Lemon Ricotta Cake for Afternoon Tea
I open the door to my fridge and find a package of ricotta that needs to be used soon. Dinner is already planned so I'm thinking about a sweet solution. My eyes pass the big pile of lemons on my window sill and my decision is made. A cake, spongy, simple and aromatic, with lots of lemon juice and zest and creamy ricotta! Some icing sugar on top and it looks as pretty as a Sunday tea time cake should look.
Sometimes, especially on a Sunday, I need something sweet to go with my tea but I'm too lazy to leave my cosy sofa and my books and magazines for too long. In these moments a quick and spongy cake can satisfy all you need, half an hour in the oven and it's done. The air is filled with the sweetest smell and a golden piece of cake is waiting on my plate.
The ricotta lemon combination is one I use (and like) a lot, mixed with spaghetti and crushed black pepper, it makes one of the pasta dishes I cook the most, all year round. Tangy and smooth, it's a balance the two manage to keep, on the sweet and on the savory side!
Lemon Ricotta Cake
For a 20cm / 8" cake pan you need
butter, soft, 80g / 3 ounces
granulated sugar 150g / 5.5 ounces
ricotta, 80g / 3 ounces
organic eggs, separated, 3
freshly squeezed lemon juice 4 tablespoons
zest of 1 lemon
plain flour 200g / 7 ounces
baking powder 3/4 teaspoon
a pinch of salt
icing sugar to dust the cake
Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F (fan-assisted oven) and butter the cake pan.
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt till stiff. Combine the flour and baking powder.
Beat the butter and sugar till fluffy, add the ricotta and mix for a couple minutes. Add the egg yolks and continue mixing for 2 minutes. While still mixing, add the lemon juice and zest followed by the dry ingredients, mixing well for another minute. Stir 2 tablespoons of the stiff egg whites into the dough before you carefully fold in all of the egg whites. The dough is a bit firm so it may take some time to combine everything.
Scrape the dough into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean. Let the cake cool and dust with icing sugar.
Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes with Maple Syrup and Cinnamon
A couple weeks ago I wrote about French toast, my ultimate cosy weekend breakfast! I mentioned that there is one sweet treat I enjoy as much, fluffy morning pancakes! Even better, blueberry pancakes with maple syrup! The sweet berries taste divine with or without any kind of syrup but if I can choose maple is my favourite in this combination. Sometimes I replace the berries with thick slices of apple and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. That's how my mother used to make them for me, or I add some chocolate spread or my blood orange marmalade, but when I saw the thick and juicy blueberries from Chile at the market my breakfast choice for this weekend was made!
When I make pancakes, I make lots of them because I can eat lots of them. I enjoy them straight out of the pan, warm and fluffy as well as in the afternoon with a cup of tea when they are already soft and cold. For my dough, I start off with 4 organic eggs, separated, the egg whites beaten till stiff with a pinch of salt. I combine 180g / 6.5 ounces of flour (I use spelt flour type 630 but you can use any other plain flour) with 2 scant teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of sugar. I add 200 ml of milk, the egg yolks and mix everything well before I gently fold in the egg whites.
I fry the pancakes in batches, 3 at a time always adding a teaspoon of butter before I pour a ladle of my thick dough into the pan. I sprinkle the soft dough with the blueberries, pushing them in a bit so that they won't burn when I turn the pancakes. When they are golden brown on each side, I pile them up on a plate, pour the maple syrup on top and sprinkle with cinnamon. Sometimes I even let some butter melt on their golden tops, it's the weekend after all!
My favourite Carrot Cake from the Sunshine State
The recipe for this amazing carrot cake comes from the Sunshine State, more precisely from our Granny Doris in Florida who is also responsible for the best Peanut Butter Cookies. It's unbelievably spongy and juicy, with lots of carrots, pineapples and Brazil nuts. This is the kind of cake you eat within a day without knowing where it went! It's glazed with a deliciously creamy icing made of cream cheese and lemon, it combines everything a great carrot cake needs.
When I visited Doris for the first time in Florida, my partner's grandmother knew exactly how to make me feel at home: she welcomed us with a table full of cakes, brownies and muffins. We started every day with a luscious breakfast, with pancakes, bacon and all kinds of sweet treats, so, unfortunately, the holiday ended with 10 pounds more on the scales (although I went jogging almost every morning!). I felt no regrets, our daily feasting was worth it, I have a sweet tooth so I was in heaven. Of all the nice food we enjoyed, Doris' carrot cake impressed me the most. I asked for the recipe which she happily handed over and I knew this would be a keeper. Since our visit to the Sunshine State, I bake it every couple months and it never lasts long.
Carrot Cake
Note from 27th March 2015: I changed the recipe for the icing a little, you can find the old recipe at the end, the pictures show the new icing which is thicker and more creamy.
For a 23cm / 9" bundt pan you need
For the cake
plain flour 300g / 10.5 ounces
granulated sugar 200g / 7 ounces
baking powder 3 teaspoons
baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons
salt 3/4 teaspoon
ground cinnamon 3 teaspoons
sunflower oil 250ml
organic eggs 4
carrots, grated 150g / 5.5 ounces
canned pineapple, drained and crushed, 250ml
Brazil nuts, chopped, 50g / 2 ounces
butter, for the bundt pan
dry breadcrumbs, for the bundt pan
For the icing
butter, soft, 3 tablespoons
cream cheese 100g / 3.5 ounces
heavy cream 1-2 tablespoons
icing sugar 125g / 4.5 ounces
lemon juice 1 tablespoon
a pinch of salt
Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F (fan-assisted oven), butter the bundt pan and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the oil and eggs and mix for a couple minutes. Stir in the carrots, pineapple and nuts and continue mixing until combined. Scrape the dough into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until golden. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before you flip it around (I put the pan in a kitchen sink of cold water for a few minutes, that makes it easier to take the cake out).
