I made these mini cakes to celebrate the birthday of my daughter’s teacher. The children were terribly excited! To make them more fun I coloured the dough pink and purple. Decorated with a simple sugar/lemon frosting turned pink by some blueberry powder. Some colourful sprinkles and it looks lovely, doesn’t it?

I adapted a recipe of a simple Italian breakfast cake, called ciambella, by using buttermilk instead of milk and pouring the dough into this beautiful moulds. They do make all the difference. I love the nordic ware (not affiliated) baking tins, they are incredibly durable and really non-sticking, only need to butter them when using chocolate chips or other sticky fillings.

So, you can use this recipe for a whole cake as well as for muffins or mini cakes.

Ingredients:

* 120 g butter

* 200 g sugar

* 2 eggs

* a splash of vanilla extract

* 300 g of plain flour

* 16 g of baking powder

* 160 ml of buttermilk

* gel food colours (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven at 180° C.

2. Whisk the butter (120g in chunks) and the sugar (200g) together.

3. Add the (2) eggs.

4. Add a splash of vanilla extract.

5. Mix the flour (300g) and baking powder (16g) to it, alternating with the buttermilk (160g).

6. Don’t overmix, let just the dough come together.

7. Optional: add some gel food colours to the dough.

8. Pour in your baking tin or moulds.

9. Bake for 35 minutes.

If you want to decorate them, mix 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice with 3-4 tablespoons of icing sugar so that the consistency is still runny but not too much. If you want to colour it, you can add fruit powder or food colours.

Pour it on the cake with a small spoon and then place the sprinkles on it.

Enjoy!

Need something fancier? Check out my rainbow cake tutorial!

As I was asked to bake a rainbow cake for an upcoming birthday, I thought it would get messy.. and it would be a lot of work… Well, yes, it is quite a lot of baking, but it doesn’t have to stress you out or leave your kitchen as if a masterclass war was going on in there!

I have found a great recipe for a 6 layers cake and then used the most delicious frosting ever. With a bit of preparation and the right tools by hand, it is going to be much easier then you thought and you will be able to fit it into your busy schedule.

Follow my tutorial with tipps on how to keep your kitchen clean and saving time and you’ll make a beautiful and tasty rainbow cake and will still be smiling afterwards!

This cake is going to be very different from the store bought ones. No one is going to leave the frosting on the side, because it is delicious! The cake turns out to be moist and fluffy. Also, picky kids are going to ask for more. So be quick and grab your slice before it is gone!

Preparation:

A. Baking Tins and oven: first of all you want to check how many baking tins of the same size you have or you can borrow. And then you want to check how many are going to fit in your oven.

You really need to make sure that the tins are of the exact same size.

Also if you know that your oven does not bake evenly, it might be easier to cook just two cakes at a time, otherwise you will end up turning them around the whole time and that is not fun.

B. Measure your baking tins. I used a 22 cm round one. If yours are bigger, you will need to adapt the recipe, so that they don’t end up too thin. If yours are smaller, it’s fine, the cakes will just be higher then mine.

C. Make sure you have very good quality food gel colours for colouring your dough. They might be a bit more expensive, but you will need less and they will go a long way. My favourites are Wilton and Americolor (not affiliated).

D. If you don’t have one at home, get a non-stick baking spray, it will make it easier to release the cake from the tin. DO NOT FLOUR your tins or you will mess with the colours.

E. Plan ahead. You can bake the cakes well ahead, as we want to freeze them anyway. So if you do not want to invest too much time at once, you can also bake 2 layers a day one week ahead and then just freeze them. Remember it is best to let the layers rest in the freezer for at least 24 hours.

Schedule:

Ok, I will assume you only have 2 baking tins or you can only fit two in the oven, that was my case as well. If you have more, then everything will be quicker.

I will give you the timeline going backwards, assuming

* you need your cake Sunday afternoon

* you will have to frost it Sunday morning

* and you will have to defrost your layers (in the fridge) 24 hours before, so Saturday morning

* that means you need to have them done by Friday morning so that they can get nice and frozen for at least 24 hours.

Freezing the layers is going to make it easier to handle them as when they are freshly baked, so I really recommend you do not skip the freezing detail!

* Now you can bake all of your 6 layers, 2 at a time, on Thursday – this will take you 3-4 hours, as you will need to let the cakes cool down before being able to reuse the tins. Or alternatively, you can make 2 on Tuesday, 2 on Wednesday and 2 on Thursday. To bake two will only take you 1 hour. Sounds complicated, but planing ahead is going to make it much easier!

