Metaphysical Munchies:- Caramel Reindeer Noses

When you hear the phrase "food for the soul" do you too think of chicken soup and matzo balls? I'm not even Jewish, and yet it's there in my subconscious. It's comfort from within with a metaphysical twist. That's how you could describe this set of articles - comfort food with that metaphysical twist!

Christmas Sleighed

This time we will look at a Christmas and Yule to find a magical morsel.

Christmas celebrations are both a major festival and a public holiday in countries around the world, including many whose populations are mostly non-Christian. Countries such as Japan, where Christmas is popular despite there being only a small number of Christians, have adopted many of the secular aspects of Christmas, such as gift-giving, decorations and Christmas trees.

"Aren't we forgetting the true meaning of Christmas?

        You know, the birth of Santa."

- Matt Groening

It's become common practice to wish "Merry Christmas" to one another around Christmas day (the 25th of December).

Although the origins of this tradition is a little obscure, it's believed to come from an English Admiral (who first used the term Merry Christmas in an informal letter), way back in 1699. However, Charles Dickens used this phrase in "A Christmas Carol", penned in 1843.

These days, "Merry Christmas" has become a universal term to convey good wishes to others.

"At Christmas play and make good cheer,

        For Christmas comes but once a year."

- Thomas Tusser

The recipe I have, connects to Christmas is not a traditional one, it's something a little different: Caramel Reindeer Nose treats.

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Caramel Reindeer Noses 

I n g r e d i e n t s:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 large egg, separated, plus 1 egg white

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups pecans, chopped fine

14 soft caramel candies

M e t h o d:

1. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2 minutes.
2. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined.
3. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.
4. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Whisk egg whites in bowl until frothy. Place pecans in another bowl.
7. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, then roll in pecans. 
8. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using 1/2-teaspoon measure, make indentation in center of each ball.
9. Bake until set, about 12 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.
10. Microwave caramels and cream in bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
11. Once cookies are removed from oven, gently re-press existing indentations. Fill each with 1/2 teaspoon caramel mixture.
12. Cool 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

This recipe was adapted from the Pixelated Crumb.

You can use milk chocolate or white chocolate instead of caramels.

For a more fun version melt red fruit candies instead of chocolate or caramels to make Rudolf versions. Try not to devour them all at once.

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I hope to see you back here for some more Metaphysical Munchies.



The VuDooMan

Vodou Cookies - Metaphysical Munchies

When you hear the phrase "food for the soul" do you too think of chicken soup and matzo balls? I'm not even Jewish, and yet it's there in my subconscious. It's comfort from within with a metaphysical twist. That's how you could describe this set of articles - comfort from metaphysical munchies!

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The Vodou Man
& the Yummy Pin-Dolly 

This time we will look at a Vudon charm fit to make the mouth and the eyes water.

Vodou originates in the 18th century, when Africans were suppressed their religious practices. It began in the Frenchised slave colony of Saint-Domingue. African slaves were forced to convert to Christianity - mainly Catholism. It's predecessor being West African Vodun (as practiced by the Fon and Ewe). Vodou also incorporates elements and symbolism from Roman Catholic Christianity and European mysticism.

Vodou is a Haitian Creole word that formerly referred to only to a small subset of Haitian rituals. It is descended from an Ayizo word referring to "mysterious forces or powers that govern the world and the lives of those who reside within it, but also a range of artistic forms that function in conjunction with these vodun energies."
- Haitian Vodou From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

When referring to the Haitian religion, Haitian Practitioners and scholars now generally avoided the term 'voodoo' (which was once so common), thus to avoid confusion with the Louisiana voodoo, and all the misconceptions the term has 'acquired' through popular culture.

The vices of dishonour and greed are the focus in Vodou. While the ability to protect one's own is fundamental.

"Houngans (Male Voodoo Priest) or Mambos (Female Vodou Priest) are usually people who were chosen by the dead ancestors and received the divination from the deities while he or she was possessed. His or her tendency is to do good by helping and protecting others from spells, however they sometimes use their supernatural power to hurt or kill people... There are clergy in Haitian Vodou whose responsibility it is to preserve the rituals and songs and maintain the relationship between the spirits and the community as a whole..."
- Haitian Vodou From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The recipe I have, connects to Vodou is the Vudon Cookie.

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Vudon Cookies

I n g r e d i e n t s:

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

2 cups caster sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

5 cups plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Red food coloring

Ginger Bread Man cookie cutter

Small heart cookie cutter

Toothpicks

M e t h o d:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C / 400F / Gas 6.
2. Beat the butter and the sugar together until smooth. beat in the eggs and vanilla. Then fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt to get a smooth paste.
3. Separate a small section of dough and fold in a few drops of redfood coloring.
4. Cover both,and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
5. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut plain dough into men with the Ginger Bread Man cookie cutter. Cut out a small heart in the center of the cookie.
6. Cut small hearts with the red dough.
7. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Place the small red heart in the center of the cookie.
8. Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.
9. While cookies are still warm, poke in the toothpicks wherever you see fit.

This recipe was adapted from the Resourceful Girl collection.

