I really love this time of Advent in Sweden. The atmosphere is entrancing with homes and businesses lit up, shops bursting at the seams with seasonal goodies, the scent of woodsmoke outside, and the delicious aromas of Christmas baking filling the hallways of apartment buildings. I don't know whether it's because it's winter and it feels more cosy, but I find it a much simpler and more magical time than I did in Australia, where I was much more stressed. I still do a lot at Christmas, but I only do what I really want to do. That way, I can bring the spirit of Christmas to my home without ruining the holidays for me. By keeping things simpler, I now approach Christmas with a sense of joyful anticipation rather than stress-filled dread.

Today, as part of my Christmas baking, I made Christmas Stars or Julstjärnor. These proved to be quite simple and really delicious.




See, they even get the Chef Lambi seal of approval!

I used commercially bought Puff Pastry (use either ready rolled or in a block). The filling is plum jam, but you could use some other kind of red jam that you like (raspberry or fruit of the forest would be nice as well). The only other ingredients are a beaten egg for glazing and either pearl sugar or icing sugar for decorating.

If pastry is in a block, you need to roll it out to about 3mm thickness. Cut the pastry into squares. I did one batch about 10cm or 4", but they can be bigger or smaller if you like. I also did a batch of mini-stars 6cm.

Then you make a diagonal cut from each corner of the pastry until about half way to the centre (see the diagram to the left).
Place a teaspoon of jam into the centre of the pastry square and then fold in every second corner. Press to seal and then glaze with a little beated egg. I sprinkled on pearl sugar, but I'm not sure you can easily get that in Australia. I had never seen it before I came to Sweden, but then I haven't been home in over six years so things may have changed. Anyway, it's not essential at all. Bake the pastries in the centre of a hot oven - 225-250C for around 8-10 minutes. If you didn't use pearl sugar, you can serve them dusted with a little icing sugar.

And they are YUM! Though I will warn you that if you use plum jam, don't eat too many of them at once as plum has somewhat of a laxative effect in large quantities.




And remember that snow I was so excited about? Well, this is "the morning after"....

Not happy, Jan. Not happy at all! And there is no more forecast here in the forseeable future. I may have to stand in the corner and sulk. Though I am already doing that as my husband insists on the Swedish tradition of putting up the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. It nearly kills me every year as I like to have it up on December 1st! I've been whingeing even more than Kim Beazley when the cameras are rolling, but to no avail. Christmas Eve it is.