January 19th is Edgar Allan Poe’s Birthday. I discovered Edgar Allan Poe via the Gothic horror comedy movie The Raven directed by Roger Corman (1963). Loosely based on Poe’s poem of the same name, the film stars Vincent Price, Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre as duelling sorcerers. It also features Hazel Court, Olive Sturgess and Jack Nicholson (yes, THAT Jack Nicholson!) My favourite scene is the final magical duel which is a comedic and cinematic delight.
As January 19th is also Brew a Potion Day, I thought it would be fun to make a Poe inspired potion, or as I like to call it, a POEtion. In the film The Raven, Dr. Erasmus Craven (Vincent Price) brews a potion made with ingredients like dried bat’s blood, jellied spiders, dead man’s hair, rabbit’s lard and chain links from a gallows bird. As I have run out of some of the ingredients, I won’t be able to make that potion, so I’ve decided to create something different and maybe slightly tastier.
I recently bought A Ravenous Feast: Spellbinding Recipes Inspired By The Literary Works Of Edgar Allan Poe by Veronica Hinke (2025). While going through her chapter “Splendorous SIPS and ILLIMITABLE MIXES”, I came across a recipe inspired by an acrostic poem written for Poe by his wife Virginia Clemm for Valentine’s Day. Called “Sissy’s Syllabub”, the spiced apple cider and milk drink is one that I definitely want to make and I think it would be perfect for Halloween or Poe’s death day. Inspired by Clemm’s acrostic poem, I decided to create an acrostic potion recipe. I think it’s a perfect inspiration to celebrate an author famous for his poetry and who also once wrote an acrostic poem himself called, rather imaginatively, An Acrostic.
The simplest form of an acrostic poem is one in which the first letter in each line spells out a word, name, or phrase when read vertically. I’ve made my acrostic potion even simpler by spelling out only the last name in Edgar Allan Poe, making it a true POEtion. 🙂
POEtion
Ingredients Pomegranate juice, the fruit of the underworld (2 parts) Orange juice, the awakener of spirits (4 parts) Elderflower cordial, nectar from the tree of the dead (1 part)
Instructions Pour each ingredient into an appropriate glass. Drink slowly while thinking of a quothing raven (or even a quaffing raven).
The end of December can be a very busy and chaotic time. This year was one of those rushed holiday seasons where I barely had time to register the end of the year and the beginning of 2026. Thankfully, as an Australian-born Macedonian and former observer of the Macedonian Orthodox religion, I can relax and celebrate Old New Year on January 14th.
An added benefit of celebrating Old New Year on the unrevised Julian calendar date is that sometimes Old New Year’s Eve will fall on one of the “unlucky 13” dates. Happily 2026 is one of these years. The 13th of January this year falls on Tuesday, and, as I recently discovered, Tuesday the 13th is viewed by some cultures as an unlucky day similar to Friday the 13th! Excited at the thought of celebrating Old New Year’s Eve on “unlucky” Tuesday the 13th, I began thinking of fun ways to mark this auspicious occasion. By luck I discovered the Lemon Pig, an unusual New Year tradition with a fascinating history.
As soon as I saw an image of a lemon decorated to look like a pig, I knew I had to make one. I mean who could resist this porcine lemon cutie?
But first I wanted to know its history. I also wanted to know why I hadn’t heard of one before! I can’t answer the last question, but I can have a go at the first one.
The Amusing Lemon Pig The Lemon Pig apparently made its first appearance in the book The Art of Amusing (1865) by journalist Frank Bellew. It appeared again in the book How to behave and how to amuse. A handy manual of etiquette and parlor games (1895) by George Henry. In these books, the Lemon Pig is nothing more than a novelty, an amusing play thing, one of many dinner table tricks created to entertain. One thing the Lemon Pig doesn’t seem to be is a tradition associated with the New Year – well not yet.
Fun Fact: A Lemon Pig with matchstick legs and a curly tail made of twine was sent as a gift to U.S President Rutherford B Hayes. The pig is on display at the Hayes Presidential Center. It was once on loan to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Museum for an exhibit on strange and unique gifts given to presidents.
