homemade eggnog from scratch

This is quite a different "golden milk" than the one in my  previous post. Definitely none of its ingredients belongs to the category health food. But MIND OVER MATTER: Christine's homemade eggnog is so delicious (added to any dessert) that it certainly does have a positive effect on well-being. 

When I asked her to pass the recipe on to my readers, she popped up in my kitchen with a basket full of her preferred ingredients ready to give me the masterclass.

Ingredients:

10 fresh egg yolks

500ml milk

500g icing sugar

1 vanilla pod, scraped

400ml Schnaps (it should be a high percentage, clear spirit; Christine prefers 69,5% Prima Sprit)

Slowly bring the milk, the sugar and the vanilla to a boil, continuously stirring. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Separate the egg-whites from the yolks, discard the whites.

Pour the sweet vanilla milk into the blender. Run the blender at lowest speed and add the yolks. Once they are blended in, slowly add the spirit in a fine and even stream. That's it!

The eggnog should be stored in a cool and dark place. If you keep it in the fridge it will become quite solid after a while.

First snow and Bratäpfel

Totally unexpected we woke up to a white Christmas morning. Inspired by the magic of the snow I prepared some Bratäpfel in grandma's copper snail pot ( this pot has 12 small dents to fit the snail shells, but we weren't planning to use it for the original purpose any time soon).

Quick recipe: remove centre of apple with the seeds and stem, fill with almond butter, plum jam  and pistachios, sprinkle with cinnamon. No need to add sugar. Bake for 20 minutes at 200°C. They will turn out delicious sitting in a buttery juice.

Donna Hay's pear tart

This wonderful pear tart just breathes autumn. I freshly ground the almonds and the whole-wheat in my Vitamix. Instead of buttermilk I used almond milk. Happy sunny autumn!

Pear Tart 

3/4 cup (115g) whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup (40) ground almonds
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup 880ml) maple syrup or light agave syrup
1 egg
3/4 cup (180ml) buttermilk
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
40g unsalted butter , melted
2 firm pears, peeled, cored and sliced (I took Conference.)
2 tablespoons raw sugar

Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Place the flour,ground almonds and baking powder in a bowl and mix to combine. In a separate bowl, mix together the maple syrup, egg, buttermilk/almond milk, lemon rind and cinnamon.Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients with the butter and mix to combine. Line the base of a greased 24cm loose.bottom tart tin with non-sticking baking paper. Pour the mixture into the tin and smooth the top.
Arrange the pears over the top and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

gingerbread berries and Caesar's potato salad

I love to bring something homemade to a barbecue with friends. Yesterday I fancied to prepare a potato salad with a  Caesar dressing and to experiment with mixed berries, Greek yoghurt and authentic gingerbread brought from my last visit to the English Lakelands.

The ingredients: gingerbread minced in a blender, greek yoghurt mixed with chantilly, topped with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, woodland strawberries and juneberries.

Usually the way you prepare a potato salad reveals the region of Germany you come from. If it's made with mayo or broth, if it carries pickled gherkins, pieces of sausage or lots of fresh herbs. Yesterday I decided to try something new. Here are my ingredients:

Potato salad with Caesar dressing
2 kg potatoes, cooked and sliced
4 yellow tomatoes
4 spring onions
a bunch of radishes
parsley and chives

For the dressing:
a piece of grated parmesan
4 chopped anchovis
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
the juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon mustard
liberal amounts of black pepper, salt, olive oil and vinegar

rhubarb, three in one

Being the first rhubarb of the season so exquisitely young and tender I simply

• wash the stems
• cut them into pieces
• put them into a baking dish
• sprinkle with enough sugar to generate some syrup
• add slices of lemon, orange or kumquats
• and bake for about half an hour

to obtain a whole variety of rhubarby possibilities.

The exact "how to" you find here (by David Tanis) and here (by Rose Carrarini).

1) I enjoy the rhubarb right from the oven: hot or cooled down with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

2) I use the solid parts to let them sink into a batter for a delicious fruit cake

3) I purée the syrup and slices of lemon together with beetroot, apple and ginger for a sweet and bright magenta smoothie.

Tarte au Citron, the quintessential Frenchness

When I was searching the internet for a lemon tart recipe ( it should be quick, easy and the best ever) I found so many enticing pictures, I read so many recipes that I ended up combining my own experience as a home baker with a bunch of helpful advice from the blogosphere.


For the topping:
Thinly slice a lemon. Remove the seeds.
In a small saucepan add 3 tbs sugar and half a cup of water and stir to combine. Place over low heat, dip the lemon slice and let simmer for about 15 minutes or until the pulp looks transparent. Let them rest and cool down in the liquid.

For the crust:

200g butter
100g sugar
300g flour
a dash of pure vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
a pinch of lemon myrtle
1 egg

Combine the ingredients and make a smooth dough with your hands. Press the dough into a baking form and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 175°C.
Bake the crust until light golden brow, about 15 minutes.

