When my mother was a toddler in the early 50s, my grandparents moved to Copenhagen, Denmark, for five years while my grandfather worked at the American Embassy. When they returned to the States, they continued to celebrate the Christmas traditions of their beloved adopted country, eventually sharing them with all of us.
One of them was making heart ornaments like these...
I have really happy memories of making these as a child. Want to learn how? Visit
this link.
And then there is this dessert:
Ris a la Mande (rice pudding with almonds). The cherry topping is a must. I just adore it! To follow tradition, add one whole almond to the batch, and the person who ends up with the almond in their serving gets a special little gift. Find the recipe
here.
And because the Danes can't get enough cherries, finish off the night with some Cherry Heering. It was the first liqueur I ever tasted....wonderful.
Glaedelig Jul!