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Friday, 28 December 2012
Friday, 21 December 2012
Friday, 14 December 2012
Monday, 10 December 2012
Christmas Baking with Russell from London Eats
Hi folks! My name is Russell, and I’m the guy behind the London Eats food blog. I’m a keen cook with a passion for travel, food and ideally, combing these two interests.
When I saw that Annika was off on holiday and asked whether I would like to do a guest post while she was off exploring the new and exotic, and I jumped at the chance. When I was still a baby blogger with very few posts, Annika fostered my baking habits – we arranged a clandestine handover of a Herman friendship cake via Twitter on a street corner in the centre of London, and Herman has since done the tour round my friends. So today, I am returning the favour!
I thought I would share with you a little of the thought process that I put into a blog post, and explain the lengths that I have gone to in this case to get hold of those kitchen essentials.
Basically, I get very excited around Christmas time, and I absolutely love to make Christmas biscuits. I put this down to early years spent in Germany when my father worked near Hamburg. I literally cannot get enough of those spicy little German Lebkuchen. As a small child, my favourite were the gingerbread Pfeffernüsse with the brittle white icing. They were strictly rationed, but I used to sneak them whenever I could. Later, once we moved back to Scotland, we would make special trips to the delicatessen in my grandmother’s town to get hold of German festive bakes as the owner was German, and back then, the stuff was hard to get hold of.
Fast forward many, many years (although not too many) and each Christmas I like to make lots of different types of biscuits. I probably make far more than I could ever hope to eat. What I like about the baking process (which may be due to the fact I’m a guy) is understanding what is happening in the dough during baking, what works and why it works, and the various techniques that you use and need to master to make some of the more spectacular cookies. I’ve amazing how you can take the same five ingredients and end up with either a light bread, a dense, chewy cookie, a crisp biscuit or something fanciful and elaborate. Funny as it sounds, I feel the baking at this time of year is equal parts science and art, with the heightened pressure to make it delicious, as you’re presenting baked goods that in some cases go to the core of someone’s childhood. Get those biscuits wrong and they’ll never forgive you (or at least make no bones about telling you that their grandmother made them better).
Festive baking also allows you to look into the culture of a country, and you very quickly notice the nutty, spicy baking of Northern Europe, compared to the fruited, honey-sweetened treats of Southern Europe, while Britain falls somewhere in between (mincemeat tarts, which contain no meat, just dried fruits). Over the years, I’ve turned my hand to German cinnamon stars, Lebkuchen and Stollen, Dutch Christmas wreaths and speculaas biscuits, Italian Pannetone, traditional British sugar plums and even created my own white spiced almond horchata, which was pleasant when drunk chilled and outstanding when warm with a dash of rum.
Last year, this all culminated in an attempt to cover the Twelve Days of Christmas Baking, where I thought I could easily tackle twelve recipes in the run up to Christmas. The research was fun – looking at traditional recipes and exploring new flavours. As time passed, the pressure to complete everything before Christmas Day grew, and I had not quite appreciated that the lack of daylight after about half past three in winter makes it rather tricky to take good photographs of biscuits. However, I managed to make it at the very last moment. I vowed never to do something so insane again, but I will of course be doing it this year too. Anyway, as part of last year’s process to select the bakes to make the final twelve, I needed come very special ingredients, and its fair to say that my Christmas kitchen shenanigans went to a whole new level when I discovered the world of novelty raising agents. I’ll wager that is a phrase you never thought you’d read here, eh? In part, I just wanted to try baking with something very novel and just a wee bit hard to get hold of. Yes, I’m a little determined and stubborn too.
Bear with me while I do the “science bit” as I assure you it gets more interesting (crafty/handmade) after this. All these festive bakes are traditional, so it is only natural that you have some very odd ingredients in there. The two culprits in my case are Pottasche (the name in German, which I use) and baker’s ammonia.
To prove the point, I made Aachener printen with baking powder and with Pottasche. The result? Those with baking powder were hard, and softened only very slightly after two months. Made with the (correct) Pottasche, however, they puff up in the oven and become porous, then become perfectly soft. Dip them in chocolate and you’re in for a treat.
