Dried Cherry Buns

Dried Cherry Buns

Smell of roses and cherries... is it possible to find a better combination?




















"Dried Cherry Buns"

- 250 ml natural yogurt
- 100g dried cherries
- 120g butter
-180g sugar
- 2 eggs
- 5 ml rose extract
- 200g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp soda


Mix yogurt with cherries and put apart.

Cream a butter with sugar until light. Add eggs , flour, powder soda and rose extract. Mix well. In the end add yogurt with cherries.
Grease 1 16 bun tray or use paper cases. Fill the prepared cups two-third full.
Bake in the hot oven 190 st C  for 20 min.

Coffe Sponge Drops

Coffe Sponge Drops

For a lazy afternoon...20 min of work together I suppose.





















"Coffe Sponge Drops"

- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp soda
- 6 tbsp custar sugar
- 1 tbsp instant coffee

For feeling:

- 1 cup of fat cheese
- 50g coconut
- 1 tbsp icing sugar

Whisk well eegs whits, add sugar and yolks. Mix well. Add the sifted flour with instant coffee, baking powder and soda.
Spoon the mixture on a baking sheet making 4 cm rounds. Bake for 10-12 min at 200st C. Cool.

In a meantime mix cheese, sugar and coconut strips.

Sandwich together cookies with a feeling.

Mallorcan Ensaimadas

Mallorcan Ensaimadas

It looks more complicated than it is in fact... Let's have a bit fun preparing these sweet little buns. :)




















"Mallorcan Ensaimadas"

- 230g white flour
- 50g sugar
- 1 egg
- 5 tbsp warm milk
- 1,5 dag fresh yeast/1 1/2 tsp dried/
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil


Sift a flour and salt into a bowl. Cream yeast with milk and pour into the center of the flour. Add sugar and wait a few minutes. mix well, add an egg and oil. Knead for a few minutes. Leave in a bowl and wait about one hour.
Turn out the dough on to a floured surface. Divide into 14-16 equal pieces. Shape them into a thin ropes. Melt a butter and dip the ropes into the butter to coat.
On the baking shit curl each rope into a loose spiral. Leave to rise in a warm place for 30-40 min.
Bake in a warm oven 190stC for 15 min.
Cool and dust with icing sugar.

Sweet sesame Loaf

Sweet Sesame Loaf

Easy to prepare... I baked it for breakfast because I was to lazy to go to the shop :) I used for decoration also pumpkin and sunflower seeds.




















"Sweet Sesame Loaf"

-300g plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 5 dag butter
- 300ml milk
- 100g sugar
- 2 eggs
- 5 tbsp sesame seeds

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Stir in the sesame seeds, reserve 2 spoon for later.
Mix well sugar, butter, eggs and milk. Pour the milk mixture over the dry ingredients and blend well. Pour into greased tin and sprinkle over the reserved sesame seeds.
bake in a warm - 180stC - oven for about one hour.

Sultana and Orange Traybake

Sultana and Orange Traybake

Simple, easy, a bit boring...





















"Sultana and Orange Traybake"

- 220g butter
- 4 eggs
- 220g sugar
- 275g selfraising flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp orange jus
- 200g sultanas
- grated rind of 2 oranges

Icing sugar+a bit orange jus for icing.

Mix well butter with sugar, add other ingredients, sultanas in the end.

Grease well a tray-bake  and turn the mixture into tin and level the top.

Bake in a pre-heat oven to 180stC for about one hour.

Cool decorate with icing.

Dill and Potato Buns

Dill and Potato Buns

Excellent for supper. Especially warm...






















"Dill and Potato Buns"

- 220g self raising flour
- 1 big potato, cooked and smashed
- 3-4 spoons of milk
- 5 dag butter
- dill
-1 tsp salt


Prepare a bowl. Sift a flour into a bowl. Add the butter, milk, potato, salt, dill and milk. Make a soft dough. Roll out the dough on a floured surface . Cut into neat rounds.
Place the buns on a baking sheet, well greased and bake for about 20 min with 210stC.

Muffins with pears

Muffins with pears

Fall, fall... and so many possibilities of making tasty food. Like muffins with pears for a lazy afternoon.




















