Christmas Recipes

 2 eggs
 4 tbsp Vinegar
 4 tbsp Sugar
 2 tbsp Butter

 1 cup whipping cream
 2 cups maraschino cherries
 2 cups pineapple pieces
 2 cups oranges peeled
 2 cups miniature marshmallows
 shredded coconut

1. Beat egg and add vinegar. Add sugar and butter, beat together. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Cool.

2. Add to first mixture and chill for 24 hours. Sprinkle with coconut.
Different fruits may be substituted.

Servings: 12

*Per slice of Panettone*, use:
• ¼ c. milk
• 1 egg
• 1 dash each: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom
• 1 (1 inch) slice of panettone (Mini panettones, sliced horizontally work very well!)
• 1 T. butter
Optional toppings:
• Sliced mixed berries, or fruit of your choice
• Icing sugar
• Whipped cream
• Vanilla yogurt

Method:
1. Whisk the milk, egg, and spices together in a shallow bowl. (Multiplied per extra slice you're doing).
2. Dip each panettone slice in the milk mixture; ensure both sides are coated and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
3. Melt butter in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat.
4. Cook panettone in the hot butter until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side.

Plating:
Place Panettone French Toast on one of your “guests coming to dinner” plates, top with mixed berries, sprinkle a little icing sugar over top.
Oooh, so fancy! Enjoy!

This recipe represents an easy melding of two family traditions: Mine -- French toast on Boxing Day and Mike's -- Panettone on Christmas Eve. Italian Christmas bread morphing into Boxing Day French toast has become our delicious and treasured tradition.

For the soup:
2 tsp olive oil
1-1/2 lbs Italian sausage (I usually do one package of mild, one of spicy, which makes it not quite like lasagna; can also sub any other ground meat.)
1 extra-large yellow onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 tbsp tomato paste (or add the whole little can.)
2 (14.5-oz) cans diced tomatoes (I buy one big 28oz can.)
2 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock
8 oz mafalda or fusilli pasta (Yeah, mafalda is hard to find. I've also used bowtie when not using fusilli.)

For the cheesy yum in the bowl:
8 oz ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
ground black pepper, to taste

Shredded mozzarella cheese for topping.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage and brown for 3 minutes, breaking it up into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon.
Add onion, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and cook until onion is softened and sausage is browned, about 7 more minutes.
Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more.
Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Bring just to a boil, add the pasta, then reduce heat and simmer briskly for 10-15 minutes or until pasta is cooked.
If you won't eat the soup in one sitting, it's advisable to cook the pasta separately until al dente. See the serving directions below. This option avoids the pasta absorbing all the soup and becoming stew (although we tend to like that the next day with leftovers, but YMMV.)
In a medium bowl, create the "cheesy yum" by combining the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

To serve, spoon a dollop of "cheesy yum" into the bottom of your bowl, add a portion of cooked pasta to the bowl (if that's our option), and ladle the soup over the top. Serve with shredded mozzarella on top. And cheese biscuits! Make homemade cheese baking powder biscuits!

This is one of my family's go-to, every weekend, big pot of soup favourites. So very, very yummy. This recipe is from "A Farmgirl's Dabbles" and is the original online lasagna soup. If you'd like the Crockpot or Instant Pot directions, have a look for her website as she's updated it with those there newfangled equipments.

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 ripe bananas
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cups chocolate chips

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
Cream butter, bananas and sugars together until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla until combined.
Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray, or use parchment paper or silicon mat.
Use a cookie scoop to scoop out cookie dough onto the cookie sheets.
Bake for 9-10 minutes or just until they start to turn light, golden brown on top.
Let cookies cool completely on the cookie sheets before moving to wire rack.

These are the best cookies for that moment when you have leftover bananas, but not enough to make Banana Loaf because someone in your house ate one of the bananas just before you thought of baking. They are also eggless for those who can't or don't eat eggs. I mean, just because they're vegetarian doesn't mean they still aren't filled with butter, two kinds of sugar, and chocolate chips.

