Bärentatzen, “bear paws”
A German friend of mine specifically asked me to bake Bärentatzen, or bear paws, since her mother doesn’t normally bake them. Well, I don’t blame her. If you follow the traditional reci…
Zedernbrot – Almond Cookies with Lemon Icing
These cookies with a very misleading name might just have reached my top 3 of best Christmas cookies ever! The name is deceiving, since Zeder is actually German for cedar, yet (luckily!) the cookie…
Coconut Balls with Almonds and White Chocolate
My advice is – do NOT try out this recipe. I did, and there’s no turning back. These crunchy almond coconut cookies dipped in white chocolate and rolled in coconut flakes are highly addictive…
Risotto Milanese with Grilled Fennel and Herbs
My great-grandmother Olga was notorious for her elephant’s memory: she would never forget, especially when she got bad service in a shop. If that happened, she would make a dramatic exit, dec…
Orange Drink, Swedish Style
On normal days, I only serve water at the mealtimes – and between. But there are special days, and for those, one needs special drinks as well. This fresh and not too sweet orange drink definitely …
Root Vegetable and Cabbage Curry with Sticky Tofu Sticks
I got the idea for this recipe from two different sources: the curry from a cooking wizard friend of mine, and the tofu sticks from a book called Vegan for Fun, written by one of Germany’s leading …
Kaffeemakronen – Coffee Macaroons
A friend of mine was asking for me to bake hazelnut macaroons, which are a must in any self-respecting Plätzchen assortment, but I was craving for something with coffee. That’s how I came up with t…
Vanilla Almond Pancakes
As far as pancakes are concerned, I used to have a strategy: whenever I was craving for them, I would send my little sister to ask our Dad to bake some – and he would never refuse. Had I aske…
Easy Cake Decorating Ideas: Princess Cake with a Heart
Today, for once, we had a very late breakfast and a late lunch, so I’d thought we’d survive until dinner without having to eat any snack in between. How wrong I was! Around 4PM I starte…
Red Lentils with Green Curry and Coconut
The most important lesson I learned from my 5-day microwave experience was that a lot of things can be cooked in a very straight-forward way: just place all ingredients in a recipient and cook unti…
A Must in Lisbon: Pastéis de Belém
If a wanna-be vegan with a severe case of lactose intolerance arrives in Lisbon and rushes immediately to Pastéis de Belém to eat half a dozen of little custard pastries, either that person must ha…
Spaghetti with Broccoli and Home-Made Pesto
Quick food doesn’t necessarily mean pasta. The mother of all quick meals is nevertheless pasta with pesto, at least for me. Everyone loves it, kids and adults alike – even the picky ones – and to g…