Happy Christmas!
12/25/10 11:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kateI don't exactly celebrate, except in the way that I do. I love the food and the family, and the gifts (giving, mostly, but I got a couple things I'm going to rec below), but it's not my religious holiday, not by a long shot. Maybe I don't have a religious holiday anymore. I have a sort of... taking stock of my life holiday (winter solstice) which resulted in me attempting to drive my altar back to Baltimore from Wisconsin (packing it in my wee car tomorrow), and setting things up again. I miss having an altar, it's been too long.
HI WELCOME TO MY WEIRD CHRISTMAS SELF-EXAMINATION.
But, presents! I wrote a pinch hit for Yuletide, and they let me put up prompts, and I got two lovely stories! :D :D :D
Scrapyard Parkour, The Losers, gen Cougar and Jensen interaction, lovely, lovely, lovely. Obstacle course plus wrenched ankle = WIN! I love it, and it's MINE. <333
romance in five acts, So You Think You Can Dance, Billy Bell/Robert Roldan, I don't even know what else to tell you, here, it's Billy Bell, ILHIM, and I love the observations about Kent and the rest of the dancers. :D :D :D
Our contribution to the family lunch (it's a picnic theme, hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, potato salad) is Honey Cakes with Rum Baked Apples (the original recipe is for pears, but I like apples, they're even sweeter).
From here. Note: If you prefer to not use the whiskey, replace it with orange juice or coffee. (We replaced the coffee with apple juice, the whiskey with rum, and the OJ with rum. NOM NOM NOM.) We baked them in mini-bundt pans (pictures later) and 28 minutes was the perfect time.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup warm coffee or strong tea
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup rye or whiskey (see Note)
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (optional)
Instructions:
I like this cake best baked in a 9-inch angel food cake pan, but you can also make it in a 10-inch tube or bundt cake pan, a 9 by 13-inch sheetpan, or three 8 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pans.
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease the pan (s). For tube and angel food pans, line the bottom with lightly greased parchment paper. For gift honey cakes, I use "cake collars" (available from Sweet Celebrations) designed to fit a specific loaf pan. These give the cakes an appealing, professional look.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Make a well in the center and add the oil, honey, sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee, orange juice, and rye or whiskey.
Using a strong wire whisk or an electric mixer on slow speed, combine the ingredients well to make a thick batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom of the bowl.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan (s) and sprinkle the top of the cake (s) evenly with the almonds. Place the cake pan (s) on 2 baking sheets stacked together (this will ensure the cakes bake properly with the bottom baking faster than the cake interior and top), and bake until the cake springs back when you touch it gently in the center. For angel and tube cake pans, bake for 60 to 70 minutes; loaf cakes, 45 to 55 minutes. For sheet-style cakes, the baking time is 40 to 45 minutes. This is a liquidy batter and, depending on your oven, it may need extra time. Cake should spring back when gently pressed.
Let the cake stand for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan. Then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
HI WELCOME TO MY WEIRD CHRISTMAS SELF-EXAMINATION.
But, presents! I wrote a pinch hit for Yuletide, and they let me put up prompts, and I got two lovely stories! :D :D :D
Scrapyard Parkour, The Losers, gen Cougar and Jensen interaction, lovely, lovely, lovely. Obstacle course plus wrenched ankle = WIN! I love it, and it's MINE. <333
romance in five acts, So You Think You Can Dance, Billy Bell/Robert Roldan, I don't even know what else to tell you, here, it's Billy Bell, ILHIM, and I love the observations about Kent and the rest of the dancers. :D :D :D
Our contribution to the family lunch (it's a picnic theme, hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, potato salad) is Honey Cakes with Rum Baked Apples (the original recipe is for pears, but I like apples, they're even sweeter).
From here. Note: If you prefer to not use the whiskey, replace it with orange juice or coffee. (We replaced the coffee with apple juice, the whiskey with rum, and the OJ with rum. NOM NOM NOM.) We baked them in mini-bundt pans (pictures later) and 28 minutes was the perfect time.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup warm coffee or strong tea
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup rye or whiskey (see Note)
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (optional)
Instructions:
I like this cake best baked in a 9-inch angel food cake pan, but you can also make it in a 10-inch tube or bundt cake pan, a 9 by 13-inch sheetpan, or three 8 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pans.
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease the pan (s). For tube and angel food pans, line the bottom with lightly greased parchment paper. For gift honey cakes, I use "cake collars" (available from Sweet Celebrations) designed to fit a specific loaf pan. These give the cakes an appealing, professional look.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Make a well in the center and add the oil, honey, sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee, orange juice, and rye or whiskey.
Using a strong wire whisk or an electric mixer on slow speed, combine the ingredients well to make a thick batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom of the bowl.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan (s) and sprinkle the top of the cake (s) evenly with the almonds. Place the cake pan (s) on 2 baking sheets stacked together (this will ensure the cakes bake properly with the bottom baking faster than the cake interior and top), and bake until the cake springs back when you touch it gently in the center. For angel and tube cake pans, bake for 60 to 70 minutes; loaf cakes, 45 to 55 minutes. For sheet-style cakes, the baking time is 40 to 45 minutes. This is a liquidy batter and, depending on your oven, it may need extra time. Cake should spring back when gently pressed.
Let the cake stand for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan. Then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For easy organization later:
