Cuisine: European

Stamped Christmas Shortbread

Christmas is just around the corner and even though there’s lots to do, there’s always time for a batch of Christmas cookies. Especially a simple cookie, like these stamped shortbread cookies, that go together quickly, taste great, and look fancy and festive. They’re great for sharing and go well with things like that afternoon coffee or tea.

Shortbread was always a cookie my mother kept in her Christmas cookie repertoire.  It seems it’s not Christmas without some of them around. This year I got interested in making some ‘stamped’ cookies to give them a special look.

The history of stamped Christmas cookies can be traced back to ancient civilizations. Women in Scandinavian countries traditionally baked cookies for special occasions using carved stamps handed down from generation to generation of family bakers. It was customary to give decorative cakes and cookies to friends during the Christmas season, weddings, christenings, and other festive occasions. Some traditions never change. As a nod to history, the Nordiska Museum  in Stockholm, Sweden has a collection of cookie stamps dating back to the 17th century in their permanent collection.

Eleanor Rycraft was the first American artist to introduce finely detailed, handmade-in-America terra cotta cookie stamps. Eleanor and her husband, Carroll, started their company, Rycraft, in 1968. Eleanor patterned her ceramic cookie stamps in the manner of the antique wooden Scandinavian stamps handed down through generations. As a potter, Rycraft saw the possibility of using clay to make these cookie stamps using the designs made in the Scandinavian tradition.

Cookie stamps were given away as gifts during the holidays. Christmas time was, and still is, a traditional occasion on which to make stamped cookies. 

Something else I did with this shortbread was I added some pure vanilla and cinnamon extract instead of the usual almond flavor. It was quite nice!

Print Recipe
 Stamped Christmas Shortbread
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword stamped shortbread cookies
Servings
Ingredients
Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword stamped shortbread cookies
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. In a food processor, pulse the cornstarch, powdered sugar & flour until combined. With the processor running, drop in the pieces of butter, one at a time. Pulse a few times until evenly distributed. Add vanilla & cinnamon extracts. Process just until the dough comes together and sticks together in a ball.
  2. Note: if you don't have a food processor, you can make the dough in a bowl, using a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture. Then use your hands to work in the liquid until it comes together into a dough.
  3. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, & refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  4. Divide the dough into 16 equal portions. Roll each portion between your hands to shape a ball & LIGHTLY dust each ball of dough in flour. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  5. Dip a cookie stamp in flour, then tap off the excess. Center the stamp over a ball of dough, then firmly (but lightly) press down on the dough, until it flattens slightly & spreads out all the way to the edge of the stamp. Carefully pull the dough off the stamp & set onto the baking sheet. If needed, use a round or scalloped cookie cutter to trim off the uneven edges. Save scraps.
  6. Repeat pressing all the cookies, dipping the stamp in flour & tapping off the excess in between each. Gather up all the scraps from the trimmed edges, roll into a ball, dust in flour & press one more cookie, for a total of 16 cookies.
  7. Leave the cookies plain or decorate with colored non-perils. Alternately, you could roll the cookie balls in colored sugar before stamping.
  8. Place all the stamped cookies about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Set the baking sheet in the refrigerator & chill the pressed cookies for 1 hour. Chilling the dough prior to baking ensures that the dough maintains its shape in the oven & doesn't spread.
  9. Preheat the oven to 300 F.
  10. Bake the chilled cookies on the center oven rack for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
  11. Cool the cookies ON the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack.

Onion Bagel & Brie Bread Pudding

The humble bagel, with its distinctive round shape and chewy texture, has a rich and diverse history. The bagel’s roots trace back to 17th-century Poland, where Jewish bakers crafted these circular breads. Anti-Semitic laws restricted Polish Jews from baking regular bread, leading them to create an alternative: the bagel. To circumvent the restrictions, they boiled the dough before baking it, resulting in the characteristic chewiness. Bagels were initially plain, but over time, they evolved into various flavors and toppings.

While traditional bread pudding recipes rely on stale bread cubes, bagels offer a unique twist that elevates this classic dessert to new heights. Over time, variations have emerged across different countries and despite its reputation as ‘poor man’s pudding,’ bread pudding remains a tasty and comforting dessert.