Lemon Pig and Friend from The Art of Amusing by Frank Bellew (1865)
Drinking With The Lemon Pig In 1902, an issue of Good Housekeeping included instructions on how to make a Lemon Pig. But the Lemon Pig in Good Housekeeping had evolved. It was no longer just an amusing party idea. It was now an amusing party idea and an amusing drinking vessel.
“If you wish fun at a picnic or porch party, serve a “lemon” cocktail. With a sharp knife, cut the top lengthwise off a lemon for each guest. Scoop out the inside, and save for lemonade. Stick into the hollowed-out skins cloves for eyes and match-ends for the piggie’s four feet. Fill the lemons with a cocktail of strawberries, or any fruit in season (grape juice, iced, is always refreshing). Replace the lids with two holes in each to hold the straws which may be bought at any soda water fountain at five cents for two dozen. These lemon-pig surprises are especially amusing at a children’s party.”
After preparing a lemon for each guest, I’m thinking there may have been a special Lemon Pig filled with limoncello for the host. So is this how the Lemon Pig became a New Year tradition? No. No it’s not.
Fun Fact: Chef Jacques Pepin is a fan of Lemon Pigs and has described how to make them in two of his cookbooks. His love of carving Lemon Pigs is also highlighted in the book Jacques Pépin: A Little Golden Book Biography by Candice Ransom (2024).
The Lemon Pig’s Silver Lining The Lemon Pig’s fortunes changed when Conny Von Hagen wrote 401 Party and Holiday Ideasfrom Alcoa (1971). Alcoa is an aluminium foil company and the book offers fun party ideas and recipes using aluminium foil. One of the fun party ideas is the Lemon Pig. Sporting a tail made from a piece of twisted aluminium foil and a coin in its mouth symbolising prosperity, it seems that this little piggy has had a shiny makeover. Not only that, but the sparkly new pig also got a promotion. No longer just an amusing party idea, the Lemon Pig is now an amusing good luck charm as well. The book suggests “For luck in the New Year, a Lemon Piglet is a must!” And THIS is how the Lemon Pig became a New Year tradition!
Just like the Christmas Pickle, the Lemon Pig has claimed its place in the list of quirky Holiday traditions influenced by marketing influencers! Now that’s what I call a twist in the tail!
How To Make A Lemon Pig Choose a lemon that has good end bits (the stem and the blossom). You want one end to look like a snout and if you’re lucky the other end may look a little bit like a piggy tail. Poke two small holes above the snout with a skewer for the eyes. Pop in cloves or peppercorns. (I used peppercorns). Cut a “V” shape above each eye and carefully lever up to make the ears. Cut a slit for the mouth just under the snout and add the coin. Insert toothpicks or matchsticks for the legs. (I used toothpicks). Insert a tail of your choice (foil, string or herbs such as parsley, or rosemary). I didn’t need a tail as the back of my lemon looked cute enough to pass for a piggy tail.
A Lemon Pig Is Not Just For The Holidays So what do you do with your lucky Lemon Pig? Well the tradition is that you keep it until the end of the year and then give the coin to the Lemon Pig you make for the next year. It sounds like a lovely tradition but I know my Lemon Pig won’t last the summer, let alone the year, without going mouldy. So I’ve decided to keep my Lemon Pig until Lammas (February 1st for me!) and then I’ll pop it in the garden. I’ll keep the coin and give it to the next Lemon Pig I make. Although next time I think I’ll try making a Lime Pig for the New Year!
As this calendar year winds to an end I’m finding it difficult to get into a festive mood for New Year’s Eve. Luckily, as a Pagan of Balkan extraction, I have many “new years” that I can celebrate throughout the year.
These are some of the days that I celebrate as yearly endings and beginnings:
Chinese New Year which I discovered when I became interested in astrology and fell in love with the Lunar New Year zodiac of yearly animals
The astrological New Year which begins at the March Equinox when the Sun enters Aries
Seasonal festivals which symbolise the end and beginning of the seasons such as the Solstices and Equinoxes (and also Halloween!)
