Sunday, December 13, 2009

Recipe Challenge Monday

Good morning, or afternoon, as the case may be, and welcome to another Recipe Challenge Monday, sponsored by The Recipe Challenge Blog. Today, our challenge is to share a recipe from around the world. Well, I had to admit to Julie that I wasn't too sure about this challenge, but it turned out to be one of my favorites! After searching and reading about many traditions in other countries, I settled on Sweden, and the celebration of St. Lucia Day. You can read all about this celebration below. My recipe is for the traditional buns that the eldest daughter in the family serves to each family member on the Morning of St. Lucia Day. She does this dressed in a long, white dress with a red sash, and wreath with seven lit candles on her head!! Can you say DANGEROUS? Whew!! I'm thinking those battery operated candles may be in order for safety sake, but what an interesting tradition/celebration. I thought this beautiful digi from Sweet -n Sassy Stamps worked perfectly. This gorgeous set is illustrated by the talented Leah Cornelius. I colored this image with my SU inks and an aquapainter, and used some Yellow and Stardust Stickles on the candle for added interest and sparkle. You can find a whole array of colored Stickles at Scrapbook Store at Your Door.
Since my recipe isn't readable after I reduced the size of the photo, I decided I'd better share the recipe in my post. Here ya go:

St. Lucia Buns
Ingredients:
1 stick butter (8 Tbsp.) 1 1/3 c. milk pinch saffron 3 Tbsp. yeast 2/3 c. sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 2 eggs (1 in dough, 1 to brush) 4 c. flour raisins for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Melt butter in a small pan over low heat. Add milk and
Saffron and heat until about body temperature. (Test it as you would a baby's bottle, dripping a few drops on
the inside of your wrist. If the milk mixture gets too warm,
let it cool before mixing it with the yeast. Yeast too cool is
just pokey, but yeast too hot will never do its trick.) Mix milk mixture and yeast and let sit about five minutes.
The yeast will dissolve and start to foam. Add the sugar,
salt, one egg, and about half the flour. Knead the dough on
a floured surface, adding flour to make a smooth dough.
Let rise in a warm place about half an hour. Punch down,
and then form into buns. One traditional shape is to
make a rope of dough about six inches long (about 15 cm)
and then form it into an S. Lay it on a parchment-lined
baking sheet and tuck raisins into the curls of the S. Let rise
again in a warm place, about half an hour. Brush the risen
buns with beaten egg. Bake at 400 degrees F about 15 min.,
until buns are golden brown.

Sweden's Celebration of St. Lucia Day

Some trace the "re-birth" of the Lucia celebrations in Sweden to the tradition in German Protestant families of having girls dressed as angelic Christ children, handing out Christmas presents. The Swedish variant of this white-dressed Kindchen Jesus, or Christkind, was called Kinken Jes, and started to appear in upper-class families in the 1700s on Christmas Eve with a candle-wreath in her hair, handing out candy and cakes to the children. Another theory claims that the Lucia celebration evolved from old Swedish traditions of “star boys” and white-dressed angels singing Christmas carols at different events during Advent and Christmas. In either case, the current tradition of having a white-dressed woman with candles in her hair appearing on the morning of the Lucia day started in the area around Lake Vänern in the late 1700s and spread slowly to other parts of the country during the 1800s.
In the Lucia procession in the home depicted by Carl Larsson in 1908, the oldest daughter brings coffee and St. Lucia buns to her parents while wearing a candle-wreath and singing a Lucia song. Other daughters may help, dressed in the same kind of white robe and carrying a candle in one hand, but only the oldest daughter wears the candle-wreath.

Thanks for stopping by today, I hope you enjoy this bit of Swedish Chrismas tradition. Be sure to check out The Recipe Challenge Blog for the rest of the design team submissions. You're sure to find a lot of information and inspiration, as well as some more wonderful recipes for your enjoyment! Have a blessed day, and happy stamping!
Love ya,

7 comments:

kadie said...

Gorgeous!! That poinsettia looks REAL!! Wow! You're amazing!

Nikki Foraker said...

WOW that is SOOOOO PRETTY!!!! and what a neat idea!!!! ;o)

nikki

Tanja said...

Lorie, that sounds yummy delicious!!!!
Please go to my blog and grab the award!!!!

The Archiving Angel said...

It is such a beautiful recipe card.
Love the idea of bringing the recipe to a get together & many cards to hand out.
Lovely job.

MiamiKel said...

Lorie, how delicious this sounds! My mom used to make something similiar and this brought back such fond holiday memories! What a beautiful descrption of St. Lucia and recipe you've posted here, my friend ~ this one is divine!

Catherine said...

BEAUTIFUL recipe card, Lorie! You're coloring is just divine and I love the little bow on the ribbon!

Mary Giles said...

Absolutely gorgeous! Fabulous way to showcase the recipe.

>