LET’S HYGGE JANUARY 2025

[definition of hygge]

a quality of cosiness and comfortable living that engenders a feeling
of contentment and well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).

Add a little hygge to each month

I hope you’ve had a lovely Christmas! Mine has been calm and relaxing, enjoying the Australian summer and some of the many beautiful coastal walks. 2024 has been a big year, filled with exciting projects work wise and wonderful travels in between. I’ve visited Marrakech, Tokyo, and Seoul – three cities that left me deeply inspired by their culture, colour combinations, and craftsmanship.

My New Year’s resolution is to transform these experiences into my drawings and work. Do you have a New Year’s resolution?

With New Year’s Eve coming up, I’d love to share my recipe for “Kransekager” – classic Danish New Year’s cakes with marzipan. We serve it with the champagne at midnight! If you’re looking for some quiet time, I also have a wonderful film recommendation and some lovely music suggestions below.

Thank you for being part of this lovely community, and for your kind messages and comments throughout the year. Here’s to a bright and peaceful 2025. Happy New Year!

Let's Hygge Lindbjerg Graphic Journal Blog

I have made this Chocolate mousse for many years for New Year’s Eve. I like the combination of coffee and chocolate. It goes well with champagne and can be prepared the day before.

KRANSEKAGE

CLASSIC DANISH NEW YEARS CAKES WITH MARZIPAN

INGREDIENTS

Makes about 10

75 g icing sugar
50 g egg white
375 g marzipan

ICING
100 g icing sugar
25 g egg white

CAKES Break the marzipan into pieces and place them in the bowl of a mixer. In a separate bowl, mix the icing sugar with the egg whites until smooth and free of lumps. Let the marzipan mix in the mixer, then slowly add the icing sugar and egg white mixture until the dough becomes smooth and consistent. It should be soft enough to shape easily but still slightly sticky.

Divide the dough into 10 even-sized pieces, around 45 g each. Roll each piece into a log about 10 cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter. Shape the logs into long triangles using your fingers (see photo). Smooth the shapes into uniform, neat forms by lightly wetting your fingers with cold water.

Let the shaped cakes rest and dry on the kitchen counter for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 hours if you have the time.

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and bake the cakes for 8-10 minutes, or until golden. Allow them to cool on the baking tray.

ICING Whisk together the icing sugar and egg white to make a thick icing. The icing should be firm enough to hold its shape and be easily piped from a piping bag, plastic bag with a small tip, or a cone made from parchment paper.

Once the cakes have cooled, allow the icing to “fall” onto them in intervals of about 1 cm. This step can be tricky, so don’t worry if it ends up looking a bit homemade (see my photo for reference).

The film The Taste of Things (or in Danish, Pot-au-feu – Vejen til Hjertet) is a wonderful celebration of food. If you’re looking for a little break, it’s highly recommended. I was completely absorbed for the 2 hours and 10 minutes the film lasted.

The Vietnamese-born Tran Anh Hùng won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023 for this beautiful film, which is filled with a passion for exceptional food. The characters Eugenie, the cook, and her boss Dodin are brilliantly portrayed by Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel. I’m a huge fan of Juliette Binoche, and in this film, she is as delicate as a peach.

The two actors were actually in a long-term relationship from 1998 to 2003 and have a daughter together. I believe that connection shows in the film, as they communicate with very few words—something only couples who know each other well can do.

I loved the tone of the film, and as a foodie myself, I found it both inspiring and captivating. You can watch it here in English or here in Danish. Enjoy!

We were lucky enough to see the New Zealand band Crowded House perform live in front of the Sydney Opera House. It was a magical experience, listening to all the classic songs from our youth. It was wonderful to feel like we were among like-minded people, and see that we were definitely not the oldest in the crowd, dancing and rocking out at the front of the stage. Since then, we’ve been replaying those old songs, which bring back memories of renovations, babies, and great parties. Listen to it here on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Music!

Australian is full off coastal walks these images are from two of them. First two image is from the walk Bondi Beach to Bronte Beach the third photo is from the Tomaree Head Summit Walk at Nelson Bay!