Švedski čajni vijenac

Ovaj vijenac, kao što mu ime kaže, savršeno ide uz čaj (ili uz kavu ako je preferirate), a njegovi okusi i arome, prvenstveno božanstvena kombinacija cimeta i orašastih plodova, dozivaju ugodu Yulea (pa i Božića) i podsjećaju na ugrijani dom za vrijeme zimskih mjeseci.

Potrebno je:

Za tijesto:

• 1 čaša mlijeka
• 1/2 čaše šećera
• 2 čajne žličice soli
• cca. 50g maslaca
• 1/2 čaše tople vode (oko 1 dl)
• 2 vrećice instant kvasca
• 2 jaja
• 6 čaša brašna (običnog pšeničnog, ili namjenskog brašna za dizana tijesta)

Napomene: u čašu koju sam koristila za mjerenje stane oko 200 ml tekućine, a 125 - 130 g brašna. To je zapravo ona klasična mala čaša za kavu. 

U svoj kolač sam stavila samo 1 kvasac, ali bih vam predložila s obzirom na količinu brašna, da ipak stavite 1 i pol - 2 vrećice instant kvasca. Tijesto može samo ispasti još ljepše i razvedenije ako to napravite.

Također, u vezi brašna, predlažem da koristite ili isključivo namjensko brašno za dizana tijesta, ili izmiješate obično brašno s namjenskim. Ja sam za ovaj put isprobala kombinaciju 4 čaše običnog brašna i 2 čaše namjenskog te sam za pobrašnjivanje podloge koristila namjensko brašno.

Za punjenje:

• 1/2 čaše šećera
• 50 g otopljenog maslaca
• 2 jušne žlice cimeta
• 150 g orašastih plodova (ja sam izmiješala 75 g badema i 75 g lješnjaka)

Priprema:

1. Stavite grijati mlijeko dok ne uskuha.
2. Dodajte šećer i maslo i miješajte dok se ne otope.
3. Izmiješajte vodu, kvasac i jednu čajnu žličicu šećera u veću čašu (uzmite u obzir da će se kvasac dignuti). Prekrijte prozirnom folijom i ostavite da se diže 10ak minuta. Kada kvasac postane pjenast i dođe do ruba čaše, ili je počne prelaziti, znate da je spreman za upotrebu.
4. Ostavite mlijeko da se ohladi.
5. Kad se mlijeko ohladilo i postalo mlako, prebacite ga u zdjelu, umiješajte kvasac i potom dodajte 2 jaja. Miješajte.

Napomena: potrebno je pustiti mlijeko da se ohladi jer ako se kvasac stavi u vruće mlijeko, poništit će se njegovo djelovanje. Isto tako, ako se jaja stave u vruće mlijeko, "skuhat" će se, što je također nepoželjno.

6. Dodajte u smjesu 2 čaše brašna i miješajte.
7. Dodajite jednu po jednu čašu preostalog brašna i miješajte (predlažem da za ovo koristite pjenjaču, ili drvenu kuhaču) pazeći da ne ostanu grudice.
8. Kada postignete kompaktnu, relativno neljepljivu smjesu i kad se tijesto počne oblikovati u kuglu, izvadite ga iz zdjele na pobrašnjenu podlogu i mijesite 5 - 10 minuta. Po potrebi dodajte još brašna. Tijesto na kraju ne bi smjelo biti ljepljivo, iako je dobro da zadrži malo vlage i elastičnosti. Pod rukom bi trebalo biti mekano i na neki način glatko.
9. Zdjelu lagano premažite suncokretovim uljem. Vratite tijesto u zdjelu i okrenite jednom tako da se ulje malo uhvati sa svih strana.
10. Prekrijte vlažnom krpom i ostavite na toplom mjestu da se diže sat do sat i pol vremena.
11. Tijesto bi vam sada trebalo biti duplo veće nego prije. Izvadite ga na pobrašnjenu podlogu i izvaljajte u pravokutnik otprilike 35 x 45 cm veličine.
12. Prekrijte jedan lim za pečenje papirom za pečenje i raspršite na njega orašaste plodove (u ovom slučaju bademe i lješnjake). Upalite pećnicu na 200°C i zapecite ih samo 5 minuta. Nemojte više jer mogu postati gorki ako se previše zapeku.
13. Pripremite punjenje: istucite orašaste plodove na nepravilne komade maljem za meso (možete ih prethodno zamotati u prozirnu foliju pa ćete olakšati sebi čišćenje). Izmiješajte ih sa šećerom i cimetom.
14. Otopite maslac (ne mora biti u potpunosti otopljen, a i bolje je da ne bude vruć). Premažite razvaljano tijesto maslacem i pospite suhim punjenjem (od orašastih plodova, šećera i cimeta).
15. Zamotajte tijesto u "kobasicu" pazeći da ne ostane previše zraka u njoj i da dobro spojite krajeve/rubove tijesta.
16. Savijte tijesto u oblik vijenca i spojite krajeve najbolje što možete tako da se ne odvoje u pečenju.
17. Koristeći škare, ili nož, zarežite tijesto do dvije trećine "dubine" vijenca otprilike svaku 2 cm. Odnosno, pripazite da vam vijenac bliže sredini ostane spojen i da nijedan komad ne odrežete od vijenca u potpunosti.
18. Ako imate još malo vremena i volje, zarezane komade lagano nagnite u jednu stranu kako bi se bolje vidio presjek tijesta. U konačnici ćete dobiti vijenac koji je više nalik cvijetu (kao na slici poviše).
19. Prebacite vijenac na lim za pečenje (koji je prekriven papirom za pečenje).
20. Oblikovani vijenac ponovno prekrijte vlažnom krpom i ostavite ga da se diže na toplom mjestu još sat vremena.
21. Pecite 25 - 30 minuta u pećnici zagrijanoj na 175°C.

