October 8, 2010 - 4:40pm
Trying to get ready for Christmas
Trying to get pix and comment together. oh boy! I think I did it. (Now if I can just remember how I did it) Hooray from Pam (hghmtnpam)
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Trying to get ready for Christmas
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I need more than a pic to understand what you have made, and why is it for Xmas, is it a traditional bread, sweet or what?
I like to try unusual things for Xmas baking, and this one looks good.
Hi EvaB
This is a traditional Czech Christmas bread called Vanochka. I got this recipe from Celebration Breads authored by Betsy Oppenneer. Her book is full of wonderful breads and the traditions surrounding them. For example: "Many customs are following in preparing the dough for Vanochka. The mother must always wear a white apron and kerchief. To produce the perfect Vanochka, she cannot talk while preparing the dough and should jump up and down periodically while the dough rises." (Frankly, I think this was a women with 10 kids, and all she wanted was a few minutes of peace and quiet). It is a rich dough, full of raisins and almonds, braided and then sprinkled with powdered sugar. It was fun to bake and I think it would be fun to give to the neighbors for Christmas (along with the history of the bread).
Pam
dont' think I would do that, but can see the requirement for not talking while making the dough, you might need to concentrate on the exact measure of the ingredients.
It certainly looks wonderful, and will bet it tastes great, I shall have to see if I can get that book, as I enjoy collecting cookbooks even if I don't ever bake or cook anything from them. I have over 100 now and am starting on bread books, which I now have 5, and the names of 2 more! LOL can we say obsessive?
Glad to find someone as obsessive as me. I need to build an addition just for books! Pam
I am reovating a 13.5' by 22' rec room into a combination library and sewing room, to take care of my ever expanding book problem! I have three large bookcases down the hall (makes the hall a bit narrow) and a bookcase in the dining room, and several other places for books in several other rooms, and if I manage the space downstairs carefully will at least have a lot more shelving for books. Of course I have to put back a number of the books I have taken out of there, but otherwise, I shall have many more spaces for books, and I can redo the cookbooks (in the dining room) so I can actually get to them, they are rather stacked and packed!
My problem is I don't only collect cookbooks, but novels, and other books to do with sewing, and cross stitching and art photography, history of the area (my family has been here since 1928, and my husband's since 1898) and........ you kinda get the picture here right???
However I have just sent off an email to my book shop ordering both the book you reccomneded and the one Floyd was reviewing about Biscotti, so hoping to get both. After all my birthday is coming up in November, and there is Xmas approaching! This way dear hubby doesn't have to strain his brain for a gift!
And I knit, a lot, while my bread rises. How many books are too many?? Obviously, neither one of us has reached that point. I am getting ready to put bookshelves in my sewing room, too. i just got Laurel's Kitchen Bread. I have started to read my novels on a Sony Reader. This cuts down on a few books!! Pam
but not as often as read and stitch! My hands just don't like knitting much anymore, and I sat and crocheted a pot mat the other day, and my hands still haven't recovered totally.
I simply like the book, the weight the feel of it, and while I think its good to have the option of the readers out there, don't know what effect it might have on my eyes down the road, so will stick to the books, Besided they say something in my life and to others after I'm gone, I liked permanence, not bites of data which can be lost or corrupted.