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Christmas

Aebleskiver | Danish Pancake Balls | Wild West Viking
Christmas, Danish Traditions, Dessert, Holiday, Recipes

Æbleskiver (Danish Pancake Puffs/Balls)

Æbleskiver | Danish Pancake Balls | Wild West Viking

Æbleskiver (Pancake Puffs or Pancake Balls)

A Danish tradition typically enjoyed around Christmas time (but I think you can enjoy them any time of the year). These puffy Danish pancake balls are sweet delights typically served with powdered sugar and strawberry jam, although I have elevated them slightly this time with boozy strawberry coulis. Æbleskiver literally translates to apple slices, although we don't add these into the batter. You do need a special Æbleskiver pan (see below).
These are perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea, or a sweet after dinner treat.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Danish

Equipment

  • 1 Aebleskiver pan
  • Blender
  • Sieve or fine mesh strainer

Ingredients
  

Æbleskiver

  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 cups flour
  • 3 eggs, yolks and whites separated.
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • powdered sugar
  • strawberry jam

Boozy Strawberry Coulis

  • ½ cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 12 oz frozen strawberries, thawed
  • 1 tbsp Grand Marnier (orange liqueur)

Instructions
 

Prepare Æbleskiver

  • Beat egg yolks, add sugar, salt, buttermilk, flour, baking soda and baking powder.
  • Beat egg whites until slightly stiffened.
  • Add egg whites to flour mixture.
  • Melt butter, place Æbleskiver pan on stove on medium heat. Brush butter into each hole. Ladle mixture into each hole about ¾ full. Cook about 2 minutes, and then turn carefully over on the other side (I use a wooden tool some people use a knitting needle), trying to spill some of the mixture into the hole as you are turning to make the pancake puff a little fluffy. Continue turning until the balls turn a nice golden color and are cooked all the way through.
  • Keep warm until ready to serve.

Prepare Coulis

  • Combine sugar and water in a small sauce pot over medium heat. Stir to combine and until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat.
  • Combine frozen strawberries and sugar syrup in a blender, and blend until mixture is smooth and pureed.
  • Pour puree over sieve over a medium sized bowl. Stir and push mixture into bowl until all liquid has been pushed through.
  • Add liqueur to mixture (if wanted). Stir to combine well.
  • Store in fridge for 5-7 days or freezer for 2-3 months.
Keyword aebleskiver, Danish Christmas, Danish food, pancake balls, pancake puffs, Sweet Treats
  • Aebleskive Pan : This is the pan that I have and have used for years. You can use a cast iron pan as well, but this one is very easy to use.
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Italian Eggnogtini | Wild West Viking
Christmas, Drinks, Holiday, Recipes

Italian Eggnogtini

Italian Eggnogtini | Wild West Viking

Italian Eggnogtini

It's time to toast 2021 goodbye and welcome in 2022! This Italian Eggnogtini is one of those warm, delicious and elegant cocktails perfect for our small party of two this year! Maybe these little New Years cocktails will help? These martinis are a blend of Amaretto, vanilla vodka and eggnog and a dash of nutmeg. I rimmed the martini glasses with chocolate and crushed peppermint giving a little minty bit with every delicious sip!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Course Drinks

Ingredients
  

  • 2 oz Disaronno
  • 2 oz Vanilla Vodka
  • 4 oz Eggnog
  • melted chocolate for rimming glasses
  • crushed candy cane for rimming glasses
  • nutmeg, and candy cane for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Rimmed glasses with melted chocolate and then dip in crushed candy canes. Set to the side
  • In a shaker full of ice, add eggnog, vanilla vodka and Disaronno. Shake well for about a minute.
  • Strain contents from shaker into each glass, and sprinkle with nutmeg. Garnish with a candy cane.
Keyword Christmas Cocktails, Eggnog, Eggnog Cocktails, Eggnogtini, Holiday Cocktails, Italian Cocktail, Italian Martini, New Years Eve Cocktail
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Grinch Mimosa | Wild West Viking
Christmas, Drinks, Holiday, Recipes

Grinch Mimosa

Grinch Mimosa | Wild West Viking

Grinch Mimosa

WHO wants a holiday drink this year to spread some Christmas cheer? You will feel all warm and fuzzy while sipping this tasty Grinch Mimosa Cocktail! This holiday cocktail is updated for my taste with a combination of Midori, Creme de Banana, orange juice, pineapple juice, run, and then topped off with Prosecco! Every Who in your Whoville will certainly fell all toasty inside with this Christmas drink!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Course Drinks
Servings 2 cocktails

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup Midori (melon liqueur)
  • ½ cup Creme de Banana
  • ½ cup Pineapple Juice
  • ½ cup Orange Juice
  • ½ cup Rum
  • Prosecco
  • red sanding sugar for rimming glasses

Instructions
 

  • Add Midori, Creme de Banana, pineapple juice, orange juice and rum in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to mix.
  • Rim cocktail glasses with red sanding sugar.
  • Add crushed ice to cocktail glasses, and fill evenly with mixture from cocktail shaker. Top off with Prosecco, and enjoy!
Keyword Apple Cider Mimosas, Christmas Cocktail, Christmas Drinks, Christmas Mimosa, Grinch Mimosa
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Santa Gnome Treats | Wild West Viking
Christmas, Dessert, Holiday, Recipes

