Hi guys!
I am sorry it's already been a while again since my last post. Things have been rather busy and I haven't had as much time for cooking as I would have loved to. Anyways, my dad's birthday was last Saturday so I decided to treat him to his absolutely favorite cake which is a poppy seed cake - a typical northern Germany recipe. I use my grandmothers for it for as long as I can remember - and she can't remember where she got hers from, but it was probably passed on to her from her mother. Well, here you go:
For the dough:
40g (about 2 tablespoons; 1.4 oz) white sugar
250g (8.8 oz; 1 + 2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
50g (a little less than 1/2 stick; 1.7 oz) unsalted butter, softened
125ml (1/2 cup; 4 fl.oz) milk (whole or skim works fine, I haven't tried non-fat)
pinch of salt
30g (1 oz) yeast
zest of 1/4 lemon
For the filling:
500ml (2 cups; 16 fl.oz; 1 American pint) milk (again, whole or skim doesn't matter)
250g ground poppy seeds
pinch of salt
40g (1/3 stick; 1.4 oz) unsalted butter
40g (about 2 tablespoons; 1.4 oz) white sugar
50g (1.76 oz) raisins
50g (1.76 oz) almonds, peeled and chopped
For the topping:
75g (about 2/3 stick; 2.6 oz) unsalted butter, in small cubes
75g (2.6 oz; 1/3 cup) white sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar
100g (3.5 oz; 2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
1) For the dough, combine the flour with sugar, salt, lemon zest and softened butter in a bowl. Heat the milk until it is warm (not hot!) and stir in the yeast until it has dissolved. Add the yeast mixture to the bowl. Using your hands or a machine with kneading hooks, knead until a dough has formed. Turn the dough onto a lightly flour-dusted surface and knead with your hands for about 3 minutes. The dough should feel a tiny bit humid, but not wet and it shouldn't stick to your fingers. Put the dough back in the bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
2) While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. If you can't directly buy ground poppy seed, you can easily buy whole seeds and ground them either in a food processor or with a hand-held blender. They will start turning into a slightly wet and oily paste while braking down which is just what you want.
3) Heat the milk for the filling in a pot. Once it's almost boiling, add the ground poppy seeds, turn the heat to medium-low and let cook for 3 minutes, stirring all the time. Add the sugar, butter, salt, raisins and chopped almonds and stir to combine. Set aside to cool.
4) Once the dough has risen, take a 26cm (10inch) round spring tin and grease it. Preheat your oven to 220°C (428°F). Roll the dough out on your kitchen surface until it is large enough to fit into the entire tin - bottom and edges. Pour the filling onto the dough.
5) Now it's time to make Streusel, the topping - one of my favorite things and super easy. Combine the ingredients listed for the topping in a bowl and work with your hands until you end up with large lumps. Evenly distribute the Streusel on the filling, don't put them on the edge.
6) Bake at 220°C (428°F) for about 30 minutes. Let cool in the tin on a cooling rack.
Here's how it looks:
This cake has just the right amount of sweetness combined with the slightly tart flavour of the poppy seeds and the raisins and chopped almonds add a little bit of a crunch with regards to the texture. I cannot remember one family gathering without it - it's kind of our signature. Some children might not like it because it is a little bitter and not just sweet, but my cousins and I have been eating it as soon as we had teeth and could! I especially remember feeding my youngest cousin when she was 3 years old and she would happily munch on it.
Have fun trying and I hope you enjoy it as much as I (or rather we) do!
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 is monday and I haven't forgotten about you the past two weeks, I needed a tiny break to relax after finishing my exams before summer and keep my eyes open for a few new recipes to introduce you to in the following weeks. Today's recipe screams "summer" for me and I love the bright colour this brings to your plate. The recipe is from Nigella Lawson's "Nigellisima", a perfect cookbook for summer in my opinion with lots of italian inspired dishes.
