46/52 Green Onion Jalapeño Cornbread

Thanksgiving and cornbread are inseparable.

But cornbread without Thanksgiving is possible and highly recommended.

Since we don't celebrate Thanksgiving like in the States (at least not on the same date and not in the same way), we don't have a choice but to eat it whenever.

But to all my American readers: Happy Thanksgiving! I hope y'all will have a wonderful celebration on Thursday (with lots of cornbread)!

Green Onion Jalapeño Cornbread

Adapted from Epicurious

100 g (3/4 cup) flour

100 g (3/4 cup) cornmeal

50 g (1/4 cup) sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

4-6 green onions, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons jalapeños, minced with seeds

310 ml (1 1/4 cups) buttermilk

2 eggs

57 g (1/2 stick) butter, melted

• Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
• Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
• Stir in onions and jalapeños.
• Whisk together buttermilk and eggs, then whisk in melted butter.
• Add buttermilk mix to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes. Let cool.

My modifications:

None. Except for using other kinds of chilis since jalapeños are, unfortunately, not widely available here.

The taste:

It does taste good. But ... (and it's a big but) ... way too moist and spongy. I know, usually it is a good thing if a cake or something like that is moist. But in my opinion, cornbread has to be more dry and crumbly. If you think so as well, this cornbread is not for you. It really does taste good, just not how I like my cornbread. 

What do you bake for Thanksgiving?

45/52 Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Cake

I was looking for a cornbread recipe and ended up with this one.

I hope you don't mind.

Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Cake

Adapted from Williams Sonoma 

380 g (2 1/2 cups) flour plus 2 tablespoons

65 g (1/2 cup) cocoa powder, unsweetened

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

340 g (12 oz.) chocolate chips

170 g (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

240 g (1 1/4 cups) sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

240 ml (1 cup) dark molasses

240 ml (1 cup) very hot water

• Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
• Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and spices in a bowl.
• In a small bowl, combine the chocolate chips with the 2 tablespoons flour.
• Beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time.
• Whisk together the molasses and hot water. Add to the butter mix, alternating with the flour mix. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Pour batter into prepared pan (Bundt or brownie). Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool completely.

My modifications:

No allspice. And a bit less chocolate chips (270 g instead of 340 g).

About the molasses: I am sure that you could substitute them with honey. I assume that it would give the cake an even more authentic gingerbread taste.

The taste:

Chocolate and Christmas is always a good combination. This cake is no exception. 

What is your favorite Christmas cake?

44/52 Coconut Chai Coffee Cake

Reuniting with a friend after 20 years. Even though you're just 35 years old.
That's what I did this week. Exciting, isn't it?

An occasion like that calls for a special cake.
Nothing fancy. Suiting the season. Warm, cozy, comforting.
Serving as good company when you're trying to catch up on such a long period of time.

When Tracy Shutterbean posted a picture of this Coconut Chai Coffee Cake on Instagram not too long ago, I instantly knew that this would be it:

Coconut Chai Coffee Cake

Adapted from Tracy Shutterbean

Crumbles: 

115 g (1/2 cup) butter, melted 

85 g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour 

150 g (3/4 cup) packed light brown sugar 

80 g (1 cup) unsweetened flaked (or shredded) coconut 

1 teaspoon ground cardamom 

1 teaspoon ground black pepper 

1 teaspoon ground ginger 

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Cake: 

325 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

350 g (1 1/2) cups packed light brown sugar 

115 g (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature 

250 g (1 cup) plain yogurt (or sour cream) 

2 large eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

• Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). 
• Mix all crumble ingredients together until combined. Put in the fridge. 
• For the cake, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and put aside. 
• Beat together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the yogurt (and/or sour cream). Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the flour mix until just combined. 

• Pour batter into prepared spring form pan and spread evenly. 
• Sprinkle the crumbles over the top. 

• Bake for 50-55 minutes. Let cool before serving. 

My modifications: 

None. 

Except for using 2/3 yogurt and 1/3 sour cream. 

And shredded coconut instead of flaked because that's all I could get. And I think it might be even better because you can actually crumble it on top so that it gives you nice round crumbles.  

The taste: 

Just heavenly.
Spicy. Warm. Comforting. Autumnal. A tiny bit christmassy.
Moist inside. Crumbly on top.
Perfect for any reunion. Or any occassion in fall and winter.
I think this is one of my favorites of the 44 bakes I've made this year so far. 

What would you bake for a special reunion? 

43/52 Apple Cookies

I really should have baked Halloween cookies this week. 

Too bad that I only thought of that now... 