For the cookie cups:
2/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3 tbsp white sugar for rolling

For the filling:
400g plain cream cheese
4 tbsp pumpkin pie filling (which I never use so subbed with canned pumpkin and a little spices mixed in)
2/3 cup whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks
1/2 cup icing sugar

Garnish:
Caramel sauce

For the cookie cups:
Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a mini muffin tin by greasing with butter.
Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth.
Beat in the egg and molasses on medium speed.
Add the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, and mix on low until incorporated.
Roll the dough into small balls, dip in white sugar and place in the mini muffin cups. (Small is key here as they will overflow if the balls are too large...or, at this point you could give up and just put the balls on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, creating Crackle-top Ginger Cookies.)
Press your thumb into the cookie ball to spread the cookies slightly into the mini muffin cups (don't worry, you'll have to reshape them once they come out of the oven. You know, when they're molten lava hot.)
Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.
Whilst the cookies are hot, molten lava from the oven, press the back of a teaspoon into the top of each cookie to create a cup shape.
Let the cookie cups cool completely in the muffin tin before removing them.

For the filling:
While the cookies cool, make the cheesecake filling by adding the cream cheese, pumpkin (with spices if you went that way) and icing sugar to a bowl.
Whip on high speed until smooth.
Fold in the whipped cream just until it disappears and the mixture begins to grow in volume slightly, becoming light and fluffy.

Assembly (you know, the time that takes way longer than the 10 minutes to bake the cookie cups):
Pipe the filling into the cooled cookie cups with your choice of piping bag and tip (if you don't own a piping bag, shove the filling into a plastic bag and snip a corner off. Trust me, spooning it into the cups is horrifically messy.)
Top with caramel sauce, and toffee bits or fancy gingerbread men sprinkles.

Note:
Serve these immediately or store in the fridge for up to 2 hours before serving. They get soft with the filling in them so you can prepare the cookie cups ahead of time, but don't fill them until about to serve.

I made these for Wellness Wednesday sometime in November or December and you all ate them so they must be good.

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
6 cups marshmallows (approx. 54 large, or 400g)
6tbsp butter or margarine
Rainbow selection of food colour paste
1-1/2 tbsp each colour of Jello fruit powder (strawberry, orange, lemon, lime, raspberry (blue), grape)

Line an 8"x8" baking dish with aluminum foil and grease the foil.
Melt 1 tbsp butter and 1 cup (about 9) marshmallows over low heat in a medium saucepan. (Or soften carefully in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl for a very short period.)
Add food colour, a very small amount on a toothpick until the colour is as you'd like, and the Jello powder and stir until combined. Add 1 cup cereal and stir until coated.
Press the coated cereal into the bottom of the prepared pan using a buttered spoon or spatula.
Repeat 5 more times using the different colours, adding the layers to the top of the previous layer.
Let the square set and lift out of the pan with the aluminum, cutting into small squares.

Made this for the Pride Parade day and Marie B particularly enjoyed them. Time consuming, a little annoying, but very fruity because of the Jello powder.

225g (1-1/2 cups + 1 tsp) flour
2 tsp baking powder
375g (2-3/4 cups) dried mixed fruit + nuts (cherries, cranberries, raisins, currants, chopped apricots + favourite nuts; go wild)
300ml (1-1/4 cups) cold black tea (or 250ml tea and 50ml whisky)
125g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp mixed spice (such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves - whatever you have on hand)

Place the fruit in a bowl and pour in the tea (and whisky if using) and cover; allow to soak for at least 6 hours.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease and flour a 2lb loaf tin, or line with parchment paper.
Strain the liquid from the soaking fruit, retaining the liquid in another bowl.
Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and spice into a bowl and mix to combine.
Add the egg and about half of the retained liquid, then start to mix to form a batter.
Add more of the liquid, in small amounts, until you have a fairly wet batter (you may not need all the liquid, or you may use it all; depends on the fruit that day.)
Stir in the strained fruit until fully combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin.
Bake in the oven for 60 - 75 minutes, until the cake has risen and is firm to the touch. The wetter the batter the more time it is likely to take (I always check at 50 minutes because it never takes up to an hour for mine.)
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes in the tin before removing. Place on wire rack to cool completely.

