Le Petit Cuisinier

The most delicious chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

2010-06-04T15:38:00.011+03:00

Every single time I bake something with chocolate I use Finnish Fazer's baking chocolate. I think that it's the best chocolate you could use, and by using it I have always succeeded very well. These cupcakes are one of the best things you could imagine, if you're a friend of chocolate - and tell me someone who isn't. Tomorrow we are going to celebrate the end of the school year with my friends, and I want to surprise them by bringing these cupcakes :) I hope they like them.

This is the third time I'm baking these chocolate cupcakes, but every time I have changed the recipe a bit and this time I have changed it to make the cupcakes super delicious and chocolaty. You know in Finland we are used to say that the third time tells the truth, and I think with these cupcakes it fits perfectly. And I just love cream cheese frostings, so I thought that this time I'll make one. And I have to admit that I tasted the frosting and it was superior good! And the dough also...Tomorrow I'll have a proper taste. But these cupcakes came out quite pretty, don't you think?

Ingredients:

114 g Bittersweet dark Chocolate broken into small pieces

240 ml all-purpose flour

60 ml unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

120 ml milk

60 ml cup water

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil (olive or rape oil)

3 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

110 g Bittersweet dark Chocolate, broken into small pieces

75 g butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

320 ml powdered sugar

Directions:

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Paper-line 22 (small, 14 big) muffin cups.

2. Melt the chocolate in a metal dish attached to a pot with boiling water. Stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

3. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Combine milk and water in small glass measure. Beat brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl on high for 2 minutes. Beat in melted chocolate. Beat flour mixture into creamed mixture alternately with milk mixture.

4. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.

5. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.Don't over bake them, it's better if they're a bit soft. Cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

For the cream cheese frosting:

1. Melt the chocolate the same way as before, stirring just until melted. Cool to room temperature.

2. Melt the butter in microwave, until it's liquid like. Mix the powdered sugar and vanilla extract with the cream cheese, add the melted chocolate and butter. Mix well to make an even icing. It should be light and fluffy.

3. Spread the frosting over the cupcakes with a spatula.

For decoration you can grate some dark chocolate, or you can us your imagination and figure out some other decorations as coconut flakes or nonpareils...

Mushroom & shiitake mushroom pie

2010-05-17T20:52:00.007+03:00

I just love different kinds of mushrooms. Especially shiitake mushroom. Did you know that it's super healthy?It's almost like a medicine - it prevents the development of tumors, helps cure allergies and viruses, helps to lower the cholesterol and contains a lot of vitamin D. Great for vegans and vegetarians! And for everyone else.

This pie contains almost all of my favourite ingredients. It tastes unquestionably good, it's good for your health - what else do you need? I added oatbran to the crust, and the crust is made of wholewheat flour only, so it contains a great deal of fiber. And I love the texture. You might wonder about the spices - I assure you it's a lovely combination. I think Indian spices are really one of the best ones. Especially I love cumin. And the smell of these spices is just stunning. I think food would be nothing without spices, and without garlic and fresh herbs. They just create something magnificent and superior. Try it!

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 dl water

1 dl rape oil

1 dl oatbran

3 dl wholewheat flour

For the filling:

2 onions

4 garlic cloves

100g shiitake mushrooms

400g common mushrooms

1/4 eggplant

olive oil for frying

2 tsp himalaya salt

plenty of black pepper

1/2 tsp cumin (or a bit more if you're into spices!)

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ginger

a pinch of garam masala

1 handful fresh coriander, chopped

1 handful fresh parsley, chopped

2 eggs

2 dl milk

70g tomato puree

1 dl grated cheese

1. Heat the oven to 200°C. Butter a big pie mould with rape oil.

2. To make the dough, pour water and oil into a big bowl, add all the other ingredients, beat with hands into a even crust batter. Pat with hands the batter into the pie mould, cover the sides too.

3. Slice the onions, crush the garlic and slice the eggplant into small pieces. Fry them in a pan in some olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Remove, put into a big bowl.

4. Wash all the mushrooms, cut the ends away. Cut into small cubes. Fry in the same pan in some olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Put into the same bowl with the onions. Mix together.

5. Then add all the spices into the mushroom-onion mixture. Mix well.

6. Spread the onion-mushroom mixture over the crust.

7. Mix together using a whisk the eggs, milk and tomato puree. Pour over the pie. Sprinkle the grated cheese over, then bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.

