Sorry for the delay in publishing – we were away for the weekend. It’s the time of year for lists and ‘best ofs’, so I’ve been looking at a few best books of the year posts, and also bookmarking recipes to make over Christmas.
- I’ve kicked off my Christmas baking by making dough for chocolate sables and clementine biscuits, and tart pastry for mince pies, and stashing them all in the freezer. Rolling and baking commences
nextthis week. - Amongst the possible Christmas desserts I’m musing over are Stevie Parle’s Buche de Noel, or this Hungarian recipe described as “like a sort of trifle cake”, but mainly this Hazelnut Sherry Meringue cake.
- Two recipes I’ve been thinking about making for a loooong time are Chocolate raspberry rugelach from ‘The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook‘ and Ottolenghi’s Chocolate Babka from ‘Jerusalem’. This Christmas may be the moment.
- Some cookbooks/food books of the year roundups from the Observer, Love and a Licked Spoon, Signe Johansen, The Telegraph.
- In a more grumpy tone, here are Esquire’s most annoying food trends of 2014, and a snarky analysis of the Christmas Williams-Sonoma catalogue (think Lakeland but with more Martha Stewart).
Using Mainly Spoons 
I make the smitten kitchen rugelach every year after several disasters before trying it. However, be warned, it is very labour intensive.I find the dough impossible to work with once is warms up, so essential to roll out on baking paper, put it in the freezer, then put toppings on, then put it back in freezer, then cut and quickly lever up the triangles, then you might be able to roll half before putting the rest in the freezer, etc etc. IT takes about 2 mins to defrost. I usually have about four circles of dough on the go, rotating between different activities and the freezer. But they are delicious so worth it. But then I HAVe to make rugelach, what with being jewish and all, and you don’t really….
PS if you are able to go away for weekends now, want to come and see us?