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April 2010
The Simplest Chocolate Cookies |
120gr dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
1 egg
90gr butter
160gr brown sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
150gr flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt
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Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Melt butter in a small pan and set aside to cool. Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and set aside. In a big bowl mix the egg, butter and sugar together until creamy. Stir in the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, salt and the cooled chocolate. Put the dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to set. Then form little cookie balls out of the dough and place them on a tray lined with baking paper and bake them for 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the tray for a few minutes before carefully moving them to a wire rack to cool.
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March 2010
Guinness Chocolate Muffins |
100 dark chocolate (approx. 60% cocoa)
250gr butter
350gr brown sugar
220gr flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt
2 eggs
130gr sour cream
250ml Guinness
muffin paper cups and tin
makes 20 |
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally. Add Guinness to the mixture and whisk to combine. Stir in the sugar and mix well. In another big bowl mix the flour with the baking powder, forming a little 'dell' in the middle, set aside. Again in a seperate small bowl add the eggs and sour cream and mix to combine, set aside.
Now pour the egg-sour cream mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk thouroughly. Then pour the whole into the dell of drys and whisk from the middle out into a fluffy batter. Put your muffin paper cups in the muffin tin and fill them evenly. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.
Cool the Muffins for 5 minutes in the tin before putting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
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January 2010
Whole Wheat Apple Muffins |
120gr flour
120gr whole wheat flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
240gr brown sugar
1 EL cinnamon
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of brown sugar
1 egg
120gr butter (room temperature)
230gr sour cream
2 sourish apples
(peeled, cored and coarsley chopped)
muffin paper cups and tin |
Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Mix together all the dry ingredients in a bowl (the flours, baking powder and soda, cinnamon and salt) and set aside. In a separate big bowl whisk the butter and add the sugar, mix until creamy. Add the egg and beat to combine. Fold in the sour cream and the chopped apples gently. Then stir in the dry ingredients with a spatula.
Put your muffin paper cups in the muffin tin and fill them evenly. Sprinkle some brown sugar on top and bake for 5 minutes. Then turn the heat down to 190°C and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin before putting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
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December 2009
Apple Cinnamon Swirls |
 300gr Pastry
(at will: puff or danish pastry)
2 apples, sourish
1 half lime (juice)
3tbsp brown sugar
1tbsp cinnamon
1egg, beaten
1tbsp cream
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Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Roll out the pastry with a rolling pin (rectangular shape). Peel the apples, dice them and cover them with the juice of half a lime.
Mix together the sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle it over the pastry with the diced apples. Roll up the pastry firmly.
Now cut minimum 1cm thick swirls out of the pastry, place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. MIx together the beaten egg and the cream and brush the swirsl with the mixture. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
The perfect treat with a with a freshly made hot chocolate.
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November 2009
Melanies Carrot-Cake Deluxe |
300gr sugar
5 egg yolks
5 egg whites
300gr ground almonds
300gr carrots, grated
Zest of one lemon
4tbsp cornflour
2tbsp Kirsch
1tsp baking powder
1/2tsp cinnamon
3tbsp apricot marmalade
8-12 marzipan carrots, to decorate
Glazing:
1 egg white
3tbsp lemonjuice
1-2tbsp water
1 cakeform (diameter 25cm) |
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Add the ground almonds, carrots, lemon zest, cornflour, Kirsch, baking powder and the cinnamon and mix well. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks. Carefully mix the whites with the cake mixture using a spatula. Poor the mixture in the cakeform and bake for 1 hour. Let the cake cool down.
In the meantime heat the apricot marmalade in a small saucepan and cover the cooled carrot cake with it. For the glazing beat 1 egg white until they hold soft peaks. Add the lemonjuice and water, mix well and poor over the carrot cake. Decorate with the marzipan carrots.
Melanie's tipp: The cake tastes even better the day after!
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October 2009
Chocolate Ghostie Gugelhopf |
250gr flour
200gr sugar
100gr ground almonds
100gr finely chopped macadamia nuts
50gr cocoa powder
2tsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt
4 eggs
200gr butter, melted & cooled
150ml strong espresso
150gr dark chocolate 70% roughly chopped
180gr dark chocolate couverture
Marshmallows (as many as you like)
A Gugelhopf or a cake form
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Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan and set aside to cool. Chop the macadamia nuts then the chocolate and set aside. Make the espresso and leave to cool as well.
In a large bowl mix together the following dry ingredients: sugar, ground almonds, macadamia nuts, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Then beat the eggs with the melted butter and pour the mixture to the dry ingredients together with the cooled espresso and mix thoroughly. Let the cake mixture rest for about 3 minutes before folding in the chopped chocolate with a spatula.