I've given this recipe in the traditional measurements as I will often bake "British" style by weighing rather than measuring. The conversions are approximate depending on your ingredients. This comes from my new partner's family - Irish from Burnaby - and since it contains tea, my kryptonite, I love it. Very moist, very different flavour.

1-1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
3/4 cup ground hazelnuts (optional for nut allergies, just add more crumbs)
3 tbsp brown sugar
6 tbsp butter, melted

3 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
4 eggs, room temperature
Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 325F; grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan.
Using a fork, combine gingersnaps, hazelnuts (if using), 3 tbsp brown sugar, and melted butter; press mixture in the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the pan to form crust.
With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and 1 cup brown sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in pumpkin. Mix in cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, allspice and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared crust and bake in oven for 90 minutes or until center of cheesecake is just set (slight wobble but not a slosh). Allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight. Serve slices with whipped cream.

Okay, I've given you my recipe for Christmas dinner dessert. This recipe wasn't around much when I first found it and started to serve at Christmas dinner, so it became quite the cult family favourite. Even though there are many versions out there now, this one is my favourite version for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. Definitely make ahead and serve chilled as the flavours really mellow and meld. The crust...mmmm. You can bake in a bain-marie if wanted, although the top cracks on every cheesecake I make so I don't bother anymore.

1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 lb ground pork
1 1/2 cups beef stock
3 onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups fresh mushrooms
1 cup finely chopped celery
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each cinnamon, pepper and dried savory
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Pastry for 9-inch double-crust pie
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp water

In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; cook pork, breaking up with wooden spoon, for 7 to 10 minutes until no longer pink. Drain off fat.
Stir in stock, onions, garlic, mushrooms, celery, salt, cinnamon, pepper, savory and cloves; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 35 to 45 minutes or until 2 tbsp liquid remains.
Stir in fresh bread crumbs and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Cover and refrigerate until cold or for up to 1 day.
On lightly floured surface roll out pastry...yeah, whatever, I buy the pre-made frozen, defrost it, take it out the aluminum pie pan and put into my glass one.
Spoon filling into pie shell, smoothing top. Moisten rim of pie shell with water. Cover with top pastry, pressing edges together to seal.
Combine egg with water; brush some over pastry. Cut decorative shapes from remaining (other) pastry and arrange on top; brush with some of the remaining egg mixture.
Cut steam vents in top; bake in 375F over for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes. Makes 8 to 10 servings (pfft, more like 6).
This can be made ahead, frozen for up to 2 months, then partially thawed in fridge for 6 hours or until pastry slightly gives when poked. Bake in 375F oven for 1-1/4 hours or until heated through.

Well, as Scottish/Welsh as I am, I was married to a French-Canadian until I wasn't - last name was flubbed by everyone I met which is why I got rid of it, although my son is still stuck with it. This is a traditional meal for Christmas Eve in Quebec called Reveillon, the time of feasting, dancing, gifting, storytelling and gaming to be had after midnight mass. When I lived in Dixon, California, I made this for the Dixon Fall Fair and won a blue ribbon. Probably because they'd never heard of it. Same goes for the blue ribbon I won for Nanaimo Bars. LOL We tend to eat it with ketchup on the side, as well as a salad or roasted vegetables. It's super easy and forgiving to make, and can be made ahead very nicely. So yummy.

1 ¾ cups Robin Hood® Original All Purpose Flour
½ cup corn starch
½ tsp salt
1 cup salted butter, room temperature
¾ cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Grease and line a 9” x 13” (3 L) baking pan with parchment paper overlapping two sides for easy removal.
Combine flour, corn starch and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Beat butter icing sugar and vanilla until creamy. Stir in flour mixture, cranberries and chocolate chips. Pat evenly into prepared pan. Prick with a fork.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until deep golden around edges. Let stand in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Using parchment paper, lift out of pan. Slice into bars while still warm. Cool completely. Dust with icing sugar if desired.

