Caramel maple mud cupcakes with fudge frosting

Hi guys!

I am truly sorry for not writing for sooo long. The past months have been super busy for me, finishing my studies, applying to a lot of jobs and finally starting an apprenticeship. All those things took up tons of time and whenever I had a few days off, I found that I wasn't in the mood to cook. 

Now, being in my job for almost four months and slowly getting the hang of it, I am enjoying cooking and baking again and - most importantly - I want to share recipes I've tried and loved with you. So thanks for the patience and hopefully you'll enjoy new recipes and want to try them immediately. 

Today's recipe comes from Donna Hay. She has hands-down become one of my favorites. I love the way she photographs her food and baked goods. And I have never tried a recipe that didn't work. As autumn had officially started this week, I turned to old editions of the Donna Hay magazine. I especially loved a chapter she did on caramel. Luckily, Donna decided to share the recipe for these cupcakes on her website, so you'll have easy access to it. This is the link: https://www.donnahay.com.au/recipes/desserts-and-baking/caramel-maple-mud-cupcakes-with-fudge-frosting

And here's my step-by-step-guide:

1) Place the maple syrup, milk, sugar, butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth. This takes about 5-10 minutes. Be patient and don't turn the heat on high or you'll risk burning the chocolate. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

2) Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°C). Add both the flours and whisk until just combined. If you don't have self-raising flour, substitute with 200g of all-purpose flour in total and add a little less than 1 teaspoon baking powder. Add the egg and which until smooth.

3) Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Fill the cases, leaving a little room to the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

4) To make the caramel fudge frosting, place the sugar, butter and salt in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. 

5) Turn the heat to high, add the milk and vanilla extract and bring to the boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

6) Remove from the heat. Add the icing sugar and whisk until smooth. Working quickly, spread the cupcakes with the frosting. 

This is how they look:

As usual, Donna's yield is not the same as my experience. Even though I used the exact amounts as she tells you to, I had enough dough for 12 cupcakes and more than enough frosting. Everything else worked perfectly. 

These cupcakes are sweet, so if you haven't got a sweet tooth, don't try them. The sweetness has different layers from using different kinds of sweeteners, sugar and maple syrup, and caramelizing the sugar. I love caramel as it symbolizes warmth and cosiness for me. 

I hope, you enjoy the start of fall-time and have fun trying!

Gingernut Cookies

Today has been, once more, really cold and I wanted nothing more as soon as I got home than whipping up some cookie dough and filling the house with that flavour only cookies get when baking. I am a big fan of ginger as a spice in general. I love to use it for cooking, but it is great for baking as well. Apparently, the people at donna hay magazine like it as well, because they did a whole spread on baked goods spiced with ginger in the June/July 2012 issue of their magazine. I want to introduce you to her recipe for gingernut cookies. 

Here's the recipe:

150g (5.3 oz) unsalted butter, softened

225g (1 1/4 cups) brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

185g (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

demerara sugar, for rolling

1) Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Beat the butter, the brown sugar and vanilla extract with a hand-held mixer or kitchen machine for 8-10 minutes until it is light and fluffy. 

2) Add the egg and beat for another 2-3 minutes, so the egg is completely combined with the other ingredients.

3) Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger and beat until a smooth dough forms. 

4) Roll tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls, the roll in the Demerara sugar. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper and place the cookies on it, leaving space in between. 

5) Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool on a wire rack. 

Yield: 24 cookies

Active preparation time: about 15 minutes

Total preparation time: about 45 minutes

© Copyright: donna hay magazine, june/july 2012

Here's how my cookies turned out:

I had to google Demerara sugar to find out it is sugar made of crystallized raw sugar cane juice. I know I am able to find it at a delicatessen in the city, but as I didn't have any at home, I substituted coarse brown sugar for it. Using this coarse sugar adds a slight crunch that I like and it crystalizes while baking. But if you don't like biting on sugar crystals, omit the rolling in sugar. The thing I love most is the taste of the ginger in combination with the caramelized sugar. A little sweet and yet spicy. And the perfect excuse to curl up on the sofa with a cup of coffee or tea and a warm gingernut cookie straight from the oven. 

Have fun trying and enjoy!

Basic Lentil Soup

Soo, I finally managed to get some cooking in. That is not to say I didn't cook for the past few weeks, but most of it was designed to be quick and easy and was eaten before I could take a picture. So now, hopefully, I will get back to a more frequent routine in writing and cooking. Today's recipe is meat-free (as it is Monday, of course) and vegan. Switzerland has got a first taste of cold weather with chilly wind blowing and me freezing on the way to University, so I figured there's no better way to brave the cold than with a hot bowl of delicious soup. I was searching for new ideas and new soup recipes to try that differ form the basic vegetable-purée soup and I came across this recipe for a lentil soup, featured on goop. Here's the link: http://www.goop.com/journal/make/254/spilling-the-beans 
The recipe is the last one, on the very bottom of the issue.

A few notes to my version: I used beluga lentils as well as green puy lentils. Both are rather small and cook fast. They also won't break down while cooking but hold their shape really well, which I prefer. 

Serves: 4
Active preparation time: about 10 minutes
Total preparation time: 35 minutes 

Here's how my soup looks:

First of all, I love the simple fact that I had every ingredient at home and could start cooking right away. I always keep lentils at hand, as they make a perfect side or a satisfying meal on their own and are incredibly versatile. Secondly, I find this soup to be a great compromise. On the one hand it is a little creamy because you've pureed a little of it and on the other hand you've still got small bits of carrots, tomatoes and lentils in it. I finished my soup with a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar. The soup itself offers sweetness from the tomatoes and carrots, earthy, almost nutty flavors from the lentils, a little saltiness from the vegetable broth and just the right amount of acidity, if you add the vinegar. I hope you like it!

Have fun trying and enjoy!  

Banana Bran Muffins

Hi guys!

I know, I am a tiny bit late for meat free monday, but I hope you don't mind a meat free, start of the week pick-me-up recipe. Today's muffins are healthy, they're not your average fatty and sweet muffin, but they're light and filled with nutrients so you can even grab one on the go for breakfast. No bad conscience necessary! The recipe is from Donna Hay's "Fresh and Light", her most recent book as of today. It includes tons of new ideas for light breakfasts, lunches, dinners while making sure you are getting great nutrients at the same time. And it tastes great, too. These muffins aren't as sweet as your regular muffin from the coffee shop around the corner, but they offer great taste and will fill you up until lunch.

Here's the recipe:
300g (10.5 oz; 2 cups) whole-wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
100g (3.5 oz; 2/3 cup) raw unrefined dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 egg
300ml (10 fl.oz; 1 + 1/4 cup) buttermilk
80ml (2.5 fl.oz; 1/3 cup) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 bananas
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
65g (2.3 oz) bran (wheat or oat)

1) Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). In a bowl combine the flour with baking powder, sugar, cinnamon powder and bran. 

2) In a seperate bowl, combine the buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, honey, vanilla extract. Mash the bananas with a fork and mix as well.

3) Carefully fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Don't overmix otherwise you'll end up with dry muffins. 

4) Line a muffin tin with paper cases or grease it with a little butter and split the dough evenly among the cases. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
© Copyright: Donna Hay, "Fresh and Light", p. 12.

Yield: 12
Active preparation time: about 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 45 minutes

Here's how mine look:

I used wheat bran as I have trouble digesting oat sometimes. If you want gluten free muffins, try substituting buckwheat flour and omit the bran. What I love most about these muffins is their taste. Don't expect them to be nothing but sweet, they'll give you a hint of sweetness and fruit from the banana, not more. At the same time, the whole-wheat flour and bran counterbalance that sweetness and make sure you stay full longer and get important nutrients.

Have fun trying and start your week healthy!

Black Bean, Corn + Avocado Bowl

Hi guys!

So, meat free monday is back with a little vegan treat for you. A few weeks ago, goop.com featured a back-to-school-issue with lots of great lunch bowl ideas, including this bowl with corn, avocado and black beans. The base of all the bowls is a mix of brown rice and quinoa, not your usual go-to grains perhaps, but these are worth a try and I was surprised myself how  tasty and satisfying the result was. Here's the link to the recipe: http://www.goop.com/journal/make/240/back-to-school-mag

Again, few simple steps away from your lunch:

1) Cook the brown rice and quinoa. Directions on how to cook them are included on the site by clicking on the words. 

2) Preheat a pan with olive oil over medium heat. Add the black beans, avocado and corn (if you don't get corn cobs, substitute canned corn kernels). Squeeze the lime juice on top and mix to combine while warming through.

3) Add the quinoa and brown rice and mix through the beans and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and garnish, if you want to.

Serves: 2
Active preparation time: 5 minutes, if you use canned beans and corn and have pre-cooked the quinoa and brown rice. Otherwise about 10 minutes.
Total preparation time: again, 5 minutes if everything is prepared. About 50 minutes if not. 

Here's how it looks:

I really love the combination of black beans, corn, avocado and rice. It's like a good mexican getaway. The olive oil and lime juice help bring out the other flavours. I also am quite smitten with the textures. A little crunch from the corn kernels, creaminess from the avocado and the perfect mix between both from the black beans. As an added bonus, the grains will help you stay full for hours. I hope you have as much fun eating it as I did. 

Have fun trying and enjoy!

Pasta with prawns and lemon-vodka-sauce

Hi guys!

Sorry for not posting on meat free monday, but I couldn't find time to try a new vegetarian recipe and prepared mushroom risotto for me instead. Yesterday, though, I did get back to a recipe that has become something like a runner-up to his all-time-favourite spaghetti carbonara for my boyfriend and he asked me to make it for dinner. The recipe comes from Donna Hay's "simple dinners" and it is actually simple and fast as it is prepared in the time it takes to cook your pasta. 

So here's the recipe:

400g (14 oz) spaghetti (or any type of pasta you like)
20g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter
4 cloves of garlic
20 raw, peeled prawns
250ml (1 cup; 8 fl.oz.) cream
2 tablespoons vodka
2 tablespoons lemon juice
20g (0.7 oz) parsley
salt and black pepper for seasoning

1) Heat a large pot of water over high heat until the water is boiling. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. 

2) Cut the garlic in thin slices and chop the parsley. Heat the butter in a large pan over high heat. Add the garlic and prawns and cook for about 2 minutes, until the prawns are cooked, which is when they've changed their colour from grey to orange-red. Take the prawns out of the pan.

3) Add the cream, vodka and lemon juice to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce cook for 5 minutes.

4) Drain the pasta and add it to the pan along with the prawns and the parsley. Mix well and season to taste with a little salt and pepper.

Serves: 3-4
Active preparation time: about 10 minutes
Total preparation time: 20 minutes
© Copyright: Donna Hay, "simple dinners", p. 40.

Here's how it looks:

I have a soft spot for the creamy sauce that is so smooth and almost velvety while surprising you with the taste of vodka (no more alcohol since you have cooked the sauce) and the freshness of lemon. I personally added a fair bit of pepper and very little salt for seasoning. And as you've prepared the sauce in the same pan you've cooked your prawns it, a little bit of their taste has found its way into the sauce. I think this is a perfect example for an easy, speedy dinner that lacks nothing, not flavour, not looks, not surprises and it surely won't leave you with a lack of compliments.

Have fun trying! 

Swedish Kanelbullar (Cinnamon Buns)

Hi guys!

I am sorry it's been so long again since my last post. Things have been a little busy and I finally took a little time off to go on a week-long vacation to Oslo and Stockholm, where I enjoyed probably too many Kanelbullar and decided to give them a try as soon as I would be back home. Said and done that is, as of today. I got back on thursday and headed straight to creating these small pieces of cinnamon heaven today. The recipe I decided to try comes from a Swedish author, Leila Lindholm, who features it on her website - unfortunately only on the swedish page and not on the english version which is why I translated it as best as I could and tested it. For those of you who can speak or rather read swedish, here's the link to the website: http://www.leila.se/leilas-kanelbullar/recept/bakverk/index1,23.htm?id=3426

So here's the (translated) recipe with adapted measurements:

For the dough:
1 tablespoon cardamom seeds (I could only find ground cardamom and substituted a dessert spoon or two teaspoons)
2 dl (6.7 fl.oz; 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon) milk
1dl (3.4 fl.oz; 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) cream
50g (1.75 oz) fresh yeast
150g (2/3 cup; 5.3 oz) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
100g (3.5 oz; 4/5 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
720g (25.4 oz; 4 + 3/4 cups) flour

For the filling:
200g (7 oz; 1 + 3/5 stick) unsalted butter, softened
100g (3.5 oz; 1/2 cup) sugar (brown or white)
1-2 tablespoons cinnamon
seeds from 1 vanilla pod
1 egg for brushing
decorating sugar for sprinkling

1) Pound the cardamom seeds in a mortar until very fine. Place in a pot with the milk and cream and heat until lukewarm. Add the yeast and stir until the yeast has completely dissolved.

2) In a bowl, combine the butter, sugar, salt and egg and pour in the milk-yeast-mixture.

3) Gradually add the flour and knead until the dough comes together. Turn onto a lightly flour-dusted surface and knead with your hands for a few minutes, then put the dough back into the bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside to rise for 60 minutes or until doubled in size.

4) Whisk the butter for the filling together with the sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. You can use more or less cinnamon depending on how much you like it. 

5) Roll the dough out to a large rectangle or about 1 cm thickness, using a little flour to keep it from sticking to the surface or your rolling pin. 

6) Evenly distribute the spiced butter on the dough, you don't need to leave a frame. Now fold one third of the dough from the long side to the middle and fold the remaining third on top. Using your rolling pin, carefully roll the folded dough until it is 2cm thick, while keeping the shape of a long rectangle. 

7) Cut the rectangle from the short side into 3-4cm wide slices. Now take a slice and put it in front of you. 

Cut the slice in half, starting about 2 cm from the top. The slice now resembles a pair or trousers. Take each of the "legs" and twist it three or four times, then cross the right over the left leg and tuck the ends underneath, so they'll end up on the top you've saved. 

 The twisted "legs"

Legs crossed over each other, ends are not tucked yet

8) Place your dough knots onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. You could also place the knots in paper muffin cases to make sure the filling stays in the knot while baking. Set aside to rise for 45 minutes.

9) Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F). Brush the risen knots with the whisked egg and sprinkle with decorating sugar, if desired.

10) Bake for 10 minutes in the middle of the oven. 

Yield: about 14 knots, depending on how wide you slice the dough

Active preparation time: about 45 minutes

Total preparation time: about 3 hours

Here's the finished product:

I can't say much else than "I'm in love", head over heels and once and for all. The distinctive cardamom note makes these cinnamon buns special and it makes them typically swedish. Sweden was also where I saw cinnamon buns in knots rather than the classic roll for the first time and I think these look absolutely beautiful and make for an impressive gift. I sprinkled half of my Kanelbullar with decorating sugar and left others plain, in case anybody doesn't like to bite on sugar. You could also mix and little brown sugar with pounded cardamom seeds and sprinkle the buns with it. 

I hope you are having a beautiful weekend and good luck with trying!