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I hope to see you back here for some more Metaphysical Munchies.



CyberPunk65

Moon Cookies - Metaphysical Munchies

When you hear the phrase "food for the soul" do you too think of chicken soup and matzo balls? I'm not even Jewish, and yet it's there in my subconscious. It's comfort from within with a metaphysical twist. That's how you could describe this set of articles - comfort food with that metaphysical twist!

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Wiccan Moon Goddess

This time we will look at a Wiccan Sabbats and Esbats to find a magical morsel.

Within Wicca there are major Sabbats and the minor Esbats. The major connect to festivals on the wheel of the year (8 to be precise – the Wiccan year runs from Oct 31st through Oct 30th). These connect with the two equinox and the two solstice and four pagan festivals dotted in between. (they are: Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lughnasadh, Mabon). Each of these majors have their own special foods to go along with each festival. And all individual groups have their own preferences.

" Call upon the Goddess and God to protect you and teach you the secrets of magic. Ask stones and plants to reveal their powers - and listen."
- Scott Cunningham American author on Wicca and Pagan rituals.

Then there are the Esbats of the moon. Thirteen rituals connected to the full moon and the goddess.

It is important to remember that the goddess is one of the most important symbols for Wicca - as it is based on the cult of the female. And that the moon )O( is a symbol of the goddess.

" We are not evil. We don't harm or seduce people. We are not dangerous. We are ordinary people like you. We have families, jobs, hopes, and dreams. We are not a cult. This religion is not a joke. We are not what you think we are from looking at T.V. We are real. We laugh, we cry. We are serious. We have a sense of humor. You don't have to be afraid of us. We don't want to convert you. And please don't try to convert us. Just give us the same right we give you--to live in peace. We are much more similar to you than you think.."
- Margot Adler Wiccan priestess

Therefore one foods that is constant at Sabbats and Esbats. So the recipe I have, connects to Wicca is the moon cookie.

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Shortbread Moon Cookies

I n g r e d i e n t s:

125g/4 oz butter

55g/2oz caster sugar

180g/6oz plain flour

M e t h o d:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190C / 375F / Gas 5.
2. Beat the butter and the sugar together until smooth. Then fold in the flour to get a smooth paste.
3. Turn on to a work surface and roll to ½in (1cm) thick.
4. Cut into rounds, then cut again to turn them into crescent moons.
5. Place on a baking tray. Sprinkle with icing sugar and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
6. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.
7. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

This recipe was adapted from the BBC Food collection.

You can leave the moon cookies as rounds and dip one half in milk chocolate.

For a more fun version add white chocolate to one side and dark chocolate to the other - or even cover in light and dark sprinkles.

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I hope to see you back here for some more Metaphysical Munchies.



CyberPunk65

Soul Food - Metaphysical Munchies

When you hear the phrase "food for the soul" do you too think of chicken soup and matzo balls? I'm not even Jewish, and yet it's there in my subconscious. Comfort from with a metaphysical twist.


That's how you could describe this set of articles - comfort food with that metaphysical twist!

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Buddhism and Lotus Food

This week we will look at Buddhism and find the lotus flower for our souls.

It is important to remember that the lotus flower is important for Buddhism as a symbol of rising above the muddy difficulties of life to achieve enlightenment (or Dharma - the truth of the Buddha). This 'truth' is basically that each individual should take responsibility for their own actions.

"Rest the mind by directing one pointed attention on a specific object."
- The Ninth Gyalwang Karmapa

Buddhism had three 'jewels': Sangha (Buddhist community), Dharma (Buddha's teachings), the mind (calmed by meditation).

"Great wisdom abides in the body."
- Kalu Rinpoche

The Buddha is often depicted smiling and fat to remind us that a happy heart leads to a contented (full) life. Under the teachings of the Buddha each individual must be the best person they can.

Buddhists realise that food is life, but also food was once alive. For a person to live they have to eat - but what they eat and how it was treated has an effect on them. Everything has a life -even our food- so food is of great importance to Buddhists.


Rice being a staple meal, the recipe I have, connects to Buddhists in a round about way. But they are delish...

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Lotus Rice Cakes (Steamed)

I n g r e d i e n t s:

200g Rice Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

200ml Coconut Milk

160ml Boiling water

120g Sugar

1/4 tsp Vanilla Essence

M e t h o d:

1. Sieve flour, then combine with coconut milk; mixing well.
2. Once those three ingredients are fully combined add the boiling water and beat well.
3. Set aside, to cool.
4. Once cool, stir in 1 tsp baking powder (to form the 'coconut rice') and set aside for 1 hour.
5. Combine the sugar and the remaining baking powder, then add the vanilla essence (to form the 'vanilla powder').
6. Pour the lotus rice-cake batter into foil bun cases (each not quite full) and leave 30 mins to rise.

This recipe was adapted from the Opensource Food collection.

These little buns form peaks that are similar to the petals of a lotus flower.

For a more fun version add a little colour (1 tsp of food colouring) to the boiling water.

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I hope to see you back here next week for some more Metaphysical Munchies.



CyberPunk65