8. Remove and enjoy!

Blueberry & vanilla pie

2010-05-15T20:05:00.006+03:00

I had a lot of trouble in figouring out what the name would be for these things I made this morning. I'm not sure if you can call them blondies, because there isn't any chocolate in the dough. So I decided they would be a pie, because it's quite neutral and it fits everything. The most important thing is that they tasted great!

We were out on a picnic today with my friends. The weather has been so nice last three days, and so warm! I love sitting in a park and wathcing to the ocean and listening to the screaming seagulls. That's truely summer! So I wanted to bake something delicious for us today and this idea of the pie came to me. I modified originally a kind of brownie recipe into this recipe - I had to remove the chocolate from it because one of my friends is allergic to it. So these came out - and I was very satisfied. Everyone praised these.

Ingredients:

For the batter:

2oog butter

3 eggs

3dl brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

5dl plain white flour

1 dl potato starch

2 tsp baking powder

3 dl blueberries

1 dl soymilk or ordinary milk

For the frosting:

50g butter

1 dl vanilla sauce

about 4 dl powdered sugar (to make frosting thick enough)

For the decoration nonpareils or coconut flakes

1. Heat the oven to 200°C. Melt the butter, let it cool down a bit. Beat the eggs with the sugar into a foam. Mix the flour, potato starch and baking powder together.

2. Add the flour mixture, milk, vanilla extract and the melted butter by turns to the sugar-egg mixture, carefully, add the blueberries. It's not so serious if the berries colour the batter a bit, you can't avoid it. I think it looked lovely, when the batter was all purple!

3. Spread the batter over a baking sheet, covered with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 10-20 minutes, depending how thick is the batter. Remove, cool down well.

4. To make the frosting, melt the butter. Add vanilla sauce and powdered sugar, mix well.

5. Spread over the well cooled base, be careful - if it's still warm the frosting pours over the edges.

6. When the frosting is set, decorate! And then, cut to pieces and enjoy :)

Rhubarb and red currant pie

2010-05-13T10:53:00.019+03:00

This warmhearted pie makes me think of a warm summer evening. I love the combination of rhubarb, red currants and vanilla. With a bite of this pie you can have it all. It's easy to bake and quick too. And tastes lovely...Just perfect.

Ingredients:

For the dough:
2 dl plain flour
1 dl oat brans
1/2 dl brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 dl rape oil
1 egg

For the filling:
5 dl fresh or frozen rhubarb cubes
2dl red currants fresh of frozen
2 dl vanilla sauce
1 dl brown sugar
1 egg

1. Heat the oven to 200 C degrees. Mix the flour, oat brans, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a bowl. Add the oil and the egg. Mix into an even batter.

2. Spread into a pie mould, smooth with your fingers, remember to cover the sides too. Spread the berries over the batter.

3. Mix togeher vanilla sauce, sugar and one egg. Spread over the berries.

4. Bake in the oven for about 25-39 minutes, until set and ready and the sides are lightly brown. Cool down well, enjoy!

Chocolate chip and peanut cookies

2010-05-13T10:33:00.009+03:00

I've missed baking so much. I realised it this morning, when I started to bake these cookies and a rhubarb & red currant pie. I have this small holiday (four days) from school and I thought that now when I have time I'll bake something lovely and delicious! And who could resist cookies with chocolate chips and exuberant flavour of peanut? At least I can't. All I can say is that they taste amazing, it's truly a bad temptation to have a plate of these cookies on your kitchen table...they'll disappear quite soon. And I have to mention that when my brother tasted these he said these cookies saved his morning :)

Ingredients:
makes 14 BIG cookies

125g soft butter
1 1/2 dl brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2,5 dl plain flour
120g (one little package) Fazer's baking chocolate chips (Taloussuklaarouhe)
1dl minced peanuts

1. Heat the oven to 200 C degrees.
2. Beat together butter, salt, sugar, vanilla extract and eggs to a fluffy foam.

3.Mix together baking powder, chocolate chips, nuts and flour.

4. Mix the two mixtures well with each other.

5. Put spoonfuls of the dough into two baking sheets, covered with baking parchment. Don't spread the dough, it will spread in the oven.

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool down well before eating. ENJOY!

Apple & cinnamon muffins with delicious crumb topping and baked with love

2010-04-10T12:04:00.020+03:00

It's been about three weeks or more since I last time posted something. That's quite a long time, and today I thought it's the time to bake something. So I've been having little break in blogging, but now I think I'm ready to start again. It's a really pity that school and other things have taken so much time that there hasn't been any left for cooking!

Today I baked these lovely, moist and utterly delicious apple & cinnamon muffins. I know that it's not the "apple time" but I had a can of non-sweetened applesauce so I thought why not to use it and figured out the recipe for these muffins. I really love the dough, it's so moist and exuberant! And the wholewheat flour and the rape oil makes it a healthier choice! But if you think the taste of the wholewheat flour is too healthy, use only plain wheat flour. And the crumb is so amazing. I love this kind of big muffins, you can eat them as dessert, breakfast or an evening snack! They're irresistable. So bake these and have a unforgettable bite!

Ingredients:

about 11 muffins

For the dough:

4 dl wheat flour

3 dl wholewheat flour

1 dl oatmeal

1,6 dl brown sugar (for example muscovado)

1 tsp salt (himalaya)

2 tsp cinnamon

4 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

1,2 dl soymilk

1,2 dl rape oil (or some other oil, olive oil goes well too)

1 tsp vanilla extract

125 g can apple sauce unsweetened

1 big redyellow or green apple, diced into small chunks

For the crumb topping:

50 g butter

2 dl white sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 dl oatmeal

1 dl wholewheat flour

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.

2. Combine all the dry ingredients, then mix the wet ingredients and combine with the flour mixture. If the dough seems dry, add some more soymilk. Fold in the apple chunks (I think it's good to have plenty of them).

3. Fill 2/3 of the muffin cups, so there's some space for them to rise in the oven.

4. To make the crumb topping, melt the butter inthe microwave, add sugar, cinnamon, oatmeal and wheat flour and mix together well. Sprinkle over muffins before baking.

5. Bake inthe oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Enjoy fresh from the oven!

Have you ever heard of raw brownies?

2010-03-07T18:38:00.005+02:00

I'm so excited about raw food. I've been searching for raw recipes in the net and found this promising brownie recipe. I love brownies, and decided to try if the raw version could compete with the ordinary baked brownie. I changed the recipe a bit, added the cocoa nibs, I think it gives a nice crunchy feeling. If you like more brownies with a smooth texture, I recommend not putting cocoa nibs and mincing the almonds to a very fine pulver.

So, today I made this new experimentation amongst raw food. I love all the ingredients, the result can't be anything else than utterly delicious. And I have to say these raw brownies really surprised me, because they were scrumptious, lovely and wonderful! They melted in your mouth and really were what you call exuberant, and the most important thig is they really tasted like brownies. And looked liked one's too, don't you think?

The recipe is very simple, it just takes a bit time to soak the almonds and mince them. Otherwise it's very easy and quick. And a feast to your mind and body...Mmmm! I think I'm going to try other raw desserts too, when I have time.

Ingredients:

4 dl soaked, minced organic almonds

450g soft, pitted organic dates (medjool is the best!)

5 tbsp organic raw cocoa powder

4 tbsp organic raw cocoa nibs

1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1-2 tbsp raw agave nectar (to taste)

lucuma and cocoa powder, to sprinkle over

1. Put the dates into a blender, mince them with a little bit of water into a fluid paste. Put them into a big bowl, add the minced almonds and rest of the ingredients. Mix well.

2. Put into square baking dish, sprinkle over some lucuma powder and cocoa powder.

3. Place in the freezer at least for an hour. Cut into pieces and enjoy! You can serve it with for example berries or raw ice cream. D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!

Raw chocolate revolution

2010-02-25T19:31:00.012+02:00

What if you didn't have to feel guilty about eating chocolate? What if chocolate could be one of the most healthiest things you could imagine? Does it sound like an impossible thing to you? Raw chocolate is the answer. It's made only from organic and the most healthy and highly nutrient ingredients: raw cocoa beans, cocoa butter, extra virgin coconut oil, raw cocoa powder, lucuma-powder,maca-powder, agave-syrup and organic cashew nuts. If you have some knowledge about superfoods, you recognize that maca and lucuma powder and raw cocoa beans belong to them. They have many amazing effects on your body and mind.