My name days (I have two!)
April Fool’s Day (one of my name days) and a day which I like to think of as the start of a Tarot year
St Basil’s Day which is my other name day and which, ironically, is celebrated on a few different dates – perfect for someone who loves to celebrate often!
My birthday
And these are some of the days that I celebrate as monthly endings and beginnings:
The beginning and end of each astrological Sun Sign season
Dark Moons which symbolise the end and beginning of monthly Lunar cycles
Full Moons because vampires!
The start and end of each calendar month
While I like to celebrate many different beginnings and endings throughout the year, I celebrate most of these on my own. As an introvert, the thought of getting together that many times a year with other people (apart from my partner) would be extremely confronting! In fact, 2025 has also been an introverted year symbolically.
In numerology, 2025 reduces down to the number 9 which symbolises endings. The Hermit in Tarot is card number 9 and it symbolises deep introspection and alone time. So if this year has made you feel like you want to curl up alone at home, it may not just be the result of worldwide political events. You may also have been feeling the esoteric vibe of the year. So what is the vibe of 2026?
In numerology, 2026 reduces down to the numbers 10/1 which symbolise the beginning of a new journey, while in Tarot, card number 10 is The Wheel of Fortune. Basically, a new year journey is beginning but we have very little control over what happens. So business as usual. 🙂
Personally I’d like to hold onto the introverted vibe of 2025 for a little bit longer. Fortunately I can draw on my Balkan heritage as many of us still use the Julian calendar. That means my New Year’s Eve is 13 days away!
This December I discovered a quirky Christmas tradition that is right up my tree – the Christmas Pickle! On Christmas Eve, an ornamental pickle is hidden in the Christmas tree. Because of its green colouring, the pickle blends in with the green boughs of the tree. The first person to find the Christmas Pickle on Christmas morning receives a surprise. It could be an extra present from Santa, good luck throughout the year, or something else.
So where does this fun tradition come from? It was originally thought to have been brought to America from Germany. Some thought the tradition was passed down by a Bavarian-American Civil War soldier who survived starvation by eating a pickle given to him by a compassionate guard on Christmas Eve. Upon returning home, he started the tradition of hiding a pickle in his Christmas tree for good luck. Others thought it started when St. Nicholas (the inspiration for Santa Claus) saved three boys trapped in a barrel of pickles. So which story is true? Neither!
Ultimately, while no-one really knows how the Christmas Pickle became a Christmas tradition in America, the one thing most people agree on is that the tradition is American, not German. Researchers have discovered that most Germans living in America have never heard of a Weihnachtsgurke (the German word for Christmas Pickle) and neither have Germans living in Germany.
In fact, the most popular theory is that the Christmas Pickle tradition was invented by American stores when they began selling glass ornaments from Germany in the 1890s. These ornaments included various fruits, nuts, and vegetables. The one vegetable that no-one wanted to hang from their tree was the pickle. Marketing stepped in to solve the problem. They created a story that hiding a Christmas Pickle in the Christmas tree was a long-standing tradition in Germany. Suddenly WeihnachtsgurkeIs became a must-have Christmas tree decoration! So, do you believe this theory? I mean would anyone invent a Christmas legend just to sell products? You be the judge. 🙂
Is there a twist to this pickle? Yes! Although not originating from Germany, the tradition has now been exported to Germany where WeihnachtsgurkeIs are now sold at Christmastime.
Could there possibly be another twist to this pickle? Yes! Desperate to get my hands on a Christmas Pickle, I started researching where I could get one in Australia. I searched online and found a couple of places that had them, but they were from America and the postage to Australia was prohibitive. Finally I found a place in Australia that sold Christmas Pickles! The twist? It’s a German clock shop that also sells Christmas decorations. So an American “German” Christmas Pickle which didn’t originate in Germany made its way into an Australian home via a German shop in Australia. Now that’s my kind of Christmas tale!
