Light knit shawl - second progress

Full speed for the knitting needles, look what an amazing progress, which I have made from my light knit shawl in cashmere yarn :-)

Welcome to ceramic mushrooms

I have got two ceramic mushrooms as a hostess gift in connection with my birthday celebration. And now they have found their space next to my front door.

Welcome to my new "mushrooms", which would like to welcome you, when you come around :-)

Light knit shawl - first progress

I have actually made some good progress on my new knit project in form of light version of a knit shawl using cashmere yarn. When finished this shawl will have a weight of only 80 g !!! This is amazing.

Light knit shawl

When I found a good offer on cashmere yarn at Garnudsalg, I decided to an new version of  this little knit shawl. For the first version of this knit shawl I used 750 m yarn with a total weight of 250 g. Using 800 m cashmere, this amount og yarn weight as little as 80 g !!!

This cashmere yarn is made from 68% cashmere & 32% mulberry silk.

Buns with squash

Squash season is over us, so it can a "fight" to use all the various squash, which the garden is providing you with.

I have used this recipe on classic buns as starting point, while making these squash buns. I did also notice, that the addition of 2 grated squash brought so much moisture into the bun dough, that I had to increase the amount of wheat flour significantly. Another I should perhaps the water part entirely ?

Squash buns: - approx 25 buns

• 1150 g wheat flour
• 50 g sugar
• 100 g rape seed oil 
• 25 g fresh yeast
• 1 egg
• 8 g salt
• 250 g water
• 2 squashes or 600 g squash - roughly grated

1. Weigh all the ingredients directly into the mixing bowl of the stand alone mixer. Keep salt & sugar away from the yeast.
2. Place the bowl on the stand-alone mixer.
3. Start knead the dough at speed 1 for 8 minutes.
4. Afterwards increase the speed to 4, knead for 2 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough. If it is not OK, when knead it at speed 4 for another 2 minutes. Again check the consistency. If needed, knead again for 1 minute and when check consistency of the dough.
5. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and place it on the kitchen table sprinkled with flour.
6. Let the entire dough raise for approx 20 minutes under a damp cloth.
7. When you evaluate, that the dough has raise enough, divide the dough into smaller pieces with a weight of 85 g each.
8. Shape the dough pieces into bun shapes. Place the bun pieces on the baking tray covered with baking parchment. 
9. Let the bun raise for second time for approx 40 minutes under a tea towel.
10. Heat up the oven to 200'C.
11. Bake the bun at 200'C for 20 minutes.
12. Cold down the buns, before serving them with a nice cup of tea/coffee.

Cashmere yarn for new knitting projects

While I was getting close to finish my recent knitting project in form of this little knit shawl I saw, that you could buy some cashmere yarn at Garnudsalg at a very attractive price.

So, I decided to knit an identical version of the little knit shawl, but in a much lighter version, as I estimate, that 800 m yarn weighing 80 g in total should be enough. I will knit this shawl in light rosa colour. In more pink-like colur I would either be knitting a lighter version of this neck tube or a knit shawl for my mother ?

This cashmere yarn is made from 68% cashmere & 32% mulberry silk.

Classic plum jam

I have again being picking fresh fruit in the garden of my good friends in Horsens, this time is was plums, so I could make som plum jam. I decided to use pectin as gelling agent this time, so I could use less sugar to gel the jam, as I wanted to have more of a fruit flavour in the final jam. If you to try to make a plum jam without the addition of a gelling agent, then have a love at this plum jam recipe.