In 2015, ‘The Taste of a Memory’, a memorabilia/cookbook I wrote as a tribute to my wonderful parents, was published. It contained a compilation of stories, articles, recipes and reflections that evoke an intimate memory, a special time period and fond emotion brought about by the aroma and taste of food. Writing them down not only put them in print but allowed me to take a mental journey back to a gentler time.

The book contains over 160 bread pudding recipes – savory, sweet, specialty & low calorie as well as sauces, nutritional information, personal stories, reflections & treasured family photos.

This onion bagel & Brie bread pudding adds such an ‘upscale’ twist to a morning brunch.

Print Recipe
 Onion Bagel & Brie Bread Pudding
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Brunch
Cuisine European
Keyword onion bagel & brie bread pudding
Servings
Ingredients
Course Brunch
Cuisine European
Keyword onion bagel & brie bread pudding
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Spray an 11 x 7-inch ceramic/glass baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, beat eggs & milk. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour into baking dish. Cover & refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  4. Uncover dish & bake 50-55 minutes or until golden brown & center is set.

Aged Cheddar & Apple Focaccia

Focaccia is a wonderful and aromatic bread with a rich history that transcends cultural boundaries. Focaccia seems to have medieval origins and gained popularity in the 16th century. It was a common breakfast choice for port workers who had little time to eat. Paired with a glass of white wine, it provided energy for their morning tasks. 

Over time, focaccia has evolved into an expression of culinary craftsmanship, with bakers creating intricate designs and flavor combinations.

Apple and cheddar focaccia is a unique pairing that can definitely elevate your holiday entertaining. This focaccia combines the sweetness of apples with the savory richness of aged cheddar bringing out the best in both. It’s easy to make and pairs beautifully with wine, making it perfect for gatherings.

Print Recipe
 Aged Cheddar & Apple Focaccia
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword aged cheddar & apple focaccia
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Topping
Finishing
Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword aged cheddar & apple focaccia
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Topping
Finishing
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Dough
  1. In a large bowl or the bowl, combine the warm water & honey & stir well. Sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 1 Tbsp. olive oil.
  2. Add 2 cups of the flour, the salt & thyme leaves & knead in. Continue adding the remaining flour in small increments, as needed, until well incorporated. Dough will be moist & may look a bit sticky still.
  3. Generously flour a work surface. Remove dough to work surface & lightly flour the top of the dough, then form into a ball. Cover with a tea towel let stand 10 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with a large sheet of parchment paper.
  5. Gently press dough in to prepared baking pan, using your fingertips to stretch & push it so it fills the entire pan. Work as gently as possible so you don’t remove all the air from the dough. Cover dough with a tea towel & let stand 15-20 minutes.
Toppings
  1. Meanwhile, prepare the apple slices. Using a very sharp knife or a mandolin, slice the apples super thin. I wanted to have round slices so I sliced the apples thinly then cut out the centers with a miniature star cookie cutter. Grate cheese. Set toppings aside.
Assembly
  1. Use your fingertips to make some indentations in the dough. Scatter dough with 1/2 of the shredded cheese. Top with sliced apples. Place 3 thyme sprigs randomly on top of apples. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil.
  2. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven & scatter remaining cheese on top. Return to oven for a further 3-5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. If desired, pop under the oven broiler for a short time to brown cheese a bit. Remove from oven. Allow to stand a couple of minutes, then loosen from pan and slice focaccia on to a cooling rack. While warm, top with a sprinkling of flaky salt & a scattering of a few fresh thyme leaves.
  3. To serve, use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut in to serving pieces. Drizzle with a bit of honey to serve, if you wish.

Plachinda

Plachinda, also spelled as Blachinda, Platchenda, Platchinta, Blachinde, and Blagenda, is a pastry dessert with a flaky pie crust and a delicious pumpkin filling. It resembles a turnover or a hand-pie.

The history of Plachinda is intertwined with the Germans from Russia culture. In 1910, approximately 60,000 Germans from Russia settled in what is now North Dakota, USA. They brought their customs, traditions, and food recipes with them. Plachinda is one such culinary delight that continues to be enjoyed today.

Once again, I set out to bring back the ‘taste of a memory’. Of course, this used to start with some discussion about the meal with my sister Loretta. Between the two of us we could usually remember enough so I can attempt to recreate the taste.

It seemed whenever my mother made plachinda it was served with a white bean soup or ‘Weisse Bohnensuppe’.  Kind of an unusual pairing of sorts  —  bean soup with a sweet pumpkin pastry but it was so good.

