Hi guys!
Time flies - September has almost come to an end already and I am trying to soak up as much of the gorgeous autumn weather as possible. Switzerland has been very lovely these days but as university started again for me, I don't have as much time for baking and cooking anymore as I would love to. I managed to bake my favourite apple cake though. I get really excited once the apples are ripe and fresh produce returns to the supermarket aisles. Don't get me wrong - you can buy apples in Switzerland all year 'round, but as I like to stay in season with my cooking and baking, I like to adapt the fruit I use with the seasons. Today's recipe is from a really old and typical german cookbook my mum bought when she was studying 30 years ago. It is literally falling apart, but we can't bring ourselves to throw it, even though this apple cake is probably the single thing that we are still baking from it.
Here's the recipe:
For the dough:
125g (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g (4 oz; a little over 1/2 cup) granulated sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar (about 1 tablespoon)
pinch of salt
2 eggs
200g (1 1/3 cups; 7 oz) all-purpose flour
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
For the topping:
500g (16 oz; 1 lb) low-fat curd cheese
150g (5 oz; 2/3 cup) granulated sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar (about 1 tablespoon)
150g (5 oz; 1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs, separated
100g (3.5 oz) cornflour
1250g (2 lb 8 oz) apples
For sprinkling:
50g (2 oz) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1) Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F). For the dough, beat the butter, granulated sugar, vanilla sugar for 8-10 minutes or until light and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the flour and baking powder and stir until combined.
2) Grease a baking tray (appr. 41x20cm (15x8 inches)) with butter. Evenly distribute the dough on the tray. It will seem like very little dough, but it will rise during baking, so make sure you distribute it evenly, using a spatula.
3) Bake the dough in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes.
4) While the dough starts baking, in a bowl whisk the curd cheese, sugar, vanilla sugar, soft butter and egg yolks until lump-free. Add the cornflour and whisk again until smooth.
5) Beat the eggwhites until stiff. Add to the curd-sugar-butter mixture and fold through carefully.
6) Peel and core the apples. Cut into quarters. Now slice each quarter in very fine slices.
7) When the dough has baked for 15 minutes, take it out of the oven. Layer half of your apple on the dough, top with the curd cheese-sugar-egg-mixture and arrange the other half of your apple slices on top.
8) Return the tray to the oven and bake at 180°C (356°F) for 60 minutes.
9) Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle the warm cake with the mixture. Cut into squares and serve with whipped cream.
Active preparation time: about 40 minutes
Total preparation time: 2 hours
Here's how it looks:
I know, I know, this cake is not the fastest, but the work is definitely worth it. You don't have to arrange the apples in two layers. My mum normally ends up with a single layer on top because she wants to be done faster. She will happily admit that the cake tastes slightly better though when you take the time to do two layers of apples. The dough will stay nice and moist because of the moisture from the apples or the curd cheese-mixture. I probably love this cake so much because it is not your typical apple cake, even though it combines two of the most classic ingredients of fall (apples and cinnamon). The cake is amazing served warm, but it will be great when it stands for two days and the flavours have had time to combine thoroughly as well. I hope you will like it as much as I do!
We have been sticking to the recipe so far preparing this cake on a baking tray, but it would probably make an equally good impression baked in a springform baking tin.
Have fun trying and savour the golden days autumn offers!
Hi guys!
As autumn is approaching fast, I have a good excuse to dive into recipes for soups. Soups are incredibly versatile and can be much more than the average vegetable cream soup. A little twist like spices, another added vegetable or maybe a little bit of cheese can make a big difference. This twist is exactly what I love about the recipe I'll introduce you to today. The butternut squash soup comes from Gwyneth Paltrow's "Notes from my Kitchen Table" and gets its twist from garam masala or a classic curry powder.
Here's the recipe:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large onions, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garam masala or your favourite curry powder
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
1l (4 cups; 32 fl. oz) vegetable stock, warmed
1) Heat the olive oil and butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 10 minutes, or until beginning to soften.
2) Add the salt, pepper and garam masala and cook for another 2 minutes.
