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Every morning at just the right moment, my room is filled with a scattering of rainbow constellations as the ever-lower sun meets the glass orbs in my window from the South. In the summertime when the sun is high, I might get a faint whisper or two of rainbows from light bouncing off a window or windshield. But as the sun gets lower in the sky as we move towards the Winter Solstice, every morning I am treated to an ever-more-dazzling display! 

Each season brings its own beautiful wonders to soak in, but this season in particular is time for Light Quests. With every day growing darker, it takes a gentle determination to find the sources of light. In this season you must grow your awareness for them, seek them out, or even engineer them, as I did with my window hangings. 

Every day, I challenge you: find the light. Look for the rainbows in frost crystals, the way a fluffy layer of snow makes the edge of a hillside glow. Get out after dark and look at the stars spilled across the sky! Light a candle or Menorah and hold gratitude in your heart for the illumination of dancing flames. Soak it in. If you want to add more of an anchor to this winter practice, start documenting your Light Quests. Photograph the light you see, or perhaps start a small journal dedicated to what you notice. The more you purposefully set out to find the light, the more you will start to see it everywhere you look - the glimmer of Christmas lights caught dancing in your wine glass, the first soft wisps of sunrise painting the bluish snow with a brushstroke of apricot, the wiggly twinkly light of backlit icicles outside your window. 

Start viewing light as something precious, something to treasure. With the modern convenience of electric lights, we take illumination for granted. A special kind of magic happens when the overhead lights are turned off and, instead, candles are lit and holiday lights plugged in. Can you see the dancing reflections now? The way ornaments or greenery are underlit or backlit? Gentle flickering light caressing a loved one’s face, their eyelashes catching illumination from below? Find the light. Honor it. Let it fill you. This is the medicine of the dark season. This is the magic. 

Elderflower Eggnog Donuts: 

These delightful treats are an ode to winter light and little wonders. Fluffy risen donuts are perfumed with the summery reminder of elderflower, dipped into a saffron and rum-laced icing with plenty of nutmeg too, and topped with homemade celestial sprinkles with even more delicious elderflower flavor. They are the light peeking over the hills, the miracle of illuminating oil burning longer than it should. Will I enjoy one of these as the rainbows fill my room on the Solstice? You bet I will. Remember to start the donuts the evening before you want to enjoy them since they’ll need to rise overnight! 

Homemade sprinkles: 

1 bag marshmallows 

1 Tbs  whiskey 

Pinch saffron 

1 Tbs. powdered elderflowers

Enough powdered sugar to make a firm dough (about 2 cups) 

Directions: 

1. Place the saffron and whiskey in a small bowl and let sit for about an hour. 

2. Pour the marshmallows into a large bowl. Microwave in 30 second bursts until they have all melted, then strain the saffron whiskey and add it in along with the powdered elderflowers. 

3. Add the powdered sugar, ⅓ c. at a time, until you have a firm dough. Knead until smooth. 

4. Divide into 5 small lumps. Leave 4 in a sealed ziplock bag while you work with one portion at a time. Use a pasta machine or roll by hand into a thin sheet, then use tiny cutters to cut out star and moon shapes. Set the pieces on a baking sheet and let dry completely (to speed up the process, you can put them in your oven with the oven light on overnight.) 

Glaze: 

6 Tbs. heavy cream

3 Tbs. rum with a large pinch of saffron

Enough powdered sugar for a frosting

Lots of nutmeg 

Elderflower Donuts

¼ c. lukewarm water

1 ½ tsp. Active dry yeast

1 c. eggnog, lukewarm

2 large eggs, lightly beaten and at room temp 

¾ c. unsalted butter, melted and cooled 

2 tsp. Kosher salt

3 ¾ c. all-purpose flour

½ tsp. Freshly-grated nutmeg 

2 Tbs. powdered dried elderflowers

Vegetable oil for frying. 

Directions: 

1. Add the water, yeast, eggnog, eggs, and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until smooth. 

2. In another bowl, whisk together the salt, flour, powdered elderflowers, and nutmeg. Sprinkle this mixture over the wet ingredients, then turn the mixture to low. Beat until just combined. (Some small lumps may remain, but they’ll go away.) 

3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for two hours to allow it to rise a bit, then cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. 

4. Dust the dough with a bit of flour, then roll it out to ½” thickness evenly. Use a 3” pastry cutter to cut circles with 1” diameter holes. Let the cut donuts rest, covered, for another fifteen minutes. 

5. Meanwhile, heat 3” of oil in a deep pot to 360-370F. Gently lower a couple of donuts at a time into the hot oil using a slotted spoon. Cook until they float to the surface, about 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes until both sides are evenly golden brown. 

6. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain the donuts on some paper towels. It’s important to only cook a couple of donuts at once so the temperature of the oil doesn’t drop too fast! 

7. While the donuts are cooling, make the glaze. Dip each donut in the glaze and place on a cooling rack and sprinkle with homemade sprinkles!

Looking for a holiday gift? Take a look at this Wondersmith Gift Guide!

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