitchen window, providing a daily stained glass effect together with the morning sun. The orange slices can be added to a holiday potpourri, or serve as table decorations for a winter meal – really, the possibilities are only limited by the imagination!

The process of dehydrating is simple. On a day when I’m busy getting things done around the house I thinly slice an orange, placing the slices on a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Using Martha’s recipe for reference, the oven was preheated to 200˚F and the oranges dusted with confectioner’s sugar. This trick is nice because the finished product can also be used to garnish drinks – hot toddies for those cold winter evenings, or even citrus drinks at the holiday party.

Bake for about 2.5 hours, until the flesh is translucent and the skin is dry. If you overbake you’ll see the thinnest parts start to brown, and if you underbake the slice will still be wet and sticky.

For even drier oranges lower the baking temperature and increase oven time. The slices can be placed on a rack while cooking, increasing circulation and aiding the dehydration process. Various sources stated the drying time at 140˚F to be between 6-12 hours, depending if the oven door was cracked to allow moisture to escape.

The orange slices nicely compliment red cranberries and green evergreens in color. As far as appealing to the sense of smell, the citrus pairs well with cinnamon sticks, cloves and star anise. Cinnamon can be rubbed into the orange before baking, which reduces the translucency but smells delicious. The texture contrasts nicely with pine cones and evergreens, and only a couple of slices have a major impact. Finally for stringing everything together I’ll use craft/florist wire when I wish it to be less conspicuous, and raffia for a more obvious accent.

Were dried orange slices part of your Christmas traditions growing up? I would love to hear if you’ve ever made them before, and if yes, how you utilized them! Tomorrow on 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas we are joined by Lelde from the blog Dabas mamma - hope you'll join us...

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The winner of the Day 3 giveaway is Crazy - "I really like the amber ornaments. I get each of my kids a new one every year. This year I'm going to get this one for my little Amber :)" Congratulations Crazy, please let me know which of the 5 prizes you would like. Thank you to everyone who entered, and thank you to BalticShop for sponsoring!

Another Baltic Christmas - Day 6, Pehme piparkook

Featured today on 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas is Pille, the Estonian food writer and author of the blog NAMI – NAMI: a food blog (note: nami, nami is an Estonian "yummy, yummy"!). This is a recipe for one of Pille’s favorite Christmas cakes, Pehme piparkook.

I've been making this very cake for Christmas for about 6-7 years now, and it's still one of the favorites with friends and family. I made it again for a friend's birthday party last weekend, tuning the recipe a bit - reducing the amount of sugar (you could use even less, I bet), and replacing melted butter with mild-tasting oil in the batter.

There are two things to keep in mind. First, the cake is eggless (so suitable for people with egg allergies!) and the raising agent is baking soda. As with other similar batters, it's important to bake the cake straight away after mixing the batter - the baking soda starts to react with acid in the batter (kefir in this case) within 15-20 minutes, and if you don't bake the cake during that time, you'll end up with a very flat Christmas cake. Secondly, you could use a much larger cake sheet, but I like this in the specified size - the cake will be about 4 cm in height, which is good for me.

Soft Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

(Pehme piparkook toorjuustuglasuuriga)

Makes a large cake that'll easily feed about 20

400 g plain flour

300 g caster sugar

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground cloves

1 Tbsp baking soda

0.5 tsp salt

500 ml (2 cups) kefir or cultured buttermilk

150 g lingonberry jam (IKEA stocks some)

100 g rapeseed oil or light olive oil

For the cream cheese frosting:

200 g plain cream cheese, at room temperature

50 g unsalted butter, softened

150 g icing sugar/confectioner's sugar

For decorating:

Lingonberries or cranberries

Hazelnuts, toasted

Preheat the oven to 390˚F (200 Celsius). Line a 9”x13” (25x30cm) cake tin with parchment paper (or simply butter it well).

Make the cake batter first. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine kefir, lingonberry jam and oil in a large measuring jug. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring quickly so the batter comes together. Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when pierced into the middle of the cake.

Let the cake cool completely (wrap in plastic if not decorating straight away).

For the frosting, combine the butter, cream cheese and icing sugar in a bowl - I use a wooden spoon for that, but you could also use an electric mixer. Spread the frosting over the cake.

Decorate with red berries and toasted hazelnuts or something else festive :)

Pille's Moomin piparkoogid

This post first appeared on NAMI-NAMI: a food blog in December of 2010. Thank you to Pille for the permission to reprint it! You can find the original post here, and the Estonian version here. Pille and Nami-Nami are also on facebook and twitter... I'll bet pomegranate seeds would be a perfect match for this cake - we'll have to give it a spin this month! Also be sure to take a look at Pille's Estonian recipe for gingerbread cookies, piparkoogid. It is interesting to see how these compare to the Latvian version, piparkūkas (here is Inga's post from last year's series: A Baltic Christmas Day 5 - Piparkūkas)!

Pille's piparkoogid