Ingredients: 2 ½ cups flour 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoon ginger ¾ teaspoon baking soda ½ cup butter ¾ cup sugar ¼ cup milk 4 tablespoon honey Directions: In a small saucepan, cook the butter, sugar, milk and honey at a low heat. Once the butter is melted and sugar dissolved, pour into a large mixing bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. In another mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cloves, cinnamon, ginger and baking soda. Mix into the butter mixture until just combined. Flatten the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until dough is cooled and firm. Preheat oven to 375. Take a quarter of the dough out of the refrigerator and rol

Cake Ingredients: 1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel) 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 large eggs 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2/3 cup canned pumpkin ¼ cup molasses Filling Ingredients: 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted 4 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon cinnamon *Optional Decorations: Powdered sugar Sprigs of Rosemary Fresh Cranberries Instructions: Cake: Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, co

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 package active dry yeast 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted Vegetable oil, for pan 10 cups water 2/3 cup baking soda 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water Pretzel or kosher salt Directions: Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and mix until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth about 10 minutes Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with ve

We introduce different cultures and traditions in our classrooms. This week the children talked about St. Lucia Day, which is a Swedish holiday celebrating the festival of light on December 13. The oldest daughter is chosen to wear a crown of greens and candles on her head. She will rise early and serve her parents Lussekatter buns. The children in both classes made these buttery saffron rolls in cooking this week. Ingredients: 1 cup melted butter 1/2 tsp. saffron threads, finely crumbled (or 1 tsp. powdered saffron) 1 cup milk 3/4 cup sugar 1 tsp. salt 2 pkg. dry active yeast (4 1/2 tsp) 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 eggs, well-beaten, plus one egg white raisins or currants to decorate D

Speculaas Koekjes (Dutch Spice Cookies) Ingredients: 2 cups brown sugar 1 ½ cups butter 3 ½–4+ cups flour 1 egg, beaten 1 tsp salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon cloves 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon ginger Instructions: Cream butter and sugar. Add remaining ingredients and mix, adding enough flour to form a very stiff dough. Shape into a rectangle disk and wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate dough, covered, several hours. Preheat oven to 350°F Lightly grease several cookie sheets. Remove dough at a time from the refrigerator. Cut off about 1/4 of the dough disk and roll out to 1/8-inch thick. Cut with cookie cutter. Repeat with rest of

In Poland, if there is a red sunset on Saint Nicholas' Day, it is because the angels are busily baking the Saint's Honey Cakes. Ingredients: ½ cup honey ½ cup sugar 1 egg 2 egg yolks 4 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon ginger Directions: Heat oven to 375º. Warm the honey slightly and combine with the sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Sift the flour with the soda and spices and stir into the honey batter thoroughly. Let the dough rest overnight. Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness; cut out with a round cookie cutter. Brush with the slightly beaten white of an egg, and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. #Baking #Winter

An easy alternative to the classic pumpkin pie. This can be whipped up in one bowl-no messy pie dough to prepare or roll out. The children made this treat to enjoy after our Stone Soup Lunch. Ingredients: 2 cans pumpkin 1 ½ cup cream ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup maple syrup 2 TBSP cinnamon 1 TBSP ginger 2 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp clove 1 tsp salt 2 TBSP vanilla 4 eggs Topping: 1 cup butter 1 cup honey 2 tsp cinnamon 2 cups oats Preheat oven 350o & butter a 9x15 inch baking dish. In large bowl, mix together pumpkin, cream, sugar, syrup, spices, vanilla and eggs. Pour into prepared baking dish. In saucepan melt butter on low heat. Add the honey and oats. Mix until coated with butter and honey. Spoon the o

The children had their first bread making lesson in the Red Robin class this week. They watched the yeast "bloom" (get bubbly), mixed warm milk, candied fruit, spices, butter, and flour together. Then they had fun kneading the dough for quite some time to make a traditional Swedish bread served in the winter time. Ingredients: 1 envelope active dry yeast 1/4 c. warm water, 105-115 degrees 1 c. milk, scalded 1/3 c. sugar 1/4 c. butter (1/2 stick), softened 2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom 1/2 c. cool water 1 egg 1 c. mixed candied fruit 1 c. golden raisins 6 - 6 1/2 c. all-purpose flour Directions: Sprinkle yeast over warm water in measuring cup. Let stand until foamy, about 3