Marble Apple Gugelhopf (Marmor-Apfel-Kranz)

Ingredients:

1 1/8 cups (2 1/4 sticks) Unsalted Butter

2 Apples, diced

1 1/4 cups Sugar

1 package Vanilla Sugar
4 Eggs
4 cups All-Purpose Flour
5 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 cup Milk
Juice and Zest from one Lemon
2 tablespoons Cocoa Powder
1 tablespoon Plain Bread Crumbs
Powdered Sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

In a mixer, mix the butter until creamy and all lumps are gone. Add sugar and continue to mix. Add eggs one at a time, making sure each is absorbed by the butter before adding the next egg. If the mixture begins to curdle, add a teaspoon of the flour to help the butter absorb the egg.

Combine flour and baking powder. Add to butter mixture. At the smae time, drizzle in the milk so that the flour and milk get mixed in to the butter at the same time.

Divide the batter evenly into two bowls. In one bowl, add the lemon zest, apples and lemon juice. Fold into the batter. In the other bowl, add the cocoa powder. Fold into the batter.

Prepare a cake pan (Bundt form or Gugelhupf form) by greasing it with butter. Sprinkle the pan with the bread crumbs and shake pan around to distribute the bread crumbs. Fill half of the "lemon" batter into the bottom of the pan. Top it with the "cocoa" batter. Then top that with the remaining "lemon" batter.

Bake cake for about 45 minutes. Test cake for doneness by sticking the center with a toothpick - if it comes out clean, the cake is done; if it doesn't come out clean, bake the cake a few more minutes and retest.

Remove cake from oven when its done and allow it to cool in the cake pan for 20 minutes. Remove cake from pan and turn-over, so that the flat side becomes the bottom. Allow cake to cool completely.

Sift powdered sugar over the cake as decoration.

Recipe by: www.germanfoodguide.com

Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream

Ingredients:

Make 2 dozen cupcakes

1 1/2 stick (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large egg
2 teaspoon vanilla
2/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.

2. In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.

3. Beat in eggs, vanilla, salt and baking powder.

4. Add flour in 3 batches, alternating with milk.

5. Mix until batter is smooth with no lumps. Do not overbeat.

6. Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes or until tops are pale gold and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

7. Cool on wire rack for 45 minutes or until at room temperature.


Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 cup cocoa powder

2 cup confectioner’s sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch salt

Directions:

Add the cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar, and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened. Scrape bowl, add vanilla and milk, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

The frosting was a bit too dry and thick according to the recipe. I added more milk (3-4 teaspoons).

Reciped by: Amy Sedaris I Like You & /milkandhoneycafe.blogspot.com

Pizza Baguette

Ingredients:

1 French bread baguette, halved lengthwise
10 slices of pepperoni
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic cloves, minced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
salt & fresh ground pepper
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Place baguette halves on a baking sheet; sprinkle with some cheese. Top with pepperoni, garlic, vegetables, season with salt and pepper and remaning cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

It was good, but next time definitely adding tomato sauce as the pizzas were a bit dry.

Chocolate Eclairs

We took a day-trip to Luxembourg a few weeks ago to relax and of course, indulge in some good food. My favorite of the trip were some chocolate eclairs we ordered at a little cafe that were so tasty, and had that perfect texture and flavor balance that I really love. The delicate flaky pastry, loaded with a creamy filling, and topped with a chocolate icing were so dreamy that I've been wanting to make these dessert favorites at home since. So this morning, I recruited my two friends and fellow mothers Melissa and Siew Boon to re-create these French donuts.

Between chatting and laughing as we fumble over these little pastries, the result was successful. Thank you to Melissa and Siew Boon for your lovely help!

Ingredients: (for 20 eclairs)

Pate a Choux (batter):

135 g Flour

110 g Water

110 g Milk

90 g Salted Butter

2 Eggs

1 tsp Sugar

Directions:

1. Place milk, water, butter and sugar in a small heavy-bottom sauce pan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add flour all at once and stir virgorously to combine, using a wooden spoon.

2. Add in eggs to mixture one at a time, fully incorporating and ensuring the batter is smooth after each addition.

3. Place pate a choux into a pastry bag (preferably disposable) fitted with a large plain tip. Pipe batter into "fingers" (about 3 inches long) onto parchment lined sheet pans. For eclairs of this size, each will require about 2-1/2 tablespoons of batter. Bake at 220 degrees for the first 10 minutes, lower to 190 degrees and continue baking for another 10 minutes (until eclairs are golden brown, have a crispy exterior and when pick up, feel light in weight). Cool completely on a wire rack before filling.

