12 Days of Christmas Herbal Challenge

December 12, 2016

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We’re challenging you to make yummy treats and fill your home with fragrant scents inspired by Grandma’s 12 Days of Christmas Herbal Gift Set

 

Inspired by Grandma's Baby Rum Bar.

Ingredients

 2/3 cup golden raisins 3 tablespoons dark rum (such as Myers's)
12 ounces cake flour (about 3 cups) 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar, divided 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs 1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
Baking spray with flour 3 tablespoons light-colored corn syrup
2 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine raisins and rum in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH for 30 seconds. Cool to room temperature.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt) in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Place butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add oil, 1 cup granulated sugar, rinds, and vanilla; beat at medium speed 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Drain raisins through a sieve over a bowl; reserve liquid. Stir raisins into batter. Pour batter into a 10-cup Bundt pan coated with baking spray. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan; place on serving plate.

Combine remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; stir in reserved rum. Brush syrup over warm cake. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

 myrecipes.com

Inspired by Grandma's Egyptian Dragon Bar.

Tahiti blend smells like paradise.
Exotic Diffuser Blend
3 Drops Wild Orange
2 Drops Ginger
2 Drops Ylang Ylang

 

Inspired by Grandma's Frankincense & Myrrh Bar.

Frankincense smells like: heavy, woody, spicy
Myrrh smells like: warm, spicy, earthy
Relaxing Diffuser Blend
5 Drops Frankincense
5 Drops Myrrh
5 Drops Sweet Orange

Inspired by Grandma's Moroccan Spice Bar.

Ingredients
 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground allspice  
1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, softened
2 cups white sugar 4 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup raisins 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 10 inch tube pan. Cover raisins with warm water, let soak for 10 minutes and then drain. Whisk together flour, spices, and salt. Set aside.

Cream together butter or margarine and sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir together soda and 1 tablespoon warm water, and mix into the sugar mixture. Stir in flour mixture, apples, and strained raisins until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in pan. Once cool, shake pan to loosen cake. Turn onto plate, and dust with confectioners' sugar.

allrecipes.com

Inspired by Grandma's White Patchouli Bar.

Patchouli smells like: earthy, herbal and spicy.

Fresh & Woodsy Diffuser Blend

       1/2 cup sweet almond oil 
       8 drops patchouli essential oil 
       8 drops cedarwood essential oil 
       8 drops spearmint essential oil

 

Inspired by Grandma's White Rose Bar.

Gather 30 to 35 rose petals. Be sure to choose a fragrant rose.

Put them in a cup.

Pour water in the cup. Strain it out but leave the rose petals behind.

Place the moist rose petals in a bowl. Mash them a lot; having a mortar and pestle will make this easy.

Return the mashed rose petals in the water and strain out any moisture. Keep repeating this step until the water turns a brownish-pinkish-orangish color.

If you are using dark colored rose petals, such as deep red, then do it until it is brownish-red.

Take the rose petals out and enjoy your rose petal perfume!

wikihow.com

Inspired by Grandma's Honeysuckle Bar.

Ingredients

 3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans  2 cups all-purpose flour
 2/3 cup powdered sugar  3/4 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar  1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup butter 3 tablespoons whipping cream
      

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of a 13- x 9-inch pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides. Lightly grease foil.

Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Pulse flour, powdered sugar, and 3/4 cup butter in a food processor 5 to 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press mixture on bottom and 3/4 inch up sides of prepared pan.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 15 minutes).

Bring brown sugar and next 3 ingredients to a boil in a 3-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in toasted pecans, and spoon hot filling into prepared crust.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 30 minutes). Lift baked bars from pan, using foil sides as handles. Transfer to a cutting board; cut into bars.

 allrecipes.com

Inspired by Grandma's Jasmine Bar.

Ingredients

 2 tablespoons olive oil 
         2 tablespoons chopped onion 
      
1/4 cup green peas 1 bay leaf 
    
1 1/2 cups dry jasmine rice 3 cups water

 

Directions

In a large saucepan over a medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add onion and saute for 3 to 5 minutes. Mix in green peas, bay leaf, and jasmine rice. Stir to coat the rice.

Pour 3 cups water into the saucepan and add the salt. Increase the heat to medium and let the rice come to a quick simmer. Reduce heat to low and let rice simmer lightly and sit uncovered until all of the liquid is absorbed. Cover the rice and remove from heat, let sit approximately 40 minutes.

allrecipes.com

Inspired by Grandma's Lavender Mint Bar.

Ingredients

 2 cups water ¾ cup sugar, or to taste
¼ cup dried culinary lavender (free of sprays and pesticides) ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
6-8 lemons 5 cups of cold water
Ice cubes

 

Directions

Boil the sugar and 2 cups of water for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in the lavender and mint leaves, and let steep for 5-10 minutes, depending on how strongly flavored you want your lemonade to taste. Let the sugar-water mixture (simple syrup) cool.

Meanwhile, juice your lemons and strain out any seeds or juicy bits. 

Pour the lemon juice into the bottom of a large pitcher, add the simple syrup, and the cold water.

Stir, and taste. Add more sugar, lemon juice, or water as necessary until it tastes like summer! Add ice cubes at the last minute to avoid watering the lemonade down.

darlingmagazine.org

Inspired by Grandma's Lemongrass Bar.

Ingredients

 4 cups water

2 cups roughly chopped lemongrass stalks

1/4 cup sugar

Lime wheels for garnish (optional)

 

Instructions:

Bring the water to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the lemongrass and boil rapidly for 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer the tea for an additional 5 minutes. Strain the stalks from the liquid. Stir in the sugar until dissolved.

Serve warm, or chill in the refrigerator and pour over ice.

thewanderlustkitchen.com

Inspired by Grandma's Oatmeal Milk and Honey Bar.

Visit our oatmeal recipe blog post.

 

Inspired by Grandma's Sandalwood/Vanilla Bar.

Ingredients

 Organic Beeswax   Sandalwood essential oil
Cotton wicks Clean can to melt oils
Wooden spoon or stick to stir Pot

 

Instructions

Create a double boiler by placing water into a pot and bring to a boil. Place beeswax intro can and place into water until it melts.

While your waiting cut wicks to fit clean mason jars, tins, glass votives and tape around pencil.

When wax is melted take out of water and stir in essential oils. The amount of essential oil you use depends on the scent strength of the oil, if your mixing them, and the amount of wax you use. I like to mix in the essential oil until I can smell it and then add a few more drops.

Pour into prepared containers. Allow to cool.

scratchmommy.com

 



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