For the icing, beat the butter for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy, add the cream cheese and a splash of heavy cream and continue mixing. Add more heavy cream until the mixture resembles a creamy yoghurt. Add the lemon juice, icing sugar and salt and continue mixing until well combined, the frosting should be thick and slightly runny. Pour the icing over the cake.
The old icing recipe
icing sugar 125g / 4.5 ounces
sour cream 100g / 3.5 ounces
cream cheese 1 tablespoon
butter, soft, 3 tablespoons plus more if you want the icing to be more stiff
lemon juice 1 tablespoon
a pinch of salt
Marilena's Milk Pan di Campobasso, a traditional Dolci del Molise
I have wonderful news, eat in my kitchen is in the final of the Kitchn's "Best Daily Read Cooking Blog" together with nine other blogs! Thank you for your support and help to come so far!
It would be great if you could vote (one last time, I promise) for the final vote of the "Best Daily Read Cooking Blog" here.
A few weeks ago a very sweet lady, Marilena, got in touch with me. It was the day I wrote about Mussel with Ginger, Lemon Grass and Coriander and we got to talking about seafood recipes, cakes and olive oil. At one point she asked me if I would like to try one of her cake recipes, the Milk Pan di Campobasso.
Marilena lives in Italy in the Molise region (in the Campobasso province) which is north-east of Napoli. She loves to bake, beautifully decorated cakes for weddings and special events and she produces her own olive oil, Marilena has 300 olive trees! She already sent me some of her wonderful extra virgin olive oil which is divine, a few drops on fresh bread and some salt, delicious!
So finally I baked her cake, Marilena's Milk Pan di Campobasso. I was excited, it's a special recipe, a traditional Dolci del Molise and it required a few preparations. First I had to get a special liqueur, the Italian Strega (meaning "witch") which is a herbal liqueur produced since 1860, bright yellow made with saffron, mint and fennel. I ordered it and when it arrived I prepared the "liqueur milk". A mixture made of milk, Strega liqueur, sugar, saffron, vanilla and lemon peel which has to sit overnight, it gives the Milk Pan its typical taste and yellow colour. The cake is baked in a dome cake tin, it's very juicy, a bit moist but still light. It is covered with a glaze of nocciola cream, a hazelnut spread, mixed with white chocolate and sprinkled with hazelnuts. It's hard to describe the taste, it's the taste of Italy, wonderfully sweet and aromatic, with a slight hint of saffron which is a great match to the hazelnuts. I love it, thank you Marilena!
Milk Pan di Campobasso
For this cake you need a 1 liter dome cake tin (mine is ceramic, you can also use a metal one).
For the liqueur milk
I made more liqueur milk than I needed for the cake as I want to use it for other dessert recipes as well. You will need around 50ml (one espresso cup) of this mixture for the cake.
milk 50ml
granulated sugar 50g / 2 ounces
Strega liqueur 50ml (you can also use another herbal liqueur with fennel and saffron)
a tiny pinch of saffron
the seeds of 1cm / 1/2" vanilla bean
a long strip of lemon peel
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, cover and let them infuse overnight.
For the hazelnut chocolate icing and topping
white chocolate 150g / 5 ounces
nocciola cream (hazelnut spread) 2 big tablespoons
sunflower oil 2 tablespoons plus more for mixing
hazelnuts, chopped, 3 tablespoons, or more if you like for the topping
In a sauce pan, melt the chocolate on low temperature and stir in the hazelnut spread and oil. It should be smooth and liquid, if it's not liquid enough you will have to add a little more oil.
For the cake
butter, soft, 150g / 5.5 ounces
granulated sugar 150g / 5.5 ounces
organic eggs 3
pinch of salt
plain flour 80g / 3 ounces
potato starch 80g / 3 ounces
baking powder 1/2 teaspoon
liqueur milk, 1 espresso cup (around 50ml)
Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F ( (fan-assisted oven), butter the dome cake tin and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt till stiff. Combine the flour, potato starch and baking powder. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar till fluffy, add the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the dry ingredients and the liqueur milk and continue mixing until well combined. Gently fold in the egg whites.
Scrape the dough carefully into the prepared tin and bake until golden. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean. Marilena told me to check it after 30 minutes, mine needed 55 minutes. The baking time depends on the shape, size and material of your tin.
Let the cake cool (I put the tin in cold water which makes it easier to take the cake out), carefully flip it over on a big plate and ice it with the hazelnut chocolate icing. Sprinkle with hazelnuts and enjoy its beauty (and taste)!
Sweet and Spongy Banana Chocolate Bread
This is another perfect weekend breakfast treat, Banana Chocolate Bread. I like mine juicy, almost moist, with lots of big pieces of banana and bittersweet chocolate chunks. When you take the bread out of the oven, golden and warm and you cut the first thick slice off the loaf, pushing the knife through sweet banana chunks and melted chocolate, you'll understand why there's no better start to the weekend. It feels, smells and tastes just right! I never wait for the bread and chocolate to cool, I have to eat a slice immediately as soon as it's done, the chocolate still warm and liquid.
The combination of banana and bittersweet chocolate is a special one as the sweetness and the bitterness balance each other out perfectly. I love it in ice cream, cookies and cakes, but to me nothing beats this duo when their big chunks merge into a warm cake, or morning bread. For one loaf I use three big bananas and 100g / 3.5 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, I don't want a hint of their flavours, I want an explosion on the taste buds.
Banana Chocolate Bread
For a 24cm x 10,5cm / 9.5″ x 4″ loaf tin you need
butter 120g / 4.5 ounces
granulated sugar 100g / 3.5 ounces
vanilla sugar 1 package (you can also use vanilla extract)
organic eggs 2
large and ripe bananas, quartered, 3
plain flour 120g / 4.5 ounces
baking powder 2 teaspoons
salt 1/2 teaspoon
bittersweet chocolate, chopped roughly (leave a few bigger chunks), 100g / 3.5 ounces
Set the oven to 160°C / 320°F (fan-assisted oven) and line the loaf tin with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix the butter together with the sugar and vanilla sugar till fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue beating for a couple minutes. Add the bananas, beating for 10-20 seconds and stop before they get too smooth, they should be a bit chunky. Gently fold in the flour mixture with a spoon, add the chocolate chunks and fold them in, carefully as well. Scoop the dough into your prepared tin and bake for 55 minutes or until golden brown. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean.