Chocolate Cream Filling:

45 g Cream

72 g Couverture Chocolate 55%

100 g Whipped cream

3/4 tsp vanilla essence (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat 45 g cream, then stir in chocolate till dissoved. Let it cool.

2. Fold mixture into whipped cream. Let is cool and set aside.

Chocolate Icing:

100 g of chocolate 

20 to 45 g of butter

1. Place chocolate and butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until chocolate is melted.

2. Cool chocolate icing slightly before using or store in refrigeration.

To Assemble Chocolate Eclairs:

Slice the eclairs shells in half lenghtwise through the center.

Gently spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the pastry cream into the bottom half of each shell.

Place the eclair tops on a wire rack and spoon about 1 tablespoon of the warm icing across the top of each eclair.

Carefully place the iced eclair tops on each of the filled bottoms and serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Adapted recipe by: The Culinary Institute of America

Kalter Hund

Kalter Hund  mean "Cold Dog" in German. It's a no bake cake made of butter bicuits and chocolate.

Ingredients:

250 g butter
2 eggs
10 0g sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar / 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
50 g cocoa powder
4 tablespoons milk
50 g chopped almonds / walnuts (optional)
50 g chopped raisins (optional)
300 g butter biscuits

Directions:

1.Beat the eggs.

2.Mix the eggs with the sugar, vanilla sugar / vanilla essence, cocoa and milk.

3.Put the butter in a saucepan and melt it slowly at low heat.

4.Pour the mixture of eggs, sugar and cocoa into the saucepan and stir gently for 10 minutes, without boiling.

5.Turn off the heat. Add the raisins and almonds / walnuts and stir the mixture. Your chocolate mixture is now ready.

6.Take a baking form and grease it well. Make a layer of biscuits at the bottom. Pour on a layer of the chocolate mixture. Then, put another layer of biscuits on top, and add more chocolate mixture. Keep on making layers of biscuits and chocolate until you run out of ingredients.

7.Allow the mixture to cool down, then put it in the fridge for four hours.

Recipe by: www.ukgermanconnection.or

Green Garden Salad with Tuna and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar, optional*
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
Salad mix or favorite greens
Assortment of salad ingredients, such as cherry tomatoes, chopped carrots, sliced red onion, sliced cucumbers
Parmesan cheese, for garnish
1 can of Tuna, season with freshly ground black pepper and salt. Mix tuna with 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
2 cooked eggs

Directions:

Beat the vinegar in a bowl with the optional sugar, garlic, salt and pepper until sugar and salt dissolves. Then beat in the oil by droplets, whisking constantly. (Or place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine.) Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Toss a few tablespoons of the dressing with the salad mix and desired salad ingredients, top with parmesan cheese, tuna and serve immediately.

If not using dressing right away, cover and refrigerate, whisking or shaking again before use.

*If using a good quality balsamic vinegar you should not need the sugar, but if using a lesser quality you might want the sugar to round out the dressing.

Adapted Recipe by: Emeril Lagasse

Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

My daughter Maria is finishing her school year next week. In celebration, I’m bringing cupcakes for her class. Today, I found the following recipe and and baked some trial-run cupcakes. I was fairly pleased with the result of the texture of the cake, however I felt the frosting was a little too sweet. I'll have to reduce the amount of confectioner's sugar on my next batch. Although, the best part for Maria was licking off the icing.Now, we’re left with a half batch of naked cupcakes!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Stick (3/4 cup) unsalted butter

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla

2/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.

2. In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.

3. Beat in eggs, vanilla, salt and baking powder.

4. Add flour in 3 batches, alternating with milk.

5. Mix until batter is smooth with no lumps. Do not overbeat.

6. Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes or until tops are pale gold and toothpick  inserted into center comes out clean.

7. Cool on wire rack for 45 minutes or until at room temperature.

Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting
for 2 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
5 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
8 oz Philly's Cream Cheese, cold

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, beat butter, confectioner's sugar, salt and vanilla until combined. At this point, the mix is going to look really dry and crumbly, but be patient and it will come together, about 4 minutes.

2. Add cream cheese and mix until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. DON'T OVERBEAT. Frost as desired!

Recipe by:  Sarah the Baker Yoon, Hummingbird Bakery Recipe, & lucyinaz

Vietnamese Cabbage Salad

Ingredients:

About 2 cups shredded chicken, boiled

About 1 cup cilantro and mint, roughly chopped,
1 carrot, julienned
1/2  head of cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 head of red cabbage, thinly sliced
Hanh Dam (Vietnamese Vinegared Onions)

Dressings:

Hanh Dam (Vietnamese Vinegared Onions)

1 onion, thinly sliced
About 1/2 cup rice or white vinegar
1 tsp white sugar

Cut the onion in half and slice as thin as possible. The thinner you slice it, the quicker it'll absorb the vinegar and soften.

