CHRISTMAS TREE FLING

Getting rid of your Christmas tree can prove a bit of a problem. If it has roots you can always plant it. Or you can drop it off at a local zoo (check they want it first) as many animals enjoy playing with a discarded tree.  Or you can get your neighbours together and do as they do in Weidenthal, Southern Germany and have a Tree Flinging Competition. Competitors bring their own trees, minus the tinsel and baubles. They then attempt to throw them as high and as far as they possibly can.

Frank Schwender, 48, won the tournament for the third year in a row, with a total distance of 22.45 metres. Phew. The other plus side to flinging your trees is you would definitely burn off the extra pounds you piled on from the Christmas pud!

GALETTE DES ROIS

Happy New Year! Now Santa has delivered his presents and can take a break, he really enjoys January 6, Epiphany, or as it is also known, Three Kings Day. In many countries, including France, Italy and Spain children get more presents on this day to remember that Jesus was given gifts by the three kings.

In France, families enjoy Galette des Rois, a cake made from puff pastry filled with sweet almond cream. Inside La fève, a tiny porcelain figurine is hidden.  When the time comes to cut the cake, the youngest person present must pop under the table and say when to cut for each serving. The person who has the figurine in their portion gets to wear a paper crown and be king or queen for the entire day.

Santa and Mrs Claus love  Galette des Rois and always enjoy eating it with the elves.  If you would also like to partake in this tradition, here is the recipe.  If you don’t have a small porcelain figure you can use a dried broad bean. Mrs Claus now collects the figures every time she goes to France. You can get them in the form of movie characters, animas, biblical figures, in fact just about any shape or form.  Whatever you decide to add, just make sure it’s scrupulously clean and nobody swallows it. The children could make and decorate a gold paper crown or maybe you have one spare crown leftover from the crackers.

GALETTE DES ROIS

Ingredients


500g puff pastry


250g ground almonds


125g caster sugar


½ tsp. orange flower water


3 eggs

125g butter, melted


A pinch of salt


1 tbsp. icing sugar

FOR EGG WASH

1 egg yolk and 1 tbsp. milk

1. In a mixing bowl mix together the sugar and ground almonds. Add the butter and cream it together until thoroughly mixed.

2. Beat in the eggs one by one, mixing thoroughly between each addition. Mix in the orange flower water

3. Divide the puff pastry into two even portions. Roll out each portion and cut out two puff pastry circles, each 25cm across and 3-4mm thick.

4. Place one puff pastry disc on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment.

5. Make the egg wash by beating together the yolk and milk.

6. Spoon the almond cream into the centre of the pastry disc, leaving a 5cm edge around the diameter.  Pop the figure or bean somewhere in the mixture.

7. Brush the edges of the pastry disc with the egg wash.

8. Place the other pastry disc over the almond filing and seal the edges together firmly.

9. Chill the Galette des Rois for 1 hour in the refrigerator.  Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4.

10. Brush the Galette des Rois with the egg wash. Using a small, sharp knife to neaten round the edges and use the tip of the knife to create a pattern on the top of the pastry.

13. Bake the Galette des Rois for 40 minutes, until beautifully golden.

Best enjoyed after the decorations have been taken down and everybody can reflect on what a magical  Christmas this last one has been and what hopes and dreams they have for 2013. Remember, even though Christmas has gone, Santa Is always happy to see his friends at his home in Lapland.