In my last post I didn't get to talk about my week much, I was too busy being excited about booze and baking.
Goose 2 had a gymnastics show. It was awesome. She stuck every landing. We knew she would. She really did do very well! She says she can't wait until she is as good as the older girls who throw themselves in the air and do triple sow-cows and double toe touches and cork screws and curve balls....wait.....well you get it.
Danish class is going well, Thursday is the last day of class until the Christmas break. Which is probably a good thing, since it's dark out all day long, everyone just seems too tired to focus. But i can now tell people Jeg teller ikke Dansk (I don't speak Danish) and they just stop trying to communicate with me entirely. It's kind of like a super power. If I say 'I don't speak Danish' in English people just automatically switch to English. But if I say it in Danish they have no idea if we share any common languages and just leave me alone. Win!
I have a ton of xmas shopping left. And all my shipping. and Christmas cards still to write. And mail. Oh Lord.
Tila decided to sleep in my room last night. That is, in till 3:00am when she decided she wanted to sleep somewhere else and woke me up to walk her up the stairs. I kid you not. She's special.
Some more quick reasons I ♥ DK.
#7. Denmark is the oldest existing Kingdom in the World.
#8. Skype was invited by a Dane (and a Swed, but who cares...). And without skype i would not be able to talk to my amazing family and dear friends so often.
#9 Glogg. Glogg glogg glogg.
#10 Tiger. Tiger is an amazing store in Denmark where everything is cheap. Suddenly, you walk into the store and need everything. It's kind of like if the Dollar Tree had a classier and more successful older sister who went to Denmark to open her own business. Words cannot describe how wonderful and important this place is. The Queen decorated her house from all Tiger wares. The Prime minister has decreed all meetings of parlament will be held in Tiger. The little Mermaid sculpture was crafted in Tiger in 1913. It is said the original is still there somewhere, for sale, for a good price.
# 11 Danes put real candles on their trees. You and I see this as the stupidest idea ever. Danes see it as normal. You and I see something that potentially can and will go horribly wrong. Danes see it as adding adventure to your holidays!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Gløggy Rasin Bread
Tis the season in Denmark. Ok, 'tis been the season here in since November (remember Christmas Beer Day!?)....they like to get a head start on the holidays. I can't really blame them. It stays dark out all day now and we all need something to get them through these gray, rainy weeks. Christmas cheer seems to be the perfect remedy. Everywhere you go the halls are decked with wreaths, pine cones, candles, and Christmas charms. The streets are strung with lights and garlands, and Christmas music is broadcast about every other song on the radio. Christmas markets are also popping up everywhere--selling everything from identical made-in-china Christmas decorations, to had knit mittens and wolly socks (<--if anyone is wondering what they should get me for Christmas). Crepe stands. Christmas cookies. Breads and puddings. And of course, Gløgg.
I've had this sort of fascination with Gløgg since I went to France with Cousin A in October. In one day A and I ordered at least one cup of vin chuad in three seprate cafes. I fell in love. For clarification vin chaud and gløgg are both types of mulled wine, or wine that has been heated and spiced. The French version is a red wine made cinnamony and sweet with oranges and other fruit. Gløgg, on the other hand, is a stronger red wine (sometimes a port), with cinnamon, raisins, and almonds. Both are absolutely delicious and wonderful and kind of accumulate everything that is good in the world.
Anyway, so I've had a total fascination with gløgg after drinking vin chaud in Paris. And it wasn't until well into the Danish Christmas season that I finally got to try some. Which, of course requires another explanation.
Advent is a big deal in Denmark. A biiiiig deal. Kids get one present a day every day of advent. Usually they're not big presents, maybe some candies or little useless toy. Kind of the equivalent you'd find in a stocking spread out across 24 days. Goose 1 and 2 are pretty ld now, so they don't get a gift every day, because that's kind of ridiculous. Instead they get one every Sunday of Advent (which means four more quality gifts rather than 24). I too, have been introduced to the Advent way by getting my own presents from the Family. I am now the proud owner of a scratch-advent calender lotto card (imma win a million kr people!), gingerbread man string lights that hang next to my bed and make me feel festive, and a delicious box of chocolates thatis almost totally gone after one night where I watched Love Actually alone in bed I'm eating slowly to savor. I am extremely greatful for my wonderful Danish family for making me feel so at home and involved ♥
Right, anyway, so every Sunday the family gets together (Mormor and MorFar come over) and Danish Mom makes little pancake balls called Aebleskiver (which actually directly translates to 'apple slices....' except there aren't actually any apples in Aebleskiver), the kids drink hot chocolate, and the adults drink gløgg. That's where this whole blog ties together. Imagine my excitement when I realized I got to try gløgg in the comfort of my own home! When Danish Dad showed me the big pot of simmering wine (with cinnamon sticks and almonds floating in it!) you could pretty much just have called that Christmas morning and not gotten me other presents.
SO, after tons and tons of Aebleskiver, and mugs of steaming gløgg, we were left with a big pot full of boozy raisins and almonds. Danish Dad looked at me and said "You're creative. Bake something with this."
Well, shucks, ok. Have I mentioned I have the best job ever? Being 'ordered' to bake something?
So anyway, without further adieu, I give you...Gløggy Raisin Bread.
In case you're curious I used all organic (økologiske in Danish) ingredients for this (except the gløggy gløgg the rasins and almonds were cooked in). While I'm going to say to use regular flour in this, I did use a brown non-bleached flour and I think the color came out really really nice. Also, this is absolutely possible to do with regular old raisins, and you don't have to soak yours in heated wine for hours.