This recipe I make my husband every year and he takes it to his work to share with all. So nummy!! Again a sweet treat from me again:
What did Mrs. Claus say to Santa Claus when she looked up in the sky? Looks like rain, dear!

40 saltine crackers
2 sticks of butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup holiday sprinkles
cooking spray

1. Line a sheet pan with foil and coat with cooking spray or alternatively you can use a nonstick silicone baking mat.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. Place the crackers in a single layer on the baking sheet.
4. Place the butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes.
5. Pour the brown sugar mixture over the crackers and spread with a spatula to coat.
6. Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 3-5 minutes, or until bubbling.
7. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately scatter the chocolate chips over the top. Place the pan back in the oven for another 2-3 minutes to melt the chocolate. Spread the chocolate evenly over the top.
8. Place the sprinkles on top of the chocolate. Let the toffee sit until completely cool, either at room temperature or you can refrigerate.
9. Cut into pieces and serve.

Jerasyn's Elf of Shelf left this recipe for us to make together to create a Christmas memory and tradition. ENJOY!!!
Here is a sweet treat from me: How many letters are in the Christmas alphabet? Only 25, there’s no L!

Puff pastry (store bought...I get the already rolled out sheets in Superstore)
apples
raisins
cinnamon
sugar or honey

Preheat oven as per puff pastry baking instructions
In a bowl, mix grated or thinly sliced apples, raisins, cinnamon and sugar or honey to taste
Drain extra liquid (which you can add to apple juice and heat into apple cider)
Roll a sheet of puff pastry onto a slightly floured baking sheet (easier than trying to move it from a different surface later)
Place apple mixture in the middle
Carefully fold the pastry over the apple mixture until it's fully covered
You can flip the strudel over so that the nicer side is on top if you feel adventurous (it falls apart easily...)
Bake and enjoy! 🙂

Strudel is very popular in the Czech Republic (where I am from) - you can find the yummy pastry anywhere. People bake it after apple harvest, into the winter and spring. In the summertime, some substitute apple for other fruit or berries, depending on what is in season. Plums with vanilla are another winning combination! 🙂

3/4 cup almonds (blanched, slivers)
2 tbsp fresh ginger root (finely chopped)
2/3 cup crystallized ginger (finely chopped)

3/4 cup demerara (or brown) sugar, firmly packed
2 tbsp molasses
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter (unsalted)

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1) Toast almonds until light-golden brown. Bake for about 10 minutes in 350F oven, or nuke them for approx 1.5 minutes in microwave. (If using microwave, use multiple 20- or 30-second bursts and watch them closely so the almonds do not burn.) Let the almonds cool.
2) Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the molasses and eggs.
3) In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, ground ginger, baking powder, and salt.
4) Fold in the dry ingredients to the wet mixture until blended.
5) Stir in the chopped fresh and crystallized ginger, and then add the almonds little by little.
6) Divide dough into two, and shape each into flat rectangles: 1/2 inch thick, 1 1/2 inch wide, 14 inches long. Space them at least 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet covered with baking paper.
7) Bake on middle rack in 325F oven for 25 minutes. Look for a light-brown or golden colour.
8) Transfer from baking sheet to a rack to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and then cut the rectangles at 45-degree angle into biscotti (1/2 or 3/4 inch thick) using a serrated knife.
9) Lay the biscotti flat, on their side, back on the cookie sheet, and bake for about 8 minutes to dry. Turn them over and bake for a few more minutes on the other side.
10) Cool on a rack and enjoy!

GINGER EXPLOSION! This is a nice change from sweet Christmas baking.

1.5 oz Irish Cream
1/2 oz Spiced Rum

Mix with your fave Espresso OR (fill to the top of your mug) with hot water

Your choice:
Cinnamon sticks
Cinnamon spice
Nutmeg

Mix your ingredients together in your fave mug!

Drink cooled over ice OR hot and steamy for a warm, cozy cuddle in a cup.

Pop in a festive cinnamon stick... to prove you've got class like Martha.

Sprinkle or no sprinkle -- we'll leave that up to you.