The other magic dust I’ve become a little bit obsessed about is baker’s ammonia (also known as sal volatile or ammonium carbonate). But the price for the most wonderful names goes to Sweden, where it’s called hjortronsalt (“deer antler salt”). This stuff used to be made from the ash of ground up deer antler, and you do have to wonder how anyone would think that this was a good idea? I mean, would you trust someone that offered you a cake ingredient based on cat fur? Exactly. However, someone did have this idea, and it has a most magical effect on baked goods. They are incredibly light, and you’ll get lift like you’ve never experienced. But all this goodness comes with a slight drawback, for baker’s ammonia smells of exactly that – the sharp, piercing smell of ammonia. This means two very terrible things. First, you can’t eat the cookie dough. I’ve tried, and it tastes like strong soap. Second, when you bake the cookies, you’ll get a waft of ammonia fumes from the oven during baking. You’ll want to be aware of this so that you don’t make your eyes water. However, this stink is a sign that the ammonia is doing its thing, as it breaks down into water and gas. The heat drives off the ammonia, leaving tasty biscuits behind. I’ve made Icelandic air cookies which start 3-4mm thick, and end up an inch in height, and it makes Swedish dream cookies which are dreamily light and crisp. If you see baker’s ammonia, buy it, seal it in a jam jar (that stink!) and experiment in the kitchen.
So there you have it. A novelty ingredient in the baking cupboard, and I was looking for new things to make with it. Baker’s ammonia is essential for making a number of cookies and it doesn’t have a perfect substitute. You’ll get quite far with baking powder, but sometimes, it’s not quite enough. Indeed, I’ve become a little obsessed with finding recipes that use the stuff, and I was enthralled last year when I came across the German Springerle cookie. Frankly, I was rather amazed that I had never come across them before. You start with a thick dough made from whipped eggs, sugar, aniseed and flour, with a little dash of baker’s ammonia. The dough is very stiff, but pliable enough to be rolled out and shaped. This is where the fun starts, as you don’t just use a cookie cutter. Instead, you use presses. Yes, it turns out that there is a whole would of wooden presses out there, from festive scenes, fairytale motifs, fruit, nuts, animals...you name it, there is a press out there for it! And with that, a blog post was born, and an obsession kicked in – I had to get the moulds, and I have to make Springerle.
I though the name Springerle means “little springer” or “little jumper” given that during baking, they jump into the air. However, it is actually close to “little knight” and they can be traced back to medieval times. When most people could not read, they could still understand a story embossed on the top of a biscuit, and at a time when aromatic spices were a rare luxury, they would have been very fancy little treats indeed.
As I already had the baker’s ammonia (which you can buy in central London from Scandinavian Kitchen), all I had to do to fulfil this Germanic baking fantasy was to get hold of the presses. My appetite for these cookies had been whetted last year, so I’ve had my eyes open for the last twelve months. I’ve looked at markets in London. Nothing. I’ve looked at flea markets in Brussels and Amsterdam (nix), trawled a bazaar in Barcelona (nada). I thought I found one in a shop in Paris, but the pattern was terrible (dommage!). Then I discovered that Springerle seem to be big news in America (having been blessed by Martha herself). So when I spent two weeks over there on holiday recently, I went to just about each and every specialist cookshop that I could. New York might be the city where you can get anything, but not proper Springerle moulds (but, it turns out, you can buy a lot of other kitchen implements on the way). I did find a patterned rolling pin, but the design was not sharp, and it cost seventy dollars. For a rolling pin! I was ready to give us and try to source them from Germany, when I found the website for House on the Hill. I’m a modern guy, but the idea of buying them online never occurred to me. And here, you have a completely free choice in just about anything that you could possibly want. I’ve picked out a pine cone, and acorn, plus some random patterns. They might have taken two weeks to cross the ocean, but it was worth it when they arrived!
I’ve now made a batch of Springerle using my presses, and as you can see, they have turned out very well indeed! However, I’ll be a little naughty and keep you waiting to see the full post as it’s going to be one of my Twelve Days series for 2012, where I will also share my experiences in using the presses and how to get a good print. If you just can’t resist the urge to get baking or want to order your own presses, then I recommend the website House on the Hill for all your moulding needs, or even just to peruse and suggest to your nearest and dearest for gift ideas.
All well and good, but I feel that as a nod to Annika, I should make some more practical ideas for those that are keen to inject a bit more creativity into making Springerle. So what can you do if you don’t have the time, money or patience to hunt down a mould or buy one online? I’ve done a bit of thinking, and there are actually lots of workarounds. Most obviously, there are cookie cutters out there that will press some sort of design into your dough. Easy but a little boring. Far more exciting would be to go to London’s Camden Passage near Angel tube station, where you can pick up vintage printing blocks from one of the little open air stalls. After a good clean when you get home, you can use them to stamp retro patterns into your biscuits, allowing you to literally eat your words! Another idea is to rummage around for anything with a pattern – old coins, dominos, buttons – and use them to press designs into the dough. Or get even more creative and track down bits of lace that you can press onto the dough. Just run a rolling pin over the top, and get very unique patterns. This would also work with deep-veined leaves from the garden. There are pretty much no limits, provided you find something that has enough texture.
I see now that I’ve gone on far too long, but I hope you’ve enjoyed my first attempt as a guest blogger. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and happy baking!
