Are the prices at the Shire market making you worry that you can’t afford ingredients for Yuletide fare? Then let Kili show you how to make a holiday baking staple, candied citrus peel, using just 4 common ingredients and your own stovetop! Watch the episode.
Candied Citrus Peel
Ingredients:
3 lemons
2 oranges
2 teaspoons of salt
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
Instructions:
Wash the lemons and oranges.
Cut the fruit in half, then in quarters. Remove the flesh and set aside for another use. Carefully peel off the rind using either a knife or a vegetable peeler.
Cut the peels into 1/4 inch thick strips.
Place the peels in a non-reactive pot and cover with water. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes to remove the bitterness.
Drain the peels and rinse out the pot. Repeat the process with fresh water and the second teaspoon of salt.
Drain the peels and rinse the pot. Return the peels to the pot, cover with water, and add the cup of sugar.
Simmer for about an hour, stirring on occasion, checking the peels. Once they’re soft and translucent, they’re finished. Drain the peels again.
Separate the peels onto a plate and allow them to dry overnight.
Separate the peels by fruit and place in airtight containers. They should keep in the refrigerator for at least a month.
Happy Hobbit has brought Middle-earth to its viewers’ daily lives since joining TheOneRing.net in 2012! Learn hobbity recipes, crafts, and more by watching new episodes and/or perusing the 10+ years worth of videos on their YouTube channel. đť Be sure you are subscribed to Happy Hobbit on YouTube and check back here at TheOneRing.net so that you don’t miss out!
Get even more slow-living hobbit content by following Happy Hobbit on Instagram,Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok! If watching the show has left you with an appetite for more, know that Kili (Kellie) has a podcast where Tolkien is often mentioned called Forests, Folklore & Fantasy.
This unique fruit from the east may be a mystery to many a hobbit, but not this one! Join Kili as she shows you how to get many jars of preserves out of an armload of quince fruit – perfect for enjoying all winter long in your own hobbit hole, or for gifting! Be sure to check your local markets for the last of this (somewhat rare) seasonal fruit, or ask your fellow Shirelings if they have any growing. Many folk don’t know how to prepare quince and thus are happy to give it away to those who do. Free food is something every hobbit likes to hear! The preserves taste like a combination of apple and pear with a hint of rose, and, of course, a blush of sweetness. Watch the episode.
Quince Jelly and Paste
Ingredients:
Quince
Sugar
Optional: Citric acid â I like to add it because it preserves the beautiful red color, the taste, and the freshness of this yellow fruit
Quince Jelly Instructions:
If your quince have a bit of fuzz or pelt, rub it off with a towel.
With a very sharp knife, cut the quince into quarters. If you are only interested in making quince jelly, you will not need to core them! Coring them because it makes it a bit easier to then make quince jam.
If your quince are very big, you can cut the quarters in half again.
Place fruit pieces into a large pot.
Add just enough water to cover the quince.
Over high heat, bring the quince to a boil until they are soft but not mushy. Take the pot off the heat.
Let the pot with the quince stand for a few hours – I forgot to mention this part in the video, but it’s an important step as it helps the pectin begin to do its thing.
Line a colander with cheesecloth or muslin cloth. Put the quince and their cooking liquid into the colander and let them drain overnight into a large bowl or basin.
The next day, weigh the strained liquid (be sure to tare the scale so that you don’t count the weight of the bowl).
Weigh the sugar, which should be 75% of the quince juice in weight. I made it a loose guess.
Add both to a large sauce pot with about Âź tsp of citric acid.
Bring the jelly mixture to a rolling boil and keep boiling until the juice turns red and reaches the set point. You can test that with the gel test on a small plate or using a metal spoon as I showed in the video.
Pour the hot jelly into sterilized jars, wipe the rims, and close them with a lid.
Carefully drop the jars into a pot of boiling water with an inch of water covering them. Allow them to boil for 10 mins, then remove to a dishtowel to cool. They will be hot!
Let them rest for a day, then test their seals (the button on top of the can should be sucked in and not making a clicking sound). At this point, they are safe to be labeled and stored. Remember to keep the metal rings loose – that way you can accurately check the seal on the jar up to 18 months later when you are inspecting them for freshness and food safety. Store in your hobbit larder or give as gifts! Note: If you do not wish to can your preserves, you can store them in the refrigerator. This is a great option if you have a smaller amount than what I was working with!
Quince Paste Instructions:
Transfer the drained fruit to a fine mesh strainer and pass the cooked quinces through the strainer with the back of a spoon or a big wooden tamper.
Alternatively, you can mash the fruit with a potato masher or in a food processor (if you have cored the quince).