For those of us who prefer the darker times of Autumn and Winter, the Summer Solstice brings both delight and dread. After a long, coldish Winter, I’m definitely looking forward to getting out in the sun. What I’m not looking forward to are those brutally hot days that feel like you have stepped into an overheated oven. The thing I love most about Summer is when those long days slowly transform into beautiful warm nights. I only wish the nights could be longer, like they are in Autumn and Winter.
The Summer Solstice is the longest day and shortest night of the year. Looking at it from a vampiric perspective, I wondered what vampires would do on the longest day/shortest night. If you’re the type of vampire who has to hide during the day, well you’ll probably be having a long day in and a very short night out. But if you’re a Dracula type of vampire who can wander about day and night, would the Summer Solstice be just another day/night?
The Summer Solstice represents the peak of daylight. It also symbolises the return of the night. After the Summer Solstice, the hours of daylight get shorter, while the hours of nighttime get longer. Even though the days will be longer than the nights until the Autumn Equinox, I think most vampires would celebrate this first sign of the coming darkness.
So how do us night-loving creatures celebrate the shortest night? With a nightcap, or if you’re a vampire, a bitecap might be more appropriate. Vampires only have a small amount of time to quench their thirst on the shortest night. If you’re caught short, a Berry Special Bitecap might be just the thing to sate your thirst and help you settle in for the long day ahead. Not only do black and red berries symbolise blood, they are also full of antioxidants, magnesium, and melatonin which help with stress and improve sleep quality. You can use a combination of your favourite berries for the recipe below. I always like to add pomegranate as it is known as the food of the dead – perfect for vampires!
Berry Special Bitecap
Ingredients (for one) 1 tablespoon jam (I used raspberry) 1/4 teaspoon spice (I used pumpkin spice) 1/8 teaspoon sea salt flakes 1/2 cup juice (I used half cranberry and half pomegranate) 1/2 cup water
Instructions Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Stirring gently, warm over low heat until it reaches your desired level of warmness. Pour into a heatproof cup. (Can also be served chilled)
“When they came nearer they saw that the house was built of bread, and roofed with cakes, and the window was of transparent sugar.” Hänsel und Gretel
One of the things I love doing at the start of December is to research unusual Xmas traditions from around the world. If they are scary, even better! This year I decided to explore the history of gingerbread houses. That might not sound very scary, but lucky for me, there is a scary story attached to them!
While gingerbread has been around for ages, gingerbread houses starting appearing in Germany in the early 1800’s. The inspiration for these beautifully decorated houses is the witch’s house from the fairytale “Hansel and Gretel” by the Brothers Grimm. If a witch house isn’t scary enough, just remember that this inspiring house is owned by a witch who likes to lure children into her tasty home, fatten them up, pop them into her oven and cook them. Voila – Xmas dinner is served.
To add to the horror, the reason that Hansel and Gretel find the witch’s tempting house is that they have been abandoned by their father, after much urging from their mother (or stepmother). Lost and hungry, Hansel and Gretel wander the forest until they see a house made of bread and cake with sugar windows. After gorging themselves on the witch’s home, Hansel and Gretel are invited in and are treated to an unusual form of hospitality by the delighted homeowner. Gretel becomes the witch’s servant, while Hansel is locked up and is force (?) fed fattening treats.
When it’s time to eat Hansel, the witch decides that she is so hungry that one child just won’t do, so she hopes to eat Gretel as well. As she tries to trick Gretel into getting into the oven, Gretel turns the tables on the witch and pushes her into the oven instead. Gretel saves Hansel, they find the witch’s treasure, and they return home to their father. Their mother (stepmother) has died and they all live happily ever after. I can see why this heartwarming fairytale has become a Xmas favourite.
picture by Ludwig Richter
If, like me, this story has ignited your Xmas spirit and made you fall in love with gingerbread houses, then you might be happy to know that Gingerbread House Day is celebrated on December 12th. There’s also Gingerbread Decorating Day (celebrated on the second Saturday in December) which this year falls on December 13th.
