Bethmännchen

Hi guys!

Christmas day is here and I wanted to share one last cookie recipe for this year. I'll keep a few secret until next year... The following are one of my grandmother's standby Christmas cookies - she has been baking them every year for as long as I remember and they are a huge favourite with my family. Here's the recipe:

2 eggs
250g (2 cups minus about 2 tablespoons; 8.8 oz) icing sugar
250g (2 cups + 1 tablespoon; 8.8 oz) ground almonds
40g (1.4 oz) cornflour
about 100g whole, peeled almonds

1) Take the almonds and split them in half with a knife. This task is a little tricky, but after a few almonds you will get the hang of it. 

2) Separate the eggs. Beat the eggwhites until very stiff. In a bowl, mix the icing sugar and ground almonds and fold in the eggwhites using a wooden spoon or plastic dough scraper. Be careful not to stir too hard. 

3) Take about 1 dessertspoonful (2 teaspoons) of dough and form into a ball. Place on a sheet of baking paper and place three almond halves on top. Brush with the egg yolks. 

4) On the next day, preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Bake for about 15 minutes or until light brown. Don't bake them for too long or they'll turn dry. 

Active preparation time: about 25 minutes
Total preparation time: about 40 minutes (+ overnight rest)

Here's how they look:

It is completely normal that they will flatten while baking, so don't worry if that happens. If you bake them on the same day and not let them rest though, the dough will run all over the baking tray and you'll end up with one big cookie. 

Have fun trying and merry christmas to you!!

Vanillekipferl

Hi guys!

Christmas is around the corner and I have managed to bake all the different kinds of cookies I wanted to and wrap my presents, so I can start to fully enjoy the holiday season. My very first memories of Christmas cookies and biscuits come from my grandmother and mother. Especially my grandmother always loved to bake cookies and today I rely on her recipes. I love that they always work, no matter at what time of day I try baking them. Vanillekipferl are a real classic Christmas cookie in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, but I hear they are loved in the U.S. as well. So here is my grandmother's recipe:

200g (7 oz) unsalted butter, softened
80g (1/3 cup; 2.8 oz) granulated sugar
100g (1 cup; 3.5 oz) ground almonds
280g (a little less than 2 cups; 9.9 oz) all-purpose flour
125g (4.4 oz; a little less than 1 cup) icing sugar
1 paket (about 8g or 1 teaspoon) vanilla sugar

1) Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Beat the butter and the granulated sugar for 8-10 minutes until light and fluffy.

2) Mix with the flour and ground almonds and a dough comes together. It shouldn't be too crumbly. 

3) Take about 1 dessertspoon (or 2 teaspoons) of dough and form it to the shape of little croissants. 

4) Bake for about 20 minutes until very light golden brown. Let them cool for about 5 minutes.

5) In a second bowl, mix the icing sugar and vanilla sugar. Carefully roll the cookies in the mixture and let cool completely on a cooling rack.

Yield: ca. 50
Active preparation time: about 30 minutes
Total preparation time: about 50 or 70 minutes, depending on how many trays you have to bake.

Here's how they look:

Have fun trying!

Caramel Shortbread Sandwiches

Hi guys!

As I promised all of you, another recipe from my little Christmas baking party. The following recipe is another recipe you wouldn't instantly come up with when you're from european or german for that matter, but I like the idea of trying something new and as I am a big shortbread fan, I wanted to try this recipe. It is from the donna hay magazine as the spiced brown sugar cookies I shared with you a few days ago. Here's the recipe:

150g butter, softened

1/3 cup (55g) icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ cups (225g) plain flour

2 tablespoon cornflour

2/3 cup (200g) store-bought caramel filling

1) Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer and beat for 8-10 minutes or until pale and creamy. 

2) Add the flour and cornflour and beat until a smooth dough forms. Roll the dough out between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper to 5mm-thich and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

3) Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Using a 4.5cm round cookie cutter, cut about 40 rounds from the dough and place on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper, leaving room to spread. 

4) Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden. Allow to cool on wire racks. 

5) Spread half the shortbreads with caramel and sandwich with remaining shortbreads.