Here's the recipe:
200g (7 oz) short pasta (like penne, farfalle, casarecce)
2 tablespoons garlic oil
4 scallions
500g (17.5 oz) courgettes
60ml (4 tablespoons) dry white wine or vermouth
1 bunch italian parsley
freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
10g (a small tablespoon) unsalted butter
1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Finely slice the scallions, cut the courgettes into small cubes (I quartered them first and cut the quarters in thick slices). Chop the parsley and grate the parmesan.
2) Cook the pasta according to packet directions. Once everything is prepared, heat the oil (I substituted olive oil) in a medium saucepan. Cook the scallions for 1 minute. Add the cubed courgettes and cook for 5 minutes at medium heat.
3) Add the vermouth or white wine and and bring to a boil. Add two tablespoons of chopped parsley and season to taste with a little salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid and cook the vegetables for 5 more minutes or until soft.
4) Before draining the paste, reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta, put it back in the pot, add 3 tablespoons of grated parmesan and 4 tablespoons of pasta water along with the cooked vegetables, stirring nicely. Season to taste with pepper, more parmesan or pasta water. Add the butter and remaining parsley and serve.
Serves: 2 according to the recipe, easily 3 if you're me
Active preparation time: about 10 minutes
Total preparation time: about 25-30 minutes from heating the pasta water to serving
© Copyright: Nigella Lawson, "Genießen auf Italienisch", p. 19.
Here's how it looks:
I love the bright colour of the courgettes that almost highlight the yellow of the pasta along with the bright, fresh green from the parsley. This recipe was included in the accompanying TV series "Nigellissima" on BBC. So if you want to have a look at the recipe to help your decision process, you can either find a clip on BBC or watch the whole episode (the recipe is at 23:30min) on youtube following this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huHwNTnO4Fs
This dish combines the sweet, yet earthy taste from the courgettes with a slight saltiness from the parmesan, a little fire from pepper and scallions and a hint of the flavour from your wine. I felt like I would have summer on my plate - although the sun to go with this dish doesn't want to help me out today...
Anyway, have fun trying and enjoy!
Hi guys!
I don't know about you, but the weather in Switzerland has been crazy the past few days. It's been more than 30°C (or above 90°F) - in the shade that is -, bright sunshine included. Dont' get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I am super happy the good weather started once I was done with my exams so I could enjoy the sunshine on a couple of days off before starting my summer job. I don't have any special tips and tricks for those hot summer days, but I know one way how to get a refreshment and it is better tasting than pool or lake water... I first baked or rather prepared this cake for a friend's birthday in August - a very hot summer day and as I saw herself and her family indulge in the cake I knew it was a hit. Especially as they have been asking me to make it for them every time I visit. The recipe comes form a book called "Neue Torten" or "new cakes" and it includes a lot of very yummy looking cakes. Some of them are rather advanced, but I promise you, this cake isn't. And you don't have to have an oven - just room in your fridge.
Here's the recipe:
For the base:
100g (3.5 oz) unsalted butter
250g (9 oz) biscuits like ladyfingers or Leibniz biscuits if you can get hold of them
For the filling:
6 sheets white gelatin (10g)
350g (12.3 oz) cream cheese
150g (5.3 oz; 2/3 cup) white sugar
2 eggs
2 organic limes
300g (10.5 oz) whipping cream
lime quarters and lemon balm, to decorate (optional)
1) Grease a 26cm (10 inch) spring tin. Place the butter for the base in a saucepan or small pot and melt it over low heat. Place the biscuits in a freezer bag and crush with a rolling pin. Add the crumbled biscuits to the melted butter and fill in the tin. Try to level as evenly as you can and press with your hands.
2) Place the spring tin in the fridge for about 1 to 2 hours.
3) Soak the gelatin sheets in a little cold water. Grate the zest from the limes and squeeze the juice in a small pot. Add the cream cheese and sugar to a large bowl and mix. One by one, add the eggs and lime zest. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff.
4) Squeeze the soaked gelatin and place it in the pot with the lime juice. Dissolve the gelatin in the lime juice over low heat, constantly stirring.
5) Add the lime juice with the dissolved gelatin to the cream cheese-mixture while stirring or with the motor of your kitchen machine running. Fold the whipped cream into the rest of the filling. Put the filling on the cold bottom and try to level it creating a smooth surface. Put the cake back in the fridge for at least 2 to 3 hours until completely set. Decorate with quartered limes and lemon balm, if you like to.
Yield: 12 to 16 slices, depending on how you cut
Active preparation time: about 30 minutes
Total preparation time: 5 hours 30 minutes
© Copyright: Neue Torten, Zabert Sandmann, p. 20.
Here's how the cake looks:
I am sorry, the picture was taken at night as I had friends over for a belated birthday party and as we wanted to dig right in, I couldn't get hold of a better picture, but trust me, this cake is absolutely amazing. The recipe I shared with you is my slightly adjusted version. The original recipe calls for letting the cream cheese mixture with the added gelatin sit for 30 minutes before folding in the whipped cream. When I tried it this way, the cream cheese mixture had started to firm up and folding in the whipped cream was not an option. So the version I share with you in this post, is my tried-and-tested version of it. I hope you have fun trying this recipe and relish eating it as much as my friends and I did.
Have fun trying and enjoy!
Hi guys!
It's Monday again already - time flies at the moment, but I'm not doing much else besides studying, sports and eating - and the occasional baking to relax of course. Today, I want to share a recipe with you I've made during the weekend to wake up to something that would instantly cheer me up in the morning and get me ready for a long day. The recipe is from Cynthia Barcomi's latest book "Let's bake" and the results are just wonderful, so have a go yourself!
Here's the recipe:
1kg (35 oz; 6 + 2/3 cups) flour
14g (0.5 oz, 2 sachets) dry yeast
45g (2 tablespoons) sugar
15g (1 small tablespoon) salt
530ml (18 fl. oz) warm water
1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
100g (3.5 oz) raisins
1 tablespoon sugar
40g (2 tablespoons) sugar, to add to the cooking water
4 tablespoons polenta, for the baking tray
1) In a large bowl, combine the flour, dry yeast, 2 tablespoons sugar and salt. Add the water.
2) Using a kitchen machine or hand-held mixer, knead the dough with kneading hooks for about 4 minutes. Turn the dough onto your kitchen surface and knead it with your hands for a little bit. It will be a little stiff, but it has to be this way, so don't worry.
3) In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of sugar and raising with 1 tablespoon water, add to the dough and mix until everything is combined.
4) Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
5) Preheat the oven to 215°C (420°F). Fill a large pot with water add 2 tablespoons of sugar and bring to the boil. Split the dough into 110g (3.9 oz) portions. Roll each part until it is a long roll and you can wrap it around you hand with a little excess. To close the circle, roll the end under your hand with a little pressure. Make sure you enclose them nicely, otherwise your bagels will start opening while boiling. Place the bagels onto a baking tray and let them rest for another 15 minutes.
6) When the water is boiling, put as many bagels in as will fit without them touching each other. Cook for 2 minutes. Take out of the water and put on the baking tray. Repeat until all bagels are cooked.
7) Bake the bagels for 15 minutes or until golden.
Yield: 14 bagels
Active preparation time: about 30 minutes
Total preparation time: about 2 hours
© Copyright: Cynthia Barcomi, "Let's bake", p. 66.
Here's how mine turned out:
I didn't find it too hard forming the bagels, it took a bit more determination to close the circle though. Don't be too hazardous or they are going to open. With a little rolling and pressing, you will be able to close them. I hope you'll love the results as much as I did - I couldn't resist trying them warm and spread with peanut butter.
Have fun trying and enjoy your week!
Hi guys!