This IS a pretty time consuming recipe. You have to let the dough rise several times. So pick a day to make it when you can do something else at the same time. You might notice that it goes from being bright and nice out in my first pictures, to dark. I may have also taken the pictures of the actual bread two days after I baked it. It 's a rally lazy blog. Sue me.
\
While that dissolves cream the butter and sugar together. like so.
I've had this sort of fascination with Gløgg since I went to France with Cousin A in October. In one day A and I ordered at least one cup of vin chuad in three seprate cafes. I fell in love. For clarification vin chaud and gløgg are both types of mulled wine, or wine that has been heated and spiced. The French version is a red wine made cinnamony and sweet with oranges and other fruit. Gløgg, on the other hand, is a stronger red wine (sometimes a port), with cinnamon, raisins, and almonds. Both are absolutely delicious and wonderful and kind of accumulate everything that is good in the world.
Anyway, so I've had a total fascination with gløgg after drinking vin chaud in Paris. And it wasn't until well into the Danish Christmas season that I finally got to try some. Which, of course requires another explanation.
Advent is a big deal in Denmark. A biiiiig deal. Kids get one present a day every day of advent. Usually they're not big presents, maybe some candies or little useless toy. Kind of the equivalent you'd find in a stocking spread out across 24 days. Goose 1 and 2 are pretty ld now, so they don't get a gift every day, because that's kind of ridiculous. Instead they get one every Sunday of Advent (which means four more quality gifts rather than 24). I too, have been introduced to the Advent way by getting my own presents from the Family. I am now the proud owner of a scratch-advent calender lotto card (imma win a million kr people!), gingerbread man string lights that hang next to my bed and make me feel festive, and a delicious box of chocolates that
Right, anyway, so every Sunday the family gets together (Mormor and MorFar come over) and Danish Mom makes little pancake balls called Aebleskiver (which actually directly translates to 'apple slices....' except there aren't actually any apples in Aebleskiver), the kids drink hot chocolate, and the adults drink gløgg. That's where this whole blog ties together. Imagine my excitement when I realized I got to try gløgg in the comfort of my own home! When Danish Dad showed me the big pot of simmering wine (with cinnamon sticks and almonds floating in it!) you could pretty much just have called that Christmas morning and not gotten me other presents.
SO, after tons and tons of Aebleskiver, and mugs of steaming gløgg, we were left with a big pot full of boozy raisins and almonds. Danish Dad looked at me and said "You're creative. Bake something with this."
Well, shucks, ok. Have I mentioned I have the best job ever? Being 'ordered' to bake something?
So anyway, without further adieu, I give you...Gløggy Raisin Bread.
In case you're curious I used all organic (økologiske in Danish) ingredients for this (except the gløggy gløgg the rasins and almonds were cooked in). While I'm going to say to use regular flour in this, I did use a brown non-bleached flour and I think the color came out really really nice. Also, this is absolutely possible to do with regular old raisins, and you don't have to soak yours in heated wine for hours.
This IS a pretty time consuming recipe. You have to let the dough rise several times. So pick a day to make it when you can do something else at the same time. You might notice that it goes from being bright and nice out in my first pictures, to dark. I may have also taken the pictures of the actual bread two days after I baked it. It 's a rally lazy blog. Sue me.
\Mmmmmmm Yummy yummy
Introducing the star of our show!...Glögg? wait a second...ø ö....um.....
These are my wine-o raisins. I could make drunken California sun dried rasin jokes about myself....but i wont.
Start with one cup of luke warm water and 1 table spoon of sugar and dissolve one cake-yeast in it. Fun fact, this was my first time ever cooking with yeast. Fact. I'm SO proud of myself. Not nearly as scary as I though. Though I'm not a huge fan of the smellllll.
Mmmmm yeasty.
Or maybe you should do a better job than this picture. I was feeling lazy with my photographing.
Add creamed butter/sugar and 2 cups of flour to yeast-water. And let rise about an hour and a half.
I failed to take pictures of my dough. This was a time consuming project and like I said, I was being lazy with the camera. After it rises add the rest of the flour (or as much as you need to make it easy to handle) the raisins, and salt. Then let it rise again for ANOTHER hour and a half. After that, roll into two long peices and sprinkle generiously with cinnamon. Lots and lots of cinnamon. I didn't use enough and my 'swirll' in the middle failed. After the cinnamon roll them up into loafs like this.
You can do two things here, f-it and put them in a pan, or cut the ends off so they're nice looking. We can see what I choose. Also, if you put them in, ahem, slightly smaller bread pans than I did the shape will come out more loafy. The rise in the oven, but not to the extent I anticipated.
Let sit for about another hour. Then bake for 40minutes at 400 degrees F (180 ish C). Cool, and devour.
I baked this on Monday, and this morning this is what was left. I call it a success.
Slather with butter and enjoy!
1 cake yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
1 cup milk, scaled and cooled
1 tablespoonful sugar
6 cups sifted flour
4 tablespoonfuls lard or butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoonful salt
lots of cinnamon (that's an exact measurement)
Makes two loaves
Dessolve cake yeast and 1 tbs sugar in water. Cream sugar and butter, combine with two cups of flour and yeast. Let sit until light, about an hour and half.
Lightly kneed and combine with rest of four, raisins, and salt. Let sit for another hour and half until double in size.
Kneed (pull lightly) into long flat pieces, then add cinnamon. Roll. Place in well greased bread pans and let sit for another hour.
Bake in 400 degree F oven for 40 minutes. Remove let cool, watch it magicaly disappear into people's bellies.
original recipe taken from: http://www.cooks.com/rec/yeast/yeast_2fd48.html
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