For example raw cocoa contains over 1200 active ingredients, and 10% of it's weight is antioxidants. So it protects our body ia from heart diseases. Raw cocoa contains more antioxidants than goji-berry, blueberry, acai-berry, red wine and pomegranate all together. Isn't it incredible? Raw cocoa is also a great source of vital minerals: iron, manganese, chrome, brimstone, zinc and copper. Furthermore it's an excellent source of fibers. It also has unique qualities, that effect on our brain functions and the feel of happines.

This chocolate is a revolution. It's suitable for everyone, it's delicious, and the most important thing is that it's healthy!! I mean you can eat it and you can think at the same time that oh, this does so many good things for me, I'll feel even better after enjoying this, no hard feelings at all, only pure joy! You don't have to eat chocolate secretly, not anymore, when you eat raw chocolate you can be proud of it.

Did you know that every chocolate is made from cocoa beans? However, the difference between an ordinary chocolate and raw chocolate is huge. Ordinary chocolate contains only about 30% of cocoa beans, all the rest is all kinds of filling agents that have nothing to do with the real chocolate. And the cocoa beans in ordinary chocolate have none of their valuable nutrients left, all of them disappear when the producers manipulate the beans in the process of making chocolate - for example roasting the beans destroys all the important antioxidants and vitamins. And it's very normal that ordinary chocolate contains milk powder, soy lecithin, milk fats, palm tree oil or artificial aromas, that are not so good for you.

So the acquaintance with raw chocolate is very recommendable. I feel so moved by this chocolate, it opened a whole new world to me. I hope you can feel it too, because it's so amazing. I'm really running our of words. Maybe I'll just explain now how you should do it.

It might be hard to find all the ingredients for this chocolate, but I think yo can find them from well equipped organic shops. Draw your attention to the quality of the ingredients, it's very important to use only the best. Choose products that are packed well.

This recipe is a basic recipe, you can add different nuts, dried fruits or berries (e.g. goji-berry), different powders (e.g.spirulina) and spices, e.g. cinnamon, genuine vanilla, mint or chili. Anything you like. It's very easy to make (I was very surprised how easy it was) and it's quickly done. And the result is so pretty, cute little hearts or other chocolates, depending on the forms you use. I fell in love with the raw chocolate, instantly. I can't wait to try new combinations of different flavours - I want to try it with cinnamon the next time.

All the ingredients.

Raw cocoa beans.

Extra virgin coconut oil.

Maca-powder.

Agave syrup.

Ingredients:

4 dl grated organic raw cocoa butter

1 big tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 dl organic raw cocoa beans

1 dl organic raw cashew nuts

1 dl organic lucuma-powder

1 big tsp organic maca-powder

2 big tbsps raw cocoa powder

1 big tbsp organic agave syrup

(dried fruits, spices, herbs etc.)

1. Peel the cocoa beans using a knife and nails.

2. Bruise the cocoa beans and the cashew nuts into tiny bits.

3. Melt the cocoa butter and the extra virgin coconut oil in a kettle over another kettle of simmering water, the temperature of the butter shouldn't rise over 40°C degrees.

4. Add cocoa powder into melted butter, add agave syrup and then all the other ingredients. Mix well, with a teaspoon put into a silicone form and cover with a glad wrap. Put into fridge for 10-15 mins until set. It happens quite quickly!

5. Remove from the forms, put on a beautiful plate and enjoy, really, really enjoy because this chocolate really is the one you can enjoy, without any guilt!

Banana bread with chocolate & hazelnut paste

2010-02-21T17:33:00.010+02:00

I've been very busy the last two weeks, I haven't really had time for blogging. Today is the second day of my holiday. It's snowing very hard and I'm really thinking that if it doesn't stop soon we'll be drowning in the snow. And last two days the temperature has been minus 20 °C degrees - being outside is like wandering on the northern pole! The only reasonable thing to do is to stay inside and to bake this lovely, warming and melting in the mouth banana bread. It's a very healthy and good for you recipe (if you don't count the chocolate, but actually dark chocolate is healthy!), it includes a lot of healthy vegetable fats, and no sugar used, only natural sweeteners. I used various flours to make this bread packed with important vitamins and minerals and of course fiber.

