Orange syrup

This I have been busy making home-made orange syrup a la Mad og Bolig, as I need this very specific ingredients for something in connection with the upcoming Christmas Calendar 2016 starting from tomorrow.

This orange can be used on top of yogurt, pan cakes, ice cream, however this is not my purpose for making this syrup. Any idea what I need this orange syrup for ?

Orange syrup:

• 100 g water
• 250 g sugar
• ½ vanilla pod - only the corn
• 2½ dl freshly squeezed orange juice

1. Add water and sugar to the cooking pot, bring it to the boil. Reduce the heat, and let it simmer gently under lid for 30 minutes.
2. Add in the vanilla corn and orange juice, bring it to the boil. Reduce the heat, and let it simmer gently under lid for another 30 minutes.
3. Add boiling water into the storage bottle.
4. Drain the water and add the orange syrup into the bottle.
5. Store the bottle cold in the refrigerator.

RED GRAPE GINGER JUICE

Another great tasting juice from the JuiceSelvKassen from Årstiderne. I always like it, when the juice contains red beet, as the red beet gives quiet a sweet taste. And the use of ginger is another of my favourite components in home-made juice.

Besides from a great taste, the use of red beet will also colour both your liquid and more firm outlet afterwards.

RED GRAPE GINGER JUICE: 4-6 servings

• 2 grape fruits - without peel
• 700 g red beet
• 1000 g carrots
• 20 g fresh ginger
• 600 g red apples - core removed

1. Clean all the ingredients.
2. Juice everything together.
3. Store cold, can be stored 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
4. Enjoy

Warm up for Christmas - first Sunday in advent

Classic advent decoration

On this first Sunday of advent I want to share my two advent decorations, where I will be lighting the the first candle as count down for Christmas. You are very welcome to share your comment with me on, which of these two advent decoration you like the most.

Trendy advent decoration

Besides from lighting the first candle, you still have time for baking your own English-style Christmas cake, so it can mature before the Christmas holiday.

As warm up for the 2016 version of my Christmas Calendar I will share the most popular post of the previous five years of Christmas Calendars as a kick of for the season of 2016.

Christmas Calendar 2015 - chai sugar

Christmas Calendar 2014 - World´s best cookies

Christmas Calendar 2013 - snow balls with butter and oat flakes

Christmas Calendar 2012 - marzipan role with nougat

Christmas Calendar 2011 - Christmas aquavita

Afternoon Tea sandwich - avocado and egg

After the afternoon tea course at Women Institute we were of cause also making a selection of sandwiches, but with a twist, as the sandwich were made as open sandwiches instead of the usual sandwich style with the filling between two slices of bread.

The second sandwich recipe, which I will share with you, is avocado and egg, so again twist to the classic egg sandwich known by most people enjoying afternoon tea.

Afternoon Tea sandwich - avocado and egg:

• 2 eggs
• 1 avocado
• 1 lime - only the juice
• Salt and pepper for seasoning
• Sciracha sauce
• Wholemeal bread

1. Start by boiling the egg, either more soft boiled or hard boiled depending on your preference.
2. Cold down the eggs, remove the shells and slice the eggs.
3. Halve the avocado, remove the stone and spoon out the flesh into a small bowl.
4. Add the lime juice on top of the avocado and mash everything together with a fork. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Spread the avocado mix on top of the bread.
6. Place egg slices on top of the avocado.
7. Drizzle some Sriracha sauce over the eggs.
8. Enjoy together with e cup of tea.

Afternoon Tea sandwich - smoked salmon

After the afternoon tea course at Women Institute we were of cause also making a selection of sandwiches, but with a twist, as the sandwich were made as open sandwiches instead of the usual sandwich style with the filling between two slices of bread.

The first sandwich recipe, which I will share with you, is smoked salmon, so one of the classic afternoon tea sandwiches known by most people enjoying afternoon tea.

Afternoon Tea sandwich - smoked salmon:

• smoked salon
• cream fraiche - sour cream with 18% fat
• dill
• black pepper
• butter
• soda bread

1. Butter the soda bread.
2. Mix together the creme fraiche, chopped dill and black pepper.
3. Place a slice of smoked salmon on top of the bread.
4. Spoon some of the creme fraich mixture on top of the salmon slice.
5. sStore the sandwiches cold, prior to serving.
6. Enjoy with a mice cup of tea.

Ginger strawberry smoothie

From time to time I invite my mother over for a drink. This time I found this drink recipe in the weekly magazine "Søndag" (issue 27/2016), which my mother buys every week and I get afterwards. So you could say, that brought the recipe, which I when turned into reality in my kitchen :-)

Ginger strawberry smoothie: - 2 drinks

• 250 frozen strawberries
• ½ dl RToses strawberry cordial
• 1½ dl vodka
• 1 ginger beer

1. Blend the frozen strawberries together with the strawberry cordial and vodka.
2. Mix in the ginger beer.
3. Pour into 2 tall cocktail glasses.

SWEET FENNEL WITH MINT

Another juice from JuiceSelvKassen, where I find the juice to be too green and healthy in taste. So I will not make this juice on my own !

