Christmas baking chaos (Was it worth the struggle?) | Life on a small farm in Central Europe

butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil provides a dairy-free option while margarine is often less expensive.

walnuts

🥗Healthier: pecans

💰Cheaper: sunflower seeds

Pecans offer a similar flavor and texture, while sunflower seeds are more affordable.

milk chocolate

🥗Healthier: dark chocolate

💰Cheaper: semi-sweet chocolate

Dark chocolate has less sugar and more cocoa, while semi-sweet is usually cheaper.

raisins

🥗Healthier: dried cranberries

💰Cheaper: sultanas

Dried cranberries are lower in sugar, while sultanas are often less expensive.

Prepare the yeast mixture by combining 250 ml of cashew milk, 70 g of sugar, and 7 g of dry yeast in a bowl. Mix and let it sit for 10 minutes until foamy.

In a separate bowl, combine 500 g of whole grain spelt flour and a pinch of salt.

Melt 90 g of butter and add it to the flour mixture.

Separate 2 egg yolks from the whites using an egg separator and add the yolks to the flour mixture.

Add the foamy yeast mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a dough forms. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is no longer sticky.

Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rise on a warm radiator for about 1 hour.

Prepare the poppy seed filling by grinding 200 g of whole poppy seeds in a coffee grinder until fine.

In a pot, combine the ground poppy seeds with 120 ml of cashew milk, 60 g of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar. Heat and stir until combined and spreadable.

Prepare the walnut filling by grinding 200 g of walnuts in a coffee grinder using small pulses to avoid turning them into butter.

In a bowl, mix the ground walnuts with 100 ml of milk, 60 g of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon until combined.

Prepare the tvaroh filling by mixing 250 g of soft tvaroh with 40 g of sugar, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar until smooth.

Prepare the plum jam filling by using thick plum jam.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens