Category: Christmas Recipes

Finnish Mustard

Finnish Mustard
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This is a deliciously sweet and slightly hot Finnish Mustard that is a must with all the leftovers from Christmas dinner.

The recipe comes direct from Tess Kiros‘ beautiful cookbook Falling Cloudberries. I received this stunning book from a friend, Shoufay Derz years ago as a gift for doing some special/makeup effects on a video/sound art installation that she was doing with fellow artist Owen Leong titled Entanglement.

This is the mustard used in the Finnish Ham recipe so double the recipe if you would also like to give some as gifts.

Hyvää Joulua! (Merry Christmas)

Blondie

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Curried Green Tomatoes and Cranberry Relish

Curried Green Tomatoes and Cranberry Relish
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Curried Green Tomatoes and Cranberry Relish is a small batch recipe using green tomatoes. Yes, these are the very same green tomatoes from Bella’s neighbour… they seriously have lots of tomatoes!

I graciously received a large bowl of tomatoes last week and I chose to make a relish, although I’m not quite sure if I should call it a relish or a chutney? They seem to be the same… anyway, surprisingly, after a discussion with mum about my relish she tells me that it was a favourite recipe of grandpa’s and he made something almost identical whenever his veggie garden was flowing over with tomatoes. It just goes to show that flavour traits can run strong within families.

Bella made a Pickled Green Tomato with her stash and I also wanted something that could be served with nibbles since the Christmas season is fast coming up. It’s also the reason why I added cranberries to the recipe, just makes it a little more festive. Maybe I should call this a Christmas Relish, it certainly deserves a place on the dinner table.

Serve with any roast meat, on a sandwich using leftovers, or on your breakfast eggs… delicious!

Curried Green Tomatoes and Cranberry Relish

Enjoy!  Blondie

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Pickled Green Tomatoes

FinSki's_PIckled Toms Plants
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What’s would you make with green tomatoes?

For me it has to be pickled green tomatoes, just perfect with some sourdough bread, a strong cheese and your favourite glass of wine!

The photo you are looking at is of my neighbour’s (Denise) backyard fence which faces onto our carport entry.

Beginning of spring she planted a couple of grape tomato trees and they have GONE WILD! They are the most amazing looking plants which could almost have a starring role in a movie like ‘the attack of the killer tomato trees’ and to my luck they have decided to jump over the fence and grow on my side but hey not that I am complaining! I have already informed Denise that what is on my side is fair game so with bowl and scissors in hand off I went to pick these gorgeous little green plump babies.

FinSki's_Pickled Toms on Vine Shot About 20 years ago mum made a gorgeous green tomato pickle from her home grown tomatoes and I always promised myself that one day I would add this to my cooking repertoire so that one day was two weeks ago! I currently have them sitting in my fridge, developing their pickled flavour, ready for Christmas nibbles and drinks!

A huge thank you should go to Denise as well for allowing her green babies to grown on my side and for sharing them with me! Smile

PIckled Green Tomatos
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Buche de Noel or Yule Log

FinSkis Buche de Noel
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Buche de Noel, Swiss Roll, Yule Log or Christmas Cake…regardless of what you call it, it’s divine! This chocolate sponge, filled with velvety soft whipped cream, covered in ultra rich chocolate icing is perfect for the Christmas day family gathering.

I’m a sponge virgin! The shot that you are looking at is my very first attempt at a sponge roll and with 38 days till Christmas (ekkk!) I am feeling rather chuffed at my first attempt.

Researching the history of Buche de Noel (thanks to good old wikipedia and Google!) as the name suggests it is French in origin but has links to Celtic tradition which dates back all the way to the Iron Ages. In winter the families would get together in December to celebrate winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. They would decorate yule logs with holly, pine cones or ivy and burn the logs. This would not only usher in spring but also warn off any evil spirits and signify rebirth.

Legend has it that the recipe really came to life when Napoleon issued a law which stopped Parisians using their chimneys because he thought the cold air caused people to get sick. Seeing as people were no longer able to burn logs in their fire places the Parisian bakers invented the dessert as a substitute for the actual process of burning the log.

I tasted my first Buche de Noel a few years ago at my husbands parents place.They bought the most amazingly decorator chocolate log cake I have ever seen, each year the log would come with different decorations which we have kept. The Santa on top of mine is from the very first cake I tasted.

Sponge cakes are easy, providing that you follow the instructions to the nth degree. I did with this one. My sponge was light, fluffy and easy to roll. The secret is to have everything prepared and ready.

So from my family to yours, wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and HAPPY BAKING!

Bella Cool

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Gruyer Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Mushrooms with gruyer
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Each year, around November I ask myself the same old question…what the heck happened to the year? I mean it seems that one week I am packing up the Christmas tree, the next I am explaining to Imogen why Woolworths has Easter eggs out when we still have Christmas wrapping waiting to be recycled and shortly after it’s back to making Santa lists!

Regardless of how fast the year flies by I have to admit, I love the silly season. After 11 months of working your fingers to the bone there is a sense of relaxation, that care free attitude, happiness, drinks and parties and more drinks!

So with the cocktail and Christmas parties literally just around the corner (some of you have have gotten a head start) here is a divine finger food recipe that goes well with wine and or bubbles. Guryer stuffed mushrooms. Its dead easy to make and your guests will be lining up for more and more!

Got a favourite finger food recipe?

Wishing you a a fantastic silly season!

BellaLeave a comment

Chai Spiced Cherry Compote in Port Syrup

Chai Spiced Cherry Compote in Port Syrup
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Chai Spiced Cherry Compote in Port Syrup… Tis’ the season to be cherry!

Thanks to Bella’s parents, who went cherry picking near Orange over the weekend, we have mounds of these glorious red baubles. This means you will be seeing quite a few cherry recipes this year.

Using my Chai Whole Spice Mix (see below) I have made a delicious Chai Spiced Cherry Compote in Port Syrup that can be used in numerous ways. Have it drizzled over ice-cream, you can puree it and make it as a filling to use in your biscuits (use it instead of the prune jam in the Finnish Tarts – Joulutorttu) or put a couple of cherries with some syrup in the bottom of your champagne glass… it’s limitless!

Chai Spiced Cherry Compote in Port Syrup

Cheers… Blondie

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