Plum jam: - 8 glasses

• 1400 g plums - washed, de-stoned and cut into half
• 450 ml water
• 700 g sugar
• 8-10 g pectin per 1000 g jam (fruit and sugar together)
• 1-2 teaspoon citric acid per 1000 g jam (fruit and sugar together)
• Potassium sorbat - optional

1. Prepare the plum by washing, de-stone and cut into half. Place the plum pieces into the cooking pan and pour the water in as well.
2. Put the cooking pan on the stove, heat up the content, so the plums are simmering. 
3. Let the plums simmer until they become pulpy in texture, it takes between approx 20-30 minutes.
4. Prepare the jam glasses either by heating up in the oven or adding boiling water to them.
5. Stir in the pectin and citric acid, let it simmer for 3-5 minutes before adding in the sugar.
6. Add the sugar to the plum mass and stir until it is dissolved.
7. Bring the jam to a rolling boil and boil hard until the setting point is reached. Stir the jam frequently.
8. Test of set after 3-5 minutes using the flake test.
9. When the setting point is reached, remove the pan from the heat and leave it to stand for approx. 5 minutes. As the jam settles, push any scums from the surface of the pan to the side and remove it with a metal spoon. The purpose for the waiting step is well to build viscosity in jam, so the fruit pieces will be trapped inside the jam inside of be going to the top of jam.
10. Gently stir the jam after the resting time and pour it into the prepared glasses, fill the glasses up to the brim. Remove any scum for the surface of the jam using a tea spoon. Close the glass with a lid.
11. Leave the glass upright and disturbed to cool and set.
12. Store at ambient temperature.

Watermelon Campari

Lets celebrate, that it is weekend and that the sunshine has now taken over from the rain. and instead of eating watermelon, I have turned the watermelon into a drink using a recipe from the weekly magazine "Alt for damerne" (issue 28/2019). The only changes, which I have done is to use juice of lemon instead of lime, as I had plenty of lemons in my kitchen and no limes at all.

The taste of the drink is to the bitter side due to the use of Campari. I think, you could as well use either rum or vodka as the alcoholic part of the drink instead of.

Watermelon Campari: -2 -4drinks

• ½ watermelon - slice the watermelon into smaller pieces
• 1 lemon - only the juice
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 dl Campari
• ½ dl sparkling water
• ice cubes

1. Place the watermelon pieces together with lemon juice and sugar in a blend. Blend everything homogeneous.
2. Pour the watermelon liquid in a measuring jug.
3. Add the sparkling water and Campari into the watermelon liquid. Stir the drink well.
4. Fill ice cubes into the large drink bowls and the watermelon Campari on top.
5. Cheers and have a nice week-end.

Little knit shawl is finished

After some intensive knitting in front of the TV I have managed to finish of my little knit shawl.

The entire length is 225 cm and the maximum wide is 65 cm. I have used 5 yarns of knit yarn of each 50 g each and each yarn had a length of 200 m yarn. The yarn is Scarlet by Permin. It is a combination of 58% linen, 16% cotton and 26% viscose.

The purpose with this knit shawl is to use it during Spring and Summer time on some of the more colder days.

And I have actually found another type of yarn, so I will shortly start to make this knit shawl in a thinner/lighter version.

Tricolore de currant cordial

It started with, that I first found this recipe on black currant cordial in the latest issue of Country Living. As I had easy access to plenty of black currants in the garden of my good friends in Horsens, it was an easy task to test out this recipe.

Besides from black currant there is also red and white currants, so I thought it could be funny to make individual currants cordial, simply replacing the black currants with either red or white currants. And this away around create my very own "tricolore de currant cordial".

Perhaps due to too high pectin content in the red currants, the red currant cordial did gel in the bottle, while the remaining two cordials still are liquid. So fare I have enjoyed the black currant cordial both at home as well at work.

So to make your own "tricolore de currant cordial" you should make:

• black currant cordial
• white currant cordial
• red currant cordial

Red currant cordial

As I have some red currants in surplus after making both this red & black currant jelly and all currant jelly, I decided to turn the last red currants into cordial using this recipe in black currant cordial replacing the black currants with red currants instead of.

Adjust the ratio of water and sugar to the amount of white currants, which you have picked as well as the amount of white currant juice, which you have after the cooking process.It is an easy recipe to scale up as well as down.

I think, that you from the photo at the top you can see, that my red currant cordial sometime after the filling decided to make itself into a jelly instead of a cordial. It could be because, the pectin content in the red currants liquid was higher compared to the two other cordials (black & white). I am certain, that I have been using the same amount of sugar to liquid. So next year, I think I should either use less sugar or try a different recipe on red currant cordial. It could also the addition of the citric acid, which resulted in the jelling of the cordial.

