New Year 2021 - Marzipan cakes with white chocolate

 

At Midnight New Year´s Eve it is tradition to enjoy marzipan cakes (kransekage) together with champagne/sparkling wine, when the bell will ring it´s 12 strokes. It is best to drink a sweet type of champagne/sparkling wine, so the champagne does not clashes with the sweet marzipan cake.

For this year I have created these marzipan cake with orange twist using a recipe from the weekly magazine "Hendes Verden" (issue 52/2021). I have made no modifications to this recipe. 

The advantage of baking your own marzipan cakes is, that you decided on both the sweetness level as well as the taste of these cakes, if you want to twist the taste. Another advantage by baking your marzipan cake is, that you can use leftovers of marzipan after all the Christmas activities of home-made marzipan based Christmas sweets.

If you have some leftover soft nougat I could also use this nougat for filling instead of the white chocolate.

Marzipan cakes with white chocolate: - 15-20 cakes 

• 100 g sugar
• 50 g egg white (pasteurised)
• 250 g marzipan
• 100 g white chocolate

1. Whip the sugar and egg white together, let it stand for 30 minutes and whip it from time to time.
2. Knead the marzipan soft.
3. Knead the egg white - sugar mixture together with the marzipan.
4. Fill the marzipan mixture into the pipping bag.
5. Heat up the oven to 220'C.
6. Pipe the marzipan cake mixture into 15-20 cakes pieces on a piece of baking parchment.
7. Make a small hole in each marzipan cake.
8. Bake the marzipan cake at 220'C for 8-10 minutes.
9. Re-shape the hole after the baking.
10. Melt the white chocolate.
11. Fill the hole in the marzipan cakes with the melted white chocolate.
12. Optional decorate the white chocolate with decoration items. 
13. Enjoy and happy New Year :-)

New Year 2021 - suggestions for home-made marzipan cake

  

Tomorrow it is the last day here in 2021, so it is time to prepare for New Year's Eve tomorrow. Here in Denmark the tradition is to eat marzipan cake (kransekage) together with a glass of champagne (it is best to drink sweet champagne, when you eat marzipan cake to avoid a clash in your mouth between sweet cake and dry champagne), as we step from the old year into the new year.

If you would like to bake your very own marzipan cakes, I will already now share my entire collection of various suggestions on marzipan cake (known as kransekage in Denmark), which I have created during the "life time" of Kitchen of Kiki. It will give you time to go shopping for the needed ingredients as well as baking them for New Year's Eve tomorrow and perhaps clear out the last Christmas marzipan left-overs.

I find, that the major advantages of making your own marzipan cake is, that you are in control of the overall  sweetness in the final cake, so you can make the cake more or less sweet according to your sweetness preference, instead for "just living with" the sweetness in the cakes, which you buy, which I find to be too sweet !!!

If you would like to have  more softness in your marzipan cake, you should freeze them after baking. The only drawback is, that I find freezing to reduce the overall flavour profile of the cake.

I will not be making any of the above mentioned suggestion for New Year's Eve, as I will trying out a new version, so look by tomorrow on New Year Eve day for the marzipan creation of 2021 in form of marzipan cakes with white chocolate.

 

Marzipan cake with orange twist

Marzipan cake with nougat filling

marzipan cake with rose

The "classic" type of marzipan cake is the white version of these zebra marzipan cake. The white version is made from plain marzipan, while the dark version is made from marzipan containing cocoa.

Another good tasting marzipan cake could be these marzipan orange cakes or with an extra little twist in of orange flower as here marzipan orange cakes with orange flower. A third suggestion giving similar looking cakes are marzipan cakes with clementine and Cointreau.

Another excellent taste twist on "kransekage" is pomegranate marzipan cake combining the freshness of pomegranate with the sweetness of marzipan.

As a colourful farewell to 2016 these baked marzipan confect are an option. The only drawback is, that the forest fruit marzipan (purple looking marzipan) is loosing colour during the baking !!! However, you do not need to worry about this topic, as Odense Marcipan has withdrawn this specific marzipan product from their product range.

In 2013 liquorice marzipan was the "new black flavour" within the marzipan world, as it so many other food items here in Danmark, so therefore I created these liquorice marzipan cake. Also in 2014 I made liquorice marzipan cake.

I 2016 I made these marzipan cake with ginger and lime.

Another fantastic flavour combination would be this marzipan cake with raspberry and lime, which you share with your sweet heart.

In 2015 I made this fantastic marzipan horn.

Christmas Calendar 2021 Day 23 - Indulgent rice pudding

 

Tomorrow it is Christmas Eve, so you should consider to start the preparation of the classic Danish Christmas dessert  ris a la mande already today. It takes time to boil the rice porridge, and afterwards the rice porridge has to cool down, before you can add in the whipped cream.

This time I decide to prepare the rice porridge the traditional way, so by cooking in a cooking pot instead of the preparing it in the microwave own. When you boil the rice porridge the traditional way, you need to have patience, as you should the cooking slowly and gently, so you do not end up with a burned rice porridge. 

I have found this recipe in the weekly magazine "Hendes Verden" (issue 50/2021). My modification is, that I have added a pinch of salt as well as mixing the vanilla corn with ½ teaspoon sugar.

Indulgent rice pudding: - 4-6 portions

• 1 dl porridge rice
• 1 dl water
• 5 dl milk (full fat or use what you have in the refrigerator)
• 1 vanilla pod - cut and vanilla corn removed and separated by ½ teaspoon sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2½ tablespoon sugar
• almond split from 100 g almonds without skin
• 4 dl dairy whipping cream - 38% fat
• cherry sauce or cherries in rum

1. Start by cooking the porridge rice in the water for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add in the milk little by little together with the salt , vanilla corns and the vanilla pod.
3. Gentle bring the rice porridge to the simmer, stirring regular. 
4. Let the rice porridge simmer gently for 50 minutes.
5. Meanwhile prepare the almond by removing the skin. Place the almonds in boiling water, the skin is remove slipping the almond after 4-5 minutes standing time in the hot water.
6. Chop the almonds.
7. After the cooking of the rice porridge stir the in the sugar.
8. When the rice porridge is cooled down, remove the vanilla pod. 
9. Stir in the chopped almonds.
10. Whipped the dairy whipping cream. If you add the whipped dairy cream in warm rice porridge, when the whipped cream will melt !!!
11. Stir in the whipped cream gentle, ittle by little, almost like folding in the cream.
12. Heat up the cherry sauce.
13. Serve and enjoy :-) Happy Christmas :-)

Christmas Calendar 2021 Day 13 - Lucia buns

 Today is Lucia day a day of singing girls in white dresses and candlelight in their hands. Besides from the singing and the candles you should also eat Lucia buns (buns with saffron) known as Lussekatte in Sweden, where the day of Lucia is an even bigger event than here in Denmark.

The Danish Lucia song by Alex Garff:

Nu bæres lyset frem                       - Now worn light up
stolt på din krone.                          - proud of your crown.
Rundt om i hus og hjem                  - Around the house and home
sangen skal tone.                            - the song should sound.
Nu på Lucia-dag                            - Now on Lucia Day
hilser vort vennelag                         - welcome to our friends
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia.               - Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia

Her ved vor ønskefest                    -  Here at our desire celebration
sangen skal klinge.                          - the song to fade.
Gaver til hver en gæst                     - Gifts for every guest
glad vil du bringe.                           - glad you bring.
Skænk os af lykkens væld              - Grant us the happiness wealth
lige til livets kvæld                          - right to life eve
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia.               - Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia.

As starting recipe for the bun I used this recipe on classic buns, which really have become my favorite bun recipe. Other recipes on Lucia buns could be these saffron buns a la Anne´s Food,  Lucia buns, saffron pot buns, Lucia buns year 2017, Lucia buns 2018 & Lucia buns 2019.

How to roll the bun into the right shape you can below on these photos:

Lucia buns: 18-20 buns

• 650 g wheat flour
• 50 g sugar
• 125 g butter - soft
• 25 g fresh yeast
• 1 egg
• 8 g salt
• 0.25 g saffron
• 2½ dl whole fat milk
• egg wash for glazing

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. 30-40 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 75 g each.
8. Shape the dough pieces into the shape of Lucia bun look at the photos above
9. Place the bun pieces on the baking tray covered with baking parchment. 
10. Let the bun raise for second time for approx 40 minutes under a tea towel.
11. Heat up the fan oven to 200'C.
12. Bake the bun at 200'C for 15 minutes, turning the baking trays around after 8 minutes to get an even baking.
13. Cold down the buns, before serving them with a nice cup of tea/coffee.

Christmas Calendar 2021 Day 7 - Wafers with almond flour

Today I will be baking wafers in my kitchen using a recipe from "Hendes Verden" (issue 49/2021). I have no made any modification to this recipe.

I am not buying any almond flour, as I will use my Bamix blender to blend whole almonds into a fin flour type. I am lazy, so I blend the almonds with their skin on. Perhaps this can be called "whole grain" almond flour ?

Wafers with almond flour: -12 wafers

• 75 g almond flour
• 250 g wheat flour
• 2 teaspoon lemon zest from organic lemon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 500 g milk
• 3 eggs
• 40 g butter - melted

1. Add the almond flour, wheat flour, lemon zest, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
2. Add in the milk, and mix using an electrical hand-mixer.
3. Add in the eggs, one by one, mixing in between.
4. Finally add in the melted butter.
5. Let the wafer dough rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
6. Heat up the wafer equipment.
7. Pour 2-3 spoonful of the wafer dough in the wafer equipment. Distribute the dough evenly.
8. Bake the wafer for approx 4 minutes.
9. Place the baked wafer on a oven grid, so the steam can disappeared, which ensures, that the wafer will become crisp.
10. Serve with maple syrup, icing sugar and/or ice cream. 

Christmas Calendar 2021 Day 6 - beginning on a new Christmas Sweater

 

This year for Christmas I have decided to knit yet Christmas sweater, so I will have more than just one Christmas sweater, which I have wear during December and/or during the Winter season.

This year I have found this KAL (Knit ALong) on Hals sweater by Sigknitture.dk, where you can get the knit pattern for free here in December, as this KAL at the same time works as a test knit.

The original knit pattern has a turtleneck, which is not a favourite neck for me, as I do not like to have my cloth too close to my neck. 

The yarn suggestion was also some yarn, which I find to be too scratchy for me, as I am wool sensitive. So I decided to to use a merino wool, where I found a goof offer on Mayflower Easy care. 

First I tested to adjust the elasticity of from the original knit pattern to the selected yarn, but did not work for me, so therefore I found another knit pattern, where I will use the stitch numbers and use the pattern of the Christmas tree from the "Hals sweater". 

Let´s see, if I can knit a new Christmas sweater before Christmas ? As I have spend a week testing yarn type and stitch numbers.

Christmas Calendar 2021 Day 5 - Rice pudding - ris ala mande

 

In December Ris à l´amande is THE Christmas dessert in Denmark. And at work it will be served every Friday at lunch, starting from the Friday before the first Sunday in Advent. And some of these dessert portion will actual contain whole almonds, where the lucky finders will be able to pick up a small present in form of Christmas cookies, candy and a mandarine. Even though I have working many years, where I have been working at my present work place, I think I only twice have gotten a portion of ris à l´amande with a whole almond in-side, whereas some of my colleagues have almost a weekly "hit rate" on the whole almond.

So today I will share my way of making ris á l´amande with you for a dessert for this second Sunday in Advent.

Ris à l´amande (Traditional Danish rice pudding with warm cherry sauce) - 4 persons:

• 
  1 dl porridge rice
• 3 dl water
• 2 dl milk
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1-2 tabelspoon sugar
• almond split from 30 almonds without skin
• 2½ dl dairy whipping cream - 38% fat
• cherry sauce

1. Cook the rice and water in the EasyRice cooker in the microwave oven - 15 minutes - 800 W.  Do NOT cook the rice porridge with the milk in the EasyRice cooker as you will damage your Tupperware plastic thing. Take the EasyRice cooker out of the microwave oven.
2. Add the milk together with vanilla corns as well as the vanilla pod in the Mircroplus pot. Heat it up to the boiling point.
3. Mix the warm milk with the rice in the EasyRice cooker and leave it for 10 minute. Also add sugar.
4. After 10 minutes cold down the rice porridge for 1-2 hours or night over.
5. Whip the cream.
6. Do not forget to remove the vanilla pod.
7. Mix cold rice porridge, almond splits and cream together, gentle mixing.
8. Heat up the cherry sauce.
9. If you are whole almond believer do NOT forget to mix in this almond or you will be in big trouble with your family and guests.
10. Serve and enjoy :-)

Christmas Calendar 2021 Day 4 - Christmas liqueur

 

For some of the drinkable Christmas items you need to get started in good time, as the alcoholic versions need to infusion for minimum 2 weeks and other times up to 30-40 days.