So when the weather gets cold and frigid, I advise you to bake this banana bread, enjoy it with a cup of hot tea and sit by the fireplace under a warm blanket - soon you'll forget all about the winter and it's wretchedness. And if you don't have a fireplace, you can always imagine.

Ingredients:

For the banana bread:

3 ripe bananas

125 g seedless dates

2 eggs

0,5 dl rape oil

0,5 dl soymilk

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp himalaya rose salt

1/2 dl minced hazelnuts

1 dl quinoa flakes

1 dl soyflour

1 dl wholewheat flour

1 dl buckwheat flour

2 tbsp honey

For the chocolate & hazelnut paste:

3 dl minced hazelnuts

1 dl melted dark chocolate

dollop of rape oil, to make this paste fluid

1. Heat oven into 200°C degrees. Boil some water, soak the dates for 5 mins to soften them a bit. Chop the softened dates into tiny bits.

2. Beat the eggs into a foam. Add the dates, add oil. Mash two of the bananas.

3. Mix together all the dry ingredients. Combine the dry ingredients with the egg-mixture and the mashed bananas, add soymilk.

4. Fold a long shaped bread mould with parchment paper, pour the batter on it. Cut the third banana into slices, put into a line on top of the batter. Spread honey over.

5. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, try with a stick if it's ready. Remove from the oven.

6. Mix together the minced hazelnuts and the melted chocolate, add oil to make a smooth paste.

7. Serve the banana bread with the chocolate & hazelnut paste.

Runeberg's tarts

2010-02-04T21:22:00.008+02:00

Today, the 5th of February, we celebrate our national poet's, Johan Ludvig Runeberg's birthday. He was a Finnish Swedish-speaking poet, writer and a journalist, whose production was very patriotic. Her wife, Frederika Runeberg was a great writer too.

These tarts we bake and eat every year have a story. J.L. Runeberg had a sweet tooth, so he often asked his wife to bake him something. But they didn't have any special ingredients, and that's why Frederika decided to use those she could find in her cupborad: wheat flour, biscuit crumbs and almonds. The result was a delicious tart, which is named after Runeberg. The story tells that Runeberg loved to have these tarts when eating breakfast, and that he enjoyed these with punch.

I love Runeberg's tarts, and it's a must thing to bake these every year. So step inside to the history of Finland and enjoy one of these fabulous tarts!

Ingredients:

makes about 18

300g butter

4 dl dark muscovado sugar

4 eggs

5 dl wheat flour

1 dl minced almonds

16 crushed digestive cookies

3 tsp baking powder

2 dl cream

2 tsp cardamom

2 drops bitteralmond extract

For the decoration:

raspberry jam or marmalade

water

powdered sugar

1. Heat the oven to 200°C.

2. Beat the sugar with melted butter into a foam, add eggs individually.

3. Mix together the dry ingredients, add cream and combine with the sugar-egg-butter mixture. Add bitteralmond extratct, mix well.

4. Divide into about 18 muffin cups or use silicone moulds like I did. Fill 2/3 of the cups, so the dough doesn't rise over the edges.

5. Bake in the oven for about 15-18 minutes, try with a stick if the tarts are ready. Remove from the oven.

6. Let the tarts cool down, remove from the mould and turn over, put on a plate. Decorate the tarts with raspberry jam and icing made from powdered sugar and water. ENJOY!

Warming peasoup for cold winter days and Finnish pancake for dessert

2010-01-30T14:51:00.011+02:00

This peasoup is a classic soup in Finland, usually eaten in wintertime. I remeber that I've eaten it since my early childhood, and we've always had some pancake after that for dessert. It's actually a quite simple meal, but very tasty. And it's eaten almost in every Finnish home, only the method of cooking varies a bit.

My version of the peasoup is suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The pancake I made with soymilk, and I have to say that it was excellent. The time of cooking the soup is very long, so it's not a soup you can make from awhile impulse. You have to remeber to put the peas into the water the evening before. But otherwise it's a very simple soup. And remeber to serve it with Finnish Turunmaa mustard! Or some other mustard, it might be hard to find Turunmaa abroad :)

And I must tell you that if you wonder the amount of the soup (it's quite a lot) the reason is that we always make about this much and then we freeze it. Because it's quite effortful to make, and it's easy just to take it from the freezer and warm some if in a hurry. And you can put some of it into the fridge too, it tastes even better the next day!