I also think, that my work colleagues will have a good laugh, when they see these photos and start to talk about pre-gelling (the lumps on the side of the bottle).

Red currant cordial:

• 1000 g red currant - washed and cleaned, the stalks removed
• 300 ml water
• 300 g sugar per 500 ml black currant juice
• 1 teaspoon citric acid per 500 ml black currant juice

1. Place the prepared red currants together with the water in cooking pot.
2. Bring the red currants to the boil, let the red currant simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Mask the red currants to release all of the fruit juice.
4. Pour the red currants either into a jelly bag or into a sieve. It is easier to press the red currants with a cooking spoon, when placed in a sieve based on my experience.
5. Measure the amount of red currant juice. Add the red currant juice in a cooking pot with 300 g sugar per 500 ml red currant as well as 1 teaspoon citric.
6. Dissolve the sugar over low heat. The cordial should not be boiled.
7. Pour the red currant cordial into cleaned bottles.
8. Dilute the red cordial with water upon serving it.
9. Enjoy :-)

Little knit shawl - progress 2

Now it begins to goes slower with my knitting of this knit shawl as I getting closer and closer to the turning point, where I will start to reduce the numbers of knit masks. SO I am getting closer and closer to, when I will actually will be able to wear this knit shawl.

Cinnamon bun with chocolate & pecan nuts

As this week-end has been very rainy and rainy reminding me a lot of Autumn, the weather got me baking !!!

I have located this recipe on cinnamon bun with chocolate & pecan nuts in the latest issue of the magazine "Isabella" (issue August 2019). I have only made a small adjustments on the amount of wheat flour, as the originally level was too low in my opinion.

Cinnamon buns with chocolate & pecan nuts: - 16-20 buns

• Bun dough:
• 25 g fresh yeast
• 100 g butter
• 3½ dl full-fat milk
• 2 eggs
• 80 g sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 750-800 g wheat fllour
• Bun filling:
• 150 g butter - soft
• 80 g sugar
• 75 g dark milk chocolate - fine-medium chopped
• 50 g pecan nuts - fine-medium chopped
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Frosting:
• 100 g plain cream cheese
• 75 g butter - soft
• 125 g icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
• Decoration:
• cinnamon sugar

1. Add all bun dough ingredients into mixing bowl of the stand-alone mixer.
2. Knead the dough for 10 minutes on speed 2.
3. Increase the speed to 4 for 2 minutes. Check if, the texture of the dough is OK. If not OK, when knead the dough for another 1-2 minutes on speed 4.
4. Let the dough raise for 1 hours under an damp tea towel.
5. Place the dough on the kitchen table and roll into a shape of 30 x 60 cm.
6. Whip the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl using an electrical whipper.
7. Add in the chopped milk chocolate & pecan nuts together with the cinnamon. Stir the filling well together by hand.
8. Spread the filling on top of the bun dough.
9. Roll the dough together on the long side.
10. Divide the dough into 16-20 buns.
11. Cover a baking tray (35 x 45 cm) with a piece of baking parchment.
12. Place the bun piece with the filling part facing upward close together in the baking tray.
13. Let the dough for 30 minutes.
14. Heat up the oven to 200-210'C.
15. Place the baking tray with the buns in the lower part of the oven.
16. Bake the buns at 200-210'C for approx 25-30 minutes.
17. Cool down the cinnamon buns.
18. Add all the frosting ingredients into a mixing bowl. Whip the frosting together using an electrical whipped.
19. When the cinnamon buns are cold, the frosting can be placed on top of the buns.
20. Finally decorate the frosting with cinnamon sugar.
21. Enjoy and serve together with a cup of coffee/tea.

Danish rhubarb gin tonic

It has been a very rainy day here in Denmark, so I been relaxing enjoying my latest shopping with focus on Danish gin making another version of rhubarb-strawberry gin tonic.