It seems most recipes you find on the internet make plachinda as individual turnovers. I think I recall my mother making it in a rectangle casserole dish with the pastry on the bottom and up the sides and the filling showing. I decided to make it as a ‘jelly roll’.

Here’s my ‘spin’ on this much-loved plachinda. Good but as usual never quite as wonderful as my mother’s. 

Print Recipe
 Plachinda
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Cuisine European
Keyword plachinda
Servings
SLICES
Ingredients
Pumpkin Plachinda Filling
Plachinda Pastry Dough
Cuisine European
Keyword plachinda
Servings
SLICES
Ingredients
Pumpkin Plachinda Filling
Plachinda Pastry Dough
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Pumpkin Filling
  1. In a small bowl, combine the filling ingredients & set aside.
Plachinda Pastry
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Whisk together eggs, milk & oil; add dry ingredients, working into a soft, stiff dough.
  3. Turn onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Roll dough into a 14 x 14-inch square; spread pumpkin filling down the center & halfway out to the sides -- about 1/4-inch thickness.
  4. Fold the outside third of the dough over filling, repeating with the last third; pinch to seal. Leaving plachinda on paper, transfer to a baking sheet.
  5. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Slice & serve warm.
Recipe Notes
  • If preferred, individual turnovers can be made instead.

Halloween Soul Cakes

Today’s Halloween traditions are all about feasting on chocolate and sweets, but you might be surprised to learn we’ve actually been celebrating this time of year with sugary treats since medieval times. ‘Souling’, the ancient precursor to trick-or-treating, involved the giving of a small, round cake in exchange for prayers to commemorate the dead during All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween), All Saints’ Day (1 November) and All Souls’ Day (2 November). On these days, all Saints in Heaven — known and unknown — are venerated, their intercession begged, and relief is offered the Holy Souls in Purgatory through indulgent prayers and special Masses.

During the evening of the vigil of the feast of All Saints ( All Hallows in Olde English), children in cities, towns, villages, and hamlets would go ‘souling’— strolling door-to-door, calling on their extended families, friends, and neighbors, singing ancient souling hymns about the need to pray for those in Purgatory. Grateful housewives presented singers with small, round loaves of sweet quick breads, small cakes looking like muffins, or thick cookies, each marked with a cross of raisins or currants. The singers ate them warm, while saying prayers for the souls of that family’s faithful departed in Purgatory. This particular custom was popular in Britain and Ireland in the Middle Ages and was maintained for many centuries.

These small round cakes made of flour and spices were generally made with ingredients like oats or wheat, honey, butter or oil for sustenance; salt for wisdom; cinnamon to help banish negative energies; nutmeg to bring prosperity into your home; and ginger for healing. 

This is the origin of the Halloween tradition of ‘Trick or Treat’. The trickery wasn’t part of the original tradition.

Print Recipe
 Halloween Soul Cakes
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword Halloween soul cookies
Servings
Ingredients
Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword Halloween soul cookies
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Cream the butter & sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks. Sift together the flour & mixed spice. Add to the creamed mixture along with the milk to give you a soft dough that you can easily roll out. Stir in the currants.
  3. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Using the dull side of a knife mark a light cross indentation into the tops of each biscuit. Push additional currants into the crosses. Sprinkle with a bit of coarse sugar & place about 2 inches apart on the baking tray.
  4. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until puffed & golden brown. Remove from oven & cool on a wire rack.
  5. Store in an airtight container.
Recipe Notes
  • MIXED SPICE:

  • Combine 1 TBSP ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and allspice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.

Chai Liqueur Cinnamon Rolls

The air is chilly, the leaves are turning, the sun is shining, and the skies are blue. Frost has visited and that ‘end of summer’ feel is in the air.

But there’s more to fall flavors than just pumpkin spice. Before there was pumpkin spice, there was chai to keep you warm and cozy all autumn long. You might even recognize some of the flavors in chai as they are similar to pumpkin spice with clove, cinnamon, and cardamom. The classic way to enjoy chai is in tea, but it seems Craft Chai Liqueur is becoming a timeless staple.

