(no subject)

[loyalrebel]

For those who wish to learn how to do so for the upcoming ball, I am able to teach people how to do dances from the Earth 1920's. I can teach both leading and following with either a male or female partner.

[A pause]

On another, somewhat related note, what sorts of baked goods do people enjoy during the winter holidays?

I noticed during the previous Liminal space that decorated and amusingly or festively shaped cookies are common.

I now have a large kitchen with plenty of workspace, and am considering hosting a gathering for decorating and baking them for the ball. Though likely not until the current Liminal space changes.

Comments

[willyousee]

....do spiced nuts or candied fruit count as baked goods?

[loyalrebel]

[there is a long mental hum of thought]

I think we can allow it, yes.

[vrepit_no]

There are always a ton in America in my time, but gingerbread is always a big one - usually little men decorated with icing. Or sugar cookies. I always loved the uh... whatchacallem. Thumbprint cookies? Like a sugar cookie base, but butterier, with nuts and sugar on it and with a little pool of jam or preserves in the center. Peanut butter cookies with chocolate kisses pressed in the top are also pretty popular, if no one's allergic to peanuts.

And of course there are peppermint sticks - candy canes - but those aren't baked.

[willyousee]

[pleased laughter]

You are too kind! Oo, didn't you make... mm... backlevi? No, baklava!

[loyalrebel]

I have not had any of those, but I think some European monks make bread with ginger and spices in my time? I have read about it in passing.

I do like chocolate and mint though, so those two sound about the best.

[givetheslip]

I'd ask when you learned to dance well enough to teach it, but I know by now that you're capable of many surprises.

[loyalrebel]

I do, yes. Though after making the sheets of dough by hand one time I have resorted to cheating with liminal manipulation for that part.

Filo is far too tedious for even me.

[loyalrebel]

I kept the skill of one of my overlays who quite enjoyed dancing.

I already taught Altair, which means I now must teach you as well if you are interested. I admit that I enjoy the mental image of you leading him in a tango.

[vrepit_no]

Oh, you've never had gingerbread? I have got to figure out this memory sharing thing. They're really good!

[givetheslip]

Did you? In that case yes, you absolutely must. I refuse to let him have an advantage over me.

[willyousee]

I'll not tell anyone - I will be too busy savouring it!

[dino_zarf]

Kaylee would... well, it was still mostly the exact protein we ate all the time, but she'd try to make some frosting as chocolatey as she could.

[otomechapilot]

Chocolate swirl icebox cookies!

You roll out the dough, put chocolate on it, roll it up and put it in the icebox. Then you slice it and bake them and they have chocolate swirls!

...we saved the chocolate we had to make those on Christmas back home.

[butthemiracleneverhappen]

...not baked, per se. Generally we grill them. But I can share a recipe for mochi. Sweet rice dumplings.

I understand that filling them with ice cream is common in later eras; generally we used sweet bean paste in my time.

[loyalrebel]

I think everyone paying attention now knows.

It is a fair payment for you in exchange for assistance in deciding what to wear for the ball I think.

[loyalrebel]

You could also find a recepie for me and I can attempt to make it.

[loyalrebel]

I think in this the advantage will be yours.

I am down in the common room, I will clear some furniture for space.

[loyalrebel]

Chocolate frosting sounds fantastic, I will remember to include some.

You and Rose are more than welcome to come decorate cookies when it is time. It does not seem a dangerous activity for her at least.

[loyalrebel]

I can make the chocolate if you want to show me how to make them.

I like that there seems to be a great deal of chocolate involved in this holiday season.

[loyalrebel]

Bean paste sounds better to me, in honesty. It sounds less overall sweet than ice cream would.

Could you also use nut butter of some sort in them? I have to chop some for the baklava anyway.

[otomechapilot]

Sure! I can be around and show you while I make the sodas and cider and stuff.

I wanna say there's a lot of chocolate by accident cause it's delicious, and a lot more rare where I'm from than it used to be. If we wanted stuff that's significant for Christmas there would be a lot more, uh, crosses and trees and candle shaped things?

[butthemiracleneverhappen]

Chestnuts would be appropriate. I'm not sure how well pistachio would work, but almond might.

Ice cream mochi is a recent innovation, one I cannot say I'm fond of myself. I prefer bitters and savory flavors to unadulterated sweetness.

[willyousee]

[startled pause]

....Payment? Malik, whyever would I wish payment?

[givetheslip]

Oh, it will be soon.

[She grins, and as she happens not to be busy at the moment, heads directly to the common room for her lesson.]

[loyalrebel]

I am not christian so I am not terribly concerned about including crosses, besides the holiday has diverted quite far from the original form that it is almost unrecognizeable.

The trees and santa are very new, comparative to my time.

[bite_the_hand]

...What's "allergic?"

[This sounds like something that's extremely important for him to know.]

[dino_zarf]

That sounds like something she'd like.

[He suspects the designs will be a bit abstract]

She certainly enjoyed playing with cake.

the word she's looking for is 'secular'

[otomechapilot]

Whoops. Sorry. Just saying - it's almost... most people just use it as an excuse for a party when I'm from, you know? It's not very religious anymore.

[vrepit_no]

Allergic? [Seriously? Hoo boy.] It's... when your body treats something that should be fine like it's an attack. So when you eat a food that most other people can eat - for some people it's peanuts - and your body thinks it's poison. A lot of the time your body overreacts to its presence. Your throat swells up, makes it hard to breathe, makes your skin break out in red patches that often itch... Sometimes your face can swell badly too. If your reaction is bad enough, it can kill you.

But not everyone is allergic to foods.