The cake needs to be done by Sunday afternoon

frosting on Sunday morning (plan 2-3 hours)

defrost layers in the fridge Saturday morning

freeze all layers by latest Friday morning

bake all layers on Thursday or 2 at a time the days before

Baking the cake:

First of all, I’ll make a list of the ingredients you need to make a 6 layers cake, then I will break it down for you so that you know the quantities needed for each layer, this way you can also adapt to more or fewer layers.

We do not like fondant or buttercream frosting, so we always use a simple but delicious mascarpone frosting. This will not give you a totally clean look, but more of a rustic one, as it is not going to be totally smooth. But nobody will leave it aside, as it is just too good.

If you prefer other fillings and fondant, just go for it!

Ingredients for the whole cake with mascarpone frosting:

* 350 g butter at room temperature (soft)

* 350 g of sugar

* 6 eggs

* 350 g of self-raising flour

* 3 teaspoons of baking powder

* 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

* a couple of spoons of milk (max 3)

* gel food colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple

* 500 g of whipping cream

* 1 Kg of Mascarpone

* 3-6 tablespoons of icing sugar

Ingredients for one layer:

* 60 g of room temperature butter

* 60 g of sugar

* 1 egg

* 60 g of self-raising flour

* 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

* a splash of vanilla extract

* half to one spoon of milk

* gel colour

Instructions:

Before we start baking, you need to decide how many layers you will bake at once.

This time I will not mention the quantities as not to confuse you.

1. Preheat the oven at 150 C degrees if you are using a fan oven, 170 C otherwise.

2. Spray your baking tin(s) with non-stick spray (if you don’t have one, you can also use melted butter instead, but apply only a very thin layer with a brush).

3. Mix the room temperature butter (should be soft) and sugar at high speed with a mixer until creamy and airy.

4. Add the egg(s), I used big ones, that weight approximately 60 g and some of the flour (possibly stiffed) mixed with the baking powder. If you are using more then one egg, it’s better to pour one at a time followed by a little bit of flour. Mix at medium speed until it comes together.

5. Finally, add the vanilla extract, or if you prefer any other flavour like lemon zest, almond, coconut…

6. Should the dough be too sticky, add some milk, one teespoon at a time. I usually need about 3 tablespoons for the six layers, but it really depends on your eggs and flour. If you are not sure, 1/2 a tablespoon to 1 tablespoon for each layer should do it.

7. Time to use the colours. Get as many bowls as eggs you used and divide the dough equally in them. I weighted 230 g of dough for each layer.

8. Add a couple of drops of your gel colour to the dough and mix with a spoon or spatula. Add more if it is not vibrant enough. I needed about 5 drops for the right colours. Remember to use separate tools for each batch.

9. Pour the dough in the baking tin and spread it out evenly – this might be a bit tricky as the layers are going to be quite thin.

10. Bake for a total of 20-22 minutes, turning the tins around every 5-10 minutes, depending on your oven. If it doesn’t bake evenly, you will also want to rotate them. Do this as quickly as possible or the oven will cool down too much but be careful and don’t get burned!

11. Once they are cooked (toothpick test might help) the sides will detach from the tin. Take them out of the oven, let them rest before releasing from the tin and then let them cool down completely, possibly on a rack.

12. Carefully pack them in plastic foil and freeze.

Great! You mastered the layers! In the freezer they well set and it will be easier to work with them later. Handle them with care, as they are thin.

Before we start assembling and frosting the rainbow cake, let me share with you some simple tricks and tips to make it easier.

Handy tools and tricks:

* Prepare your frosting about 40 minutes before you need it and let it rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, it is easier to deal with when it’s cold.

* I recommend you make it in two batches (250 g cream + 500 g mascarpone each).

* It is wise to have an extra portion, just in case you might use more then I did. Just make it if you need it.

* Frost two layers at a time and then let them set in the fridge for 30 minutes, this way the frosting won’t become runny and won’t soak the cake. Plan time ahead! It will take you a couple of hours, with many breaks in-between.

* While the layers set in the fridge, put also the frosting and the used piping bag with the leftovers in there to stay chilled.

* Prepare all of your tools on a kitchen counter, once you start frosting, you want to have them all there: spatula in different sizes, spoons, piping bag(s), a high glass or cup (where you can place the piping bag in between), a high cup to collect your tools, baking paper cut in stripes, a cake stand to elevate the cake, clean kitchen towels, kitchen paper,…

* Place some frosting on your plate before placing the first layer, this will make it stick.