Elsa's Poppy Seed Crumble Cake
My aunt asked me for a helping hand in the kitchen because she had a baking marathon of three cakes to manage in one day, so I decided to bake one of them. She let me choose, they all sounded nice but I went for a recipe which I wouldn't usually bake. It's a poppy seed crumble cake with a sweet yeast dough, an old German recipe which she got from her friend Elsa many years ago.
I'm happy about my choice as the yeast dough alone is already wonderful, light and not too sweet. I will definitely use it for other recipes soon, maybe a Sunday morning Challah (plaited yeast cake). Although it's so light and spongy it's still strong enough to carry the thick layer of smooth poppy seed cream, semolina, ground almonds and raisins. If this wasn't enough, the cake is topped with crunchy buttery crumbles (I used the crumble recipe of my Apple Crumble Cake).
When I was a child, I loved poppy seed swirl cake. I couldn't get enough of it, but then at one point I lost interest for no apparent reason. So for years I haven't baked with these crunchy black seeds at all but I think they will return to my kitchen after this cake!
Poppy Seed Crumble Cake
For a 39 x 32cm / 15.5 x 12,5" tray of cake you need
For the yeast dough
plain flour 500g / 1 pound
dry yeast 1 package (for 500g / 1 pound of flour)
granulated sugar 60 g / 2 ounces
a pinch of salt
milk, lukewarm, 150ml
butter, melted and cooled, 100g / 3.5 ounces
organic eggs 2
Combine the dry ingredients, add the milk, butter and eggs and mix with your dough hooks for 5 minutes. Continue kneading with your hands for a couple minutes. Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with a tea towel and let it rise in a 35°C / 95°F warm oven (top / bottom heat) for about 45 minutes until well risen.
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the yeast dough and put it on the baking sheet. Cover with a tea towel and let it rise for 15 - 20 minutes in a warm place.
Set the oven to 175°C (top / bottom heat) and prepare the poppy seed mixture and crumbles.
For the poppy seed mixture
semolina 125g / 4.5 ounces
granulated sugar 150g / 5.5 ounces
salt 1/4 teaspoon
milk 1000ml
organic egg yolks 2
poppy seeds, crushed, 250g / 9 ounces
almonds, ground, 100g / 3.5 ounces
raisins 50g / 2 ounces
zest of 1 lemon
In a large pot, bring the milk, semolina, sugar, salt and egg yolks to the boil, stirring constantly. Continue stirring and let it cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the poppy seeds, almonds, raisins and lemon zest, combine everything and set aside.
For the crumbles
The crumbles need good preparation as you have to make sure that the mixture is neither too moist nor too dry. Have some extra flour and melted butter close at hand so that you can add some immediately if necessary.
plain flour 200g / 7 ounces (plus more if the crumbles are too sticky)
granulated sugar 125g / 4.5 ounces
vanilla sugar 1 teaspoon
butter, melted, 125g / 4.5 ounces (plus more if the crumbles are too fine)
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Pour the melted butter on top and mix quickly with the hooks of your mixer, this shouldn’t take longer than 20 seconds. If the crumbles are too moist and sticky add a bit more flour (1-2 tablespoons). If they are too fine and don’t form bigger crumbles add more melted butter.
For the cake, spread the poppy seed mixture over the yeast dough and sprinkle with the crumbles. Bake the cake for 40 minutes or until the crumbles are golden.
French Toast with Maple Syrup for a cosy breakfast in bed
French toast is the perfect breakfast for a cosy day in bed, with books and magazines, daydreaming and chatting, with nothing important on my mind and no decisions to be made. While pancakes are an equally satisfying morning treat, they take a bit more time so I gladly make my french toast on a day like this. It requires just a few minutes out of bed for preparation before I can snuggle back into the cushions with a plate full of sweet cinnamon toast covered in maple syrup.
I like my french toast soft and juicy on the inside, soaked in lots of cinnamony milk with eggs, and with a buttery crust on the outside. For 4 slices of white bread I mix 2 large eggs with 1/3 to 1/2 cup of milk (depending on the size of the eggs), the mixture should be quite liquid. I whisk in a pinch of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, then I let the bread soak in this mixture, turning it once or twice, repeating with the other slices until most of the liquid is absorbed. Now they just need to fry in 3 tablespoons of butter in a large pan on medium heat until golden brown before you can sprinkle them with more cinnamon and pour over some maple syrup.
Blood Orange Cake
Two things led to this cake, firstly, I haven't written about blood oranges in more than two weeks, secondly, my mother. She reads (nearly) everything I share on eat in my kitchen, she is my mother after all. She recently mentioned that my photos could do with some new decoration. She's a woman of action, so within a few days she sent me a parcel packed with some pots, silver plates and a selection of her favourite linen from an artisan weaver in the Italian Dolomite Alps. I'm not really a big decorator, I'm more of a minimalist but I'm open to some inspiration, especially when it comes from my mother.
The package arrived, with beautiful handwoven craftsman's work, a table cloth and runners in various colours and designs. One of them caught my attention, a golden yellow design, a bit more frilly than my usual style but I liked it. I knew it would need to be paired with the right food to unfold its beauty. The inspiration came within a split second, a spongy blood orange cake with sugared slices on top, a bit opulent and the fruits are also from Italy, like the cloth.
Blood Orange Cake
For this recipe you need a 24cm x 10,5cm / 9.5" x 4" loaf tin.
butter, soft, 180g / 6.5 ounces
granulated sugar 180g / 6.5 ounces
organic eggs 3
blood orange zest 2 tablespoons
freshly squeezed blood orange juice 3 tablespoons
plain flour 210g / 7.5 ounces
baking powder 1 teaspoon
For the topping
blood orange, cut into very thin slices, 1
granulated sugar 50g / 2 ounces
water 2 tablespoons
icing sugar 2 tablespoons, for the syrup
freshly squeezed blood orange juice 4 tablespoons, for the syrup
Set the oven to 160°C / 320°F (fan-assisted oven) and line your loaf tin with parchment paper.
For the topping, cook the orange slices, sugar and water in a sauce pan on high temperature for around 5 minutes until the water has evaporated. Put aside.
Mix the butter together with the sugar till fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue mixing for a couple minutes. Mix the orange juice and zest into the mixture, gently fold in the flour combined with baking powder and scoop into your prepared tin.
Bake for 35 minutes, take it out and arrange the sugared orange slices on top. Bake for another 15 minutes. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean.
Mix the icing sugar with 4 tablespoons of blood orange juice for the syrup and pour over the cake (you can spike the top of the cake first).
Flaky White Chocolate and Cranberry Twists
I've been wanting to bake something with white chocolate and cranberries since December but this idea never reached my oven - too much to bake, too little time. I was drawn to this combination last winter when I mixed them into my crunchy cookie recipe. The chocolate and the berries gave them a nice sweetness, milky and fruity. I enjoyed them so much that I decided to share them with our family and friends in Malta, so I sent them a big parcel stuffed with these cookies at Christmas time. The box was emptied within moments as we witnessed on Skype.
This weekend I felt like this duo again but didn't want to bake cookies. Croissants are more what I had in mind, just without the hassle of making two different doughs for the perfect puff pastry. I thought of my buttery flaky Rugelach, this dough is made to be wrapped around a sweet filling but I wanted something bigger, not just a mouthful - a handful! This is a Sunday morning pastry which you hold in your buttery fingers while you sip your coffee. I went for a long and twisted shape, quick to prepare, easy to eat, no hassle on a Sunday - Good morning everybody!
White Chocolate and Cranberry Twists
For 16 twists you need
plain flour 150g / 5 ounces
icing sugar, 1 heaped tablespoon
butter, cold, 125g / 4.5 ounces
cream cheese, at room temperature, 120g / 4.5 ounces
a pinch of salt
white chocolate, chopped, 70g / 2.5 ounces for the filling
dried cranberries 70g / 2.5 ounces for the filling
For the filling, mix the chocolate and cranberries.
Combine the dry ingredients. Cut the butter with a knife into the flour mixture until there are just little pieces of butter left. Mix with your dough hooks for a few seconds. Add the cream cheese and work it into the mixture with a spoon or the mixer until you have a crumbly mixture. Form 2 discs and put them in the freezer for 30 minutes. The dough should be very cold but not too hard, still rollable.
Preheat the oven to 185°C / 365°F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Take out one disc, leave the second one in the fridge while you're preparing the first batch. Roll out the disc between floured cling film as the dough becomes very sticky at room temperature. Give it a rectangular shape, the width will be the length of your twists. Cut off a 4.5cm / 2" strip and pull it off the foil (don't worry if it's sticky, it's an elastic dough, you can also use a knife to lift it). Lay the pastry strip flat on your working surface, sprinkle with the filling, pushing it a little into the dough. Carefully, twist the pastry, starting on one side twisting it up to the middle and then continue from the other side. This way you don't loose too much of the filling. Place the twist on the baking sheet and continue with the rest of the dough. Bake the pastry for 12 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. It’s best to check them after 10 minutes to be sure that they don’t get too dark. Let them cool on a wire rack for a few minutes.
A Sweet Berliner - Our Family Feast
A long time ago, my family started a beautiful tradition. All my sisters, their children and friends of the family meet at my mother's house in the countryside to celebrate carnival. We listen to silly carnival music, the children dress up in funny costumes and we make huge amounts of a special traditional carnival pastry - the famous "Berliner". When the sweets are done, we fill them in my mother's large white bowls from Tuscany, place them on her long table and enjoy the fruits of our work, which usually goes on for hours. In general, I can't say that I'm too fond of the 5th season (the name given to carnival time in Germany) but the mood and the food at my mother's home makes me love it!
The sweet speciality we make looks a bit like a doughnut without a hole, it's made of yeast dough, filled with jam and deep fried in vegetable shortening. It has different names in different regions but where I come from, which is the center of carnival in West Germany, they are called "Berliners". Funnily enough, they are called "Pfannkuchen" in Berlin, which means pancakes. In the Swabian area in the South of Germany where my step father comes from, people call them "Fastnachtskuechle". I could continue endlessly with even more names "Krapfen", "Kreppel", seemingly every region wanted to give them a name of their own.
So we all gather in my mother's kitchen and each of us has a specific job to do in the making of our "Berliners" - which never changes. For years now, my job is to watch the sweets together with my step father while we fry them in a large cast iron pot. We have to turn them and dust them with sugar when they are done. My mother and sisters, on the other side of the kitchen, take care of the dough and filling the "Berliners". On my photos you can also see some free shaped sweets which are the bits and pieces of dough that are left after cutting out circles.
Carnival is still a month away (and I'm also not at my mother's house at the moment) but there is a reason I made my own "Berliners" at my home now. I was asked to participate in a blog tour with 13 other blogs from America and Australia and write about "Hearts At Home". My heart is always where good food is and that's at my home most of the time but also at carnival at my mother's together with my family. Our tradition, to meet at this time and to make this special food means a lot to me. I look forward to seeing my loved ones and spend a few wonderful, silly days together with them. That's where my heart is and that's home to me. Making "Berliners" without my family was still a fun experience. I was a bit worried that I wouldn't manage on my own but I did, and even more so it was surprisingly easy which makes me think about having this adventure more than just once a year!
Blueberry Jam Filled Berliner
I made 12 jam filled "Berliners" plus several free shaped sweets (without filling), all in all of 500g / 1 pound of flour. I melted 1kg / 2 pounds of vegetable shortening for deep frying in a large pot, enough to allow the sweets to float freely. My mother uses a much bigger pot and 3kg / 6 pounds of shortening but she starts off with 3kg / 6 pounds of flour as she has to feed more hungry people than I did.
plain flour 500g / 1 pound
dry yeast 1 package (for 500g / 1 pound of flour)
granulated sugar 3 tablespoons
vanilla sugar 1 package
salt scant 1 teaspoon
milk, lukewarm, 250ml
butter, melted and cooled down, 80g / 3 ounces
blueberry jam, around 200g / 7 ounces for the filling
egg white, mixed with a fork, 1-2 (to stick the discs of dough together)
vegetable shortening 1kg / 2 pounds for frying
For dusting
50g / 2 ounces of icing sugar sieved together with 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
Combine the dry ingredients, add the milk and butter and mix with your dough hooks for 5 minutes. Continue kneading and punching with your hands until you have an elastic dough ball. Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with a tea towel and let it rise in a 35°C / 95°F warm oven (top / bottom heat) for about an hour.
When the dough has doubled in size, take it out, punch it down and knead with your hands for 2 minutes. On a floured working surface, roll the dough out in batches and cut out 10cm / 4" circles (I used an old tea cup from my grandmother). Put the bits and pieces of dough which are between the circles aside as you will fry them as well (without filling).
Heat the shortening in a large pot on highest temperature.
Take one disc of dough, drop a teaspoon of jam in the middle and brush the edge with egg white. Put a second disc on top, sealing well by pushing with your fingers along the outline twice to make sure that they won't open in the hot fat.
To check the temperature of the fat, put a piece of dough inside, carefully as it's very hot! Turn it with wooden spatulas or spoons, it should be done within a few seconds. The "Berliners" might take a few seconds longer. They will become a bit dark, that's normal, but they shouldn't burn, so adjust the temperature if necessary. Keep in mind that if it's too low the inside won't cook through. I always cut the first "Berliner" in half when I think it's done to see if I have to change the setting.When you take them out, let them cool for a few seconds before you dust them with your cinnamon icing sugar.
Jenny's Awesome Lemon Meringue Pie
I had the first lemon meringue pie of my life in Malta, just a few years ago. It was one of those things I always wanted to try but always took second place. Whenever I went to a Patisserie and spotted a pretty meringue, my mood still took me somewhere else and chose something different. Now I know that was a mistake!I
t was summer and we stayed at Jenny's house in Malta. It was hot (as always) and everybody met in the kitchen, also as always. My Maltese Mama made a lemon meringue pie for a party and I followed her baking curiously but not overly excited. I must admit that its delicate beauty appealed to me and the fact that she had squeezed the juice of countless lemons - from her own lemon tree! - into the curd caught my attention. Maltese lemons taste amazing, they are spoiled with sunlight, juicy and strong. And Jenny's are simply the best! So, I tried the pie and it it was awesome. A crunchy base, buttery and crisp as I love it, the lemon curd perfectly balanced between sweet and sour, and the meringue was fluffy and slightly sweet. I had to get her recipe!
She gave it to me, and since then I made it, with little changes numerous times, mostly eating more of it than I want. It's the perfect dessert for a dinner party. It looks beautiful and you can prepare it in advance, it should actually sit for a few hours so that the curd can become firm. I skipped this point as you can see in the photos, the curd is still a bit soft. The smell of butter and lemon in my kitchen was too much of a teaser, I had to try it. I gave the pie 10 minutes to cool on my balcony (in arctic temperatures), impatiently, waiting for my first bite of Jenny's awesome Lemon Meringue Pie!
Lemon Meringue Pie
For one pie you need a round 27cm / 10.5″ baking dish or tart pan.
For the crust
plain flour 210g / 7.5 ounces
butter 120g / 4.5 ounces
granulated sugar 1 tablespoon
salt 1/2 teaspoon
water (cold) 4 tablespoons
Combine the flour with the sugar and salt. Cut the butter with a knife into the flour until there are just little pieces of butter left. Continue with your fingers and work the butter into the flour until combined (there shouldn’t be any lumps of butter left). Add the water and continue mixing with the hooks of your mixer until you have a crumbly mixture. Form a disc, wrap in cling film and put in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Set your oven to 210°C / 410°F top/ bottom heat. Roll out the dough between cling film and line your baking dish with the flat pastry. Prick it with a fork and blind-bake in the hot oven for 18 minutes or until golden. Let it cool completely.
For the curd
granulated sugar 150g / 5 ounces
cornstarch 50g / 2 ounces
pinch of salt
water 450ml
egg yolks, beaten 2
butter 90g / 3 ounces
freshly squeezed lemon juice 150ml
zest of 1 lemon
Combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt and mix together with the water in a small sauce pan. Bring to the boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. When the mixture starts to bubble, turn down the heat, and cook for another 3 minutes, again, stirring constantly, it will become thick. Take the pan off the heat. Mix 1 tablespoon of this mixture into the egg yolks, stir and pour everything back into the remaining mixture in the sauce pan. Bring to the boil, stirring, let it bubble for a few seconds and take it off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and zest and the butter and let it cool.
For the meringue
egg whites 3
granulated sugar 80g
a pinch of salt
Beat the egg whites together with the salt, adding the sugar gradually while beating, until the white is stiff.
The Pie
Set the oven to 210°C / 410°F top/ bottom heat.
Pour the lemon curd over the short crust and spread the stiff egg whites on top. Bake for 6 minutes or until the top is golden and crisp. Let it sit for 2-3 hours in a cool place.
Wintery Sunday Morning Muffins with Blood Orange Marmalade
Sunday morning is made for muffins! They combine the spongy feeling of a cake with the handiness of a cookie and they don't take much longer to make than pancakes. You don't even need an electric mixer. You combine everything with a spoon, fill the lumpy batter into your muffin tray and within 12 minutes you'll have warm little muffins on your breakfast table. It can't get any better on a Sunday morning!
This recipe doesn't need many ingredients, you might already have them at home if you’re into baking. I mix some of my blood orange marmalade into the batter, which you can also replace with bitter orange marmalade (that's what I normally do) or with plum jam or any other jam that fits to cinnamon and nutmeg (as I add these two spices as well). These muffins are light and fluffy, I love them warm, tear them in half and let their wintery aroma fill the air - heaven!
Sunday Morning Muffins with Marmalade and Cinnamon
You need a muffin tray with 12 molds, lined with paper baking cups.
200g / 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
70g / 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for the topping
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/2 teaspoon for the topping
a pinch of nutmeg
a pinch of salt
160ml / 2/3 cup whole milk
50g / 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons blood orange marmalade (or bitter orange marmalade or plum jam)
Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, egg and marmalade. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and quickly stir with a wooden spoon until you have a lumpy batter. The more you mix it the more it will lose its light texture so don't mix it too long.
Fill the batter into the lined muffin tray. Combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping, sprinkle on top of the batter and bake for about 12 minutes or until golden and spongy. Let the muffins cool for a few minutes and enjoy warm!
Mousse au Chocolat meets Olive Oil
My Mousse au Chocolat has all the finer qualities of a sumptuous mousse. Bittersweet chocolate rubs against an unexpected but perfect match, olive oil, thick and nutty with a little espresso. I know it sounds unusual but this combination is absolutely delicious! It's luscious, a special treat for the weekend, perfect after an opulent dinner. I don't make chocolate mousse all too often but sometimes I just need chocolate in its most concentrated and dense form and then it's time for this dessert.
The olive oil adds something to the chocolate that is hard to describe but so easy to enjoy. If you try to imagine it you won't even get close to it, you just have to feel and taste it in your mouth!
Mousse au Chocolat with Olive Oil
For 4 people you need
bittersweet chocolate, melted, 100g / 3.5 ounces
butter, melted, 60g / 2 ounces
organic eggs 3
granulated sugar 70 g / 2.5 ounces
good olive oil 6 tablespoons
espresso 1 teaspoon
a pinch of salt
Mix the melted butter, chocolate, olive oil and espresso. Beat the egg whites together with the salt. Beat the egg yolks and the sugar and mix together with the chocolate mixture. Stir 2 spoons of the stiff egg whites under the chocolate mixture. Stir the rest of the egg whites under the mixture as well, carefully, to preserve the light fluffiness. Fill into 4 forms and cool in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
The Best Peanut Butter Cookies Ever
Berlin, January 2014:
I got this recipe from a true cookie specialist - Granny Doris from Florida. Years ago, at Christmas time, she sent two huge boxes full of her peanut butter cookies and I fell in love with them. I ate so many I thought I would never be able to eat them again. That didn't last long. Before this experience, I never really liked peanut butter but these cookies changed everything. They are crunchy yet soft in the center and so delicious that you can't stop eating them.
These cookies are big enough for a small breakfast or midday snack together with a cup of coffee, they go very well with a cup of tea in the afternoon, and if you don't feel like a big dessert after dinner but still like something sweet to go with your espresso, just grab a peanut butter cookie. I bake them in very big batches exactly for this reason!
Peanut Butter Cookies
Update September 2024: For 28 bigger and thicker cookies, bake for about 11-13 minutes.
For 50 cookies you need
280g / 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
350g / 1 1/3 cups smooth peanut butter, at room temperature
250g / 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
280g / 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (preferably convection setting) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating the egg before adding the next one, and continue beating for 1 minute. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until combined.
For the first batch of cookies, shape the dough into walnut sized balls and place on the lined baking sheet, leaving plenty of space in between each dough ball. Flatten with a fork just a bit and bake for 9-10 minutes or until golden; soft but with subtle restistance when you gently touch them with your finger. It will seem as though they are a bit under baked when they first come out but that's a good thing. Leave them to cool on the baking sheet (!) for a few minutes until they are stable enough to transfer them to a wire rack to let them cool completely. Continue shaping the remaining dough and bake one sheet at a time.
Once the cookies are completely cool, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Red Wine Cake with Cinnamon and Chocolate
This is the cake of my late teenage years, made with red wine, bittersweet chocolate chunks and cinnamon. It's spongy, juicy and so rich in taste! My friends and I were obsessed with it, we baked it for every possible occasion. That's a while ago now and I've since moved on to other great cakes but today I thought it's time again: pink cake for the weekend!
I must say it was yesterday that this idea came to mind. I baked it and was surprised by the cakes texture until I noticed that I didn't put in the right amount of wine - I mixed up milliliters and cups on my measuring cup and put in far too little red wine. The cake turned out much too dry and hard on the outside. I was confused at first, wondering if the memory was sweetened by time but I remembered this cake so soft and juicy that I knew I must have mixed up the recipe (I even questioned my oven's reliability for a second). Today I got my second chance and my pink cake turned out as pretty and delicious as I remembered it!
Red Wine Cake with Chocolate and Cinnamon
For 1 loaf tin, about 23cm x 10cm / 9" x 4", you need
For the dough
butter 250g / 9 ounces
granulated sugar 250g / 9 ounces
organic eggs 4
plain flour 250g / 9 ounces
baking powder 3 teaspoons
cocoa powder 3 teaspoons
cinnamon, ground, 2 teaspoons
a pinch of salt
red wine 125ml
bittersweet chocolate, chopped, 100g / 3.5 ounces
For the icing
icing sugar (100g / 3.5 ounces) mixed with red wine or water (3-4 tablespoons)
Set your oven to 165°C / 330°F (fan-assisted oven). Butter your loaf tin and dust with flour.
