Cheese Muffins

The original recipe is actually a loaf of bread. And the first two times I made it as a loaf. The first time for myself, to see if I like it, I did. And the second time for my family, they loved it.
But there where a few things I didn't like. After the loaf comes out of the oven you have to wait at least a few hours bevor you can eat it. Cause when the bread is still hot it's to heavy and to moist. You can only eat a little bit or you get a stomachache, but it is hard to stop cause it tastes great.
And another thing is that I, and the rest of my family, love bread crust, and there isn't enough of it.
To make muffins out of these recipe was my moms idea. And it solves all these problems.

Like I said my family loved the bread, even my brother and he is a picky eater. So I had to make the muffins only a few days after the bread (it was barely enough for two days). And while I was at it, I thought I could try out different ingredients. I like bread and buns with kernel and raisins, so I tried that out. They turned out pretty well. The original recipe is mediterranean and has a rather intense taste. But the kernel variation is pretty mild in comparison. It's almost neutral, but not in a negative sense. More along the lines that it goes just as well with something sweet as something hearty.

The base dough is great for all kinds of variations. I have some ideas for others, maybe something with bell pepers or cranberrys.
And of course you could also change the cheese. Instead of the gouda you could use something with a stronger taste. But I rather like gouda so I think that's not a variation I will try out.

Another thing I liked about the recipe is that it's so easy to make, you don't even need a hand mixer, a spatula or a wooden spoon suffices. And the base dough is pretty quick to make. The mediterranean varition takes some time, cause there is so much to cut. But if you make the kernel variation there is almost no extra work.

I also made the muffins for some of my extended family and some friends (on two separate occasions) and all around I only got positiv feedback.

One of my friends made the suggestion to make mini-muffins. I kind of like the idea, they would be practically bite sized. So I think I'll do that the next time.

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Cheese Muffins

Base Dough

Dry ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
70 g parmesan
60 g gouda

1. Grate the parmesan and the gouda.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a big bowl.
3. Use a spatula or a wooden spoon to mix everything together.

Wet ingredients:

2 eggs
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1. Put the eggs in a small bowl and whisk them with a fork.
2. Add the remaining wet ingredients to the eggs and whisk everything together.

Egg Wash

1 egg yolk
2 tsp water

1. Combine the egg yolk with the water and whisk them together.

Mediterranean Variation

1/2 tsp mustard flour
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp thyme
1/2 cup green olives
10 sundried tomatoes
2 scallions
2 tbsp parsley
thyme, for sprinkling
sea salt, for sprinkling

1. Cut the olives into thin rings and then in halves.
2. Cut the tomatoes into thin slices and then in halves.
3. Wash and dry the scallions and then cut them into thin slices.
4. Mince the parsley.

Kernel Variation

1/2 cup gold raisins
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
1/2 cup pumkin seeds

To Assemble

1 base dough
1 variation
1 egg wash

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
2. Grease a muffin pan with baking spray.
3. Add the prepared ingredients from the chosen variation to the dry ingredients of the base dough.
4. Mix everything together with a spatula or a wooden spoon.
5. Make a well in the middle and add the wet ingredients of the base dough.
6. Use the spatula or wooden spoon to thoroughly combine all the ingredients.
7. Distribute the dough in the muffin pan, it's enough for 12 muffins.
8. Smooth out the top of the muffins.
9. Brush them with the egg wash.
10. If the chosen variation includes something to sprinkle on the muffins use it now.
11. Bake the muffins for 35-40 minutes.
12. Leave the muffins in the pan for about 5 minutes to cool down.
13. Take them out and put them on a cooling rack.


If you prefer to make the loaf, you only have to change the baking time to about 50 minutes.

Bon appétit!!

Stuffed Onions

I was always a little more sensitive when it comes to onions then most. But lately it's getting ridiculous. By now I even react to scallions. It's a real shame because I love onions in my dishes.
I try to use my food processor as often as possible. It doesn't eliminate the problem but it makes it better.

While preparing the onions I had to wash out my eyes at least 8 times. Afterwards my face was bright red. And I really mean my whole face and not just around my eyes. I'm in no hurry to repeat that experience.

I like the stuffing. It's a really good combination. But you shouldn't eat more than one stuffed onion. All in all the dish contains a lot of onion. If you eat to much your throat will hurt afterwards.