Swedish Tea Ring

This ring, as the name suggests, goes perfectly with tea (or coffee if you prefer it), and its taste and aromas, primarily the divine combination of cinnamon and nuts, evoke the pleasantness of Yule (and also Christmas) and call to mind a warm home during the winter months.

You Will Need:

For the Dough:

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• ca. 50 g butter
• 1/2 cup warm water (ca. 1 dL)
• 2 packets instant yeast
• 2 eggs
• 6 cups flour (plain wheat flour, or self-rising flour)

Notes: the cup I used for measuring holds about 200 mL of liquids, or 125 - 130 g flour. This was actually your typical small coffee cup.

I put only 1 packet of instant yeast in my cake, but I would recommend that you use 1 and a half - 2 packets given the amount of flour that is needed for the recipe. The dough can only turn out even better and softer if you do this.

Also, with regard to the flour, I recommend you use either entirely self-rising flour, or mix both the self-rising and plain flour. This time, I experimented with a combination of 4 cups plain flour and 2 cups self-rising. I also floured the surface using self-rising flour.

For the Filling:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 50 g melted butter
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 150 g nuts (I combined 75 g almonds and 75 g hazelnuts)

How To Prepare:

1. Scald milk.
2. Add sugar and butter to the milk and mix until both melt.
3. Mix water, yeast and one teaspoon sugar in a larger cup (keep in mind that the yeast will rise). Cover the cup with plastic wrap and leave it to rise for about 10 minutes. When the yeast becomes foamy and rises to the edge of the cup, or perhaps even starts to overflow, you will know it's ready for use.
4. Leave the milk to cool down until lukewarm.
5. When the milk has cooled down, pour it in a bowl, mix in the yeast and add the eggs. Mix.

Note: it is necessary to leave the milk to cool down because if you put the yeast in hot milk, its effect will be nullified. Also, if you put the eggs in hot milk, they could end up being "cooked", which also isn't good at all.

