Tonight is the first of the 12 days of Yule – a time of traditional Celtic and Norse celebrations. This year, December 20 is Mother’s Night, the longest night of the year and the day before Winter Solstice. Beginning at sunset on December 20th, fires are lit to brighten the night, anticipating the return of the light as December 21st marks the Winter solstice and the beginning to longer days to come. Traditionally, vigils protected the fires from dusk to dawn on the Mothers night, to make sure that the sun would rise again and welcome it when it did.
Mother’s Night is also an evening to remember and honor the women who have passed before us by celebrating their light as they live on through us. Some celebrate by making recipes passed down by mother and grandmothers. Some sing the same songs or tell stories told by ancestors. Some set out photos of the women who came before – to honor them (make sure they are labeled for future generations) and tell stories of their lives. Perhaps, light a candle and remember them at sunset.
Ham and Swiss Rolls
The older I become, the more I come to realize that, in our family, my sister did a lot of the ‘mothering’ - she is a particularly good cook. I don’t remember most of the things that were cooked at our house, but I do remember Marion in the kitchen whipping up delicious cinnamon rolls and Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. After she married and moved away she landed in Germany for a few years. When she came home, she graced us with her new recipes and flavors (beef with pickles) that I had never experienced. We don’t have a lot of recipes that have been passed down in our family, I hope that this one – with the memory of her cinnamon rolls mixed with a nod to German flavors – might honor all she did for me growing up (I hope they taste nice).
- Rolls
- 1 cup milk
- 0.25 cups warm water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
- 2 each eggs, room temperature and beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 5 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoons instant active dry yeast
- Filling
- 4 T melted butter
- 1 c finally diced ham roast
- 1 c shredded Gruyére cheese
- 1 t fresh rosemary – finely chopped
- 1 t fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Combine all of the roll ingredients into a mixture with a dough hook. Knead for approximately 10 minutes.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 30-60 minutes (our house is chilly).
- Butter a 9″ x 13″ baking pan and it set aside.
- After dough has rested, roll it into a 15″ x 12″ rectangle.
- Brush with the dough with butter and sprinkle the ham, cheese and herbs Starting with long edge, roll up dough; pinch seams to seal.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 1″ pieces. Place them, cut side up, in the prepared baking pan, flattening them only slightly. Don’t pack the unbaked rolls together.
- Allow rolls to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
- Bake in a regular oven at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or until they are a light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
** They could have used a bit more cheese (and butter softened rather than melted)
Beavercreek Backyard Farm - Finale 