German terms for a gingerbread house include: Lebkuchenhaus (gingerbread house) Pfefferkuchenhaus (pepper cake house) And my favourite: Hexenhäus or Hexenhäuschen (witch house!)
November 18th is Occult Day. It is a day to celebrate and explore the hidden realms of the occult world. To celebrate Occult Day this year I am exploring mirrors, in particular, mirrors and their links to vampires.
Using a mirror for divination is called catoptromancy. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek katoptron meaning “mirror” and manteia, meaning “divination”. Mirror divination is also called captromancy or enoptromancy.
An interesting way that the mirror is used as a form of divination is in vampire mythology. A popular myth of the vampire is that they don’t cast a reflection in the mirror. Literature and film abounds with examples of how a mirror can be used to identify vampires. The vampire hunter tricks or manoeuvres the suspected vampire to a mirror, the suspected vampire casts no reflection, their undead nature is confirmed, and the hunt is on! It’s usually one of the best scenes in a vampire book or film. Not surprisingly, this scenario is played out beautifully in the novel Dracula.
During his stay at Castle Dracula, Jonathan Harker notes that: “in none of the rooms is there a mirror.”
Not to worry. Jonathan has brought a shaving glass and happily gets about shaving. Unfortunately for Jonathan, his shaving mirror won’t last long. Jonathan describes his next shaving experience in great detail: “I had hung my shaving glass by the window, and was just beginning to shave. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder, and heard the Count’s voice saying to me, “Good-morning.” I started, for it amazed me that I had not seen him, since the reflection of the glass covered the whole room behind me. In starting I had cut myself slightly, but did not notice it at the moment. Having answered the Count’s salutation, I turned to the glass again to see how I had been mistaken. This time there could be no error, for the man was close to me, and I could see him over my shoulder. But there was no reflection of him in the mirror! The whole room behind me was displayed; but there was no sign of a man in it, except myself.”
If this happened to me, I’d be pretty happy that the bathroom is nearby. But Jonathan is made of sterner (or naiver) stuff: “I saw that the cut had bled a little, and the blood was trickling over my chin. I laid down the razor, turning as I did so half round to look for some sticking plaster. When the Count saw my face, his eyes blazed with a sort of demoniac fury, and he suddenly made a grab at my throat. I drew away, and his hand touched the string of beads which held the crucifix. It made an instant change in him, for the fury passed so quickly that I could hardly believe that it was ever there.”
“Take care,” he said, “take care how you cut yourself. It is more dangerous than you think in this country.” Then seizing the shaving glass, he went on: “And this is the wretched thing that has done the mischief. It is a foul bauble of man’s vanity. Away with it!” and opening the heavy window with one wrench of his terrible hand, he flung out the glass, which was shattered into a thousand pieces on the stones of the courtyard far below. Then he withdrew without a word. It is very annoying, for I do not see how I am to shave, unless in my watch-case or the bottom of the shaving-pot, which is fortunately of metal.”
Yes, annoying. That’s the first word that came to me as well!
Another fascinating way a mirror’s reflection is used in Dracula is through Mina after she is accidentally scarred by a holy wafer: “I caught sight in the mirror of the red mark upon my forehead; and I knew that I was still unclean.”
Every time Mina sees her reflection in the mirror, it reminds her of the vampiric curse she is carrying. For Mina, having a reflection in the mirror isn’t such a good thing.
Two of my favourite scenes in vampire films play with this exact theory, that not casting a reflection in the mirror is a good thing and casting a reflection is a very, very bad thing.
One of my favourite scenes in Dance of The Vampires, also know as The Fearless Vampire Killers, or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck (thankfully shortened to The Fearless Vampire Killers) is the Grand Ball scene. I mean, who can resist a vampire ball? Not me, and not the two vampire hunters who grab disguises and gatecrash the annual ball. They are hoping to save the beautiful Sarah from becoming a vampire, and as they dance away, they finally hook arms with Sarah and dance to the door. Unfortunately they are also dancing toward a very large mirror. Only three people are reflected. The vampires aren’t fooled. After a mad chase, the vampire hunters and Sarah escape. Unfortunately Sarah transforms into a vampire and bites one of her rescuers. The vampire hunters are now unknowingly helping to spread vampirism across the world. I do love a happy ending!
