I Think I'm Starting To Enjoy Christmas Now

There's something about the aroma of cloves and ginger and cinnamon that makes me feel a little more Christmas-y, even if it is 65 degrees outside the day before Christmas Eve.

I've been baking adventurously, meaning i'm baking things i've never baked before or things that i haven't baked in so long that i may as well have never baked them.

I had to work up to it for a few days, but i decided to try making my own pepparkakor. I had to work up to it because i already know that it is not the kind of recipe that anyone is likely to really get right on the first try. I don't remember ever seeing my mom mess it up, but she has had a lot more practice, and she can speak Swedish to the cookies. I think that helps.

The part where you actually mix the dough isn't too hard. One of the ingredients is the "peel and juice of half an orange." Thank God my mom wrote in that that means about 2 tablespoons. It took me a whole orange to get that much juice. Another ingredient is "one small egg," and i only had large eggs, and i couldn't decide whether i should do without some yolk or some white, so i just put the whole thing in, hoping it wouldn't matter. But i think it did.

After you make the dough, you have to chill it hard. This is because you have to roll it out cold, and if you let it get too warm, it gets too soft, and doesn't keep its form. Then when you roll it out, you have to get it very thin. I was afraid i was getting it too thin, so i rolled out the next section a little thicker. Shouldn't have done that either. Thick and soft is not right. I got some of them the right thickness, but the texture's not right. I think it's the large egg. I think i'll wait for mom to let me know what i might've done wrong.

They taste good too, and i'll certainly enjoy eating them, but i won't be bringing them to any Christmas celebrations. When i share pepparkakor with the local americans, i want to represent the cookies correctly.

Well anyway, i also made caramel corn and ate most of it, and i made pumpkin pie. I'm a little worried about it because i'm really not sure it got done. I'm starting to wonder about my oven. I need to buy an oven so i can check it out.

Tomorrow is our second Christmas celebration with family. I'll be bringing my pumpkin pie, done or not, and James plans to make a decadent green bean casserole with his special additions. (bacon)

I'm looking forward to it.

Happy Christmas everyone!