Lavender cake with lemon cream cheese icing

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

3 eggs

3/4 cups white sugar

1 cup milk

1-2 tsp lavender extract

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp lavender buds finely chopped plus 1 more tbsp. to sprinkle on top

Syrup

1 cup water

1/2cup (brown) sugar

Lemon juice from ½ lemon

Icing

8oz cream cheese

8oz crème fraiche

½-3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tbsp lemon zest

Lemon juice from ½ lemon

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).Grease and flour a round pan for cake or a 9/13 inch pan for bars. Sift together flour and baking powder.
• Beat egg whites to soft peaks, and then continue beating while slowly adding the sugar, until stiff peaks have formed. Add egg yolks, one at the time, when evenly mixed fold in the flour mixture alternating with milk. Add Lavender extract (I used only 1 tbsp and the cake had just a hint of Lavender flavor, next time I will try 2 tsp for a little more intense flavor), 1tbsp finely chopped Lavender buds and 1 tbsp Vanilla extract. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake cake in preheated oven about 30-40 min, or until top has turned golden brown, and toothpick comes out clean.
• In a pot combine 1 cup water ½ cup brown sugar and lemon juice from 1/2 lemon ,whisk on a medium heat until sugar melted ,set aside.
• When the cake is done remove from pan, let it cool, and then cut it in two layers (if you baked the layers separate, skip this step). Use a skewer to poke holes all over the cake. Pour warm syrup evenly over the layers. Spread about 1/2 of the cream (see recipe below) on one of the layers, and then place the other layer on top. It is best if you assemble your cake in the pan that you used to baked it. Chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, then take it out, remove from the pan and use the remaining cream to frost it. Sprinkle with lavender buds.

For icing

Beat cream cheese with sugar until light and fluffy; add lemon zest and lemon juice. Gently incorporate crème fraiche, do not over mix or it might separate. 

Enjoy!

Apple bars or Apple pie my way/Prajitura cu mere

Apple bars or Apple pie my way

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

I bought a box of apples, in hope that I will never have to see a doctor hahaha, and I noticed that a few of them that were left in the bottom started to get some wrinkles. I knew nobody will eat them but didn’t want to waste them, so I had to do some kind of cosmetic surgery on them. I had to many apple for a compote (sliced apple boiled in water with a cinnamon stick and a little sugar –yummy), then I remembered the apple bars that made my house smell soooo  gooood .

Alright, alright enough talking let me write the recipe .

For the crust you’ll need

1.    2 ½ cups flour

2.    2 sticks butter room temperature

3.    1 egg

4.    1 tbsp.  vanilla sugar

5.    5 tsp. baking powder

6.    1 tbsp. (apple cider) vinegar

7.    3 tbsp. confectioners' sugar

And for filling

1.    About 2 lb. apples

2.    6 tbsp. brown sugar if using tart apples, less sugar if apples are sweet.

3.    2-3 tbsp. ground cinnamon

4.    1 tbsp. bread crumbs or flour

5.    Vanilla extract optional

Start with the filling: wash the apples very well, peel them if you wish,(I didn’t peel mine) , core and grate them . They will turn brown due to oxidation process ,I guess you can place them in a bowl of water and lemon juice, to prevent color change , but color does not bother me in this case , so I skipped this step.

Place grated apples (I probably had more than 2 lb. this time), sugar, cinnamon (and vanilla) in a pot and cooked on medium heat, stirring so it will not get burned on the bottom. Add bread crumbs /flour and mix as well. When mixture thickens remove and let cool, away from children and/or other people in your house ,if you want to have any filling left for your bars.

In a bowl beat butter, sugar, and vanilla sugar, adds egg and mix to incorporate well. Add half the flour, mix, then add baking powder , vinegar and the rest of the flour, mix well .If dough is to soft , refrigerate for a few min. I refrigerated mine a little too long and when I started to roll it ,it cracked. So the top crust I knead it a little until dough became more pliable. Flour your work surface and rolling pin and roll half of the dough and place it in your ungreased pan (or 2 pie dishes). Prick dough allover with a fork. Place cool apples and spread evenly. Roll the other half of the dough and place it on top. Prick with a fork or cut a few small slits in top.

