Happy Solstice!

Today, I made lussekatter (recipe at the end of the post) in preparation for solstice offerings, and I have a bit more prep to do before the evening, including laundry from travel. I also found some coconut saffron ice cream. I’m not sure how to offer that to the Gods because it will melt too quickly. It’s not exactly a food offering or a libation offering. It is very liminal, right? But IMO saffron and pine are the two scents of the winter solstice. Maybe peppermint, too. Saffron always makes me think of home and coziness during the holidays.

There are a few hours left in the day before the longest night begins. I’m debating whether to lay out a solstice ritual spread on a pop-up shrine or whether I need to reorganize the working surface on my main shrine. The cats respect my standing household shrine, and I’m planning to light a tray of tea lights. Would they jump on my collapsible table? Will they see it as a way to get at the plant they want to eat but cannot otherwise reach? They are cats.

The jewel orchid I acquired in honor of Dionysos started to bloom while I was away, and over the next few weeks, I imagine that all of the flowers will open. The flowers are white and delicate, like snowflakes. So timely.

The other orchid I have is also starting to bud.

Happy winter solstice to everyone in the northern hemisphere, and happy summer solstice to those in the southern hemisphere.

Gluten-Free Lussekatter

Bring two cups of milk (I use So Delicious coconut milk cartons) to a near-simmer in a medium saucepan and turn off the heat. Add about a teaspoon of saffron. Let the milk cool on its own until it reaches about 145 degrees. Add 1/3 cup of butter and let it melt, stirring occasionally with a chopstick or fork, until it reaches 120 degrees. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar. I use raw sugar. The mixture should now be about 110-115 degrees. If the sugar cooled it too much, add a few moments of heat. The goal is to make the temperature adequate for yeast. Once you have reached the goal temperature, add a package of active dry yeast and stir in to dissolve. Let sit for 7-10 minutes so the yeast can foam.

Measure out 500 grams of gluten-free flour (I use the GF King Arthur blend from BJs) using a kitchen scale in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of ground flax. If the butter was unsalted, add a quarter of a teaspoon of salt. When the liquid mixture is ready, use a spatula and pour in to mix with the flour. Add 1 beaten egg. Mix. This dough will be wet because it is gluten-free. Let it rise for 45-60 minutes under a damp kitchen towel.

Add about a third to a half of a cup of GF flour to a small bowl. Lay parchment paper on baking trays and on a cutting board. Weigh down the edges of the covered cutting board with something, like cans. (The dough is wet. You will thank me later.) Coat your hands in the gluten-free flour. Sprinkle it on your rolling surface. Take small balls of the risen dough into your hands and roll out into cords carefully with both hands. It will be sticky. Very sticky. And delicate. Make sure you are always coating your hands with the flour. There’s a reason why you have a bowl full of it. The ground flax and egg are the only things holding this sticky, yeasty sunshine together. It’s gluten-free flour and we must all lower our expectations.

Shape carefully into the double spiral lussekatter are known for. Carefully slide each one into your hands from the edge of the cutting board and place on the baking tray. Please note that these will expand a bit while baking. It was very surprising to me that this happened because gluten-free flour is not known for rising well while baking. Think of it as a gift of the Daughters of the Sun and/or a Solstice Miracle. Right here. Right now. In your kitchen.

When you have finished shaping the dough, cover the baking sheets with damp kitchen towels. Set a twenty-minute timer. When the timer goes off, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat an egg and add a bit of water. Gather some raisins. You will need two raisins per completed bun. Add the raisins to the spirals’ eyes and press down a little so they won’t pop out while baking. Use a silicone brush to paint each bun with the egg glaze. Bake each batch for 12-15 minutes, depending on how your oven is. Set the timer for 12 minutes just in case and eyeball how golden and beautiful they look from there. Make sure the bottoms are not burnt.

When you remove them from the oven, pick the prettiest buns and put them on a small plate for your winter solstice offerings. There will be at least one that you will see and say “wow, this is the most gorgeous one of the whole batch, it is everything a Lucia’s Bun should be!” That one belongs to the Gods. I usually offer three buns during the solstice ritual because I’m about as into triangles and triads as can be expected for someone who reads Proclus as much as I do. Once you have set your offerings aside, you can eat one of the remaining ones.