Active preparation time: about 30 minutes

Total preparation time: about 50 minutes

Here's how mine turned out:

I really like how the shortbread turned out; it's wonderfully buttery and crumbly, yet easy to prepare. If you wanted to make these biscuits extra special, you could make your own dulce de leche. I opted for the store-bought version, but I might try making my own the next time. I ended up with about 15 shortbread sandwiches, so about 30 cookie rounds. Please make sure to use all the dough you have and not throw leftovers away. 

Have fun trying and enjoy the christmas time!

  

Spiced Brown Sugar Cookies

Hi guys!

Christmas is arriving so incredibly fast and as I have been fortunate enough to get away from it all and go on a quick getaway to Berlin last week, my christmas baking has been nowhere so far. Well, time to change that. Because I started this blog earlier this year and have been investing time looking into lots of recipes I decided to change things a little and try a few new recipes to accompany my classics that I am going to introduce to you a little later this week. I really loved Donna Hay's winter issue a lot, so I decided to try new cookie recipes from it and here is the first one:

2 cups (320g) icing sugar

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 ¼ cups (335g) plain flour

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

120g butter, softened

1 cup (175g) brown sugar

1/3 cup (115g) golden syrup

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1) Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Place the icing sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside.

2) Place the flour, ginger and remaining cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl and mix to combine. 

3) Place the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup in an electric mixer and beat for 3 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. 

4) Add the spiced flour mixture and beat until just combines. Roll 1 tablespoonful of the dough into balls at a time and place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, leaving room to spread. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden and slightly cracked. 

5) Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Place the biscuits in the icing sugar mixture and toss lightly to coat. Return tot he wire rack and allow to cool completely.   

Active preparation time: 20 minutes

Total preparation time: about 40 minutes

© Copyright: Donna Hay, donna hay magazine, issue 60

Here's how mine turned out:

These cookies remind me a lot of Snickerdoodles, but the dough is more intense with regard to the flavor because of the dark sugar and characteristic taste of golden syrup. I love the combination of the different spices and the cinnamon-spiked icing sugar on top of the cookies helps complete it.

Have fun trying!

Cranberry & Pistachio Biscotti

Hi guys!

I love Christmas, not necessarily the gift hunting before and the stress, but standing in the kitchen, baking and making the whole house smell like a giant cookie. I also love the colors, the green and red and gold. So I got very excited when I came upon this recipe from Cynthia Barcomi for Cranberry & Pistachio Biscotti. They look like jewels themselves with the cranberries almost sparkling like rubies and the pistachios emerald-green. Here's the recipe:

350g (2 1/3 cup; 12.3 oz) plain flour
200g (1 cup; 7 oz) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
125g (4.4 oz) dried cranberries
100g (3.5 oz) pistachios, chopped
zest and juice of 1 orange

1) Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Line a baking tin with paper. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and vanilla extract in a bowl. 

2) Beat in the eggs with a wooden spoon or kitchen machine until everything is mixed well. Fold in the cranberries, pistachios, orange zest and juice. 

3) Divide the dough in two. Put both halves on the baking sheet and form each half into a long rectangle of about 22x6cm (8.5x2.3inch). 

4) Bake in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes. Take the tin out of the oven and let the rectangles cool on the tin for about 20 minutes. 

5) Lay each rectangle on a cutting board and cut it into about 1-1,5cm (about 0.5 inch) wide slices. Spread the slices, cut side up, on the baking tin. 

6) At 170°C (338°F), bake for 7 minutes. Turn the biscotti and bake for another 6-8 minutes until they are golden brown. Let them cool on a cooling rack. 

Yield: about 35 biscotti
Active preparation time: 30 minutes
Total preparation time: 90 minutes
© Copyright: Cynthia Barcomi, "I love Baking", p. 134.

Here's how mine look:

These biscotti are everything but average. The cranberries add fruity sweetness, the orange a little acidity and the pistachios serve as little crunchy surprises. I especially love the colour these biscotti end up having. They almost shine in a saturated golden tone with deep red and green sparkling in between. 

Have fun trying and enjoy a relaxed christmas time!

Beetroot Soup

Hi guys!

It's monday and as it is still snowing outside and rather cold, I have been cooking another soup favourite of mine: Beetroot Soup. My mum made this soup a couple of years ago and I've loved it ever since. I don't have any recipe, but rather work it up the same I do with every vegetable soup.