Bake for about 30-40 min or until slightly golden brown. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar (vanilla flavored is even better) let it cool before serving.

Enjoy!

Kissmoni's Honey Cookies and Stained Glass Cookies/ Fursecuri Vitraliu

Kissmoni’s Honey Cookies

These cookies are delicious! I have the recipe from a wonderful cook  I met on a culinary forum, Kissmoni. She decorates them beautifully with royal icing. The first time I made them, using royal icing seemed intimidating to me, so I tried to do a stained glass cookie .But  these cookies vanish no matter how you choose to decorate them.  

Ingrediente

1.    2 ¾ cups (400g ) flour

2.    1 2/3 cups powdered sugar

3.    ½ stick(60g) butter

4.    2 eggs

5.    3 tbsp. honey

6.    1 tsp. baking soda

7.    2 ½ tsp.  baking powder

8.    1 tbsp(apple cider) vinegar or lemon juice

9.    1 tsp. vanilla extract

10.  ½ tsp. cinnamon

11. 1tsp Ginger (I used about 1/8 tsp. allspice this time, 1/8 tsp cloves)

12.  Royal icing, or to make stained glass cookies you’ll need hard candies. I used life savers, but I plan on using candy canes for Christmas .

Beat butter, half the sugar and honey ,add the eggs ,the rest of sugar and half of the flour,vanilla cinnamon and ginger ,Mix well. Add baking powder and baking soda, vinegar and the rest of flour. Mix well.

 Divide in 2 ,wrap each half in wax paper or plastic wrap, an refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350° F (180°C) .Flour your work surface and your rolling pin. Roll dough to about 1/8 in (3-5 mm) thickness, then use a cookie cutter or a wine glass to cut your cookies.

Bake for about 8-10 min or until slightly golden brown on the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Decorate with royal icing as desired.

Stained glass cookies

To make stained glass cookies you will need a small cookie cutter (about ½ in) to cut the center of your cookies (before you bake them).  Place cookies a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, fill holes with finely crushed candies .You can use two different color candy for a nice colorful stained glass. Bake as above, but let cool on the baking sheet before moving to wire rack, otherwise you’ll ruin your glass  L

Keep them in tin lined with parchment paper.

Enjoy!

Fursecuri Kissmoni

Aceste fusecuri sunt delicioase! Retata o am de la o bucatareasa extraordinara ,Kissmoni,o prietena pe care am avut placerea sa o cunosc pe forum ( culinar.ro ). Fursecurile ei decorate cu royal icing arata nemaipomenit!  Prima data insa cind am incercat aceste fursecuri eram inca in faza de recupare dupa ce am facut un un royal icing care nu s-a intarit nici dupa 3 zile …Prin urmare am zis ca n-ar fi rau, folosind  retera Monicai sa fac niste prajituri vitraliu . Dar nu conteaza cum hotariti sa decorate prajiturile , pentru ca se vor topi numai decit.

Ingrediente

1.    400g faina

2.    160g zahar pudra

3.    60g unt

4.    2 oua

5.    3 linguri miere

6.    1 lingurita bicarbonate

7.    2 ½ lingurite praf de copt

8.    1 lingura otet sau suc de lamiie

9.    1 lingurita vanilie

10.  ½ lingurita scortisoara

11. 1lingurita Ghimbir (eu am folosit un vf cutit ienibahar macinat de data asta ,1vf cutit cuisoare-4 cuisoare pisate)

12.  Royal icing ,sau daca doriti sa faceti fursecuti vitraliu ,bomboane tari, colorate .

• Bateti bine untul ,jumatate din zahar,si mierea,apoi adugati ouale(lele) J ,restul de zahar,jumatate din cantitatea de faina,vanilia,scortisoara,si ghimbirul.Amestcati bine.Adaugati apoi praful de copt, bicarbonatul, otetul si restul de faina .amestecati .
• Impartiti aluatul in 2 ,inveliti fiecare jumatate in hirtie cerata sau folie de plastic si lati la rece pentru cel putin o ora.
• Incalziti cuptorul la180°C. Intindeti o foaie de aluat groasa de aproximativ 3-5 mm ,decupati prajiturile  puneti-le in tava si dati la cuptor pentru 8-10 minute sau pina ce marginile devin aurii. Se scot din cuptor se racesc si apoi se decoreaza cu royal icing.

