Monday was the shortest day of the year, it is all downhill towards summer from here. But, in between, we are living in a winter wonderland. The bay froze very quickly in this last week and since then we have had heaps of snow, much like the rest of the northern hemisphere. Another blizzard is forecast this evening, following the ones we had yesterday morning and last night. Of course it has created havoc in terms of public transport on what is traditionally Finland's busiest travelling day. On the positive side, it is finally time to unpack the x-country skis and enjoy the ride. And while you are out there, pick up a few birch logs and turn them into elves and Santa with a few dabs of red and white paint.
It is almost Xmas too and Glögi (mulled wine) and Jouhluatähtitorttu are on the menus everywhere in Finland. They consist of featherlight flaky pastry stars with a generous dollop of plum jam in the center. A lovely little bite with an espresso.
Finland is not a country of hype. I have only heard my first Xmas carol in a shop last week and most Finns would have bought their Xmas trees this last weekend, which is just the way it should be. But, if you keep you eyes open, you will notice that Xmas is not neglected here and you may spot Xmas trees in unusual places.
Or you will notice that Santa has upgraded from Reindeer to a Model T Ford pickup –at least while he is visiting Helsinki.
For breakfast during this week leading up to Xmas, I baked an Apricot, Orange bread with Macadamia nuts. The flavours, colours and taste to remind me of Australia and spending Xmas on the beach in hot golden sunshine while feasting my eyes on the snowy landscape around me.
Apricot Orange Bread with Macadamia Nuts
2 Cups Bread Making Flour
1 to 1 ¼ Cups Unbleached All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 sachet Dried Yeast
¼ Cup lukewarm Water
¾ Cup Apricot and Orange Nectar, or use Apricot
Grated Zest of 1 Orange
1 Egg, beaten
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
200 ml Dried Apricots, chopped
200 ml Macadamia Nuts, chopped
Egg wash
- Dissolve the yeast in the water.
- Add the fruit Nectar, oil, egg, salt and zest.
- Then add the Bread Flour and mix well till smooth.
- Add the All-purpose Flour, half cup at a time till the dough needs to be pulled together by hand (I used only 1 Cup).
- Knead on a very lightly floured board, till elastic and it does not stick to the hands.
- Let the dough rise in an oiled bowl, till doubled in size.
- Gently deflate the dough and flatten into an oval.
- Sprinkle with the Nuts and Apricots.
- Roll up and shape into a scroll.
- Let it rise again till doubled in size.
- Paint with egg wash.
- Preheat the oven to 200 C.
- Place the bread in the oven and turn the heat down to 170 C after 30 seconds.
- You may need to cover the top of the bread with foil to prevent it burning after about 10 minutes.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, till firm and hollow sounding when tapped.
- If you had some fruit nectar left over, paint the loaf with the nectar. Turn the oven off and place the bread back in the oven for 5 minutes to dry.
- Taste the sunshine.
And here is a bit of nostalgia we are all familiar with, to celebrate the season.
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