Here's the recipe:

500g (17.6 oz) beetroot (about 600g (21 oz) unpeeled)
1l (4 cups; 32 fl. oz) vegetable stock
1 onion
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
crème fraîche, to serve
balsamic vinegar, to serve

1) Peel and cut the beetroot in about 1cm (1/2 inch) pieces. Cut the onion in small pieces.

2) Heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes until softened and a little brown. Add the beetroot and cook for another 5 minutes until starting to soften.

3) Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until the beetroot is soft.

4) Blend the soup with a kitchen machine or hand blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper .

5) To serve, add a teaspoon of crème fraîche and a little balsamic vinegar to each bowl or plate. 

Serves: 4
Active preparation time: 10 minutes
Total preparation time: about 30 minutes

Here's how mine turned out:

I love the earthy sweetness from the beetroot in combination with creamy crème fraîche and the acidity of the balsamic vinegar which adds another level to the different flavours. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary and are willing to try a soup that is different and effectful, you want to give this a try for sure. 

Anyways, have fun trying!

Orange-Liqueur-Waffles

Hi guys!

It's been snowing all night so the world outside my window is looking white, calm and absolutely beautiful. I don't know about you, but I can't think of something I love more than snow in winter! The weather made me develop an appetite for something cosy and warm and I especially love waffles for lunch, accompanying afternoon tea or breakfast whenever it's getting cold outside. I tried a new recipe from my mum that she's been having for a few years, but I can't remember having made these before... I don't know where the recipe is from, but it certainly is pretty delicious...

Here's the recipe:

200g (1 1/2 sticks; 7 oz) unsalted butter, softened
200g (1 + 1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
100g (1/2 cup) superfine sugar 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
3 tablespoons orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau)
4 eggs

1) Place the eggs, sugar and butter in a bowl and beat with hand-held blender or kitchen machine for about 4 minutes until light and fluffy. 

2) Add the baking powder, vanilla and orange liqueur and mix to combine. 

3) Add the flour and beat until combined. 

4) Heat you waffle iron and cook the waffles until the dough is used. 

Serves: 4 (I ended up with 7 waffles)
Active preparation time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 20 minutes

Here's how they look:

I especially like the taste the orange liqueur adds to these waffles. You could serve them with whatever topping you like, or without any. I love mine with some orange marmelade, confectioner's sugar dusted on top or a little cinnamon powder or powdered ginger to add a spicy note. There are endless possibilities and lots of ways to use your creativity. 

Have fun trying and have a beautiful 1st advent!

Sweet Potato Soup

Hi guys!

It's meat free Monday and I have finally found the time to cook something again. As the weather is still cold and not too nice I decided to go for a soup and add a little seasonal twist. I still had some sweet potatoes I wanted to use in a curry, but as they were the only vegetables around, I decided in their favour. The recipe is not from any cook book - I use the same amounts of vegetables in relation to broth every time and add spices depending on my mood. 

Here's the recipe:

500g (17.6 oz) sweet potatoes, peeled 
1l (4 cups; 32 fl.oz) vegetable stock
1 onion
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
cinnamon powder
salt and pepper to season
100ml (little less than 1/2 cup) orange juice

1) Cut the onion into pieces. Peel the sweet potato and cut it in 1/2 inch (1cm) pieces. 

2) Heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the onion. Cook for about 4 minutes until softened. Add the sweet potato cubes and cook for about 10 minutes until they start to brown. 

3) Add the warm vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes or until soft. 

4) Blend the soup in a blender or use a hand-held blender. Add the orange juice. Season with salt, pepper and cinnamon to your liking. 

Serves: 4
Active preparation time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 45 minutes

Here's how it looks:

I added orange juice because it goes great with sweet potato as it nicely contrasts the sweetness of the potato with its acidity. Cinnamon is a typical christmas spice and brings spiciness and an unexpected moment to the soup. Salt and pepper will help round the soup.

Have fun trying! 

Spicy Chewy Gingersnaps

Hi guys!