"Muffins with pears"

- 200g white flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- pint of salt
- 70g custar sugar
- 3/4 cup jus / orange, mango.../
- 2 eggs
- 50ml olive oil
- a few drops vanilla extract
- 1-2 pears peeled, cut

Mix dry ingredients together. Add jus, eggs, olive and vanilla extract. With a big spoon stir just until the flour is moistened. Add pears.
Grease a 12-cup muffin tin and spoon the batter into them. Bake n a preheat oven 200stC for about 15-20 min.

Saffron Breadsticks with seeds

Saffron Breadsticks with seeds

When we are not so hungry.. just for a pleasure. Or with a red wine... or with pesto...





















"Saffron Breadsticks with seeds"

- 500g flour
- pinch of saffron strands
- 2 spoons hot water
- 1tsp salt
-2 tsp dried yeast
-300 ml warm water
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- favorites seeds
- 3-4 spoons evaporated milk


Mix saffron strands with 2 spoons of a hot water for about 10 min.

Mix flour, salt and dried yeast in a big bowl. Add warm water, olive oil and saffron liquid. Mix to a soft dough. Knead a dough, place in a warm place and wait until it has doubled in size.
Knock back and knead again for a while.
Divide the dough into 25-26 pieces and shape into long sticks. Place well apart on greased baking sheets and wait another 20 min. Brush with evaporated milk and put some seeds on a top.
Preheat the oven to 200stC. Bake for about 15 min.

Chocolate Cinnamon Cake with Banana Sauce

Chocolate Cinnamon Cake with Banana Sauce

My friends love it! I am not a big fun of chocolate cakes... But this one is not so bad ;)




















"Chocolate Cinnamon Cake with Banana Sauce"

- 100g white flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100g butter
- 5 eggs separated
- 1 tbsp instant coffee
- 200g sugar
- 100g dark chocolate
- 1 tbsp cinnamon


Sauce:
- 4-5 ripe bananas
-50g brown sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 150 ml whipped cream

Combine the chocolate and butter in a small pot. Heat on a low fire stirring occasionally. Add coffee and mix well. Cool.
Beat egg yolks with the sugar. Add the chocolate mixture and beat again.
In a separated bowl beat the egg whites. Fold a dollop of whites into the chocolate mixture. Mix well then add the flour and baking powder.
Pour the mixture into the well greased tin. Bake in a warm oven 180stC for about 40 min.

Slice the bananas into a heatproof dish. Add sugar and lemon juice. Place under the grill and cook stirring from time to time for about 10 min.
Prepare a bowl. Smashed bananas with a fork and mix them with a whipped cream.

Try to serve the cake and sauce warm. :)

Plaited Loaf

Plaited Loaf

Not really complicated recipe. I hope it looks yummy! :)





















"Plaited Loaf"

- 450g white flour
- 2 tsp dried yeast
- 1 egg
- 3/4 glass warm water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 5dag soft butter

Combine in a big bowl flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add water and mix well. Add an egg and butter. Knead until smooth and elastic. Leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.

Grease a baking shit. Divide dough into three equal pieces. Roll to shape each piece into a long strip.
Begin plaiting with the center strip tucking in the ends. Wait another 30 min.
Brush with the evaporated milk and bake in a warm oven 200st C for about 30 min.

Coconut Lime Cake

Coconut Lime Cake

It's such a big rain today... I really needed something to warm my heart and mind. This sunny and light coconut cake was a perfect remedy for my bad mood :).

















"Coconut Lime Cake"

- 230g white flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 220g butter, soft
- 200g sugar
- 4 eggs
- lime juice from 3 limes
-100g coconut, shredded
- 1 cup icing sugar for frosting


Beat the butter and sugar together. Add 2/3 part of a lime jus, eggs and finally flour and baking powder.  In the end stir in two-thirds of the coconut.

Pour the mixture into greased tin and bake about 30-35 min in the oven 180 C.

Cool the cake.  In the meantime mix the remaining lime jus with icing suger. Decorate a cake. Spread the remaining coconut on the top.

Spritzer

Spritzer

 These drink is very popular in Germany but not only there. Also in Austria and Italy. It is used alongside the equally common form Gespritzter(mostly pronounced G'spritzter, a noun derived from the past participle of spritzen, i.e. squirt), a term also found in some German regions, such as Hessen (e.g.Süssgespritzter, i.e. a "sweet spritzer" using fizzy lemonade instead of soda water).

