Gingerbread-Brownies

You actually may feel honoured that I am sharing this recipe with you...as it is my absolute favorite secret recipe...pssst.

These brownies have a hint of Christmas, much chocolate and the best spices *8-)*. I could live just of them, but as this doesn't seem to be well due to optical reasons.. ähem), I try to make these only once every several weeks.

For baking I am using a 8x8inch (20x20cm) spring form. You can of course also use a common casserole, but then please adjust the baking time.

1/2 lb. marzipan paste (200g)
1-2 fl. oz. oil (40ml)
1/2 lb. flour (250g)
2 oz. sugar (50g)
1 sachet vanilla sugar
1/2 lb. grated hazelnuts (200g)
1 tsp. Gingerbread spice
2 tbsp. cocoa
2 pinch of salt
2 oz. candied orange (50g)
2 oz. yellow jam (50g)
12 fl. oz. water

Mix the oil and marzipan in a mixer. Then mix the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, hazelnuts, soices, cocoa and salt in a bowl. Mince the candied orange finely and add it together with the marzipan, jelly and water to the other ingredients. Stir it to a smooth dough.
Pour it into a greased pan and bake it at 320°F (160°C) for about 35 minutes, maybe a bit longer. Please test with a skewer.

When the cake has cooled down:

2 oz. cooking chocolate (60g)
2 tbsp. oat based cream (not sweet!)
4 tbsp. icing sugar

Melt the chocolate in the warm cream, then stir in the icing sugar. Pour the mix on top of the cake and let it cool down.
Before serving decorate with some dried blossoms or any other hodgepodge, then enjoy ;-)

Canelloni with spinach filling

Actually I like everything that is a bit more laborious. I think you taste a difference whether a meal took 30 minutes or two hours...as I usually dont have two hours for cooking but on the other hand don't want to eat Ratatouille every day, we agreed on Canelloni.

For 4 portions:

12 Canelloni

For the filling:
1/2 lb spinach (200g)
1/2 lb bean curd/tofu (200g)
1 small onion
6 oz. yoghurt (180g)
2 tbsp. yeast flakes
2 tbsp. starch
2 oz. vegan cheese (50g)(optional)
salt, pepper
nutmeg

Smash the tofu with a fork and roast it golden in olive oil. Add the onion and season. Mix the spinach with yoghurt, yeast flakes and the starch. Add the tofu-mixture and season well. If you like to you can also add some vegan cheese to the filling. Fill the Canelloni with the mix and arrange them in a casserole dish.

For the tomato-ragout:
1/2 lb bean curd/tofu (200g)
1 onion
2-3 tbsp. tomato puree
3 tomatoes
1 zucchini
1 bell pepper yellow
1 can of minced tomatoes
1 pinch of sugar
3-4 fl. oz. red wine (100ml)(optional)
herbs de Provence
salt, pepper

Again smash the tofu with a fork and roast it golden and add the onion. Then add the tomto puree. Dice the vegetables and let them simmer together with a pinch of sugar and the can of minced tomatoes. Time to season everything. If you like to add some red wine ;-)
Give the ragout on top of the Canelloni.

For the Béchamel:
1 tbsp. margarine
1 tbsp. flour
8 fl. oz. Oatcuisine (oat based cream - not sweet) (250ml)
salt, pepper
nutmeg
2 tbsp. breadcrumbs

Melt the margarine in a pan, thicken the flour in it and deglaze with the cream. Season well and pour it on top of the tomato sauce. At last sprinkle the Canelloni with crumbled breadcrumbs.

Bake at 360°F (180°C) for about 40 minutes... and enjoy!

I wish you a lovely Sunday evening.

Delicous apple cake

In Alsace people eat tarte aux pommes at any time of the day or night. Unfortuntaley French people put eggs in really everything, therefore please see here the vegan version of this delicay :-)

For the pâte sablée:

1 3/4 cup / 7-8 oz. wheat flour (200g
1 oz. spelt flour (30g)
1 oz. sugar (30g)
1 sachet vanilla sugar
1/2 cup / 4 oz margarine (100g)
2 fl. oz. water (65ml)
1 pinch of salt

3 small apple

For the vanilla cream:

1 lb. soy yoghurt (500g)
1 sachet custard powder
1 sachet vanilla sugar
rind of half a lemon

Knead and roll out the dough in a 10 inch (28cm) tarte mould. Wash and core the apples well and slice them finely. Arrange the slices circularly onto the dough.
For the cream just mix the ingredients, you don't have to heat anything. Coat the cake with the vanilla cream and sprinkle with 2 tsp. of sugar.
Bake it for 55 minutes at 340°F (170°C). Finally spread 2 tbsp. of ground almonds and 2 additional tsp. of cane sugar on the tarte. Bake for another 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C).

Filled pumpkin-sponge cupcake

Here another pumpkin idea :-) The colour shined so beautifully that I was really afraid to lose this pretty orange through baking...

For 12 pieces:

1/2 lb Hokaido pumpkin (450g) (without seeds!)
2 cups / 1/4 lb flour (250g)
3/4 cup / 6 oz sugar (180g)
1 sachet vanilla sugar
1 tsp. natron / baking soda
2 tbsp. cidar vinegar
orange peel
2-3 fl. oz. oil (80ml)
7 - 8 fl. oz mineral water (unsweetened) (220-240ml)
2 tbsp. cocoa
4 tbsp. vegan chocolate spread

Cut the pumpkin into strips and bake it at 360°F (180°C) for about 15 minutes. Afterwards remove the peel and leave to cool.
Mix flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, natron and orange peel in a bowl. Finely puree the pumpkin together with the oil.
Stir in the mineral water as well as the vinegar and work everything to a smooth dough. Divide half of the dough onto 12 cupcake pans. For the filling set a blob of the chocolate spread on top.
Mix the two tbsp. of cocoa into the remaining dough and divide this again onto the same 12 pans as "hat" of the cupcake.

Bake them at 380°F (160°C) for appr. 30 minutes (test with a skewer).

Before eating, let the little ones cool down a bit. Be especially careful with the hot chocolate filling :-)