Danish rhubarb gin tonic: - 1 cocktail

• 6 cl rhubarb Østersøens Brænderi
• 20 cl Oh Deer tonic rabarber
• ice cubes

1. Fill the gin high ball glass with ice cubs and rhubarb gin.
2. Fill the remaining part of the glass rhubarb tonic
3. Cheers and enjoy the week-end

Gin shopping

Last week-end you was  able to get 20-40% on Danish gin and gin supplements at Kun det bedste, so I was filling up my gin stock. The first thing being added to the virtual shopping basket was these "te tonic tea bag", so you can infuse your gin tonic.

I also brought this rhubarb gin from Østersøens Brænderi together with these rhubarb tonic from Oh Deer Tonic, so I can make another version Danish rhubarb gin tonic as alternative to this rhubarb-strawberry gin tonic.

For those of my guests, which have to drive home I decided to buy a bottle of alcohol-free gin in form of Herbie Virgin.

Little knit shawl - progress 1

In the beginning it always goes very, very fast knitting a shawl, when you start from only two knit masks, which is extended in with one more mask on very second row of knitting. little knit shawl.

I also think, that you more clearly now can see the knit pattern in form of either only straight knitting on the front or a combination of blocks of reverse knitting divided by straight knitting.

Salt shopping in Lund, Sweden

Mid in July I went to Lund, Sweden in connection with a business trip. I did not get much time on my own during this trip away from the customer activity, but I did managed to spend 1½ hours looking around the town center of Lund including some shopping expeditions into various shops. I found a great shop for cloth shopping as well as delicatessen selling salads/sandwiches for my evening meal.

In this delicatessen I found these two salts from Iceland from Nordur Salt, one plain version and the other salt with rhubarb flavour. It is the first time, I have seen salt with rhubarb flavour, so therefore I needed to buy this specific salt.

Little knit shawl - new project

After finishing my recent project on knit shawl in multi colours, I found some yarn as well as a recipe on smaller knit shawl. I think this shawl is more target for use during Spring & Summer time, as it is smaller.

The yarn is Scarlet by Permin. It is a combination of 58% linen, 16% cotton and 26% viscose.

The pattern is either only straight knitting on the front or a combination of blocks of reverse knitting divided by straight knitting. It will be easier to see, when I next time share a photo.

Look by from time to time to the progress.

White currant cordial

Again I have been inviting myself around to the garden of my good friends in Horsens to pick some more white currants as well as black currant, so I could make both this white currant cordial, this black currant cordial and finally this all currant jelly. This time my friends were at home, so after my picking currants for my many kitchen projects (look by the coming time to see, what I have been up to), I was served a cup of tea and home-made cake with red currants.

I decided to use the recipe on black currant cordial replacing all the black currants with white curant instead of.

Adjust the ratio of water and sugar to the amount of white currants, which you have picked as well as the amount of white currant juice, which you have after the cooking process.It is an easy recipe to scale up as well as down.

White currant cordial:

• 1000 g white currant - washed and cleaned, the stalks removed
• 300 ml water
• 300 g sugar per 500 ml black currant juice
• 1 teaspoon citric acid per 500 ml black currant juice

1. Place the prepared white currants together with the water in cooking pot.
2. Bring the white currants to the boil, let the white currant simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Mask the white currants to release all of the fruit juice.
4. Pour the white currants either into a jelly bag or into a sieve. It is easier to press the white currants with a cooking spoon, when placed in a sieve based on my experience.
5. Measure the amount of white currant juice. Add the white currant juice in a cooking pot with 300 g sugar per 500 ml white currant as well as 1 teaspoon citric.
6. Dissolve the sugar over low heat. The cordial should not be boiled.
7. Pour the white currant cordial into cleaned bottles.
8. Dilute the white cordial with water upon serving it.
9. Enjoy :-)

August - what's up

August - what's up

August is the third and last month of Summer here in Denmark. Here in August you can still be harvest berries of different sorts, plums and perhaps some early Summer apple will be ready as well. So, you can still make various jams and perhaps find time for some baking of cakes with vegetable.

plum jam

Danish apple cake

squash cake

I hope you will look by my kitchen from time to time here in August to see, what kind of activities are taking place in my kitchen or in the garden :-)

So fare I have been the following stuff in my little kitchen here in August: