On the sixth and seventh day of Christmas...

On the sixth and seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me... 'Bolo Rei'... The king cake. 

A traditional Xmas cake in Portugal, was originally french and introduced to the portuguese during the 19th century. 

A cake with a hole in the middle, made from a white light dough filled with nuts, raisins and crystalized fruit. It will be hard to find a portuguese household that doesn't have this cake at Christmas! 

It's also part of the tradition to have a small toy baked into the dough... However this was banned due to it being a choking hazard and now you can find a fava bean instead. 

As time goes by the market evolves and some have explored that and have created different versions of this cake in a bid to attract those who don't enjoy this fruit cake... For those who don't enjoy crystalized fruit like myself, there is now a queen cake, a cake made with just the nuts and dried fruit. But some go further an choose to attract the chocolate lovers, a chocolate a vermicelli pumpkin king cake! 

My parents enjoy this cake a lot. Particularly on Christmas day, In the morning, toasted with butter. Christmas feels that one bit special... 

Want to try it this year? Here's how to make it... 

Ingredients

• ½ Cup Candied Citrus Fruit
• 3 T. Raisins
• ½ Cup Pine Nuts
• ½ Cup Walnuts
• ⅓ Cup plus 2 Teaspoons Port Wine
• 2½ teaspoon active dry yeast
• ⅓ Cup plus 2 teaspoons milk
• 3½ Cups unbleached flour
• 1½ teaspoon salt
• 7 Teaspoon unsalted butter, softened
• ⅓ Cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar
• Grated zest of 2 oranges
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 dried fava bean and Large Coin
• Topping:
• 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water
• 10 candied cherries
• 1 package of Natural Delights Medjool Dates
• Powdered sugar for garnish

Instructions

1. Soak candied fruit, raisins and pine nuts in Port Wine overnight or until plump.
2. Sprinkle yeast into milk in bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Stir to dissolve.
3. Mix flour and salt in large bowl.
4. Make well in center and pour in dissolved yeast.
5. Use wooden spoon to draw enough flour into dissolved yeast to form soft paste.
6. Cover bowl with dish towel and let stand until “sponge” is frothy and slightly risen, about 20 minutes.
7. In separate bowl, beat butter with sugar and orange zests until light and fluffy.
8. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat well after each addition.
9. Add mixture to flour mixture and mix in flour from sides to until dough is soft.
10. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface.
11. Knead until soft, smooth, silky and elastic, about 10 minutes.
12. Knead in dried fruit and pine nuts until evenly distributed.
13. Place dough into clean bowl and cover with dish towel.
14. Let rise until doubled in size. We usually let it sit overnight, but as little as 2 hours is usually ok.
15. Punch down, then let rest 10 minutes.
16. Shape dough into ring and place on buttered baking sheet.
17. Wrap dried fava bean or trinket separately in wax paper.
18. Insert tiny package into bottom of shaped dough.
19. Cover with dish towel and set aside until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
20. To prepare topping:
21. Brush dough with egg glaze and decorate with candied fruit and powdered sugar.
22. Bake at 350°F. 45 minutes until golden.
23. Cool on wire rack.
24. Makes 1 Loaf

Source: http://familyfoodie.com/bolo-rei-the-king-of-christmas-desserts/

     Source: food52.com 

Have a merry bake!!!! 

On the fifth day of Christmas...

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me... Eggnog!!!! 

I know I am running behind on my 12 days of Xmas, but things have been a bit crazy at home these past few days. 

But never mind that! Lets get back to what is important... Eggnog... The most alcoholic christmassey dessert-like drink I have ever had!!! My cousin is an expert at eggnog making and it was a staple drink at many of our Christmases. 

Last year I decided to give it a go for a Christmas  party and it turns out it takes a lot of skill to get it just right. I followed all of my cousins instructions and even then it seperated and didn't have the consistency it required. 

You have to be prepared for its sweetness and creamyness. I still find it hard to believe it is an aperitif drink rather than dessert! 

But give it a try. If you like your booze strong then you will be pleasantly surprised;) 

    Souce:www.marthastewart.com

Servings: 26 

INGREDIENTS

• 12 eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
• 1 quart whole milk
• 1 1/2 quarts heavy cream
• 3 cups bourbon
• 1/2 cup dark rum
• 2 cups cognac
• Freshly grated nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   In a very large bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and pale yellow. Gradually add sugar to yolks. With a wire whisk, beat in milk and 1 quart cream. Add bourbon,rum, and cognac, stirring constantly.

2. STEP 2

   Just before serving, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into mixture. Whip remaining 1/2 quart heavy cream until stiff, and fold in. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

SOURCE: 

Martha Stewart Living, December 2000

Have a merry bake! 

On the fourth day of Christmas...

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me... Hot chocolate with a twist! 

Who doesn't enjoy a nice warm cup of hot chocolate? But a proper hot chocolate... Nice and smooth, with an intense flavour. 

I now see a lot more people getting in the mood for some, which in turn, has generated a buzz and a demand for it. So now around Porto you can find places that make really good hot chocolate. 

However you can get bored of hot chocolate really easily... Always the same(specially for me... I never take the risk and always stick to what I know). 

So this year I want to be bold and different... So I am making hot chocolate for adults!! 

I was looking for inspiration for my jar gifts(I've become slightly addicted to gifts in a jar), when I came across an interesting pin on pintrest for hot chocolate in a jar with Baileys.

   (Source: www.dodoburd.com) 

It was pinned from www.dodoburd.com and you can find other ideas for gifts in a jar as well. 

But I like to be diferent and since I live in the land of Port wine, why not make a port wine hot chocolate? 

Give these ideas a try!!! 

Have a merry bake! 

On the third day of Christmas...

On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me... Traditions! 

Every country has its Christmas traditions  and one of the good things of living abroad is getting to know people from all over the world and what these traditions are. I've learned a lot with all my friends... And one thing I've learnt is that these traditions also vary within each household. 

My Christmas traditions are different from my best friend's and we only live a few minutes away from each other. 

For example, most portuguese families celebrate Christmas Eve rather than Christmas day, my family is the other way round. 

We go all out on Christmas day with roast turkey with sides slightly diferent to what you are used to... Rice, broccoli dressed in a delicious mustard sauce, 'farofa'(toasted mandioc mixture), potato crisps, turkey stuffing and gravy. 

And don't get me started on the desserts... My favourite part of the meal! 

In Portugal most of our traditional bakes and sweets involve egg yolks, sugar and almonds. And at Christmas that is no different! We rely heavily on a sugar and cinnamon syrup to finish off our desserts, giving them that extra sweetness and making then even more appetising.

Then again this all varies within the household. In my family we can always count on a portuguese creme brulee(resembles more of a british custard), rice pudding, 'aletria'(just like rice pudding but made with angel hair pasta) and rabanadas(resembles french toast). One of the desserts that is required to be present in our Christmas is 'mexidos', my mum's speciality, a calorie bomb filled with bread, butter, eggs and dried fruit. Christmas isn't Christmas without 'mexidos'! 

We also have a portuguese version of the fruit cake. It's called 'bolo Rei' (king cake) , it's a light dough cake filled with dried fruit and crystalized fruit.

    (Source:www.caestamosnos.org)

These are my Christmas traditions and what are yours?  

Have a merry bake!! 

On the second day of Christmas...

On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me... Greetings from Germany!! 

When you think of Christmas what's the first thing that comes to your mind? 

To me... Is the smell... The Christmas smell... Cinnamon and spices! 

And what concentrates all these aromas?! A german cookie called Lebkuchen! 

Lebkuchen, also called Pfefferkuchen, is German gingerbread. It's a traditional German soft cookie which has as its base molasses and honey and their aroma is a beautiful blend of spices, such as, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. You will find many regional variations, but the most well-known is the Nürnberger Lebkuchen.(www.germanfoodguide.com)

From my research, the original recipe is made with honey and molasses but I found some made with butter. 

And here is how you make it:

Yield: 18 cookies

 

prep time: 15 minutes (active) 2 hours (inactive)

 

cook time: 10-12 minutes

 

total time: 2 hours 45 minutes

For the Cookies:
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
1¼ teaspoons ground nutmeg
1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1 egg
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ cup honey
½ cup molasses

For the Glaze:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Set aside.

3. Beat the egg and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.

4. Beat in the honey and molasses until thoroughly combined.

5. On low speed, stir in the flour mixture until just combined.

6. Turn the dough out from the bowl onto a well-floured surface. Knead the dough, adding more flour as kneaded, until a stiff dough is formed.

7. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

8. On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough into a 9x12-inch rectangle. Cut the dough into 18 3x2-inch rectangles. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

9. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Whisk together the confectioner's sugar, water and lemon juice and brush or spread on top of the cookies.

10. Allow the glaze to firm, and then store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

(Source:www.browneyedbaker.com)

This is how mine turned out. I used Betty Crocker's recipe and made a slight change... I don't have allspice so I added a little bit of ginger to the mix and I also removed the chopped nuts, as I thought it didn't add much to the cookies. The icing of these cookies vary... The recipe above gives you a glazed icing.I prefer a chocolate icing, which is also a delicious option. Just melt dark chocolate and glaze to taste(you can also add a sugar syrup to the chocolate to thin it out). 

Also give Martha Stewart's Lebkuchen a go. 

Give it a try! Have a merry bake!