Combine the dry ingredients (except the sugar). Mix the butter together with the sugar till fluffy, add the eggs, one at a time, and continue mixing for a couple minutes. Add the dry ingredients and the red wine and mix until smooth. Gently fold in the chocolate and scoop into your prepared tin. Bake for 65 minutes or until golden. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean, and let it cool. Spread the icing sugar on top of the cake to finish its pink glory.
Biscotti with a Shot of Ouzo
This biscotti proves that cultural exchange leads to enrichment for us all! Originally, biscotti are from Prato in Tuscany. Also known as cantuccini, they are baked twice and filled with almonds. So far, my biscotti stuck to tradition but today I enhance them with a shot of Ouzo, the famous Greek aniseed spirit. The result is a mouth-watering Italian-Greek union! I add some aniseed to the dough and their taste comes through so much stronger thanks to the Ouzo. Together with the almonds and some lemon zest each crunchy bite creates an explosion on your taste buds!
My aunt Ursula told me about the Ouzo-biscotti combination and at first I had my reservations, but that soon changed! I have my biscotti with an espresso at lunch time as a delicious energy booster but they are also a great dessert with ice cream or custard. You could follow the Italian tradition and dip them in Vin Santo - or continue the Greek variation and enjoy them with a shot of chilled Ouzo!
Biscotti with Aniseed, Ouzo, Almonds and Lemon
For 46 biscotti you need
plain flour 400g / 14 ounces
baking powder 2 teaspoons
granulated sugar 250g / 9 ounces
salt 1/4 teaspoon
aniseed, 2 tablespoons
butter, melted, 100g / 3.5 ounces
organic eggs 3
Ouzo (or any other anise flavoured spirit) 3 tablespoons
zest of 1 lemon
almonds, chopped roughly, 100g / 3.5 ounces
Set your oven to 180°C / 355°F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the dry ingredients (except the almonds and lemon zest) in a bowl. In a second bowl, mix the butter with the eggs, lemon zest and Ouzo for a couple minutes. Mix the dry mixture into the butter mixture with a spoon. Add the chopped almonds carefully. Divide the dough into four parts and form each into a long bread shape (around 5cm / 2" wide). Place them on your baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Take them out and let them cool off for around 20 minutes.
Turn your oven down to 170°C / 340°F.
For the second round, cut each loaf carefully in 1.5cm / 1/2" slices and lay them flat on the baking sheet. Bake for 6 minutes, turn the biscotti over and bake for another 6 minutes. Take the biscotti out when they turn golden and let them cool.
Orange Cheesecake
The first time I had New York cheesecake is quite a while ago - it was love at first sight! When I was fourteen I traveled to New York and Canada with a friend of mine and her family. As soon as I took my first bite I was hooked and during the following three weeks of our holiday I don't believe I left out a single chance to get a piece of cheesecake, every day, at every restaurant we went to. I became a true cheesecake specialist!
Now, when I bake my own, I'm always reminded of that trip and the excitements of being a traveling teenager. Over the years I tried out many cheesecake recipes and developed my own favourite with orange zest and juice and cream cheese mixed with ricotta. It is still as rich and moist as the traditional version, the citrus flavour just adds a fresh, fruity specialness and gives it a lighter feeling.
Orange Cheesecake
For a 20.5cm / 8" springform pan you need
digestive cookies, crushed very finely, 210g / 7.5 ounces
butter, melted, 70g / 2.5 ounces
cream cheese, at room temperature, 450g / 16 ounces
ricotta, at room temperature, 100g / 3.5 ounces
granulated sugar 100g / 3.5 ounces
vanilla sugar 1 teaspoon
organic eggs 3
cornstarch 1 teaspoon
zest of 1 orange
orange juice 1 tablespoon
zest of 1 large lemon
juice of 1 lemon (4 tablespoons)
a pinch of salt
Mix the crushed cookies with the melted butter until crumbly and combined and press into your springform pan. Put in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Set the oven to 165°C / 330°F and put a deep roasting tin in the oven on the lowest position. Boil water in a kettle.
Mix the cream cheese, ricotta, sugar, vanilla sugar, salt and eggs and beat until smooth. Add the cornstarch, lemon and orange zest and juice and continue mixing.
Take the baking pan out of the freezer and wrap in aluminium foil twice so that the bottom and sides are well covered to protect the cheesecake from the water. Pour the cheesecake mixture on top of the hardened crumbs and place carefully into the tin in the oven. Fill the roasting tin with the boiling water from your kettle. The water should come half way up the wrapped springform pan. Bake for 50 minutes, switch off the oven and leave the cake in the oven to cool. After around an hour you can take your cheesecake out and chill in the fridge for a couple hours.
Maltese Lemon Christmas Cookies
I got this recipe from Jenny, my boyfriend's mother, who makes these wonderful lemony cookies every year at Christmas time. She lives in Malta, in the Mediterranean, where everyone has their own citrus trees or knows someone who has enough citrus fruits to give away. Many Maltese recipes are made with lots of lemon juice or zest and I love it. I used to cook and bake more carefully with lemon and lime flavours but I became quite brave with it over the years. It doesn't have to be a shy add-on, it should stand out in many variations.
These flaky cookies are stuffed with lots of lemon zest, they fill the house with such a beautiful, warm and buttery citrus smell. It's absolutely lovely!
Maltese Lemon Christmas Cookies
Makes about 70 cookies
plain flour 160g / 1 1/4 cups
baking soda 1/2 teaspoon
cream of tartar 1/2 teaspoon
fine sea salt 1/8 teaspoon
butter, soft, 120g / 1/2 cup
granulated sugar 100g / 1/2 cup
vanilla pod 1/2, split and scraped
lemon zest, freshly grated, 1 1/2 teaspoons
organic egg 1
sugar sprinkles, for the topping
Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt in a large bowl.