I had never really heard about chai liqueur until Brion brought some home one evening to try. In the winter of 2011, Brion and I traveled Turkey for a month. We were meeting our Trafalgar tour group in Istanbul. Arriving a day early gave us time to ‘snoop’ around a bit. Next to our hotel was a ‘Starbucks’, so we went in. When Brion ordered my coffee, they gave me a ‘Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte’ by mistake. That pumpkin chai flavor was just incredible. I have been addicted to it ever since.

We both thought this chai liqueur tasted nice so naturally I was inspired to do some recipe development to see if I could use it in baked goods. There are many recipes using the chai spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and anise. I wanted to incorporate the actual liqueur as well as pop up the flavor a bit more.

But first, just a bit about the JAYA CHAI LIQUEUR itself … Created by Faaiza Ramji, a native of Edmonton, Canada, (our home city) JAYA is more than a spirit—it’s a tribute to the cultural icon of chai. With a deep respect for her South Asian heritage, Faaiza was inspired by the way chai has brought people together, whether at bustling street corners or in the quiet warmth of family homes. Every bottle of JAYA is rooted in tradition and history, a modern celebration of the centuries-old ritual of chai.

Alberta-based distillery ‘Field Notes’ is the brainchild of Faaiza Ramji. During a directorial tenure in economic development, she learned the immense value of agriculture in Alberta. Although Canada produces many of the basic ingredients the world relies upon, very few of those ingredients end up as finished products on local shelves, sacrificing GDP, jobs and additional downstream benefits to foreign countries. Greatly influenced by her South Asian heritage—where her grandmother, aunts and mother embraced natural remedies using herbs and spices to aid digestion, boost immunity, and even nourish skin—Faaiza formed a partnership in 2021 with Lindsey Good, a dedicated grower and owner of a 100-year-old farm in southern Alberta. Together, driven to build a complete food ecosystem within the Canadian Prairies by turning more local crops into more finished products the world can enjoy, Ramji and Good planted the seeds for a new kind of Alberta distillery and called it Field Notes. Chai liqueurs are rare in the Canadian market and Jaya Chai Liqueur uses distilled Canadian oats, filtered water, assam tea, Alberta beet sugar and a blend of spices like cardamom and clove for an invigorating, authentic chai flavor.

Edmonton’s distillery scene just got a recent boost, as Field Notes’ Jaya Chai Liqueur won a double gold, given because of its cumulative high score — a 98 out of 100 — from the judges at the 2024 San Francisco International Spirits Competition.

This brings me back to my recipe development which I focused on some chai liqueur cinnamon rolls. They ‘re a little more involved than the classic cinnamon rolls but I think you will find their well worth it.

Print Recipe
 Chai Liqueur Cinnamon Rolls
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword chai liqueur cinnamon rolls
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Chai Cream Cheese Glaze
Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword chai liqueur cinnamon rolls
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Chai Cream Cheese Glaze
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Dough
  1. Marinate raisins in Chai liqueur overnight, Stir occasionally.
  2. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water with 1 tsp sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, sift 1 cup of the flour. Stir in yeast mixture & lukewarm milk. Cover with plastic & let stand in a draft free place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
  4. While the dough rises, make the filling. Combine the sugar & spices together in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
  5. Punch down firmly & work in beaten egg, ¼ cup sugar, vanilla & pieces of softened butter. Sift the remaining 2 cups of flour with salt & work in 1 ½ cups to form a soft dough. Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead in the remaining ½ cup of flour & raisin/liqueur mixture. This becomes a very soft & buttery dough but is not sticky.
  6. Roll dough out into a long rectangle about 16 x 12- inches on a well-floured surface. Spread the 2 Tbsp butter for the filling all the way to the edge of the dough. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the butter, pressing it down to stick to the butter.
  7. From the long end, roll the dough away from you into a tight roll, sealing the bottom edge down by pinching the dough together.
  8. Use floss or a very sharp knife to cut the dough into 8 even rolls. Place the rolls in an 8-inch spring form pan. Brush rolls with egg wash. Cover the buns loosely with plastic wrap & allow to rise in a warm, draft-free spot until about 1 1/2 times the size. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350 F. & set an oven rack in the middle position.
  9. Bake the cinnamon rolls for about 55 minutes or until they are golden brown and no longer doughy. Remove from oven & allow to cool.
Glaze
  1. Using a mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, chai liqueur & milk. Beat on low speed, gradually increasing to high until light and fluffy. Brush glaze evenly over the rolls.

