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Winter

Simple Apple Cake with a lot of Apples

This simple apple cake with a sugar and cinnamon crust is exactly the kind of cake I like. It basically is a lot of apple cubes that are held together by a bit of batter. Yes, you will need to peel and cut 1 kilo of apples, but other than that it comes together quickly. I personally am a huge fan of this cinnamon and sugar crust, it simply takes it to the next level. It is rather simple, the cake is baking and after about 30 minutes you sprinkle it with sugar mixed with cinnamon. You will then need to bake the cake for another 15 minutes and then it is done. Voilá, there you have the magic happen. I can only encourage you to make this cake while it is still so cold and wintery.

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Lemon Cheesecake with Lemon Curd for my 9th Blog Birthday

I don’t remember exactly what made me press the “publish” button exactly nine years ago. The first recipe I ever published, was this French lemon tart. Clearly I had made it on Valentine’s for my husband. We were fortunate enough to eat plenty of lemon tarts during a holiday in France so it was only natural that I would try to bake it at home. I believe that I simply decided to publish the recipe after I had shot a few pictures. I mean, my hubby loves anything citric, I won’t say no to some tangy lemon dessert. If you also like this flavor, check the 18 recipes with citric fruits. As my blog is turning 9 today, I decided to make this lemon cheesecake with lemon curd. Think a cookie crust, creamy cream cheese with a lot of lemon zest and juice, and lemon curd. I mean, I wanted LEMON flavor.

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Vori Vori, the Best Soup from Paraguay

Today I am going to introduce you to vori vori or bori bori, this is a soup from Paraguay, which contains small balls made mainly out of cornmeal as its main feature. The name of the soup “vori vori” means “a lot of balls” in the language Guarani. Guarani does something a few languages do,  in order to say a word in plural, it is simply repeated. Vori vori has been declared the best soup of the world in 2026 by the Taste Atlas. The soup comes together rather quickly, you will brown chicken first, chop or blitz some veggies you will simmer and then you can boil the soup. It is only for the last ten minutes that you will need to add the cornflour balls to the mix, they get ready quickly. I love this warming soup in winter and can highly recommend making it.

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Apple Cake in a Springform

I hope you had a good start into 2026! Since this plum cake in a springform is so popular among my readers, I thought I might as well make one with apples. Just like at granny’s, with yeast dough, apple chungs and a thick layer of crumbs. The crumbs contain sliced almonds and gets the extra crunch, cinnamon makes it feel cozy and warm. I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy turning on the oven in winter. It feels so cozy when it is cold outside, maybe there is even snow and you can smell yeast dough being baked. This was also what happened, when I decided to make this cake. It was minus 8 (Celsius) on that day. You may see it on the pictures I took on the balcony, I only managed to stay outside for five minutes and then decided to come in, it simply was too cold. But once inside, ah, enjoying a slice with some hot beverage…

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Hojaldre de cabello de ángel, Spanish Pumpkin Jam Pockets

Hojaldre de cabello de ángel is an old-fashioned dessert from Spain. It is probably best described as pumpkin jam pockets. The Spaniards have a much more colorful description for the pumpkin jam, “cabello de ángel” can be translated as “angel’s hair.” The pumpkin used for the jam  is “hairy”, you can see it on the pictures. For that reason as it has this characteristic, it probably doesn’t sound as far fetched to call it hair of an angel. If you make both, the pumpkin jam and the puff pastry, you will need quite a bit of time. Both can be made it advance, but there is a bit of waiting involved. When I brought the dessert to my Spanish class, my Spanish teacher was reminiscing his childhood.

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Quince Paste with Two Ingredients

Today I am introducing a very old and very German recipe: quince paste. In its basic form it only contains quinces and sugar. This means it requires a lot of time and patience. You may not need to do much and there is a lot of waiting involved, but this is something that is done over the course of several days. First you will need to cook the quinces so that they become soft. Then they will sit with sugar overnight and on the next day you are going to cook them with sugar for at least an hour. Once you managed to make the paste, you need to wait until it is dry and can be cut into squares or cubes. Yes, this is some commitment. All I can tell you is that every time I gifted these, e.g. in a cookie box, I was instantly asked what this is and inquired about the recipe. In my opinion this is a wonderful contrast to all the Christmas cookies and a nice twist to a cookie.


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American Pumpkin Pie with Butternut Squash

Yay, I finally found a pumpkin pie recipe I like and I am happy to publish it here. I don’t know if you are going to kill me, but I made it with butternut squash. Somehow this is classified as a pumpkin in Germany. I decided to roast the squash in the oven. This gives it extra flavor and makes it so much easier to work with. I like butternut squash much better than hokkaido pumpkin, which is basically the main pumpkin here in Germany used for cooking and baking. I find the flavor milder, nuttier, and with a touch of caramel. I also like the fact that the color is so much brighter. It makes it more fun to take pictures of the pie. So finally I got to introduce the traditional pumpkin pie here on my blog!
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Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake

Today you are getting a moist apple cinnamon bundt cake. I believe this cake is fall incarnation. For me October is apple season. This year I find the season extremly pretty. Our street is lined with maple trees and they are so vibrant and pretty this year. Of course I had to stop and incorporate the leaves into my pictures. I felt they match the cake with all its warmth. As stated, the bundt cake contains apple sauce and cinnamon. I made the apple sauce myself, but of course you can go with store-bought.

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Apple Pie with Caramel

Today you get a classic: American apple pie, this one, however, with caramel. We will use the caramel in the filling, but have enough to also serve some on the side. This is an updated version of my apple pie recipe I published five years ago. I simplified the recipe a bit and finally am a proud owner of a pie form. Finally my pies look how they are supposed to look. Obviously they are delicious, anything made from scratch is always so much better!

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Cuchuco, Colombian Wheat and Pork Stew

My hubby graciously allowed me to write down this recipe for a Colombian wheat and pork stew called cuchuco. I didn’t know of its existence, but once I tried it, I was sold. It is perfect in winter as it has wheat or barley kernels, as well a cabbage varieties. If you are into one-pot stews, this one is definitely one to try!

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