Place the onion slices into a shallow bowl. Dissolve 1 tsp white sugar into about 1/2 cup rice or white vinegar. You need just enough vinegar to cover the onions.

Set aside for about 15 minutes, mixing the onion slices to make sure they all absorb the vinegar.

Nuoc Mam Cham (Vietnamese Fish Dipping Sauce)

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup Nuoc Mam (Vietnamese Fish Sauce)
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 sugar
1 clove of garlic
1 teaspoon of chopped ginger
Optional: Chili peppers

Boil 1/2 cup water. Actually, you don't have to boil the water, just get it hot so that it can dissolve the sugar more easily. Stir in 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup fish sauce, and 1/2 cup sugar. Taste and adjust if necessary. Add crushed chili peppers if you wish.

Directions:

Prepare Hanh Dam (Vietnamese Vinegared Onions) and set aside

Slice cabbages and set aside

Julienne carrots. Set aside.

Shred chicken. Set aside.

Pluck and clean herbs. Roughly chop and set aside.

Prepare the Nuoc Mam Cham (Vietnamese Fish Dipping Sauce) by adding a few cloves of garlic, chili peppers, and a spoonful of sugar into a mortar. Mash into a paste. Then add fish sauce to taste.

Combine all ingredients into a bowl -- the cabbages, carrots, shredded chicken, herbs, vinegared onions, and dressing. Toss until all ingredients have combined evenly. Adjust vinegar, fish sauce, or sugar as needed.

Allow the salad to sit for at least half an hour so the flavors can meld. Salad may also be refrigerated for several hours before serving.

Adapted Recipe by: wanderingchopsticks.blogspot.com

Caipirinha Cocktail

Ingredients for a Caipirinha

Sugar
Lime
Cachaca

Quantities for one drink:

2 tsp Granulated Sugar
1 Lime (8 Wedges)
2 1/2 oz Cachaca

Blending Instructions:

Muddle the sugar into the lime wedges in an old-fashioned glass

Fill the glass with ice cubes

Pour the cachaca into the glass

Stir well
 
Recipe by: Supercocktails.com

Vietnamese Chicken Curry

Ingredients

1 1/2 kg chicken pieces
4 teaspoons oil
2 medium onions, quartered
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small red chile, finely chopped
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
4 teaspoons chopped fresh lemongrass
2 tablespoons mild curry paste
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 (400 ml) can coconut cream
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)

Directions

1.  Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion for about 5 minutes or until soft.

2.  Add garlic, chilli, ginger lemongrass and curry paste.

3.  Add chicken and braise on all sides, coating well with curry paste.

4.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes over a low heat.

5.  Remove lid, add sugar and stir well.

6.  Pour in coconut cream and stock and bring to the boil.

7. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for another 30 minutes.

8. Serve over rice.

Recipe by: www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Vietnamese-Chicken-Curry

M & M Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups (260 grams) all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated white sugar
2/3 cup (140 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup (200 grams) M&M's® or Smarties® candies

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Place one oven rack in the top third of the oven, and one oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 2 - 3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and egg yolk, beating until well combined. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Form dough into balls, using 1/4 cup (50 grams) for each cookie. Place six balls of dough on each baking sheet. Gently flatten each ball of dough into a 2 1/2 inch (6.5 cm) round. Completely cover the tops of the cookies with the M&M's® or Smarties®. Gently press the candies into the dough. Bake the cookies for about 15-17 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through the baking time. The cookies are done when they are light golden brown in color and just set. They will still seem a little soft but they will firm up as they cool. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 12 large cookies.

Recipe by: Joy of Baking

Nutella and Banana Crepes

I learned how to make crepe from my long-time friend Catherine, in Viroflay. In a true French fair, crepes served as the main course and dessert!  We started with melted cheese, ham and fresh tomatoes and mushrooms enveloped in a delicately crafted crepe. For dessert, she made a very simple but delicious Lemon Sugar crepes. A folded crepe with sprinkles of granulated sugar and fresh-squeezed lemon juice. A tasty memory and recipe that I use today for my daughter. Although, her sweet-tooth prefer nutella and bananas over the more simple Lemon Sugar crepes I had in France.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
nutella
banana(s)

Directions

1.In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.

2.Heat a lightly frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the pan, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

3.Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Once done with crepes, add as much Nutella as you like. Spread the Nutella through out the crepe.

4. Cut the banana(s) and place on one side of crepe and fold crepe in half.

5. Sprinkle powdered sugar on crepe or chocolate sauce. Best to serve hot.

Adapted by: AllRecipes.com