As usual I am only juicing the mint leaves without the mint stems, as I dislike bitter taste in my juice.

SWEET FENNELS WITH MINT: - 2-3 servings

• 1 white cabbage
• 1 pine apple - without skin
• 2 fennels - without bottom
• 40 g mint - only the leaves.

1. Rinse and clean all the ingredients.
2. Juice everything together.
3. Enjoy.
4. The juice can be store for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.

Milk chocolate mint mousse

I found this recipe on chocolate mint mousse in the weekly magazine"Søndag" (issue 42/2016). As this recipe contains dark chocolate I decided to use milk chocolate instead of, as I dislike dark chocolate due to it´s bitterness. In order to boost the chocolate flavour I added  in some cocoa powder on top. This mousse has a relative soft texture, which I think could be due to the use of milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate.

Milk chocolate mint mousse: - 4 servings

• 1 dl full fat milk
• 125 g milk chocolate, medium-fine chopped
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 egg yolk
• 25 g sugar
• 1,25 dl dairy whipping cream - whipped into foam
• ½ teaspoon mint flavour

1. Heat up the milk to the boiling point in medium cooking pot,
2. Add in the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder, stir until the chocolate is melted.
3. Whip the egg yolk and sugar foamy.
4. Add the egg mass into the chocolate mass. The temperature of the chocolate mass should not be to warm.
5. Stir in the mint flavour.
6. Afterwards gently stir in the whipped dairy foam.
7. Pour the chocolate mousse into serving glasses.
8. Store the chocolate mousse in the refrigerator for min 2-4 hours.
9. Decorate with mint leaves.
10. Enjoy.

Sweet Apple Martini

I decided to make a drink using this very sweet home-made juice of Ingrid Marie apples combining it with dry Martini and some slices of lemon. This turned to be a great combination. I have previous been sharing this recipe on Apple Martini wih gin with you, which taste less great this new version of Apple Martini.

Sweet Apple Martini: - 1 drink

• 6-8 cl dry Martini
• 12-16 cl sweet apple juice
• 1-2 slices of lemon
• ice cubes

1. Pour Martini and apple juice into a medium-large cocktail glass.
2. Add in 1-2 lemon slices and some ice cubes.
3. Cheers and enjoy :-)

GREEN WATERCRESS ENERGY

Plenty of green ingredients for this juice, which has an extremely green colour. I was dreading the taste, when I saw the colour of this juice. I was positive surpriced, yes the taste is fresh and green, but not un-drinkable.

As I am NOT fun of bitter taste in juice, I removed the peel from the limes prior to juicing. I also decided not to use the stems of the kale, as I am uncertain, if the kale stems will gives bitterness or not .

GREEN WATERCRESS ENERGY: - 4

• 100 g watercress
• 2 cucumbers
• 600 g green apples -  core removed
• 2 limes - peel removed
• 300 g kale - only the leaves

1. Clean all the ingredients.
2. Juice everything together.
3. Enjoy
4. Can be stored 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

Creme Brulee Tart

At the afternoon tea course we were also making these Creme Brulee Tarts. I did not such a great success with my tarts, as the clotted cream was dried and therefore the filling became grainy. Another time I think, I will use whipped dairy cream instead of, also to lower the overall fat content in these tarts.

Creme Brulee Tart:

Short bread:

• 150 g plain flour
• 150 g butter
• 75 g sugar
• 75g rice flour
• ½ (organic) lemon - only the zest

Tart filling:

• 2 egg yolks
• 299 g clotted cream
• 80 g sugar
• 1 vanilla pod
• 250 g fresh raspberries
• 3 tablespoons icing sugar

1. Rub flour, butter, sugar and rice flour together only using your fingers, not you entire hand, until the dough looks like breadcrumbs.
2. Add in the lemon zest and knead the dough together using your entire hand.
3. Place the dough cold in the refrigerator, until it is firm.
4. Roll out the dough in a thin layer. Cover tart forms with the dough. Place the tart form cold in the refrigerator, while you make the tart filling.
5. Heat up the oven to 180'C.
6. Beat together the egg yolks, clotted cream, sugar and vanilla seeds, until it is smooth.
7. Bake the short bread linen tart form at 180'C for 10-15 minutes, until firm and light golden.
8. Remove the tart forms from the oven.
9. Place the raspberries in art forms and pour the tart filling on top.
10. Bake for another 8-10 minutes at 180'C.
11. Cold from the oven, and the art cold down, before removing them from the forms.

November equal darkness

November equals darkness

November is third and most dark month of the Autumn time. November is gray, dark, windy and rainy, where you start to look forward to the fifth Danish season in form of Christmas with lights everywhere, good food and great times with family and friends.
So November is a month, that you have to get through before the festive month of December. Here in November I am starting to make preparation for the upcoming Christmas Calendar on my blog such as interesting recipes to work with etc.

In October the theme of my kitchen was pumpkin, where I worked with 5 recipes (sweet pickled pumpkin, pumpkin-pear jam, pumpkin muffins with apple and walnut, pumpkin pie and pumpkin pie with muscovado sugar).