Polar Express Hot Chocolate with Gingerbread Marshmallows

Posted December 5, 2019 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes, Holidays / 0 Comments

 


In just a few short weeks, we’ll come to the end of not just another year, but a whole decade. It’s crazy to think how much things change in that amount of time. A decade ago I was 21, halfway through college, and working 3 jobs to pay tuition. I was SUPER busy. Now I’m married with 2 kids, a mortgage, and a food blog. Last year I achieved one of my life goals: getting a book published by the time I turned 30 (though I’ll admit when I first set that goal, I thought I’d be writing fiction instead of cookbooks!). And I’ve got another book coming out next September, so…still super busy. I guess things don’t change THAT much. 😆

These blessings have definitely enriched my life, but they’ve brought a lot of chaos too, which is why I want to close out 2019 with a cozy, soul-nurturing recipe–something to prepare me for Christmas and fortify me for a new decade. This got me thinking about “The Polar Express,” which I’ve wanted to feature on the blog for ages. The kids in the book drink hot chocolate on the train on their way to the North Pole, and NOTHING says “cozy and soul-nuturing” like hot chocolate! ^.^

For my inspiration, I used a hot chocolate I once drank a fancy brunch buffet at Drury Lane Theater in Oak Brook Terrace. Folks, it was downright CHUGGABLE. It was sweet but not too sweet, and even though the chocolate flavor was rich, it was more reminiscent of milk chocolate instead of the dark, intense chocolate flavor I usually shoot for with homemade hot chocolate. It was kid-friendly without compromising quality, and that hit all the right notes for me.

Since the book specifically mentions hot chocolate and not hot cocoa, I used chopped up chocolate bars to make it authentic (I recently learned that “hot chocolate” has actual melted chocolate in it while “hot cocoa” uses cocoa powder. The more you know!). I also dialed back the darkness of the chocolate. Most homemade versions call for 70% dark chocolate or darker, but I kept it at 60% to achieve the mellow, approachable quality I wanted. I kept my flavors simple too: just sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. I didn’t use any coffee or cayenne to intensify the chocolate flavor since we’re keeping this kid-friendly, but you can certainly experiment with them if you’re making this for adults (I’d use coffee or cayenne but not both).

The book doesn’t mention marshmallows, but I just finished a marshmallow recipe for my new cookbook and wanted to experiment with unique flavorings. I threw in some gingerbread spices and voilà–the perfect pairing!

NOTE: The marshmallows need to set overnight.

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On Advent and Hans Christian Andersen: My Plans for 2020

Posted December 1, 2019 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Blogging, Holidays / 0 Comments

 

 

Hello, folks! Happy 1st day of Advent. My manuscript deadline fast approaches (Jan. 1st—EEK!), so I’m taking a day to relax before crunch time begins in earnest. This morning I’m enjoying the first tea from the Adagio Teas Advent calendar I got for my birthday and basking in the calming glow of a candle I scent-mixed myself at RiverFront Candle Co. a couple months ago while visiting my sister. The candle is a mix of bourbon, burnt sugar, and leather, and I named it “Brûlée and Books.” ^.^ Here’s to one last quiet morning before I dive deep into book edits! * clinks glasses with you from across the internet *

In the spirit of a new season, I wanted to reflect on the year a bit, share blog plans for the future, and give you a chance to weigh in on my first few recipes of 2020.

With a new baby, new house, and another cookbook to finish, this year has been one of blessings and chaos. Although it was my original plan to go back to my old posting schedule next year (1 recipe/week), I think I really need to take a breather. I’ve decided to stick with the new 1 recipe/month schedule for 1 more year. Hopefully I’ll be able to go back to creating full menus after that (there are so many more I’d like to do!).

I also want to take next year to think about the future of the blog as a whole. With two small children and two books to promote, I don’t want to stretch myself too thin, but I also don’t want to abandon a blog that has been a vital creative outlet and skill builder for me for the past 6 years. This may mean changing the focus and format of the blog in the future, perhaps pivoting to focus on integrating cooking into homeschooling or experimenting with historical cooking techniques and ingredients in the modern home. I may create a survey about this next year to gauge your interest on different subjects. As much as I want to take the blog in a direction I’m passionate about, it’s also important to me create content that has value to you. After all, I’m not just talking to myself out here! 😉

But enough seriousness. It’s time for some fun stuff! Do you remember last January when I did a Grimm’s Fairy Tales menu and let everyone vote on which fairy tales to use? Next year, I’m doing it again, but this time with Hans Christian Andersen! I’ve posted a poll below (plus others on Twitter and Facebook) where you can vote on which Andersen tales you’d like to see me make recipes for. The polls will be up the entire month of December, and you can vote in each poll once, giving you a total of 3 votes. At the end of December, I will tally the votes and make recipes from the top 3 winners. Since I will continue posting once a month, the recipes will go up Jan-March.

