Saturday 30 March 2013

Saturday Snippets (8)



HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!


In orthodox households all over the world, housewives still prepare for the Easter feast: eggs are hardboiled, dyed and decorated, cakes are baked and lamb is prepared for Easter Sunday.  The Russian housewife bakes a yeast cake, known as Kulich, which she wraps in a spotless napkin to take to church for the priest's blessing.  (See above)



The custom of exchanging eggs goes back to pre-Christian times when eggs as a token of renewed life, were exchanged at the spring festivals.



Flower petals can be placed on damp eggs, covered with onion skin and kept in place with string or tape.  The boiled eggs will then bear the imprint of both petals and onion skins.  Add a few drops of vegetable dye or food colouring to the water you plan to boil your eggs in.  (Carmine, blue, green or yellow).  Narrow strips of masking tape can be stuck on to the eggs in geometric patterns. Peeling off the tapes afterwards will reveal white patterns on a coloured background.  Polish all boiled eggs with a little olive oil.


Simnel Cake is a tradition over here.  I always bake on for my mother-in-law and one for us.




The Simnel Cake was originally made by servant girls and given to their mothers for Mothering Sunday in March, but is now baked for Easter in Britain.  



Recipe for Simnel Cake

8ozs (225g) soft margarine or unsalted butter
8ozs (225g) light soft brown sugar
4 large eggs
8ozs (225g) self-raising flour
8ozs (225g) sultanas
4ozs (100g) currants
4ozs (100g) glace cherries, washed and quartered
2ozs (50g) candied peel
Grated rind of 2 lemons
2 level teaspoons mixed spice

For the filling and topping:  

1lb (450g) almond paste (marzipan)
About 2 tablespoons apricot jam
1 egg, beaten, to glaze
Crystallised primroses or small chocolate eggs

Method:

1     Grease and line the base and sides of an 8 inch (20cms) deep round cake tin with greased baking paper.

2     Measure all the cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat well until thoroughly blended.  Place half of the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.

3     Take one-third of the almond paste and roll it out to a circle, the size of the tin and then place on top of the cake mixture.  Spoon the remaining cake mixture on top and level the surface.

4     Bake in the centre of the oven, preheated to 350 degrees F, 180 degrees C, Gas Mark 4, for three to three and a half hours, or until a warm skewer comes out clean from the centre and the cake is pale golden.  Should the cake top be getting brown and is not done, cover with a piece of foil.  Allow the cake to cool in the tin for about 30 mins before turning out and cooling on a wire rack.

5     When the cake is cool, brush the top with a little warmed apricot jam and roll out the remaining almond paste to fit the top.  Press firmly on the top and crimp the edges to decorate.  Mark a criss-cross pattern on the almond paste with a sharp knife.  

6     Form the remaining almond paste into eleven balls to represent the Apostles.  Brush the almond paste with the beaten egg and arrange the almond paste balls around the outside.  Brush the tops of the balls with beaten egg too, and then stand the cake carefully on a baking tray and place under a hot grill for just a few minutes (be careful, don't let it burn, the objective is to just brown the top very slightly).

10     The top of the cake can be decorated with crystallised flowers such as primroses, or little chocolate eggs, or even small golden Easter chicks.

These are my cakes...




Hot Cross Buns possibly stem from the small wheat cakes, eaten at the spring festivals in honour of Astarte, the Phoenician fertility goddess.  Her Anglo-Saxon counterpart was Eostre.  The cross on the buns, however, is of Christian origin.  


If anyone would like any further Easter recipes - just let me know!

Another very interesting custom, which I believe stretches right across Eastern Europe is the Easter Spanking!  (See, I left that until last!)

The first time Starman and I witnessed it in action we were speechless!  

It was many years ago when we visited my cousins in Poland for Easter.  We had no idea whatsoever about what was going to take place on Easter Saturday!

We were awoken quite early in the morning by my cousin's husband rushing into our bedroom with "willow switches" which he had soaked overnight in water!  He pulled back the covers (luckily it was far too cold to sleep in the nude as I would have died of shock otherwise and would not be here today!) and liberally swished my legs especially in the 'thigh' area. It stung, but naturally he didn't do it too hard, thank goodness!  

The tradition is that all wives get 'switched' to remind them to be good for the year to come! Hmmm......

It seems to have become extended these days to cover ALL women!  And lots of horrid little boys take advantage of the 'water' aspect of this, and sprinkle, in fact throw, water over any passing female!  Not nice I can assure you.

I wish you all a Very Happy Easter.  I am on 'restricted computer time' from now until otherwise decreed (yeah, I know, well there's nothing I can say in my defence at the moment, HOHisness has gone to his head!), so I doubt that I'll get back here till after Easter.

Eat lots of lovely Easter goodies and have a good time and a rest from work if you can.

Prayers and blessings to all of you!

And many hugs,

Ami

21 comments:

  1. Happy Easter. Thanks for all those interesting facts.

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    1. Happy Easter Sunny! Glad you liked them.

      Hugs

      Ami

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  2. HAPPY EASTER! Or I guess I should say, I hope you had a happy Easter as you won't be back. Your cakes are beautiful

    love willie

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    1. Happy Easter Willie - I snuck out to the shed!