6. Add 2 cups flour to the mix thoroughly.
7. Keep adding the remaining flour one cup at a time and blend it in (I recommend you use a whisk or a wooden spoon for this) minding that there are no clumps left.
8. When you get a compact, relatively smooth, non-sticky dough and when the dough begins to form a ball, put it onto a floured surface and knead for 5 - 10 minutes. If needed, add more flour. In the end, the dough should not be sticky, although it's good to let it keep some moisture and elasticity. It should feel soft and satiny to the touch
9. Lightly grease your bowl with sunflower oil. Place the dough back in the bowl and flip it once so that you get some oil on all sides of the dough.
10. Cover with a moist piece of cloth and leave in a warm place to rise for about 60 - 90 minutes.
11. Your dough should double in size. Get it out on a floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle about 35 x 45 cm in size.
12. Place baking paper on a baking tray and scatter the nuts on it (in this case the almonds and hazelnuts). Heat your oven to 200°C and bake them only for 5 minutes. Don't leave them in the oven for too long otherwise they may get over-baked and take on a bitter taste.
13. Prepare the filling: beat the nuts using a meat cleaver (you can wrap them in plastic wrap beforehand so you have less to clean later on). Mix the crushed nuts with sugar and cinnamon.
14. Melt butter (it doesn't have to be completely melted and it's better if it's not hot). Smear the dough with it and sprinkle with the dry mixture of nuts, cinnamon and sugar.
15. Wrap the dough into a long rope taking care not to leave too much air while rolling it and to connect the ends/edges together.
16. Twist the rope into a ring and connect the two ends as best you can so that they don't fall apart in the oven.
17. Using scissors, or a knife, cut the dough 2/3 the way ever 2 cm. That is to say, the ring should remain connected on its inner side and you should not cut the slices off the ring itself.
18. If you have some more time and will left in you, gently twist the slices you just cut into one direction so that the cross-section of the dough is visible and the slices are slightly leaned against one another. In the end, your ring should slightly resemble a flower (as in the picture above).
19. Move the ring to a baking tray (which is lined with baking paper).
20. Cover the now shaped ring with a moist towel once more and leave it to rise in a warm place about another hour.
21. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes at 175°C.

Yule i ciklus života

Yule poznat i kao zimski suncostaj ima dvije strane - svijetlu i mračnu. Nalazi se na razmeđu života i smrti jer njime završava mračni dio paganske godine, a počinje svijetli. Yule, između ostalog, označava produljenje dana. Međutim, zimski suncostaj označava i najmračnija noć u cijeloj godini i podsjeća nas na težinu zime, vrijeme kada su stabla ogoljena, tlo hladno, vjetar puše jače nego inače, a kiša i snijeg obasipaju zemlju. U ovo doba godine se čini kao da zemlja spava.

Yule označava početak zime i period najveće hladnoće kada će biti potrebna izdržljivost za preživjeti do prvog nagovještaja proljeća koji se pojavljuje tek za Imbolc (2.2.). Stoga je ovo vrijeme kada je potrebno dobro promotriti dubinu svoje duše i njegovati unutarnji plamen, bio on stvarni ili metaforički, sve do proljeća kada će pomalo utihnuti strah od toga da ga ugasi zimska bura.

Zima osigurava opstanak najjačih, a prije nekoliko dana, upravo pred Yule, izgubila sam još jednog člana obitelji. Na Ostaru mi je preminuo djed, a ovog puta baka. Njezina smrt me ponovno potaknula na razmišljanje o ciklusu života i smrti unutar prirode. Ona je bila slaba, a s dolaskom sve hladnijeg vremena joj je bilo sve teže i teže. U konačnici se pokazala njezina slabost i preminula je skoro pa u snu.

Njezin vječni san je za mene označio početak zime ove godine koja će biti teža nego inače. Yule, kao i Božić, je vrijeme kada se (moja) obitelj skuplja. slavi, pravi zajedno kolače, smije veselim trenucima, ali i plače zbog tužnih, dijeli poklone i ljubav. Ove godine je moja obitelj siromašnija za jednog člana i to za osobu koja je svakog Božića nekim svojim tradicijama obilježavala ovaj blagdan. Više neće moći raditi svoje tradicionalne njoke, niti svojim prekrasnim osmijehom sve druge nasmijati, ili kriomice dati nekoliko slatkiša.

Ali takav je ciklus života. Kolo godine se okreće, a život ga neminovno slijedi.

Yule prije svega slavi ponovno rođenje mladog Boga. Međutim, centralna figura iz paganske perspektive je Božica koja ga rađa. U mitološkom smislu, Božica se za Yule regenerira kao što se i Bog ponovno rađa. Ona se iz aspekta Starice (koji prevladava u trenutku kada ovo pišem) preobražava u prekrasnu mladu Djevu i započinje novu godinu u cvijetu svoje mladosti. Jasno, rođenje je ovdje centralna tema. No, rođenje ne postoji bez smrti. U paganskoj mitologiji, ali i u mitologijama brojnih drugih kultura i vjera, Bog je morao umrijeti da bi se ponovno mogao roditi. U nekom trenutku (koji je doduše mitološki manje precizno određen u paganizmu), i Božica je morala umrijeti kako bi mogla prijeći iz aspekta Starce u aspekt Djeve.

Ponovno se vraćam na dvostruku narav ovog blagdana koji ima i svoju nježnu stranu (rađanje), ali i okrutnu stranu (smrt, hladnoća, zima).

Kulture diljem svijeta su u ovom razdoblju slavile božice-majke i božice plodnosti kao što su Frigg, Holda, Bona Dea, Koliada i tako dalje. Međutim, slavile su se ujedno i mračnije božice kao što je to keltska Cailleach, ili slavenska Baba Jaga. Obje su učestalo prikazivane kao babe (Starice), a nerijetko i karikirane da predstavljaju smrt, utjelovljuju zimu i mrak.

Smatram da se u ovom kontekstu mogu malo više posvetiti figuri Babe Jage koja, barem po mom mišljenju, izvrsno utjelovljuje oba aspekta ovog blagdana. Ovisno o predaji i izvoru predaje, ona može biti zlonamjerna, ali i vrlo dobronamjerna. Većina priča o njoj navodi da ona živi u usamljenoj kolibi na najnedostupnijem rubu neke šume. Po nekima je koliba stajala na kokošjim nogama, a prema nekima ju je podupirao kolovrat čime se ističe Baba Jagina uloga predilje niti života i smrti. Kao takva ima moć dati i oduzeti život, kako od zemlje, tako i od ljudi. U mitologiji se redovito ističu njezine ktonične karakteristike i smatra se da je u podzemnom svijetu ona ta koja odlučuje hoće li duše otići u tijelo novorođenog djeteta (čime se ističe njezin dobronamjerni aspekt i motiv rađanja), ili ostati u podzemlju (čime se ističe njezin zlonamjerni aspekt i motiv smrti). Smatra je se i zaštitnikom fontane iz koje izlaze vode Života i Smrti. Njezina sveprisutnosti i misterioznost su istaknuti predajom da ona kroz noćno nebo ne jaše na metli, što je stereotipni prikaz, već u mužaru. Vozi se uz pomoć tučka, a svaki trag svog prolaska nebom i kroz živote onih na koje utječe briše metlom. Mužar i tučak u ovom slučaju predstavljaju kreativnu i destruktivnu silu jer se njime mliju žitarice (destruktivno) od kojih se kasnije pripravlja hrana, ali i lan koji se kasnije koristi za predenje. Svojom metlom može stvoriti i njegovati život, ali ga i obrisati s lica Zemlje samo jednim zamahom. Poanta svega ovoga jeste da sa svakom smrću dolazi i rođenje i da se mora nešto dati/uložiti da bi se nešto drugo dobilo.

Babu Jagu se ne vezuje izričito uz Yule, ali se meni ova asocijacija jednostavno nametnula ove godine. Iz godine u godinu shvaćam koliko su svi paganski sabati zapravo vrlo slojeviti i kompleksni i kako jedan blagdan ne predstavlja samo onu jednu stvar već cijeli splet ideja. Svaki ima svoje nevjerojatno duboke korijene koje se može izučavati godinama. Ali u tome i jest ljepota.

Ove godine razmišljam o Yuleu na znatno drukčiji način i ne vidim ga samo kao još jedno slavlje života nego kao i priznanje smrti kao jednakovrijednog dijela života. Svaka godina treba završiti, pa tako i svaki život. Takav je prirodni ciklus. Zato ću ovaj period provesti u tihoj meditaciji na ovu temu. No, potičem vas da istražite što za vas znači ovaj sabat i u skladu s time ga obilježite.

No, da ne završavam na previše tužnoj noti, želim vam svima sretan i blagoslovljen Yule. A vama koji ove godine u punom sjaju slavite zimski suncostaj (koji usput rečeno pada na 22.12.) želim da vam bude pun veselja, ljubavi, slavlja, gozbi i blagdanske radosti.

Do sljedećeg posta,

vaša Witch's Cat

Yule and the Cycle of Life

Yule, which is also known as the winter solstice, has two sides - one light and one dark. It is positioned at the crossroad between life and death because with it ends the dark period of the Pagan year, and the light period begins. Yule, among other things, signifies the lengthening of the day. However, the winter solstice also marks the darkest night of the whole year and reminds us of the difficulties of winter; the time of year when trees are bare, the earth cold, when the wind blows stronger than usual and rain and snow shower the earth. It seems as though the earth is asleep during this time of year.

Yule marks the beginning of winter and the coldest period of the year when endurance is needed to survive to the first inkling of spring which appears only at Imbolc (February 2). So this is a time when it is necessary to take a good look at the depths of one's soul and nurture one's inner flame, be it real or metaphorical, right until the coming of spring when the fear of winter tempests extinguishing our inner flames finally dies down.

