I had hoped to be more organised for this year’s Samhain but I’m still slowing unpacking and sorting through all the pictures I took on our recent trip.

Samhain

Samhain (sow-in) is about celebrating the summer’s end, the darkening days and our loved ones lost. I wrote last year more about what Samhain is and how we celebrated. In fact, I promised to share the recipe for Honeyed Seed Cake and totally forgot so I’ll share it here. We eat this cake while reminiscing about times spent with our family and friends who have since passed away. In eating it we are “honouring the sweetness of life and the promise of life renewed”.

Honouring our loved ones

We’re heading to the local community party tonight for games, showing off costumes and seeing friends.

Honeyed Seed Cake

Honeyed Seed Cake

  • 1 1/2 cup Sesame Seeds
  • 1 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 2/3 cup Butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup Demerara Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/4 cup Honey
  • 1/4 cup Milk (I use almond)
  1. Preheat oven to 375’F and grease an 11 inch round or 10 inch square pan.
  2. Toast sesame seeds in a cast iron pan, stirring constantly, until seeds are golden and slightly crackling.
  3. In a small bowl combine flours and baking powder. Set aside.
  4. Cream butter with sugar. Add eggs one at a time and then stir in honey and milk.
  5. Add dry ingredients to wet and combine.
  6. Fold in sesame seeds.
  7. Pour into grease pan and bake for 12- 15 minutes or until firm to the touch but leaves a toothpick slightly coated.
  8. While cake is baking, make the topping. When cake comes out of the oven, prick the cake all over with a toothpick and then pour over the topping.
  9. Return cake to the oven and bake for 3- 5 more minutes and topping has been absorbed into cake and toothpick comes out clean.

Topping

  • 1/3 cup Honey
  • 3 tbsp Butter
  1. While cake is baking make the topping by bringing honey and butter to a boil on the stove.

Yam Frosted Whole Wheat Sugar Cookie

Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies

  • 2 ½ cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Mace
  • 1 cup Butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup Sugar or Honey
  • 3 Egg Yolks
  • ¼ cup + Milk (I use almond)
  1. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and mace. Set aside.
  2. Cream butter and sugar together.
  3. Add one egg yolk at a time and cream after each addition.
  4. Fold dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
  5. Add milk and mix into a ball. Add a touch more milk if you need it to bring the dough into shape.
  6. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.
  7. Preheat oven to 350’F and line baking sheets with parchment.
  8. Roll out dough with a rolling pin between two pieces of waxed paper. Cut with cookie cutters and bake for 15 minutes or until as brown as you like them. Remove from cookie pan and cool on counter.

We don’t consume artificial colouring and flavouring so I was excited to try this frosting recipe. It was a hit with the neighbourhood kids but you don’t need it since the cookie recipe does well on it’s own. Of course a naturally orange and sweet frosting can be a lot of fun- especially at this time of year.

Yam Frosting Recipe

  • 1 cup Yam, boiled or baked and then mashed
  • ¼ cup Cream Cheese, softened or Silken Tofu
  • 1 ½ tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
  • 2 ½ tbsp Maple Syrup
  • 1 tsp Orange Juice or Lemon

Cream all together until smooth and spreadable. I added a little beet root powder to a small amount of the frosting for a contrasted colour to do the pumpkins face. It’s the best I could come up with at the last moment.

Happy holidays!

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8 Responses to Samhain

  1. paxye says:

    yummm… those look so good…

  2. erin says:

    Happy Samhian! and I hope this time offers up space to reflect and process and make changes and dream and plan! That is our desire, as the days grow colder and we snuggle a little closer together. Today is a great day for that…sideways rain is pelting the windows and filling all of the puddles to overflowing and the wind is whipping more leaves all around in swirls.

    I love those photos…I would like to frame some that I pull out for this time of year. Mine are kind of randomly placed at this point ;-)

  3. Lynn says:

    This holiday has special meaning for me, since my sister passed away 6 years ago on Samhain. This year I lost one of my best friends, and Samhain was a really big deal to her. I love that I have little kids who keep me in the moment at this time of year, and who keep the hope and joy front and centre. There’s nothing like a child’s shining face to remind you of everything that is good.

    I am so making that seed cake.

  4. Dawn Suzette says:

    Sounds like a beautiful celebration.
    We are shifting our focus this time of year. Much more focused on family. We had a wonderful meal together with extended family and read about the history of some of the traditions that are observed this time of year.
    Thanks for the recipes. It all looks so yummy!

  5. crystine says:

    made it. ate it all in 1.5 days.
    it was that good.

    walked a labyrinth with lantern in hand. scattering corn, whispering prayers.

  6. Annie says:

    How wonderful is it to have friends who enjoy this time of year for more than just the sugar high that often comes along with it?! I love that it’s meaningful for you all too.

    xx

  7. hanna says:

    I made your honeyed seed cake this week – yum! I’ve shared it over on my blog, I hope you don’t mind. xx Hanna
    http://craftykin.blogspot.com/2010/11/cake-recipies-to-start-weekend.html

  8. Annie says:

    Of course I don’t mind, Hanna! It’s good to “meet” you!

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