Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Aand here it is - mother's day! Known as the one day where everyone magically turns into a baker, trying to mix up something delicious for the one and only number one in our world: mom!

I've always loved the preperations for this special occasion and can remember the good ol' primary school days when we would spend hours drawing the letters of poems on coloured papers and then give our best to individualize those with all colours available ;-). It was fun!
And the moment you can proudly present mom your present just seeing the smile on her face makes it all worth it (from a childrens point of view).

Nowadays just like Valentine's day I think it's much more important to show your loved one's your appreciation and love on a daily basis, yet I'm always all in when someone asks me for a fail-proof recipe which he or she wants to try out for his or her loved ones. No kidding: this time it has got ALL the essentials: Strawberries, Chocolate and Cheesecake! And for an easy feasting these ingredients come together in form of a light bar - just grab it casually with your hands for pure enjoyment or eat it sophisticatedly from a plate with a fork - your choice or moreover your mother's 'cause you sure want to make these for her (but pssst... don't tell her how easy it actually was ;-)).





These bars have been approved by my whole family, so don't be shy to bring them to a family breakfast, brunch or coffee time tomorrow (or any other day of the year as these taste superb even on "non-mother's-day-days") - no kind of "you've-included-chocolate-and-peanut-butter-in-a-cake-???" kind of moments, I swear!

The base actually looks like a super fudgy brownie and yes, it's deliciously fudgy, yet without all the dense texture we all are well known to, because the base actually consists of a light cake batter with cocoa powder, which is baked until just right! Nevertheless it sure doesn't lack in chocolate taste! Casually swirl some cream cheese on top pre-baking and don't forget a good sprinkle of strawberries (or other fruit/berries of choice) for the fresh accent. Oh, and have I mentioned that these are ready within half an hour? So even if it's mother's day already, I am sure you can still deliver them to your favourite person in the world!

Happy mother's day to everyone out there!




Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
- makes enough for an 8x8inch pan
Chocolate Base:
- 1 and 1/2 cups flour (I used Whole Wheat)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 5 Tbsp dark cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 Tbsp Cream Cheese

Cream Cheese Swirl:
- one packet (125g) Cream Cheese
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp flour

- a handful of strawberries, sliced or cubed for the topping

1. Preheat your oven to 175°C/350°F.
2. Prepare the cream cheese: Beat together the cream cheese, sugar and flour until combined. Set aside.
3. Make the chocolate base: Mix together the flour, salt, sugar, cocoa powder and baking powder. Then stir in the milk and cream cheese. You might need to add 2-3 Tbsp of Milk if your batter is to thick.
4. Pour the batter into a greased or lined pan. Spoon the cream cheese in 6-7 portions on top, then swirl in the cream cheese with a fork so, that it still stays at the surface, but is distributed well.
5. Sprinkle the strawberries on top and press them in slightly. Bake for 20-25 minutes until set in the middle. Remove and let cool before slicing. Enjoy!

Apple Galettes

It's Easter time! And I think we all know what that stands for - long family meals, endless chats and of course the always too many chocolate eggs. That's why I skipped my initial plan of yet another chocolate based recipe to inspire your culinary easter and opted for these little goodies instead: Apple Galettes!

These freestyle tartlettes are made up from a whole wheat crust and a super fruity apple-starring filling all spiced up with my all time fave cinnamon - pure bliss yet not overly sweet, so instead of a sugar coma they are a tad bit more nutritious and light. That definitely calls for some honey whipped cream as a partner ;-) (recipe below). Or skip the whipped cream and serve them at Sunday's Easter brunch. For this occasion egg-shaped galettes might be a nice idea to entertain friends and family.

Quiche with Smoked Salmon and Sundried Tomatoes

 

Ask one about the indicators for spring and he or she will probably give an answer like "twittering birds in the morning, first green and colourful spots in nature and dishes with fresh veggies and fruit". While I totally won't argue about those facts, as I am a great fan indeed, I've found yet another factor to show me that the warmer seasons has arrived: quiches!

Yes, those crisp crusts filled with an egg mixture and savoury or sweet produce which start to pop up at every corner in the digital as well as the real-life world in the moment: in cafeterias and food galleries. And I'm totally with that vibe: nothing comes close to the taste of a fresh homemade quiche enjoyed at a picnic or get-together on one of the first warmer evenings! (how can one not love the changing of the clocks - okay, minus the hour that was "stolen" and the all-dark-again mornings...).

Conclusion is: ithappens to be springtime - I've also munched on the first aspargus this week and to kickstart the endorphine production decided to bake up a quiche that already tastes like summer with yet a touch of spring: Smoked Salmon and Sundried tomatoes get accompanied by fresh basil leaves and a dash of parmesan.  The red splash of colour and sunny tastes pairs beautifully with the smoky nuances and the basil leaves can also be found in the crust to give it all a fresh, green-dotted appearance. Happy springtime!

