Christmas Countdown 18 : Moravian Spritz Cookies

http://www.ncfolk.org/moravian-cookies/

Today, 8 December, Christmas Countdown 18 is the feast of the Immaculate Conception - a Catholic Church celebration of the birth of the Virgin Mary, free from original sin. I must admit that I had not heard of Christmas cookies called Moravian Spritz, or Moravian Spice Cookies until today. They are prepared traditionally as part of the ritual of observing the Feast of the Immaculate Conception - a national holiday in many Latin countries and significant in the United States.

The spice laden cookies are said to celebrate the purity of the Virgin Mary, since Mary, too, "gave forth sweet smell like cinnamon and aromatic balm and yielded a sweet odour like the best myrrh." In the spirit of Advent, abstinence is practised, for traditionally the cookies must stand for ten days in the refrigerator before baking, and are then shaped into Christmas figures, especially hearts and liturgical symbols.

How did Moravian cookie recipes become popular in the USA?

Preparing Moravian cookies , Leaksville Church, Richmond, USA http://www.newsadvance.com

Moravian Church missionaries came to USA in 1735, from Herrnhut ( modern Saxony, Germany). They came to minister to the scattered German immigrants, to the native Americans and to enslaved Africans. Winston-Salem has one of the highest concentrations of Moravians in the United States, and the city is home to companies that continue the Moravian baking tradition. Aside from the buns and sugar cakes, Moravians are still best known for their signature spice cookie. A descendent of the German Lebkuchen cookie (many Moravians fled Moravia, in the present-day Czech Republic, and settled in Germany before heading to the United States), the Moravian cookie combines a powerful and exotic spice blend with some unique baking techniques to produce a thin, crisp cookie that cannot be resisted.. from http://www.ncfolk.org/moravian-cookies/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/moravian-spice-cookies/

MORAVIAN COOKIES

1 c. molasses
1 stick butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp. soda
3 1/2 - 4 c. flour
2 tbsp. grape juice (or wine)
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix butter, sugar and molasses. Then add dry ingredients and grape juice; stir to mix well (very stiff dough). Cover and keep in cool place at least 3 days to ripen. Roll very thin (use a cloth-covered, floured board and plenty of flour). Cut with cookie cutter and gently place on cookie sheets and bake at 275 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Store in air tight container indefinitely.

from http://www.cooks.com/recipe/2f4vr283/moravian-cookies.html

Because we all love gingerbread, I think this recipe will be a hit.... I am ready to try it today - hope I am not tempted to bake too soon... at least this recipe suggests three days resting rather than the traditional ten!

Too Precious to Waste

Stitched tea bags/ old doily "tea lights" - Wilma Simmons More than a year ago, a decision was made. The annual exhibition of NCEATA ( Newcastle Creative Embroiderers and Textile Artists) 2015-2016 will have the theme "Mottainai". Mottainai in Japanese refers to more than just physical waste (resources). It is even used to refer to thought patterns that give rise to wasteful action. Grammatically, it can be used in Japanese as an exclamation ("mottainai!") or as an adjective phrase ("it feels mottainai"). There is no plural form. The collection of mottainai things could be called mottainai koto ( もったいない事 ? ). As an exclamation ("mottainai!") it means roughly "what a waste!" or "Don't waste." [2] A simple English equivalent is the saying "waste not, want not." A more elaborate meaning conveys a sense of value and worthiness and may be translated as "do not destroy (or lay waste to) that

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Finally Mrs Chalumeau takes a bow …She is a Pearly Queen … 695 buttons on the doll and 10 on the journal.(I think – could be more). I would like to thank Paula from Antiques and Collectables here in Hamilton, Newcastle and Raku Buttons ETSY seller for supplying me with about 500 of the vintage mother of pearl buttons, and the rest I had in my stash. I think they look great on my pearly queen, but I am truly tired of sewing on buttons. It made me think however, how many buttons must be on the elaborate clothes of the real pearly Kings and Queens! I drew my inspiration from the lovely lady pictured here, and the following description from Wikipedia. ... A Pearly King ( feminine form Pearly Queen) is a person dressed in a traditional Cockney costume covered in mother-of-pearl buttons. These costumes were treasured heirlooms, hand made and sometimes representing much of a family's wealth. .... This doll is all cloth – a little different from most of my other dolls which generally h

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

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