Pour the mixture into your Gugelhopf-form and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. When using a regular rectangle cakeform be sure to shorten the baking process to 30 to 40 minutes. In either way make the knife-test to see if the cake is ready.
In the meantime melt the chocolate couverture in a small bowl over a pan of simmering hot water. Then begin to paint faces on the marshmallows. I usually use a regular toothpick as a paint brush.
When the cake is ready remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool for a few minutes before covering generously with the chocolate couverture and decorating it with the chocolate ghosties.
Boooo-hoooooo! :) *HAPPY HALLOWEENIE*
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September 2009
Crunchy Plum-Bites |
makes approx. 12
350gr ripe plums
1 tsp honey
puff astry approx. 300gr, rolled out
100gr icing sugar
70gr flaked almonds
30gr butter
1 tbsp water
1 egg, beaten
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Wash the plums, pit & quarter them and place them in a small bowl. Add the honey and mix. Roast the flaked almonds in a small pan until golden and set aside.
Cut the puff pastry into 10x10cm small squares. Place them on a tray lined with baking paper. Divide the plums on to the puff pastry (skin side down). Coat the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg and bake for about 15 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
Almond brittle
Melt the butter in a small pan. Add the icing sugar and water, stir occasionally over high heat until the sugar is caramelized. Now add the flaked almonds and mix well until all of them are covered in caramel.
The almond brittle is now very hot. For that reason make use of two teaspoons to divide the almond brittle on the plum-pastries. This should be done as quickly as possible as the caramelized sugar tends to harden quite fast when cooling down.
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August 2009
Anima Pompon's Eton Mess |
Recipe for 2:
200gr strawberries
1 tbsp redcurrant jam
1 tsp sugar
vanilla extract of 1 vanilla pod
2 tbsp icing sugar
100ml cream
180gr sour cream
50-80gr roughly chopped meringues
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Chop half the strawberries and place them in a blender together with the redcurrant jam and the icing sugar. Mix the berries to a puree then pass it through a sieve to remove the seeds. Cut the rest of the strawberries in half and marinate them with the sugar.
Place the cream in a bowl and whip until fluffy and creamy. With a spoon carefully mix in the sour cream, icing sugar and the vanilla extract. Then gently fold in the chopped meringues and the marinated strawberries. Then add approx. half of the strawberry sauce and mix gently to give the cream a marbled effect.
Finally scoop the cream into a serving dish and top with the rest of the strawberry sauce.
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July 2009
Toblerone-Cookies |
200gr dark Toblerone chocolate
100gr dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
100gr butter (room temperature)
200gr brown sugar
vanilla extract of 1 vanilla pod
1 egg
200gr flour
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. water
2 baking trays for 15 to 20 cookies
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Preheat the oven to 170°C.
Melt the chocolate in a small bowl over a pan of simmerig water. Set aside to cool down a bit. Roughly chop the Toblerone chocolate and set aside.
Place the butter and the sugar in a big bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until light and creamy (this will take you at least 5 to 8 minutes). Add the egg and the vanilla extract and beat for further 2 minutes.
Now add the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, melted chocolate and stir through. The texture is typically crumbly for a cookie dough. Add 2 tbsp. of water and form little cookie balls by hand (diameter of approx. 5cm). Place them on a tray lined with baking paper and bake them for 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the tray for a few minutes before carefully moving them to a wire rack to cool.
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June 2009
MIni-Cakes with Blueberry-Glazing |
Dough (for a brownie tray 20 x 30cm)
2 eggs
170gr brown sugar
2 oranges (zest and juice approx. 200ml)
2 tsp. vanilla sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
200gr flour
pinch of salt
140gr butter, melted
Glazing
70gr blueberries
150gr icing sugar
30gr blueberries for decor
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Preheat the oven to 200C.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan and let it cool down. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until creamy, for approx. 3 minutes. Add the vanilla sugar, orange zest and orange juice and mix well. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, a pinch of salt and mix to combine.
Now stir in the melted butter. Then fill the dough in the brownie tray (20cm x 30cm). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is ready.
For the glazing purée the blueberries with the icing sugar and spread the glazing equally on top of the cake. Cut in brownie-shaped squares and decorate with the fresh berries.
Because of the freshness of the glazing eat within 2 days.