* Before frosting the sides, slide some baking paper stripes underneath the cake, this will prevent the plate from getting dirty.

* Make space in your refrigerator: you will need to chill both the cake and the frosting!

* Have a look at tutorials and videos about frosting techniques, if you are new to it. This will prepare you on how to proceed.

Frosting instructions:

1. Prepare the frosting by whipping up 250 g of full cream until firm.

2. Add 500 g of mascarpone cheese a little at a time (I divide it into 3-4 batches) and mix it well. Either with a spatula and movements from the bottom to the top or with a kitchen machine by activating the whisk shortly and at low speed.

3. If you wish, add 3 tablespoons of icing sugar.

4. Let the frosting rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

5. Get the layers out of the fridge and let them rest at room temperature.

6. This quantity will be enough for 3-4 layers. Repeat the process once this batch is used up.

7. Put a little bit of frosting on your plate and place the purple layer on it.

8. Fill your piping bag with some frosting. Cut the bottom (one cm max). Squeeze from the top and spread the frosting on the cake. I make circles starting from the edges.

9. With a spatula flatten the frosting. Don’t press too much, be gentle.

10. Place the blue layer on it and repeat.

11. Set it in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes. Relax and have a coffee.

12. Get everything out from the fridge and frost the green layer.

13. Yellow layer – frosting.

14. Back in the fridge for 30 minutes.

15. At this point, you will probably need to make the second batch of frosting.

16. Orange layer – frosting.

17. Red layer – yes, it’s the last one! – a gentle amount of frosting on the top.

18. Put the baking paper stripes underneath the cake to prevent the plate from getting dirty.

19. With a long spatula start spreading the frosting on the sides. Get a lot of frosting and try not to go back and forth, but move only after having placed the spatula on the frosting. You don’t want too many crumbs, as you will see them.

20. At the end, you will probably need to add some frosting on the edge, do this with a smaller spatula and carefully.

21. Save the excess frosting for touch-ups.

22. Chill in the fridge.

23. Remove the paper carefully, you might need to hold on to the frosting with a spatula, and decorate before serving!

I really hope you will enjoy this beautiful and delicious cake!

If you have any questions, reach out to me through the contact form.

The only veggie I can get my son to eat is spinach! How weird is that?! So, no need to say, that we are always on the look for healthy but tasty recipes with spinach.

Bjorn and Lena have a lovely Instagram account and blog called cocinasera. They posted a recipe for quick and yummy savoury muffins. I have adapted it a little, bringing in my italian touch and am sharing it here with you.

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

* 450 g of frozen chopped spinach

* 2 eggs

* 50 ml of oil (I used coconut oil, but you can choose whatever you like)

* 240 ml of milk

* salt

* 240 g of flour

* 2 tsp of baking powder

* one pinch of nutmeg powder

* 30 g of grated parmesan (the good one)

* 180 g of feta cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven at 200 degrees.

2. Cook the spinach (450g – a bag) in a pan, until most of the water, is evaporated. Let it cool down.

3. Mix 2 eggs with the oil (50ml) and milk (240g). Add salt (about 4g).

4. Add the cooled-down spinach.

5. Time to pour the dry ingredients in the mixture: flour (240g), baking powder (2tsp), a pinch of nutmeg powder (if you don’t like it, add pepper instead) and 30g of good quality grated parmesan.

6. Finally, crumb the feta and add it to the mixture. Don’t mix too much now.

7. Pour it in 12 to 15 muffin tins, depending on how big yours are. I do not use paper, because mine does not need it (silicon), but you can if you like.

8. Bake in the hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

9. Enjoy!

Those babies are perfect at parties and an ideal healthy snack for lunch-boxes! Give it a try and let me know how you liked them!

Check out also my low carb zucchini ricotta bread!!

Because sometimes there is nothing better than homemade chocolate chip cookies, right?

We have been pretty busy sorting things for school and getting everything ready, so those cookies were a nice treat once we were done!

I found the recipe on one of my favourite Food bloggers: Klaraslife she always has amazing but simple recipes and stunning pictures!

I adapted the recipe a little for us, being in Singapore means using other ingredients, that are locally or at least regionally sourced, as palm sugar. This intense dark golden sugar has a kind of mild sweetness and smoky caramel flavour, a delight!