Wool Roll Bread w/ Apricot Filling

Today, March 28th, is my mother’s birth date. As we honor her beautiful memory, I’m sure each of my siblings will reflect on special times we shared with her. Forty-seven years after her passing, I find myself still doing many things in her likeness. Baking was a shared passion for my mother and I. We liked nothing better than to bake something together. After I moved from ‘home’ and would return for a visit, instead of having a coffee and visit we would get busy and bake something while we talked. Such great memories!

When I was thinking about what I wanted to post today, my mind drifted to the recipe archive that lives in my head, eventually making its way to the yeast breads. This is an area my mother had mastered down to a science.

Bread is so simple but a staple in almost every culture. Just flour, water and yeast, yet despite those few ingredients, there are hundreds of different types of bread across the world. And every culture has some sort of bread product.

It seems that the Wool Roll Bread become trendy in 2021 because of a Malaysian YouTuber. It also resembles some Middle Eastern breads such as shoreek and other European creations, such as Polish babka and Slovenian Belokranjska povitica. The pillowy yeast dough can be stuffed (or not) with a sweet or savory filling, then sliced, rolled and stacked in a round pan, so as the dough rises and bakes, the final result resembles rolls of wool or thick yarn.

The most popular fillings for wool roll bread are dried fruit, nuts, cinnamon, custard, hazelnut, chocolate, and cheese as well as some Asian favorites such as red mung bean paste, ube or purple yam, coconut or coconut jam, and meat. Sometimes the dough is made in different flavors and colors like chocolate, strawberry, and pandan.

There is some kind of magic in seeing the result of these baked bread rolls that come together to form a Bundt-like cake shape, puffed up in a ring of pull-apart bread.

I’ve chosen to fill our wool roll bread with an apricot cream cheese filling which should be a nice compliment to the soft dough.

Print Recipe
 Wool Roll Bread w/ Apricot Filling
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword wool roll bread w/ custard filling
Servings
Ingredients
Apricot Filling
Cream Cheese Filling
Bread Dough
Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword wool roll bread w/ custard filling
Servings
Ingredients
Apricot Filling
Cream Cheese Filling
Bread Dough
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Apricot Filling
  1. In a small saucepan, combine dried apricots, orange juice, lemon juice & sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat. Simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apricots soften & the liquid is reduced by half. Once cool, transfer the mixture to a food processor & process until a puree forms. Set aside until room temperature.
Cream Cheese Filling
  1. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese & sugar until smooth. Add egg yolk & vanilla, beat to combine. Set aside in refrigerator until ready to use.
Bread
  1. In a small bowl, combine warm milk, sugar & yeast. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes until it becomes frothy.
  2. In a large bowl, Combine flour & salt. Cut in the soft butter. Combine lukewarm water with the beaten egg & add to flour/butter mixture. Add the yeast mixture & mix until a dough forms.
  3. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until it becomes smooth & elastic. Once the dough is kneaded, place it in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth & allow to rise in a draft-free place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  4. Lightly oil a work surface with olive oil. Gently deflate the dough, divide it into four equal pieces & shape each piece into a ball. Cover the dough & let rest for 10 minutes.
  5. Line a 9" springform pan (at least 2" deep) with parchment paper.
  6. Roll out each piece of dough (on the lightly oil surface) into a 6" x 12" rectangle. On the top HALF of each rectangle, spread the cream cheese filling across the entire width of the rectangle (leaving about 1/4" bare on each side) & down about 6" leaving the bottom 6" bare. Next, spread a good sized dollop of apricot filling over the cream cheese filling. Use a fork so you can do this gently.
  7. Using a sharp knife, cut the uncovered dough at the bottom into very thin strips about 1/8" wide. Starting from the filling covered top & rolling toward the uncovered strips, roll the dough into a log about 6" long.
  8. Place each log, seam-side down, into the bottom of the pan so they are snuggled up against the pans outside edge to form a complete circle.
  9. Preheat to the to 350 F.
  10. Brush the rolls lightly with milk, being careful not to deflate the delicate dough. Cover the 'wool rolls' & let them rise for about 60-75 minutes, until puffy.
  11. Bake for 28-32 minutes, until golden brown on top. Remove the roll from the oven & cool it in the pan until you can transfer it safely to a rack to cool completely. Slice & serve.

