In a recent post, I lamented a lack of connection to my cultural culinary heritage. Growing up, although I was aware I had German, Irish, Scottish, English, and Finnish roots, those roots were not reflected in the foods my mother, grandmothers, and aunts prepared and served us. But because my experience of cultures different from my own was limited, I didn’t know what I was missing, as they say.
Over the last few years I have gained a new understanding of cultural culinary heritage, reading, watching, and learning from people who have recipes their ancestors have handed down from cook to cook, kitchen to kitchen, for generations. That context provides a grounding to each new cook, a reason for preparing each dish that goes beyond simply filling bellies in your care, and it is that grounding that I feel I do not have in the kitchen. It’s that grounding context that I have been in search of, in my quest for my Finnish culinary heritage. That quest has resulted in me scouring the internet for Finnish cookbooks written (or translated) in English, and learning to bake technically difficult breads like rye and pulla. It’s also been the source of some of my family’s favorite holiday treats. But I sometimes still feel like an imposter in the kitchen, as none of these recipes are connected to any particular Finnish ancestor, but merely, generically, “Finnish”.
For the last few years, I have cooked my way through the holiday season, creating a “Baker’s Solstice Countdown” of 21 recipes, necessitating a deep dive into my collection of holiday recipes. 21 recipes in 21 days is A LOT. As I contemplated the start of this holiday season, I knew I needed to pare that down a bit. Those 21 recipes make far more treats than anyone in my house can eat, and this year I have often found myself challenged to summon the mental stamina to cook at all. I never wake up in the morning and think I no longer love cooking, but sometimes I struggle to feel that love when the days are so full of other demands on my mind, heart, and body.
I started my pare-down by checking in with my family, asking The Boy and The Husband what they might miss if they didn’t see it during the holidays. Both of them immediately answered “nothing”, which is a very loving and sweet response designed to allow me the freedom to cook “whatever I want”, but I knew was inaccurate. Probing further, a few standouts emerged. Some of those recipes have an interesting detail in common.
They are recipes passed on to me from my mother, and to The Husband from his mother. They are recipes that have been passed on to them by their mothers and grandmothers. They are recipes that carry tradition, culinary history, and meaning. They have context, in this family, in my kitchen.
That seems like a good place to start.
Since this newsletter is coming to you at the week’s end, I thought some big projects might be welcome. These recipes make a lot, but the bounty keeps well if stored away from heat, in ziptop plastic bags. If you try them, please let me know!
First up, my mother-in-law’s Anise Cookies. They’re a family favorite, and a labor of love because they take 2 days to make, and the recipe makes a lot of cookies. I divided this recipe in half because the full recipe makes about 140 cookies. So now it only makes 5-6 dozen. 😂 Trust me when I say I still have to hide some to make them last the whole season. The anise flavor is intense, but the sugar glaze balances that intensity, making these cookies tough to resist. They are also tough to make secretly, because the aroma of the anise oil lingers for hours after the dough is made. My family is still pleasantly surprised to smell anise in the kitchen, and it’s one of the signs that I have finally gotten into the holiday mood.
Anise Cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon anise oil (I order mine online from Olive Nation. Be sure to use oil, not extract, for best flavor.)
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon ground anise seeds or ground star anise (I substituted ground star anise once because it was what I had, and now I use that every time. Either one works.)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup beaten eggs (about 1 1/2 eggs, beat 2 eggs and save the leftovers for breakfast)
Glaze: 1/2 pound confectioners sugar, 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Method:
In a medium saucepan over low heat, heat the honey, granulated sugar, butter, and 6 tablespoons heavy cream until melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat to cool. When cool, stir in the anise oil.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, ground anise seeds or star anise, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Stir in the honey mixture and eggs until thoroughly mixed and smooth. (I’ve never used a mixer for this, but if you do, use a medium low speed.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Scoop 1-inch pieces of dough with a spoon and roll into balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart, lightly pressing down each ball to flatten slightly.
Bake at 350 deg F for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove gently from the cookie sheet to a cooling rack to cool completely (they will be a bit soft, but will crisp up as they cool).
Put the cookies in a large rimmed cookie sheet. Mix the confectioners sugar and heavy cream in a medium bowl until very smooth with a pouring consistency. Pour over the cookies, mix with your hands, place on wax paper to dry overnight.
While you’re waiting for these cookies in their overnight rest, you can make my mom’s caramels. A couple of years ago, I asked my mother to send me the recipe, and asked her if she had ever halved the recipe. She said no. She asked me to let her know if I halved it, and how it turned out. I did make half a recipe, and well, as you can see they turned out all right. I took them off the heat a degree or two too soon I think, and cutting the vanilla in half may have made their color and flavor a little light. I have adjusted the recipe for you to take these things into account. It still makes a somewhat remarkable number of caramels, but we will probably make our way through them, because they are delicious.
You will need a candy thermometer for this recipe.
Mom’s Caramels
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 stick (1/4 pound) butter, cut into 4 equal pieces
1 cup heavy cream, divided
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Method:
Prepare a 7-inch by 11-inch baking dish (or an 8-inch by 8-inch dish) by lining it with foil, leaving strips hanging over the sides to use as handles. Butter the foil inside the dish.
Combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter, and 1/2 cup heavy cream in a large saucepan (mixture should only come halfway up the inside of the pan, to leave room for boiling and stirring). Attach a candy thermometer to the pan so you can read it.
Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally to help dissolve the sugar, until the mixture comes to a boil. Do not stir after it comes to a boil.
At a full boil, slowly add the other 1/2 cup heavy cream, being careful not to stop the boiling. Keep boiling until the temperature reaches the “Firm Ball” mark on the candy thermometer. (250 deg. F)
Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour into the prepared pan all at once. The mixture should be hot and liquid enough to level itself out. Anything left to scrape out of the pan should be scraped into a separate small dish. Allow to cool on a wire rack completely until cold and set. This will take a while, possibly overnight.
Using the foil handles, remove the slab of caramel from the baking dish, and carefully peel the foil away from the caramel (if you’ve allowed it to cool and set completely, this should not be difficult). Flip the caramel slab upside down on a cutting board to finish removing the foil. Using a sharp knife, cut into desired pieces. Cut pieces of wax paper large enough to wrap your pieces, and wrap, twisting the ends to seal.
I am so grateful for your continued readership, and I would appreciate it if you shared this newsletter with anyone you think might find it useful or of interest. Many thanks, and happy holidays!