Of course, you can choose your own sugar, add nuts, white chocolate or just dried fruits instead of chocolate if you prefer. With these quantities, you will make about 18-20 cookies.

Ingredients:

* 225 g of butter

* 200 g of palm sugar (or another sugar your choice)

* 1 egg

* 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

* 1 tablespoon of greek yoghurt

* 290 g of flour (I used plain)

* 1 teaspoon of baking powder

* 1/2 teaspoon of salt

* 130 g of chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Warm up the butter (225g) in the microwave at low power to make it soft.

2. Whisk the soft butter with the (palm) sugar (200g) until creamy.

3. Add the egg (1), vanilla extract (1tbs) and yoghurt (1tbs) – this will make the dough incredibly soft – combine well together.

4. Now add the flour (290g), baking powder (1tsp) and salt (1/2tsp) and beat at low speed until well combined.

5. Pour in the chocolate chips (130g) – or nuts, dried fruits,… – and mix carefully as not to smash or break them.

6. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour.

7. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees. Line your baking sheet with baking paper.

8. Use one tablespoon to measure the dough: 1 tablespoon = 1 cookie. Place the dough on the baking paper leaving space between the cookies as they will flatten out a bit.

9. Bake for 11 minutes, until golden on the sides.

10. Let them cool down and enjoy with milk or cappuccino.

Thanks to Kathrin of Klaraslife for your lovely Blog, yummy recipes and constant inspiration!

Looking for other cookies? How about exotic and aromatic Indian cumin cookies?

We are quite used to the heat by living in Singapore, but we are quite struggling here in Europe and trying to stay cool in the hottest week of the year (that’s how the experts call it).

Dips are a great way to eat fresh vegetables, so here is one, inspired by Donna Hay.

This creamy dip is perfect served with cucumbers, carrots and peppers but also a great spread on some fresh bread or focaccia!

Ingredients:

* 300 g of sweet potatoes

* one small red onion

* one can of chickpeas (250 g)

* salt and pepper

* 2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil

* 1 tsp of turmeric powder

* 1 tsp of chilli flakes

* 1 tbs of lemon juice

* 80-100 ml of water

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven at 200°

2. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes roughly.

3. Chop the onion roughly.

4. Line an oven tray with baking paper and put the potatoes and onions over it. Season with salt and pepper and the olive oil. Toss to combine. Bake for 30 Minutes or until cooked.

5. Drain the chickpeas from the water. Take 1/3 and place them on a small baking tray. Season with chilli flakes, salt, pepper and 1 tbs of olive oil. Toss to combine and cook for 10-12 minutes until crisp and golden. (You can put them in the oven while the potatoes are cooking).

6. Place the other chickpeas in a food processor, add the cooked sweet potatoes (let them rest for a bit, so you won’t ruin the processor), onions, turmeric (1tsp), lemon juice (1tbs), salt and pepper and water (start with 80 ml and add more if it’s necessary). Process until smooth.

7. Transfer in a nice bowl and top it with the crispy chickpeas.

8. Enjoy with vegetables and/or bread!

The crispy chickpeas are also amazing as a snack by themselves! So I suggest you bake more and use them as a yummy and healthy TV-snack!

Pair the hummus with my homemade bagels!

Here is the recipe again, for you to save and/or print out!

Pad Thai is a delicious stir fry rice noodle dish. I love it. And I tried (and failed) so many times to reproduce it at home, that I was almost giving up… Until I went to a cooking class and finally I understood the secrets of a juicy (but not oily) fragrant homemade Pad Thai.

This dish requires long preparation, you will need to chop, fry, cut, cook and soak… But when everything is ready, it will only take you 5 minutes to whip up this gorgeous meal!

Ingredients:

* 240 g Pad Thai rice noodles (flat rice noodle)

* 250 g of Tamarind Juice (more details to follow)

* 80 g Thai palm sugar (or brown sugar)

* 30 g of Thai fish sauce

* 100 g of firm Tofu

* Oil for deep frying

* 1 garlic clove, chopped

* 1 shallot

* 1 TBS preserved radish (if available)

* 12 prawns, shelled and de-veined

* 2 eggs

* salt and pepper

* 3 TBS chives, chopped

* 150 g bean sprouts

* 4 TBS peanuts, chopped (or smashed)

* 1 tsp chilli flakes

* 1 Lime

* 4 TBS coconut oil (or olive oil)

Yes, I know, that is quite a list, isn’t it?? But well worth it, I promise! As usual, I listed all the ingredients “in order of appearance” so it’s easier to follow.

