Dominostein- gingerbread cubes with marzipan and apricot jam

If you love gingerbread and marzipan and you have time on your hands, why not make those delicious, little treats? Sold during Christmas in Germany and Austria are usually made with gingerbread, jelly and marzipan covered in chocolate.  I have used my delicious apricot and amaretto jam, instead of jelly but you can use any jam you like. Yum!


Ingredients:

For the gingerbread:

• 70g honey
• 1/2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 35g butter
• 1 small egg
• 90g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp (heaped) bicarb. of soda
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

For the middle layer:

• 150g apricot jam (I used this apricot and amaretto jam)
• 175g marzipan (shop-bought or homemade from this recipe)

To cover:

• 100g dark chocolate
• 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

Add brown sugar, honey and butter into a small saucepan and leave over a low heat until the butter has meted and the sugar dissolved.  Set aside to cool a little.

Place flour, bicarb. of soda, cocoa powder, spices and an egg in a bowl, then add the syrup (it can be still warm) and mix until smooth and well combined.

Line a 20cm x 20cm loose based tin with baking parchment and poor in the mixture, it will be very thick and not much of it,  don't worry- it is enough.  Carefully spread the mixture over the base of the tin- try to make it as evenly as possible.  If the mixture is very sticky you can dip a spoon in water and use the back of the spoon to spread the batter.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 170C for about 10minutes, until skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Leave to cool a little in the tin, then take it out and leave to cool completely.

When the gingerbread is cooled, cut it in half, then cut each half horizontally, to create two layers.
Spread the jam on the bottom layer, then roll out marzipan and place on top of the jam, cover with second layer of gingerbread. Do the same for both halves, then place them back in the cake tin, cover with baking parchment and press with something heavy (for example ceramic baking beans).  Leave the whole thing in the fridge over-night.

Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie, then add 1/2 tbsp of oil and stir.  Take your cake out the fridge and cut into small cubes (about 2cm x 2cm), Dip each cube in chocolate and leave on a wire rack to set.

Enjoy!

Almond and apricot biscotti

The great thing about biscotti is that you can experiment with the flavours. This time I went for the apricot and almond combination and it is great!


Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup caster sugar 
• 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
• 100g whole blanched almonds
• 80g roughly chopped dried apricots

Beat and egg with sugar and vanilla until pale, add all remaining ingredients and mix by hand until all combined.

Shape into a loaf, about 25cm long, place on a lined baking tray and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 25 minutes until golden.  

Leave the loaf aside to cool slightly, and when still warm cut diagonally into 1cm wide stripes. 

Place back on the baking tray and bake for further 15-20 minutes.

Take out the oven and leave to cool.  

Enjoy!

Rabarberkaka - rhubarb cake from Sweden

When I first came across this recipe, I wasn't sure if putting so much fruit on a light, airy cake, made without any rising agents, was a good idea.  I was so wrong!  The cake is soft and moist, has lots of rhubarb and is topped with a crispy, sweet and buttery crust.  Perfect!


Ingredients:

• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 100g plain flour
• 50g cold butter
• 3-4 tbsp demerara sugar
• 320g rhubarb cut into chunks

Whisk the eggs with caster sugar until pale and fluffy, then stir in the flour, very gently, until just combined.

Pour the mixture into a lined 20cm baking tin, place rhubarb on top.

Cut the butter into thin slices (for example with a vegetable peeler) and place on top of the cake, sprinkle with demerara sugar.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 175C for 35-45 minutes, until skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.  (Remember that skewer will be wet if inserted into a piece of rhubarb).

Enjoy!

Skoleboller - coconut and custard buns from Norway

There are so many reasons why those are one of the most delicious buns I have ever had… light and soft dough, creamy vanilla custard, sweet icing, desiccated coconut and a hint of cardamom- yum!

Skoleboller are popular as school buns in Norway and Sweden- hopefully they will become one of your favourites too!

To make your job easier, you can prepare the dough and custard the day before and leave it in the fridge over night, to enjoy fresh buns in the morning.

Recipe comes from Scandilicious Baking by Signe Johansen.