Quiche with smoked salmon and sundried tomatoes
- makes enough for one 9 inch pan (I've used several smaller ones and froze the leftovers)
Crust:
- 200 g flour (I've used whole wheat flour)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ~4 tbsp water
- a dash of pepper
- a generous handful of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

Filling:
- 2 eggs
- 200 ml milk
- 2 Tbsps creme fraiche
- dash of each pepper and ground nutmeg
- 200g smoked salmon
- 30g sundried tomatoes
- 50g parmesan, freshly grated
- a few fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

1. Preheat your oven to 175 °C.
2. Mix together the flour and salt, then add in the basil, olive oil and pepper and gradually mix in the water until a soft dough is formed.
3. Roll the dough out and press into a pan. Blindbake for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile prepare your filling: finely chop the tomatoes and basil leaves and cut the salmon in small stripes. Beat together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add in the grated cheese but reserve about one Tbsp. Take the crust out of the oven, evenly distribute the salmon, the tomatoes and the basil on top, then pour the egg mixture all over. Bake for 30 minutes. Then sprinkle the reserved cheese on top and continue baking until top is golden and middle is set. You might need to temporarily cover the quiche with aluminium foil or a lid to prevent browning. Take it out, let cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan and allow for further cooling or serve straightaway. Best accompanied by a fresh green salad. Enjoy!

Earl Grey Porridge

Foods have characters right? Some easily pair up with nearly anything others are quite special and their partners have to be picked carefully. Or think of chocolate - most people like it (at least once in their life) and then there are specialist foods like porridge and Earl Grey, totally delightful yet not everyones first choice.

With several recipes like here and here you might already know how much I love black tea and Earl Grey in particular is one of my all time favourites. The fragant sometimes fruity flavour is what gets me every single time. It's not as strong as the breakfast kind of tea (another fave of mine) which makes it perfectly adaptable to use in cakes or other desserts.

To speak about the porridge: a steaming hot bowl is what wakes me up during the cold mornings and a cold overnight version fuels me for long lovely summer days - serve it with some cut up fruit and maybe a little yogurt and I'm all in.

On one of those totally-not-motivated Monday mornings (we all know them, don't we?) a few months ago: I was sitting at the breakfast table, a cup of tea steaming on my right side and a hot bowl of porridge right in front of me, when my mind woke up in the matter of a second with a super easy idea: why not add the tea into the porridge for a little twist on flavour?

Berliner {Jam filled doughnuts}

It's carnival! You know, this crazy festival, when everyone dresses up and a lot of loud music and party is included, to celebrate one last time before the pre-easter fasting period begins.This calls for a lot of celebrations in form of parades, full in costumes and everything. And of course, since being located in a true carnival region: a lot of feasting on the obligatory deep fried sweet baking goods like "Krapfen", "Auszogne" or "Mutzenmandeln" (a visit of a well known search engine might help to get a basic picture of how much you can really make with as little as flour, sugar and fat ;-)).

The ultimate classic alias "king of carnival" in the category of baked goods around here is a jam filled doughnut or "Berliner" (no, no cannibalism included, I swear!). Nothing beats the super soft yeasted dough, rolled in sugar and filled with a generous amount of jam - pure bliss! Nowadays you can get it year round, so make sure to try one once you visit Germany, it's a must have!



But as they're "in season" now, it's nearly impossible to try all the different varieties that are currently served in the bakeries: all kinds of chocolate, all kinds of jam and different creams like vanilla or egg liqueur just to name a few. Berliners for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner is what it calls for.

As we have this tradition of celebrating carnival with a brunch on "Tulip Sunday" I chose to prepare some homemade "Berliners" as a special treat. And oh, boy they were gooood!! The ones out of the bakeries are great, don't get me wrong, but a fresh, still warm one - nothing better! And to even top it, you can make them year round at home, this leaves us with the chance to try out all the different fillings one by one, need I say more? Get your yeast and flour going and enjoy some within hours! Happy carnival everyone!





Berliner {Jam filled doughnuts} (American measurements will be up tomorrow!)
-makes 15 regular sized or 25 small ones
- 125 ml milk
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 500g flour
- 30g sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 100g butter
- 300g jam or filling of your liking (e.g. chocolate spread)
- 750 ml oil for frying
- 100g sugar or powdered sugar for dusting

1. Slightly heat your milk, then add in your yeast and let sit for approximately 10 minutes until foamy. In a huge bowl mix together the flour, sugar and salt, add in the yeast-milk-mixture, mix and let sit for a couple of minutes, then add in the eggs and butter.
2. Knead for 5-10 minutes until a soft, pliable dough has formed. Let sit at room temperature until doubled in size (~2 hours) or leave it to rest in the refrigerator overnight.
3. Knead the dough once more, divide into equal parts and roll them out into like-sized rectangles on a lightly floured surface. Mark circles on one of the rectangles with a cookie cutter or knife, then add a tsp of jam into the middle of each circle.
4. Layer the other dough rectangle on top and cut out the jam filled circles with your cookie cutter or knife. Continue to do so until all dough is used up. Place on a lightly floured surface, cover with a tea towel and let sit for further 15 minutes.
5. Heat the oil in a heavy pot until bubbles form immediately when a wooden spoon is placed inside, this means the fat is hot enough. Carefully add in two-three berliners into the fat, put on the lid and fry for 2-3 minutes, then remove the lid and turn them over on the other side and continue frying until lightly browned. Take out, pat off the fat and dust with (icing) sugar when still warm. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts. Serve and enjoy!