Cast your vote, dear readers! May the best fairy tale win. 🙂

What Hans Christian Andersen story should I make a recipe for in 2020?
  • The Ugly Duckling 34%, 41 vote
    41 vote 34%
    41 vote - 34% of all votes
  • Thumbelina 14%, 17 votes
    17 votes 14%
    17 votes - 14% of all votes
  • The Little Mermaid 14%, 17 votes
    17 votes 14%
    17 votes - 14% of all votes
  • The Snow Queen 14%, 17 votes
    17 votes 14%
    17 votes - 14% of all votes
  • The Emperor's New Clothes 8%, 10 votes
    10 votes 8%
    10 votes - 8% of all votes
  • The Steadfast Tin Soldier 8%, 9 votes
    9 votes 8%
    9 votes - 8% of all votes
  • The Red Shoes 7%, 8 votes
    8 votes 7%
    8 votes - 7% of all votes
Total Votes: 119
Voters: 81
December 1, 2019 - January 1, 2020
Voting is closed

NOTES:
- It is possible to vote for multiples (but no more than 3).
- If you decide to add a new fairy tale to the list, be sure it's from Andersen and not Brother's Grimm.
- If you change your mind, don't worry! The poll is set up so you can change your vote if you want.

© Kama

 

Interdimensional Hole of Pancakes: Blueberry Matcha Pancakes from The Good Place

Posted November 7, 2019 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes, Pop Culture Corner / 2 Comments

 

 

I don’t watch many TV shows these days. With two tiny kids and a cookbook manuscript deadline looming large on the horizon, I just don’t have time to keep up with the new stuff coming out (I haven’t even STARTED the latest season of Stranger Things 😬). Then one night while I was trying to keep myself awake while nursing my baby, I turned on Netflix. And up popped The Good Place.

I don’t even know what happened. Somewhere between thinking “Kristen Bell? Cool, I like her” and “It’s only a 20 minute ep what could it hurt” I was plunged into a wild world of architects, soulmates, and chili babies. It was the light-hearted romp through moral philosophy I didn’t know I needed.

My friend Jess recently shared her own love for The Good Place on FanDummies, a pop culture fan podcast where she is one of the lovely hosts. She mentioned on Twitter that while she was at comic con she visited the actual Interdimensional Hole of Pancakes cafe, a reference to an interdimensional crossroads in the show shortened to the “IHOP”. It’s filled with giant green floating disks (the pancakes), swirling blue chaos, vicious little monsters called Niednagels, and something called the Time-Knife. When I heard Jess got to visit the Good Place IHOP at SDCC, I felt unabashedly jealous. Then it got me thinking…Wouldn’t it be cool to make interdimensional pancakes at home?

They’d have to be blue and green, of course, to match the color scheme of the IHOP in the show. And kinda edgy, since the IHOP is supposed to be dangerous, but they’d have to be delicious too. My answer to this was classic buttermilk pancakes with a twist: I flavored half the batch with matcha to make it green and the other half with homemade blueberry syrup to make it blue. I threw some fresh berries into the batter too.

I was so pleased with the final product. The matcha was evident without being overpowering, and the syrup added distinct blueberry flavor without being too sugary. 

So fire up the griddle and whip up a batch of pancakes from the Interdimensional Hole of Pancakes…and if you suddenly find yourself caught in a swirling vortex between dimensions about to be eaten by a Niednagel or staring down the edge of the Time-Knife, just remember:

EVERYTHING IS FINE.

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Here There Be Sea Monsters: Colonel Brandon’s Curse Cupcakes and Sir John’s Kraken Rum Punch

Posted October 3, 2019 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

 

 

It’s time for one of my favorite posts of the whole year: a Halloween recipe! This year my inspiration comes from Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, a parody of the Jane Austen classic. A reader requested a recipe from the original Sense and Sensibility earlier this year, but although it’s always important to me to take requests when I can, I ran into 2 problems:

1) There aren’t many foods mentioned in the book, and those that are get just a fleeting mention.

2)* deep breath * As a self-professed lover of classic books, this isn’t easy for me to say, but … I’ve never finished a Jane Austen book. * cringes and ducks behind a desk as everyone throws weighty Austen omnibuses at me *

I know, I know—it’s unforgivable. In my defense, I DO think she’s a skilled writer. She’s witty and creates believable characters. And I’ve STARTED many of her books…but I always wind up DNFing halfway through, despite enjoying them in the beginning. I’ve thought a lot about this, and I think the problem is, despite the dynamic characters, the plot doesn’t extend beyond the character’s personal lives. The will-they-won’t-they of Elinor and Edward is interesting, but I need higher stakes to keep me invested beyond the first 25 chapters.

