Christmas is here!

I don't have a passion of decorating cookies or tart. Honestly I don't think that I'm talented for that, although people say, it's just a matter of practice. I decided to make a little practice of cookies decoration at this christmas baking season..:-), although I'm a muslim, but baking christmas cookies is a kind of joy. These pictures are the result of my first practice, what do you thing?

This cookie is a "must" at chritsmas time in austria/german called "LEBKUCHEN", a very spice cookie with a flavour of cinnamon, clove, ginger and nutmeg.

LEBKUCHEN

Ingredients:
50 g maple syrup
75 g honey
100 g brown sugar
150 g butter
375 g flour
1/2 tsp natron (baking soda)
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, ground gloves and cayenne

for garnish (optional): icing sugar, sugar pearl or your favorite cookies decoration

Method:

1. Place maple syrup, honig, sugar and 50ml water in a pan and bring to boil until the sugar melted. Then add butter and let it also melted. Cool the mixture a little bit.

2. Mix flour with baking soda and all spices. Knead the flour mixture with the above mentioned mixture. Wrap the doug with plastic wrap. Put in the refrigerator for a night.

3. Preheat the oven 180°C (use above and bottom heat). Roll the dough in about 4mm thick and form with different x-mas moulds.

4. Place formed Lebkuchen into a covered with parchment baking sheed and bake for about 15min. Cool on wire rack.

5. Decorate it with icing sugar and pearl sugar.

I wish you a merry x-mas

&

 happy new year 2012

Poppy-Seed Muffin

Ingredients (making of 12 pieces):
175 g room temperature butter
175 g sugar
1 tbs vanille sugar
3 eggs
rind of 1 organic lemon
200 g flour
2 tsp baking powder
50 g poppy seed
50 g chopped almonds
3 tbs milk

Method:
1. Preheat oven 180°C. Beat butter, sugar and vanille sugar until creamy. Add eggs one after another, then rind of lemon. Mix in flour, bakingpowder, poppy seed and almond, add milk.
2. Cover each muffin mould with muffin baking paper. Fill 2 heaped teaspoon dough to each muffin mould.
3. Put the muffin tray in the middle of preheated oven, bake for about 20 minutes.

For coffee and chocolate lovers: Mocca Brownies

I like collecting recipes from magazines, since I was a single young girl and lived together with my parents. When  I'm married and left my home country, I took this collection of course. This is not only a big help for me by cooking but also has a sweet memories. Everytime I leaf through this thick collection folder, I think of the time as I was a young girl..

One of the recipe I found in this folder is mocca brownies. I tried out this recipe as our espresso automatic machine broken and being repaired, so I had to buy instant espresso powder since my husband and I can't live without coffee. Meanwhile we have a new espresso machine and we are happy about it.

Ingredients:

120 g butter
170 g caster sugar (I used only 140 g)
3 eggs
30 g cooking chocolate
2 tbs instant espresso powder (for example nescafe)
70 g all purpose flour
1 tsp kahlua (coffee liquer) - optional

Method:

Preheat the oven 160°C. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add  eggs one at a time, beating  well. Let the chocolate melting in a bowl over pan of hot water. Remove from heat and allow melted chocolate to cool slightly. Sift flours and mix it with instant coffee. Pour it into the egg mixture, stirring well. Finally pour the melted chocolate into mexture. stirring well. Add Kahlua if you like. Place the mixtures in prepared brownies/cake pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until cake firms to touch. Remove from oven and allow it to cool slightly. Cut in pieces and enjoy it with coffee or tea.

Apfeltaschen (Puff pastry filled with apple)

I always make this snack every time I need snack but I don't have time to bake something. That's why I always have ready to use puff pastry in my fridge.

Ingredients:

1 roll ready to use puff pastry (around 400 g)

1 big apple

2 tbs raisin

1 tbs bread crumbs

2 tbs sugar

a pinch of cinnamon powder

1 egg yolk

Method:

Preheat the oven (1170°C).

Peel and core the apple. Cut it into small pieces.

Take a bowl, mix well the apple with sugar, raisin, bread crumbs and cinnamon powder.

Unroll the puff pastry, cut into eight pieces. Fill them with the apple. Close them well (see above picture). Spread them with egg yolk. Bake for about 25 minutes untill turn to golden yellow.

Recipe in indonesian language:

http://empui.multiply.com/recipes/item/14/APFELTASCHEN_pastry_filled_w_apple