Raspberry Crumble Cookies

Raspberry Crumble Cookies are no ordinary treat. Half tart, half cookie, they offer a perfect balance between a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture and a crumbly, cookie-like crust. Made with a homemade tangy raspberry compote, these cookies are a delectable balance of sweet and tart flavors with a burst of fruity goodness in every bite.  

I have wondered where this crumb (or crumble) cake/cookie idea came from. Its origins speak of its German heritage. The origin of crumb cake was called ‘streuselkuchen,’ and today’s modern crumb cake is fairly similar to its forebear. Streuselkuchen ‘crumb cake’ is often referring to a cake made of a sweet yeast dough covered with a crumb topping that is called ‘streusel.’ Today, we make crumble cakes with baking soda or baking powder for leavening. One thing that has not changed is the signature thick layer of crumb topping where the crumbs are made simply of sugar, butter, and flour and allowed to have a roughly unfinished look. The crumb topping is sprinkled with powdered sugar to add interest to the look of the uneven top.

What we know today as crumb or crumble cake/cookies is most likely the adaptation of coffee cake recipes by German bakers who came to North America. The cake does bear a passing resemblance to many of the streusel topped kuchen recipes, a popular coffee-friendly cake from Germany.

Raspberry Crumble Cookies are baked in a muffin tin and look like mini pies! The dough does double duty as the base of the butter cookies and the crumble topping.

Print Recipe
 Raspberry Crumble Cookies
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword raspberry crumble cookies
Servings
Ingredients
Raspberry Compote
Cookies
Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword raspberry crumble cookies
Servings
Ingredients
Raspberry Compote
Cookies
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Raspberry Compote
  1. Place rasp[berries, sugar, lemon juice, zest & vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat & simmer for 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat & pour through a sieve. Press through sieve with a spatula to take out as many of the seeds as possible. Set aside.
Cookies
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 24 mini tart or mini muffin tins with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In food processor, place flour, sugar & butter. Pulse a few times until mixture is crumbly; set aside 1/2 cup of the mixture. To remainder add baking powder, baking soda & nuts. Place mixture in a large bowl.
  3. In a small bowl, beat egg slightly then stir in sour cream & lemon zest. Add to dry ingredients; stir until just moistened.
  4. Divide batter between the 24 mini tins. With the back of a small scoop that has been dipped in flour, press batter to go over the bottom & up the sides. Spoon about 1 tsp raspberry compote in the indented area of the cookie. Sprinkle each cookie with some of the reserved crumb mixture.
  5. Bake 15-18 minutes or until done. Remove from oven & allow to cool in pans for at least 10 minutes. At this time the cookies should pop out easily. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Pulled Pork w/ Swiss Mac & Cheese

The exact origin of the classic ‘macaroni and cheese’ is unknown, though it likely hails from northern Europe. Although there were French dishes with pasta and cheese as early as the 14th century, it was an English writer and businesswoman called Elizabeth Raffald who first wrote the recipe for what we would recognize as macaroni and cheese in 1769. Elizabeth’s recipe was for macaroni, cooked in a béchamel sauce with cheddar cheese added and sprinkled with parmesan.

Many countries have a profound love and deep historical connection to a version of this dish including the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and of course Italy where pasta was first popularized in Europe. It is also possible that some of its origins may trace back to the Alps of Switzerland.

In Swiss-German, mac and cheese is called Älplermagronen, which roughly translates as alpine macaroni. It is the Swiss version of the American macaroni and cheese, but heartier and with bolder flavors.

Alpine macaroni is essentially Swiss mac and cheese with potatoes. Macaroni and cubed potatoes collectively drown in a decadent cheese sauce! This classic is topped with caramelized onions and crispy bacon pieces, served with a side of applesauce. The recipe was invented back in the 1930s and is comprised of ingredients easily available to herdsman keeping an eye on their cows grazing in the Alps.

This humble pasta w/ cheese dish has become an ultimate comfort food in a plethora of cultures and countries around the world. There have been many inventive twists put on this classic. The 1953 edition of the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, calls for a sauce made from Velveeta, onion and cream of mushroom soup. Other variations sub in Brie, figs, rosemary and mushrooms for the traditional cheddar-based sauce.

In our meal today, I’m putting my own twist on this version of Swiss Älplermagronen by omitting the potatoes and bacon and adding some pulled pork. Instead of serving the applesauce on the side, I’m adding it to the cheese sauce. Applesauce might sound like a weird addition, but it works. Just like cheddar melted over a piece of apple pie is an unexpectedly delicious treat.