In a second large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the egg and continue mixing until well combined. Add the dry flour mixture to the butter mixture and continue mixing with the dough hooks of an electric mixer until combined. Scrape the dough onto a piece of cling film, form a thick disc, wrap and freeze for 30-45 minutes or until the dough is hard.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) (preferably convection setting). Line 2 (or more) baking sheets with parchment paper.
Once the dough is hard, brake 1/4 off the dough and keep the remaining dough wrapped in cling film in the fridge. Lay a large piece of cling film on the kitchen counter and cover generously with flour, lay the dough on top, dust the dough with flour and cover with a second layer of cling film. Roll the dough out thinly with a rolling pin. The dough is quite buttery, if it sticks to the cling film, dust it with more flour. Dip the cookie cutters in flour and cut out cookies. Carefully transfer them to the lined baking sheets, spread them with a bit of space in between and decorate them generously with sprinkles. Continue with the remaining dough. Bake for 6-7 minutes (slightly longer if using conventional) or until golden. Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack.
When the cookies are completely cool, store them in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
A Cinnamon and Apple Crumble
This cake is a friend to keep! Crunchy, buttery cinnamon crumbles, a light and juicy base and lots of fruit! Depending on the season I use either apples, plums or rhubarb. The aromatic cinnamon fits perfectly to the three of them and adds the right flavour. I love this crumble all year round and I must confess that I actually bake it at least once a month. Either for tea time or for dessert together with vanilla ice cream or cinnamon whipped cream. It's also easy to prepare which is great when you have guests for a dinner party and it tastes so good! My friends love it as well and are always impressed by the "perfect" crumbles - it's not science, it's just about the right mixture.
Today, it's apple time! The sweetness of the cake and the sourness of my Boscoop apples are very well balanced. 10 people will sit at my dinner table tonight and I want a dessert which allows me to stay with my guests rather than in the kitchen. I bake my apple crumble in the morning, whip my cinnamon cream at night and I know that this dessert will tease lots of happy smiles!
Apple Cinnamon Crumble Cake
You need a 26cm /10" springform pan, buttered. Prepare the dough for the base first, cut your apples afterwards and prepare the crumbles at the end.
Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F.
The fruit
sour baking apples (like Boscoop) 5, peeled, cut in half and carved lengthwise around 6 times
For the base
I use spelt flour type 630 for the base and the crumbles but you can use any other plain flour.
butter 125g / 4.5 ounces
organic eggs 3
granulated sugar 125g / 4.5 ounces
plain flour 250g / 9 ounces
baking powder 2 teaspoons
vanilla sugar 1 teaspoon
a pinch of salt
Beat the butter till fluffy. Add the sugar, continue mixing and add the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour mixed with the baking powder, salt and the vanilla sugar and continue mixing until combined. Fill into your buttered springform.
Place the apples close to each other on the dough base in the springform and push them down a bit.
For the crumble
plain flour 200g / 7 ounces (you might need some more if the crumbles are too sticky)
granulated sugar 125g / 4.5 ounces
vanilla sugar 1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons
butter, melted, 125g / 4.5 ounces (plus more if the crumbles are too fine)
The crumbles need good preparation as you have to make sure that the mixture is neither too moist nor too dry. Have some extra flour and melted butter near at hand so that you can add some immediately if necessary.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Pour the melted butter on top and mix quickly with the hooks of your mixer, this shouldn't take longer than 15-20 seconds. If the crumbles are too moist and sticky add a bit more flour (1-2 tablespoons). If they are too fine and don't form bigger crumbles add more melted butter. Stop immediately when the mixture starts to get crumbly and spread quickly on top of the apples. If you have bigger lumps of crumbles you might have to separate and spread them.
Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until golden. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean, and let it cool.
Enjoy the crumble cake on its own or serve with vanilla ice cream or cinnamon whipped cream (200ml whipping cream, whipped with 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar).
Grown up Chocolate Cookies
This is already the beginning of my last cookie baking weekend before Christmas! I can't believe it, time flew - as always during Christmas season. I baked and ate so many cookies this year! Whenever friends came over we sat under our Christmas tree, enjoyed the festive mood and emptied the cookie boxes. But I can definitely take another round before closing the 2013 cookie season, so let's start!
If you don't really have a sweet tooth these will be your cookies! Bittersweet chocolate and lots of spices: cinnamon, coriander, cloves, aniseed and allspice. The texture is light and crumbly with a thin layer of melted dark chocolate on top. They taste grown up - dark, bittersweet and rich in flavours. I thought some foresty animal shapes would do them good.
Chocolate Spice Cookies
For around 80 cookies you need
plain flour 250g / 9 ounces
cocoa powder 50g / 2 ounces
icing sugar, 90g / 3 ounces
baking powder 1/4 teaspoon
butter, soft, 130g / 4.5 ounces
organic egg 1
cinnamon, ground, 1/2 teaspoon
cloves, ground, 8
coriander seeds, ground, 1 heaping teaspoon
aniseed, ground, 1/4 teaspoon
allspice berries, ground, 2
a pinch of salt
bittersweet chocolate, melted, to brush the cookies, 100g / 3.5 ounces, mixed with cinnamon (1/4 teaspoon) and Chinese 5 Spice (1/4 teaspoon) or some of your cookie spice mixture
Combine the dry ingredients (except the sugar). In a separate bowl, beat the butter till fluffy, add the sugar and continue mixing till combined. Add the egg and mix for another 2-3 minutes. Put the dry mixture into the bowl with the butter mixture and continue mixing with the hook of your mixer until you have a crumbly mixture. Form a disc, wrap in cling film and put in the freezer for 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll the dough out thinly (about 3mm) between cling film and cut out your cookies in whatever shape you like. Place your cookies on a baking sheet and bake them for 6 minutes. Let them cool and brush with the melted chocolate.