3) Add the squash and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour the stock into the pot - if it doesn't cover the squash, add some boiling water. Bring to the boil, lower to a simmer and cook until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.
4) Let it cool for at least 15 minutes and then purée it in batches in a blender. Be very careful when blending hot liquids. Start slowly and work in batches if necessary. Pour back into the pot, gently heat, season with salt and serve.
Serves: 4
Active preparation time: 30 minutes
Total preparation time: 1 hours and 10 minutes
© Copyright: Gwyneth Paltrow, "Notes from my Kitchen Table", p. 48
Here's how it looks:
I love this soup because it is so warming and comforting - especially once the weather gets cooler and more uncomfortable. The squash adds a velvety texture to the soup and sweetness while the garam masala spices things up and keeps it interesting. I like to do a mix of garam masala and a strong curry powder.
Have fun trying and warm up!
Hi guys!
Autumn has been on time this year. The last few days, it's been raining cats and dogs and it absolutely does not stop! To me, it's the perfect time to snuggle up on the couch with a cup of tea and your favorite book - well, and a nice piece of cake. Stone fruit season is in full swing and I have been digging through my mum's 20-year-old cooking magazines. I remembered I wanted to try a very special cake with plums that she used to make when I was pretty little. The recipe if from 1992 and the magazine sure looks like it's been put to use regularly. This plum cake is very typical for Germany, as big, rich, fruity cakes are very popular. As often with traditions, they will get lost eventually, so baking cakes like this is not the most usual thing to do these days, but I love to make the effort if I'll end up with a cake as glam and beautiful as this one.
Here's the recipe:
1.5kg (48 oz; 3 lb) plums
350g (12 oz) rusk or zwieback
100g (1 cup; 3.5 oz) ground almonds
180g (6.3 oz; a little less than 1 cup) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
200g (7 oz; 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
400g (14 oz) crème fraîche
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
6 eggs
1 pinch salt
50g (2 oz) sliced almonds
1) Wash the plums and cut them in half lengthways. Make a cut into each half, ensuring you leave the pieces attached at one end. Put the rusk in a freezer bag and crush them. This is done easily with a dough roller. Set aside in a little bowl.
2) Roast the ground almonds in a pan, stirring continuously to make sure they don't burn. Set aside in a bowl. Mix 100g (3.5 oz; 1/2 cup) granulated sugar with the cinnamon and set aside. Melt the butter over low heat in a saucepan.
3) Grease a 26cm (10 inch) round springform tin with butter. Fill half of the crumbled rusk and even out with your hand. Sprinkle with half the ground almonds and half of the sugar-cinnamon-mixture. Drizzle evenly with half of the butter.
4) Arrange your half of your plums on top, peel facing down. I like to arrange them in circles, from the outside in, so they look like roof tiles.
5) Repeat with the remaining ingredients: sprinkle the rusk, ground almonds, sugar-cinnamon-mixture and butter on top of the first layer in the same way you did the first time. Following the same pattern as the first layer, arrange the plums on top.
6) Whisk together the eggs, 50g (1/4 cup; 1.75 oz) sugar, grated lemon zest and crème fraîche. Distribute evenly over the cake.
7) Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Bake the cake for 1 hour. 30 minutes into the baking time, coat with the sliced almonds. Let the cake cool completely before removing from the tin.
Yield: 12-16 pieces
Active preparation time: 1 hour
Total preparation time: 2 hours
I know this cake is not fast in any way and it does need quite a bit of work, but I promise that it's absolutely worth it. We've turned even the most plum-hating people - like my dad - into plum-lovers with this recipe. The cake is nice and moist and the different textures and ingredients work together wonderfully. This is best served with some whipped cream.
Have fun trying!
Hi guys!
As much as I love to share new and exciting recipes for vegetarian lunch and dinner, I feel like it is time now to give you another recipe for a vegan baked treat. Of course, almost all cakes, cupcakes, muffins or cookies are vegetarian, but many contain eggs and milk making them non-vegan. The following muffins are vegan and contain spelt flour which is easier to digest than regular all-purpose flour. It also gives a great depth of flavour. The recipe comes from Gwyneth Paltrow's "Notes from my Kitchen Table" which features a few recipes for vegan and actually healthy muffins and cookies. Now who doesn't love that?