Soo, with Christmas arriving a lot faster than I thought and the weather cooling continually, I have been in the mood for a few wintery snacks and I am a huge fan of baking with ginger, as you may know from erlier posts. I found this recipe for gingersnaps in Cynthia Barcomi's "I love baking". There is something about cookies, rolling dough and looking at them while baking in the oven that's almost meditating to me. I simply love it. So here is the recipe for you all to share my excitement:

325g (2 cups + 1 tablespoon; 11.5 oz) plain flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

125g (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
200g (1 cup; 7 oz) granulated sugar
60ml (4 tablespoons) sugar beet syrup or golden syrup
2 tablespoons honey
1 egg

optional:
150g (5 oz) candied ginger, chopped
150g (5 oz) dark chocolate, chopped

1) Preheat the oven to 185°C (365°F). Line a baking tin with baking paper. 

2) Beat the softened butter for about 2 minutes until it starts to lighten. Add the sugar and beat for another 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the syrup, honey and the egg and beat for a few more minutes. 

3) Add the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda and spices, and mix until a dough forms. If using the ginger or chocolate, fold them in. 

4) Put teaspoons of dough on the baking paper and do not press them down. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies have turned golden brown. Let them cool on a cooling rack.

Yield: 36 according to Cynthia, I ended up with 48 cookies using dessert spoons for measuring the dough.
Active preparation time: about 30 minutes 
Total preparation time: about 60 minutes (if you need 3 turns baking the cookies)
© Copyright: Cynthia Barcomi, "I love Baking", p. 131

Here's how mine turned out:

I love the spicy note these cookies have. The ginger, cinnamon and cloves make a great spicy combination and are perfect when combined with sweet cookie dough. I did not add either candied ginger nor chopped chocolate because I wanted to try the plain dough and spice combination, but I would imagine pieces of candied ginger to work beautifully. 

Have fun trying!

Celery-Pear-Soup

Hi guys!

I don't know how the weather has been with you, but Switzerland has definetely seen better days. It is foggy the whole day with no sunshine coming through and pretty cold, so I've been in the mood for warming, comfy food mostly. Soups are a big part of my diet in autumn and winter and I love trying new things and new combinations. Soups are easy and fast to cook and provide you with a lot of vitamins from the vegetables. I first came upon the combination of celery and pear when it was served in a restaurant close by and I was smitten with the taste. The celery makes a great, earthy and slightly peppery base while the pear adds sweetness and a little acidity. Whether you enjoy it as a cream soup or plain without added cream, this soup is surprising and pleasing. Here's the recipe:

1 bulb root celery (about 750g (1 1/2 lb; 24 oz); you want to end up with 500g (1 lb; 16 oz) once peeled)
1 to 2 pears (about 400g (14 oz); (300g (10.5 oz) peeled))
1 l (4 cups; 32 fl.oz) vegetable stock
1 onion
Olive oil
lemon, juice, pepper and salt to season

1) Peel the root celery and cut into pieces (about 1,5 cm (1/2 inch) wide). Peel the pear and cut into small pieces. Dice the onion.

2) Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Sautée the onion for 4-5 minutes until soft, then add the diced root celery and pear and cook for about 5 minutes. 

3) Add the vegetable stock, bring to the boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, uncovered. 

4) Blend the soup with a hand-held blender or kitchen machine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the soup is rather thick, add water until it has reached your desired consistency.

Serves: 4
Active preparation time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 45 minutes

Here's how it looks:

The soup is creamy in texture even without any added cream. I like it best without cream, but I certainly know people who love their soup with cream. You could also add a dollop of crème fraîche to it before serving. This soup combines different flavours beautifully: a peppery, earthy note from the celery, rich sweetness from the pear, salt, lemon juice and pepper to complete the circle. 

I hope you are going to like it as much as I do.

Have fun trying and happy Thanksgiving!

Best Stir-Fried Chicken

Hi guys!

The past weekend has been rather dreadful in Switzerland. Saturday brought a day full of rain and sunday wasn't much better. The only thing I was craving was cozying up on the couch with a good book, a cup of tea and my ultimate comfort food. I have talked about comfort food at other times already, but if I had to decide on my ultimate go-to recipe for an instant mood-lift it would be the best stir-fried chicken from Gwyneth Paltrow's "Notes from My Kitchen Table". This is like chinese take-away - except it's better because you know what's in it. It does mimic the typical sweet and sour taste of chinese perfectly. 