Weigh your quince mass (again, be sure to tare the scale to not include the weight of the bowl), then measure out roughly 2/3 of the total weight in sugar and add it to the quince mash.
Add the mashed fruit to a large saucepan. Over low heat, bring to a boil while constantly stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
Continue boiling the fruit mass until it turns red – this may take a half hour or so.
Spoon into sanitized jars and follow the water bath canning method described above, or store in your refrigerator.
If you are interested in making the quince candy, then please refer to Our Gabled Home, from whom I learned this recipe.
Happy Hobbit has brought Middle-earth to its viewers’ daily lives since joining TheOneRing.net in 2012! Learn hobbity recipes, crafts, and more by watching new episodes and/or perusing the 10+ years worth of videos on their YouTube channel. đť New episodes debut every other Saturday. Be sure you are subscribed to Happy Hobbit on YouTube and check back here at TheOneRing.net so that you don’t miss out!
Get even more slow-living hobbit content by following Happy Hobbit on Instagram,Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok! If watching the show has left you with an appetite for more, know that Kili (Kellie) has a podcast where Tolkien is often mentioned called Forests, Folklore & Fantasy.
Want to impress your fellow hobbits or other denizens of Arda by bringing a dazzling, unique side to your next feast? Then look no further than this delicious and colorful recipe! Join Kili as she shows you how she turned some purple carrots from her hobbit garden into a scrumptious dish… and discovers something spooky about the carrots along the way! Watch the episode.
Quick Pickled Carrots
Ingredients:
About 1 lb of carrots, tops removed, peeled if needed, sliced into rounds or sticks
A diced onion (I used purple to keep on theme!)
1 cup of water
2/3 – 1 cup distilled white or apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp sea salt
1 Tbsp organic cane sugar (or stevia to taste)
1 tsp celery seeds
1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
2-6 cloves of peeled garlic
Sprigs of fresh dill
Instructions:
Parboil carrots for a few minutes just to soften them. Drain and set aside.
Dice up the onion.
Add carrots to a large mason jar or glass container. Set aside.
To a small saucepan, add distilled white (or apple cider) vinegar, water, salt, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir to fully dissolve salt and sugar and solids. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt or sugar to taste.
Add the celery, mustard, and coriander seeds to the jar. Add the peeled garlic and the fresh dill.
Stuff the carrots and onions into the jar.
Pour the brine over the carrots, ensuring they are fully submerged. If needed, add more vinegar or a little water to cover.
Seal well and shake to combine. Then refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The flavors will deepen and intensify the longer it marinates. Best flavor is achieved after 24 hours.
Will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks (sometimes longer). Not freezer friendly.
Happy Hobbit has brought Middle-earth to its viewers’ daily lives since joining TheOneRing.net in 2012! Learn hobbity recipes, crafts, and more by watching new episodes and/or perusing the 10+ years worth of videos on their YouTube channel. đť New episodes debut every other Saturday. Be sure you are subscribed to Happy Hobbit on YouTube and check back here at TheOneRing.net so that you don’t miss out!
Get even more slow-living hobbit content by following Happy Hobbit on Instagram,Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok! If watching the show has left you with an appetite for more, know that Kili (Kellie) has a podcast where Tolkien is often mentioned called Forests, Folklore & Fantasy.
Most hobbits grow their own fruit for baking and, if not, are certain to have a good relationship with their orchard-loving neighbors! Kili was hoping to bake her own delicious sweets when cherries started forming on the cherry tree at her hobbit homestead. Alas, the bluejays had other plans, and one by one, flew off with the ruby red treats! Thankfully, the market at Michel Delving was having a sale on frozen cherries (grown by a hobbit with plenty of scarecrows, no doubt).
This new episode of Happy Hobbit follows Kili as she bakes that quintessential symbol of summer every halfling enjoys on a picnic: cherry pie! Making tasty desserts from scratch means a fine hobbit like yourself gets to enjoy a multitude of flavors otherwise unknown, so what are you waiting for? Watch the video below to learn how you, too, can bake like a hobbit!
While you may expect to find Kili at home in the kitchen of her hobbit hole, she is actually currently attending San Diego Comic Con International! If you happen to be at the convention, please be sure to pop by TheOneRing.net’s booth #1934 to say hello, grab a Happy Hobbit freebie, and check out the first ever Happy Hobbit shirt featuring Kili’s artwork, amongst the many other fine offerings at the TORn booth this year (you can learn more about them and a multitude of other happenings to do with TORn at SDCC here).
