oy gevalt..!
… for a nice Jewish boy from North London you’d have thought that the very idea of Christmas would turn my stomach… or at the very least boil my skin or something medieval like that… but as you probably know, dear reader, I just love it… always have… always will… and it’s not like we were deprived as children, we all celebrated Christmas, like most good Jewish families I knew, in style, with plenty of food!
… what I am really bad at is food as gifts… I know I should be better, particularly as food is my thing, it’s just that all that preserving and jar filling seems to slip me by… I have tried this year buy purchasing some lovely Kilner jars… that was a month ago and as yet, even though the lovely Karen from Lavender and Lovage has been kind enough to send me a dozen recipes for preserving, I have done nothing…. they sit empty on a shelf… (fabulous new bamboo shelf mind you…)
… this year, dear Vanessa from Prepped has created a very sweet blogger challenge called Let’s Make Christmas where she has invited fellow bloggers to create gifts for Christmas, she is even hosting a wonderful ‘real-time’ event at my favourite shop in the world, Fortnum and Mason’s in London, which I have been privileged to be invited to and produce an item for… the idea is that we all bring at least one item which we swap for someone else’s at the end of the event… like a kind of giant ‘bring and buy’ swap sale… such fun… and Fortnum’s is THE place for that Christmas spirit… if ever you’re feeling down or in anyway un-Christmassy then one second in this glorious store and your faith in Christmas will be restored!
… but what to make…?
well, I wanted it to be something that was different and not quite run-of-the-mill and that perhaps reflects my heritage in some way… and so I thought of Cinnamon Balls, which are a traditional Jewish biscuit served at Passover, due to their lack of flour… but I think the shape, cinnamon and icing sugar are the very definition of edible Christmas… they truly are tasty little treats and will keep the young and young at heart happy for the entire festive season…
Cinnamon Balls
this recipe is adapted from Evelyn Rose, the doyen of Jewish cooking, the recipe says it should make 24 but I got 16 out of it…?
2 Egg Whites
4 oz Caster Sugar
1/2lb Ground Almonds
1 Level Tablespoon Cinnamon
– beat the egg whites till stiff
– gently fold in all other ingredients
– make into small, walnut-sized balls with very wet hands!
– lay on a baking sheet in the oven and bake on 160C for 25 mins or until just firm and beginning to crack
– roll in icing sugar whilst still warm
… i’m planning to find some small white chocolate boxes for these to go in, perhaps 6 per box… adorable!… eat and of course, enjoy!
These sound fantastic. Planning a very home-made Christmas this year – these are going on the list.
wow – that is going to be an AMAZING afternoon (and a normal afternoon in F&M is pretty amazing!). My Dad told me a few years ago that a scandal involving a reckless cad of a cousin and the F&M foodcourt was the downfall of the family's West Highland business way back in the early 70s (true life is always so much better than fiction). Which makes me love the place even more!
Have a super time at your fancy bring & buy!
Will definitely try these. The recipe sounds nice and easy to do – which is a bonus at Christmas time!
F&M sounds fun! I just love all their fabulous foods and treats, it would cost me a fortune to get out again.
I will let you off Dom, but only beacause you have nice bamboo shelves!
As for your cinnamon balls, ahem, that sounds rude, they look amazing and I love that fact that you have managed to meld two cultures and festive traditions into one…..I am MORE than excited about the forthcoming event and Fortnum and Masons and am looking forward to seeing you there!
Karen
XX
These are the perfect gluten free gift or after dinner table adornment. We have several gluten free visitors at our Christmas table every year, this could be a little treat just for them. How wonderful to be invited to Fortnum & Masons, my sister at L'heure du the is dying for an invite.
Oh Dom – hope I get to pick yours at F&M – they sound wonderful and would make excellent Christmas gifts. Love cinnamon, love almonds, love Christmas, love you. I'm still faffing around wondering what to make – keep coming up with a good idea and then rejecting it. Bamboo shelves sounding good too 🙂
@ choclette… can't wait to meet everyone!… I really struggled with what to bake but I think i've found something nice and simple but extra yummy with my balls (ooh err!)… oh and I love you too x
I love that you love Christmas and I'm glad you have started Christmas baking, I'm starting next week. These look so yummy! I will definitely be baking your balls this Christmas lol.
By the way if you commented on one of my posts and didn't include the odd F word, I would be very disapointed and I'd know you weren't really that impressed. Also I think my blog needs the odd rude word to even out all the sickly sweetness. x
Oooh what a lovely idea, never really had anything similar but love cinnamon so can't go wrong really!
You Brits have SUCH fun!
Love the small ingredients list and even smaller method – my kind of recipe. Do they taste a bit marzipan-y with those almonds? If so, I'm definitely in.
Fab! And like you I love multi-faith celebrations. I'm Roman Catholic, but have a beautiful Menorah which I put beside my Crib, every year. I'll be making these delights very soon.
I love Fortnums too- hope you have a great time at the event!!
Your balls look great too!
;-))
Well, when you tweeted you were showing your balls off I couldn't resist a peep. Jolly nice!
Your cinnamon balls look exactly how they should be – I am sure no-one else will have made them for the Fortnum's event.
LoL mummyx
Nice balls Dom!
Oh Dom is that from Evelyn Rose's Jewish Cookbook? I have had that book since about 1977, I loved it to bits but haven't visited it for years. You have reminded me what a fab book it is, will have another look.
Oh Dom, They scream Christmas and talk about easy to put together. They will be a hit for sure. BTW, the whole exchanging of the goodies sounds fun.
Dom,
I feel the same way about Christmas:) and I am a Hindu. I love celebrating it with food and gifts and partake in all the joy!! Lovely cinnamon balls.Yum
My what perfect balls you have there Dom. F&M event sounds fab!
They look and sound delicious – what I particularly love is that there is no fruit in there – yummm!
I'm so envious of you guys meeting up at F&M – I'm actually flying into London the next day, how unlucky is that!!!!!
Wow these must taste good, great idea for a gift swap. I love anything cinnamonny! 🙂
These look like little balls of Christmassy Heaven! I love, love, love F&M – sounds like its going to be a really fun event, cant wait to hear all about it from everyone.
Your balls are *magnificent*
🙂 How long do they keep?
hi Anonymous… they keep for about 4 or 5 days in a air tight container, they can go slightly hard, but I like them that way… to be honest, nothing stays for long in our house anyway, so it's never a worry!
A good friend of mines mom used to make these and send them to her all the time.. we would be almost sick after eating them all, but they were oh so good!!
These look so delicious!!
Toss up today whether to make your balls or Claire's winning amaretti. Hers won in the end, but it was a very close call.