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May 2009
Irene's Austrian Linzertorte |
250gr soft butter (room temperature)
200gr caster sugar
2 eggs
200gr grounded almonds
50gr dark chocolate finely chopped
2 tbsp. Kirsch
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of clove powder
pinch of salt
230gr flour
200gr apricot or raspberry jam
1 egg yolk
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Grease your cakeform (approx. 22cm calibre) and set aside. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
In a large bowl mix together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs and mix them thoroughly at least for 3 minutes. Add the grounded almonds, mix well before adding the chopped chocolate and the Kirsch to the mixture. Then again, mix well. Now add the sifted flour, clove powder and cinnamon to the cake dough and mix to combine.
Take about 7/8 of the dough and cover the floor and border of the cakeform with it. The dough is quite soft and squashy at this point, so don't hesitate to make use of your fingers. Now arrange the jam on the floor (not the border). If you can't decide which jam you'd like for your Linzertorte just take both of them by simply filling the centre with the apricot and the edge the with raspberry jam.
Add the flour (30gr) to the remaining 1/8 dough and knead until smooth. You can give your cake a rustic look by coasting the dough and cutting it into stripes for the classic lattice design or you can knead the dough by hand into "dough-snakes" and carefully cover the cake with a floral design (as shown on the picture above).
Coat the decoration and the edges with the egg yolk and bake the Linzertorte for 40 minutes. Let the cake cool down.
Indulge yourself with a big slice and a hot cuppa or a Cinnamon Latte Macciato.
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April 2009
Easter Chocolate Brownies |
Brownie-Dough (for a brownie tray 20 x 30cm)
200gr dark chocolate
200gr butter
100gr sugar
2 big tbsp. Golden Sirup
3 eggs
70gr flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Hazelnut Ganache
150gr dark chokolate
200ml cream
60gr hazlenuts
40gr brown sugar
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Preheat the oven to 200°C. For the gananche roast the hazelnuts for 5 minutes. Careful not to overcook, they then tend to get bitter. Put the sugar with the water in a little saucepan and warm it up until the mixture becomes sirupy. Add the hazelnuts and cover them with the sirup. Place them on baking paper and let them cool down. Now chaff the caramelized nuts in an automatic chopper and set aside.
Carefully melt the chocolate with the cream in a small saucepan until smooth and creamy. Stir in the hazlenuts and put everything in the fridge (for about 40 minutes) until the mixture gets firmer but still stays creamy.
Now preheat the oven to 190°C. For the brownie dough carefully melt the chocolate with the butter in a litte saucepan on low heat. Poor the mixture in a bowl and stir in the sugar and the Golden Sirup. Let the mixture cool down a bit before beating in the eggs one by one. Make sure to beat in the eggs really well until the mixture gets a creamy and shiny texture.
Mix the flour, baking powder and baking soda and sift everything into the brownie mixture. Stir well and poor the dough in the brownie tray. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Let the dough cool down, cover generously with the hazelnut ganache and cut into cubes. Decorate the brownies with a marzipan egg to your liking. HAPPY EASTER :)
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March 2009
Carinthian Raindling à la Mme de Pompon |
Dough:
500gr flour
1 cube of yeast (40gr)
1 egg
130gr sugar
150ml lukewarm milk
scratch out 1/2 vanilla pod
80gr butter, melted
pinch of salt
Filling:
1.5 tbsp. cinnamon
5 tbsp. sugar
40gr butter, melted
handful of raisins or little apple dices from 1 apple (for the raisin boycotter)
1 tbsp. cream
cake tin 35cm length
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Put the flour in a large bowl and build a dent in the middle. Crumble the yeast with 2 tsp. sugar and the lukewarm milk in the dent and mix with a fork until mushy. Cover up the bowl with a cloth and leave the little mushy dough ("dampfl" as austrians say) in a warm place to rise for 20 minutes.
Add the eggs, the rest of the sugar, the vanilla, pinch of salt and the melted butter and knead the dough first with the dough hook and and after that by hand for at least 15 minutes until the dough is smooth and doesn't stick to the bowl. Is the dough to smooth or to floury add a little milk or flour. Leave the dough in a warm place to rise for one hour, it should double in size.
In the meantime combine the cinnamon with the sugar. Melt the butter in a small saucepan & let it cool. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
After one hour roll the dough out to 5mm. Coat the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle over the cinnamon sugar and the raisins or apples and roll up the dough firmly.
Line the cake tin with baking paper and put in the Reindling. Brush the cream on the loaf and bake for an hour in the oven.
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February 2009
Orange and Poppy Seed Muffin |
makes 16
2 eggs
170gr sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla sugar
2 oranges (zest and juice approx. 200ml)
200gr flour
pinch of salt
2 tbsp. poppy seeds
140gr butter, melted
glazing
100gr icing sugar
zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
50ml orange juice
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Preheat the oven to 190°C. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and let it cool down.