Post
Pad Thai with Prawns

Instructions:

1. Grab your rice noodles and check the cooking method. Now forget about it as most of the time it’s not what we need for making pad thai! Get a big bowl and fill it with water. Soak the rice noodles in it for approximately 1 hour or until they are flexible and soft (you should be able to bend them without breaking them and they should be soft enough for you to bite them, like almost cooked regular pasta).

2. While the noodles are soaking, prepare the very important pad thai sauce. This is key to a good and not greasy Pad Thai. If you were able to find a good quality Tamarind juice (made of Tamarind and water, nothing else) then go for it. Otherwise, buy Tamarind Paste and soak it in water (1 litre to 400 g of Tamarind Paste), squeeze it and strain it (yes, I know, doesn’t look that lovely, sorry).

Take 250 ml of the juice (you can freeze the rest), add 80 g of palm sugar and 30 g of fish sauce (if you don’t like the fish taste, use light soy sauce instead). Bring to a boil. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes until it becomes darker and thicker. Then let it cool down.

3. Ok, now let’s move on to the preparation of the other ingredients. You can basically use the wok for everything, one thing after the other.

Cut the Tofu (100g firm) in cubes and deep fry until crunchy. Set aside on kitchen paper.

4. Clean the (12) prawns and fry them with some oil. Set them aside.

5. Slightly beat the 2 eggs with salt, pepper and a splash of fish sauce and cook them like a thin omelette. Roll it and slice it. Set aside.

6. Chop 1 garlic clove and 1 shallot finely. Chop the chives.

7. Clean and rinse the bean sprouts (150g).

8. Chop (or smash) the peanuts (4 TBS).

9. Cut the lime in quarters.

10. Now, check the noodle, if it’s soft, drain the water, but keep about 1 cup of it for cooking.

11. Ok, the preparation is done! Now it’s time to put it all together! Line up all your ingredients. Pour about 4 tbsp of coconut oil in the wok and heat it up.

12. Fry the garlic and shallot until fragrant.

13. Add the preserved radish (1 TBS) if you have it, otherwise, omit.

14. Pour the rice noodle, previously soaked in water, in the pan with some of the water and move it around.

15. Reduce heat. Add the pad thai sauce (250 g of tamarind juice with fish sauce and palm sugar) prepared previously. Mix all together. Add water if it seems to be too dry.

16. Add the other ingredients one after the other and mix them well. Prawns, eggs, chives (1 TBS), bean sprouts (100g), peanuts (2 TBS) and chilli flakes (to taste).

17. Plate and garnish with the remaining bean sprouts, peanuts and chives. Place the limes on the side.

18. Finally, enjoy!

For a complete feast, make my Mango Sticky Rice to go with it!

I know there are a lot of arguments about Nutella at the moment, but let’s be honest, it is probably the most indulgent spread in the world, one you actually don’t need to spread but can just dip in with a spoon (or your finger) and it gives you immediate satisfaction. In Italy children have Nutella on bread for breakfast or as a snack when they come back from school so it is THE comfort food for us.

Didn’t think I would need to cook anything with it but I’m so glad I tried this (my son had the idea) because this muffins are truly amazing!

And as usual it’s a quick and super easy recipe, here you go:

Ingredients:

* 100 g of butter

* 2 eggs

* 250 ml of milk

* vanilla extract

* 370 g of flour

* 180 g of sugar

* 16 g of baking powder

* a pinch of salt

* 150 g Nutella

Method: 1. Melt 100g of butter in the microwave (or a small pan).

2. When it has cooled down, add 2 eggs and 250 ml of whole milk and a splash of vanilla extract (always in my sweet recipes!) and whisk together (I used the whisk of my loved kitchen aid, but a hand mixer will do).

3. Add then 370 g of all pourpose flour, 180 g of caster sugar, 16 g of baking powder and a pinch of salt. Whisk together but not too long, don’t worry if it has some clumps in it, it’s fine. 4. Depending on the size of your muffin tins you will end up with 18-24 of them. Fill the muffin forms for 3/4 with the mixture. 5. And now, this is the moment you were waiting for: Nutella! Add a teaspoon of Nutella (you will need about 150 g for this recipe) in the middle of the muffin and swirl it around with a stick (a toothpick for example). 6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes. Let them cool slightly before taking them out of the forms.

Enjoy this delicious muffins and their incredible Nutella bites with a glass of milk to take you back to childhood!

