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Bread and Breakfast

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

I get very nostalgic when I think about these chcocolate chip banana muffins. This is one recipe I made over and over again as a teenager. Back then there was a time I ate these muffins about every day. I love the combination of chocolate and banana. That is also one of the reasons why I once invented a chocolate banana cake for my birthday. But be aware, if you don’t like this flavor combo, this recipe is probably not for you. But if you do like it, these muffins come together within minutes and only need about 20-25 minutes in the oven. So if you have some ripe bananas you wish to use, this is perfect. Make some super delicious chocolate banana muffins. You will only have to wait about half an hour to bite into these!

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My Favorite Kaiserschmarrn – Broken-up Pancakes with Plum Compote

Kaiserschmarrn with Zwetschgenröster aka broken-up pancake from Austria with plum compote, wow, you asked on Instagram unanimously that I publish the recipe, what a surprise! So your wish is my command, let me introduce you to this recipe, which I happen to make about every other week. My husband and me enjoy this for a weekend breakfast, but I also often make it to introduce guests to German/Austrian cuisine. I probably could be woken up at 3 in the morning and I would manage to produce kaiserschmarrn without a problem and from memory. You need to separate eggs? Not a problem. You don’t have a kitchen scale at hand? I will somehow figure it out. Once I even beat the egg whites by hand with a fork, you do need quite a bit of arm muscle, but it worked. Kaiserschmarrn is something everybody loves and can be practically served any time of the day, as a main dish, as dessert, for breakfast, you name it. This is the most traditional version of kaiserschmarrn. My husband and me agree that it is particularly good with plum compote. So let’s get to work and make some classic recipe!

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Donuts from Argentina, bolas de fraile

Today is national Donut Day or Doughnut Day and I am going to celebrate it with donuts from Argentina or Uruguay. They are called bolas de fraile or berlinesas. In Germany donuts are called Berliner, Berliner Pfannkuchen, Kreppl, or Krapfen as this probably already explains where “berlinesas” are from. Apparently, German immigrants took this delicious donut to Argentina. However, one main difference is the filling. Whereas German Berliner are filled with strawberry jam or jelly traditionally, Argentinians will rely on their beloved dulce de leche, which is a caramel made from sweetened milk. A small difference is also how these are dusted with sugar, in Germany you will traditionall dust only the top part with icing sugar whereas in Argentinia regular sugar is used to roll the entire ball in it. Be it as it may, I hope you will enjoy these sweet little yeast treats, which are fried, filled with dulce de leche and rolled in sugar. Regardless of whether Germans brought them or not (another name is bolas de fraile, which literally translates as “balls from Monchs”), these little donuts will for sure sweeten your day.

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Torrejas: French Toast from Uruguay

We were served torrijas at a Spanish wedding. I was quite surprised that this rather simple dessert aka French toast was actually served at a wedding. Just like for French toast, you will dunk old bread in milk first and then dip it in eggs before you fry it with some olive oil in a frying pan. However, wehn we were served these torrijas at the wedding, my hubby got so excited, he managed to eat two servings despite the fact that we had been served an endless amount of courses beforehand. I am sure the simple French toast was made extra special, the milk was replaced with heavy cream and homemade bread used. Spanish torrijas are normally served during lent, you try to offer something filling even if it may be plain and simple.

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Brazilian Cheese Puffs, Pão de Queijo

Today I am introducing the small cheese puffs called pão de queijo from Brazil. Cheese puffs are extremely popular in Latin America, every country has its version and style. Almost all have in common that they are not prepared with wheat flour, but instead tapioca (also known as cassava or manioc) starch is used. On top, it is the starch and not the flour what you are looking for. Naturally, they are all gluten-free. I already introduced the ones from Colombia called pandebonos and also the Paraguayan ones called chipa.

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Russian-German Twoiback or Double Buns

I just realized that I don’t have that many recipes here on the blog that remind me of my childhood. This probably has to do with the fact that we moved so much. I was born in Uruguay, then we spent three years in the U.S, came back to Uruguay before we finally settled in Germany. Needless to say that my four grandparents all have a German passport, however, all of them were born in the former Soviet Union. Thus, our food and dishes were influenced by a lot of different cultures. Dear to my heart is the Uruguayan cutlet called milanesa, I also love the Russian Napoleon cake or Polish pirogi. I also wouldn’t say no to Ukranian Easter bread named paska. Just recently I tried one of the many peppermint cookies from my grandma she has many recipes for. In this mix of cultures and dishes I am going to throw in a new one, Russian-German twoiback or double buns. You can think of brioche, it is a very soft dough with butter and you will see two balls that are attached to each other. My sister described them as an unfinished snowman. I couldn’t have said it any better.

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Classic Belgian Waffles with Yeast

Guys, since I finally managed to visit Belgium, obviously I had to make waffles when we returned home. Belgian waffles to be precise. I did mention in my last coffee date that we finally managed to see Bruges. And in Bruges I learned that there is no such thing as the one and only Belgian waffle. In fact, they have many different types. The one we usually think to be Belgian is the one from Brusseles, it is rectangular, it is thick, with a crunchy outside and a nice soft interior. Usually these waffles are made with yeast. So I decided to give them a try and make some which chill in the fridge overnight. So that you can eat them for breakfast. You are welcome!

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Facturas Argentinas for World Bread Day

Facturas argentinas

It is World Bread Day again and this time I brought you some sweet pastry from Argentina, facturas argentinas! Facturas argentinas can be described as the typical sweet pastry you may have for breakfast or as a snack. All bakeries offer an abudance of different options, they are typically either filled with quince paste (dulce de membrillo), the caramel dulce de leche, or a custard cream. They come in different shapes and sizes, but what they all have in common is the same dough, rough puff pastry. Actually, it seems to be impossible to find the proper English translation. In German we say “Plunderteig”, which means it is a yeast dough, which usually has butter layers in between. The rough part in this version, however, comes from the fact that the butter is not worked into the dough as a single layer, but instead mixed into the yeast dough directly and later layered. It probably is described best as rough plunder.

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Arepas con Queso or Corn Flatbread with Cheese Filling from Colombia

Arepas con queso

I am happy to say that through the movie “Encanto” finally people are learning about Colombian arepa con queso, a gluten-free flatbread made from corn and filled with lots of cheese. So today I am going to present my version of this Colombian staple to you. Arepas are a popular dish in Colombia, you will find many different versions, thick, thin, crispy, with fillings (such as cheese or egg) and at any time of  the year. It can be served for breakfast, as a snack, as a side, or even as the main dish. I already introduced the basic recipe for arepas previously. Filled arepas are more common in Venezuela, I also have a recipe on my blog of filled arepas with chicken and guacamole. But today I am presenting arepas with cheese, because Colombians love anything with cheese. I may be mistaken, but arepas with cheese are probably the most popular kind of arepa and will usually be received with excitement.

Arepas con queso aus Kolumbien

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