Enjoy!

An easy and seasonal warm drink to sip while curled up in front of a fire, wearing your cutest onesie.
Its a merry mug-o-licious!

4 bottles of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec are great, but any red table wine works)
1 bottle of aquavit
2 cups sugar
10 cardamon pods (cracked/peeled) or 2 tsp ground
10 whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks
2 Tbsp orange zest
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup almonds

Pour wine into a stockpot with lid. Heat to point of simmering (don't boil).
As wine is heating, put the spices and zest in a square of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine. Add to the pot. If you don't have cheesecloth, you can throw it all in the pot, but you'll need to pour through a sieve to serve.
Add the Aquavit to the pot and bring back to simmering.
When mixture is very hot (don't boil!) light it on fire with a kitchen lighter or long match.
Protecting yourself with kitchen mitts, carefully pour the sugar into the flames, and let the mixture burn for 1 minute. Cover the stockpot to extinguish the flames, and turn off the heat.
Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes.
Stir to make sure the sugar is all dissolved and remove the spice bag.
Add the raisins and almonds to serving mugs, add the gløgg and enjoy with friends.

This is the perfect drink to enjoy with friends and family after cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. It's fun to prepare outside over a campfire or firebowl with a cooking grate. You can cut the recipe in half for a smaller crowd, or you can return any leftover gløgg to one of the wine bottles, recap and store in a cool place for another day. You can make this without flaming, but it's not as much fun and the taste will be slightly different. This drink is great with Lucia buns, see recipe in this collection.

Pure joy enclosed in a chocolatey, minty wafer...

Order yours today from Carolyn Teare (cteare@tru.ca; @cteare). Get them while you can!

You'll be doing a wonderful thing for Girl Guides and for yourself!

I hear they can cure COVID-19, too. Something about the mint cleansing the esophagus and stomach lining and the light from your big, generous heart shining into yourself and out your ears into the world. So what have you got to lose?*

*(!) This claim may be disputed.

Back in the day, before COVID times, I would buy 4 boxes to share with you all in the OL kitchen. I miss coming into the kitchen and seeing that chocolatey wafer stuck all over and between your teeth as you smiled sheepishly and took another cookie from the box...

-1 package of spring roll wrappers (can be found in the frozen section of your grocery store) (25 sheets)
-1 tablespoon vegetable oil
-1 medium yellow onion, minced
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 medium carrot, minced
- 1.5 cups of thinly sliced napa or savoy cabbage
-1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
-1 lb ground pork (455 g)
-12 oz water chestnuts, 1 can, minced (optional - the chestnuts add the crunch)
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon pepper
-2 teaspoons soy sauce
-¼ cup green onion, minced
-2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced, plus more for garnish
-1 ½ cups oil (canola or olive), for frying
(alternatively, you can use an airfyer - see method below).
-Thai sweet chili sauce, for serving or any sauce with a sweet and sour and spicy taste (optional)

-Make the filling: Heat the oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat.
-Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and carrots. Cook for a few minutes, or until the onion is slightly translucent.
-Add the ground pork and cook for about 8 minutes, or until cooked through.
-Add the water chestnuts, salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Stir for 2 minutes, then mix in the green onion and cilantro.
-Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.

Preparing your roll:

-Set aside a small bowl of warm water before you start folding.
-Lay out one spring roll wrapper in a diamond shape and spoon 2 tablespoons of filling at the bottom of the wrapper, leaving about an inch and a half of space from the bottom part. (If you are using small wrappers, you can adjust the filling to fit)
-Fold the bottom part over the filling, then fold in the edges to look like an envelope shape. Roll the wrapper toward the top part and with your fingers, brush it with water to seal the end.

