Tag Archives: holidays

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, guys! It’s the very first day of the year, and it’s -13C/9F and snowing in Russia currently. What does your family do every New Year eve? Do you have any memorable tradition? Every family celebrates holidays in their own way. The New Year Eve is a very important holiday in Russia, it’s time when all family members gather together, bring salads and sweets, cook pork or roast goose, socialise and discussing passing year, watch music tv-shows and exchange presents.

From the Soviet time Christmas wasn’t widely celebrated and most of the religious traditions, which are common for the Western people took their place on the New Year Eve. And so it is every since.

Traditionally all the best foods and treats were set on the festive table, the most popular salads still shuba and oliver (will post soon). Cold cuts, salted mushrooms and pickled cucumbers are also served. The dessert can be any cake or chocolates, and every home is full of mandarine aroma.

By one tradition, we open a bottle of champagne sharp at twelve midnight and make a wish. 🙂

By another  tradition, Grandpa Frost (Santa Claus) and his granddaughter Snow-maiden come to children and they should tell festival poems and songs, and children receive gifts in return.

Russian Winter

Have a fabulous winter!

Winter trees

Merry Christmas

 My winter holidays are just around the corner, and for the next two weeks I will be travelling to my home-country, socializing and eating, and thus not too much blogging. I’m sure you are in the midst of the Christmas preparations also, and before that I’d like to wish all of you my wonderful readers and blogging friends  a Magical and Happy Holidays! 
 May this Christmas day will be a very merry, peaceful and delicious! I know not all of you celebrate this day (I will be celebrating Christmas on the 7th Jan) but do want to take a moment to thank every one of you for your comments, likes and support throughout the year. You have played an important role in my blogolife, without your posts I couldn’t be inspired to try out new recipes, without your comments I couldn’t improve my photography. Every time I come here-to my and yours blogs I feel like having a tea-time with some lovely friends. 😀
 Looking forward to read more interesting posts and tasty recipes from you, guys! And I promise you to post a delicious recipe of one Russian pie soon, it has a fish shape and filling is fish, too. And another recipe of absolutely tasty orange cake, that almost screams – it’s a winter holiday! Stay turned! 🙂
Xmas postcard/milkandbun

Cottage cheese and cranberry pie

Winter holidays are almost here and I can’t wait to celebrate! Holiday preparation is already well underway and it can be stressful, but I love this hustle and bustle season: frenzied shopping, decorating homes and work places, buying delicacies and champagne, choosing and wrapping gifts for family and friends. I’m absolutely absorbed in the planning of New Year dinner. Shopping list is written, salads and starters are chosen, goose and turkey are waiting in the freezer. And certainly I couldn’t forget about desert. For me it’s an important and sweet part of the dinner. Any festive dinner should be finished with a perfect cake! Have you chose the one? What will be the sweet star on your table? Will it be traditional cake or pudding, that you make every year or a fancy cake, that you’ll order from a restaurant?
Cottage cheese and cranberry pie
 This year I’ll be making the vanilla cheesecake with cranberry or red currant compote. It sounds simple, but that’s exactly what we need this winter – delicious, smooth and tender cake. 🙂 But if you’re tired and bored from all traditional desserts, why don’t you try my festive cake recipe. It seems similar to cheesecake, but I used tvorog (cottage cheese) and sweet condensed milk, and its taste and structure became different. Bright cranberries on the top make this milky and sweet cake absolutely festive! Definitely all guests’ eyes will be on this cake!
CCC Pie
 If you noticed cranberries are small, because it’s Russian, they are smaller and juicier compare to American cranberries. Needless to say, you can use any cranberries you can find, or frozen cherries are also great here.
Festive Pie with cranberries

Cottage cheese and cranberry pie

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: moderate
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A new take on the vanilla cheesecake, this cake will go down well on any occasion.
IngredientsCranberry Pie
Crust
260g flour
160g butter
1 small egg
2-3 Tbsp caster sugar
1 egg yolk for brushing the pastry crust, optional
Filling
450g tvorog/cottage cheese
3Tbsp cream cheese, optional
3-4Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs or 3 small
2 tsp granulated sugar (or omit it and add more condensed milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp cognac or brandy, optional
3 Tbsp ground almonds
100-150g cranberries
almond flakes, for decoration
icing sugar, for decoration, optional
Preparation method
  1. Make the cake crust. Cover and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Roll out 3mm thick and cut a circle larger than 20cm (approx.26-28cm) baking pan. Bake blind in preheated 180C oven for 20 minutes. Then remove the weights, optionally brush with egg yolk, then return to the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes more.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl beat eggs with condensed milk and sugar if using until the mixture is pale and sugar almost dissolved. Add vanilla, cognac, cream cheese and mix.
  3. If the cottage cheese is very crumble first mash it with a fork, then add to the filling mixture along with ground almonds, and stir to combine. Taste, add more condensed milk if it’s not enough sweet.
  4. Pour the filling into pastry crust. Arrange cranberries on top, and decorate with almond flakes.
  5. Reduce the heat to 170C and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the filling is set.
  6. Let it cool in the baking pan for 10 minutes, then carefully take out and put on a serving plate. Sprinkle with icing sugar, if desired.
  7. Enjoy!

