Profiterole

Hi,

Sorry for not writing for so long but I come back with something really rewarding:)

This is a very easy profiterole recipe! It does not include the original choux with the cream filling, (which I will post another time in this blog) but it is a fast recipe that can please you equally, with its outcome!

What you need for the cream:

1 1/2 cup sugar

5-6 Tbsp cacao

500ml milk

500ml water

1 1/2 corn flour

125 gr butter

150 gr chocolate (dark)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp brandy or cognac

2 eggs

Instead of choux: Lady fingers!(12 are more than enough for this portion)

Optional: whipped cream and nuts

1. In a big pot mix the sugar with the cacao until the smooth and there are no clods

2. Add half of the water (250ml)

3. All of the milk

4. And in the rest of the water mix the corn flour until it looks like milk and add it to the cacao mix

5. Star mixing well and keep stirring to avoid clods.

6. When the mixture becomes thick and creamy take of the fire and add the butter and the chocolate, stir until well mixed and add the vanilla and brandy!

7. When it looks like that:)

8. Mix the eggs (your mixture is still off the fire but still hot)

9. ...and add them to the cream... I know it sounds weird!! Mix very well and all the time to avoid clods and stir until the mix becomes smooth.

9. Put the plastic membrane on top and let cool! Put it as such so that it actually touches your cream! After it cools..

10. Take the lady fingers and brake them into pieces, mix with the cream and put it in the fridge

11. The more you leave it the better it becomes, since the lady fingers become moistened and their texture is rather soft than crunchy!!

Hint: One of the secrets of this recipe is to stir all the time so that the cream becomes smooth!

Spoons up & good luck!

Anna

Strawberry Tartlets

As I have promised, I made strawberry tartlets!

Only thing is that I will upload a few photos for now, and tomorrow I will add the recipe!

Carrot cake;)

Carrot cake is one of my favorite things...it combines my favorite spices and the outcome is just...a perfect combination of taste, smell and texture (the best carrot cake has to be moist)!

So I found a recipe which I changed a little: In this post i will use the changed version, the one I used myself!

Music Suggestion: Carrot Cake & Wine by Stereophonics

Decoration Suggestion: If you do not like cream cheese icing, go for some maple syrup and pecans

For the carrot cake you need:

500 gr carrots peeled and cut into pieces

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon (I put more)

1 tsp gloves (in powder)

1 Tbsp orange zest

3/4 cups pecans

4 large eggs at room temperature

1 1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup walnut oil ( I used ground nut oil)

For the frosting:

200 gr cream cheese

65 gr butter

1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 Tbsp almond extract

400 ml icing sugar

Optional decoration: 

Food color

Marzipan

1. In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt & the spices

2. Chop the carrots in the food processor

(they have to be like this:)

3. In the food processor now put the eggs, the sugar...

4. and add the oils slowly slowly..

5. Add the egg, sugar, oils mixture to the flour mix 

6. Add the chopped carrots, the nuts (some people also add raisins) 

7. Pour the batter in a pan and bake for 50 min at 180° C

8. The Frosting: beat the butter(room temperature) 3 min add the cream cheese, gradually add sugar, vanilla and almond extract. (If you need more liquid you can use he juice of half lemon)

Put the frosting in the fridge.

Optional: Some food color...

Some marzipan;) to make decoration carrots!

And...lights
Camera

Spoon... Go!

Good luck!

From the heart,

Anna

(Swiss) Roll with condensed milk

Hi all!

Swiss Roll is something well known! This swiss roll however...is my favorite!

It was the first time I made it and I made some mistakes but I still decided to post it so 

that you learn from my mistakes;)

What you need:

For the filling...

1 can of condensed milk

or if you want you can fill it with whatever jam you have around!

For the dough: (a friend's recipe;)

4 eggs

125 gr. sugar

125 gr. flour

1. Start by boiling the condensed milk for 2 hours with the can in a deep pot! But be careful that the can is always covered with water so that it doesn't explode!

2. After beat the 4 eggs with the sugar for 15' min!

 3. Sift the flour

4. And when the eggs and sugar become like this in the mixer...

5. Start adding the sifted flour little by little...

6. Pour the batter in a pan...NOW 1st mistake: I put it in a small pan because  I though the batter was little... PUT it in a BIGGER pan:) The outcome has to be thin...

7. 2nd mistake: Caution! Even if it looks unbaked take it out of the oven in only 15 min. It is ready even if it does not look like:) So bake at 175° C for 15 min

8. Turn it upside down on a rack to cool and remove the paper

9. This is how it should look

10. Let it cool completely!

11. After the boiling the condensed milk should look like that, golden brown...

 12. Spread it 

13. Roll it..and enjoy one heaven's taste;)

14. Enjoy a little bit more...

If i was more careful...the dough would be more thin and elastic therefore better result in rooling...But the taste was not harmed;)

From the heart,

Anna

Baked brie or Brie en Croute!

Cheese is always a matter of taste...

Different kinds for different tastes..but this is definitely a good one!

Brie de Meaux is the father of all soft-white cheeses. It was first recorded in 774AD when the gourmet and soldier Charlemagne tasted in Brie and ordered two batches to be sent to him annualy in Aix. 

But you can find is almost everywhere now:) and it is a very good starter and a great treat!

What you need for baked brie:

3 (small) sheets of puff pastry that you can find in all super market

Of course you can make your own dough...(I will post one recipe for that, later this month)

1 egg (optional)

1 Tbsp. water

1 Brie cheese round

For the filling:

In this recipe I used:

1/2 cup sour cherry jam

1/3 cup chopped almonds

BUT this is where you can improvise:

Others have used whatever jam they have,

rosemary, cinnamon & honey...and an endless list of other things:)

So use your imagination...

Let pastry at room temperature for about 40 min until it is easy to handle and unfold it on a lightly floured  surface.

Stir cherries and almonds or whatever you have in mind;)

Now there is a challenge: You can either spread the mixture directly  onto the center of the pastry... Or on the brie as I did in the pic:)

And turn it onto the pastry jam side down...

Brush the pastry with the egg & water mixture and then fold the pastry and press edges:)

Turn it upside down and  decorate if you wish:)) with the remaining pastry you may have and the cookie cutters you love...

Even though it is already spring I decided to add some snowflakes!

Bake for 20-25 min until the dough become gold... 200° C and let it stand for about 35-40 min before you serve!

Miam...

Suggestion: Serve with crackers, pickled grapes, or just a bottle of red wine room temperature...

From the heart,

Anna