51 | 52 Hazelnut Cinnamon Macaroons

Merry Christmas!

I hope you're enjoying this special season among family and friends, with lots of laughter and good food.

In case you're looking for a last-minute baking project - these Hazelnut Cinnamon Macaroons might be it:

 

Hazelnut Cinnamon Macaroons

From Saisonküche

3 eggs

50 g (3 1/2 tablespoons) butter, melted

60 g (1/3 cup) sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

200 g (2 cups) hazelnuts, ground

1 tablespoon flour

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Divide eggs.
• Mix together egg yolks, sugar, cinnamon, ground hazelnuts, flour, and melted butter.
• Beat egg whites until stiff and carefully fold into the egg yolk mix.
• Make heaps using two teaspoons and put onto prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool.

 

My modifications:

None.

The taste:

Like Christmas. Nuts and cinnamon. You can't go wrong with this combination.

What are your favorite Christmas macaroons?

36 | 52 Poppyseed Quark Cake with Prunes and Cinnamon Crumbles

Another week, another plum recipe. (#sorrynotsorry)

'Tis the season. Of yummy purple, oval plums. Or prunes?

Yes, let's take a moment and talk about those plums/prunes.

Here in Switzerland (and Germanya and Austria), we love our Zwetschgen. And our Pflaumen, too.

According to the Wikipedia, Zwetschgen are a a subspecies of the plum (Pflaume).

Zwetschge = prune, or common plum = Prunus domestica subsp. domestica

Pflaume = (round) plum = Prunus domestica

The easiest way to keep them apart is actually their shape and color.

Zwetschgen are oval and very dark blue/purple, Pflaumen are bigger and round and of a lighter purple (or even yellow or red).

YAY! You might have even learned something new today!

If not - sorry to have bored you with all these German, English, and Latin terms...

Oh, but I forgot. This recipe also calls for Quark. 

If you don't know what I'm talking about, follow this link... 

Poppyseed Quark Cake with Prunes and Cinnamon Crumbles

From Ich bin dann mal kurz in der Küche

For the bottom and crumbles
100 g (1 stick minus 1 tablespoon) butter, cold
50 g (1/4 cup) sugar
1 egg
pinch of salt
180 g (1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon) flour

 

For the filling

250 g (8.8 oz) quark

1 egg

1 tablespoon cornstarch

50 g (1/4 cup) sugar

100 g (3.5 oz) poppyseeds, ground

Plus

1 teaspoon cinnamon

300 g (10.5) prunes/plums, halved and pitted

• For the bottom and crumbles, cut cold butter into pieces. Add remaining bottom/crumble ingredients and knead (with your hands) until you get a smooth dough. Let cool for 30 minutes.  
• For the filling, mix together all filling ingredients. 
• Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F). 
• Put 2/3 of the bottom/crumbles dough evenly onto the bottoms of 2 small, round springform pans (20 cm/8 in). Spoon poppyseed filling over dough and distribute prune halves on top of it. 
• Combine the remaining dough for the crumbles with cinnamon and crumble over prunes. 
• Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let cool completely before serving (and ideally serve the next day).

My modifications:

None. Except for using two (instead of one) 20 cm springform pans which was perfect for the amounts given.

The taste:

Good on the first day, definitely a lot better on the second day so try to be patient ;) 

I'm not the biggest fan of poppyseeds but I still liked it. It does taste more like fall than summer (at least to me) so save this for the end of plum season...

What's more commonly available where you live: Zwetschgen or Pflaumen?

Do you have a preference if you can buy both?

6 | 52 Apple Cinnamon Streusel Bars

Quick & easy. But still yummy.

Sometimes that's just what I need. And I'm sure you do, too.

I know, I know... This is the time to present you with a Valetine's Day recipe. 

You'll get it next week - I promise. V-Day will be over then but it will come around again next year. 

And isn't it nicer to surprise your special someone on a different day anyway?

So, for right now: a recipe that couldn't be any quicker & easier. But yummy nonetheless.

Apple Cinnamon Streusel Bars

From GiveRecipe

256 g (2 cups) flour

200 g (1 cup) sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 small or 2 big apples (peeled, cored, and diced)

125 g (4oz) butter, melted

1 egg

powdered sugar for dusting

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add diced apples. Add melted butter and stir to combine. Add egg and combine.
• Put crumbled dough into prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown.
• Dust with powedered sugar, if you wish.

My modifications:

None.

But next time I would reduce the sugar by half, maybe add a bit more apple dices and about 60 g (2 oz) butter. It would be less sweet (obviously) and a bit more moist/less dense. I think I'd like it even better then.

The taste:

Very yummy! Comfort food category, I would say. And you can never go wrong with Streusel. Or apple. Or cinnamon. Right?

But - it was a bit too sweet (any a tiny bit too dense) for my taste - hence my suggestions above.

What's your favorite quick & easy (baking) recipe?

36*52 Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

This is one of those recipes.

I don't even remember how I stumbled upon it. Or when.

But I had it open on my ipad for a long time.
And now seemed to be the right time to finally make it.

Yay!

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

Adapted from The Baker Chick

Streusel:

(2/3 cups) sugar

pinch of salt

(3/4 cups) flour

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

(1 cup) brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Cake:

(3/4 cup) butter, softened

1 teaspoon salt

(1 1/2 cups) sugar

(1/3 cup) brown sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large eggs

(3/4 cup) plain yoghurt

(1 1/4 cups) milk

(3 3/4 cups) flour

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
• For the Streusel, whisk together dry ingredients, then add melted butter and stir until combined. Set aside.
• For the filling, mix together all ingredients and set aside.
• For the cake, beat together butter, salt, sugars, baking powder, and vanilla until smooth.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
• In a separate bowl, mix the yoghurt and milk. Add to the butter-egg mix alternating with the flour.
• Pour half the batter into prepared 9x13 pan. Sprinkle filling evenly on top. Pour the other half of the batter on top. Gently swirl the filling into the batter, as if making marble cake.
• Sprinkle Streusel over the batter.
• Bake for about 55-60 minutes until it's golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool.