But for the sheer delight of seeing revenge best served warm, I can’t go past the final scenes in “Midnight Mess”, one of five stories in the horror film anthology Vault of Horror (also known as Vault of Horror, Further Tales from the Crypt and Tales from the Crypt II). “Midnight Mess” features Harold, a brother who tracks down his sister Donna so he can stab her and claim an inheritance. After the murder, he pops over to the local restaurant to have a spot of dinner. Harold really should have read the menu more closely.
After being served what he thinks is “Tomato Juice”, his next course is a very red soup. When he complains to the waiter about the taste, the waiter says the soup is the same as usual. The waiter then asks him how he would like his clots – rare, medium or well done? When the waiter elaborates and says blood clots, Harold realises that the menu is very limited, and that the town is full of vampires who like to eat out. He tries to leave but the waiter opens a curtain, behind which a mirror is revealed. There is only one reflection. Good news for Harold – he won’t have to finish his dinner. Bad news for Harold – he now is dinner.
The final scene lives in my memory. Harold is hung upside down and a tap is attached to his neck. Every time a vampire taps a drink, Harold spasms. It’s very macabre and delightfully refreshing. Donna, sporting a lovely pair of fangs, walks into the restaurant and hears a couple of female vampires saying “much better than the frozen stuff”. Donna, deciding that she’ll have what they’re having walks towards Harold. Looks like Donna might just get her inheritance.
So, when you next look in the mirror, what will you divine – your true self, your cursed self, or nothing at all? Happy Occult Day!
November 6th is Quincey Harker’s birthday. If you haven’t read the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, you may not know who Quincey Harker is. Quincey Harker, not to be confused with Quincey P. Morris, is the child of Jonathan and Mina Harker. Quincey may be an ordinary child, but his parents are anything but. Both Jonathan and Mina have had intimate encounters with vampires.
The Dracula Tarot
Quincey’s Father: Dracula begins on May 3rd with Jonathan taking a business trip to Transylvania. When he arrives at Castle Dracula, Jonathan is entertained by Dracula, and eventually by the three weird sisters who also live at the castle. They are all vampires. When Jonathan finally escapes from the castle, he thinks his nightmare is over. It isn’t. It’s only just beginning.
Quincey’s Mother: When Mina and her close friend Lucy take a holiday at the seaside town of Whitby, Mina inadvertently engages in a battle with Dracula. Lucy is first bitten by Dracula while in a sleepwalking trance and it is Mina who goes out looking for her and saves her. Mina continues to unknowingly thwart many of Dracula’s attacks. When she has to cut short her holiday to go to Buda-Pesth (Budapest) to help Jonathan, Mina leaves Lucy in what she hopes are safe hands. Sadly things do not go well for Lucy. When Mina returns home, she will find out that Lucy is dead, and that her own battle with Dracula is far from over.
Quincey’s Parents: Jonathan and Mina return home as husband and wife. When they meet Professor Abraham Van Helsing, he tells them of the battle that he, Arthur Holmwood, John Seward and Quincey P. Morris fought to save Lucy’s life. Having failed, they took the necessary steps to save Lucy’s soul after she returned as a vampire. Now they want to hunt down Dracula and kill him. Do Jonathan and Mina want to join the hunt? Yes they do. Unfortunately Mina is bitten by Dracula and is forced to participate in a vampiric baptism by drinking Dracula’s blood. This starts her on a steady path to becoming a vampire herself. Hoping to slow down Mina’s transformation into a vampire, Van Helsing places a sacred wafer on her forehead, but instead of protecting her, it burns her skin and leaves a scar. As Dracula flees to Transylvania, the chase is on as they must kill Dracula to save the life and soul of Mina.