Fursecuri Vitraliu

• Pentru a face fursecurile vitraliu ,aveti  nevoie de inca  o forma de decupat prajituri de aproximativ 1 cm diametru ,cu care sa decupati mijlocul fursecului inainte (inainte de a-l coace).Asezati fursecurile pe o tava tapetata cu hirtie de copt,si umpleti centrul prajiturii cu bomboane sfarimate marunt. Puteti pune doua culori diferite pentru un vitraliu frumos colorat. Coaceti ca mai sus ,dar lasati fursecurile sa se raceasca in tava inainte de  a le transfera ,altfel riscati sa stricati vitraliul L .
•  Pastrati in cutii de metal captusite cu hirtie de copt.

Pofta buna!



Lemon Sugar cookies

Ingredients

1.    3 cups all-purpose flour

2.    1 cup sugar

3.    1cup (2 sticks ) unsalted butter softened

4.    1 egg

5.    1 tbsp. milk

6.    Pinch of salt

7.    ¾  tsp. baking powder

8.    1 tsp. vinegar or lemon juice

9.    1 tbsp. lemon zest

10. Powdered (confectioners )sugar

Sift flour, salt and baking powder. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and lemon zest and beat well.  Add 1/2 of flour, then the vinegar or lemon juice mix well. Add the rest of the flour .Once dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, divide it in 2, wrap each half (about 1 inch thick) in wax paper or plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F Sprinkle work surface and your rolling pin (glass bottle works well ) with powdered sugar. Roll out dough ¼ inch thick Add some more powdered sugar underneath, to make sure it won’t stick. Use a cookie cutter (or a wine glass or an aluminum can for round cookies) to cut desired shape, and place in baking sheet (lined with parchment paper) about 1 in apart, bake for 8-10 min or until slightly golden brown on the edges. Remove from oven ,and if you haven’t lined your sheet with parchment paper ,use a spatula to transfer  cookies to the wire rack to cool .To Serve ,dust with powdered sugar while still warm, or decorate with icing when completely cool .

First batch came out as brownies

Raspberry Linzer cookies /Fursecuri Linzer cu Zmeura

Raspberry Linzer Cookies

Last week a friend asked me if I could bake some cookies for an open house .I am not a cookie person, but I could not say no. I didn’t know why people say that baking cookies is fun for kids, until I started baking them while my children were at school. But to me it’s kind of boring to have only one kind of cookies on the table (even if they are shaped and colored differently) so I decided to make 4 different types of cookies: Lemon Sugar cookies, Raspberry Linter cookies, Stained Window Honey Cookies, and Chocolate Almond Spritz Cookies.  

Saptamina trecuta,o prietena m-a rugat sa-i fac citeva fursecuri pentru un evenimet la servici.Eu nu prea ma omor cu fursecurile, dar nu puteam sa o refuz. Si cum mi se pare plictisitor sa ai o masa plina cu fursecuri in diferite forme si culori dar cu acelasi gust ,am decis sa fac 4 feluri diferite de fursecuri :  Sugar Cookies cu aroma de Lamiie , Fursecuri Linzer cu Zmeura, Fursecuri cu Miere "Vitraliu" ,si Fursecuri de Ciocolata si Migdale 

Raspberry Linzer is my children’s’ favorite

Ingredients

1.    1 cup ( 2 sticks )unsalted butter (softened)

2.    2/3 cup sugar (next time I will use just ½ cup)

3.    1 egg

4.    2 cups all-purpose  flour

5.    1 cup finely ground almonds

6.    ¼ tsp. cinnamon

7.    ½ vanilla extract

8.    1 pinch of salt

9.    1 cup raspberry jam

10. Powdered sugar

You will also need 2 different sizes cookie cutters.

Fusecurile Linzer sunt insa preferatele copiilor.