Russell
Friday, 7 December 2012
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Christmas Down Under with Fiona from Life In Brief
Today you get a very festive post from my friend Fiona, who normally blogs at Life In Brief. It is December, so even for the most hardened Grinch it will no longer be easy to dodge the baubles. Due to me being away for a whole chunk of the run-up and going away again for Christmas itself to see my folks in Germany, I won't have much time to get my home all spruced up this year. But the cold days and dark nights will still help get me in the mood.
Now, Fiona has recently moved from greyish Britain to sunny Australia and is definitely facing a green Christmas. Here, she shares how she is planning to gear up for a holly, jolly time despite it being the middle of summer.
***
Given that Annika has trotted off Down Under, and I myself
am a Brit newly residing in Australia, I thought I’d share some of my thoughts
about celebrating the holidays when it’s… well… pretty darn hot! I grew up in
Australia, and have spent a Christmas there as an adult, but I still find it
hard to shake the feeling off that it’s simply wrong to be so sunny on Christmas Day! So I’ve come up with a
little list of tips and ideas which incorporate Northern Hemisphere Winter
Traditions along with a couple of ideas which really celebrate the concept of a
hot Christmas.
Decorate!
This might seem like a no-brainer, but my first thought about this first Christmas in our home in Perth was “let’s just forget about it”. A big evergreen seems a bit out of place, and we’ve no fireplace for hanging stockings, and listening to White Christmas seems a bit odd when it’s 40 degrees outside! So I’m planning to decorate the house in a way which is Christmassy, but not like something off a greetings card!
These baubles from Toast (ironically, a British-based store!) look great without a massive Norwegian pine to dangle from!
source: toast
Watch the Sun Rise (or Set) on the Beach
Start some traditions that people celebrating Christmas in the cold, wet Northern Hemisphere can't! I'm planning to watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean on New Year's Eve at the beach. It's not Times Square, but it's not a bad alternative!
source: Constance Hotels
Christmas Dinner with a Twist
I'm already planning our holiday menus, trying to think of ways to incorporate the parts of a British Christmas dinner, as that's what my husband and I both and love, but also making it 'suitable' for a hot Aussie day! Honey roast pork just screams Christmas to me, but instead of serving it with a full plate of roast vegetables, maybe a pear salad will stop you from falling into a sweaty food coma in the summer heat!
Similarly, I'm excited about making up some fun holiday cocktails, as I will definitely be feeling the loss of mulled wine and hot toddys! I'm thinking something light and fresh, but still a little spicy, to remind me of hiding from the cold in a pub! This Amaro Cobbler, as served at New York's Botanica, might be a good option.
source: Time Out
At the end of the day, to me the holidays are all about getting to celebrate with friends and family. I'll be doing both: hiding away with my husband on the Western Australian south coast for Christmas, and then throwing a party for friends at New Years. In essence it's the same as I'd be doing if I still lived in London!
What ever you're up to this Christmas, enjoy!
Monday, 3 December 2012
Illustrating with Michelle from Creature Type
Hello, All The Live Long Day readers! My name is Michelle and I blog at Creature Type. I’m an illustrator, graphic designer, fashion enthusiast, and part time painting instructor from St. Louis, Missouri!
Annika has always been super sweet to me and when she asked if I’d like to guest post while she was away, I happily agreed! I thought I’d share a little making-of sneak peek for one of my illustrations.
My workspace set up is pretty modest right now and I’m always all about using modest tools. I love to sketch and do lineart with pens and ink and then digitally manipulate, so simple tools are perfectly fine to get the job done. The only thing I’m picky about is my beloved Japanese brush pens. I think they’re intended for watercolor use because you can fill them with water and use them to quickly work without constantly dipping--I love using them for ink!
I've been trying to make some cute, simple, winter and Christmas themed drawings lately for a holiday craft show next month, so that’s what this sketch is for! I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted to draw, so I just made a straight forward pencil sketch in a sketchbook that has thick paper--perfect for inking in.
I draw my final lines in ink over my pencil sketch and erase them later. My style is usually to work quickly on pieces and hammer out my ideas. If they turn out badly, I prefer to just make a new version rather than toil away on a single image for too long.
I either scan or take a high resolution photo of my lineart, depending on how important it is to maintain the quality of the original image. Lately I've just been taking photos of my work because I mess with it digitally enough that I don’t need the super clarity of a scanned image initially.
I use my Wacom tablet and Adobe Photoshop to modify lineart, play with colors, etc. I complete images from sketch to final piece on Photoshop, too, but I find that I have an easier time sketching and have a steadier hand inking with pen and paper.
And here’s my final piece! :)
You can check out more of my work and follow my weekly/monthly illustration projects on Creature Type! Thanks for reading, everyone!
xo Michelle
Saturday, 1 December 2012
1st December is World Aids Day
Check out in what simple ways you could make a difference to people who are affected by HIV or AIDS.