Still, I take reader requests very seriously, so I found a middle ground. Several years ago, I read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I snagged a copy of the second Austen parody novel, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. I liked this one even more than the zombie book. Not only did I finish it, but I was up waaay past my bedtime several times because it was too good to put down. Whenever I felt the story start to drag, the author threw in fang beasts, sea witches, underwater colonies, or a sinister island mystery. Just the kind of high-stakes story I like. 😉

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Pippi Longstocking’s Pepparkakor Heart Cookies

Posted September 5, 2019 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

 

 

I finally got around to listening to the Pippi Longstocking audiobook a few months ago, and, guys, I just gotta say…it’s a total gem! I looove Pippi. She reminds me of Calvin from Calvin & Hobbes. I remember the artist (Bill Watterson) saying that kids and adults like Calvin for almost opposite reasons, and I totally see Pippi the same way. Kids love her grownup qualities (Independent! Confident! Super strong!), and adults love her childlike qualities (Imaginative! Spirited! Fearless!). I definitely want to read this one to my kids when they’re old enough. For now though, I’ll just have to settle for making them goodies from the book. ^.^

I thought there wouldn’t be much food in it since it’s so short, but it’s actually PACKED with all kinds of yummy goodness: pancakes, ham, cold roast, cream cake, cookies, and more. The food that stood out to me most was the cookies. They show up in multiple scenes, but my favorite is the one where Pippi is cutting out heart shapes from dough rolled out on the floor. They’re specifically called “pepparkakor” (a traditional Swedish ginger cookie). Since I’ve never made them before, I tracked down a recipe from Daune at Cottage in the Oaks. I added a little cream cheese frosting because I want it on all my spiced desserts from now until forever. I’ll admit the frosting is not strictly authentic, but it IS strictly delicious, which is all that really matters, right?

These were so fun and easy to make: the perfect weekend baking activity with little kiddos! 🙂

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Miracle Max Resurrection Truffles: A Princess Bride Recipe

Posted August 1, 2019 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

 

 

I have a confession to make: before this year, I’d never ready The Princess Bride. The years up til now were a distracted chorus of “I’ll get to it” and “It’s somewhere in my TBR.” I’ve seen the movie, so I guess I just didn’t feel a ton of urgency. It wasn’t until someone requested it as my blog’s next Book of the Month that I actually sat down to read it for the first time.

AND OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS IT IS THE GREATEST. Such a complete and utter joy. I can’t remember the last time I had so much pure fun while reading. It’s clever, heart-warming, and fiendishly funny. As soon as I finished it, I was more than ready to get in the kitchen, and I knew exactly what I was going to make: Miracle Max’s resurrection pills.

In the book, Miracle Max prepares a resurrection pill for the “sort of dead” Man in Black. Inigo is skeptical of its appearance, but Max’s wife Valerie assures him that it looks a lot better with a chocolate coating. This reminded me of chocolate truffles, but I knew I wouldn’t have time to make the filling from scratch. After all, I’ve got a 2-year-old, 6-month-old, and Mysterious Suuuper Seeecret Project (which I PROMISE I’ll announce soon–hopefully next week!) to worry about. To resolve the issue of time, I turned to my trusty Oreo truffle recipe. It’s quick, easy, and dependably delicious—just what the doctor ordered. Then I snuck in a Werther’s soft caramel center for the perfect surprise.

You don’t have to slave away for ages to make these addictive little morsels (but they’re so delicious that everyone will think you did). So whip up a batch—they’re even worth coming back from the dead for!

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A Patriot Tea Party: Almond Cookies, Queen Cakes, and Berry-Flavored Tea

Posted July 4, 2019 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes, Holidays / 0 Comments

 

 

Happy 4th of July, folks!

I hope you’re all enjoying a relaxing day with family, friends, and good food. I definitely am! We’re off visiting my husband’s side of the family today, and we’ve got a weekend in Indiana planned with my family next week. In fact, a visit to my family in June gave me the idea for today’s post, which is dedicated to Felicity Merriman, the American Girl doll inspired by the American Revolution.

I first got my Felicity doll when I was just a little girl (six? maybe seven years old?). We did EVERYTHING together, so much so that I’m actually surprised she survived my childhood in one piece. But survive she did, and my mom kept her safe in storage for years until I had a house with room to store her. Last month, I finally got to take her home! As I went through her box of accessories, it got me reminiscing about all the good times we had. The funny thing is, I had been stressing about what book to feature on the blog in July, but when I realized that my scheduled posting day fell on Independence Day…well, a Felicity recipe was just too perfect to pass up!

For today’s recipe, we’re recreating teatime at Miss Manderly’s house from the book Felicity Learns a Lesson. In the story, Felicity must learn to balance her patriot sympathies with her new friendship to a loyalist named Elizabeth. At teatime, Felicity has to choose between drinking tea (which her family is boycotting) or refusing and thereby endangering her friendship with Elizabeth. Her quick solution is awfully clever, and I want to commemorate it today by recreating Miss Manderly’s tea table: an inviting spread of queen cakes, hard biscuits, and black tea.