Cranberry and cottage cheese pie

Saffron buns

 Hello guys! It’s not a secret that I love to bake! And I have to say even more – I’m addicted to pies! 😀 Every time when I stumble upon a new and interesting pie or cake recipe I’m anxious to prepare it! What does attract you in a recipe? An ingredient, a photo or may be a story behind it? For me an every part is captivating and intriguing! As I’ve already said I love to bake whatever it is, whether it’s a vegetarian or sweet thing, like comforting cabbage bake with farmer cheese or beautiful apple pie with semolina. A long time ago I was browsing the Internet and found one lovely recipe of saffron buns, but time has passed anf it got out of my mind until I bought saffron last week. I was glad to discover the story about these buns, because the story is truly magical and wintry.
Every year on the 13th of December people of Scandinavia countries (Norway, Denmark and Sweden) are celebrating the Day of St.Lucia. It’s believed she brings the light into the longest night of the year. Celebration include a procession of young girls in white dresses and red sashes carrying candles. One girl represented as Lucia – she wear a crown of candles on her head. Girls sing traditional and Christmas songs.
By another Sweden custom at home the eldest daughter arising early in the morning, wearing the Lucia’s costume, awaking the family and serving them coffee and saffron buns.*
St.Lucia buns
 After reading about Scandinavian traditions and stories I decided to make those delicious buns! and by coincidence I baked them exactly on the 13th. I made some research and finally created my own recipe. Buns turned out very fluffy, nicely buttery, with amazing aroma of saffron and not very sweet.
Saffron buns

Saffron buns

  • Servings: 8 buns
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Ingredients St.Lucia saffron buns
120ml full-fat milk
1/2-1/3 tsp saffron threads
45-50g butter, room temperature
250-300g plain flour
4g instant yeast
1/2 tsp salt
30-35g sugar
2-3 cardamom pods, ground, optional
a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, optional
1 large egg
60ml sour cream
Preparation method
  • Heat milk with saffron (don’t boil) in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. The temperature of milk should  be not over 40C/104F or should be able to easily hold a finger in it. Add butter, stir to combine.
  • In a mixing bowl sift the flour (250g, then add more if needed), add yeast, salt, sugar and spices if using. Mix.
  • Add lukewarm milk mixture to the flour. Stir to combine.
  • Add egg and sour cream. Mix ingredients until well incorporated.
  • Now on a flat surface knead the dough by hand (or use a hook of your standing mixer) for 10 minutes, until smooth and a little sticky to the touch.
  • Cover the dough and leave it to rise for 1 hour at room temperature or until it’s puffy. You can make the dough the day before, in which case after rising gently deflate the dough, cover and leave in the fridge overnight. Take out an hour or two before shaping, let it gets warm and rise again.
  • Gently deflate the dough, and divide into 8 equal sizes; each piece weight about 70g.
  • Roll each piece of dough at a time into a 38-40cm rope, then shape each rope into S-shape.
  • Place buns on the lined baking tray. Tuck in raisins. Cover with a towel and leave to prove for 30 minutes.
  • Brush with egg wash and in preheated 190C/375F for 15-20 minutes or until they’re golden brown.
  • Take buns from oven and let cool for 4-5 minutes before serving.
  • Serve warm with a glass of milk or tea.

Enjoy the winter season!

St.Lucia saffron buns

Vanillekipferl

 Winter holidays is my favorite time of the year (after birthday)! It seems like people smiling more often, and enjoying cold weather and upcoming festival! We putting up the Christmas tree and decorating it with beautiful toys, buying and wrapping gifts. It’s the right time to plan the holiday menu, whether to roast chicken or prepare the fish pie, make cherry strudel or chocolate cake..
The December would be incomplete without baking! Nothing says it’s holidays quite like Xmas cookies! There is something special about a tray filled with delicious vanilla or cinnamon-flavored cookies.
Baking cookies is such a fun and wonderful event! You can even organize a cookie party, call your kids or friends to help you, to share a holiday mood, and of course to enjoy eating all those treats you’ve made.
I bet you’ve seen crescent-shaped cookies somewhere or may be tried it. These biscuits are very popular in Europe, and especially in Germany, where they’re traditionally baked for Christmas, even though they originate from Vienna, Austria.

Make this season merry and delightful with irresistible vanilla biscuits, that just melt in your mouth! 🙂
German Vanillekipferl

Vanillekipferl - German Christmas Biscuits

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: easy to moderate
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Ingredients
200g butter, cold and cut into small cubes
60g icing sugar
a pinch of salt
seeds from 1 vanilla bean, or 1 tsp vanilla extract, or vanilla sugar
1 large egg yolk
100g ground almonds
270g plain flour
+vanilla icing sugar*, for dusting
Preparation
  • *First, prepare your own vanilla icing sugar. Split vanilla pod lengthwise into two halves, and put it in a jar with icing sugar, close tightly. After 1-2 days you will get amazing naturally-flavoured vanilla icing sugar!
  • For the dough quickly mix butter with sugar, salt and vanilla. Mix in egg yolk. Sift flour and add it to the dough along with almonds. Qucikly knead the smooth dough. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
  • Divide the dough and form rolls 1.5-2.5cm in diameter. Cut each roll into 5-6cm length slices, and form the crescent shape biscuits.
  • Put biscuits on a baking tray lined with parchment. Bake in preheated 200C oven for 10-15 minutes.
  • Put vanilla icing sugar in a plate, and roll still warm biscuits in it.
  • Let the biscuits cool on a rack.

Enjoy!

German vanilla biscuits

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