This afternoon (July 27th) at 5:30 PM PST in Room 5AB, Kili (Kellie) is also moderating a panel on behalf of TheOneRing.net called I Am No Man: The Creative Women of Middle-earth! The panel features four fantastic women: Lisa Birchall of WÄtÄ Workshop, Fredrica Drotos of Middle-earth Enterprises, Harless Snyder of Wizards of the Coast, and Margaret Mauvais EA Games, all of whom have helped bring Middle-earth to life. The panel promises to be an insightful, empowering discussion that you won’t want to miss!
You can find out a bit more in the announcement video below.
Happy Hobbit has brought Middle-earth to its viewers’ daily lives since 2012! Learn other hobbity recipes, crafts, and more by watching new episodes and/or perusing the 10+ years worth of videos on their YouTube channel. đť New episodes debut every other Saturday, so be sure you are subscribed to Happy Hobbit so that you don’t miss out!
Get even more slow-living hobbit content by following Happy Hobbit on Instagram,Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok! If watching the show has left you with an appetite for more, know that Kili (Kellie) has a podcast where Tolkien is often mentioned called Forests, Folklore & Fantasy.
The new episode of Happy Hobbit takes a break from baking to explore fermenting food. While all hobbits love growing things, those with a vegetable patch are faced with an age-old conundrum: how to store what can’t be eaten before it rots? That question may sound irrelevant to Shire-folk who are renowned for their ability to put away food, but even old Lalia Took, otherwise known as Lalia the Great because of her enormous size, can’t eat several pounds of cabbage in one sitting (and we pity her already oft suffering relations if she were to do so)!
When a midwinter heatwave forces Kili to confront this problem, she decides to try her hand at fermenting some Napa cabbage into sauerkraut… with very mixed results! Watch the episode below to see how she made it, what color(s) it turned, and if she recommends this tactic to other hobbits!
As stated above, many episodes of the webseries demonstrate baking or cooking. This past Independence Day, Kili discovered social media “tech” took down her post containing “behind the scenes” images of cinnamon rolls being made. She immediately grabbed her camera and filmed a fun, satirical video over the conspiracy which you can watch below.
The tongue-in-cheek clickbait title is đ
Happy Hobbit has brought Middle-earth to its viewers’ daily lives since 2012! Learn other hobbity recipes, crafts, and more by watching new episodes and/or perusing the 10+ years worth of videos on their YouTube channel. đť New episodes debut every other Saturday, so be sure you are subscribed to Happy Hobbit so that you don’t miss out!
Get even more slow-living hobbit content by following Happy Hobbit on Instagram,Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok! If watching the show has left you with an appetite for more, know that Kili (Kellie) has a podcast where Tolkien is often mentioned called Forests, Folklore & Fantasy.
Time for another new episode of Happy Hobbit, the webseries that has brought Middle-earth into your daily life since 2012! For some time now, the YouTube series has threatened to become a cooking show, prompting the girls to joke they should rename it “Hungry Hobbit,” and this episode is no exception!
Fili has had it with summer and wants a tasty reminder of wintertime, so it is up to Kili to find a way to lure her sister out of her summer blues by baking a Yuletide treat! Watch the video below for a fun DIY recipe that will hopefully inspire you to try your hand at making cinnamon rolls yourself!
Have a bread machine? Ready to try this recipe yourself? Then you’re in luck as you will find it below! Learn other hobbity recipes, crafts, and more by watching new episodes and/or perusing the 10+ years worth of videos on their YouTube channel. đť New episodes debut every other Saturday, so be sure you are subscribed to Happy Hobbit so that you don’t miss out!
“Christmas Two” Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough:
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2Â eggs, room temperature
â  cup margarine, melted
4 ½ cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup white sugar
2 ½ teaspoons bread machine yeast
Filling:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
â  cup butter, softened
Icing (Kili recommends doubling these quantities):
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
Ÿ cup butter, softened
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
â  teaspoon salt
Directions
Prepare dough: Place milk, eggs, margarine, flour, salt, white sugar, and yeast in the pan of a bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
When the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover it with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to a 16×21-inch rectangle. Kili likes to use her silicone mat on the countertop.
Prepare filling: Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Spread softened butter over the dough, then sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over top.
Starting at the longer end, roll up the dough; cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes (at least! Usually it takes about an hour).
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bake rolls in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
While rolls are baking, prepare icing: Beat confectioners’ sugar, butter, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt until creamy.
Spread icing on warm rolls before serving.
Get even more hungry hobbit content by following Happy Hobbit on Instagram,Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok! If watching the show has left you with an appetite for more, know that Kili (Kellie) has a podcast where Tolkien is often mentioned called Forests, Folklore & Fantasy.