Here's the recipe:
For the crumb topping:
4 tablespoons white spelt flour
4 tablespoons whole spelt flour
4 tablespoons whole rolled oats
4 tablespoons unrefined dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
pinch sea salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soya milk
For the muffins:
1 tablespoon corn flour
2 small apples, peeled and finely diced
125ml (1/2 cup; 4 fl.oz) vegetable oil
150ml (little less than 2/3 cup; ca. 4.5 fl.oz) real Vermont maple syrup
150 ml (little less than 2/3 cup; ca. 4.5 fl.oz) soya milk
100g (2/3 cup; 3.5 oz) white spelt flour
125g (2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon; 4 oz) whole spelt flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
60g (2 oz) lightly toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
1) Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases or oil it with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
2) For the crumb topping, combine all the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add the vegetable oil and soya milk and rub everything together with your fingers - the mixture should be lumpy. Set the mixture aside.
3) For the muffins, in a small bowl, toss the cornflour with the apples.
4) In another large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and all of the syrup and soya milk. Sift in the remaining ingredients (except for the walnuts) and fold in the apples and walnuts.
5) Evenly distribute the batter in the muffin sections, sprinkle with the crumb topping and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Yield: 1 dozen muffins
Active preparation time: 30 minutes
Total preparation time: 60 minutes
© Copyright: Gwyneth Paltrow, "Notes from my Kitchen Table", p. 224
Here's how they look:
They might not win a prize for the prettiest muffins and they certainly are not the most colourful ones, but I just love how they taste. The combination of white and whole spelt flour not only makes these muffins more nutrious, it also adds depth to the taste - almost like whole wheat bread. The apples and cinnamon are a classic combination and work great in combination with this heartier batter. I added 1 teaspoon of soya milk to the crumb topping to make it a little softer and moist. It should not be runny, but I didn't want it to be bone-dry. I also like to add 1 more apple. It doesn't change the consistency, it simply adds more fruit.
Have fun trying!
Hi guys!
As I mentioned in an earlier blog, my pumpkin hunting went a little all-over and I needed to come up with recipes to use all of the pumpkin - approx. 6kg or 12lb of butternut squash. One recipe that instantly crossed my mind was pumpkin bread. My grandmother has been baking this bread for decades as well as mother and everybody at our family loves this. It tastes great with cheese or sweet jams, peanut butter or chocolate spread.
Here's the recipe:
1kg (2lb; 4 + 2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
40g (1 1/2 oz) yeast
60g (little less than 1/3 cup) granulated sugar
120g (4 oz) margarine, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon salt
500g (1 lb) mashed pumpkin
lukewarm water
1 eggyolk
1) Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
2) Mash the pumpkin. It might work by putting raw pieces in a blender. If the pumpkin is a little too hard, you can also cook it for a few minutes until it is softer and you're able to blend it. Add it to the flour-mixture.
3) Dissolve the yeast in about 1/4 cup of lukewarm water. Pour the yeast in the flour and start the kneading on low. Drizzle in the melted margarine and knead until the dough comes together. If the mixture is too dry, add tablespoons of lukewarm water, one at a time, until the dough is soft and a little moist in texture. The dough should be cleaning out the bowl with no moist residue sticking to the walls.
4) Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it sit undisturbed for about 1 hour.
5) Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F). Part the dough in three equal parts and roll it out to long strings. Braid the strings. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave it to rise for another 30 minutes to 1 hour.
6) Whisk the egg yolk and a little water together and brush the braid with it. Bake for 45 minutes.
Active preparation time: about 30 minutes
Total preparation time: 3 hours
Here's how it turned out:
The pumpkin really adds a nice touch and moisture to the bread. I love this served warm with chocolate spread like nutella.
Have fun trying!
Hi guys!