Ingredients (makes about 16):

For the buns:

• 325ml milk
• 50g butter, melted
• 500g plain flour
• 75g caster sugar
• 1,5 tsp ground cardamom (or seeds from 2-3 cardamom pods)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 7g dried yeast
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

For the custard:

• 4 egg yolks
• 40g corn flour
• 500ml milk
• 75g caster sugar
• 1tsp vanilla paste or extract

For the icing:

• 1,5 cup icing sugar
• 2tbsp boiling water

Additionally:

• desiccated coconut

To make the dough, gently warm the milk in a small sauce pan, add the butter, sugar and an egg and mix until combined.

Mix the flour with yeast, salt and cardamom, then add the milk and butter mixture. The milk should not be hot (only slightly warm) as it can kill the yeast and the buns will not rise. Mix until smooth.

Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, until soft, smooth and stretchy. You can add a little flour if the dough is to sticky, no more than 2-3 tablespoons.  Shape into a ball and leave in a warm place to rise, for about an hour, until doubled in size.  You can place in a bowl, cover with foil and leave in the fridge over night instead.  The dough will be ready in the morning.

To make the custard, place 400ml of milk and half of the sugar in a saucepan on a moderate heat.

Beat egg yolks with the remaining sugar until pale and fluffy. Add corn flour and remaining milk and mix until combined. 

Add to the sauce pan when the milk is hot and mix constantly, continue cooking until the mixture is thick and smooth. Add the vanilla.   Leave to cool, then place in the fridge.

When the dough has risen, knead quickly and divide into 16 equal portions, about 60g each.

Shape into balls and place on a lined baking sheet, for about 30 minutes, until doubled in size.

Using a small glass or a cup press the middle of each bun, to make space for the custard.  Do not make a whole in a bun, but press firmly, almost right to the baking sheet, so that the dough is thin in the middle. 

Divide the custard between the buns and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 C for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.  Take out the oven and leave to cool. 

To make the icing mix icing sugar with hot water and brush over each bun (do not brush the top of the custard), sprinkle with desiccated coconut.

Enjoy!

Jamaican corn bread

The easiest bread you can ever make. Unlike most breads, this one doesn't contain yeast but baking powder, which means there is no rising.  The mixture is very much like a cake- there is no kneading required.  Just mix all ingredients together and bake! Corn bread is very soft and has unordinary taste and most delicious smell.  The recipe comes from www.jamaicans.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 cup cornmeal (fine)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4tsp baking powder
• 3/4tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 vanilla extract

Mix the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder.  Add milk, eggs, vanilla and oil and beat until smooth. Pour into a greased loaf tin and bake for about 20-25 minutes at 200C.

I used 30cmx10cm bread tin and baked for 20minutes. If you are using a slightly smaller tin, bake for extra couple of minutes.  Bread is ready when golden brown on the outside and inserted skewer comes out clean.

Leave to cool. Best served with butter.

Enjoy!

Ricciarelli biscuits with cranberries

Ricciarelli originated form Tuscany and are delicious, almond biscuits with soft and chewy middle and slightly crispy top. They are also gluten and dairy- free!  Quick to make, can be kept in a jar or a container for up to a week.

Ingredients:

• 180g ground almonds
• 120g caster sugar
• grated zest of 1/2 lemon (or orange)
• 60g cranberries
• 60g egg whites
• 10g honey
• pinch of salt

About 100g icing sugar to roll. 

Pre-heat the oven to 170C.

Place almonds, sugar, zest of lemon, salt and cranberries in a bowl and mix.

Whisk the egg whites to meringue consistency then add honey and whisk to combine.

Add the almond mixture into the egg whites (in three parts) and stir gently until just well combined.

The mixture will look like if there is not enough egg whites, but there is- trust me!

Divide the mixture into 26g balls and roll in the icing sugar.  Place on the baking sheet and press gently.  Place biscuits about 1cm apart.  Sift over the remaining icing sugar, then bake for about 15 minutes.

Biscuits should gain some colour but still be pale and soft.

Leave to cool then pill off the baking sheet.

This recipe makes 15

Enjoy!