I found in my fridge an open bottle of wine... My favorite one is Sauvignon Blanc but we may use any kind of wine.

"Spritzer"

- 1 part of water/ sparkly or flat/

- 1 part of dry wine /white, rose/ or even semi-dry

- lemon, sliced

- ice cubes

 Mix well all igrediance and serve in glasses! 

A very relaxing drink! 

Mississipi Mud Cake

Mississipi Mud Cake

Poland won with Germany 2 : 0 today... In football of course. Fortunately I baked this cake before so we can celebrate now :)!!



















"Mississipi Mud Cake"

- 230g white flour
- 1-2 tsp baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 glass strong coffee
- 120g dark chocolate
- 200g butter,
- 400g sugar
- vanilla extract, a few drops
- coca powder


Mix dry igrediance together.
Butter, coffee, chocolate heat slowly until melted, stirring occasionally. Add sugar. Combine in a bowl with dry igrediance. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix well.
Grease a tin and dust lightly with cocoa powder. Pour the dough into a tin.
Bake in a hot oven - only 150stC for 70-80 min.

Burgers with pea

Burgers with pea

Minced meat. Soooo boring ;) It's worth to add something different to change a recipe... from time to time.























"Burgers with pea"

- 1/2 kg mince meat /pork, turkey/
- 1 small chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 egg
- salt, pepper
- 100g cooked pea or from a can

Place the meat in a bowl, add finely chopped onion, garlic and one egg. Add a flat teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste. Stir well, add peas, stir again and with wet hands form flat rounds. Fry in a pan in hot oil a few minutes on each side. 

Sweet potato scone

Sweet potato scones

Good choice for a lazy afternoon. Easy to prepare and baked in 15 min :)




















"Sweet potato scones"

- 1 1/3 cups plain flour
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 tbsp custar sugar
- 3 tbsp mushed potatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 1/2tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup melted butter

Combine all dry ingredients together. In another bowl mix well potatoes, butter and milk. Add dry ingredients. Make a dough. Turn on to lightly floured surface and knead lightly. Roll the dough to 1 cm thickness. Stamp out your favorite shapes. Put them on a greased baking sheet and bake around 15 min until golden.

Wels Clay Pot Loaves

Wels Clay Pot Loaves

Funny way of preparing it... And a nice surprise on a table.



















"Wels Clay Pot Loaves"


- 350g white flour + 100g wholemeal flour
- 2 dag fresh yeast/ 2tsp dried
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 150ml warm milk

- 1 garlic glove, crushed
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped sage
- 1tbsp chopped chives


Put all ingredients for dough to the bowl. Mix well with a blender and then with your hand. Add spices. Leave for one hour in a warm place.

Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knock back. Shape and fit into well greased flower pots. Wait another 40-45 min.
Preheat the oven to 200stC, sprinkle the top with any seeds, if you want. Bake for 30-40 min, depends on the size of the pots.

Plaited Prune Cake

Plaited Prune Cake

Looks a bit complicated but in fact it is very easy to prepare.





















"Plaited Prune Cake"

- 450g white flour
- 150ml warm milk
- 1 tsp dried yeast
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp sugar


For feeling:

- 250g cooked prunes
- ew. a few chopped walnuts

Combine flour, yeast, milk, egg and sugar. Mix well and leave for an hour in a warm place.
Transfer to a floured surface and knead briefly. Roll into rectangle. Spread the filling in the centre. Cut strips at an angle on either side of the filling. Fold up one end nearly then fold over the strips from alternating side until all the strips are folded over.
Wait for another 30 min.
Bake in a hot oven 200stC for around 25 min.

Courgette and Walnut Loaf

Courgette and Walnut Loaf

A very sunny and quiet morning... good for a long breakfast and even longer coffee...



















"Courgette and  Walnut Loaf"

- 230g wholemeal flour
- 1 egg
- 150g grated courgette
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp soda
- 1tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp crushed cardamon
- 2 tbsp chopped walnuts

Mix in a blender courgette with an egg, olive, flour and spices. Walnuts in the end.