Winter insures the survival of the fittest and a few days ago, right before Yule, I lost another family member. At Ostara my grandfather died, and this time my grandmother passed away. Her passing prompted me to once again think about the cycle of life and death in nature. She was weak and with the coming of colder days, she found it all the more difficult to live. Finally, her weakness prevailed and she died almost asleep.

Her eternal slumber marked the beginning of winter for me this year. It seems it will be more difficult than usual. Yule, just like Christmas, is a time when (my) family gathers, celebrates, bakes cakes together, laughs for the happy moments and cries for the sad ones and share gifts and love. This year, my family is one family member short. And this is not just any person. My grandmother was the one that practically brought Christmas every year with her little traditions. She will no longer be able to make her traditional gnocchi, or make everyone smile with her beautiful smile, or sneakily give out sweets.

But that's the cycle of life. The wheel of the year turns, and life inevitably follows it.

Above all, Yule celebrates the rebirth of the young God. However, the central figure from a Pagan point of view is the Goddess that gives birth to him. In the mythological sense, the Goddess is rejuvenated at Yule just as the God is reborn. She is transformed from her Crone aspect (which is predominant at the moment when I'm writing this) into a beautiful young Maiden and begins the new year in full bloom. Of course, birth is the central theme here. But birth does not exist without death. In Pagan mythology, but also in the mythology of numerous other cultures and faiths, a god has to die in order to be born once again. At some point (which is albeit less precisely defined in Paganism), the Goddess also has to die in order to move from her Crone aspect to her Maiden aspect.

I return to the dualistic nature of this holiday which has its gentle side (birth), but also its cruel side (death, coldness, winter).

During this time of year, cultures throughout the world celebrate mother goddesses and fertility goddesses such as Frigg, Holda, Bona Dea, Koliada and so on. However, they also celebrated darker goddesses such as the Celtic Cailleah, or the Slavic Baba Yaga. Both are often depicted as crones, and more often than not caricaturized to represent death and embody winter and darkness.

I believe I could focus a bit more on the figure of Baba Yaga in this context who is, in my humble opinion, an excellent embodiment of both aspects of this holiday. Depending on the tale and its source, she can be malevolent, or even very benevolent. Most stories about her suggest that she lives in a lonely cottage in the least accessible part of a forest. According to some, this cabin stood on chicken legs, while others claim that it was supported by a spinning wheel which emphasizes Baba Yaga's role as the spinner of the thread of life and death. As such, she has the power to give or take away life, both from the earth and from people. In mythology, her chthonic characteristics are often emphasized and it is believed that in the underworld, she is the one that decides which souls will go to a newborn child (which emphasizes her benevolent aspect and the motif of birth) and which ones will stay in the underworld (which emphasizes her malevolent aspect and the motif of death). She is believed to be the guardian of the fountain, which the water of Life and Death springs from. Her omnipresence and mysteriousness are emphasized by a tale which says that she does not ride throughout the night sky on a broomstick, which is a stereotypical image, but rather in a mortar. She propels herself using a pestle and she erases every trace of her passage in the sky and people's lives using a broom. The mortar and pestle in this case symbolize the creative and destructive forces because they are used to both grind grains (destructive) which are later used to prepare food, but also flax which is later used for spinning. Using her broom, she can create and nurture life, but she can also erase it from the face of the Earth with just one sweep. The bottom line of all this is that with every death comes a birth and that something has to be given/invested in order to get something else.

Baba Yaga is not exactly connected to Yule, but this association just seemed to impose itself to me this year. Year in, year out, I understand how all of these Pagan holidays I celebrate are actually very layered and complex and how one holiday does not represent just that one thing but rather a whole plexus of ideas. Each has its own unbelievably deep roots which can be studied for years. But this is wherein beauty lies.

This year, I think of Yule in a considerably different way and I don't see it as just another celebration of life, but also as an acknowledgement of death as an equally valuable part of life. Each year has to come to an end, and so does every life. Such is the natural cycle. This is why I will spend this period in quiet meditation on this topic. Nevertheless, I urge you to explore what this Sabbat means to you and celebrate it in accordance with this.

But not to finish on such a sad note, I want to wish you all a merry and blessed Yule. And to those of you who have decided to celebrate the winter solstice in its full glory (which, by the way, falls on December 22 this year), I wish it to be filled with happiness, love, celebration, feasts and holiday cheer.

Until next time.

Yours,

Witch's Cat