Here's the recipe:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoon cornflour
coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped garlic
4 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped ginger
4 large spring onions
pinch crushed chillies (optional)
125ml (4 fl. oz; 1/2 cup) rice wine vinegar
125g (4 oz) dark brown sugar (unrefined if possible)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh coriander, for serving

1) Cut the chicken breasts into small cubes (about 2cm, 1 inch). Toss the chicken with the cornflour, a large pinch of salt and quite a bit of pepper. Chop the ginger and garlic and finely slice the spring onions (white and green parts).

2) Heat the oil in a large non-stick wok over medium-high heat (this is a gentle stir-fry). Add the garlic, ginger, spring onions, and crushed chillies, if using them, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

3) Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. 

4) Add the vinegar, sugar and 5 or 6 grinds of black pepper. Boil on high for 3 minutes, or until the sugar has really caramelized, the vinegar has mellowed a bit and the whole mixture is dark brown and sticky and lovely. 

5) Add the soy sauce, cook for another 30 seconds and serve immediately, sprinkled with the coriander. 

Serves: 4
Active preparation time: 20 minutes
Total preparation time: about 30 minutes
© Copyright: Gwyneth Paltrow, "Notes from my Kitchen Table", p. 157

Here's how it looks:

I know, it's not a real beauty, but the chicken is coated with caramelized sauce and perfectly soft and tender. This dish has a signature spicy note from the ginger, sourness from the vinegar and a lovely hint of sweetness from the sugar. Unrefined dark brown sugar is not as sweet as regular refined sugar, so try and find unrefined sugar. It really makes a difference. I normally leave the coriander and omit the garlic in this recipe, especially when I am having classes the next day and don't want to smell of it. I serve mine with brown rice as I find it complements the dish better with its stronger taste than a basmati rice that has a very fine taste. 

Have fun trying and cozy up when autumn brings the chilly weather! 

Lentil-Tomato-Soup

Hi guys!

Monday indicates it's time for another meat free recipe to give you all an idea on how tasty vegetarian or vegan meal options can be. Today's recipe comes from Heidi Swanson's 101 cookbooks blog. The blog is one of my go-to spots for healthy and tasty (you don't need to compromise here!) recipes. I really am in the mood for some comfort food as the weather has been bringing a lot of rain lately. 

Here's the link to the recipe:
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/lively-up-yourself-lentil-soup-recipe.html

Here's how mine turned out:

I used black Beluga lentils. They are pricier than the average green lentil, but they hold their shape nicely and have a great taste. What I love about this recipe is the great combination the tomatoes and lentils make. I personally would have never thought of combining these two, except for in a chili con carne recipe. But while the tomatoes bring a nice sweetness and fruitiness, the lentils add earthy flavor. This soup makes the perfect recipe for a rainy day out or a fast, comforting dinner.

Have fun trying!

Basic Vanilla Butter Cake

Hi guys!

I am sorry I haven't been posting as regularly as I'd wanted to lately, but I promise to try getting at least two posts each week in my schedule. With the cooler weather having arrived, I like nothing better than getting my reading for university done with a nice piece of cake and a cup of tea of coffee by my side. So today's recipe is for all those among you who want a good result without a lot of extra work such as shopping for exotic ingredients. This basic cake comes from the latest edition of the Donna Hay Magazine which features a big section on Classic Cakes as Donna calls them. It is indeed basic - nothing fancy or extraordinary about this cake, but its simplicity is as soothing as it is alluring. 

Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 cups (225g) all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
120g (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (220g) superfine sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (125ml) milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1) Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside. 

2) Place the butter in an electric mixer and beat on medium speed for 3-4 minutes or until smooth. Gradually add the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and continue beating for 5-6 minutes or until very pale and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, one after the other. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

3) Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture and milk, alternating and ocasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until smooth. Add the vanilla and beat until just combined. 

4) Spoon into a lightly greased loaf tin lined with non-stick baking paper and bake for 55-60 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool in tin for 10 minutes turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

Serves: 8-10 (according to recipe), easily 12 thick or 16 thin slices
Active preparation time: about 20 minutes
Total preparation time: 1 hours 20 minutes
© Copyright: Donna Hay Magazine, Spring 2012, October/November 2012

Here's how mine turned out:

This cake is as easy as it gets, but the result is a perfect cake with a rich vanilla flavour and beautiful texture.

Have fun trying!