Birthday Torta per la giovane fiorentina

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! LOVE YOUR LIFE AND BE ALWAYS HAPPY!

Inspired by Jamie Oliver's Torta della giovane Sara I created a birthday cake for my daughter living in Florence right now. 

Vik, if you liked the pictures and want to taste it in real-life, follow the recipe:

250g       butter, melted
500g       flour
4             eggs
300g       sugar
1             lemon or orange, peel and juice
1 sachet  of dry yeast ( 11g)
100g       pine nuts

Whisk the eggs together with the sugar until creamy. Add all the remaining ingredients but the pine nuts (the melted butter should be cooled down a bit) and mix well.
Fill the dough into a buttered baking form and sprinkle it with the pine nuts. Bake in a preheated oven (180°) for 30 - 40 minutes depending on the size of the baking forms. I took three small forms and let them in the oven for 35 minutes.
(I must confess, that I also sprinkled candied orange zests over the dough. CAUTION, they  didn't sink in but adopted the appearance of roasted onions. Luckily I could shake them off...) Enjoy!

27 february

Good Morning! ♥♥♥

Ground Peanut Brittle

Still ice on the lake today.

Schlossteich, Moritzburg

In my kitchen a bowl of leftover roasted and salted peanuts from the last party. STANDING THERE FOR DAYS. Strange ideas about  homemade peanut butter  had already passed my mind when I stumbled upon an amazing recipe in one of my favourite food Blogs  EatMakeRead by Kelly Carámbula.  Ground Peanut Brittle! After having left Kelly a spontaneous "Thank you"note I went straight to the kitchen to adapt her recipe to my needs.

This meant to wash off the surplus of salt, to dry and ground the peanuts. For the rest I followed Kelly's recipe to the letter.  DIVINE!

Happy Saturday!

Schlossteich,  Moritzburg

spring detox

Days are getting longer and brighter, sun is shining and even the birds sing in the morning (I don't know how they are able to in  -10°..).  This is the perfect moment to go for  the detox program!
Detox doesn't mean not to eat. It's not a diet. It's simply a spring-cleaning for the liver, the kidneys, the skin - and the whole rest of your body:

• start the day with a glass of lukewarm  slightly salted water and a few minutes of hula hoop
• drink two cups of nettle tea and plenty of water during the day
• eat "pure" food, which means non processed food, no instant microwave food
• eat much more fruit and vegetable you normally do
• use rather herbs than salt for seasoning
• drink less coffee and tea you normally do
• abstain from spirits (a good glass of wine is ok)
• eat a bit of dark chocolate if you are craving sweets
• finish the day with a glass of lukewarm slightly salted water and a few minutes of hula hoop

That's all - enjoy!

English Seed Cake

Had a cool morning with one of my best friends drinking café au lait, eating English Seed Cake and gossiping.

8:00 p.m.