Happy Belated Easter!

I know I'm a few days late, but this pic is too fun not to share! No offence, (Kensington) Market Bakery, but I wouldn't have eaten any of these sweets anyway. They're just colourful pieces of art that happen to be edible. Only as a kid was the Hawaiian donut my donut of choice... feel me? Anyhoo, I hope you all enjoyed your Easter celebrations with familia and such! I know I sure as heck did. Cherishing time with familia is definitely a priority during this Tdot visit. & before I forget, Happy B-day Amurrz!!!

Sab's Double Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Much love to my girl Sab not only for sending me a beautiful, heartfelt letter recently in the mail, but also for including a few of her fave recipes in the envelope. This particular recipe surprised me in that it turned out much better than I expected! See, whenever I bake cookies in our mini oven, they tend to slightly disappoint... but Sab's recipe right here is foolproof and highly recommended. Thanks Sab!!! ♥



Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Combine flours, cocoa, salt and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl. 2) Place 1/2 cup choc chips in a small pot or microwave bowl and melt. 3) Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk, vanilla and melted chocolate. Beat until well blended. Add flour mixture and stir until combined. Stir in remaining 1 cup choc chips. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet. *Sab suggests rolling the dough into small balls first and then flattening slightly. 4) Bake 10-11 minutes.

Chocolate Squares with Whipped Cream & Almonds

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, June! We all celebrated June's birthday with a potluck last Saturday, and it was a smashing good time!!! Most of the guests brought savoury dishes, so it was a good thing I made somethin' sweet (wie immer). Here's a recipe I tried out for the first time. I was so impressed with how it turned out (moist/chocolatey/nutty @ the same time) that I'll def be baking it again. Thanks, Dr. Oetker!

Typical Bread in Germany ― ALDI Frische Backwaren

I've been wanting to do a post on the bread culture in Germany for ages now! Not knowing where to start, I decided to stick with the basics and show ya'll the types of bread that people here typically eat on a daily basis. We usually buy fresh loaves of bread from supermarkets similar to Aldi, which is a "value for money" supermarket chain in DE. Here's how the bread section in an Aldi looks like, as well as some scans from a recent Aldi flier.



It's common to see a Krustenbrot, Weltmeister or Bauernvesper loaf at ours (though Weizenmisch is my absolute fave). Only once in a while would I prefer a Vollkorn or Kürbis-Kartoffel loaf, as they're denser and have a texture I don't always feel in the mood for. On weekends (sometimes on random weekdays) we treat ourselves to fresh bread rolls such as Bäckerbrötchen or Laugenbrötchen. Plain and classic, Bäckerbrötchen are the most popular bread roll of choice here. Germans love 'em smeared with butter and topped with cheese and/or sliced meats. Best combo ever: mozz, pesto & tomatoes! >



It's true what they say: "German bread is not your usual breed of bread." I can't remember ever tasting this type of bread in Canada, where starchy/airy toast-like breads reign supreme (Hi, Dad!). Back in Oz, I remember my German friends always used to say they missed bread from back home. Now I totally understand what they mean! My one pet peeve is that most of the bread loaves here contain rye (I'm not a huge rye fan), but I can deal. And as I already mentioned in a previous post, little bakeries and supermarkets selling fresh Brötchen exist at every corner; they're never too far from reach.

26 Years Young

Just about one year ago today, my girl Anh baked me a lovely peanut butter chocolate birthday cake. This year, I was lucky enough to have Megan bake me a birthday cake, and I just feel blessed to have bakestress gfs everywhere in the world! Last night, we gobbled down nearly half of this mammoth-sized salted caramel chocolate bomb and boy did it make a girl feel like a queen! Much love to those who came out, and thank-you heaps for all the lovely gifts. Realtalk, it's all about celebrating life, ya'll!