Quincey’s Birthday: Dracula ends on November 6th with Jonathan and Quincey Morris in a battle with Dracula. Jonathan slits Dracula’s throat and Quincey stabs Dracula in the heart. Sadly, Quincey is fatally injured in the battle. He dies, but not before he sees the scar on Mina’s forehead vanish, proof that Mina is free of Dracula’s curse. Quincey dies a happy man and a hero.
Quincey’s Name: Dracula actually ends with a note from Jonathan, seven years after their fateful battle with Dracula. Jonathan writes: “It is an added joy to Mina and to me that our boy’s birthday is the same day as that on which Quincey Morris died. His mother holds, I know, the secret belief that some of our brave friend’s spirit has passed into him. His bundle of names links all our little band of men together; but we call him Quincey.”
We don’t know how old Quincey Harker is, but we do know he was born at least a year after the final battle with Dracula. Does he carry some type of vampire curse from his mother, or his father? Will Jonathan and Mina tell him of their battle with vampires? Will he ever know why he is named after a dead man and that his birthday is the death day of his namesake? If it’s up to Van Helsing, he’ll know everything. As Van Helsing sits with Quincey on his knee he says: “This boy will some day know what a brave and gallant woman his mother is. Already he knows her sweetness and loving care; later on he will understand how some men so loved her, that they did dare much for her sake.”
We’ll never know what happened to Quincey Harker, a child born in the shadow of death. But we can wish him a Happy Birthday.
And Happy Birthday to Bram Stoker, Quincey Harker’s creator, who was born on November 8th. May their memories (and lives?) go on forever.
To celebrate both Quincey’s and Bram’s birthday I decided to have fun by baking cupcakes in ice cream cones. I chose flat-bottomed wafer cones as a fun play on the wafer scar on Mina’s forehead.
Simply make your favourite cupcake batter and spoon a few tablespoons into the cones. Don’t overfill them as they may spill over. (If they do, wait until they are cool then trim the tops).
Place cones in a cupcake pan. Bake in a preheated oven (180C/350F) for about 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Spread some jam over the top (I chose raspberry) and add a dollop of ice cream just before serving. You can also add a wafer on top for extra protection! (I used the bottom of an ice cream cone)
Make these on the day you’ll be eating them. Unlike vampires, they do not improve with age.
The last Friday in October is Frankenstein Friday, a day that celebrates Mary Shelley and her horror novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. This year Frankenstein Friday falls on October 31st which is Halloween in the northern hemisphere and Beltane in the southern. As usual, I’ll be celebrating both Halloween and Beltane in a hybrid festival I like to call HallowTane.
When I realised that HallowTane and Frankenstein Friday fell on the same day this year, I really wanted to create a recipe that combined the concepts of a stitched together festival with a novel about a stitched together monster. So I decided to explore hybrid recipes.
Hybrid recipes are when two or more different recipes are combined to create a new recipe. Hybrid baked goods are probably the most common creations. Popular hybrid favourites include: Brookie: a brownie/cookie hybrid Croffle: a croissant/waffle hybrid Cronut: a croissant/donut hybrid Crookie: a croissant/cookie hybrid Cruffin: a croissant/muffin hybrid Duffin: a donut/muffin hybrid Puffin: a pancake/muffin hybrid
Taking inspiration from Frankenstein, I started thinking of a hybrid cookie creation. Rather than combine a cookie with another baked good like a brookie, I decided to make a large cookie using four different cookie flavours. Using my basic one cookie recipe, I stitched together a White Chocolate & Macadamia Cookie, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Chai Spice & Pistachio Cookie and a Salted Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Cookie to create my own monster cookie! These flavours represent my personal cookie journey through the seasons of life.
White Chocolate & Macadamia Cookie represents Spring and childhood. I loved white chocolate when I was young. I’m not so fond of it now, but macadamias have remained a firm favourite.
Chocolate Chip Cookie represents Summer and youthhood. During my youthhood I lived on these crunchy cookies and could devour a whole packet – especially if I dunked them in milk. When I discovered the softer, fudgy versions I was hooked.