My modifications:

I prepared the filling according to the recipe but only used about half of it. It just seemed like a loooooot of sugar. And it was totally enough. Next time I might just use half the sugar but the full amount of cinnamon.

The taste:

I really love it. The Streusel were a bit too crunchy (I would probably add a bit more butter next time) but otherwise it was perfect. It is a basic, comfort-food-kind-of cake but still great with the filling and Streusel topping. Make it for breakfast instead of cinnamon rolls - perfect! Will definitely make this one again.

What's your favorite cinnamon recipe?

47/52 Cinnamon Rolls

I love Joy the Baker.
Who couldn't love her and all her baking and cooking and blogging and podcasting.

I bought her cook book right after it was published but haven't made any of the recipes yet.
This had to be changed so I finally made something this week:

Giant Cinnamon Rolls with Buttermilk Glaze

Adapted from the Joy the Baker Cookbook by Joy Wilson

Dough:

1 package (1/4 oz / 7 g)active dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon plus 50 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar

150 ml (1/2 cup) milk, room temperature

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

420 g (2 3/4 cups) flour plus 100 g (3/4 cup) for kneading

3/4 teaspoon salt

114 g (1 stick) butter, softened

Filling:

115 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar

100 g (1/2 cup) packed brown sugar

70 g (1/2 cup) finely chopped pecans

40 g (1/4 cup) raisins (optional)

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

pinch ground cloves

3 tablespoons maple syrup

114 g (1 stick) butter, melted

Glaze:

280 g (2 cups) powdered sugar

60 ml (1/4 cup) buttermilk

For the dough, combine yeast and 1/2 teaspoon of the granulated sugar in your stand mixer bowl. Heat 60 ml (1/4 cup) water so that it feels warm to the touch (not too hot). Add to the yeast-sugar, stir to combine, let sit for about 10 minutes until foamy.

Add remaining 50 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk. Whisk until combined, then put the bowl in your mixer. Add the 420 g (2 3/4 cups) flour and the salt and mix with the dough hook on medium speed until the dough starts to come together. Turn to medium-high and knead for about 4 minutes. Add softened butter and knead for another 6 minutes. The dough will be wet and sticky. Place dough on a floured surface and using your hands, knead 40 g (1/3 cup) flour into the dough. Set to rest in a large greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Make the filling while the dough rises: combine sugars, pecans, raisins (if you want), cinnamon, salt, and cloves. Stir in maple syrup and set aside.

When the dough has doubled in size, put it onto a floured surface again and gently knead it until it is no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Knead for about 2 minutes and let rise again for about 5 minutes. Roll it into a 25x50 cm (10x20 in) square and brush with half of the melted butter. Pour all of the filling onto the dough, spread evenly but leave a border at one of the short sides. From the short side, roll the dough into a tight roll. Pinch along the edge to seal. Place seam side down on a cutting board and cut into 8 equal slices.

Arrange slices in a greased 20x30 cm (9x13 in) baking pan. Each slice will have some room on all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours. (Refrigerate overnight if you want to bake them the next morning).

 

Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Bake rolls in the upper third of the oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Drizzle with the remaining half of melted butter just after the rolls come out of the oven.

Make the icing while the rolls cool: whisk together powdered sugar and buttermilk until smooth. Drizzle over the warm rolls and serve.

My modifications:

I used almonds instead of pecans. And I did use raisins.

I used only 210 g (1 1/2 cups) powdered sugar for the glaze which was totally enough.

The taste:

Perfect for a yummy breakfast. Or as a snack any time of day.

But - and I'm almost afraid to criticize Joy - waaaaay too sweet. I love sweetness and sugar and everything but this is definitely too much. So next time I will omit the maple sirup, the sugar and half of the brown sugar. I think that will make it perfect.

What do you bake for breakfast?

25/52 Cinnamon Biscotti

I have to admit that I was a little lazy this week - at least when it comes to baking.
When I was thinking about what to bake, I just wanted something quick, easy, small.
Something sweet for nibbling on.

So I was thinking COOKIES! Started searching for new cookie recipes on allrecipes.com which brought me to biscotti recipes. So I thought BISCOTTI! And biscotti it is now.

Cinnamon Biscotti

Adapted from allrecipes.com

250 g (2 cups) flour

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

135 g (2/3 cup) sugar

85 g (6 tablespoons) butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten

40 g (3 tablespoons) sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

• Mix flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

• Beat together butter and 135 g (2/3 cup) sugar until creamy. Add both eggs and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients.

• Divide dough into two parts and roll each part on floured surface into strings of about 23 cm (9 in) length and 4 cm (1 1/2 in) width. Brush with beaten egg.

• Bake in preheated oven at 165°C (325°F) for 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.

• Cut into diagonal slices of about 1 cm (1/2 in). Lay slices with cut surface down, sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mix and bake for another 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack and store in cookie jar or tin.

My modifications:

Having read the comments below the recipe I decided to use 2 whole eggs instead of 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk to make the biscotti less crumbly.

If you want your biscotti to be a little soft, use the times indicated above. If you prefer them to be rock-hard, extend both baking times by 5 minutes each.

The taste:

Very, very good! I might have to make them every week now... (or twice a week?)
Perfect with espresso or any other coffee, or just by itself.

What is your favorite cookie (or the like)?