Vanillekipferln / Vanilla Crescents

Xmas cookies are a big deal here. We call 'em Weihnachtsplätzchen and they're all the rage in the bakeries during Xmastime. The Vanillekipferl is a rather popular variety, and one of my personal faves. As such, I decided to try and make em myself, but not without altering the original recipe a tad bit. I used grounds hazelnuts instead of ground almonds and I also added a splash of vanilla extract, an unknown ingredient to German bakers. They turned out softer and nuttier than traditional Vanillekipferln, however André gobbled them down none the less. Tip: Dip em in icing sugar while they're still warm!

*SPOTTED! Maple Pecan Danish (Pekannusstasche mit Ahornsirup)

EEEEEEGADS, PEOPLE! I took an absolute FLIP when I saw these at a local supermarket not one week ago. You wouldn't believe how long I've longed for the maple pecan danish at Timmies (Anh, I'm pointing at YOU). I haven't had one in years and I'd been craving one sooooo badly recently and can you imagine how I excited I was to find an imitation version here?! German bakeries have awesome pastries to choose from, but this rather Canadian one just ain't common to see. How lucky am I that Edeka offers it during the holidays?! Naturally, I had to buy two for 1,69 € rather than one for 0,99 €.



The danish was definitely worth trying. At least now I know that I won't be buying it again. Why, you ask? Because you can't call it a maple PECAN danish with a measly 1.5 pecans in it! In total, (as you can see in the photo), a few small pieces of pecans are sprinkled on top. I was expecting to at least find some pecans inside the pastry, but NO. Can someone say... stingemeisters? Ja ja it was nice and flaky and some maple syrup flave was definitely there, but it ain't NOTHIN' compared to my beloved maple pecan danish from Timmies. END OF STORY. Only 3 more months... ...

Fuckes Bäckerei ― Schokoladen-Croissant

This croissant was by no means out-of-this-world. Plus, when I bought it I was told it was cappuccino-flavoured. That's the main reason why I bought it! But when we toasted it for brekky the next morning and cut it in two, I had a feeling it was just your regular chocolate croissant. Lo and behold, it was just your regular chocolate croissant. Flaky and much better than a mass-produced Penny Markt croissant, but mehh. I like you, Fuckes Bäckerei. Let's hope I'm not disappointed the next time I pay you a visit.

CAKE — Café Haertle Braunschweig

CAKE CAKE CAKE! There's only one really good cake shop in town and this is it! Omggg ya'll, can someone tell me why German cakes are so under the radar?! The cakes at Café Haertle are a little expensive; I've only tried the cake you see here. I can't remember the name of it, but I do know it was made of semolina. Interestingly, it had a soft yet gritty texture and it wasn't very sweet at all. Anh Le (Pastry Queen), I miss your cake-making wayzzz! But on another note, sadly, Café H's website just doesn't live up to their amaaazzzing-looking cakes. I can't stand bad food photography, yuck man!!!

Himbeertasche ― WTF IS IT??!

First and foremost, I dedicate this post to Beth. She had spoken highly about the Himbeertasche (Raspberrypocket) from Peter Priemer, and I finally had the chance to try it just a few days ago. Best recommendation ever! Unlike many other German baked goods, the Himbeertasche isn't overly sweet. What an awesome combo of tart raspberriness and mild, sorta crumbly-textured quark. What is quark, you ask? It's similar in texture to ricotta and translates to "curd" in English. P.S. Pretty lacy pastry!

Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

Ingredients

1 cup butter, room temp
1 cup dark/milk chocolate
3 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup mixed nuts
1 egg, whisked
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup peanut butter

Instructions

—Preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter a 20 cm x 30 cm baking tray and set aside.
—Chop the chocolate bar into small chunks. Mix the flour and baking soda in a large bowl.
—Cut the butter into cubes and incorporate into the flour mixture, creating a crumbly texture.
—Roughly chop the mixed nuts. Then add the nuts, oats and sugar to the butter/flour mixture.
—Take 1/4 of the dough and mix it in a separate bowl with the chopped chocolate. Set aside.
—Whisk the egg into the initial butter/flour mixture. This'll make the dough more moldable.
—Construct a ball-like form with the dough. Press the dough evenly into the buttered pan.
—This will be the bottom crust of your squares. Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
—In the meantime, whisk the whole milk and the peanut butter together. Whisk well.
—When the crust is done, take it out of the oven. Pour the whisked milk mixture on top.
—Then, distribute the dough with chocolate chunks in it evenly on top of everything.
—Bake the whole thing for about 20 minutes, or until it turns golden brown on top.
—Let the tray come to room temp after baking, then cut into 25 equal squares.