(Yes, go ahead, laugh at me. No problem.)

But these apple cookies are not so bad, either. 

Except they don't have anything to do with Halloween, damnit...

Apple Cookies

Adapted from Living at Home

For the dough:

160 g butter

3 tablespoons (or bags) apple tea

200 g flour

1 packet vanilla pudding powder

salt

80 g sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons apple juice

For the glaze:

4 tablespoons apple juice

50 g powdered sugar

For the filling:

150 g apple jelly

•  Melt the butter over medium heat (or microwave until luquid), add loose tea or tea bags and let sit for about 10 minutes. If you used loose tea sieve through a fine colander, or just remove tea bags. Cool butter in the fridge until it is solid again.
• Knead all dough ingredients together until smooth. Wrap in saran wrap and let cool in the fridge for about 1 hour. Use your rolling pin to roll out dough and cut out little apples. Put a hole in half of them. 
• Note: if you don't need apple shapes and want to avoid rolling out the dough, form dough into a log, wrap in saran wrap and freeze for about 1 hour. Take out and cut off slices. Put a hole in half of them.

•  Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F). Bake cookies for about 12-15 minutes or until edges are a light golden brown. Take out and let cool completely.
• For the glaze mix apple juice and powdered sugar and glaze that half of the cookies with the hole in them. Let dry.
• Heat apple jelly to make it easier to spread and brush on those cookies without the hole. Put a glazed cookie on top, lightly pressing it on.

  what?! you think they look like a misshapen pac-man? no way!

My modifications:
I used apple juice instead of Calvados. Because I had it at home and because I didn't need the alcohol.

I used a tea called "Wintergenuss" (winter indulgence) to infuse with the butter. Besides apples it has a slight cinnamon taste.

I sliced the cookies because a) I don't have a cookie cutter shaped like an apple, b) I was lazy, and c) the most important thing is that these cookies taste like apples, not look like them.

The taste:

Like apple. Without the vitamins.
Is that a good thing, you might ask? Yes, in this case, it just may be.

What are you baking for Halloween? Something scary, I hope!

42/52 Maltesers Ovomaltine Layer Cake

Do you like malt? I do.
Maltesers, Ovomaltine, malt beer - you name it.

I never thought about a malt cake until I saw a recipe on Pinterest of a cake decorated with halved Maltesers. Come on - not only does it look amazing, it also sounds very good.

So for our birthday celebration dinner with my hubby's aunt, uncle, and cousin, I just had to try it.
I did mix two different recipes though because I did not like the frosting of the original recipe too much. But see below for yourselves.

And believe me, it really is called Ovomaltine in Switzerland.

Maltesers Ovomaltine Layer Cake

Adapted from Poires au Chocolat

Note: This will be enough for a 5-6in baking pan only. Double the ingredients for a regular sized pan and adjust the baking time to about 30-35 minutes.

65 g flour

65 g butter, room temperature

65 g sugar

35 g Ovomaltine

1/3 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1.5 tablespoons milk

1.5 tablespoons boiling water

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).
• Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.
• Fold in flour, Ovomaltine, and baking powder until just combined.
• Add milk and fold in. Add boiling water and mix quickly.
• Pour into prepared baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

• Let cool completely and slice lengthwise (once or twice, depending on the height of the cake). Fill and decorate with Ovomaltine frosting (see recipe below).

Ovomaltine Frosting

Adapted from Bake!Bake!Bake!

Note: This will make enough for a regular sized cake or 2 5-6in cakes.

250 g powdered sugar

45 g Ovomaltine

125 g butter, soft

2 tablespoons water, boiling

75 g Maltesers

• Mix sugar, Ovomaltine and butter until combined. 
• Add boiling water while mixing to get a smooth buttercream. 
• Fill and decorate cake. 
• Cut Maltesers in halves with a sharp knife and decorate the cake shortly before serving so that they keep their crunchiness.

My modifications:

Both recipes use Horlicks instead of Ovomaltine. Since I cannot buy Horlicks here in Switzerland, I had to go with Ovomaltine. Horlicks is white and Ovomaltine is brown which not only changed the color but also the taste, I'm sure. The original frosting recipe adds cocoa to the Horlicks which I didn't feel necessary with the Ovomaltine.

The taste:

When I first tasted it I though that everybody would say that it is waaaaaay too sweet. I thought it was way too sweet. But if you embrace the sweetness it is actually very, very good. It was a total hit with our guests and they can be critical with cakes sometimes.

Just be warned of its sweetness. Or did I already mention that?!