Soo, it's Monday and I have a sweet vegan treat for you to help you start your week right. I know, can muffins ever be good for you? Well, these contain healtier flours and nutrious bananas and walnuts so I think they might be better for you than the average chocolate muffin. The recipe comes from Gwyneth Paltrow's "Notes to my kitchen table", one of my go-to books if I want recipes for a healthy treat.
Here's the recipe:
4 (or 6) tablespoons rapeseed oil
125g (4.4 oz; 3/4 cup) whole spelt flour
100g (3.5 oz; 2/3 cup) white spelt flour
60g (2.1 oz; a good 1/3 cup) barley flour (or buckwheat)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
3 very ripe banana
125ml (4 fl.oz; 1/2 cup) maple syrup
4 tablespoons brown rice syrup (or 3 parts honey + 1 part water; equal parts light agave nectar)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
85g (3 oz) raisins
60g (2.1 oz) toasted walnuts
1) Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases or oil them with the two additional tablespoons of rapeseed oil. Chop the walnuts and toast them in a pan.
2) Sift the flours, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl. Purée the bananas in a food processor or blender and then add 4 tablespoons of rapeseed oil, syrups and vanilla and pulse to combine.
3) Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the liquid mixture. Stir just to combine and fold in the raisins and walnuts (don't overmix or you will have tough muffins!).
4) Use an ice cream scoop to distribute the batter evenly among the muffin sections.
5) Bake for approx. 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack.
Yield: 12 muffins
Active preparation time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 45 minutes
© Copyright: Gwyneth Paltrow, "Notes from my kitchen table", p. 226
Here's how mine look:
These muffins are not as sweet as a "regular" muffin, but they have lots of flavour anyways. I particularly love the stronger taste of the flours to balance the sweetness of the banana. The raisins turn into soft, moist pieces and the walnuts add crunch as well as deep nutty flavour from toasting them. It really does make a difference, so don't skip the toasting. I have a hard time finding barley flour, so I substituted buckwheat flour and it worked beautifully. Both flours, barley and buckwheat, contain eight essential amino acids and are gluten free. I also can't find brown rice syrup, but I do always have agave nectar in my baking ingredient box, so this is a good substitute. If you can't find any wherever you live, substitute honey (it makes the muffins vegetarian instead of vegan, but works just as well).
Have fun trying!
Hi guys!
Soo, another Monday has come along and, even though it is Pentecost monday, I don't want to break with tradition and introduce you to another vegetarian recipe. This week's recipe is not very fancy nor is it work-intense but it is the kind of food you're looking forward to after a long day of studying, in my case. As some of you know, I am a big fan of Donna Hay's version of a baked risotto as it is so incredibly easy but giving you all the comfort of "real" risotto. To make it vegetarin: use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock (as I always do). Here's the link to today's recipe: https://www.donnahay.com.au/recipes/dinners/mixed-mushroom-baked-risotto
Again, a few super simple steps and you're sitting in front of a perfect lunch or dinner.
1) Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F). Slice the mushrooms. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the butter, oil, garlic and mushrooms for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are golden.
2) Place the rice, vegetable (!) stock and mushroom mixture in a 10 cup (2,5 l) capacity baking dish and stir to combine.
3) Cover tightly with foil - remember to put the glossy side on the inside as it would reflect part of the warmth whereas the dull side will channel the warmth. Bake for 40 minutes or until most of the stock is absorbed and the rice is al dente.
4) Add the parmesan, butter, salt and pepper and stir until the butter is melted. Serve immediately.
Serves: 4 (as a main dish, approx. 6 to 8 as a side)
Active preparation time: max. 10 minutes
Total preparation time: about 50 minutes
Here's how my dinner looked:
The mushrooms get a lot of flavor from slowly browning in the pan before cooking along the rice so they can pass it to the risotto while baking. I personally omitted the garlic as I don't like the taste as much and it works just as well. This dish is super easy yet incredibly satisfying and flavourful and one of my absolute comfort foods.
Have a great week and have fun trying!
