Double Choc Ricotta Mousse

Midweek.... Need a treat.... Some fast to prepare and to take with to the Office ...... In th fridge some ricotta, chocolate ever to find in the cupboard.... So let's do a sort of chocolate mousse...

You need (2 serving)

- 250 g Ricotta

- 30 g dark chocolate (I used chocolate drops from sarotti)

- 30 g white chocolate 

- 1/4 tsp ground vanilla bean

- 1/2 tsp  palm sugar (or brown sugar)

- 1 dash cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp baking sugar

- Optionally: some Fruit purée (I took Mange purée) and 1 Passionfruit 

To prepare:

1. Melt in separate bowls both chocolates in the microwave (this will take on,y few seconds. Alternatively you can melt it over boiling water)

2. In one of the bowls mix together with a handheld mixer the melted white chocolate with vanilla, baking sugar and 125 g ricotta

3. Mix in the other bowl the dark chocolate, Palm sugar, cinnamon and 125 g ricotta

4. Fill first white Mousse, then dark mousse in glasses. (Best is to pipe the Mousse in the glasses, so you'll obtain distinct layers. I did it with a spoon....layers are not so perfect...)

5. Top with Mango purée and Passionfruit

6 . Reserve in the fridge overnight and take to your office for a great Lunch-dessert and savor! Of course also perfect as dessert at home :)

Crunchy Choc-Hazelnut Spread

I am not so the sweet one in the morning... Means that I am not one of those who only love Croissant and Jam for their breakfast..... I rather prefer some Porridge or some Bread with butter. But on the other Hand I love Sweets and so as "sweetlover" You also love Nutella, this chocolate-hazelnuts spread one can buy in the supermarket... In fact I don't know how it taste on a bread but I know how delicious it is savouring directly out of the glass.. spoon after spoon... So of course I was more than  curious when I found a Recipe in the new Cookbook " vegan to go" from Attila Hildmann for a Self done chocolate - hazelnuts spread. And so I instantly tried it, modified it a little bit... And OMG the Result is tremendous.... Here is the recipe.

You need:

90 g dark chocolate (I used one from Sarotti)

70 g icing Sugar

200g Butter (When vegan  use vegan butter) at roomtemperature

200g Hazelnut puree (to find in Bio Markets for ex.)

1 tsp. ground vanilla Bean 

40 g whole hazelnuts, roasted in the oven at 180 C until the skin is easily removable (there is no problem if there is some skin leaving....) and then you put  them in a plastic bag and crush them with a Rolling pin.

To prepare:

1. Melt the chocolate directly in a pan at medium heat by stirring from time to time, or in the microwave or in a Bowl over some simmering water

2. Stir together Hazelnut puree, butter, vanilla and sugar unter well combined (I used a  handheld electric Mixer). Than add the melted chocolate and stir once again until evenly combined.

3. Fold in the crushed hazelnuts and fill the Cream in Glaspots

4. Reserve the spread in the fridge but get it out some minutes before eating when you want it to be easy to spread. When you savour it with a spoon... It's fine directly out of the fridge ☺️

Ricotta - blueberries - Raspberries- strudel

Strudels are a speciality of my home-country. Mainly we fill Strudels with a mix of some fruits cut in pieces and seasoned with sugar and spices. These Ricotta - Strudel reminds me a little bit the so called "Topfenstrudel". This is a Strudel filled with some special fresh cheese = Topfen. In the following recipe I used ricotta, so you become a "Italian style Strudel" ;). Th recipe is very easy but the result is tremendous delicious....!!

You need ( for one Strudel ):

 2 Strudel leafs ( if you can't find them you also may use Yufka leafs, you can find them in "Turkish" stores)

250 g ricotta

30 g sugar + 3 tbsp. sugar 

2 Tbsp. fine breadcrumbs

3 tsp. Corn- or potatoe - starch

1 white from a big egg 

120 g blueberries and raspberries

60 g wheat flour

Some melted butter

To prepare:

1. Mix together Ricotta, starch, sugar and egg white until well combined.

2. Preheat the oven to 200 C.

3. Put your Ricottamix in a pan and heat up until it turns to a thick creme while stirring from time to time. Then remove from the oven and let cool down a little bit.

4. Put the flour in a bowl and add the berries. By moving the bowl cover all the berries with some flour.

5. Put one of the strudel leafs on a wet tea towel and Put all over the melted butter with a cooking brush. Then dust all over with 3 Tbsp. Sugar and 2 Tbsp. fine breadcrumbs.

6. Cover with  the second strudel Leaf and then put the Ricotta - Mix on the lower part

7. Disperse the berries over the Ricotta. Fold about 3 cm of both long sides of the strudel leafs toward the middle and then start folding the Strudel by taking the edges of the wet towel and starting from the smaller side of the Strudel (where  you have positioned your Ricotta - Fruit - Mixture) . The Result should be a sort of a Roll... = a Strudel ;). 

8. With the tea towel transfer the Strudel to a baking tray covered with some parchment paper and brush all over the Strudel with some melted butter.