Is there anything better then a crunchy granola sprinkled on top of your yoghurt with some fresh fruit? And if I told you that you can make your own granola with your favorite ingredients and healthy oil? No need to use nasty ingredients or to compromise to things you do not like.

You can make your own healthy granola in just 30 minutes.

Granola homemade

Let me share with you the basic recipe:

Ingredients

* 25 g of oil (I used coconut oil)

* 50 g of syrup (honey, coconut flowers syrup, maple syrup,..)

* 50 g of water

* 110 g of old fashion rolled oats

* 110 g of nuts and seeds of your choice (for example sliced almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)

* 80 g of dried fruits and seeds (like cranberries soaked in water and black and white sesame seeds)

Method:

1. Soak the dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, figs, dates,…) in some water for 5 minutes, drain and dry well.

2. In a big non-sticking pan pour the syrup (50g, I used coconut flowers) and 50g of water. Heat it up and stir frequently on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the water has dissolved.

3. Pour in your oats (110g), nuts (110g), dried fruits and seeds (80g).

4. Add the oil of your choice (25g, for example coconut oil) and mix well on low medium heat.

5. Preheat your oven at 150 degrees.

6. Place your granola on a baking tin covered with baking paper.

7. Bake for 15 minutes until crunchy. Be careful, it tends to burn easily, so you may want to keep an eye on it and eventually turn the tin if your oven doesn’t bake evenly.

7. Let it cool completely, brake it and store your lovely granola in airtight containers!

8. Enjoy as it is or on yogurt!

Granola with yogurt

This recipe is very flexible so you can use all sort of things that you like and always create new combinations!

Who doesn’t love a chewy chocolaty crunchy brownie??

I still have a bunch of swiss chocolate Easter bunnies and so I tried a new recipe for brownies, adapting it a bit to the tropics: I used cashew nuts instead of walnuts and some palm sugar. The result was really good!

Making Brownies is quite simple..

I baked them in a square baking form (23×23 cm) lined up with baking paper and they were quite thick, so if you prefer them a little smaller, use a rectangular one.

Ingredients:

170 g of good unsweetened chocolate ( I used Lindt dark chocolate bunnies)

225 g of butter

4 eggs

100 g of white sugar

100 g of palm sugar

a splash of vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

130 g of flour

150 g of cashews (or other nuts of your choice)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven at 170° C.

Line up your baking form with wet and squeezed baking paper.

In a small saucepan melt butter (225 g) and chocolate (170 g) at low heat, stirring often.

In a large bowl beat the eggs (4), sugar (100 g white + 100 g palm), vanilla extract and salt until blended. I used the kitchen aid to do it.

Stir in the chocolate-butter mixture while still mixing at low speed.

Add the flour (130 g) and mix well.

Now add the cashews (130 g, save the rest for decoration).

Spread the whole mixture on your baking pan.

Place the leftover cashews on the top.

Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick will come out of the centre dry.

Cool completely, I know, be patient! And then cut into squares.

Serve with whipped cream or natural yoghurt or simply enjoy with a cup of coffee!

Looking for more sweet inspiration? Check out my category cakes!

After having shared with you the recipes for two amazing Indian curries (chicken tikka masala and butter chicken), let me also show you how to prepare the yummy Indian flatbreads, that you can dip in those nice sauces!

Naan is traditionally cooked very quickly in a tandoori oven, sticked on its walls and placed there using a long metal stick, that will give it a particular drop form.

But, hey, who has a tandoori oven at home??!! We can still make Naan using a very hot grill skillet or pan which will give us the same burnt marks that make it so delicious!

Naan recipe

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients for making 6-8 pieces:

200g of flour

4g of dry yeast

3g of salt

2g of sugar

40g of plain natural yoghurt

10g of coconut oil (or olive oil)

70ml of warm water

butter, garlic, fresh herbs to serve (optional)

Preparation

If you have a mixer you can definitely use. Otherwise, a bowl and your hands are all you need!

Combine the flour (200g), yeast (4g), salt (3g), sugar (2g) and mix roughly.

Add the yoghurt (40g) and the coconut oil (10g) and mix a bit.

Pour the water (70ml) in a little at a time, keeping mixing.

Knead well until the dough is soft and smooth, should take 3 minutes with the mixer and about 5 by hand.

Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour – the dough should double in this time.

Punch down the dough and divide it into 6-8 pieces.

Roll out each portion on a lightly floured surface.

Heat your grill skillet very well, no need to add any oil.