Laugenbrötchen mit Mohn und Sesam

It's my absolute fave type of bread at the moment. Before your very eyes is a Lye Bread Roll (Laugenbrötchen) sprinkled with sesame seeds (Sesam) and poppy seeds (Mohn). Here in Germany, baked goods made from lye are very popular. North Americans would know of only one baked good made from lye: pretzels. But here, they have heaps more baked goods made from the same batter as pretzels! As you can imagine, all lye-based products are slightly salty (which makes them so damn good). Thank God Leda introduced me to Kollwitz Bäckerei, the café (Prenzlauerberg, Berlin) where I enjoyed this sandwich. Mozz & tom is a classic, but just Nutella instead would've also been good.

The Weirdest Cake I've Ever Made

Did it taste soo bad that the bf nearly spit it out upon first bite?! I think it wasn't that bad, though it was definitely wonky-tasting. I was just so excited to make this cake because after trying Rhabarberkuchen von Jane, I was inspired! But mine just didn't turn out as good as hers. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself... but I thought the top egg white layer was too sweet, the middle (vanilla custard) layer was a bit rubbery, the chunks of rhubarb in the middle layer were a tad too sour, and the bottom pastry layer was just aiight. Ah sigh sigh sigh, just like life, the baking world is also filled with experiments.

Apricot & Marzipan Cake

Ever since we inherited this mini oven, my mind's been in baking mode. Some goodies have flopped miserably, but this lil number turned out okay, if but a tad strange. I found the recipe from a book I borrowed from Megan called The Great British Bake Off. Gaudammit we still don't have a loaf pan, so mine didn't turn out looking like this chick's Apricot & Marzipan Cake. Mah well. My only qualm with this cake is that it got really dry/crumbly 2 days after being baked and the flavours didn't really mature.

Megan & Beth's Tea Party

Some British mates of mine recently hosted a festively lavish tea party in celebration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. You all should have seen the smorgasbord of sweets and savouries! Dainty little finger sandwiches filled with Marmite & butter, curried chicken and sliced meats & cheese.. a plethora of cakes (e.g. Victoria Sponge) and mini cupcakes.. scones with marmalade.. a big fat quiche.. and the showstopper, a gigantic ooey gooey trifle (top photo). Thanks again, girls! Wa-hoo for no longer being a British tea party neub! My contribution? Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (bottom photo). Here's the recipe I used as a guideline.

What is sour cream called in Germany?

The only products labelled "sour cream" on the supermarket shelves here in Germany have herbs in them, meant to be paired with baked potatoes or eaten as a dip with chips. But no worries, fellow bakesters and bakestresses! One can choose from many different dairy products that can work as substitutes for the North American version of sour cream. In the baking world, saure Sahne, Schmand, Crème Fraîche or Sauerrahm could all be substituted for sour cream (but be aware that the outcome of your baked good will vary, depending on the product you choose to use).



I used Schmand to replace sour cream in my coffee cake pictured here, and it turned out marvellously! Schmand is verrrrry thick though, thicker than sour cream. The next time I bake this classic recipe, just to experiment and see how the cake turns out, I'll use Sauerrahm instead (Sauerrahm is not as thick as Schmand; it is closer in consistency to sour cream). Saure Sahne, on the other hand, is more similar in consistency to plain yogurt. I suggest substituting sour cream with any of the above dairy products mentioned at a ratio of 1 : 1 (e.g. 1 cup sour cream = 1 cup Schmand).