Print Recipe
 Pulled Pork w/ Swiss Mac & Cheese
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Cuisine European
Servings
Ingredients
Cuisine European
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil & cook macaroni (or orecchiette pasta) according to package directions. When cooked to al dente stage, drain well, RESERVING pasta water. Drizzle pasta with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Shake it around a bit in the colander to keep it from sticking together.
  2. In same pot used to cook pasta, melt butter & sauté onion until tender crisp then whisk in flour. Cook mixture for 2 minutes, whisking all the while then whisk in milk & applesauce. Cook for 2 more minutes continuing to whisk while the mixture is thickening.
  3. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly butter a 9 x 9-inch baking dish, set aside.
  4. Remove from heat & stir in salt, pepper, sage, Gruyere, cheddar & pulled pork. Combine then add cooked pasta & stir until pasta is evenly covered with sauce. If mixture is too thick, adjust consistency with some reserved pasta water.
  5. Place in a baking dish & bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until pasta begins to turn slightly golden brown.

Strawberry Cheesecake w/ Danish Rum Balls

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

In keeping with Valentines Day, I’m pairing the classic duo of strawberry & chocolate today. At some point, in the many years I spent in the commercial food service industry, I learned the history of the iconic Danish Rum Balls or ‘Romkugler’. These legendary little sweets came about due to leftovers and day old cake that Danish bakers couldn’t sell. Even though they did their best to make the right amount of baked goods so that it would all be sold during the day, they always had leftovers which would not be fresh enough to be sold the day after. They came up with an idea to add jam & rum extract to the day old chocolate cake and the classic rum ball was created.

Today, the rum ball is not considered an unwanted leftover or solely made to avoid food waste. Instead, these little ‘cakes’ continue to appear on the present day bakery shelves.

I think these mini rum balls are the perfect compliment to the strawberry cheesecakes. Sweet, but heh …. its Valentines!!

Print Recipe
 Strawberry Cheesecake w/ Danish Rum Balls
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course dessert
Cuisine American, Dutch, European
Keyword strawberry cheesecake + Danish rum balls
Servings
MINI CHEESECAKES
Ingredients
Crumb Base
Cheesecake
Garnishes
Danish Rum Balls - Makes about 39 mini size
Course dessert
Cuisine American, Dutch, European
Keyword strawberry cheesecake + Danish rum balls
Servings
MINI CHEESECAKES
Ingredients
Crumb Base
Cheesecake
Garnishes
Danish Rum Balls - Makes about 39 mini size
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Crumb Base
  1. In a small bowl, combine Oreo crumbs, sugar & melted butter (mixture should have the consistency of wet sand). Place 1 1/2 tablespoons in the bottom of each 'cup' of an individual cheesecake pan. Press the mixture down firmly to form the crust.
Cheesecake Batter
  1. Dice 150 gm strawberries. Reserve several strawberries for garnish.
  2. Process strawberries in a food processor slightly; add softened cream cheese, sugar, orange & lemon juices. Continue to process until very smooth.
  3. Soften gelatin in cold water; stir over low heat until dissolved. Beat into cheese mixture.
  4. Divide cheesecake batter between 14 individual 'cups' in cheesecake pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Carefully remove cheesecakes from molds.
Mini Rum Balls
  1. In a food processor, process cake until crumbly. Add jam & rum then process until the dough has a uniform consistency.
  2. Roll dough into 1/2 oz. size balls. Refrigerate until chilled for about an hour..
  3. In a double boiler, melt chocolate with shortening, stirring until smooth. Roll balls in chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on a piece of dry wax paper until set.
  4. When ready to serve, top each cheesecake with a rosette of whipped cream & a slice of strawberry garnished with a mint leaf. Serve with a Danish rum ball on the side.
Recipe Notes
  • If you're cheesecake pan only has 12 cups, use a mini muffin pan for the extra two cheesecakes.
  • If you want to increase the strawberry flavor in the cheesecakes add 1/2 tsp Lor Ann strawberry flavor to the batter and for some extra color, a bit of red GEL food coloring.
  • If you wish, don't hesitate to add finely chopped nuts to the rum balls or roll them in chocolate sprinkles.