French Madeleines

"I raised to my lips a spoonful of the cake . . . a shudder ran through my whole body and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary changes that were taking place." 

(Marcel Proust (1871-1922)
‘Remembrance of Things Past’)

catching some summer memories......

• 2 eggs
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• 100g butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus extra for greasing
  
  
  
  
  1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Brush the madeleine tray with melted butter then shake in a little flour to coat, tapping out the excess.
     
     
  2. Whisk together the eggs and the sugar in a bowl until frothy. Lightly whisk in the remaining ingredients. Leave to stand for 20 minutes before carefully pouring into the prepared madeleine tray.
     
     
  3. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the mixture has risen a little in the middle and is fully cooked through. Transfer the madeleines to a wire rack and leave for a few minutes to cool slightly. These are best eaten within an hour of cooking.
     
  
  
  
  
  
  

Dark Chocolate -Espresso Brownie (by me) and One Step- No Churn Espresso Ice Cream (by Nigella Lawson)

brownie taste like chocolate heaven with a espresso kick and the ice cream incredible creamy!

Recipe 

Dark Chocolate - Espresso Brownie

• 185g unsalted butter
• 185g dark chocolate
• 85g plain flour
• 40g cocoa powder
• 4 tbp Instant Espresso Powder
• 50g milk chocolate
• 3 large eggs
• 275g golden caster sugar

Cut 185g unsalted butter into smallish cubes and tip into a medium bowl. Break 185g dark chocolate into small pieces and drop into the bowl. Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full with hot water, then sit the bowl on top so it rests on the rim of the pan, not touching the water. Put over a low heat until the butter and chocolate have melted, stirring occasionally to mix them. Now remove the bowl from the pan. Alternatively, cover the bowl loosely with cling film and put in the microwave for 2 minutes on High. Leave the melted mixture to cool to room temperature.
While you wait for the chocolate to cool, position a shelf in the middle of your oven and turn the oven on to fan 160C/conventional 180C/gas 4 (most ovens take 10-15 minutes to heat up). Using a shallow 20cm square tin, cut out a square of non-stick baking parchment to line the base. Now tip 85g plain flour and 40g cocoa powder into a sieve held over a medium bowl, and tap and shake the sieve so they run through together and you get rid of any lumps.
With a large sharp knife cut 50g milk chocolate into chunks on a board. And add 4 tbsp instant Espresso Powder.

The slabs of chocolate will be quite hard, so the safest way to do this is to hold the knife over the chocolate and press the tip down on the board, then bring the rest of the blade down across the chocolate. Keep on doing this, moving the knife across the chocolate to chop it into pieces, then turn the board round 90 degrees and again work across the chocolate so you end up with rough squares.
Break 3 large eggs into a large bowl and tip in 275g golden caster sugar. With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar until they look thick and creamy, like a milk shake. This can take 3-8 minutes, depending on how powerful your mixer is, so don’t lose heart. You’ll know it’s ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume. Another check is to turn off the mixer, lift out the beaters and wiggle them from side to side. If the mixture that runs off the beaters leaves a trail on the surface of the mixture in the bowl for a second or two, you’re there.

Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula. Plunge the spatula in at one side, take it underneath and bring it up the opposite side and in again at the middle. Continue going under and over in a figure of eight, moving the bowl round after each folding so you can get at it from all sides, until the two mixtures are one and the colour is a mottled dark brown. The idea is to marry them without knocking out the air, so be as gentle and slow as you like – you don’t want to undo all the work you did in step 4.
Hold the sieve over the bowl of eggy chocolate mixture and resift the cocoa and flour mixture, shaking the sieve from side to side, to cover the top evenly. Gently fold in this powder using the same figure of eight action as before. The mixture will look dry and dusty at first, and a bit unpromising, but if you keep going very gently and patiently, it will end up looking gungy and fudgy. Stop just before you feel you should, as you don’t want to overdo this mixing. Finally, stir in the white and milk chocolate chunks until they’re dotted throughout. Now your mixing is done and the oven can take over.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping every bit out of the bowl with the spatula. Gently ease the mixture into the corners of the tin and paddle the spatula from side to side across the top to level it. Put in the oven and set your timer for 25 minutes. When the buzzer goes, open the oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, it’s not quite done, so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin. Take out of the oven.

Leave the whole thing in the tin until completely cold, then, if you’re using the brownie tin, lift up the protruding rim slightly and slide the uncut brownie out on its base. If you’re using a normal tin, lift out the brownie with the foil. Cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into four squares and finally into triangles. These brownies are so addictive you’ll want to make a second batch before the first is finished, but if you want to make some to hide away for a special occasion, it’s useful to know that they’ll keep in an airtight container for a good two weeks and in the freezer for up to a month.

For the One Step Espresso Ice Cream:

 http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/ONE-STEP-NO-CHURN-COFFEE-ICE-CREAM-5550

Cantuccini/Almond Biscotti

Espresso!...... solo con cantuccinis.

