52*52 Baked Eggs with Ham and Cheese

Can you believe that today is the last Sunday in 2013?

2014 will be here in 3 days already...

I won't bore you with a long review of the year but let me say that it's been a fun one when it comes to baking.

But I won't continue in 2014. Other things await that need my full attention in 2014 (please visit www.sarahbucher.ch if you are curious).

Plus - it's time to lose at least some of the weight that I gained from all those cakes and cookies ;)

I hope you're not too disappointed if I end the year (and this blog, at least for now) with a pretty simple and savory baking recipe. But I think it is fitting for a new direction. And it is a very good recipe to have at hand for breakfast and brunch guests (I made it on Christmas morning last year and this year again), as a hangover cure, or just as a small, quick, and comforting meal.

Baked Eggs with Ham and Cheese

From Two Tarts

For each serving you need:

1-2 slices of raw/dry-cured ham

1 egg

1 teaspoon heavy cream

1 teaspoon grated cheese

pepper

• Put one or two slices of ham in a ramekin so that the bottom and sides are covered.
• Crack one egg over the ham. Drizzle with cream, sprinkle with cheese, season with pepper. (No salt is needed because the ham is salty enough).
• Bake in preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for 10-12 minutes. Serve immediately.

My modifications:

I used a bit less cream and cheese than in the original recipe because I think 1 teaspoon each is enough.

The taste:

So good, so comforting, so filling. And so quick and easy. 

Definitely something to make more often.

How do you end the year? Any specific recipes you make?

51*52 Vanillekipferln / Vanilla Crescents

You guys.

For the first time since I started this blog I'm gonna have to cheat. On my own rules.

Because I only wanted to blog about recipes that I had never made before.

This week's Vanillekipferln are a classic. And a recipe that I've been making for years.

But I have a good excuse. Unfortunately.

You see, sometimes life changes suddenly. And even though my hubby was unbelievably lucky and must have had about a million guardian angels, it was still a huge shock when he was hit by a van last Thursday, on his way to work, while crossing the street. He's scratched, bruised, and in pain but thankfully that's all.

And still - priorities shift when something like this happens. I know y'all understand that my baking mojo is not its old self right now. No matter if Christmas is around the corner or not.

But a classic is still better than nothing, right? So here we go:

Vanillekipferln / Vanilla Crescents

From Bild der Frau Christmas Baking Special 1997

Cookies:

250 g butter, cold

125 g sugar

125 g almond meal

300 g flour

1 egg

2 sachets vanilla sugar (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)

pintch of salt

For dusting:

2 tablespoons ground vanilla

150 g powdered sugar

• Combine all cookie ingredients and knead until well combined. Wrap in plastic wrap and let cool in fridge for one hour.
• Take small bits of dough, roll between your hands then "curve" to form crescents. Put on prepared cookie sheet and bake at 180°C (360°F) for 10-12 minutes. Take out and let cool slightly. Dust with vanilla powdered sugar.

My modifications:

None.

The taste:

Like a true Chrismas classic. I used to find them boring when I was a kid but I got over that a couple of years ago...

What is a Christmas classic that you bake every year?

50*52 Haselnuss-Spekulatius (Hazelnut Speculoos)

Thanks to this blog, I finally started the Christmas baking.

So thank you blog, for putting at least a tiny bit of pressure on me.

Haselnuss-Spekulatius (Hazelnut Speculoos)

From Weihnachten - Das Goldene von GU

100 g hazelnuts, slivered

250 g flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

50 g hazelnuts, ground

100 g butter, room temperature

100 g sugar

3 teaspoons Spekulatius/speculoos spice

pinch of salt

1 egg

• Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).
• Put parchment paper on two cookie sheets and sprinkle slivered hazelnuts on them.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and ground hazelnuts.
• Beat together butter, sugar, spice, and salt. Add egg and beat until creamy. Add flour mix at once and work into butter mix.
• Roll dough 3-4 mm (about 0.15 in) thick and cut into rectangles (about 4 x 6 cm/1.6 x 2.4 in). Put each one on the slivered hazelnuts, press lightly.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

My modifications:

None.

The taste:

Very yummy. But not very christmassy. More speculoos spice next time, maybe.

What are your favorite Christmas cookies to bake?

49*52 Pumpkin Spice Brownies

I know, I know.

It's the second of advent and I should really be baking christmas cookies.

The thing is: I am so not in the christmas mood yet. But soon!

Until then - let's enjoy the autumnal taste of pumpkin spice again.

Paired with chocolate in the form of brownies.

Sound good? I think so.

Pumpkin Spice Brownies

Adapted from Sweet & Easy: Enie backt via Sixx

125 g (4.4 oz) dark chocolate

125 g (1.1 stick) butter

3 eggs

100 g (1/2 cup) sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

100 g (3/4 cup) flour

 pinch of salt

283 g (10 oz) Pumpkin Spice Candy Melts

• Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F).
• Melt chocolate and butter over a bain-marie.
• In a bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and vanilla.
• Add melted chocolate-butter.
• Fold in flour and salt until just combined. Add 140 g (5 oz) of candy melts.
• Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool.
• Melt remaining candy melts and frost brownies with it.

My modifications:

I reduced the amount of sugar by 75 g because I knew that the candy melts will bring additional sweetness.

I also added the candy melts to the batter and as frosting.

The taste:

Sweet but very good in a pumpkin spice kind of way. I'm really glad that put off the cookie baking and made this today instead.

Do you have any great baking recipes using candy melts?

48*52 Lebkuchen-Kuchen (Gingerbread Cake)

Some things or words cannot really be translated. The German "Lebkuchen" is such a thing. Gingerbread just isn't really the same thing but I guess it's what comes closest.

Since today is not only December 1st but also the 1st of advent, I wanted to bake something christmasy. But not cookies yet - I'm just not ready for them (and all the effort going into them). So this cake sounded quick, easy, and christmasy. What more could I ask for?

Lebkuchen-Kuchen (Gingerbread Cake)

From Chefkoch.de

400 g (3 cups plus 2 tablespoons) flour

300 g (1 1/2 cups) sugar

1 pack (15 g or 4 teaspoons) Lebkuchen (Gingerbread) spice 

1 pack (17 g or 4 teaspoons) baking powder

5 eggs

250 g (2.2 sticks) butter

250 ml (1 cup) water, lukewarm

• Combine all ingredients, except for the water, and mix until combined. 
• Add water slowly and mix until dough is smooth. 
• Pour into prepared baking tin and bake at 180°C (360°F) for 40-50 minutes.

My modifications:

I used rice flour. Just because I wanted to try it. So my version is gluten-free.

I also cut back on the sugar and only used 200 g (1 cup) instead of 300 g (1 1/2 cups).

The taste:

Okayish. It's probably the rice flour (which I have never baked with before so I don't really know) but I just didn't like the consistency. It was very sandy, if you know what I mean. And the Lebkuchen/gingerbread taste wasn't as strong as I expected and hoped for. And it needs some kind of frosting.

I think I should just ignore all cakes or muffins that have something to do with Lebkuchen, because I was already disappointed last year...

Have you ever been disappointed by the same flavor in a different recipes?