Honey Cake or Lebkuchen

For everyone looking for “Grampa’s” gingerbread house recipe–this is as close as we’ve been able to come and it works beautifully. The minced fruit and candied peel aren’t in here–but it was nasty anyway. So, your honey cake will probably NOT last until the Millennium…sorry. But dad also added things like powdered ammonia to some of his stuff and who even KNOWS what that was about? I can just hear him laughing his head off at us right now.

“Now, dear…it’s not gingerbread—it’s HONEYCAKE!”

I miss you, daddy. And all the secrets you took with you.  😀

Lebkuchen–Honey Cake

Ingredients:

3 cups sifted flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon rind (optional)
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon water

Stir together first 6 ingredients. In 1-quart saucepan, bring corn syrup and sugar to a boil. Cool.

In a large bowl stir together corn syrup mixture, egg, and lemon juice. Gradually stir in flour mixture until well blended. Cover; chill 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Roll out dough 1/4 at a time to 1/4″ thickness onto a well greased cookie sheet.  Bake in 400°F oven 6-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet immediately and place on rack. Cut into cookies or house pieces while it’s still warm.

If cutting into cookies, mix confectioners’ sugar and water. While still warm, brush with glaze.  Cool.

May be stored in tightly covered container for a dang long time.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Lebkuchen
 
Ingredients
  • 3 cups sifted flour
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup corn syrup
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tsp grated lemon rind (optional)
  • ½ cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
  1. Stir together first 6 ingredients.
  2. In 1-quart saucepan, bring corn syrup and sugar to a boil. Cool.
  3. In a large bowl stir together corn syrup mixture, egg, and lemon juice.
  4. Gradually stir in flour mixture until well blended.
  5. Cover; chill 1 hour or until easy to handle.
  6. Roll out dough ¼ at a time to ¼" thickness onto a well greased cookie sheet.
  7. Bake in 400°F oven 6-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
  8. Remove from cookie sheet immediately and place on rack.
  9. Cut into cookies or house pieces while it's still warm.
  10. If cutting into cookies, mix confectioners' sugar and water.
  11. While still warm, brush with glaze. Cool.
  12. May be stored in tightly covered container for a dang long time.

Happy Birthday April

On Friday we celebrated my sweet April’s birthday.

April, a beautiful wife to Jacob…

an incredible mother to Lily and Beckham…

a loving sister to Lyndi, Jillian, Dane and Rhen, and an inspiring daughter…to me.

April, who–among a million other wonderful things–creates all the background that is beautiful on this blog.

We love you, Honey.

Thanks for being ours…

Happy Birthday.

Chex Candy

Whips up quick–and makes a ton…

December 13, 2009 024

Chex Candy

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups corn syrup

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

1-1/2 tsp vanilla

1 box Chex cereal–Rice or Corn or both (1lb. 7 oz)

Cook first three ingredients together to full boil. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour over Chex and mix to coat all pieces. Spread on wax paper to cool.

I’ve heard of people adding dry roasted peanuts, or M&M’s, but we like it in it’s plain, unadulterated form. Call us purists.

December 13, 2009 028

Serves a million and makes them very happy.


Chex Candy
 
Ingredients
  • 1-1/2 cups corn syrup
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1-1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 box Chex cereal (1lb. 7 oz)
Instructions
  1. Cook first three ingredients together to full boil.
  2. Boil 2 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
  4. Pour over Chex and mix to coat all pieces.
  5. Spread on wax paper to cool.

 

{ The Christmas Spirit }

nov-30-0233

“Born in a stable, cradled in a manger, He came forth from heaven to live on earth as mortal man and to establish the kingdom of God. During His earthly ministry, He taught men the higher law. His glorious gospel reshaped the thinking of the world. He blessed the sick. He caused the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear. He even raised the dead to life. To us He has said, ‘Come, follow me.’

“As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always. We shall learn to forget ourselves. We shall turn our thoughts to the greater benefit of others”

Thomas S. Monson

12 Days of Christmas

Years ago, I read an article called “Merry Christmas, The Symbols of the Season.”  It was very interesting. Don’t be afraid…I’ll paraphrase.

According to this article, there is a perfectly good reason why the song The 12 Days of Christmas doesn’t make any sense. It was actually being elusive on purpose.

It seems that in England, from 1558 until 1829 Roman Catholics were not allowed to practice their faith publicly and their religious symbols were banned. Someone in that era wrote a song to help their young children remember what they could not openly preach.  Although I, myself am not Catholic, and therefore don’t completely understand some of the terms, I think since we sing the song, and we love the song–we should also understand the song, and be respectful of it’s origin. I found it fascinating.

It breaks down like this…

“On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…” The “true love” referred to is God himself. The “me” is the church member who receives the gifts.

partridge1by John Coulter

1 Partridge in a Pear Tree    =   Jesus Christ-

Jesus is represented as a mother partridge because she would pretend to be injured to decoy a predator away from her nestlings. She was even willing to die for them.

 

2-trutle-doves
Artist Unknown

2 Turtle Doves    =   Old and New Testaments

three-french-hens

3 French Hens   =   Faith, Hope and Charity

4-calling-birdsBy Sarah Tyson

4 Calling Birds = Four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

5-gold-rings

by Judith Kall

5 Golden Rings   =   The First Five Books of the Old Testament

six-geese-a-laying

by Karmen

6 Geese a Laying   =   The 6 days of Creation

seven-swansby Bill Ewart Jr.

7 Swans a Swimming =   The Sevenfold Gifts of the Spirit-

wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord.

 

tt_28306_eight-maids-a-milkingby Yvonne Earber

8 Maid a Milking   =   The Eight Beatitudes

nine-ladiesby bkinternet

9 Ladies Dancing =   Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit-

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control

 

10-lords-a-leapingby Brooks

10 Lords a Leaping   =   The Ten Commandments

11-pipers-piping-hetreauby The Plate Lady

11 Pipers Piping   =   Eleven Faithful Apostles

12-drummersImage found here

12 Drummers Drumming =   12 Beliefs in the Apostles Creed-

belief in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, made man, crucified, died and arose on the third day, that he sits at the right hand of the father and will come again, the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting.

Now then…don’t you feel smart?