I'll get back to what I promised last saturday. My sister's second birthday cake. Or cakes rather. I've been itching to try my hand with this recipe for a long time, but it is a little work (pie dough, filling) and I simply couldn't find the time or just wanted to relax on the weekends. But my indecisiveness with regard to what my sister could or would want for her birthday cake made it impossible to decide on one cake, so I ended up baking two.
I know I've been introducing you to a ton of Donna Hay recipes and this is no exception. I will try to get back to other recipes as well, but this was too appealing to let it wait in the drawer for another year.
Here's the link to the recipe: https://www.donnahay.com.au/recipes/recipe-entertaining/pumpkin-and-maple-pies-with-walnut-sugar
Here's how I worked:
1kg butternut pumpkin
250ml (1 cup) maple syrup
4 eggs
250ml (1 cup) single cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
450g (3 cups) all-purpose flour
250g (2 sticks) unsalted butter
160g (1 cup) icing sugar
6 egg yolks, whites reserved
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons iced water
55g (1/2 cup) walnuts
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1) Start by deseeding and peeling the pumpkin. I find this works easiest by cutting the pumpkin quarters in thin slices and using a peeler to remove the skin. Cut the pumpkin into one-inch (2.5cm) cubes.
2) Transfer the pumpkin pieces to a saucepan large enough to fit all pieces, cover with water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat until the pumpkin is soft. Drain and set aside.
3) Place the flour, butter and icing sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer or food processor. Process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. While the motor is running, add the egg yolks and vanilla. Add the water, if the dough is too dry, until the dough just comes together.
4) Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring together. At this point, you can either flatten the dough into a disk or roll it, line the pie tins with it and freeze after. I followed the second. Roll the dough between two sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Cut rounds from the pastry (I have smaller pie tins, so I used 12cm rounds) and line your pie tins, after you've lightly greased them.
5) Trim the edges and prick the base with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to two hours.
6) Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F). If you have baking weights, linke the pastry cases with non-stick baking paper, fill with the weights and blind bake for 10 minutes or until light golden. If not, don't worry. The pastry will puff a little more while baking, but don't bother buying weights.
7) While the pastry cases are baking, prepare the pumpkin filling. Purée the pumpkin along with the cream, maple syrup, eggs and nutmeg until smooth.
8) Brush the inside of the pastry shells with egg white. Place the pie tins on a baking tray, fill with the pumpkin mixture and bake for 30 minutes or until just set.
9) While the pies are baking, make the walnut sugar. Place the walnuts, sugar and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped.
10) Top the pies with the walnut sugar to serve
Yield: 8 according to Donna; I ended up with 15.
Active preparation time: about 45 minutes
Total preparation time: 2 hours
Here's how mine look(ed):
I really love the fall colors of this beautiful dessert or pastry.
The recipe is easy enough to follow, although I always tweak recipes for pastry dough, because I find it extremely hard to work with if you're cooling it first. Once you take it out of the fridge, you have to wait again for it to soften, but not let it get too soft or it'll crumble and you can't work with it. I find the dough turns out just as good if you're rolling and placing it in the baking tin before cooling.
These pumpkin pies combine the distinct taste of pumpkin with the soft sweetness from the maple syrup. I love that these don't turn out overly sweet. They are sweet, but not with a sticky sweetness. The walnut sugar also adds a nice, slightly crunchy touch.
These will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.
Have fun trying and have a lovely weekend!
Hi guys!
Summer is finally here - you'd figure as soon as walking into a grocery store and seeing all the raspberries, strawberries, cherries etc. lined up next to each other. This is why for today's meat free recipe, I've chosen a desert recipe that uses all the beautiful produce. Rote Grütze which can't really be translated but is nothing else than a red fruit compote is a very traditional dish in the Netherlands, Scandinavia or northern Germany which is where I'm from. The recipe is my grandmother's and has been in the family for quite a while.
Here's the recipe:
200g (7 oz) strawberries
150g (5.3 oz) raspberries
150g (5.3 oz) cherries
350ml (11.8 fl. oz) red fruit juice (you can use blackcurrant juice, but cherry juice works great as well)
60g (2.1 oz; 4 tablespoons) cornstarch
100g (3.5 oz; 1/2 cup) white sugar
250ml (8 fl. oz; 1 cup) red wine
1) Cut the strawberries in quarts, maybe half the quarts depending on the size. They should end up to be about the same size as the raspberries. Pit the cherries.
2) In a large pot, heat the red wine, fruit juice and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and everything is boiling. Once it's boiling, remove from the heat, and whisk in the cornstarch. Put back on the heat and continue stirring until the mixture is thickening and the white from the cornstarch has gone away.
3) Remove the sauce from the heat and add the berries. Let cool down. Serve with whipping cream, vanilla sauce or vanilla icecream.
Serves: about 8
Active preparation time: 30 minutes (stirring included)
Total preparation time: about 30 minutes
Here's how it looks:
This has been a go-to dessert in my family for years. My sister and I got our boyfriends to try and they've been hooked as well. You can definetely use any kind of red fruits you like. Make sure the total adds up to 500g (17.6 oz). I like to mix things up with blueberries, blackberries when they're in season. I never omit the cherries though. They add nice texture and they're my favourite. The red wine adds depth and the fruit juice and sugar a nice sweetness to the general fruitiness.
Have fun trying and enjoy!
Hi guys!
It's monday and time for something vegetarian, definitely not vegan today. I don't know how you feel about sweets for lunch or dinner, but I get cravings for sweet things sometimes and that's the moment when I know that nothing will fix it as well as pancakes or its austrian sibling I want to introduce you to today. Kaiserschmarrn is essentially a large baked pancake that you pull to pieces in the pan and caramelize it with a little sugar and butter. I first got to know it on one of many skiing holidays to Austria. My sister took it a even further by eating nothing but Kaiserschmarrn for two week in a row for dinner because she loved it so much. And today, she would choose it over fries anytime. My recipe is from a book by Johann Lafer, an austrian cook and tv personality with a wide-known sweet tooth. I got the book "Dessert, die mein Leben begleiten" (Deserts that accompany my life) from friends for my 17th birthday a while ago, but I have to admit I am only making this recipe from it.
Here's the recipe:
200ml (6.7 fl.oz; about 3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon) milk
120g (4.2 oz; a little less than 1 cup) all-purpose plain flour
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon sour cream
6 eggs
80g (2.8 oz; a little more than 1/3 cup) white sugar
raisins
butter
1) Preheat the oven to 220°C (428°F). Pour the milk in a bowl, add the salt and flour and whisk until smooth.
2) Crack two eggs in the bowl. Separate the remaining four eggs, put the yolks in the bowl with the milk-flour mixture and the whites in another bowl. Add half the sugar to the eggwhites and beat until stiff. You should be able to turn the bowl with the eggwhites staying in it.
3) Whisk in the two eggs and four eggyolks. Add 1/3 of the beaten eggwhites and fold in to loosen the dough up. Add the rest of the eggwhites to the mixture and fold in as well.
4) Heat a pan (with a lid) over high heat. Add the butter and the dough and sprinkle with raisins if you like. Clamp on the lid and put the pan in the oven. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until dark golden.
5) Carefully remove the pan from the oven and tear the baked Kaiserschmarrn in small pieces. Sprinkle with a little butter and remaining sugar and turn in the hot pan until starting to caramelize. Serve with confectioner's sugar dusted on top.
Serves: 4 if you're normal, but 2 if you're my sister and I
Active preparation time: 10 minutes
Total preparation time: about 30 minutes
© Copyright: Johann Lafer, "Desserts, die mein Leben begleiten", p. 18.
Here's how mine turned out:
It is wonderfully light and fluffy and golden once baked and caramelized and it was just the perfect thing to satisfy my sweet tooth today. Traditionally, you would serve it with plum sauce or apple sauce on the side, but I like it best pure or with added raising and nothing else.
Have fun trying and I hope you like it as much as I do!
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!
Hi guys!
Weekend is here and so is my appetite for anything comforting and sweet. As you all know, I have quite the sweet tooth, but I like to add fruit to my baked goods not because I want to trick myself into thinking the result is healthier - though I could understand you doing this. I simply like the taste of fruit when it's been baked and I can digest it better than when it's left raw. This recipe for apple waffles is a classic at our house. My mum has been baking waffles for as long as I can remember and she has quite the recipe collection for different waffles. My sister will ask for the following almost every weekend. Not that I would mind... These waffles are super comforting and sweet with a little added twist from the apples.
Here's the recipe:
250g (1 + 2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
125g (1 stick) unsalted butter
75g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
125ml (1/2 cup) lukewarm milk
300g (10 oz) apples
50g (1/2 cup) ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1) Chop the apples up in little cubes, about 0.5cm (1/5 inch) wide. Beat the butter in an electric mixer or kitchen machine until pale and foamy. Add the lemon zest and eggs.
2) Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar and mix it with the butter. Add the milk and stir to combine.
3) Fold through the apple cubes and almond. Pour about 1/2 cup of the dough in a waffle iron and bake. Repeat until used up.
Serve with jam, maple syrup, honey, icing sugar, cinnamon and regular sugar.
Yield: about 12
Active preparation time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 25 minutes
Here's how mine looked:
These are perfect for an afternoon tea in autumn and winter or summer when the apples are nice and ripe. You could also make them for breakfast. The apple adds a fresh tough to the dough and makes the waffles nice and moist. Serve the waffles on their own with a little bit of whipped cream in the side or add whatever topping you like.
Have fun trying and enjoy!
Hi guys!
It's summertime, but raining in Switzerland and a pretty awful, cold day which is why I was looking for something comforting to eat today. The new winter issue of Donna Hay magazine came in very handy. It features a really nice spread with recipes containing ginger and as I love ginger, I decided on a recipe for date and ginger pancakes and apple butter (for lunch).
Here is the recipe:
For the apple butter:
4 apples (Granny smith or any sour kind)
1/2 cup (110g) superfine sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) water
80g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (80g) icing sugar
1) Peel and dice the apples. Place the water, sugar and apples in a saucepan and cook for 15-20 minutes or until softened.
2) Combine the butter and icing sugar in a bowl, strain in the apple mixture using a sieve to get rid of the pieces. Refrigerate until needed.
For the pancakes:
10 fresh dates
1/4 cup (60ml) boiling water
1 cup (150g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (110g) superfine sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3 eggs, separated
1 cup (250ml) buttermilk
1) Chop the dates and place them in a bowl, pouring the boiling water over them. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, then purée it until smooth.
2) Place the flour, baking powder, sugar and ginger in a bowl and mix. Add the egg yolks and buttermilk and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggwhites until soft peaks form. Gently fold the eggwhites through the batter.
3) Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook 1/3 cup (80ml) of the mixture for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
4) To serve, drizzle the pancakes with honey and top with a piece of apple butter.
Serves 4-6 (Yield: ca. 24 pancakes)
© Copyright: Donna Hay magazine, June/ July 2012 Issue, inspired
I used a 1/4 cup (60ml) of batter for one pancake, which worked nicely. The yield refers to the amount using 1/4 cup. I also topped my pancakes with maple syrup instead of honey.
Here is how mine turned out:
The pancakes are wonderfully thick and fluffy. The combination of sweet dates and spicy ground ginger definitely brightens up plain-old pancakes and adds a new and unexpected twist to an everyday basic. I especially like the slight hint of apple the butter takes on that complements date and ginger perfectly. It may not be the ideal summer recipe, but it certainly can turn a rainy day around!
Have fun trying!