9. Put in the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes.

Let cool down for some minutes, dust with icing sugar, cut in pieces and .... yummie!

Vegan waffle

Waffles for Breakfast are a wonderful treat! Heaven would be if one would not have to work for long in the kitchen to get some hot fresh waffles in the morning.  Is'nt it? I found a great vegan recipe perfect for preparing the evening before and then you have just to bake the waffles in the morning. So easy  getting quick some hot delicious, fresh waffles..... ;)

You need (for 6 - 8 waffles, amount depending on the size of your Waffle Iron):

- 225 g wheat flour

- 100 g butter

- 300 ml soy milk

- 70 g sugar

- 1/2 tsp. Baking powder

- 1/4 tsp. ground vanilla 

- some fresh fruits, optionally maple syrup or some whipped cream 

To prepare:

1. Mix together all the ingredients until well combined

2. Reserve the batter in the fridge until baking next morning

3. Preheat the waffle Iron, put enough batter on the Iron and bake your waffles until golden brown

Dust with sugar and serve with some fruits, maple syrup and  sweetened whipped cream. Yummmmmmmm!

Sweet Semolina - Schupfnudeln

I confess I have no idea how to translate Schupfnudel! It means a sort of thick noodles made out of potatoe and eggs usually. This recipe is a vegan Variation that uses a Special sort of semolina: Kamut semolina. Kamut is a old sort of wheat that one can find in Health food Shops. The recipe is easy. Nonetheless you need some time as you have to roll the noodles by hand... And this takes some time... You can serve the Schupfnudeln as Dessert or as Main course. Accompaign them with some fruit compote, fruit salad and perhaps with some whipped sweet soy cream...

You need ( 2 portions when taken as Main course)

- 220 g Kamut semolina

- 500 ml rice Drink

- 4 Tbsp. Maple syrup and a little bit more for drizzling over the Schupfnudeln at the end

- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp. ground vanilla

- 50 g ground almonds (or hazelnuts)

- some icing sugar, pinch of salt and some fruits; Vegetable oil for frying

To prepare:

1. Heat up rice Drink with cinnamon, vanilla and a pinch of salt

2. Stir in the Kamut semolina until well combined and let rest for 5 minutes

3. Fold in the Maple syrup

4. Let cool down and then take a small amount (about 1 1/2 tsp.) between the palm of your hands and roll until obtaining a noodle that becomes smaller at the edges

5. Roll the noodles in the ground nuts

6. Heat up a small amount of oil in a pan and fry the noodles until golden brown

Dust with some icing sugar and serve with some cream and fruits and perhaps drizzle some more maple syrup over the noodles...

Vegan Peanutbutter Cookies

I'm not one of those who love Peanutbutter. But those Cookies are great! Meanwhile baking and then when they come out of the oven there is an mouthwatering Odour ... I think you want and can't resist these Cookies... They are chewy and crispy, sweet but not to sweet.... But try yourself! ( the recipe is one adapted out of the Cookbook from Ms Cupcake)

You need:

- 275 g creamy Peanutbutter

- 240g wheat flour

- 125 g vegan butter

- 80 g sugar

- 70 g brown sugar ( I used light moscovado sugar)

- 125 ml Maple syrup

- 1 tsp. Vanillaextract

To prepare:

1. Mix together butter and Peanutbutter with sugar and Maple syrup 

2. Add wheat and mix quickly until well combined

3. Form small balls and put on a oven tray armed with parchment paper

4. With a fork flatten the balls and create a "pattern"

5. Put in the to 160 C preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes

6. Let shortly cool down on the baking tray before removing from the tray and cooling completely

And then savour... I could'nt resist and tried one Cookie slightly warm... But also cooled down...Heaven!

Easy Cinnamon Rolls

All began with a little gift from th best daughter of this world! She brought me a little package with awesome little cinnamon rolls from a canadian producer..... And as one will not buy every day such a treat that of course you can only buy in one singular place in your hometown.. You have to find a Solution for getting cinnamon buns when craving for that on a weekend or late in the evening.....or whenever....

To really get quick results I bought a ready to bake danish pastry dough (so called "Plunderteig" in my country) and one can start more or less immediatly. For the dough: I am sure the buns / rolls also would work with some puff pastry or some pizza dough.

You need (for 12 little buns)

200 g danish pastry dough ( ready to be used)

120 g ground almonds ( here I am not sure if it would'nt be better to use walnuts for there more distinct taste... If you try it tell me about your results..)

4 tbsp. Creme fraiche

1 tsp. Ground cinnamon

4 tbsp. Honey

Some more honey or maple syrup and some icing sugar for finishing the cinnamon rolls.

To prepare:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 C. Butter and dust with some wheat a baking dish for little muffins.