Spoon into the greased loaf tin and bake in the warm oven 200stC for about 50 min.

Croatia's style fish

Fish from the oven

I like to have guests at home. Especially when we cook together. I always learn something new...this time my cousin Alicja showed me how to bake fish in a Croatia style...


















"Croatia's style fish"

- 2 pieces salmon
- 2 pieces cod
- 1 lemon sliced
- 1 big red onion 4/4
- 2 tomatoes 4/4
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- olive oil
- salt, pepper


Grease tin or a casserole with olive oil. Place all kind of fish, onion, garlic and tomatoes into the tin. Add lemon's slices, season well.
Bake in a hot oven for 20 min.

Butternut squash, chickpea and carrot tagine

Butternut squash, chickpea and carrot tagine

Excellant for vegetarian but not only... very tasty and it smells fantastic!




















"Butternut squash, chickpea and carrot tagine "

- - 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 small butternut, cubed
- 1 big carrot, quoter
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp cumin, cinnamon and curry
- 1 can 400g chopped tomatoes
- 8 dried apricots, chopped
- 1 can 400g chickpeas
- 1 cube vegetable stock in 400ml water
- fresh coriander

White rice or couscous to serve.

Heat the oil in the heavy casserole. Add the onion, garlic after a while and butternut squash with carrots. Cook for about 4 min, lower the heat and add spices and ginger. Cook for 1 -2 min, add tomatoes, apricots and pour water with vegetable stock. Stir well and cover. Keep on a low heat for a half an hour.
Seve with coriander on a top with couscous or a white rice.

Leek in Egg and Lemon sauce

Leek in Egg and Lemon sauce

No calories... almost ;) and very, very tasty.





















"Leek in Egg and Lemon sauce"

- 600g  leeks, trimmed
- 1 tbsp cornflour or potato flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- juice of 1 lemon

Cook leeks in a salty water for about 7 min. Lift out the leeks and arrange in a shallow serving dish.
Mix 200ml of the cooking liquid with the flour and bring to the boil stirring all the time. Stir in the sugar and cool slightly.
Whisk the egg yolks with the lemon juice and stir into the sauce. Cook on a very low heat stirring all the time. Do not let the sauce to overheat. Add salt and pepper as necessary. Cool and pour the sauce over the leeks. Chill for at list 1 hour before serving.

Wholemeal Bread

Wholemeal bread

Tasty and simple to do. ..




















"Wholemeal bread"

- 230g strong wholemeal flour
- 230g strong white flour
- 2tsp yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 5 dag soft butter
- 300ml warm milk

Place both the flours, salt, sugar and yeast in a big bowl. Mix well. Pour milk and rub in the butter and egg. Mix into a fairy soft dough. Cover the bowl with a piece of cling film. Wait one hour.

Knock the dough back and knead it for a while.  Divide the dough into two or four pieces and shape them into flattish rounds. Place them on a floured baking sheet and leave to rise for a further 20 min.
bake for about 20-30 min until golden and firm.

Gluten free lemon cookies

Gluten free lemon cookies

My brave daughter baked them... yesterday. On a picture only two left!!



















"Gluten free lemon cookies"


125g butter
225g caster sugar
2 eggs (lightly beaten with a fork)
1 tsp vanilla extract
400g gluten free flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
Zest from 1 lemon
Juice from 1 lemon



Mix together butter and sugar. Add the lightly beaten egg and vanilla extract, flour, soda and salt. Add the lemon juice and zest.  Place cookie dough balls approximately the size of one tablespoon scoop on a tray lined with baking parchment, then bake for 8 -10 min or until golden brown. 

Cheese and potato pancackes

Cheese and potato pancakes 

My new discovery... tasteful and delicate.




















"Cheese and potato pancakes"

- 250g white cheese

- 0,5 kg potatoes

- 1 onion

- 1 spoon flour

- 1-2 eggs

- salt

- pepper

Peel the poptatos. Grate finely. Add cheese,  chopped onion, eggs and flour. Mix thoroughly and put aside. Fry thinnish pancakes on an oil until brown on both sides. Serve with fresh cream or cinnamon and sugar.

Thyme-flavoured Vinegar

Thyme-flavoured Vinegar

It's very useful in a kitchen. For sauces, salads, sea-food...

















"Thyme-flavoured Vinegar"

- 600ml white - wine vinegar
- 5 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2-3 garlic cloves

Peel the cloves.

Heat gently vinegar with garlic and 4 thyme sprigs for about 10 min.
Put the reserved thyme sprig in a clean bottle, strain the vinegar and add to the bottle. Allow to cool.
It may be kept unopened for up to 3-4 months.

Rosemary-flavoured Oil

Rosemary-flavoured Oil

Easy to prepare and very tasty, I fried potato pancakes on it and it was fabulous!

Potato pancakes:

http://rosemaryscent.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/potato-pancakes.html















"Rosemary-flavoured Oil"

-600ml olive oil
- 5 fresh rosemary sprigs


Heat the oil until warm but not hot. Add 4 rosemary sprigs and heat slowly for about 10 min.
Put the reserved rosemary sprig in a clean bottle and pour into this bottle the oil. Cool. Use within 10-14 days.

Scotch Pancakes

Scotch Pancakes

Easy and tasty... we had them for supper yestarday. My son with jam and I chose to add some yellow cheese. Fantastic combination!


















"Scotch Pancakes"

- 230 g self raising flour
- 40g caster sugar
- 300ml milk
- 1 egg
- 50g melted butter
- white fat to fry

Combine  dry igrediance together and add milk, butter and egg. Beat well.
Heat a frying pan with fat, drop spoonfuls of the mixture. When bubbles come to the surface flip them over to cook until golden.
Delicious!

Farmhouse Carrot Cake

Farmhouse carrot Cake

My favorite one... unfortunately my teenager is not a big fun of this cake. I really don't understand him. Such a refreshing and puffy cake!!


















"Farmhouse Carrot Cake"

- 430g custar sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup olive oil
- 220g carrots, grated
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cups flour

For the icing:

Beat all ingredients in a bowl: 2 cups icing sugar, 1 cup cream cheese, 5 dag soft butter... until smooth.



In a big bowl combine carrots, sugar, eggs and oil. Add dry ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 190 stC. Pour the cake mixture into a cake tin. Bake for about 40-45 min. Cool and cut a cake into two pieces. Sandwich them together with a half of the icing then spread the remaining icing over the top of the cake.

Smoked salmon, beetroot & horseradish bread

Smoked salmon, beetroot & horseradish bread

 Simple and fast. Tasty :)

"Smoked salmon, beetroot & horseradish bread"

- 4 slices of bread, toasted
- 2 tbsp creamed horseradish
- 2 tbsp natural yogurt
- small bunch dill chopped/I used coriander/
- squeeze lemon juice
- 2 cooked beetroots
- 4 smoked salmon fillets /I used salmon pate/

Mix the horseradish, yogurt chopped dill and lemon juice. Add some salt and pepper.
Top each slice of bread with some beetroot slices and smoked salmon. Drizzle over the horseradish sauce. Serve with salad if you wish :).

Easy bread with mascarpone cheese

Easy bread with mascarpone cheese

Easy and tasty. I used to eat warm bread with a butter. Yummy!



















"Bread with mascarpone cheese"

- 350g white flour
- 100g wholewheat flour
- 2 tsp dried yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 egg
- almost 1 glass warm water
- 100g mascarpone cheese
- 100g grated Parmesan cheese
- olive oil for brushing

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add water, egg, mascarpone and parmesan. Knead for 5 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in the oiled bowl. Cover with cling-film and wait 1 hour.
Shape a dough into a round loaf, place on a baking tray. Wait another 45 min.
Score the top of the loaf into eight segments.
Bake in an oven in 200stC for around 35 minutes.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

My daughter's recipe!

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

1/2 cup chocolate

1/2 cup cocoa powder

5 tablespoons water

1/2 cup of self raising gluten free flour

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

Pinch of salt

Double cream

Melt the chocolate and cocoa powder in a bowl over a pan of boiling water. Add the 5 tablespoons of water to the mix while stirring constantly. Take the bowl off the heat, wait for it to cool down slightly and then add the butter, oil, eggs, pinch of salt and gf flour. Mix well.

Pour into greased 9 inch baking tin and bake for 20-25 min at 200C.

Serve with whipped cream.