We are still in the Swedish mountains, where we intend to stay well into the new year.

Here, surrounded by lots and lots of lovely snow, we will celebrate new year’s….. we’re going to bake a “Kransekage”, play cards, and drink lots of champagne (of course).

Kransekage - 2 cakes - approx. 20 people

Cake:
500 grams of pure, raw marzipan
100 grams sugar (about 1 ¼ cups)
2 pasteurized egg whites
icing sugar

Glaze:
150 g icing sugar (about 3 cups)
1 pasteurized egg whites
½ teaspoon white wine vinegar

Brushing:

butter - melted
breadcrumbs

Baking time:
6-8 min. at 250 °.

Mix the marzipan, sugar and egg whites together (the dough will be sticky). Divide the dough into 2 and roll each portion into 8 “bars”, about 1 ½ cm thick - roll with icing sugar on hands and table. Butter the cake rings and sprinkle them with fine bread crumbs. Place marzipan bars in the cake rings and place the cake rings on a baking sheet. Bake cake rings in the middle of the oven.

Glaze: Stir icing sugar, egg white and vinegar together to form a thick and chewy glaze. Fill it in a plastic bag and cut a small hole. Spray the “Kransekage” like the picture.

Tips: Dry cake rings with a paper towel between each baking and repeat with butter and breadcrumbs - do not wash the rings with soap.

You can also bake the cake without cake rings. Form “the bars” in to rings - the smallest must be 14 cm long. Increase each bar with 2 cm - see below. Place them on a plate with wax paper. Bake cake rings in the middle of the oven - until golden.

Size and weight of the rings:
14 cm - 20 g marzipan
16 cm - 26 g
18 cm - 32 g
20 cm - 38 g
22 cm - 44 g
24 cm - 50 g
26 cm - 56 g
28 cm - 62 g

This cake tastes great with sweet champagne or a champagne liqueur: 1 ½ cup orange liqueur and 2 bottles dry champagne…… in Denmark, it is traditional to eat “Kransekage” and toast in champagne at 12 on New Year’s evening.

Anyway….. 2010, you’ve been very good to me, and I’m a little sad to say goodbye…… but I also know that 2011 will bring its own gifts and adventures, so I’m ready.

Here’s wishing you a very happy, healthy, joyful new year!

Love
Lizzy

….. I could be here more often!

Love

Lizzy

….. you can be yourself….. longer than a little while!

To live in the mountains enables you to let life be more important than traffic jams and crowds…..

….. in the warmth of candlelight and a crackling firelogs….. who could ask for more?

….. quietly down from heaven, and act as a wonderful sound-deadening carpet, which change the landscape completely…..

….. in that little world, home;
it is a mystic circle that surrounds comforts and virtues
never known beyond its hallowed limits.”

-Robert Southey

….. has gone. It’s flown by with such speed, I can barely remember what all happened.

I do know that I am so lucky: I’ve got a lovely family and some amazing friends….. and this Christmas that’s all the gift i need.

I love you guys. Thank you, and have a very happy holiday.

Love
Lizzy

Photo: dottie angel

 Yesterday it snowed a little and I couldn’t be happier.

I love white Christmases, and the weather forecast looks promising. Are you all ready for christmas? In our house, the food is cooking (Peer is in the kitchen preparing the Christmas ham and Jansson’s Temptation).

Todays menu:
Curry herring
Västerbotten herring
Maatje herring
Salmon with sauce
Jansson Temptation
Fish cakes with tartar sauce
Eggs and shrimp
Roast pork with red cabbage
Ham with red onion jam
Rips with apples and horseradish
Meatballs with beetroot salad
Sausages
Cheese
….. and risalamande, cake, candy …….

I can recommend the following cookbooks if you celebrate Christmas:

The Swedish way: Monikas Jul

The Danish way: Camilla Plum’s jul

Here’s wishing you the happiest of holidays!

Xo Lizzy

….. under the tree….. I can’t tell you what Peer is getting….. but I can reveal what my dogs gets:

My dogs get homemade dog biscuits for Christmas. I have tried to bake them last year after a recipe from a dog magazine and although it took some time, it was a fun thing to do. Here are some photos of how I hope they will look, when I’am going to surprise them on Christmas Eve. Dog Snacks a la Lizzy.

Recipe: here

….. is permission to keep all of our holiday decorations on display until next year. what do you say, Peer?