2. Mix togehter almonds, honey, cinnamon and creme fraiche.

3. Smear this mix on your dough and cut in small stripes ( about 3 cm). 

4. Roll each stripe and place in your baking dish.

5. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

When getting out of the oven glaze with some honey or some maple syrup and dust with some icing sugar and then try to resist.... ;)

Vegan nut-chocolate Cake

For a long time a could'nt believe that vegan cakes really could be as tasty as normal cakes or even better :) ... Since my sister brought me a delicious, savoury cake that I could'nt believe to be vegan. Than she gave me the recipe and I tried also the cake and ....yummie! But give a try yourself!

You need:

300 g wheat flour

150 g sugar ( I took 100 g normal and 50 g moscovado sugar)

16 g baking powder (=1 sachet)

250 ml soy milk

135 ml oil

1 tsp. vinegar

20 g vanilla sugar (= 1 sachet)

100g ground walnuts

60 g melted chocolate

To prepare:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 C

2. Mix separately together the dry and liquid ingredients before mixing them together. When all is good melted add the chocolate and fold in

3. Grease and powder with some flour a baking tray (I used a tray for small guglhupf)

4. Put the cake mix in your prepared baking tray and put in the oben for about 20 minutes. ( when using a bigger baking form than you should let the cake longer in the oven until a tooth pick get out clean when picked in the cake)

Serve with some icing sugar and some fruits, drizzle over a little bit maple syrup....

 And never say again that vegan cakes are not tasty. ;)

Oven baked French Toast

I love french Toast.. On a lazy sunday morning.... A good cup of tea... Some good book... This recipe for french Toast is genious as it is baken in the oven and meanwhile you can prepare the rest of your lazy sunday breakfast. I found the recipe in a cookbook from Donna Hay. I adapted it only a little by changing the used milk and reducing the number of eggs and using some brioche.
You neeed: (serves 2 - 4)
4 Brioche slices (rest of a brioche)
1 big egg
250 ml soy milk
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Some vanilla essence (or vanilla sugar)
2 tbsp. Agave syrup
Some salt, a little bit melt butter (for the baking dish), some maple syrup
To prepare:
1. Cover your baking dish with some parchment paper or baking foil and brusch with some melted butter.
2. Put the brioche slices int the buttered dish.
3. Mix together milk, cinnamon, sugar, milk, vanilla, a pinch salt and pour over the brioche.
4. Wait for about 20 minutes and then put in the to 180C preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
5. Serve with some powder sugar and maple syrup

Sweet curd cheese balls

In fact I should work on my project thesis for my postgraduate study instead of blogging.. but it honestly does´nt attract me at all... I did all this morning to have an excuse for not starting to seriously work on this thesis. I even started doing housekeeping, boring  things like ironing, washing clothes.... Sun is shining outside.. I already did my jogging round and was sitting in the sun after jogging... So now let´s talk about some delicious sweet things like those curd cheese balls and then, then I´ll start with my work.. for sure....
You need:
250 g curd cheese (=Topfen)
250 g self raising flour (or normal flour and 16g baking powder = 1pack)
4 tbsp. sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla sugar

1 liter sunflower oil for frying
Some icing sugar (about 100 g) and ground cinnamon (1 tsp. or more or less, adjust to your aste)
To prepare:
1. Stir all the ingredients together until well combined Let rest for about 10 minutes
2. Meanwhile heat up in a big pan the sunflower oil
3. With two tablespoons form out of the dough small balls and bake in the hot oil until golden brown and well raised.

4. Mix icing sugar and cinnamon. With a scoop drain the balls and roll in the sugarmix until evenly covered

Savour fresh and warm...

Pasteis de Nata

I don´t know how long it´s ago that my daughter came back from a journey with the school and was telling about a delicious treat that she and her friends had savoured during their stay in Portugal. Since then, when ever she rememorates this journey she speaks about Pasteis de Nata. And I think it´s quite also such a long time that I promised her to try to bake some of those Pasteis de Nata... So that´s one of the examples that you never should give up in your life - because now (even if it´s years after..) I did it! I found a delicious and easy recipe for Pasteis de Nata. And here it is.
You need (makes about 24 small Pasteis de Nata)
- 275g ready to use puff pastry
- 4 egg yolks
- 80 g sugar
- 250 ml heavy cream
- 1 tsp. wheat flour
- some cinnamon powder, a little bit melted butter and a pan for little muffins
To prepare:
1. Beat the egg yolks with a fork. Put in a pan together with sugar and heavy cream and heat up on low temperature. Just before it boils you add the flour (dissolved previously in a little bit of heavy cream)
2. Cook for about 3 minutes until it starts to get creamy. Stir from time to time
3. Let cool down this cream
4. Meanwhile butter your muffin pan with the melted butter
5. Roll out the puff pastry and cut into stripes about 1 cm wide and 20 cm long
6. Roll each stripe to a sort of a snail and flatten to a disk. Then put each disk in a muffin whole

7. Fill the cream in your pastry tartelettes and bake for about 18 minutes in your preheated oven (200 C) until goldn brown

8. When getting out of the oven your pasteis de nata sprinkle some ground cinnamon on each and let cool down. Don´t be afraid that they will collapse a little bit.

Those pasteis de nata are delicious when slightly warm (but not hot)... Would wonder if you could stop after one piece