For the filling:
4 tbs sugar
3 large eggs
1 tbs lemon zest
freshly squeezed juice of 1 1/2 lemons
2 tbs corn flour

Whisk sugar and eggs until creamy, add the zest, the juice and the cornflour. Pour the filling into the crust and continue baking until the filling is set.

Arrange the previously cooked slices on the tart, dust with powder sugar and enjoy!

dates stuffed with orange scented almond paste, dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt

Date delicious! Datemania! Date away! Date divine!

The making of:

To prepare them in your own kitchen you need:

dates

marzipan

the peel of an orange, zested

dark chocolate, melted

Maldon Sea Salt

a bain-marie to melt the chocolate

2 forks to dip the dates

GreekYoghurt with Chia Seeds, Honey and Roasted Nuts

Inspired by smittenkitchen's yoghurt panna cotta with honey and walnuts I created a simple version of this delicious summer dessert using chia seeds. The chia seeds are a great substitute for gelatine, furthermore they add texture and a cute polka dot effect.

Here is my simplified recipe:

500g Greek yoghurt

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons chia seeds

Mix and chill in the fridge for about 1 hour.

In the meantime roast the nuts you like: walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, almonds.

Cover the  thickened yoghurt with a layer of honey (I prefer chestnut or lavender honey)...

 .... and top with the roasted nuts. Enjoy!

David Lebovitz' Strawberry- Rhubarb Sorbet

I just wanted to share with you another extraordinary recipe from The Perfect Scoop. The first regional strawberries combine to a truly enticing sorbet with the last rhubarb from neighbour's garden!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Sorbet

325g rhubarb
160ml water (or white wine)
150g sugar

300g strawberries, rinsed and hulled
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon Cointreau (my spontaneous addition)


Wash the rhubarb stalks and trim the stem and leaf ends. Cut the rhubarb into 2cm pieces.
Place the rhubarb, water (or wine), and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes , or until the rhubarb is tender and cooked through. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Slice the strawberries and purée them with a the cooked rhubarb mixture and lemon juice in a blender until smooth.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker. Decorate with a mint leaf and enjoy!

David Tanis' Rhubarb Kumquat Compote

I'd like to recommend you the cookbook A platter of figs by David Tanis. He celebrates radical simplicity, the idea of eating with the seasons, the mastery of perfect cooking and unexpected composition.
Good food has not to be fussy, simplicity is the key!

I love each one of his 24 menus in A platter of figs (6 menus for each season of the year). The Rhubarb Kumquat Compote is part of spring menu n° 6 "Duck for Dinner". Did I intrigue you?  Well, menu n° 6 comprises Crabmeat and Parsley Salad as a starter, followed by Five Spice Duck with Buttered Turnips and Fried Ginger - and as a sweet ending:

Rhubarb Kumquat Compote

2 pounds rhubarb
12 kumquats, sliced

1 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Trim and destring the rhubarb, then slice into small pieces.
Put the rhubarb and the kumquats in a bowl and mix well with the sugar. Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the rhubarb is soft. Cool to room temperature.

Serve the rhubarb with plenty of sauce and a dab of Crème Fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, with whipped cream or plain whole-milk yoghurt.

Patisserie & Café Émoi

Nancy et moi, went to Cafe Émoi today. Excuse my very German Sparwitz in the introduction but a good opportunity for a non funny joke could not be missed under any circumstances.

Café Émoi, a bright and modern place, offers your tastebuds the rare experience of French handmade tarts.

White and pink, crystal chandeliers in the sitting area add Frenchness and elegance.
The long counter in the heart of the Café is loaded with little tarts, croissants and cakes. Mr. George,  patissier and owner of Émoi starts to work on his creations at 3:30 in the morning.
He was so kind to meet us and dedicate us some of his time.  He told us that he had lived the life of a globetrotter before he settled in Dresden, close to his hometown Meissen.  France, Belgium, Spain, England, Mexico - just to name some of the countries where he lived and worked in patisseries and restaurants pushing his art to perfection.

However much passion he dedicates to his work the love of his life is his beautiful wife, whom he met in Mexico.

Nancy and I tried a choice of Zupfkuchen and lemon tart, a glass of dill scented pannacotta with mango, a pear and chocolat tart and cherry hazelnut biscuit. All of them delicious!  There is also a bakery shelf with German bread and rolls.
Breakfast with coffee or tea, croissants, homemade jams, eggs and ham is available.

Visit Émoi on https://www.facebook.com/emoi.dresden to find more "sweet" pictures.

Patisserie & Café Émoi
Kamenzer Str. 40
01099 Dresden
Tel. 0351 804 38 14

100 ayurvedic cookies

My dear readers, this is not a joke, I really mean one hundred cookies!

Antje passed by and brought me a nice little paper bag filled with some super healthy cookies. When I later asked her for the recipe, she sent me the below:

Ayurvedic cookies

18 cups oat flakes
3 cups sunflower seeds
3 cups raisins (soaked in warm water, strained)
3 ts salt
6 ts cinnamon
3/4 ts clove powder
3/4 ts ginger powder
3/4 ts pure vanilla powder
12 cups whole wheat flour, freshly ground
1 1/2 sachets baking powder
6 x 250g butter
1 1/2 cups whole cane sugar
3 cups honey

Mix the dry ingredients with the raisins. Melt the butter and dissolve the sugar in the liquid butter. Add the honey and stir well. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients, stir and let cool down.
Stir again.
Presss dough into the plastic lid of a honey jar and discharge it on a baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 15 minutes at 170-180°C.

A short extract of our email conversation: 

B: Are you sure about the quantities? It seems to be a lot..

A: Yes, yields about 80-100 cookies, depending on the size, and this is only half the recipe

B: what the hell do you do with so many cookies?

A: they make you come over the winter and people love them, they are a kind of Lembas, you know, the elves' bread in the Lord of the Rings...

Tomorrow is St. Valentine!

Julie's clafouti

A clafouti is a great summer cake. It has no crumbly, greasy "floor", but is juicy and moist and fruity and still doesn't fall apart. Julie, originally from France, to be precise la Bretagne, makes the best clafouti I have ever tried. Of course I had to get the recipe and her permission to pass it on to my dear readers!

Julie's clafouti


150g flour
4 eggs
80-100g sugar
80g melted butter
1/2l lukewarm milk

300g fruit (cherries, plums, blueberries....)

Butter your baking dish.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Blend eggs and sugar.
Add melted butter, flour, milk in that order.
Spread out fruit on the baking dish.
Pour the batter over the fruit.
Bake for approx. 35mins.
Dust with powdered sugar.

Serve cold or warm.

My contribution to a Welcome-the-New-Argentinian-Colleague Dinner: Saffron Ice Cream with Vanilla-Poached Quinces

My friend Carina is working together with scientists from all over the world in the  Dresden Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics. The newest member of the group has just arrived from Argentina, is freezing, has no car, doesn't know anyone and has not made friends with his kitchen yet.

To put him out of his misery Carina organized a welcome dinner.
I hope he enjoys my dessert:

Saffron Ice Cream with Vanilla-Poached Quinces 
inspired by David Lebovitz' recipe from The Perfect Scoop

For the ice cream:

125 ml  (1/2 cup) whole milk or rice/soy milk
250ml  (1 cup) heavy cream or Oatly Cuisine
100g  (1/2 cup) sugar
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon kirsch

Warm the milk, the cream and sugar in a sauce pan. Remove from the heat and add the saffron. Pour into a small bowl and steep in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
Rewarm the saffron- infused mixture in a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm saffron mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Then scrape the mixture back into the sauce pan.
Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Stir until cool over an ice bath. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator. Before freezing it in your ice cream maker add a teaspoon of kirsch. If you are a paella lover you may like to add a teaspoon kirsch to disguise the possibly upcoming reminiscence!

For the poached quinces:

3 quinces (1kg)
300g sugar
1 vanilla bean
1l water

Peel and quarter the quinces, remove the cores. Heat 300g (1 1/2 cups) sugar, 1l water, and 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise. While the syrup is heating cut the quinces into small slices.
Add the quinces to the syrup, cover with a round of parchment paper and cook at a gentle simmer for about 1 1/2 hours until the quince slices are rosy and tender. Let cool to room temperature.

Serve the quince slices with a scoop of saffron ice cream and with the delicious poaching syrup.

Just thought,  it would also make a nice dessert for the Christmas dinner...

Happy Saturday!

Exciting strawberries: David's sorbet and #9 Kelly's rickshaw

Since strawberries are in full season now (we can pick them ourselves in endless strawberry fields nearby), I have been looking for some more exciting recipes than the familiar cakes, creams and yoghurts.

Here is the result of my research:

The  STRAWBERRY SORBET comes from David Lebovitz' book The perfect Scoop, the best ice cream book I ever owned.

Every so often I prepared it, it disappeared in the twinkling of an eye. Believe me, it's best florentine Grom quality!

To make it in your own kitchen you need:

500g fresh and ripe strawberries
150g sugar
1 teaspoon kirsch
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
pinch of salt

Slice the strawberries and toss them in a medium bowl with the sugar and kirsch, stirring until the sugar begins to dissolve. Cover and let stand for an hour, stirring every so often.
Purée the strawberries and the lemon juice in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze in your ice cream maker.

And when the night comes I recommend the STRAWBERRY RICKSHAW...

I found this cocktail in eat make read ; it's just awesome!

I love to visit this Blog, because apart from sharing super creative happy hour cocktails (Zucchinitini the latest one)  Kelly has always amazing recipes and readings to offer . Check it out, I'm sure you'll love it too!

The recipe for the strawberry rickshaw you find here.  Enjoy!

sweet, strong and very italian - granita de caffé

Granita de Caffé

1l espresso or very strongly brewed coffee

300g sugar

Mix the warm espresso with the sugar until the sugar is dissolved. When cooled down, place the mixture in the freezer. Once it begins to freeze around the edges, take a fork and stir the mixture, breaking up the frozen parts from the edges into smaller chunks and raking them toward the centre.

Return the dish to the freezer and repeat the procedure from time to time until you have beautiful, fine crystals of homemade granita.

Have a sunny day!