Some years ago I tried to make this Christmas liqueur with orange, coffee beans and vanilla. It was not a hit for me personally. Coffee and I is not always a good combination. So, when I found this recipe in the weekly Danish magazine "Hendes Verden" I decided to give it a try, as there was no addition of coffee beans :-)

Christmas Liqueur:

• 1 orange - organic - only the peel
• 2 sticks of cinnamon
• 15 cloves
• 3 tablespoon of sugar
• 4 seeds of cardamom - slightly crushed 
• 1 vanilla pod - cut through
• 1 bottle of vodka

1. Add boiling water to the glass for 5 minutes or simply clean it
2. Cut the vanilla pod through. 
3. Add orange peel, sugar, vanilla pod, cinnamon sticks and cloves to the glass 
4. Fill up the glass with the vodka.
5. Turn the glass up side down each day
   
6. Let the Christmas liqueur rest for 25-30 days
7. Pour the Christmas liqueur through a sieve into a new clean bottle.
8. Enjoy and merry Christmas

Christmas Calendar 2021 Day 3 - Orange Christmas liqueur

Some years ago I tried to make this Christmas liqueur with orange, coffee beans and vanilla. It was not a hit for me personally. Coffee and I is not always a good combination.

However, when I started to make my annual "production" of the Christmas aquavita, which has a nice delicate taste of orange, I decided to divide it into two portions. One portion being the usual version, and other version I decided to test addition of a little sugar to turned into a liqueur. 

Orange Christmas liqueur:

• 0.35 l plain vodka
• 2 organic oranges
• 2 spoonful of sugar
  
  

1. Peel the oranges with potato peeler, avoid to have to much of the white part of the peel.
2. Dry the peel at 100'C in the oven for 1-1½ hours - the peel most not be burned.
3. Place the dried peel in 1 l glass
4. Add the vodka as well as the sugar
5. Be patient for 14 days before removing the peel and the aquavit is ready for consumption.

Christmas Calendar 2021 Day 2 - Christmas aquavita

 

During the years I have trying out different many different recipes on Christmas aquavita (Christmas aquavita with spices & Christmas aquavita a la Mette Blomsterberg), but my preferred recipe is this one on Christmas aquavit, which for me has the simple and the best taste. I have the recipe from my Godmother.

As this Christmas aquavita requires some time for infusion, you need to get started on this aquavita, so it ready for Christmas and the many various Christmas lunches either before or after Christmas Eve.

This Christmas aquavit has a wonderful flavour of orange without being sweet. And it goes very well with the cold and warm dishes served at Christmas.

I find, that the glass with the dried orange peel and the aquavit looks like modern art, perhaps you could call it food art ?

This year I have decided to replace the Brøndum Snaps with plain vodka, as some people will dislike the flavour coming from the Brøndum clear snaps. 

I have also decided to test out a liqueur version of this Christmas Aquavita by adding in a few spoonful of sugar. 

Christmas Aquavit:

• 0.35 l plain vodka
• 2 organic oranges
  

1. Peel the oranges with potato peeler, avoid to have to much of the white part of the peel.
2. Dry the peel at 100'C in the oven for 1-1½ hours - the peel most not be burned.
3. Place the dried peel in 1 l glass
4. Add the vodka.
5. Be patient for 14 days before removing the peel and the aquavit is ready for consumption.

Christmas Calendar 2021 Day 1 - Welcome

 

Welcome to Christmas Calendar 2021

Another Christmas, where I am spending plenty of wonderful hours in my kitchen baking and creating various Christmas stuff as preparation for Christmas. However, I will not be filling up my house with plenty of guests during these corona times. This year is actually my eleventh season, where I am creating my own Christmas Calendar !

This year, I have no selected a theme to work with, and my post will be delayed from time to time, as December can be a busy month both at work as well as at home. So, look in from time to time to see, how I have been doing in my kitchen and home.