Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Something Old and Something New

Today was the day before the day before, and the day to do some more cooking!

First up was something old, our traditional cardamom wreath bread for Christmas morning. 
Before we eat it on December 25th, it will be warmed and topped with icing and cherries.
 The recipe came from Sunset Magazine December 1972. I made it that year, and I have been making it every year since, even when we traveled to Colorado for Christmas. 
The recipe makes two wreaths, or one wreath and two pans dinner rolls. 
While the bread was proofing and rising and baking, I made the something new, or at least new for us, Santa's Rice Porridge.
This recipe came for this book. 
While rice pudding will be new to us, it is an ages old tradition in Sweden. I have long had an affinity for things Scandinavian and I loved traveling there to see the villages on my ancestors in Norway and Sweden.  Then last year I had my DNA tested and the results came back 70% Scandinavian!  Viking blood! I try to incorporate some ancestral traditions into our holiday. 
 The hot porridge is served hot in the morning, and it is important to leave a bowl for the Yule Tomten if you want to get gifts instead of sticks in your stocking. 
 But we won't be eating it as porridge for breakfast, but as pudding for dessert. Cooled, and with the addition of whipped cream and vanilla, it will be Christmas Eve dessert. 


Will my family like it? I don't know, but I tasted it, and I do!

God Jul!

12 comments:

  1. Those cardamon buns look fantastic, as does that pudding. I'm pretty sure your family will love it, too. Merry Christmas, Linda and family :-)

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  2. my former husband was Swedish so I'm familiar with all these Jul traditions plus Jonson's festa-scalloped potatoes with anchovies-yuck and lute fish-boiled tasteless white fish. But i love the rice pudding and the cardamon rolls.

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  3. Your cardamom braid looks delicious. I'm fortunate that my friend Lynn bakes and cooks all kinds of Swedish foods. Some I now make, too, like spritz and inglud sil.

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  4. Linda, I still make my grandmother's sweet roll recipe each year (maybe twice a year) and the kids all enjoy it. Have a blessed Christmas

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  5. I can nearly smell that yummy bread. Joy to you this Christmas.

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  6. Merry Christmas to you and your lovely family and best wishes for a wonderful New Year! Warm regards from Germany.

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  7. My sister married a Swede and so I have become a bit familiar with some of the foods and traditions. Merry Christmas!

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  8. Rice pudding is one of my favorites. Cardamom bread...delicious. Enjoy the holiday.

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  9. These all look so good!!! Thank you; I'm going to try them.

    Blessings and Merry Christmas to you all!

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  10. Cardamom rolls are delicious and the addition of icing sounds yummy! Rice pudding was my mother's favorite but I make the baked variety without oranges and the addition of eggs, nutmeg and raisins. Love your traditions!

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  11. I love the cooking traditions of the season as much as other traditions. I think you all will be well fed. I love the idea of cooking the traditional foods that our ancestors cooked and enjoyed.

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  12. Mmmmmmmm.... This all sounds so very delicious. You are such an amazing chef, Linda!

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