emptytothebone

Happy summer solstice! Here’s a recipe to honour the day:

(Makes about 30 cupcakes or 2 big cakes)

Ingredients:

Cake:

450g plain flour

225g butter

4 tbsp honey

150g sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

4 eggs

250 ml milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing:

150g icing sugar

20 ml water

1 tsp cinnamon

As much honey as you want

Lavender (optional)

1. Lay out cake cases or grease your tray if you are making one big cake and preheat your oven to 180C/350F

2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together

3. Add the eggs, honey, butter, milk and vanilla extract and mix until smooth

4. Put the mixture into whatever you are baking it in

5. Bake for 20mins (cupcakes) or 40mins (big cake)

6. Whilst cakes are baking prepare your icing. Mix together the icing sugar, water, cinnamon and honey until smooth. Add more water if you need to.

7. Once the cakes are done, take them out and leave to cool

8. When the cakes are cool, drizzle the icing onto them. Add lavender if you wish

In Ireland, faerie cakes are served on Nollaig na mBan, or Women’s Christmas, which is celebrated on December 12th. Like hot cross buns, these faerie cakes are said to have magical properties. Besides enabling one to see faeries, they work as a fertility charm and will heal the sick….but only is baked on that day.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

½ tsp vanilla extract

Grated rind of one orange

¾ tsp baking powder

1 ¼ cups flour

1 tbsp milk

1/3 cup sultanas

Sugar icing: 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tbsp boiling water

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and orange rind. Sieve the baking powder and flour together and add to the butter mixture. Add a little milk to create batter of dropping consistency. Fold in the sultanas and spoon the mixture into well-greased muffin cups.

Bake at 375 F for 25 minutes. Drizzle on the sugar icing and serve.

For sugar icing: combine powdered sugar and boiling water.

BANISHING

chili (cayenne pepper, black pepper, chili - generally spicy things)

lemon-infused water (lemon is a repellant, and water is uncrossable for some entities)

sugarfree coffee with cinnamon (coffee and cinnamon are both banishing ingredients)

curry (cayenne pepper, black pepper, chili - generally spicy things)

PROTECTION

caprese salad (basil, tomatoes)

margarita pizza (basil, tomatoes)

apple pie (apples)

corn-on-a-cob (corn)

mint tea (mint)

herb soup (rosemary, basil, mint, thyme, bay leaf…)

HEALING

apple pie (apples)

golden milk (milk and turmeric)

elderflower tea (elderflower)

mint tea (mint)

onion syrup (onion and honey)

chamomile tea (chamomile)

lemon-infused water (lemon)

ginger tea (ginger)

nettle soup (nettle)

pumpkin soup (pumpkin)

pumpkin cookies or bread (pumpkin)

curry (turmeric, garlic, onion)

LUCK

cinnamon rolls (cinnamon)

orange juice (orange)

chamomile tea (chamomile)

corn-on-a-cob (corn)

pineapple juice (pineapple)

poppyseed buns or bread (poppy)

HAPPINESS

orange juice (orange)

honeyed tea (honey)

mint tea (mint)

lemon-infused water (lemon)

vanilla-flavoured ice cream (vanilla)

sunflower seed buns or bread (sunflower)

sugar cookies (sugar)

PEACE

lemon balm tea (lemon balm)

lavender-infused water (lavender)

cucumber-infused water (cucumber)

vanilla-flavoured ice cream (vanilla)

PROSPERITY

milk with honey (milk and honey)

apple pie (apple)

pumpkin soup (pumpkin)

pumpkin cookies or bread (pumpkin)

chocolate chip cookies (chocolate)

sandwich - any (bread)

fried rice (rice)

curry (rice)

fries (potatoes)