Orange poppyseed cookies

On the Northern hemisphere, we are still caught in the winter time with cold and often grey afternoons that are very inviting for spending some time in a nice, oven-warm ed kitchen or cuddled up in a warm blanket in front of the TV or fire. I enjoy my afternoon tea or coffee a lot,…

Cookie dough terrine

Oh my sweet tooth, sometimes it makes me create little recipes without having planned any of it. Last night after dinner was such a moment, I felt like I needed something chocolaty and quick. And voila, this nice and tasty cookie dough terrine came out. Ingredients: 1 stick butter or margarine 3/4 cups brown sugar…

Mousse au chocolat

Who does not like desserts? As far as I know, almost nobody. I am sure that out of a group of 10, a maximum of 1-2 persons do not have a sweet tooth and do not get attracted by a sweet seduction after a good meal. For you as a hobby chef, that is good news. Offering a…

Mini Franzis

Hamburg is my home base. A very lovely city that is not as hyped as other European cities (Berlin, London, Paris) and my hidden gem with loads of outside activities to do, secret spots to discover off the path, a varied culinary scene and the best about it: Some traditional Hamburgeois foods. Nothing too fancy. Simple…

Fruit & nut cake

What is a good alternative to a breakfast cereal or porridge? If you like sweet for breakfast then my answer is: Cake. Not that it has to be a large piece with whipped cream. I am looking for something healthy that gives me an energy boost for the day. Today I tried out a wholegrain…

Carrot cake: Moist and delicious

Somehow this month is coming along with plenty of cake occasions for me: Birthdays, weddings, a job change and sometimes simply a sweet tooth on a weekend afternoon made me look through my collection of cake recipes. I stumbled across a carrot cake recipe that I was given by my German friend Mareike about three years…

Simone’s home-made granola

Muesli and granola are my favorite breakfast meals. Paired with fruit they give you a powerful start into the day. For a while I have been looking for a simple and kind of healthy granola recipe. I got inspired by Simone, our Airbnb host in Copenhagen, last weekend. She was so kind to invite us…

Everybody loves…a pumpkin pie

Before the wonderful pumpkin season is over I want to share a very easy pumpkin pie recipe with you. In Germany, pumpkin pies are not very common to my surprise. Pumpkins are everywhere though! I have seen many recipes using a ton of cream. I prefer it a little simpler with just a sip of cream….

Liquid pleasures: Home-made smoothies

What’s healthier than ice cream? Smoothies. What’s better than juice? Smoothies. What makes you happy? Smoothies. Voilà, I officially declare the smoothie our remedy for the upcoming winter months. My sister Becci believes in her breakfast smoothie. It took me a while to become a fan myself but now I think she is right. Smoothies without sugar…

Portuguese tomato jam (doce de tomate)

Tomato jam? Wouldn’t you normally use fruit to make jam? That is right and yet it is also what make this jam so fabulous. It’s my latest discovery from Portugal. I recently spent a weekend in Lisbon and Cristiana, a Portuguese friend of ours, told me to try it. I would have not imagined that ripe, caramelized…

Red wine chocolate muffins (Rotweinkuchen)

Have you ever wondered what to do with leftover red wine apart from pouring it down the sink? Cook with it :) Red wine sauce, coq au vin…and red wine cake, that’s what comes to my mind when I think of how to use wine in the kitchen. I am planning on starting a muffin challenge with my…

Schese’s banana pancakes

Oh gosh, I have been absent for a while. Sorry for that. I was gone for my summer vacation, spending a month in the US, road tripping around the country and enjoying two very laid back weeks on the beach in Charleston, South Carolina. The good news: I had time to cook and take loads…

Vegan Birthday Cake

Ingredients: 300 g sugar or raw sugar 450 g white flour 6 tablespoons cocoa powder vanilla flavor (1 pack Vanillinzucker) 1 tablespoon backing soda (1 pack Backpulver) 150 ml cooking oil (canola or colza oil, neutral taste) 200 ml soy or rice milk 300g (3 bars) dark chocolate Preparation: 1) Chop 100 g of the…

Vegan sweets

  This month I am thinking V-E-G-A-N from breakfast to dinner. So far I am quite impressed with our Vegan Challenge. Day 3 is here and I don’t miss anything that I cannot eat. And I feel pretty fit, too. Although I have to admit that the sweet tooth is still there. Here is a…

Holy Yummieness: Wholegrain Pear Tarte

Holy yummieness, this cake was delicious! I had my friend Miri over this weekend: What a special honor as I usually only get to see her once a year but when I see her we´re in action and that´s how this cake was born. Wish we had invented it but no, her mom has some…

Gib-mir-die-Kugel Torte (Hazelnut Cream Cake)

If one day you would like to seduce a friend or family member with a one of a kind birthday cake, then I´ve got the right recipe for you! This cake is a dream of hazelnut cream, made with two packs of Ferrero Rocher chocolate balls. And the best thing about it: It´s gluten free….

Bread pudding

Dear blog readers, I am very sorry for my abstinence. Today is the last day in August and I am posting my first entry of this month. Summer time is vacation time and I spent mine on the beautiful US West Coast. Our camping meals turned out very simple and we only had sporadic internet…

German cheesecake

As promised I am presenting you today my old-fashioned, German-style cheesecake recipe. It looked, smelt and tasted like the ones I am used to from home, so do not be afraid to try out the experiment with the home-made curd cheese that you need as an ingredient for this recipe. In Germany, we like to…

Anise biscuits

Lately, I was looking for herbs that help digestion and I came across anise. Much tastier than a herbal tea with anise and fennel I thought, would be to make anise cookies. I store them in a tin box and grab one or two after lunch, if I feel like it. Ingredients (makes 40 cookies):…

Cake in a jar?

Yes, that’s right. Nowadays, it’s not only jam and pickles that you will find in a jar. Cake is the new creation to go for. I was quite fascinated to hear about this recipe. And I’ll tell you what the best part about it is: You can store the cake for up to 6 months…