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Roaring Fire Cider

Roaring Fire Cider

Roaring Fire Cider

 

½ cup cranberries

¼ cup thinly sliced fresh ginger

2 T. thinly sliced turmeric

2 T. peeled, diced fresh horseradish

3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

2 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme

2 dried hot chili peppers

1 tsp. whole black peppercorns

1 small red onion, sliced

1 lemon, thinly sliced into wheels

1 orange, thinly sliced into wheels

¼ cup raw honey

3 cups unfiltered apple cider vinegar, enough to fill the jar

1 (32-ounce) canning jar with lid, sanitized in the dishwasher

 

Layer ingredients into the jar for an attractive presentation, pressing down lightly with a clean stainless spoon. Add enough apple cider vinegar to cover ingredients entirely while leaving ¼-inch clearance at the top. Wipe the mouth of the jar with a damp cloth. Place a square of wax paper over the top, if desired, to prevent the vinegar from corroding the metal lid. Tighten the lid over the paper and infuse for 2 to 3 weeks (or up to 6 weeks) in a cool, dark place. Fine-strain, funnel into a clean bottle and refrigerate.

Summer Solstice Herby Honey Cookies

Summer Solstice Herby Honey Cookies

Summer Solstice Herby Honey Cookies

 

1 & 3/4 cups of flour

¾ cup softened butter

¼ cup honey

¼ cup brown or cane sugar

1 teaspoon minced thyme

1 teaspoon lavender buds

1 teaspoon minced rosemary

1 teaspoon minced sage

a few crushed cardamom seeds

pinch of salt

 

NOTE: I used more like a tablespoon of each herb in my cookies, but this might be too herbaceous for some, so adjust accordingly. And I also added 3/4 cup oatmeal to another batch of cookies and cut back on the flour. Feel free to experiment or use whatever cookie recipe you like…after all it’s not the cookie that matters as much as the spirit!

 

Icing:

 

3 teaspoons milk

1 cup icing sugar

a wee bit of grated lemon rind. (I also added lavender buds to the second batch of icing)

Coloring. I used a combination of golden beet juice, St. John’s Tincture and a pinch of turmeric powder, but of course, you could use a store-bought natural food dye.

 

Combine your milk and icing sugar. Slowing add in your coloring and mix until you find the desired color/consistency

 

Preheat Oven to 300 F. Beat flour, sugar and soft butter together until creamy. Slowly drizzle in honey while beating until mixture pulls together. Add minced herbs and petals, mix well through the dough. Divide into four balls and chill for an hour or so. Roll out and cut into round shapes. Add flour as needed.

Bake at 300 for 10-15 minutes. Let cool. Decorate using the flowers and herbs of the sun: petals of calendula, lawn daisies or ox-eye daisies (not store bought daisy chrysanthemums), St. John’s Wort, rose, or sprigs of rosemary, thyme and sage.

Spellbinding Sweet Woodruff Prosperity Cake for May Day Eve

Spellbinding Sweet Woodruff Prosperity Cake for May Day Eve

Spellbinding Sweet Woodruff Prosperity Cake for May Day Eve

Sweet Woodruff is a common ground cover garden plant, and while it is native to Europe it has naturalized in many of our forests. Leaves and flowers should be harvested just before and during blooming, but they must dried or at least wilted before using to capture their flavor/aroma. The stems are bitter, so make sure you just use leaves and blossoms.

 

By baking this magical Sweet Woodruff cake we can combine our magical powers together and cast a powerful blessing to enrich us, one and all and make our hearts merry. And here’s a little prosperity spell to say over your cake, while you’re making it, while it’s baking or just before you serve it. Abracadabra!

 

Money, money come to me

In abundance three times three

May I be enriched in the best of ways

Harming none on its way

This I accept, so mote it be

Bring me money three times three!

 

1 cup & 2 tsp. of DRIED Sweet Woodruff leaves and flowers (no stems!)

4 large egg yolks

4 large egg whites, at room temperature

3/4 cup organic cane sugar (or whatever sugar you like)

2 tablespoons cold water

8 tablespoons melted butter

3/4 cup of wholewheat, or spelt, or all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tsp. lemon zest

2 cups light cream

Powdered icing sugar for dusting

 

Three days before making your cake: Take your dried sweet woodruff and place in your cream. Stir well. Cover and allow to sit in a warm place for 24hrs. Then transfer to fridge. After two days, strain the plant material from the cream. Line a 8 X 8 inch square pan with sheets of parchment paper. Leave a generous amount sticking out from the sides. These will be your “handles” when you take the cake out of the pan. Heat Oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar and water together until creamy and the sugar is dissolved. 5 to 6 minutes. Drizzle in the melted butter into the egg yolk mixture and mix well. Add in the flour, lemon zest, salt and two tsp. of dried woodruff (crumbled into a powder) then blend until fully combined. Add the milk or cream and mix them in gently. Whisk the egg whites on high speed until the egg whites hold stiff peaks. Add the egg whites to the yolk mixture and flour mixture. Stir VERY gently with a large spoon just a dozen or so times, leaving large clumps of egg whites in the batter. Do not overmix! Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the edges are set, the top is a warm brown, and the center is still a wee bit wobbly. 50 to 55 minutes. Leave the cake in the pan at room temperature until completely cooled. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Best left overnight. Dust with icing sugar and serve!

Bewitching  Maibowle Cream Cake for Beltane

Bewitching  Maibowle Cream Cake for Beltane

Bewitching  Maibowle Cream Cake for Beltane

 

3-4 tablespoons dried/wilted sweet woodruff

2 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

½ cup may wine

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar

Powdered sugar, for dusting cake (optional)

Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

 

Glaze

½ cup white sugar

¼ cup butter

¼ cup white wine

1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, or as needed

 

Place dried/wilted woodruff, whipping cream into a pot and set on lowest heat. Bring just to a simmer, then allow to cool completely Strain out the leaves, then chill in the fridge. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift flour mixture and set aside. In a bowl, whip the infused cream on low, gradually increasing speed to medium-high as the cream thickens, until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, whisk together wine, eggs and vanilla. Gradually add egg mixture; beat until thickened (like mayonnaise) and well combined. Gradually add sugar. Gently fold half the flour mixture into the cream mixture until flour is dissolved and well combined. Repeat the process with the remaining flour mixture. Transfer batter to the prepared cake pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger, 25 to 35 minutes. Combine 1/2 cup white sugar, butter, 1/4 cup white wine together in a saucepan immediately after removing the cake from the oven. Cook sugar mixture, stirring constantly, over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted 3 to 5 minutes. Spoon 1/2 the glaze over the cake while the cake is still warm. Let cool. Invert the cooled cake onto a cake plate and spoon remaining glaze over top of the cake. Allow the cake to absorb glaze, about 15 minutes. Using a metal spatula, loosen the top edges of the cake and invert onto the prepared wire rack. Let glaze set. Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

 

Maibowle Wine

A handful of wilted woodruff leaves (preferably harvested the previous day)

1 bottle of sparkling wine

2  bottles of  white wine,

¾  cup of sugar

Juice of ½ lemon

Directions

 

Pour one bottle of wine into the punch bowl, add the sugar and lemon juice stir until it has fully dissolved in the wine. Add the woodruff and let steep for 20 – 30 minutes. Remove the woodruff and discard. Add the remaining white wine and top off with the sparkling wine.  Chill and serve with ice and strawberries.