Is there a flavor that you really like but never though about as an ingredient for cake or other baked goodies?

41/52 Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

There's no denying it. Fall is here. 

But that's not a problem - at least not for me - as I love fall. 

The colors, the fresh crisp air, cozy evenings with lit candles... 

And pumpkins. Let's not forget pumpkins. 

Until a couple of years ago, I loved the look of them but not the taste. 

I'm really glad this changed and pumpkins have become a big part of my autumnal cuisine.
Hence, today's choice of baking...

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Adapted from Bake at 350

300 g (2 cups) flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

227 g (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

275 g (1 1/4 cups) sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin

200 g (8 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
• Combine flour, spices, baking soda, and salt.
• Whisk together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 
• Add the egg and vanilla and combine well. 
• Add pumpkin. 
• Fold in the flour mix until just combined. 
• Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Pour batter into prepared pan (about 20x30 cm or 13x9 in) and bake for about 35 minutes. Let cool and cut into bars.

My modifications:

Since I had it at home, I used pumpkin pie spice which made it a bit easier. Use about 2.5-3 teaspoons if you wanna do the same.

I "only" used 200 g (8 oz.) of chocolate chips instead of the suggested 12 oz. (340 g). I love chocolate but that was definitely enough.

In Germany, we don't really know or eat canned pumpkin. There is only pickled pumpkin so I gave it a try. Of course I drained the pumpkin before adding it to the batter but what I didn't consider is that the butter could still curdle. And it did. But I just processed the batter with my hand blender and it was all good. So to all my readers in Germany: pickled pumpkin works well, don't worry about the possible curdling and just blend away...

The taste:

Autumnally going on Christmassy which means totally yummy (at least in my terms). I felt that the pumpkin flavor came out better on the second day so make it one day ahead if you can.

What do you love about the fall season?

40/52 Grapefruit Olive Oil Cake

Doesn't the name of this cake already give you a good feeling?

That's what it did to me when I stumbled upon the recipe a while ago.

Fresh, light, citrussy grapefruit meets heavy, green olive oil - how much more intense can it get?
At least that's what I thought...

I decided to make this cake to bring to work to celebrate my birthday. To make it easier and prettier, I chose to bake small, individual cakes so that everybody could have one.

Please do read all the way to the end of the post. "The taste" should be an especially interesting (and surprising) read today.

Grapefruit Olive Oil Cake

Adapted from The Yellow House

1-2 grapefruits, depending on the size

200 g (1 cup) sugar

about 2 tablespoons buttermilk (or plain yoghurt), amount depending on size of grapefruit

3 eggs

160 ml (2/3 cup) olive oil

140 g (1 3/4 cups) flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the glaze:

4 tablespoons powdered sugar

grapefruit juice

• Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
• Zest the grapefruits into a bowl. Add sugar and combine well to let the grapefruit flavor the sugar.
• Squeeze half a grapefruit (or more, if you have very small grapefruits) into a measuring cup. Add buttermilk or yoghurt to make 160 ml (2/3 cup). Add to bowl with sugar/zest mix and whisk well. Whisk in the eggs and olive oil.
• In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). Slowly stir into wet ingredients until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan (loaf or bundt) and bake for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before glazing.

• For glazing, take cake out of pan. Squeeze other grapefruit half and mix powdered sugar with grapefruit juice. Take small amounts of juice and stir well to reach the perfect glaze consistency. Use a spoon of knife to glaze the cake evenly.

My modifications:

I only used all-purpose flour instead of a mix of all-purpose and whole weat flour.

For the glaze I only used powdered sugar instead of a mix of brown and powdered sugar. I made this one first, as suggested in the original recipe, but didn't like it. Who wants to bite on the brown sugar pieces that don't dissolve? I don't so I went back to the classic glaze with just powdered sugar.

As I said above, I made small, individual cakes so the baking time went down to 20-25 minutes. And of course I didn't take them out of their paper pans for glazing.

The taste:

Moist, citrussy, and veeeeery good!

BUT - and this was a huge disappointment to me - they taste like your "ordinary" lemon cake. And trust me, I had all me colleagues to confirm this. After taking the first bite, they ALL said "Mmmh, lemon cake". Maybe it was my grapefruit. Maybe it just wasn't grapefruity enough. And it is just a citrus fruit after all, just like lemon.

As for the olive oil, you can taste it a teeny, tiny bit. But only if you know that it is in there...

Sorry for not showing you the glazed version. It was very late when I glazed them and then they all went to work with me...

Any recipes you tried that did not meet your expectations at all?