Lebkuchen Day 2007: the first batch out of the oven.
It’s almost here! One of the most important, exciting, cookie-filled days of the calendar! It’s called LEBKUCHEN DAY and it is:
-always the Saturday before Thanksgiving
-the official start of the Christmas season
-a time of joy and laughter
-many, many hours of baking
The Lebkuchen tradition has been in the Kiefer family (Emily’s father’s family) for generations, and we take it very, very seriously. The Day requires the availability of every surface area in the house; my parents will make about 350 cookies; my sister’s family and Anders & I will both make around 160. After the rolling, baking and glazing, they are cooled, carefully wrapped and bagged, and frozen so as to last through the season. A thawed Lebkuchen is as good as a freshly baked Lebkuchen.
Lebkuchen are German holiday cookies, as prevalent in Germany around Christmas as gingerbread men are in America. They are spicy and typically sweetened with honey, and often contain nuts and pieces of fruit. Kiefer Lebkuchen are soft, delicately spiced diamond-shaped cookies, and we suspect they have healing powers and know for a fact they have joy-giving properties.
The taste experience begins with a thin layer of sugar glaze that cracks at the first bite. You then sink into the silky texture and complex, nostalgic flavors of this heavenly holiday treat. A bite of Lebkuchen in your mouth is like the memory of all your favorite Christmas foods baking in the oven. The rich sweetness of molasses, chewy bits of dates, a rousing suggestion of cinnamon and nutmeg and subtle nutty tones compose the character of a Lebkuchen: the most heartening and satisfying cookie that will ever pass your lips.
Lebkuchen batter is made on Batterday Saturday, the week before Lebkuchen Day. The blended ingredients mellow for a week in the fridge. The batter is heavy, dark and fragrant -- currently my two huge heaps of batter are taking up quite a bit of space, and I’m ready to get them out of the fridge and under my rolling pin!
Saturday is Lebkuchen Day!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tradition from a German Heritage
Friday, November 14, 2008
pinching pennies vol. 3
Special offer for all you Grub readers. Whoever posts a comment first explaining whether or not the last few "Pinching Pennies" have been helpful gets an envelope of pre-clipped healthy/organic coupons sent to her mailbox. Go post a comment!
More healthy food savings!!!
- $1 off any Cascadian Farms Organic product (exp. 12/14/08)
- Various Organic Valley dairy products coupons
- Lots of Stonyfield Farms Organic dairy products coupons
Thursday, October 30, 2008
egg rolls fit for an emperor
Last Saturday I got a craving for egg rolls. They turned out particularly yummy. but like usual, I just threw stuff together without measuring. Here's my guess at what made these egg rolls extra delicious.
Ingredients
1 lb. ground chicken
1 med. head cabbage, chopped finely or grated
4-6 oz. bean sprouts
2 T. peanut oil
3 green onions, chopped finely
2 T. oyster sauce
3-4 T. soy sauce
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. minced fresh ginger
2 t. black pepper
egg roll wrappers (1-2 pkgs.)
peanut oil, for frying
Directions
Brown the ground chicken. Set aside. In a large pan or wok, stir fry the ginger, cabbage, bean sprouts, and onions in peanut oil for 4-5 minutes, or until slightly cooked but still partially crispy. Add the chicken back to the veggie mix. Combine the remaining seasonings and stir into the egg roll filling. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Place 3-4 T. of filling in wrapper and roll per package directions. Repeat for all wrappers. Heat oil to deep frying temperature. Fry egg rolls for a minute or two each side until golden brown. Eat with gusto.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
bean beans
Around our place, green beans tend to be the veggie side we eat the most, so I'm always looking for new ways to prepare them. Here's a great variation that tastes delicious:
Green Beans w/ Bread Crumbs
INGREDIENTS
* 1 pound fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/4 cup Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine green beans and 1/2 cup water in a medium pot. Cover, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, and let beans cook for 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain well.
2. Place beans in a medium serving bowl, and mix in bread crumbs, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and basil. Toss mixture until the beans are coated. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and serve.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Request: Almond Extract and Almond Paste Recipes
Possibly my two favorite things to bake with ... but I don't have enough recipes!
The first three recipes I get in response to this I'll make, and post about the experience. Deal?
Soft and Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
When it comes to oatmeal cookies, I want them first of all to be healthy. If I'm going to eat a salad I want to feel good about myself for doing so, and not ruin it with all kinds of dressing and bacon, right? If I'm going to choose an oatmeal cookie for dessert, I want to think of it like an energy bar.
Next, I want my oatmeal cookies to be soft, dense, and spicy; and I want to taste oats and not raisins. Here is the perfect Oatmeal Cookie recipe. But beware ... they do TASTE like they're healthy (well ... relatively healthy). You can add more sugar and substitute all white flour in place of 1 c. whole wheat flour if you prefer.
1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
3 c. quick-cooking oats
In medium bowl cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves; stir into creamed mixture. Mix in oats. Cover and chill 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie slightly with fork dipped in sugar.
Bake 8-10 minutes; cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire rack.
P.S. I don't like to bite into nuts or dried fruit in my cookies (it's a texture thing), but I like the flavor. I like to add FINELY chopped craisins and walnuts, or whatever you like.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
pinching pennies vol. 2
Okay, I haven't posted here forever, but this $5 off $25 coupon is great for those of you with a Whole Foods Market in your town.
It expires October 22nd, so hurry and use it!
Monday, August 18, 2008
pinching pennies vol. 1
So here are a few websites offering coupons on their healthy and/or organic products...
Dairy
Brown Cow
Horizon Organics
Smart Balance
Organic Valley
Grocery/Other
Earth's Best
Seventh Generation
Meat
Laura's Lean Beef
I'll post more as I find them!
the shortening that wasn't
For the past year or so, I've been using Smart Balance vegetable shortening for my pie crusts and other baking needs. All my crusts have turned out flaky AND hydrogenation free. Now the wonder product appears to have been wiped off the face of planet Earth, leaving no trace behind. Not only have the grocery stores here stopped carrying it, but the Smart Balance website itself seems to have obliterated the product from baking history. Maybe I should call the company, rant and rave, and end up with a few consolatory coupons.
I am aware that Crisco now is "trans-fat free" as well, although the method they use to drop the trans-fat grams off their nutrition facts is still hydrogenation (just full instead of partial). Something about hydrogenation is just yucky, so I am on the hunt for a new alternative shortening. Spectrum Organics has one, although it's only $7.99 for 24 oz (which would be enough to make 3 double pie crusts).
Bummer. Why does good stuff get discontinued?
