Happy New Year!

I hope you had a good start into the new year. I can feel it will be a good one. I think it is a bit too much how many people celebrate the new year. I mean so much doesn’t change over night (or does it?) but it’s a good opportunity to reflect on the past and focus on the future. But it wouldn’t be me (and my blog) if I didn’t prepare a little DIY (and a recipe – all in one!) for you.

The day after the big celebration when everybody is tired and the shops are closed, this little Marzipan piggy is the best you can make. (And giving it to your friends and your family as a lucky charm is a nice add-on!)

You might remember the brioche piggies I made the year before. I guess I’m just into pigs this time of the year.

All you need is:
– Marzipan
– red food coloring
– a little rum
– a knife

Mix the food coloring with the rum and knead the red color into the Marzipan. Add just a little and some more if it’s too light but you only need a little in my experience. Roll 6 balls – one bigger and 5 smaller ones – and a little string and 2 small triangles – as seen in the picture below.

Assemble the pieces. The little triangles are the ears, 4 balls make the feet and one should be pressed flat and makes the nose. The little string makes the tail. With the knife you can carve the holes for the nose.

Isn’t the little piggy cute?!

For New Years Eve I was in Vienna – for the first time in my life. A group of friends organized a flat crawl. It’s like a New Years hike. We selected 6 different flats and every host organized something to drink and something to eat. We stayed 1 1/2 hours at every flat and moved on to another. It was so much fun! I guessed we walked around 10 km so the New Year’s resolution “getting fit” was totally incorporated. (The fact that I drank a lot alcohol and feasted on the food that my friends prepared doesn’t interfere with my great conscious on walking so far.)

How did you spend New Year’s Eve?

Now. Carry on!