Today’s post is quite godly. But not in that Jesus, Mary and Joseph sort of way. The version of Santa we are looking at today is Odin- the Allfather. You know, of Norse mythology and all that. Still doesn’t ring a bell? You know, Thor’s dad (played by Sir Anthony Hopkins) from those Marvel movies?
Ah, I thought so!
According to Norse mythology, Odin is all-knowing and all-seeing. So he knows whether one of his subjects has been bad or good. Also, the magic gifts that Odin bestows upon those he favors, such as the hammer Mjonir to his son, Thor is made by dwarves and elves. Plus many characters would ask Odin to give them gifts in order to fight epic battles such as Sigmund with his magic sword. According to myth, Odin does his gifting by riding in a flying sleigh lead by the 8-legged horse named Slepnir or sometimes a pair of goats. Odin does this during the time of the Wild Hunt- also known as the 12 days of Yule.
Still not convinced that Odin is a version of Santa? Odin’s Nordic title of Allfather translates into English as Father Yule. Or Father Christmas.
Still not buying it? Fine. In the 1991 Marvel Holiday Special, it was revealed that Odin in a big purple cloak, was really Santa! There, now you have proof that Odin isn’t a version of Santa, he’s actually the genuine article!
Well as you let that sink in, here’s a recipe from Scandinavia.
Enjoy!
Honning Hjerter: honey hearts
MAKES ABOUT 20-25
honey 500g (10.5oounces)
egg yolks 3
plain wheat flour 500g, sifted (10.5 ounces)
baking powder 2 tsp
baking soda ½ tsp
ground cinnamon 2 tsp
ground cloves 1 tsp
ground allspice 1 tsp
tempered dark chocolate (see below) 300g (10.5 ounces)
Melt the honey and cool down. Add egg yolks and mix well. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices very well and fold that mixture into the honey mixture. Knead the dough until it is smooth on a floured working surface. When done wrap in cling film and chill for at least 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Sprinkle the dough with a little flour and place it between two sheets of baking paper. Roll the dough out between the papers until 1-1.5cm thick. Peel off the top layer of paper and cut out hearts with a heart-shaped cookie cutter, about 4.5cm wide. Keep doing that until you have used all the dough.
Place the cookies on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Store them in an airtight tin for about a week before covering them with tempered chocolate. We usually decorate each honey heart with a small glossy picture of an angel or Santa Claus.
( To Make the tempered chocolate. This is the easy way to do it. Chop the chocolate finely, take two-thirds of the chopped chocolate and melt very gently in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of
warm water – making sure the chocolate doesn't overheat. When it is melted and has reached 122F, add the rest of the chopped chocolate and mix until all the chocolate has melted. Heat all the chocolate very gently, back up to a temperature of about 88F. Now the chocolate is ready to be used.)
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