I spent a lot of summers in Italy when I was younger and I remember this easy but incredible good cooking of the italian Grannys ....they always pass by at our Vacation house with some homemade food. This recipe is from Nonna Paola a good friend of my parents who always pass by with Biscottis and I love her Cantuccinis....when I was younger with hot chocolate and today with a strong espresso.


60g softened butter
250g white sugar
1 teaspoons of vanilla sugar
Grated zest of either 1 orange
2 eggs
400g Flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
200g whole almond with the skin
2 tablespoons Amaretto Liquor

Mix the flour with baking powder, then add sugar, vanilla sugar. orange zest and salt. Form into a mound with a hollow in the middle.


Pour the butter, eggs and the amaretto liquor into it and knead to a dough. Knead in the chopped almonds. Form the dough to a ball, adding more flour if necessary. 

Cover and chill for 30 minutes.Line a baking tray with baking parchment and preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Cut dough into 6 pieces and shape each into a 25cm log. Arrange logs on a baking tray, leaving enough space for them to spread whilst cooking. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.

Allow them to cool a little, then cut into 1cm slices. Lay on a baking tray and bake for another 10 minutes at 200 degrees until golden-brown.

Chocolate-Hazelnut-Creme Cupcakes

......heaven.

It´s incredible how simple the recipe is!

And everyone will lovet them! 

2 1/2 cups Chocolate-Hazelnut Creme
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour

100g  cream cheese, at room temperature

Hazelnut Praline and dark chocolate to decorate

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Line muffin tins with 12 paper cups.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together. Add 1 1/2 cups of hazelnut creme to this. Whisk the eggs and Creme together until your mixture is smooth and shiny.
3. Add the flour and gently stir it in, just until the flour streaks disappear. Don’t overwork it, or your cupcakes will be tough.
4. Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake the cupcakes for about 13-15 minutes, until the tops are puffed and cracked and spring back when lightly pressed. Let the cupcakes cool on a wire rack while you prepare the frosting.
5. Combine the remaining 1 cup Chocolate Hazelnut Creme  and the cream cheese in a mixing bowl, and beat on medium-speed until combined, light, and fluffy.
6. Pipe the frosting on top of the cooled cupcakes, and top each with melted dark chocolate and a Hazelnut Praline.

Sweet Yeast Swirl

yam yam yummy! 

For the sweet Yeast Dough

2 packages active dry yeast (1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons)
1/4 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup sour cream
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 cup bread flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt  

For the filling

Rapsberry Jam 
Nutella or a other Chocolate Cream


In a small bowl, mix together yeast and warm water,set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed, scraping down sides of bowl with a spatula as necessary. Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl with a spatula as necessary.

Add vinegar and vanilla; mix to combine. Slowly add sour cream, mixing until well combined. Add yeast mixture.

In a large bowl, whisk together both flours and salt. Add to mixer and mix on low until well combined and dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and just begins to form a ball.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead dough until smooth, about 5 minutes. Lightly flour the bottom of a large glass bowl; place dough in bowl and cover with a clean damp kitchen towel. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap; let stand until doubled in size, about 3 to 4 hours, or refrigerate overnight.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough. Spread with the Rapsberry Jam or Nutella. Starting at the long end, roll up into a tight cylinder, pinch the seams closed, and pinch the long end closed. 

Now cut the cylinder in the middel so that you have 2 long dougs Cylinder ....the sides will be open so that you can see the filling. That´s great because that makes the result more effectiv! Swirl the 2 Cylinder dough together.

Put the sweet roll in the preheat Oven 200 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 

Perfect for a small coffebreak during the week! Just make the roll at sunday and put the Swrl in the fridge....and help yourself during the Week.

Pimm`s Cocktail

Taste like a warm summer day in the Garden.

...incredible how easy this is!

Take a Longdrink Glass half full with Ice cubes

Mix 1 Part of Pimm`s No. 1

with 3 Parts chilled Lemonade

add some Cucumber, Strawberry, Mint and Orange. 

That`s it!

Rabbit in Strawberry Field Cake

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting coverd wit Strawberry an topped with a Chocolate Rabbit.

 

FOR THE CAKE
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey’s Cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

FOR THE FROSTING

3 (16 ounce) package cream cheese at room temperature

2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder

FOR THE TOPPING

Strawberrys

melted Chocolate

Almonds flake

Occasionally: Chocolate Rabbit

FOR THE CAKE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8-inch or 9-inch round baking pans.

In the bowl of a stand mixer stir together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and beat on medium speed for about two minutes. Pour in boiling water and continue to mix until incorporated, batter will be thin. Evenly distribute batter between the two prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Start checking the cakes around 25 minutes as oven temperatures may vary (and no one likes an overdone cake)!

Cool in pans for about 10 minutes then run a knife around the edges and gently remove from pans and place on wire racks to cool completely.

FOR THE FROSTING
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat all ingredients on medium high speed until light and fluffy.

To frost cake put the frosting on the top and place the cake in the fridge. 

After one hour you can start to decorate the cake with the Strawberry, to fix the strawberry you can use melted chocolate. Some almonds flake over the cake and finish with the chocolate Rabbit.