Of course I know that nowadays it's a bit difficult to find some clean snow…so you'd better use a ice-cream making machine… ^_^;;

Non alcoholic kirian

4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons vanilla sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

Dilute with water, and taste. That's all.

If you're brave, you can also try these ingredients:

4 tablespoons lemon extract

3 tablespoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon almond extract

But the Lady of Aldaran herself advise you to be careful….

Turkish Delight

2 tablespoonful of water

3/4 cups liquid pectin

1/2 teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda

1 cup golden syrup

3/4 cups sugar

1/4 jam

1 tablespoonful of lemon juice

1 teaspoonful of lemon rind

1/2 chopped nuts

icing sugar

Have everything ready before you turn on the heat!

Put water and pectin into a very heavy 2-quart saucepan. Stir in baking soda. The soda will cause foaming. Do not be alarmed.

Put golden syrup and sugar into another pan. Put both pans on high heat. Stir alternately 3 to 5 minutes or until foaming has ceased in the pectin pot and boiling is active in the other. Then, still stirring the syrup mixture, gradually and steadily pour the pectin mixture into it. Continue stirring and boiling, and add jelly during the next minute. Remove the mixture from heat and stir in lemon juice, lemon rind and nuts.

Pour into 8 x 8 inch tin. Let stand at room temp about 3 hours. When mixture is very firm, sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Cut into shapes or squares by pressing down with a buttered or sugared knife. Release the candies onto a sugared tray so all sides become coated. If you plan packing these candies, let them stand sugared 12 hours or more on a rack. Redust on all sides and pack, then store tightly covered. Should you want to dip them in chocolate, remove excess sugar first.

Well, this is not precisely a darkovan recipe, but Turkish Delight are my Oath Mother's favourite sweets, so…!

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1+1/2 teaspoons cardamom (to get the right texture, get crushed cardamom rather than ground; there should be small chunks of the spice in the bread rather than a powder scattered throughout)

2 packages dry yeast (about 2 tablespoons)

1/2 cup warm water

1 tablespoon sugar

4 eggs, beaten

9 cups unbleached white flour (approximately)

1/2 cup melted butter

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 cup pearlized sugar (optional)

1/2 cut chopped or sliced almonds (optional)

In a large pan, heat the milk, sugar, salt and cardamom to lukewarm. Cool. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water with one tablespoon of sugar and let it stand for 5 minutes until bubbles form. Pour the yeast mixture and eggs into the cooled milk and mix well. Add three cups of the flour and beat until smooth. Sir in half of the remaining flour and beat. Beat in the melted butter. Add enough remaining flour as is necessary to form a firm dough. Generously dust a work surface with white flour. Knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes, until it is very smooth. Add more flour, if necessary, to prevent the dough from sticking to the surface and your fingers.

Form the dough into a ball and place it in a large buttered bowl or pot, turning it to coat all sides with butter. Cover it with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough and divide it into thirds. Divide each braid into three portions and roll each portion into strands about two feet long.

Braid three strands into a long straight loaf and place it on a buttered baking sheet. Repeat this process to make two more braided loaves.

Cover the loaves and let them rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush the braids with the milk and egg glaze and sprinkle with sugar and/or almonds, if desired.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until light golden. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean. Do not over bake or the bread will be dry.

Serve plain with coffee or with butter and jam and coffee.

After the first rising, punch down the dough and divide it into thirds. Roll each third of the dough into a rectangle about 1 by 2 feet. Top with softened butter, sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and raisins and/or nuts. Roll up along the longer side, jelly roll fashion, and form into a ring, folded side down, on a buttered baking pan. Cut slices about 2/3 of the way through the ring every 3 or 4 inches all around. Slightly twist each wedge a bit, alternating in and out. Let the rings rise until almost doubled in size and brush them with the glaze. This may need to bake 5 or 10 minutes longer than the braids.

After the first rising, punch down the dough and divide it into thirds. Roll each third of the dough into a large circle. Coat it with softened butter and sprinkle it with cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Peel and thinly slice 2 apples and place the slices on one half of the circle.

Fold the other half over the apples, like an omelet, and press the edges together. Bend this half circle into a crescent moon shape on a buttered baking pan. Cover and let it rise until almost doubled in size. Brush with the glaze and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

1 cup (2 dL) butter, at room temperature

2 cups (400 g) sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla

2 cups (450 g) pitted dates, chopped coarse

3 cups (750 mL) applesauce

2 cups(450 g) walnuts, chopped coarse

2 cups (450 g) raisins

2 cups (450 g) currants, chopped coarse

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt

1 tsp (5mL) ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) ground cloves

1 tbsp (15 mL) baking soda

Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, along with the vanilla. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until all is incorporated. Divide the batter among 3 greased loaf pans, approximately 8 x 4 x 3 inches each. Bake in a preheated 350 F/180 °C oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove to a cooling rack. When cool enough to handle, remove the loaves from the pans and cool completely on the rack. Wrap in plastic wrap and keep in the refridgerator.