It's monday again, so time for another meat free recipe. Autumn is starting to settle in Switzerland and with it are lots of winter vegetables. I got really excited when I saw that the grocery stores began selling pumpkin. I love pumpkin in all variations, especially because of its variety. Depending on what kind of pumpkin you use, your soup, bread or vegetables will taste quite differently. For today's recipe I've been going back to a recipe blog that really got me interested a while ago: Heidi Swanson's "101 cookbooks". I love her approach to healthy food and I love how she uses everyday ingredients that are easy to buy and use. I got a little carried away when going to a local pumpkin market with my sister, so we needed recipes to use all the pumpkin we'd bought. I stumbled upon Heidi's recipe for Pumpkin and Feta muffins and wanted to give them a try instantly.
Here's the link to the recipe:
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/pumpkin-and-feta-muffins-recipe.html
Here's how mine turned out:
I am not exaggerating when I say that I fell in love with these muffins at first bite. They combine different flavors and textures, from soft and sweet roasted pumpkin bits to peppery mustard and salty cheese. I was a little skeptic at first how they would turn out, but I am definitely going to bake these muffins again. They make a great way to use pumpkin a little different than in the usual breads or soups. These would go really well as an appetizer or entrée for a dinner with friends.
Have fun trying!
Hi guys!
as I've been telling you lately, I have invested in a couple of new cookbooks and I really wanted to try new recipes from them. One of them is Nigella Lawson's "How to be a domestic goddess". I know, I know... That title! But we are talking recipes here, not book titles, right? I just love that this book is pretty large and supplies you with all sorts of recipes. Cakes, cookies, pies - you name it. Paired with Nigella's comments on each recipe and well-written instructions. I have found another recipe for banana bread in the book that I wanted to try as I love any kind of banana bread. You can find the recipe on her website.
Here's the link: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/banana-bread-142
Here's the recipe with measurements for American visitors:
3.5 oz sultanas
1/3 cup (2.5 fl.oz) black rum
1 + 1/5 cup (5.75 oz) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
4 small bananas (about 10 oz)
2 oz chopped walnuts
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Active preparation time: 20 minutes
Total preparation time: 2 hours
Here's how it turned out:
This banana bread is not your typical banana bread. It has a stronger fruity note from the sultanas and is pretty rich in taste with the rum, walnuts and banana combined. If you are looking for a recipe for traditional, classic banana bread try the version from Donna Hay. It is filed under "Banana Bread, Pt. 2". If you are open to new things, this version will give your banana bread a great-tasting twist.
Have fun trying!
Hi guys!
It's time for another vegetarian recipe. I have shared quite a few recipes for main dishes with you, so today I want to share a simple muffin recipe. They are titled as breakfast muffins in the cookbook I've taken them from - Nigella Lawson's "Nigella Bites" -, but I think they make a great snack or afternoon tea side dish.
Here's the recipe:
75g (2/3 stick) unsalted butter
250g (1 2/3 cup; 8 oz) self-raising flour
25g (1 oz; 1/4 cup) ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
75g (2 1/2 oz; 1/3 cup) caster or superfine sugar
zest of 1 orange
100ml (3 fl.oz) orange juice
100ml (3 fl.oz) full-fat milk
1 egg
1) Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F). Melt the butter and set aside.
2) Combine the flour, ground almonds, bicarb, baking powder, sugar and orange zest in a large bowl.
3) Measure the orange juice and milk into a jug and whisk in the egg and then the cooled, melted butter. Now pour the liquid into the dry ingredients, mixing with a fork as you go. The batter will be lumpy but that's as it should be: you want everything to be no more than barely combined. If you mix the batter too much, the muffins will turn out hard.
4) Spoon out the mixture equally into the muffin cases and cook for 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool slightly.
© Copyright: Nigella Lawson, "Nigella Bites", p. 6
Yield: a dozen
Active preparation time: 10 minutes
Total preparation time: 30 minutes
Here's how they look:
I love that they are done so fast. It takes almost no time to whip up the batter and in 30 minutes, you're rewarded with beautifully golden, fluffy muffins that smell divine. The orange and the almonds go very well together and make a nice alternative to the usual fruit muffin. They have literally lightened up my past week.
Have fun trying!
