Holiday Bake Along – Needlework and Quilting!
The joy of creation can result from doing beautiful needlework, creating a lovely quilt or simply baking and cooking delicious treats for your loved ones!
Professionals from the Quilting and Needlework Industries have joined together to share their holiday memories, a glimpse into their businesses, and MANY irresistible recipes!
Please visit ILovetoBakeCookies.com and TheArmchairChef.com for more fabulous holiday creations!
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Needlework and Quilting Pros |
| ILoveToBake.com.com VINATERTA (Traditional Icelandic Prune Cake) |
| Knitwear designer Leanne Dyck reminisces:
Growing up in the heart of a large extended family meant that Christmas was a special event. Festivities began on December 24th. Mom or one of her sisters hosted the event. This gathering grew out of a need expressed by the patriarch and matriarch. So on the appointed day during the appointed hours the appointed house was packed to the rooftop with people, food and presents. We kids thrilled at the opportunity to open one present early and to party way past our usual bedtimes. Young and old ate and ate and ate way too much while Mom and her sisters glowed. Nothing gave them more joy than to hear the magic groans of, “Oh, I ate way too much!†Recipes were hunted down, faithfully recorded, privately shared, then tested and re-tested all in preparation for this special day. |
| Ingredients |
| Filling: 2 ½ cups pitted prunes (1 lb/ 454 g) 1 cup sugar 1 tsp ground cardamom (optional) |
| Layers: 1 ¼ cups sugar 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla 3 –3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or more if needed) 3 tsp baking powder pinch of salt ½ cup milk |
| Almond icing (optional) 1 cup icing sugar 1 Tbsp butter, softened 1 ½ tsp milk 1 ¼ tsp almond extract Cream ingredients together, in a small mixing bowl. |
| Step by Step |
| To prepare filling:1) Place prunes in a saucepan and add enough water to cover. 2)Â Bring to a boil, simmer until prunes are very soft and most of the water has evaporated. 3) Put through a food mill or blender. 4) Add sugar and cardamom (optional), stir to combine and set aside to cool. |
| To prepare layers:1) In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. 2) Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 3) Measure and combine dry ingredients; add alternately with milk to creamed mixture. 4) If dough is sticky, add a little more flavor to make rolling our easier. |
| To assemble:1) Divide dough into 8 equal portions. 2) On a floured surface, roll each out into a 8 inch round (Mom usually made 6 layers. She set a large dinner plate on top of the dough and traced around the plate with a butter knife.) 3) Dough should be very thin, about ¼ inches in thickness. Bake on cookie sheet. 4) Bake at 375 F for 8-10 minutes or until slightly golden and done. 5) Cool on a wire rack. 6) Assemble by spreading a thin layer of prunes over each layer. 7) Top with your best looking one.  The layers will be crisp but will soften with the filling.9) Top with almond icing, if deserved. Store in a tightly covered thin for a few days before cutting. |
| Olavia’s Hand Knitting Patterns |
| Olavia’s hand knitting patterns combines stylish design with basic knitting techniques.
My business was named to honor the memory of my Mom, Olavia. Although, she was not my first knitting teacher she did ensure that my knitting experiences remained fun and rewarding. It is this philosophy that inspires my designs. I seek to break all design components down to their simplest form so that all knitters regardless of their skill level can have a fun and rewarding knitting experience.
Novelty Yarn is my first book. Novelty Yarn celebrates knitting in prose and poetry.
Web Site: http://www.oknitting.com/ Blogs: Leanneism: http://oknitting3.blogspot.com Designer’s Note: http://oknitting2.blogspot.com |
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