Aarstiderne Christmas Market

æbleskive

Yesterday the two youngest children and I took a quick trip up to Aarstiderne's Krogerup farm, for their annual Christmas market. Obviously, with snow on the ground it was cold, so we took our time to wrap up warm before we set off to investigate the delicious smells wafting their way across the car park and meet our friends.

Immediately our eyes were drawn to an apple press, the juice from which was the principle ingredient for a deliciously spicy warm apple drink. We ordered a cup to go with the two servings of freshly prepared æbleskive that we simply could not walk by. Having just bought the special pan in which to try and make my own I was more than happy to watch an expert at work turning the balls of mixture, each stuffed with a piece of cooked apple. They were very delicious and quite different from the frozen version we have tried so far. Æbleskiver finished, the children looked to the next stall and I was soon dispatched to purchase some soup that was cooking over a log fire. They devoured the contents of the cup with such great satisfaction that I must try to recreate the flavor at home. This is one reason why I love coming here, the team that create the wonderful array of dishes on offer do so using produce that we can all find.

After meeting our friends we went inside the farm shop to have a look around and warm up a little. The children then had the chance to bake large spiced honey hearts and while they were cooking in the ovens we took a look at the rest of the activities on offer. There was an adventure trail outside for the children that looked fun, pony rides and a Christmas story time. It was all in Danish of course,  no problem on a warmer day but translations in the snow with an unhappily cold toddler at my feet required more commitment than I was warm enough to muster. So we returned inside to decorate our hearts and heat our insides with delicious Julkringle (a yeasted dough filled with an amazingly spiced fruit and nut mix) and coffee.

Before I knew it we had been there for three hours, eaten most of the food on offer and had a lovely time with lovely new friends enjoying the extra special introduction to Danish Christmas culture. 

Tummy's full it was time to return home, peel off the layers and read a book by the fire, a perfect start to December.

 

Orange Aid

The last few weeks have been made a little tricky as I keep becoming unwell, nothing serious thankfully but a virus followed by a stomach virus followed this week by a throat infection. By Monday I had really had enough. Nothing stops as a mother of three when you are the one who gets sick. Which is the opposite if one of the children or indeed the husband feels unwell, is feverish and quite understandably needs love, care and attention. It is business as usual interspersed with kind words from caring friends who understand with a look the effort it has taken to get to school for eight thirty, children, bags, coats and lunch boxes all present and correct.

Step by Step

I knew I needed a quiet week, I was really very tired and yes feeling sorry for myself, just a for a minute in between the packed lunches and finding missing gloves. Yet I hate to waste time, I really need to be creative. I didn't feel it was a week for writing, not when I felt so exhausted but I wasn't feeling inspired to do anything else. On Monday the fruit box arrived from Aarstiderne bringing with it five enormous oranges and on Tuesday I got to work.

First job scrub the oranges, organic which I think important for this particular project. Then peel back the skin in quarters, very carefully before slicing into long thin ish strips. I was following a recipe so it stated six oranges into a pan with two litres of cold water, bring to the boil, simmer for five minutes then discard the water. Begin again with a litre of water this time, bring to the boil then simmer for forty five minutes with five hundred grams of white sugar. Leave over night.

The next day, children safely at school and Julie and Julia waiting to be watched on the laptop I returned to the orange peels. They didn't look so great, in fact they looked like the fruit equivalent of how I felt. Mushy, grey and lacking in oomph. Still, I persevered and added the hundred ml of glucose syrup as instructed before gently boiling the peel till it was coated in an aromatic syrup.

Then, in an impatient three day recipe moment, I put the now spread out peel into a low oven hoping to omit the twenty four hours in an airing cupboard. There followed three hours with Batman and a duvet, the most mundane version of that sentence! Peel still not done and children collected from school I returned them to the oven for a couple of hours of heat before switching it off with them inside for the night.

Antibiotics kicking in I felt a lot better today, thankfully, as it is Saturday which means a house of boys. Two young helpers and I melted half a kilo of chocolate and one by one dipped the jewel like fruit into the bowl, gently enrobing the pieces in a warm chocolate coat.

One by one

I actually think that the result is one of the nicest things I have ever eaten. An absolute treat at the end of a week I never thought would end. The perfect recipe for a slow week, a recipe I have wanted to try for years but didn't have time for. Well, I gave it time and it gave me time in return. Time to sit, time to sleep and time to recover. Oh and Batman, don't forget Batman.

Now it is time to simply enjoy in peace and quiet with day one of my advent tea calendar.

Bagged and ready to give