Kaffee und Kuchen

I can hear the mumbles already... "WTF is Kaffee und Kuchen?!" Here's the inside scoop: it's an age-old German tradition, and it's the best thing that's ever happened to me. Similar to the British who have their Tea and Biscuits, the Germans have their Coffee and Cake. Considered a Zwischenmahlzeit (a small meal between meals), Kaffee und Kuchen is usually eaten at, say... 4pm-ish?

André tells me it's just another excuse for people to get together in the afternoons, and he might just be right. On weekdays, between the times of 2pm-5pm, they're everywhere. You see them sittin' pretty in these fancy shmancy cafés, sipping on their lattés and indulging in big fat slices of Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte... they're usually old folks. For the 9-5 crowd, Kaffee und Kuchen is more likely a friends and family, weekend-chillage-thang (Sundays being more common than Saturdays).

Last week was a tad hectic for me. I started teaching 6 new courses, 4 of them 20 weeks long! (on that note, watch out for an upcoming blog post entitled, "How to Become an English Teacher in Germany") By the week's end, I felt that a proper session of Kaffee und Kuchen was an utter necessity. Before your very eyes is a slice of Banane-Rhabarber Kuchen (Banana Rhubarb Cake) with a side of fresh whipped cream from Der kleine Vegetarier, a local vegan joint here in Braunschweig. Lecker!

What I love about the cakes at this place is that they all look chunky and rustic: just my style. Ain't no Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte up in hea. One will, however, find Streuselkuchen and Bienenstich (other classic Kaffee ond Kuchen cakes) at a local Konditorei (cake/pastry shop). The wonderful thing about this tradition is that the cake options are endless! It may be useful to know that Kaffee und Kuchen is also popular in Austria, Finland and Luxembourg. So come on, Canada! Get with the program already!

Rhabarberkuchen von Jane

Isn't this the most rustic/beautiful slice of homemade cake you've ever seen? I was one lucky girl for having it all to myself the other day. And I'm so inspired to try making it sometime soon! This lovely Rhubarb Cake was baked by Jane, the girlfriend of Andreas (one of my Sprachentandem partners). Much love for saving a piece for me, guys!

The bottom layer had a familiar cake-y texture to it. I tasted chunks of cooked rhubarb in a vanilla-flavoured sort of custard in the middle layer. And the top layer seemed to me like light and fluffy, sweetened and baked egg whites. Mmm. The three layers fused excellently together, resulting in a wunderbar cake. On that note, German cakes are so under the radar! I stumbled upon a superb local Konditorei the other day, omfg. Blog post on the scrumptious cakes at Café Haertle coming real soon.

Rehrücken Kuchen

Don't ask.

Hazelnut Cake Recipe / Haselnusskuchen Rezept

By golly, we have an oven!!!!!!!!! Much love to Theresa for the generous donation. I'd been itching to bake for weeks and upon this inheritance, decided to get downright nutty. Haselnusskuchen is a classic cake that one can purchase pre-packaged in any supermarket here in Germany. But why opt for those overly sweet versions when you can make one at home that suits your sweet tooth to a T?



Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup hazelnuts, ground
icing sugar (for dusting)

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 175°F. Whisk the butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs together until no lumps exist. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and ground hazelnuts together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.

Butter a baking pan and put the raw cake batter inside it. Throw the cake in the oven and bake it for 40-50 minutes (or until a wooden chopstick inserted comes out clean). When the cake has finished baking, let it rest for 30 mins before flipping it over (only if you happen to be using a bundt cake baking pan like I've used). Use a strainer to evenly dust icing sugar over the cake. BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorted.



It's that easy, folks! Bestest. Cake. Ever. I'll have to warn you though, it's super nutty. But if you happen to fancy that crunchy-ish, nutty texture like I do, you'll love this recipe. Slather a slice with Nutella, pair it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and sliced strawberries, drizzle it with honey or maple syrup for that matter... or be extra sinful and coat the entire cake with melted chocolate! Just go on and get outta here and make it already and tell me what you come up with.