Ingrediente

1. 220g unt la temperatura camerei
2. 2/3 cana zahar (data viiroare voi reduce la 1/2 cana -1cana -240ml)
3. 1 ou
4. 2 cani faina
5. 1 cana migdare macinate fin
6. 1/4 lingurita scotisoara
7. 1 vf cutit sare
8. 1 cana gem de zmeura
9. zahar pudra

Mai aveti nevoie de forme pentru taiat prajiturile diferite forme si marimi

Beat sugar and butter (with an electric mixer) until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and cinnamon and mix well. Mix in salt, almonds, and flour until incorporated. Divide dough in 2 pieces about 1 in thick, wrap each in plastic or wax paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hrs or overnight.

Bateti spuma untul cu zaharul, adaugati oul, vanilia si scortisoara,amestecati bine. Adaugati sarea,migdalele si faina si amestecati pina ce toate sunt bine incorporate .Impartiti aluatul in 2 ,inveliti fiecare jumatate(aprox 2 cm grosime) in hirtie cearata sau folie de plastic si puneti in in frigider pentru cel putin 2 ore ,sau chiar peste noapte.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Flour work surface and the rolling pin (and resist temptation to substitute powdered sugar for flour, it works well on sugar cookies, but not for this) and roll dough about 1/8 in thick. Cut out cookies, then using a smaller cookie cutter cut out the center of half of the cookies. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, place cookies on the parchment paper and bake for 10-12 min or until slightly golden brown on the edges. Remove from the sheet and when completely cool, invert a cookie bottom and spread 1 tsp. jam. Dust top cookies with powdered sugar and place them on top of the whole cookies pressing gently.

Incalziti cuptorul la 180° C .Pudrati suprafata de lucru si sucitorul cu faina (rezistati tentatiei de a folosi zahar pudra in loc de faina,Sugar cookies se ruleaza bine cu zahar pudra dar nu si aceste fursecuri   -   credeti-ma am incercat :)   ) Intindeti aluatul cu o grosime de aprox 1/4 cm . Folositi forma mai mare sa taiati fursecurile ,apoi folosind o forma mai mica taiati mijlocul la jumatate din ele . Asezati prajiturile in tava tapeteta cu hirtie de copt ,si dati-le la cuptor pentru 10 -12 minute sau pina ce marginile devin aurii. Scoateti fursecurile din tava ,lasati sa se raceasca bine,apoi, daca doriti, pudrati cu zahar  suprafata fursecurilor cu mijlocul decupat . Luati apoi un fursec intreg il intoarceti cu fata in jos,ungeti cu o lingurita de gem de zmeura si puneti deasupra un fursec cu mijlocul decupat apasind usor .

Enjoy!

                                  Pofta buna!

Chocolate almond spritz cookies

1.     2 ½  sticks(275g)  butter   

2.     2/3  cup sugar

3.     2/3  cups (dark) brown sugar
4.     1  tbsp. vanilla extract

5.     2  eggs

6.     2/3 cup cocoa

7.     2  cup all-purpose flour

8.     ½  cup almond meal(ground up almonds)

9.     ¼  tsp. baking soda(use ½ tsp. if you don’t have baker’s ammonia)

10.  ½  tsp.  baker’s ammonia

11.  2  tbsp (apple cider)vinegar or lemon juice

12.   ¼  tsp. salt

I know you have a question about baker’s ammonia. This is an ancestor of modern baking powder. It is still used in Europe to make cookies very light and crisp. It may leave an unpleasant ammonia flavor especially if used in baked goods with high moisture. We used it a lot back home, and I was thrilled when I found it here! Some cookies just taste better with BA than with baking powder /soda, which makes them kind of hard.  Do not confuse this with your ordinary household ammonia, which is poisonous.

Now lets get back to our cookies

Preheat oven to 375 °F. In a bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at the time, incorporate well. Add vanilla, cocoa, almond meal ,salt and ½ of the flour. Beat well. Mix bakers ammonia with vinegar and quickly add it to the dough, mix well. Then add the baking powder and the other tsp. of vinegar and mix .I find that mixing the baking soda, ammonia with vinegar reduces that after taste in the baked goods .Add the rest of the flour, fill your cookie press, choose your template and press cookies onto cool ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 min (or less in convection ovens). Remove, cool on rack, and decorate as desired.

ENJOY!                             

Dipped in Milk Chocolate