Peasoup

for about 15 people

Ingredients:

make this soup in a big 5 liter kettle

1 kg dried peas

3-4 liters water

2 carrots, peeled and grated

2 big onions, chopped into tiny chunks

olive oil

marjoram 2 tbsp

plenty of back pepper

herbamare, according to your taste

fresh parsley, two handfuls, chopped

3 tbsp mustard, and for the serving also (you can add some more when you eat if it feels like it)

1. The evening before put the peas into the kettle, pour 3-4 litres of water (so that the peas float in there).

2. If the peas have absorded the water the next day, add some more. Bring the water to boil, lower the temperature and cook for 1- 1,5 hours, until you can see that the structure of the soup has changed and the peas are softened. While cooking check the soup occasionally, if the zests of the peas have come off and risen to the surface, use a large spoon and remove them.

3. Sauté the chopped onions in olive oil, add with the grated carrots. Mix well, add the spicesand herbs. Put enough salt to satisfy you. Let the soup boil over a low heat for half an hour or so, until it's thick enough.

4. Before serving decorate with soycream and peashoots.

Finnish pancake

about 16 serves

1 liter soymilk (or ordinary, if you prefer)

3 eggs

2 tbsp rape oil

about 1 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

5 dl plain wheat flour

1. Pour the milk into a big bowl. Add the eggs, oil and the other ingredients. Mix well with a whisk, put into the fridge for 30 minutes to swell.

2. Heat the oven into 200°C. Line a deep baking sheet with two parchment papers, cover the sides too.

3. Pour the dough into the baking sheet, bake in oven for about 25-30 minutes until beautifully golden and a bit brown on top.

4. Cut into squares. Serve with self made (or store bought) jam and berries. We ate the pancake with the jam my mother made last autumn, from the berries we had picked up ourselves.

My first "green" smoothie and toasts with dates & tahini

2010-01-23T12:47:00.004+02:00

There has been a lot of talk about superfoods and raw food. I think it's very interesting and I'm eager to try - although it's difficult to start suddenly eating only raw food. But I think I'm going to try even some of it, because it's very good for your health. This morning I spent time in the internet looking for information about all kinds of superfoods etc. and found that these so called green smoothies are very important in rawfood ans superfood eaters nutrition. So I decided to make my first green smoothie (which isn't very green, because I used blueberries and blackcurrants and they coloured the smoothie).

I have to say that it really surprised me, I though that smoothie which includes salad and herbs tastes terrible, but this was actually so good that I could have drank the whole thing! So I'm definitely going to make these green smoothies again, maybe it could become a daily habit...

And the toasts I had to post beause I think it's a very delicious combination (it might sound funny). I really love it and with the smoothie these toasts make a lovely breakfast, light lunch or a little meal in the evening...It's all vegan, full of important vitamins and vegetable fats and everything else. After drinking it I feel very energetic and vibrant.

A nice thing about these smoothies is that you can combine all kinds of ingredients : different greens (herbs, salads), fruits and berries. Anything you want, just follow your taste!

Ingredients for the smoothie:

3 dl frozen blackberries

1 dl frozen blackcurrants

2 large handfus of fresh parsley

2 handfuls rucola

1 kiwi fruit

1 ripe banana

water

1. Put the all ingredients into a blender, chop the bananas and kiwi to smaller pieces and add enough water to make the mixture fluid.

2. Pout into glasses and decorate with fresh parsley.

Ingredients for one date & tahini toast:

1 wholewheat toast (I used Finnish Linkosuo Tuhatjyvä with omega-3 and omega-6)

tahini paste (I used urtekram)

3 dates, sliced into halves

1. Put the toast in a toaster, spread tahini over and then put about three sliced dates on top. Enjoy! (It's so lovely...)

Healthy linseed & pumkin seed bread rolls

2010-01-17T18:50:00.010+02:00

I love self made bread. It tastes so different than the bread bought from a grocery store - I love the texture, I love the softness and the pure taste of it. And you can be sure that it's healthy without any additives and made from all the lovely ingredients. I love to mix different kind of flours and to add seeds. To these bread rolls ( in Finnish "sämpylät") I added linseed. It's very good for you stomach and has a lot of healthy vegetable fats. And as you can see from the ingredients I used only fibre rich flour. The soyflour I used is a very nice thing for the texture, it makes the dough softer and as you know soy lowers cholesterol and is fibre rich - these buns really are superfood!