Chai Spice & Pistachio Cookie represents Autumn and adulthood. As I matured I grew bolder in my tastes, especially with spices. The first time I tried a chai spiced drink I fell in love with its cardamom-forward flavour. Spicy chai pairs beautifully with the sweet, perfumed flavour of pistachios, a nut I have loved since childhood.
Salted Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Cookie represents Winter and elderhood. As I grow older, my favourite flavours are growing with me. The sweet white chocolate of my youth has now been joined by earthy dark chocolate. The chocolate chip cookies of adolescence are now balanced by a sprinkling of salt. And chai, my first love, now shares the role of favourite spice with the other love of my spice life – pumpkin spice!
Instructions Channelling Victor Frankenstein I put four bowls (one for each cookie recipe) out in a row on the kitchen counter. I added the butter and sugar to each bowl. Grabbing four spoons, I put one in each bowl. Working with one bowl at a time, I creamed the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. The vanilla went in next and was mixed until combined. I then added the flour and baking powder to each bowl making sure I used the amounts specified for each cookie in the recipes. I added the spice to the Chai Spice & Pistachio Cookie and the cocoa powder and spice to the Salted Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Cookie. I then mixed all the ingredients together in each bowl until combined. Finally I added the last ingredients of white chocolate and chopped macadamia to the White Chocolate & Macadamia Cookie, chocolate chips to the Chocolate Chip Cookie and pistachios to the Chai Spice & Pistachio Cookie. I folded in the last ingredients until combined.
Now to get them ready for baking! Line a baking tray with baking paper. For each of the first three bowls, roll the dough into a ball. Flatten into a circle (the flatter the circle the quicker it will cook and the crunchier it will be) Arrange each ball in a circle shape on the prepared tray. Repeat with the chocolate dough. Sprinkle salt flakes over the chocolate dough. Lightly press the cookie doughs together so they are connected. (It should look like a rough four petaled flower) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 180C / 350F. Take the biscuit dough out of the refrigerator. (Remove the plastic wrap!) Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are browned and cooked to your liking. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Place on a rack to cool completely.
Happy Halloween! Happy Beltane! And Happy Frankenstein Friday!
International Panda Day is celebrated on October 27th. The day was created by WWF China in 2017. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has had a giant panda as its logo since it was founded in 1961. It is the second Panda Day for the year, the first being National Panda Day which is celebrated on March 16th. Panda days have been created to celebrate the joy that pandas bring, and to remind us of the importance of conservation efforts for pandas and other endangered and vulnerable animals.
To celebrate International Panda Day, I’m focussing on one of the most beautiful features of a giant panda – their eyes! I was inspired to explore panda eyes after talking to a volunteer at the Adelaide Zoo panda enclosure recently. She told me that some visitors from China had said that the black eye patches surrounding panda eyes can sometimes look like two birds facing each other. Birds are revered in China so pandas with bird shaped eye patches are especially treasured. She said once you see the pattern, you can’t un-see it.
Xing Qiu
Xing Qiu, the young male panda at Adelaide Zoo chose this moment to sit in front of the glass enclosure, offering me a bird’s-eye view of his eye patches. It took a couple of seconds of staring, but then I saw the shape of two birds facing each other. His eyes are the bird eyes and you can see the beak just edging up the top of his nose.
When I next saw Yi Lan, I could see that she too had bird shaped eye patches. Just like the volunteer warned, now that I’ve seen the bird shape on the eye of the panda, I can’t un-see it!
Yi Lan
Here are some other fun facts about panda eyes: *pandas have vertical-slit pupils which help them see at night – just like cats! *they have excellent night vision thanks to their vertical-slit pupils *their eye patches are unique to each panda – like human fingerprints *pandas may be able to recognise each other by their eye patches *the big-eyed look of panda eyes can scare off predators *their black eye patches reduce sun and snow glare and offer some protection against UV rays
So the next time you see a panda, check out their eye patches and see if they are bird shaped.
vsomethingspeaks 