Santa Gnome Treats

Santa Gnome Treats | Wild West Viking

Santa Gnome Treats

These little treats have got to be the most delicious and cutest edible Christmas Santa Gnomes! I made these using sugar cookie bottoms, filled them with chocolate mousse, and topped with whipped frosting, a strawberry for a hat, and red M&M for the nose. These will definitely give you a sugar high, but seriously, who could resist?
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pkg Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Dough (break apart kind)
  • 24 oz White Frosting (I used the whipped white frosting)
  • 24 strawberries
  • 24 red M&M's

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F
  • Spray a mini-muffin pan with cooking spray (or use mini liners)
  • Place one cookie into each muffin cup (don't flatten)
  • Bake cookies for about 18 minutes, and place on wire rack to cool
  • While cookies are still warm, take a small spoon and gently press cookies into a cup shape.
  • Cool completely before filling.
  • Make your favorite Chocolate Mousse recipe or alternately, you can completely fill the bottoms with whipped frosting, vanilla pudding or other yummy filling.
  • Wash strawberries, and cut out the crown into a "V" shape (where the leaves are)
  • Take one of the cookie cups, and fill with chocolate mousse, or whatever you are going to filling them with, and be generous.
  • Then push the strawberry into the filling, cut side down, and add a red M&M for the nose, just under the "V" of the strawberry.
  • Add a little of the white frosting, just below the 'nose' on the cookie cup and draw a beard and make some lines for the beard with a toothpick.
  • Enjoy!
Keyword Chocolate Mousse, Christmas Treats, Gnome Cookies, Santa Gnome Treats, Sugar Cookie
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Danish Christmas Traditions | Wild Wst Viking
Christmas, Danish Traditions, Holiday

Danish Christmas Traditions

It’s the first day of December and Christmas has arrived! This is undoubtedly my favorite time of year. The twinkling lights, the smell of fresh evergreens, spiced cookies, flickering of candles and of course the little nisse (elf-like creatures) and above all . . . the hygge!!

Throughout this season, I will be adding my 24-day countdown, just like we have on our advent calendar! Only this will be a countdown of my favorite Christmas traditions!

1st Day of December

On the 1st of December Christmas brings us . . . .the mischievous elf-like creatures called ‘julenisse’ or ‘nisse’.

These somewhat temperamental little troublemakers must be treated with respect and kept in good spirits throughout the season. To the right is a photo of my daughter’s “nissepige” (nisse-girl). She’s made by Birgitte Frigast. This little nisse appears every 1st of December bringing little gifts on the advent calendar, one for each day leading up to Christmas Eve.

In the “old” days, nisse were considered the protectors of a household or farmstead and help the farmers with small chores around the farm. There are different variations of nisser, some old, some young, all with pointed red hats, some are grumpy and some are happy, Luckily we have always had the happy ones in our house!

In our family, we make sure to keep the nisser happy as we do want them making any naughty problems, so we give them a little bowl of “risengrød” (rice porridge), with a little sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and a pat of butter on top. This all happens on the 23rd of December (stay tuned)!


2nd Day of December

The 2nd day of December brings the Countdown Candle (or as we call it in Danish . . . Kalenderlys). These candles typically have some kind of Christmas design on them and adorned with numbers from 1-24.

This is such a fun and cozy tradition that brings joy on those dark December mornings in anticipation of Christmas Eve/Day. It’s typical for Danes to have a breakfast candle to soothe their souls on hectic mornings.

As you will soon find out, towards the end of this adventure, candles are a big thing for Danes, and especially here around Christmastime!

This is a total hygge (cozy) aesthetic tradition that you could also start in your house! There’s nothing more comforting than starting and ending the day by candle light, and it’s such a fun way to count down to Christmas!

I love the design of the Georg Jensen candles, or Holmegaard candles, although there are several other stores and online stores that sell them now also here in United States!


3rd Day of December

The 3rd day of December brings the famous Danish woven Christmas hearts. These are made throughout the holiday season, and hung on the Christmas tree and filled with Christmas candies. The hearts are made out of glazed paper, or sometimes fabric. Colors vary, but traditionally they are made with red and white colors, which are of course, the national colors of Denmark. An interesting note is that the woven hearts were said to be created first by the famous H.C. Andersen. The oldest known braided heart, which is actually yellow and green, is on display at the Hans Christian Andersen museum in Odense.

Over the years, some of the designs have become very intricate with extremely creative designs. They also can be made with different colors such as red and green, gold and green, red and gold, and green and gold. You can purchase templates that have already been cut out for you so all you have to do is weave the paper together. This makes the process a little faster and easier!

This is a fun activity to do for both the young and old, and especially delicious to fill with candies!


4th Day of December

The 4th day of Christmas brings one of my favorite Danish Christmas books – “Peters Jul” (Peters Christmas) by Johan Krohn.

This book is comprised of classic poems about heartwarming tales of Christmas time traditions in Denmark during the 1860’s. These poems described as stories of Christmas spirit and traditions, and lots of Christmas joy!

A favorite memory from my childhood is sitting and having this read to me the night before Christmas. Reading the book really does give you the feeling of what it would be like to experience Christmastime in Denmark in the 1860’s, a simple time, but a time full of those timeless Christmas traditions, with family at the center.

This book is both for the young and old, giving a good insight to Christmastime in the 1860’s both culturally and historically. A true Danish Christmas Classic.


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