      My cakes are very sickly and I ate too much dinner! I am soooo bloated! Oh dear but it was good. So was the wine! But too much of it!

      Many hugs

      Ami

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  3. HAPPY EASTER Ami & Starman!
    Oh I really like facts and tid-bits of interesting info.
    Hot Cross Buns? Sounds like an angry TiH being spanked! lol
    Have a great holiday :)

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    1. Happy Easter! Would you believe I never thought about the hot cross buns and spanking?! Silly naive woman that I am!

      Thank you very much for your email (I stupidly deleted it by mistake thinking it was on my blog) and you can be sure I will be in touch - it's good to know you have friends who can help!

      Hugs

      Ami

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  4. Happy Easter to you and Starman, Ami! I enjoyed your Easter info, and your cakes look beautiful! :) LOL about the Easter spankings and LOL again re: MrBB's Hot Cross Buns joke above!
    Enjoy your holiday! Hugs!

    <3 Katie

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    1. Happy Easter! This is a happy post for once! But far too fattening - beware!

      Hugs

      Ami

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  5. Hi Ami, I loved the cakes, you better get baking for when we meet!! Happy Easter to you and his hohiness, from me and mine
    Love Jan.xxxx

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    1. Hi Jan and I will happily bring you a cake! But for now, I have eaten far too much!

      Happy Easter to all your family!

      Hugs

      Ami

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  6. Happy Easter to you and yours

    I love Hot Cross buns and Simnel cake.

    Love,
    Ronnie
    xx

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    1. Happy Easter Ronnie!

      Hugs, from a very fat, stuffed, overfed Ami!

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  7. So many great tidbits my dear!
    The switching I could do without! Ouchie! I am laughing imagining you both wide eyed in shock!! I think a warning could have helped you both be better prepared. LOL

    The cake sounds delish....I am now working on your choc. bread pudding. Thanks for the personal recipe measurements. LOL

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    1. That switching is never to be forgotten but wasn't really painful, just stingy and a heck of a shock! It was so funny - we were speechless!

      I hope the chocolate bread pudding worked out okay. I wish we were nearer, as I'd happily help you make it!

      Happy Easter

      Hugs

      Ami

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  8. Good to hear from you! Your cakes look incredible! I can boil water, but I need guidance even doing that. That's why I make friends with such good cooks! I loved the Easter information, I'd never heard of an Easter spanking however. Dump the switch in exchange for a paddle and I'm all for it!

    I hope your Easter is a blessed one.

    Hugs,
    PK

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    1. Happy Easter PK!

      I think we need to have to HH versus paddle debate. Minelle seems to be on very good terms with hers! LOL!

      Maybe we could start an Easter spanking ritual here in blogland?! After my little episode I have been on best behaviour, but the halo is going to slip sooner or later - I'm that sort of girl! Also, the switches on the willow trees all have lovely little furry tips on them now! Too nice to spoil! We call them pussy willows here in England. (Now I can see you are laughing like a drain!)

      Many hugs

      Ami

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  9. Happy Easter Ami and Starman!

    Lots of wonderful info Ami. Thanks for sharing. Hadn't heard about Easter spanking. I bet that was quite a shock! Some warning would have been nice no doubt.

    You cakes took amazing! I wish I had half your talent. Like PK, I need supervision in the kitchen LoL.

    LoL at Mr BB ... been getting similar comments from Rick .. grr

    Hugs,
    Roz

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    1. Happy Easter to you all Roz!

      If I am not careful I think Starman just might introduce a "lose weight or get a spanking" rule after all the eating I have done this Easter. You see, I come from a spanking culture and I never knew it! Just hope that PK doesn't send us both canes by express delivery!

      Hot cross buns indeed!

      Hugs

      Ami

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  10. Happy Easter Ami and Starman!

    Thank you for the really fun and interesting facts and info.

    Dang woman...you are determined that I am not going to lose any weight aren't you. ;) And that cake looks soooo good!

    BTW, here are some US translations if anyone needs them:

    Glace cherries are also called Candied cherries

    There is no ‘Mixed Spice’ but a great alternative is Pumpkin Pie spice mix

    Baking paper is what we refer to as parchment paper

    The candied fruits typically used in fruit cakes are not Candied Peel…if you can’t find Candied Peel, there are several easy recipes online to make your own.

    Hugs and Blessings,
    Cat

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    1. What about Allspice Cat? Do you not have that there?

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    2. To make your own mixed spice put the following in your grinder, or use powdered spices:

      Cinnamon
      Coriander
      Caraway
      Fennel
      Nutmeg
      Cloves
      Ginger
      Turmeric

      Allspice is different and is used mainly with meat. I know it contains Star Anise, but my bottle doesn't say what the other ingredients are.

      I used candied mandarin oranges instead of mixed peel because we don't care for it too much as it can be a bit bitter.

      And I've told you before Cat, if I am going to be fat then the whole world can be too!

      Did I tell you that I should have loved to have had a truck stop and served great big meals to great big truckers?! I just love to cook for men! Especially when they pat their stomachs and collapse on the sofa afterwards in contentment. LOL!

      Hugs

      Ami

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