Today I made Sansa’s favored dessert, Lemon Cakes.
My neighbor dropped off some fresh lemons from her tree and the first thing I thought about was Sansa and her love for lemon cakes. So I went and had a look at the book and found the recipe and luckily I had everything on hand to make them, well the recipe is really easy so that was no big hurdle.
The Elisabethan recipe asked for two cups of sugar, but I only put one cup to suit my own taste, I do not like it too sweet and it was perfect for me. I also swapped the milk in the icing for some of that delicious lemon juice instead to make the cakes/cookies even more lemony. Both tweaks worked out very well and I already munched on some of them to test of course, hahaha.
The lemons smelled so good and while I was zesting them the aroma came out even more so, even my little cat came to investigate in the kitchen… Verily the end result was very nice and I can see why the ladies in King’s Landing are so fond of them. They remind me of tea shops in London and biscuits with my grandma in the garden, they do have an air of times gone past.
I did share some with my neighbor to thank her for the basket of lemons in the first place. I baked about half the cookies and the rest are in the freezer to be baked per order whenever I have a hankering for lemon cakes like Sansa.
Today I made these delicious Applecakes, since I have a full basket of apples in the kitchen.
The recipe actually came from a German version and I enjoyed reading the original old German excerpt that Chelsea and Sariann added to the page. The Krapfen, as it is called, is something I am very familiar with and I remember the bakeries back home always making special ones for different seasonal holidays.
Faschingkrapfen (big soft doughnuts with jam in the middle) for carnival and Mohnkrapfen (poppyseed filling in a krispy pastry) for Easter, even Kastanienkrapfen (chestnut filling in crispy pastry) in the fall for the close of the harvest season. They still make them in my hometown today. So this really brought me home and I felt like I was baking with my grams again, I’m sure she was looking over my shoulder…
The only change I made was using Oatmilk instead of real milk, since I had that in the house and I fried them in coconut oil, which made them really light and crispy, but soft in the middle. I got a lot more than 24 out of the batch and spread the goodness with my neighbors. I still have some of the filling too, I guess my apples where more large than medium. I’ll use it for something else, yummilischious.
I am so not surprised Jon and Sam stuffed themselves with these, I tried one just after they cooled down enough to eat and had two more while taking these pictures and preparing the ones I gave away. They are so light and tasty, they go down real easy and since they are small there is always space for one more.
The pastry turned out nice and fluffy and it puffed right up in the oil, I am rather proud how they turned out. Not to sweet, but just right, I love it when recipes don’t overdo it with the sugar, it makes the difference and you can enjoy them so much more.
These buns are full of energy and keep you going, no wonder the Night’s Watch always had some ready for the Rangers.
Better than all those high energy fruit bars full of artificial flavors and over processed fruits. These buns are quite easy to make and I love the spices in them, cloves and cinnamon and mace, they are packed with antioxidants and are anti- viral, fungal, bacterial and anti- inflammatory. They help with circulation, sugar level and muscle spasms and keep you from colds and I dare say all of the above is absolutely vital to the brothers on the Wall.
I decided to chop all the fruit and nuts to a pulp and that helped with spreading the filling. It also makes the buns really tasty when warmed up again and helps the dough from drying out too much. I wonder if you can use fresh cranberries for the filling, cooked into a sauce, and adding other nuts and honey…
Well here you go, if you are looking for a healthy alternative to those snack bars at the store, look no further. I bet you can make them any which way you can come up with and still be true to the original.
Oh and by the way, I went to look for some dark ale and I stumbled across this heavenly one from Firestone Walker, pricey, but totally worth it, since you only need a little and then have the rest to sip in pleasure. This one tastes like creamy chocolate and coffee roasted into the beer and so robust that its almost like a meal itself. For those that like dark beers with some body, well here it is.
On the Wall, food comes at a premium, too cold to cultivate but the most hardy vegetables. Collecting summer berries, some hunting and constant raids from the Wildlings make it hard to cook up some extravagant fare.
Even so the Night’s Watch is all about sense and practicality and bread is a most important staple. So it makes sense to start with that and I was going to bake bread anyway, as we where out, and if that kills two white walkers with one stab of dragon glass so much the better.
Freshly backed bread brings up memories out of the deepest cracks of our childhood. I really miss going to the bakery for a loaf and it’s my favored thing when I go visiting my dad back home. There are still bakeries everywhere and the breads they sell are amazing, I have never found the like in LA. There is just not that culture of baking and even though there are quite famous bakeries in town, they do not make the breads I was looking for.
This recipe is simple and easy to bake and it sure reminds me of home. Melt some nice cheese on it or smudder it in butter and home made jam and nothing has ever tasted so good in your life… It is the simplest things that give so much pleasure.
I can just imagine Jon, Sam and the other brothers looking forward to a hot crackling piece of bread to take the chill out of their bones and warm their bellies. Personally I hate the cold so I have all the respect in the world for those poor brave watchmen having to be on that immense wall of ice and hope for only one sound of the horn. I would want to visit, certainly, but I’d probably make it a very short stay.
For when night gathers their watch shall begin…for this night and all the nights to come.
We finally made it to the fabled lands of Ice and Fire, as we still await the next two books to finally be released after the sad way the TV series ended. I am still hoping that the books will redeem the ending, actually, I am sure they will, cause the series was excellent up to the point where the books where written and I guess the screenwriters are good at adapting, but they had no clue as to what to do with just the guidelines they where given to end the show and I am pretty sure George RR Martin kept the real ending tight to his heart.
It is perfect to start this culinary journey in winter at the Wall, I am going to enjoy these dishes. We already know one of the writers of this cookbook, Chelsea Monroe-Cassel, who brought us all to Hobbiton. She and her partner in crime Sariann Lehrer are inviting us to the “Inn at the Crossroads”.
From just reading the first few pages it looks like I am going to need to do some prep work on spices and other medieval cooking accessories, so that is going to be exciting. I love finding new spices and their use as well as other foods and how to cook them.
I have learned a lot on the last book and I have also embarked in a more wholesome way of eating, meaning that I am cooking everything I can from scratch. Yes, that means making bread and sauces and even just buying the dried beans and soaking them before cooking. These days I have pretty much eliminated almost everything that is processed in any way and believe me that was a journey all by itself. This process took the better part of this year to get comfortable with and to learn how to prep and buy food. I am lucky enough to be able to buy my fruits and vegetables directly at a nearby farm, where you can see them growing as well as I am expanding my little garden of herbs and veggies.
The supermarket is now 90% off limits, meaning that I can only buy the fresh stuff and some basics like flour and butter, but all the other shelves are just ornamental to me. I will even go as far as checking the labels, and if something has more than the actual ingredient I will not buy it. Going back to basics has been interesting but so rewarding. I feel so much better and healthier and I am not missing any of the packaged goods, my own cookies and cakes, sauces, dressings and everything taste sooooooooooo much better anyway. I learned how to use all the parts of a vegetable, like carrot leaves for example, I used to just cut them off and discard, but now I make pesto or use them as base for sauces. You can apply that to a lot of fresh ingredients and all of a sudden your budget stretches quite a lot more than you thought. My trash has completely collapsed, I have barely one full bag every two weeks to put into the trash bin for the two of us, everything else is recycled or composted into the green and blue bins.
So I should have no problem traveling dungeons and dragons style and cooking like they would have from the Wall to Dorne and beyond. Though I have never sat on a horse, so I might have to learn how to ride…or I could just fly on my dragon.
I just imagine sitting in Beorn’s log-house, safe and warm, nibbling on these tasty Honeycakes telling stories to the host.
This recipe had me puzzled for a little while when it came to put the dough onto the baking sheet. The dough was so soft and I did not quite understand the “lined” baking sheet part. Turns out I was overthinking it all and it was simply using parchment paper to divide the really soft mass into 3 large logs and bake them the first time inside the paper. They rose splendidly and after cooling where perfect for cutting into the final shape you see on the picture.
But once again I amazed my friends with a wonderful dessert, not least for the delicate hint of rosehips and lavender that blended with the honey and nuts beautifully. But also for the home made caramel drizzled across. I am quite regaining my old cooking prowess by going thru this booklet. And that makes this little Hobbit very happy.
So, next time a horde of dwarfs knocks on your door looking for supper, make sure you have some of these honey cakes to fill them with sweetness and strength to continue on their quest…
Gaffer Gamgee himself could not have been more pleased with this Blackberry Tart.
A lovely tribute to summer berries, light and fresh, no muss no fuss but full of sweetness and fruitiness. I did not even make any whipped cream for it, as I had planned, and it sure did not need any. My only addition was a garnish of lemon balm and as my friend dished out this one to us all she added a few leafs of the lemon balm to each slice of tart. It was the perfect finish and added a bit of extra oomph to the dessert.
I know you are going to get bored of me telling you how easy this recipe was, as I keep saying so every time, but what is true is true and for all those who need a leg up to try new things, this is the book to start with for sure.
I can’t believe I’m almost thru the book already. Only a few recipes left and then some miscellaneous and very interesting concoctions I can’t wait to experiment with. Thank goodness Chelsea also wrote the Game of Thrones official cookbook and that will be waiting for me after my adventures in Middle-Earth.
For now though I am off to another voyage of my own, back to my hometown to see family and friends. Namarie
These crumbly sweet biscuits are a great snack for busy potterers like me.
My biggest frustration though is the measurements in cups for non liquid ingredients. My whole life I have been measuring in grams and kilos to be very precise, so this approximating cups of flour and fruits is driving me nuts.
In fact the only complaint I am having this time is that the dough came out quite crumbly and I had to add one more spoon of milk and one of whiskey. Yes I did add whisky instead of brandy, cause I did not have any brandy in the house. And to keep the shape for the biscuits even I used my muffin tin to bake them.
I am also very proud of my home made orange candy peel, I made it a few days ago. Well I had to as it is nowhere to be found to buy. But I imagine our dear Bilbo would have made it himself as well.
So now we will need a great cup of tea to go with these biscuits and then I’m off to potter around some more on this busy busy day. I am developing a few yummy recipes of my own and will unveil those at some time in the future, when I have perfected the lot.
This was my first ever roast chicken made by me; and it was delicious.
What a simple and easy recipe with lots of flavor and taste… I keep getting surprised by all these recipes turning out so satisfying to make and eat. You’d think I should have gotten used to it now.
Anyhow, I decided to use this recipe to have a little dinner party for a friend I had not seen in ages. So I basically cooked for two chef’s, both enjoyed the food. Phew… My friend really liked the stuffing and kept asking for more. It was very tasty, I have to admit.
As you can see from the picture I did add roast ‘taters using the next recipe, but in the excitement of getting the food to the table and not taking forever to take pictures and then cut the chicken and letting it all go cold; I forgot to picture the ‘taters on their own.
So I guess its back to the kitchen for another batch soon…
Super easy to make and huge, I had to invite my friends over to eat it… All that fresh cream can’t stay in the fridge too long. Lucky I have friends that come on short notice.
The pastry was fluffy and not too sweet, just right and the strawberries added the sugar and juice. This is definitely going to be made again and I might try different fresh fruit for the summer. I’m thinking peaches maybe, yum…
The perfect addition to any serious summer party where Hobbits are concerned. Now I just need a big picnic basket to fit and a great big meadow to put my blanket down. This lovely cake will bring the faeries out by day I recon.
Geek Cuisine 