Place one (or two if they fit) naan on the hot surface and roast until it starts making bubbles, then it’s time to flip it and roast for about another minute. Set aside.

Continue with the others.

You can brush the naan with melted butter or oil.

If you want to make garlic naan, add a finely chopped garlic clove to the dough while making it.

You can add fresh herbs to the dough or sprinkle them at the end on the hot naan.

Serve with your curries!

See my recipes for tikka masala and butter chicken on the blog, just click on the name and it will open it for you!

Breakfast for dinner. I love the idea! And the austrian have a couple of easy and quick dishes made out of very common ingredients that are just perfect. They are often served for lunch or dinner instead of as a dessert.

One of our favorites are Kaiserschmarren, emperor shredded pancakes, served with homemade apple sauce.

This popular dish comes in many variations. On the mountains it will warm and feed you after a cold skiing tour and will give you the energy to enjoy the slopes as it is roasted in (a lot of) butter.

My take on this very traditional dish combines the recipe found in an almost 100 year old book, the “Sankt Martin Kochbuch”, the wish of a healthy lifestyle (less fats, no sugar or butter..) and my love for an american (Canadian actually) ingredient.

Want to give it a try?

To make the pancakes, you only need:

250g of flour (all purpose)

500ml of milk

4 eggs, yolks and whites separated

a pinch of salt

(a splash of vanilla extract) optional

If you want to make the apple sauce yourself:

4 apples

a pinch of cinnamon

To serve:

maple syrup or icing sugar

fruit, if you like

Yogurt or whipped cream

nuts, dried fruits (raisins)

nutella, jam,.. whatever you feel like adding to them

The Kaiserschmarren are traditionally served with either apple sauce or roasted plums. We usually prepare our own apple sauce because it is so easy that I almost find it embarrassing to buy it from the store (and still I sometimes do!). All you need to do is peel the apples (4) and cut them into cubes. Put them in a saucepan with about 4-6 spoons of water. Cook until tender (15 minutes approximately). Puree the cooked apples with a hand blender. Add sugar if you like. And a pinch of cinnamon powder. Let the sauce cool down.

You can store it in the fridge for a couple of days, so make more and then use it into your plain yogurt, overnight oats or as a healthy snack/dip for the kids!

I suggest you make the apple sauce in advance, whenever you have a little bit of time.

For the emperor pancakes you will need two bowls and a hand mixer (whisk attachment). Put the flour (250g) and the milk (500ml) in a big bowl and mix. Add then the 4 egg yolks (and the a splash of vanilla extract if you want) and mix again.

In a separate bowl whisk the 4 egg whites with a pinch of salt until firm. Add them a little at a time with a spatula to the flour-milk-yolks mixture and mix carefully from the bottom to the top.

Heat a non sticking pan (you can add a piece of butter for more flavor, I tend to omit it) and pour some of the pancake mixture, approximately one finger high (you will need to do 2-4 pancakes depending on the size of the pan). Cook covered with a lid (a glas one would be perfect!) until you see it makes bubbles in the middle and the sides are cooked, this should take 3-5 minutes. Now try to flip it. If it brakes it’s totally fine, because we will shred it anyway! Cook for a couple of minutes without lid on the other side and then brake it in smaller pieces with a spatula and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Set aside and repeat until you finish all the dough.

Serve hot. For a very traditional dish, sprinkle with icing sugar, add raisins and enjoy with apple sauce or roasted plums.

On the picture above I had my Kaiserschmarren with pomegranate, good quality (grade A) maple syrup and home made apple sauce.

Try them with yogurt, whipped cream, fresh fruits, jam, nutella, nuts,.. You will be able to please everyone in the family! Just prepare different toppings and let everyone build its own.

Enjoy!

Have you ever heard about Angkor Wat? If you are in Singapore or in Asia, you most likely have, but if you are based in Europe, you are probably like “ang .. he.. WHAT??”

Well, let’s try with a picture:

This is the the Angkor Wat Temple, just one of the many temples in Angkor by Siem Reap. And yes, you do see a rainbow that came out just after a short but heavy rainfall, as if it was thanking us for the waiting time!

Ok, let me give you another indication: if you are not too young, you may know the Tomb Rider Movie with Angelina Jolie. Guess what, I know where it has been shot:

Ta Prohm is a Temple that has been only partially restored, it has been deforested and secured, but otherwise it looks pretty much like it did when it was found, with trees growing all over and around the temple, almost supporting it.

