Gingerbread Hamsa Cookies
Merry Christmas! This year Hanukkah and Christmas fell on the same week. Although I don’t technically celebrate either of them, I made sufganiot (jelly doughnuts) and gingerbread cookies. Why settle for one holiday (or none at all) when you can celebrate all of them? As long as I have something to keep me distracted from the Jerusalem cold that’s starting to get on my nerves. At least winter here is just a transition season.
Swedish Donuts
Last month, Noam came to visit Jerusalem from San Francisco. On his way here he made a stop in Sweden for a quick family visit. While he was there, he wrote me the following word: “Kardemummabullar”. A Google search taught me it wasn’t a curse, but a yeast pastry baked and coated with cardamom. In fact, it’s the Swedish brother of the American cinnamon roll.
Coffee / Peanut Butter & Chocolate / Cinnamon-Banana Smoothie
Last summer I got a new blender as a gift from my parents, and since then I use it non-stop. Although I already managed to drop it and nick a corner, I can still use it. Until I get around to replacing the broken part, I had to post my favorite smoothie mixes inspired by Jerusalem’s Muffin Boutique, where I also happened to discover the yummiest pumpkin cream cheese muffin in town.
Linzer Cookies with Maple Cream
A while ago, I stumbled upon a magical video that shows how to make maple cream from maple syrup. In one sentence, you heat the syrup, let it cool and then stir, for about an hour! That’s it. In the video, they take pride in stirring by hand using a wooden spoon. Not me. I take pride in my standing mixer, capable doing the same thing while I drink a cup of coffee and prepare the dough for the cookies.
Gingerbread Cookies with Pistachio Brittle
I’ve already written here about my Christmas obsession. True, it’s not a holiday I’m supposed to celebrate, but the grass is always greener on the other side, and the tree is so much more colorful. When I was a kid, I saved up my pocket money and bought a tiny Christmas tree. I was so in love with it that I left it standing on my bedside table all year round.
Disney Gingerbread Castle
For more than six months now, my niece, Najwa, has been dropping clues about her desired birthday gift. On Amal’s last birthday, another niece of mine, I gave her a 3D Disney castle puzzle that excited my nieces a lot and their mothers even more. So I started looking for a similar gift for Najwa’s upcoming birthday, and came across a crazy 4,080-piece LEGO Disney castle.
Chocolate Covered Banana Marshmallow
Ever since I wrote about the chocolate banana brownies, I can’t stop thinking about those yellow banana marshmallows, coated with a thin layer of chocolate. How I used to love this crap as a child and would easily finish an entire box by myself. However, I always wished the bite would be more marshmallow-y than chocolaty.
