The Eve Of St Nicholas

St Nicholas' Eve is always celebrated in our home; I will be praying the First Vespers of the Feast and then at bedtime, the two youngest children will  be putting their slippers outside their bedroom doors tonight, hoping that in the morning, they will be filled with chocolate coins, candy canes and a tiny gift to celebrate St Nicholas' Day.


The lampada will be lit on the icon corner, and the icon of St Nicholas will take pride of place for his feast day.

The wonderful St Nicholas Center has amazing ideas for celebrating this special feast at home, church or at school, and is well worth a visit. There are many super recipes to cook, but this recipe is taken from there especially for those of my friends who will be observing the Nativity Fast: 

Vegan Speculaas for Nativity Lent 

Lemon zest makes these cookies extra special. Dough may be molded, stamped or rolled and cut-out. Be careful not to bake too long, though crisp is tastier than soft.

Vegan Speculaas, molded and stamped

1 cup non dairy margarine, such as Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks
2 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs equivalent, such as Ener-G Egg Replacer, following instructions
3 tablespoons water (in addition to egg replacer liquid) Zest of one lemon
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350º. Cream margarine and sugar until fluffy. Stir in egg replacer, water and lemon zest. Mix dry ingredients; stir into creamed mixture. If dough is too soft to work, chill briefly. I found it easier to work without chilling.

If using a cookie board mold: Throughly flour mold, bang upside down to remove excess flour. Work dough into mold, keeping thickness even. Make sure dough doesn't extend past edge, carefully push dough edges toward cookie so it will release easily. Over waxed paper, firmly bang one end of mold on surface. Dough should release. With a thin metal spatula, transfer to lightly greased baking sheet.

To make cut-out cookies: roll dough 1/8–1/4-inch thick (this is easiest to do on a floured pastry cloth with a rolling pin cover). Place cut-outs on lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake molded cookies 12–15 minutes, until lightly browned. Stamped cookies 10–12 minutes. Cut-out cookies, time depends on thickness. Cool on rack.