The tourists, as well as the locals, often call it the Tomb Raider Temple as this is where the movie has taken place.

So, let me tell you more about this incredible adventure in Siem Reap, Cambodia!

I spent three nights and four days in Siem Reap in September 2017 with my family, as we really wanted to see this amazing temples (it is said, that there are more then 1.000 temples – many of them are unfortunately just ruins, but believe me, there are enough standing and taken care of to keep you busy for days!!). Traveling with two children, we decided to take it very easy and keep them happy by visiting the temples in the early morning and late afternoon to avoid the heat and to give them a break and some fun at the hotel pool in between.

I was a bit anxious and didn’t know what to expect in Cambodia.. But I loved this experience, the lovely smiling people and of course the yummy food!

There are lots of hotels to choose from, we booked the Le Meridien and had a wonderful time there – the rooms are big and very well maintained. The staff is friendly and very helpful. The pool was great for the kids and they also appreciated breakfast and snacks at the lobby.

On the first night we took a Tuctuc (which is a motorbike with a kind of small carriage more or less attached to it) to the city center, where we dined at the Hard Rock Cafe, got all the must-have souvenirs and already started enjoying how child friendly the Cambodian are – we ate and the lovely waitresses and bartenders were entertaining our kids (back then 8 and 1,5 years old). The Tuctuc driver took us then for a tour thru the night market – very interesting, but too much hassle with the kids, so we were happy not to have to walk around.

We arranged a car with a driver and an english speaking guide thru the hotel for the next two days – this made everything very easy and stress free! We would leave around 8:30 am visit 2-3 temples and come back to the hotel for a swim, lunch and rest. Then around 3:30 pm out again to check more temples.

The first temple we visited, after entering the Angkor Wat Site thru one of its gates (see picture above), was very impressive:

It is the Bayon Temple, its main feature are the 4 stone faces that decorate the many towers and the beautiful bas-relief on the outer wall (no decent picture as the temple is very popular and therefore packed with people..).

Right at the first temple we understood the beauty of this place and the incredible work lots of international organization are putting in restoring amazing but long forgotten temples that almost disappeared in the jungle. The fact that you can literally climb on and around the temples seemed fun at first, but we have seen way too many inconsiderate tourists putting in danger this place and themselves.. The Cambodian are thankful for the visitors and too polite to ask them to step back, so I hope the tourists will understand the fragility of this sacred places and will respect and honor them..

Ok, let’s move on!

Let me just show you some impressive pictures which will have you book your ticket to Cambodia straight away!

This huge tree is basically sitting on the Temple, it does give you an idea for how long it has been hidden in the jungle..

Even if the temples have been more or less abandoned for a very long time, you can still imagine and see the beauty of their decorations and the incredible effort made to create them!

Let me bring you back to the centerpiece of this whole huge archeological site showing you above the entrance to Angkor Wat.

I hope I have tickled your curiosity enough without boring you out (there is much more to say and show, believe me!!) with a couple of impressions from Angkor Wat (Siem Reap) Cambodia.

Shouldn’t that be enough, how about exploring the market for spices and sampling the tasty but mild cambodian cuisine?

Let me show you a couple of pictures about the food market:

Dried meats, baskets, preserved vegetables, dried fish above.

Spices, spice mixes, compote black pepper (cambodian), red pepper, below.

The cambodian cuisine is close to the Thai one, but it isn’t as spicy and has some french influences to it. Click through the gallery below to see some of the dishes that Cambodia has to offer!

We tried a traditional dish called A Mok – a kind of mild green curry made of lemongrass, garlic, galangal (ginger), kaffir leaves and coconut milk with squids, fish, prawns, pineapple, french beans, carrots and local mini round aubergines. It was mild and delicious!

We also had deep fried prawns in a spicy curry coconut sauce, accompanied by spicy rice noddles wok fried with vegetables.

The best coconut ice cream ever! Served in half a coconut and topped with chocolate sauce and sliced toasted almonds!

A funky cafe close to the night market was packed with cool people and serving organic and healthy meals, we had a refreshing pineapple juice (with a bambus straw!!) and fresh fruits with yogurt dip – perfect to beat the heat and believe me, you don’t get to taste juicy and naturally sweet fruits like those often!!

Nature definitely plays a huge role in Cambodia and offers you not only amazing ingredients, food, flowers but also stunning surroundings and views.

We have only seen a very small part of this country, maybe you are lucky enough to explore more, as it also has beautiful beaches, lakes and landscapes.

Go to Cambodia!!!