Panforte di Siena

Ahh… our Christmas cake… I’m not sure if we can really call it a cake, it’s more like a piece of chewy confectionery. It originates from Italy and is packed full of dried fruit, nuts and honey.

This cake is traditionally baked in a round cake tin (pan). However, I broke out of the norm this year and baked it in a loaf tin (pan). The cake was cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces, making them easier to enjoy, instead of gnawing a huge slice.

100% Whole Wheat Stollen with Almond Paste

The traditional German Christmas bread just got a little healthier! This version is made with 100% whole wheat flour, studded with plump fruit, and stuffed with almond paste. It’s perfect for breakfast or with a cup of tea or coffee.

Quark Stollen with Almond Paste

The holidays just aren’t the same without stollen. It’s been like this since I met J, many moons ago. I absolutely love stollen! J’s parents used to visit us in the UK from the Netherlands and would always bring some with them. They even include it in the food parcels they send to us at this time of the year. In 2008, our Christmas parcel went on a detour to Sydney, Australia and we didn’t get it until March... you can imagine how fresh the stuff was then, eek!!!

We’ve browsed store-bought varieties, but the ingredients make me want to hurl. Yuck! In 2009, I decided to make my own stollen for Christmas. Since I only started lindaskitchenlab in May 2010, I thought it would be better to wait closer to the holiday season to blog about it. Watch this space for Christmas 2010 whole wheat version.

Hot Cross Buns

There's a bun in the oven! Ok, not one bun, but several. And not ANY buns... hot cross buns. You know "hot cross buns, hot cross buns, one-a-penny, two-a-penny, hot cross buns, if you have no daughters, give them to your sons, one-a-penny, two-a-penny, hot cross buns".

Don't worry, I haven't lost my marbles - it was a silly nursery rhyme we were made to learn at school. It was with reference to the small and spicy fruit buns decorated with a cross, traditionally eaten on Good Friday to celebrate the religious significance of the resurrection of Christ.