New Year's tiramisu panettone bake

I had planned on prepping this dish the night before like I did last year but I ended up too lazy..Oh well, it's easy and took little effort to make after a pre-lunch walk. I say lunch, because the laziness continued the next day as well. Luckily because of the liquor, there is no need for soaking to get it going for a great New Year!

Recipe
1 panettone
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Tiramisu liquor
Powdered sugar

Optional
Creme anglaise
Vanilla sauce

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Cut the panettone roughly into bite-sized chunks. Butter a baking dish and add the panettone pieces. Flatten to ensure an even bake. In a bowl mix the eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla and salt. Add the tiramisu liquor to taste (a generous splash or two..or three). Pour the custard over the panettone and allow to rest for a couple of minutes. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until set. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with chilled creme anglaise and vanilla sauce.

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Butterscotch creme brulee

Christmas is a mash-up of my childhood memories and traditions and my acquired Dutch ones. The second day of Christmas or boxing day in other parts was turkey day (mine) and ragout (his). But the big question remained.. what the heck to serve as dessert? Something everyone would like and simple enough to make because face it Christmas day cooking is stressful enough.

Creme brulee, people. Who doesn't like vanilla, custard and crackling sugar? I made these Christmas night and burnt the sugar the next day before serving. Nothing went faster...

Recipe
2 eggs
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups cream
1 tablespoon vanilla paste
2 tablespoons butterscotch syrup
1 1/2 tablespoon Grand Marnier
Makes 12 servings

Combine eggs, yolks and  sugar. Warm the cream with vanilla bean paste or a split vanilla pod. Slowly add the vanilla cream to the eggs while continuing to mix. Pour in the butterscotch and liqueur, if using. Strain and pour into greased ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking pan and add boiling water halfway up. 

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the size of ramekin. Flat ones bake in 28 minutes and taller in about 35. The brulees still have a bit of a jiggle but will firm up more while cooling. Refrigerate until ready to serve. When serving, sprinkle an even layer of sugar over the brulee and caramelize with a torch or under a broiler. Allow to harden before serving. 

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Christmas Eve

It's Christmas eve and I'm far from done. Every year I say no more and then comes December and I can't imagine it any other way. The shopping is done, the gifts are wrapped and the pantry is bursting at the seams. We'll place the cookies for Santa, tuck the kids in and then get busy like Santa's elves on spiked 'nog! But first I'll sit back and enjoy Christmas eve...if only for a moment.

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Hopscotch

I’m obsessed with scented candles. Candles that smell like the holidays to be exact. Unique scents, nothing too sweet or cloying in beautiful albeit it minimalist style packaging. Sorry, no pumpkin spice and no red. 

I have several different brands that I intend to burn through this holiday season (pun intended). Starting with Hopscotch in the scents cedar + pine and spiced apple. These make even rainy November days the perfect time to sit before the fire and enjoy!

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Christmas home

I love, love, love Christmas and that includes the decorating. The tree, the gifts, a homemade wreath and the sweet smell of pine, hyacinth and amaryllis. This year both kids were so excited to decorate, that they even did the hallway themselves with very little help. I can't with the for the actual day, with the table decked out and laden with more food than the four of us can eat! But for now, you get the picture.. of our home at Christmas.

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Christmas; the black and white list

Oh yeah, I can now kick it into high gear. The biggest, tallest tree I can find will be moving in the same afternoon as Sint Nick, so I can decorate like mad with my girl, who seems also infected by the bug called 'OTT at Christmas'.

My laundry room is stuffed to the gills with decorations, plant pots have been unceremoniously emptied for our own forest of mini pine trees, under the bed is host to kids gifts in differing states of wrapping and the postman is once again making daily trip to my door. Needless to say, we kind of went overboard..and for that reason the colour palette is minimal. Going perfectly with that minimal palette are these items on my wish list.

Downloadable print from Cocorrina captures exactly my Holiday feeling. The kids and us are plump, happy and a bit spoilt..if we can stay more nice than naughty. Hands down the best stockings on the scene are from Studio NL (check out the grid version as well). The everyday just got upsized and upscaled in my desk accessory crush. Oversized paperclip by Carl Auböck. The perfect way to end the day is a latte and this warm wintry candle from Eastwick..okay and maybe churros with salted caramel and telly..

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Tablescape

I showed you my Christmas decor here and here. Here is the final Christmas decor post, scouts honour.

This is our table as pictured on Christmas eve, ready and set for Christmas breakfast. The runner is a piece of crafting paper from the kids supplies cupboard, which I near stamped to death with a mix of Christmas themed stamps in glittery silver and after cutting bows to the ends. The letters are clay cut-outs I made with my daughter (my son was totally not into making any recognisable shapes). The letters then got baked and spray-painted metallic silver. That with the existing flower piece I made earlier with some new lighter blooms, the kids funny 'Domoor' cups and my piggy 'Snout' one and we are good to go for a stylish yet fun Christmas mealtime, starting with breakfast.

Breakfast, hopefully brunch, being full-on and a mix of bricks from my childhood and my kids Dutch one. Poffertjes homemade out of my trusty cast-iron pan. Bacon baked in the oven with a brown sugar glaze, scrambled eggs, fresh-baked croissants and my love of the season; eggnog. Being the cook means an early start after days of prep but that is OK. Because both sayings apply ‘If the kids are happy, then mama is happy’ and ‘if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy’. This table makes all happy and stuffed.

And then, then it is time for presents! Including the big surprise! Elves move over, this is Santa’s super-helper busting a Christmas old/new-school move.

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Christmas List

I always bust out the old-school Christmas tunes while I busy myself with the last preparations for Christmas day. While my home fills with the scent of cinnamon and spice and the gifts now all finally wrapped and waiting for Zoe Isobel and Mika to rip to shreds I smile. A slightly bittersweet smile because everything changes, evolves and grows and I will be eating turkey for days as Zoe Isobel just iterated a decided "I don't like turkey''.

But more bittersweet for the grown-up things on the list; peace, wounds healed, hearts mended, friendships strengthen and above all love. My grown-up self still believes in never-ending love and that will never change, especially with my home transformed into children's dreams and bursting with all that humanity & soul. Smile bright.

Peace and love, till Christmas morn! Working on that mega breakfast and ditto tablescape as we speak.


P.S. the lyrics are from David Foster and the cheeky little print is a card via Etsy I can't find the maker of but I so understand the draw of another's cookie..

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Word to Santa

More Christmas because it’s absolutely my favourite time of the year. This post is less trees and more letters. 

How fun is this banner! I have a colourful one I use for birthdays and now this all black version for a chic holiday twist. You can make whatever words tickle your fancy. I went for an extra hint for the jolly one..a little bribery never hurt any one, right? 

Accompanied by some cool origami style stars and fun postcards and staying with the black and white because I like a bit of graphic too keep Christmas modern and fun. The stars and banner are from  A Little Lovely Company, which is now my go to for decorations and purchased via Winkel van Papier. I see a purchase for Mika's third coming up quick..

And while on the letters cartwheel, I DIY'ed some clay letters with the kids. A bit of spray paint and we have some fun decorations for the Christmas tabletop, but first they need to dry! But I promise to show you Christmas morning, the bestest morning of the year..

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Wished & gifted

This is decidedly a list of things on my wish list. I'm therefore placing a disclaimer that it's not a general list of things I think would suit a category (for the guys, girls, moms, cooks etc.). It is simply a collection of things that caught and held my magpie eye. For the inexpensive to the unattainable and everything in between.

Logifaces concrete minimalist puzzle because when a game is this pretty I'm might get over my group games phobia. Not one, not two but three fabulous gifts spotted at Dutch Design Year; a do-it-yourself small light gift that is perfect for highlighting other treasures such as the faceted ceramic ring and abstract brass sculpture. By far the spanning the highest price award this grey horsehair trolley that transforms into a handbag from Jannissima for if I ever get to take that luxurious midweek break..

The only bugs I want to see in my kitchen; the insect tea towels from Mae Engelgeer. Two books I spotted at Dutch Design Week; Paris Designers and their Interiors & Northern Delights. A delicately scented body mist with peaches, flowers and musk because I love sliding into bed dreamlike. As the body mist another little gem from &Other Stories in the form of a make-up brush so pretty it calls out to sit on my equally pretty jewellery cupboard. Last but not least a replacement for my headphones who are so busted from six months of work-outs that replacement outside of exercise is inevitable..so why get the prettiest, shiniest of lovelies; The Frends Taylor in rose gold..

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Woodlands

A week later and the hall now has a Christmas feel. You, and by that I mean myself, might not like the icy cold of winter but you have to love the cosy look of this season. Plaids, throws, cushion, candles and all in natural, earthy muted tones. For me all the more reason to make the first stop a warm one.

Mixing some new and old things together, it is all about natural texture with a cool postcard print for a bit of cheek..if I can find it, there will be a sprig of mistletoe above my door. Now I'm off to write Santa asking for the obligatory hottie for under my mistletoe..



Have a great week!

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Christmas cracker

This is not really a fashion post. This is a post of crazy Christmas get-up for home. Things you can’t wear outside the warmth and protection (from prying eyes) of your own home.

I love, love, love Christmas. Can’t wait to decorate with the kids. Bake, cook, bake some more. And then enjoy doing utter nothingness. But what to wear on said truly lazy days? Lazy gear of the Christmas variety. Sweats, pj’s, slippers and socks. For young and old. For day and night.

Here’s to a lazy, fun, family, old-school and a bit of cheek..literally.

Kids: reindeer sweater and paw slippers from H&M holidays. Christmas list sweater from River Island. Crown, star shirt, bowtie shirt and stars joggers from Zara kids Sint Nick. Adult; all via Asos.

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My Christmas décor

Sorry Sinterklaas, but I am and will remain a Christmas girl pur sang. I look forward to eating turkey, watching sappy Christmas movies while stuffing my face with sweets & snacks, watching my kids tear into the gifts and being grateful to have my own little chicks to share the magic just as I did when I was little and forever since.

But before this, comes the breaking out of the trusty CD of classic Christmas songs sung the traditional, non-overly elaborate & drawn-out way (you know who I am talking about). Down come the boxes from the attic and out come the lights and ornaments. There is the happy Christmas stress of me sending silent beams of positive, frightful energy as my three and one year old are fascinated by the delicate glass balls, especially  as Mika’s greatness joy is throwing round or any other shaped objects into space, despite gravity and having a tiled floor. That sly smile when I say “don’t touch those” says "this ain’t over yet, mom". 

To the store-bought decorations I have been adding more homemade ones as my kids get older. I decorated their chalkboard, the windows got snowed, and I made an advent calendar from washi-tape and kids crafting paper (did you spot the neon bows on the gifts?) and made decorations with my little crafter from clay, which I spray-painted silver. Only about a third made it to the wall, but she thinks they look great and so do I.

Next on the list are loads of popcorn strings but only when I can trust my little monsters won’t eat the tree empty and preferably when I can get some help treading those suckers onto string.

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