Video Tutorial- Best Christmas Walnut Bread

Posted in Sharing by Rebekah

I have a little Christmas gift for you today!

Here’s the BEST European (Romanian) Christmas recipe for sweet walnut bread. It’s not actually a bread, it’s more like a delicious sweet, chocolate-y, nutty bread. This dessert should win a place in your Christmas menu because it’s so good. We gave some to our neighbors this year and they loved it! My family asks me to make this every Christmas and New Years now.

And guess what? I made a little video for you all to see how its made. My first ever video tutorial! So you have no excuse not to make it now! The recipe is listed below. Please like, share, pin, comment, instagram it, and most of all- make it.

Here’s the Sweet walnut bread recipe. Recipe instructions translated into English, are all from this blog: Cucina Jugariu

Yields 2 loaves of bread

Dough:

2 packets of dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs (at room temp.)
2 egg yolks (at room temp, to brush on top of bread dough)
6 cups flour (I usually use 5 1/2 cups so it won’t get too dense)
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter
2 TBSP rum emulsion (or 4 tablespoons rum essence)
1 TBSP vanilla essence

Filling:
4 egg whites
40 grams dark chocolate (grated)
2 cups minced nuts
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 TBSP rum emulsion
2 TBSP vanilla essence

4 tablespoons rum essence (one of the secret ingredients to this walnut bread, so it’s important you put plenty of it).

For the filling ~
beat egg whites with sugar. Then add the grated chocolate slowly, followed by cocoa powder, and crushed nuts, and the rum essence.

For the dough~

Mix warm milk with 1 tablespoon of sugar, and add the yeast. Set aside for 5-10 minutes for yeast to activate.

Then add the sugar, eggs, egg yolks, and rum essence, and stir gently. Afterward add the flour and salt. When the batter becomes homogenized, start kneading a bit with the (softened) butter.
The dough will be a bit sticky and soft at first, but don’t add any extra flour. Then, exercise your patience as you knead until the dough becomes elastic (may take 30 min.)

Let rise for 1-2 hours in a warm place until it doubles in size (at least). After the dough grows, punch it to let the air out, and let rise again for 1 hour.

Then divide the dough in two pieces. Roll out both pieces in large rectangular shapes. Spread half of the filling on one piece and half on the other.

Roll up the dough tightly as if making cinnamon rolls. Then fold the roll in half, twist as if making a braid, and place in baking pan.
Let it sit in the baking pan until doubled in size. Do the same for the second piece of dough.

Then use a brush to spread egg yolks on the braids.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes until the dough rises nicely in the oven. Then lower heat to about 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Test the middle with a long thin toothpick to check if ready.

When done, sprinkle powdered sugar on top, let cool slightly, slice and serve!

15Nov2013

Fellowship Friday: The Comrades of Honor Series – Guest Post

Posted in Sharing by Rebekah

The Comrades of Honor Series:

Historical-Fiction portraying courage and honor
in the Middle Ages

When Rebekah asked me to do a guest post, I must admit I was delighted with the prospect. She asked me how I got started with writing and my medieval trilogy, The Comrades of Honor Series. The answer is a journey, one that spans nearly ten years!

My interest in writing started when I was about ten or eleven, although I didn’t become serious about it until I was thirteen. I didn’t start off writing medieval fiction, but Civil War era fiction. It didn’t take long before my interests grew inclined towards chivalrous knighthood!

I started some research and came to develop an interest in squires. They seemed my type–the dashing, hard working lads who made their knights look good and served them faithfully. To my surprise, I couldn’t find a book about them! (Unless you consider one particular series, which is entirely fantastical and unhistorical.) It didn’t make sense.

How could you not have a book about the very backbone of knighthood?

Worse still, I quickly came to discover that there are very few historical-fiction books out there which portray the Middle Ages as it was. They always seemed full of fantasy, overly-romantic ideas about chivalry, gory violence, or the errors media has placed on the medieval days. So, about the age of thirteen, I set out to write my own book on the subject. To Birmingham Castle was born!

Years of editing, research, rewriting, and a lot of learning followed. I studied the classics and the Middle Ages, hoping to someday, somehow create a book like that of H. R. Haggard or Florence Kingsley.

Then, one day, reality snapped.

I wasn’t getting my story out there. Oh, my dream was to be a published author, but I wasn’t making it happen. God gave me a story and I wasn’t sharing it!

Skipping over the separate adventure of how I found my publisher, my publishing consultant Mark expressed what I was already feeling. He spoke about how my manuscript was important, how I needed to get into the hands of readers.

That was a year and a half ago.

Today, praise God, I have two published books and an additional published novella (exclusively on Kindle). The books are the first two installments in The Comrades of Honor Series. The novella, God of Her Fathers, is a historical-fiction novella about the old west.

The first two installments of my series are To Birmingham Castle: A Tale of Friendship and Adventure and In Search of Adventure: A Tale of Courage and Devotion. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but let’s just say the books are full of adventure, peril, honorable knights, beautiful ladies, devoted squires, cute little pages, and just enough enemies to keep you guessing! The third and final book should, Lord willing, come out in 2014.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKDjcxmnSBo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4RVx2bsN70

I don’t believe in sacrificing morals to create a fast-paced story. But neither do I believe in creating a boring, preachy book either! I wove godly principles, facts, and hair-raising escapades together, hoping to give you a fun adventure while still getting a historical taste of the Middle Ages.

I’ve gotten a number of positive reviews, but there are several quotes in particular that I feel details my desires for my series.

About To Birmingham Castle: This was truly an exciting and well-crafted story. It reads like a classic. The language was beautiful – impeccable dialogue of the “thou wilt” variety, but very easy to understand. I took my time reading it and basked in the medieval English world of Robert, Strephon and Brandon, each a wonderful companion to have along. I was sorry when it ended – this is the kind of book that could on and on and not get wearisome. The characters were very real – they were committed to doing the right thing but did make mistakes, so they were easy to relate to. There were so many inspiring and heroic parts! It portrays the true, heart-touching meaning of chivalry: men who defend the defenseless from the dangerous world around them, who display sacrificial love like Christ did. This would be a great read for all ages; boys especially would get a whole lot out of the description of knighthood. I wish my brother and I had had this book when we were studying medieval times in our school years!

Similar reviews have been made about In Search of Adventure.

All I can say is: God has been good. I’ve gotten some attention across the US and a wee bit more in England, and I’ve been compared to classical authors like George Alfred Henty and Howard Pyle. It’s all through Him.

Like many others, I hope you too will be inspired to check into The Comrades of Honor Series. Experience the Middle Ages. Live the adventure.

For Birmingham Castle!

You can visit my website at www.thecomradesofhonorseries.weebbly.com and my blog at www.aliciaannewillis.blogspot.com. At either site, feel free to contact me and/or sign up for my monthly newsletter, Little Corners. I look forward to hearing from you!

From the publisher:

Alicia A. Willis is a home-school graduate and avid historian. From an early age, she has had the desire to write family-friendly, accurate books about the past. She has authored two historical novels and anticipates the Lord leading her on to many more writing projects in the future. When not writing or doing endless historical research, she enjoys being a church pianist and teaching music. She and her family live in New Mexico.

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Note from Rebekah: I hope you all enjoyed our guest today! Christmas is coming soon in December, so these exciting books could be a great gift for someone you love (or even yourself 😉 )!