Springerle Cookies for Christmas

Hi Everyone,

Today I want to talk about the Springerle cookies that I made at Christmas.  Springerle are a molded cookie, German in origin.  These cookies are like little pieces of art, and many people say that they are just too beautiful to eat.  But then, once they take a bite, they are hooked!

These delicious, mostly anise flavored cookies can be made using individual molds, several molds on a block or using a roller, which is like a rolling pin, except that it is filled with images that make cookies.

My friend, Matthew Cox got me started on these wonderful Christmas delights, but I had some difficulty the first few years getting the dough just right.  This year, I went out to the House on the Hill website and Connie had posted, much to my delight, a tutorial for making springerle.  As I watched, I realized that almost everything I was doing was not quite right.  So, using her recipe, which is called, "Nini's Perfection Springerle," and following her technique, I was finally able to make these great cookies.

One of the great things about springerle is that they last for months, if kept in a well, sealed tin, and they improve with age, as the anise flavor grows.  They travel well, especially in the mail, and you will get rave reviews from your most staunch cookie critic!  Connie's grandmother's recipe is on the website, but is also available in a little brochure called, "Too Pretty to Eat," which can be sent to you in your order if you buy any of their products.

This is a typical mold for springerle cookies.  It is an oval with a lily of the valley in the center.  First, you flour the mold so the batter won't stick.  Then you press the mold into the rolled out dough.

Once that it done, you can see the impression when you carefully lift the mold from the dough.

Then you use a special oval cutter to make the cookie take shape around the mold imprint.

Once this is done, you remove the dough around the cookie and carefully pick up the cookie with a flat spatula, placing it on parchment to dry for up to 24 hours.

Once they are dry so that the cookies will not loose the impressions on the top, they are baked at a low heat in the oven and then cooled on cooling racks.  They are then stored in a sealed jar or tin for freshness.

I hope you enjoy looking at the evolution of these great cookies, and at some of the wonderful images on them.  This was one of the best things that I did during the holidays, and I plan to try some for other times of the year, too.

This last one is Symbols of the Brittish Isles.  The cookie was cut using a fluted cookie cutter.

 

 The Nativity always makes a nice image for Christmas cookies.

Try your hand at these unusual and lovely cookies.  I think you will be happy with the result!

Have a great day,

Barbara

Winter Gardening

Hi Everyone!
It has been a long time since I have added an entry, so I am hoping to make up for lost time!  The holidays are always hectic, but this year was unusually so, since our Dean at the Cathedral of Saint John has retired at the end of November, and there were a lot of things to do.
I am going to try to be more faithful to regular blogging this year, and here is one thing that has been going on in my world.

This morning, it is snowing here, with about 6 inches expected.  We can't complain, as this is the first real snowfall of the year and it's nearly February!  I love gardening, and I miss all the lovely summer plants in the yard and on the deck.  So here are some pictures of my Winter Garden.  Enjoy!

Have a great day,
Barbara

Hi Everyone!
Today I am posting another new wedding cake.  Dear friends and neighbors, Danielle and Jennifer were wed yesterday and I was priviledged to make their wedding cake.  Here is a picture:

Also, on another topic,  I am busy learning the newest novelty scarves, making some for my upcoming show in Rehoboth, MA.  The scarves are made with a new novelty yarn called, "Twilight."  It is a  type like "Rizos," which you see below.  It is done by knitting through strands on one side of the yarn.  I am including some pictures of my work so you can see it.  It is easy to do, once you get the hang of it!

 Here are a few pictures of my work:

  This one is another pattern. done in the same way, but has many large loops when finished, and is much more light and "flowy."  This pattern is called, "Triana."  You can find these novelty yarns and the patterns in many of your local yarn shops.  I found mine at "Knit One Purl Too," in Wakefield, Rhode Island and at "The Yarn Outlet" in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Have a nice week, and Happy Fall!!

Barbara

The National Cathedral and its damage in the earthquake

Hi Everyone,

So, it's been a while since I have posted, but I have pictures from The National Cathedral after the earthquake this morning and thought I would post them. The damage is certainly bad, but thank God that the damage didn't include any people getting hurt! Anyway, here they are:

A Sweater Vest for My Honey!

Hi Everyone,

Today I want to show you what I have been working on this week. I have (finally!) started working on a beautiful sweater vest for Roger, that I have been wanting to make for him for some time. I am using a great book, called, "Knits for Men," by Margaret Hubert. Here is a picture of her book front along with a picture of the model in the finished sweater vest. If you are interested in finding the book, click here for the connection to her web site and ordering information.

Don't ever let anyone tell you that it isn't worth it to go after the same yarn that you see in a book pattern. In this case, for example, I ordered the 100% Soysilk yarn ( Southwest Trading Company ) that is used in the sample, and it is remarkable!

Cables are the prominent design in this piece, and though they may look intimidating, you can't believe how simple it is to learn how to make these lovely additions to your work.

I did use my usual transfer of information to the Notebook, which makes it far easier for me to follow patterns, as you see in one of the pictures. The advantage for this pattern is that I can transfer the information specific to his size, so I don't have to keep checking that I am in the correct size section. I find this saves me a lot of confusion.

I think I will be working on this for a while, especially since I will be getting serious about weaving very soon for the Fall shows, but I hope it will be done for his birthday, which is in September. By the way, he loved that it is done in what he calls, "Terrier Red!" (He works at Boston University.)
Have a great day,

Barbara

Paul Simon!

Hi Everyone,

Well, I know that I usually enter what I've been working on, but today I wanted to take a moment to say how we "fed the soul" yesterday.

Diana and I went to see Paul Simon at The Wang Theater, and it was just fabulous. He sounds just like he did in 1972, and has such a versatility to his art that he never gets old. His new stuff, especially "So Beautiful or So What" is every bit as good as the classic Paul Simon, a la "Graceland" or even "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme." He is truly iconic of my generation, and I am so glad that I get to share him with my daughter as well!

Have a great day!
Barbara

Today's Exciting News!

Hi Everyone,

Today I finished a knitted lace shawl that I have made for Diana. It was one of the projects that I spoke about in my last blog entry. This project is called, "Upstairs Shawl," and was designed and copyrighted by Michaela Behrends.

Now at last, I am getting these wonderful projects done! What do you think?

Have a great day!

Barbara