Goblin Surprise

May the new year bring peace and prosperity, I'm so lucky to have you all in my life. Today is the day for end of year musings. Though usually this is a cooking blog, it's also the best place I have to write long-form blog posts. I'll add a recipe for mulled apple juice as an apology. Mulled apple juice uses the usual spices used for mulled wine, just alcohol free. You'll need: Apple juice - 1 liter Cinnamon - 1 stick Cloves - 3 Star anise - 2 Sugar - 50 grams Heat the apple juice in a saucepan to just under boiling. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the spices, let steep for 5-10 minutes before serving. If you want to keep this around for longer, remove the spices after about 15 minutes or it'll get bitter. You can add other spices just as easily. The classic warm spices - ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, mace and (star) anise - are all great, but I'd suggest using mostly whole spices rather than powdered. You can also add lemon rind or orange rind...

For two portions (four pancakes) you'll need:  - Two cups of breadcrumbs - Two eggs - 1/2 cup (125 ml) of milk  - butter, ghee or margarine - topping, such as sugar, jam, syrup or chocolate spread 1. Mix the breadcrumbs with eggs and milk. 2. Heat your skillet and keep it to a low heat. Add fat 3. Scoop a ladleful of the batter into the skillet. You may be able to fit more than one, depending on the size of your skillet . 4. Slowly fry for a few minutes, flip and fry a few minutes more.  5. Serve with the sweet topping of your choice.  Another recipe to use up breadcrumbs. These resemble a cross between French toast and American pancakes.