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Stuffed Onions

5 spanish onions (large, mild onions)
2 red bell peppers
200 g green olives, stuffed with pepper paste
250 g feta
4 tsp oregano
olive oil
pepper
salt

1. Carefully trim the root end of the onions. Cut of the cap of the onions and skin them afterwards.
2. Hollow out the onions, be careful not to break or damage them.
3. Bring salt water to a boil in a big sauce pan.
4. Cook the onions in it for about 15 minutes. They should be soft, but not falling apart.
5. Take the onions out and let them drip off. Put them aside for later.
6. Roughly cube the onion innards.
7. Wash and dry the bell peppers. Hollow them out and cut them into fine cubes.
8. Put the olives in a colander and let them drip off. Cut them roughly into cubes.
9. Heat the oil in a skillet. Fry the cut onions and peppers for 5-7 minutes.
10. Add the olives to the rest in the last minute or two.
11. Crumble the feta or alternatively cut it into fine cubes.
12. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/360°F.
13. Mix everything together.
14. Season with salt, pepper and oregano.
15. Stuff the onions with the mixture.
16. Grease a casserole dish with some olive oil.
17. Spread the left over mixture in the dish. Place the stuffed onions on top.
18. Bake the onions for about 45-50 minutes.

Bon appétit!!

Samosas with Shrimp Filling

It's been awhile since my last post. The last few months I was to lazy to write down the recipes and to edit the photos. At least I kept up with the photographing, so there is a great deal of material.
And now I try to work through my backlog. There is a lot to come.

I have this recipe from a magazine and it just took me a few years to actually try it out.

All in all I'm lease call pinit.js only once per page --> not really a big fan of the filling. The mint taste was just to much for me. And I'm unsure about the chickpeas. I never tried them before. They smell strange.

But I positively love the dough. Easy to make and tastes great. I already have some ideas for other fillings I could try out.

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Samosas with Shrimps

Dough

300 g flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
6 g dry yeast
1 tbsp oil
3/4 cup cold water

1. Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl.
2. Use dough hooks on the hand mixer and mix everything for about 5 minutes.
3. Shape the dough to a ball, put it back in the bowl and sprinkle it with a little flour.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a clean towel.
5. Let the dough raise for 6-7 hours.

Filling

100 g cauliflower
1 scallion
3 tbsp sesame
120 g shrimps
1 bunch of parsley
3 leafs of mint
2 garlic cloves
1/2 lemon
100 g cooked chickpeas, tin
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp pepper

1. Clean the cauliflower and cut it into really small florets.
2. Boil some water in a sauce pan and cook the cauliflower in it for about 2 minutes.
3. Pour it in a colander and leave it for later.
4. Toast the sesame without oil in a frying pan.
5. Wash and dry the shrimps and cut them into small pieces.
6. Mince the parsley and the mint.
7. Strip the garlic and it chop into rough pieces.
8. Squeeze the lemon and collect the juice.
9. Wash and dry the scallion and slice it into thin rings.
10. Put the chickpeas, the garlic, the oil, the lemon juice and 2 tbsp water in a bowl and blend it together.
11. Season the mash with the salt, the pepper flakes, the cumin and the pepper.
12. Add the sesame, the cauliflower, the shrimps, the scallion and the herbs and mix everything together.

To Assemble

1. Put baking parchment on a baking sheet. Slide the sheet in the middle rail of the oven and another sheet in the bottom rail. Pre-heat the oven with the sheets to 240°C/465°F.
2. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough until it's about 5 mm thin.
3. Cut the dough into squares with a side length of about 12 cm.
4. Put about 1 tbsp of the filling on the squares.
5. Brush some water along the edge of the squares and fold them into triangles. Squeeze the edge shut with a fork.
6. Prepare 1/3 cup of water.
7. Take out the hot baking sheet with the baking parchment and put the turnovers on it.
8. Put the sheet back into the oven.
9. Take the water and carefully tip it onto the sheet at the bottom. Close the oven door as quickly as you can, so the steam doesn't escape.
10. Bake it for 12-15 minutes.
11. Put the turnovers on a cooling rack for a few minutes.

Bon appétit!!

Cauliflower Chowder

I liked this chowder. Particularly because you can add or leave out some of the vegetables or change the quantity. You can just through together what you have.
For example I had almost no cauliflower, so I substituted it with potatoes. I love onions, so I added some more of those. A little different but still good.

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Cauliflower Chowder

6 stripes smoked ham
3 tbsp butter
3 garlic cloves
2 onions
3 carrots
3 celery stalks
2 cauliflower heads, small
2 bay leafs
3 tbsp parsley
1/2 cup flour
6 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups milk, low fat
salt
pepper

1. Skin and mince the garlic cloves.
2. Skin the onions. Cut them into medium sized cubes.
3. Peel the carrots. Cut them into medium sized cubes.
4. Wash the celery stalks and dab them dry. Cut of the bottom and the leafs. Afterwards cut the celery into medium sized cubes.
5. Cut the cauliflower into smaller florets.
6. Let the butter melt in a big sauce pan.
7. Add the garlic, the onions, the carrots and the celery to the pan. Cook everything until it's tender, about 4 minutes. Stir occasionally.
8. Add the cauliflower and the bay leafs. Cook it until it's tender, about 4 minutes. Stir occasionally.
9. Stir in the flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until it turns brown.
10. Gradually add the vegetable stock and the milk.
11. Stir constantly until it is thicker, about 4 minutes.
12. Bring to a boil.
13. Let it simmer for 12-15 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.
14. In the mean time cut the smoked  ham into small pieces and fry them until they are crispy. Put them on a paper towel and leave them for later.
15. Mince the parsley.
16. If the chowder is to thick you can add some more milk.
17. Season with salt and pepper.
18. Stir in the parsley.
19. Serve with some ham strewn over it.