I used an almond variation on my own sugar cookie recipe for the hard biscuits, but it was trickier to find a queen cake recipe. I wanted an authentic colonial recipe, but it also had to have instructions that would make sense in a modern kitchen. In my search, I stumbled across the blog The English Kitchen, which sounded promising. The recipe there was perfect: quick, easy, remarkably tasting…and not much altered from the colonial version! The only change I made was adding nutmeg, since some variations on queen cakes call for mace (which comes from the same plant), and bits of brown spice are clearly visible in the queen cake illustration in Felicity Learns a Lesson.

Then came time for the finishing touch: a custom tea blend! It’s been a long time since I’ve created one of my custom Adagio teas, so it was fun to stretch my tea-making muscles again. This red, white, and blue inspired blend is flavored with raspberries, blueberries, and almonds to make a rich tea with a distinct hit of juicy berries. I love it with a little sugar and milk.

So fire up some fireworks and put on the kettle. It’s time for a Patriot Tea Party! 😀

NOTE: This post is not sponsored by or affiliated with Mattel, Pleasant Company, or the American Girl brand.

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Healthy Strawberry Muffins with Cinnamon Honey Butter

Posted June 6, 2019 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

 

 

This recipe wasn’t exactly reader-requested, mostly because the reader in question is still learning to talk: it’s the Little Mister! He loves the library. If he had his way, every book we checked out would probably be about trucks (little dude is OBSESSED). Still, I like to encourage him to widen his horizons, so at each visit one of the books we check out is always one I pick pout. This time, that book was “The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear” by Don and Audrey Wood. It was a favorite of my childhood, and I hoped he might like it too.

Friends, he DEVOURED it. We read it 6 times that first day alone, and it’s been a daily request ever since then. I’m pretty sure we’re gonna have to buy our own copy. In the mean time, I thought it would be super fun to make a strawberry recipe the Little Mister and I could munch on while reading the book, so I jotted down a bunch of ideas.

Do you ever have an idea that excites you and you just can’t shake it? That’s how I felt when I wrote strawberry muffins on the list. I try to keep his snacks pretty healthy, and I liked the challenge of developing a sugar-free, low-fat muffin that didn’t compromise on flavor. Using the coffee muffins from my cookbook as a rough starting point, I set to work cutting the unhealthy components. I nixed the sugar, of course, and also cut half the butter, subbing in applesauce instead. I supplemented the strawberries’ natural sweetness with honey and added a mashed banana in lieu of an extra egg. In the end, we had a fluffy, naturally sweetened muffin that the Little Mister can’t get enough of. His daily battle cry has become “Mo cake!”. I’m more than happy to let him have some, and with these muffins’ healthy goodness, there’s plenty of room for a generous schmear of cinnamon honey butter! 😉

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Gurgi’s Magical Wallet: Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

Posted May 2, 2019 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 2 Comments

 

 

In The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, Gurgi receives a magical wallet as a reward for his faithfulness to his companions. The little leather coin purse may look unassuming, but it provides its owner with unlimited food for as long as there is enchantment in the land of Prydain! Pretty darn awesome. I’ve had several readers request a recipe from the Prydain books, so I decided to make cookies inspired by Gurgi’s wallet. After all, a coin purse with the power of unlimited snacks is SO my thing. 😉

Let’s talk inspiration. Have you ever seen on Pinterest or Instagram those cookies with the hidden pocket inside filled with candy, sprinkles, sugary cereal, etc.? I’ve heard them called surprise cookies, pocket cookies, and confetti cookies, but whatever you call them, I think they look SO COOL. Since wallets are for holding things, now seemed like a great time to make my own surprise cookie recipe. So I got to work!

I used a chocolate version of the sugar cookie recipe from my cookbook, A Literary Tea Party. Chocolate cookies made the most sense, since a leather bag would be brown. But I also wanted detailed decorations inspired by medieval leather tooling, so I broke out my favorite royal icing recipe (developed by Julie M. Usher), which would allow me to make more delicate shapes than buttercream would. As for the filling, I went with Reese’s Pieces to get that unbeatable chocolate peanut butter combo. 

I was more than pleased with the results. The wallets looked so darling with their tidy little icing swirls and yellow Reese’s piece clasps. I can’t tell you how fun it was to give them a little shake and hear the candy rattling around inside. Now hurry up and go make your own! 😀

P.S. If it’s your first time using royal icing, I recommend Julia Usher’s how-to Youtube video. She has a lot of good tips to make it easier.
P.P.S. I’m taking reader requests for blog recipes, so email me here if there’s a classic book you’d like to see featured on the blog!

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