Cooking your rolls:

Pan fry method:

-Carefully place five to six rolls at a time in the hot oil. Frying on each side for 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. Note: If the rolls are cooking too fast or burning, reduce the heat.
-Remove the rolls from the oil and drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
-Sprinkle with a garnish of cilantro (optional) and serve with sweet chili dipping sauce. (optional)

Air fryer method:

-Preheat an air fryer to 390 degrees F. Place rolls in the basket and spray them with cooking oil, cook in batches if necessary.
-Fry for 4 minutes; flip and cook until skins are crispy, about 4 minutes more).
-Sprinkle with a garnish of cilantro (optional) and serve with sweet chili dipping sauce. (optional)

Enjoy!

Spring rolls, also known as "Lumpia" is a must have for any Filipino celebrations. Lumpia is a staple to all family gatherings. Growing up, we would regularly make this during birthday, family and Christmas for family get togethers.

This is a great recipe to get all of your family members involved and nice little Christmas tradition. I hope you enjoy making this with your family.

Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year!

1/2 tsp. saffron
1 pkg yeast (1 scant tbsp.)
1 c. warm milk (1 minute in microwave)
1 egg at room temperature, beaten
1/2 c. butter (melted)
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. raisins
3 3/4 - 4 c. flour

Grind the saffron threads with 1 tbsp of the sugar in a mortar (this releases the aromatics). Or crush on a plate if you don't have a mortar. The sugar picks up the saffron - otherwise the fine threads will stick to the crushing surfaces.
Add 1 tsp of the sugar to the warm milk, then sprinkle the yeast over it and let it sit for a few minutes.
Add the melted butter, remaining sugar, crushed saffron, egg and raisins.
Gradually add the flour, working the dough until it begins to leave the sides of the bowl. Sprinkle a little flour on the top, then cover with a towel and let rise in a warm (not hot) place until double in size. This takes 40-60 minutes.
Punch down the dough to release the air. Turn the dough onto a floured board and kneed with remaining flour until it feels smooth and shiny, and doesn't stick to the board too much. You may not need all the flour, it depends on the characteristics of your flour and the humidity of your kitchen.
Divide the dough into 20 pieces, and shape as in the photo.
Place onto baking trays and let rise until double in volume, about 30-40 minutes. Leave room for separation of the buns.
Pre-heat the oven to 400F
Bake for 15-20 minutes - watch them, they are ready when evenly browned.

Lucia buns are a Scandinavian tradition, made for the feast of St. Lucie on December 13th. St. Lucie was a 10th century martyr in the Catholic tradition, but some say she was really a goblin queen worshipped long before the arrival of Christianity in Scandinavia. The shape of the Lucia buns dates back to fertility rites performed by the Vikings in pre-Christian times. There's a traditional celebration involving candles and lingonberry wreaths worn as headdresses by youths dressed in white.
This recipe also works for Norwegian style braided loaves, but ground cardamom is substituted for saffron, and they are baked at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. The recipe makes two round braided loaves. Like all things baked, they are best right out of the oven, but you can freeze them as well.

Base:
*2 cups of almonds, toasted at 300 degrees for 15 minutes
*10-11 cups of air popped popcorn

Sauce:
*1.5 cups sugar
*1 cup of butter
*1/2 cup white corn syrup
*1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
*1/2 teaspoon baking soda (add at end)
*1 teaspoon of vanilla (add at end)

1. Toast almonds
2. Make popcorn
3. Mix toasted almonds and prepared popcorn in extra large bowl, set aside
4. Mix sauce in large pot (it will expand when you add the baking soda)
5. When sauce reaches 252 degrees remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla (careful, it is very hot)
6. Carefully pour over prepared popcorn and almonds (it is still very hot and I've burnt myself on numerous occasions)
7. Mix thoroughly to coat popcorn
8. Spread mixture on cookie sheet or tin-foil pan
9. Cool
10. Break apart and store in container

Note: one batch is seldom enough 🙂

I'm known in my family for being a terrible, horrible, really bad cook. This recipe is the one (and only) exception - maybe because it is so easy to make? This recipe dates back to to when Lorne and I were first married. A family neighbor gave us an ice-cream bucket full of this popcorn. It was so good Lorne and I ate the whole bucket in two days!! The next year we made our own popcorn and started gifting it to family and friends. I have shared the recipe countless times and am always interested to hear how others adapt it. 🙂