Bon appétit!!

Painted Vanilla Cookies

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The recipe for the Vanilla Cookies. 

Bon appétit!!

Vanilla Cookies

I had nothing to snack on so I thought I make myself something sweet.

A few days before I've seen some painted on cookies on pinterest and I really wanted to try that out. It's kinda like painting in watercolors and I'm not that bad with those.
So I found myself a cookie recipe that would work for that. I'm satisfied with this recipe. The edges stay sharp after baking. But you still have to be careful not to break of the corners. And of course they taste good.

I actually didn't eat all that many of them. Effectivly only those you can see on the picture at the top.
On all the other cookies I put some royal icing, as you can see on the picture beneath.

This was the first time I used royal icing. It was harder to use than I thought. I need some more practise until I can make a straight line.
I had some problems with making the royal icing. I just couldn't get stiff peaks, only really soft soft peaks. The reason for that was most likely that I didn't use cream of tartar. I've never seen it in a grocery store, couldn't find a substitute and I didn't want to buy it online (the shipping costs are as high as the buying price).
But the consistency is alright for cookies.

So my fist try at painting cookies worked out better than I thought. It's really more or less like watercolors. I used Wilton Gel Colors and diluted them with water.

I didn't have the time nor did I fancy to come up with my own motif. So I found myself some illustrations online. Except of the panda (I found that on pinterest), I used illustrations from the French artist Benjamin Lacombe and the German artist Anne Pätzke/Trenchmaker. I love them both. And now I made fanart on cookies.

Another reason why I chose this motifs is that they all have a rather simple form. I could sketch the outlines on the icing with severely diluted black but I couldn't erase anything. So the first sketch had to be more or less perfect. I did't make exact copies. Some things I had to change because of the dimension of my "canvas" and some I changed because I liked it better that way.

So I as I said I was rather satisfied with the outcome. The cookies looked really good. So good in fact that I couldn't bring myself to eat them. But I just couldn't let them laying around either. So I thought I send them to my mom. Not that I think she is going to eat them, but that way it wouldn't be me that has to suffer.

You can see the cookies up close here.

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Vanilla Cookies

Dough

225 g butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 g vanilla sugar, optional
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
4 1/2 cups flour

1. The butter shouldn't be to soft, it's enough if you take it out of the fridge one hour before you need it. Put the butter, the vanilla sugar and the sugar in a big bowl. Mix everything together with a hand mixer until it's creamy.
2. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix well.
3. Add baking powder and salt and mix well.
4. Add the flour, one cup at a time. Use the dough hook to mix everything together.
5. Dust your work station with a little flour. Roll the dough out on it. It's easier if you only roll out small portions at a time. Cover the dough you aren't working with with saran wrap, so it doesn't dry out. If you don't want to ice the cookies they should be about 0,5 cm thick. If you want to ice them make them thicker, about 1 cm.
6. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/375°F.
7. Put baking paper on a baking sheet.
8. Cut out the cookies with a cookie cutter or a knife.
9. Place the cut out cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Don't place the cookies to close, they will raise a little during the baking.
10. Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes, depending on size. The edges should have a light gold-brown color.

The dough is enough for 2 1/2 - 3 baking sheets.

Royal Icing 

3 egg whites
500 g icing sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1. Clean out the bowl you will use, to make sure it is absolutely fat free.
2. Sift the icing into a bowl.
3. Put the egg whites into the cleansed bowl. Beat them lightly for a few seconds.
4. Add the lemon juice.
5. Add the icing sugar one tablespoon at a time, while continuously whipping the egg whites on high.
6. Whip the egg whites for about 5-10 minutes. Until you have stiff peaks (soft peaks worked too).
7. Cover the bowl with a clean damp towel, while you are not working with the icing. To keep it from drying out.

To Assemble

piping bag
decorating tube, small round
decorating tube, medium round
3-6 tsp water

1. Prepare a piping bag with the small round decorating tube.
2. Fill some icing into the bag.
3. Pipe an outline onto the cookies.
4. To make the icing to flood the cookies, add water to the royal icing. One teaspoon at a time. To test the royal icing for the right consistency, move something through it. When the icing smooths out after 15 seconds, than it has reached the consistency you want.
5. Prepare a piping bag with the medium round decorating tube.
6. Fill some icing into the bag.
7. Flood the "outlined" cookies with the icing. Shake them a little from side to side to smooth it out.
8. Let the icing dry over night.
9. Paint the cookies.

Bon appétit!!