Mix the eggs and sugar in a bowl until creamy. Add the vanilla sugar, orange zest and orange juice and mix well. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, a pinch of salt and mix to combine.
Now stir in the melted butter and add the poppy seeds. Fill your muffin paper cups evenly and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
For the glazing mix all the ingredients together and coat the lukewarm muffins.
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January 2009 (2)
Pipa's warm chocolate muffin |
makes 10
110gr flour
150gr sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tbs. cocoa powder
2 eggs
120gr dark chocolate
100gr butter, melted
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Preheat the oven to 190°C. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and let it cool down. Mix the melted butter with the eggs and sugar in a bowl until light and creamy.
Stir in the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and mix well. Portion the half of the muffin mixture in the muffin paper cups. Roughly chop the dark chocolate and generously smush the large pieces in the centre of the muffins (this will be the melting core of the muffin). Fill the muffin-cups with the rest of the dough and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Let them cool down for 2 minutes and serve warm.
Delicious with vanilla ice cream.
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January 2009 (1)
Black and white chocolate muffin |
300gr flour
180gr brown sugar
2 tbs. cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
100gr dark chocolate
100gr white chocolate
3 eggs
200ml milk
100gr butter, melted
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Preheat the oven to 200°C. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, let it cool down and set aside. Roughly chop the dark and white chocolate, set aside.
Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and the cocoa powder in a large bowl. In another bowl mix the dissolved butter with the eggs, pour in the milk and mix to combine. Pour the butter-egg-milk mixture into the flour mixture and beat to combine for about 2-3 minutes and then let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
Stir in the chopped chocolate and fill your muffin paper cups evenly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins.
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November 2008
Onion Marmalade |
2kg red onions
4 garlic cloves
3 tbs. olive oil
150gr brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
750ml red wine
250ml sherry vinegar
2 tbs. worcestershire sauce
2-3 tbs. cranberry marmalade |
Halve and thinly slice the onions and the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Fry the onions and the garlic and give them a good stir. Sprinkle over the sugar, salt and pepper. Give everything another good stir and reduce the heat slightly. Cook the onions gently over medium heat for approximately 45 minutes uncovered and stir occasionally.
When the onions are soft and sticky and all the juice has evaporated pour in the wine, vinegar and worcestershire sauce and simmer everything over a high heat for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally, still uncovered, until the liquid has reduced by about two thirds and the juice is sirupy. Stir in the cranberry marmalade and let everything cool down in the pan.
Scoop into preserving jars and pasteurise. Keeps in fridge for up to 3 months.
Simply yummy with your favourite cheese or paté.
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October 2008
Oatmeal-Chocolate-Chip Cookies |
200gr butter (room temperature/soft)
250gr brown sugar
2 tbs. honey
1 egg
250gr flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
200gr rolled oats
80gr hazelnut, chopped
100gr dark chocolate, roughly chopped
2 tbs. water |
Preheat the oven to 180°C . Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. In a seperate bowl mix the butter, sugar and honey until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and beat to combine for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour- to the butter-mixture and mix well. Then stir in the rolled oats, hazelnuts and the rougly chopped chocolate. Add the water and mix again.
Place big tablespoons of dough on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, allowing room for the cookies to spread (approx. 5cm). Depending on how big the cookies are, bake for 10 to 20 minutes until golden.
Let them cool down and enjoy.
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September 2008
Plum Crumble |
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1 kg fresh plums
80gr butter (room temperature / softened)
1 orange (zest and juice)
3 tbs. honey
50gr brown sugar
80gr flour
100gr rolled oats
60gr shortbread
1 pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Pit the plums, quarter them and put them in an ovenproof dish. Wash the orange, grate the orange zest and squeeze out the juice. Mix the honey with the zest and juice and pour the mixture over the plums.
Place the flour, sugar, rolled oats, softened butter and the crushed shortbread in a bowl and stir to combine until you get a crumbly texture. Spoon the oat-mixure over the plums and bake for about 35 minutes until the topping is golden and crisp.
Best served hot with yummy homemade vanilla ice cream.
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August 2008
Chocolate coated Coffee beans |
200gr Coffee or Espresso beans
100gr dark chocolate coating
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spread the coffee beans on a baking tray and roast them for about 10 minutes. Take them out of the oven let them cool. Meanwhile put the dark chocolate coating in a glass bowl and place it over a saucepan filled with hot water over medium heat. Stir until melted and glossy. Add the coffee beans and stir until they're covered.
Take out the beans with a fork, lay them on baking paper and let them cool. When the chocolate is cooled down and smooth, roll them in cocoa powder: A bitter-sweet nibble to your favourite coffee. |
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