And don't forget they taste magnificent! My mother said they melt in your mouth. These are good with margarine, bean paste (or hummus), tahini or anything you like. And these are very easy to make, so why won't you start baking immediately?

Ingredients:

makes about 15

0,5 l water

25 g fresh yeast

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp honey

3 dl oatmeal

2 dl barley flour

3 dl soyflour

about 5 dl wholewheat flour

0,5 dl linseeds

1 dl olive oil

some more flour to help in baking

pumpkin seeds for decoration

Soyflour.

Linseeds.

1. Warm the water in a big bowl to your body temperature, add the yeast and let it melt. Mix well. Add the salt and honey, mix well.

2. Add oatmeal, barley flour, soyflour, wholewheat flour, linseeds and finally olive oil beating the dough in the bowl all the time. Add some more flour if necessary. Let the dough rise covered with a kitchen towel in a warm place for an hour.

3. Spread some flour over a table. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Deal the dough in two, knead well and deal the halfs into about six pieces. Knead the little pieces into balls with an even surface, put on a baking sheet. Let the bread rolls rise in a warm place covered with a kitchen towel for about 30 minutes.

4. Heat the oven into 225°C. Before putting into the oven, butter the rolls with water and put some pumpkin seeds on top.

5. Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes, until golden brown.

Lebanese spinach and potato pies

2010-01-09T17:46:00.009+02:00

My mom bought me a wonderful Lebanese cookbook A Taste of Lebanon - Cooking today the Lebanese way. I certainly love it - all the best recipes you could imagine, and so much more. Pita bread, hommous, tabouli, baklava, burghul...Ahhh, so lovely. Today I decided to try these pretty pies with two different fillings, spinach and potato. It was quite easy and fun to do these (the only problem was that when you folded the pies it was hard to keep them closed). This recipe makes about thirteen quite big pies, but it makes more if you want the pies to be smaller. It's up to you. And I added to the pie dough some whole wheat flour to make it healthier - it worked perfectly.

I'm really looking forward to try the other Lebanese recipes from the cookbook. Our family enjoyed these with peppermint tea in the candlelight - it was excellent. These pies really taste like Lebanon - with the lovely, fresh flavours and spices. They can be very proud in Lebanon for creating so delectable treats like these pies. I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I did.

Ingredients for the Savory Pie Dough - Ajeen Fatayer:

2 cups warm water

2 tbsp sugar

1 yeast (50g)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tsp salt

1 egg

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups wheat flour

1. Place water and sugar in a big bowl. Add yeast, stirring gently. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

2.Add oil salt and egg. Fold in flour gradually. Knead until all flour leaves the edges of the bowl and dough is smooth. If necessary, add some more flour to make the dough adequate.

3. Cover with plastic sheet, then kitchen towel, let rest in a warm place for 30-40 minutes.

Ingredients for the Spinach Pies - Fatayer bi Sabanikh:

280g spinach

1 onion, chopped into tiny chunks

1 dl lemon juice

1 dl olive oil

1 dl sesame seeds

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1. Wash and drain spinach well. Chop small an place in large bowl. Add onions, lemon juice, oil, sesame seeds, salt and pepper. Toss well, set aside.

Ingredients for Potato Pies - Fatayer bi Batata:

8 potatoes (grated)

1 onion, chopped into tiny chunks

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1. Rinse shredded potatoes in cold water and squeeze out excess water. Place in large bowl. Add onions, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Mix well.

How to make the Potato and Spinach pies:

1. Divide the well risen dough into 2 sections. Roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a small plate.

2. Place a heaping tablespoon of the potato or spinach mixture in to the centre of the round.

3. Fold three sides of the dough over the filling to form a triangle. Make one at a time because the fillings, (and the spinach even more) will have a lot of juice. If necessary, squeeze out some of the juice before placing in the dough.

4. Secure triangle by pressing on the edges of the dough as you fold (must be sealed well around the edges). A tiny opening may be left in the centre. Of dough does not stick well in some places, put flour on fingertips to help seal.

5. Place the pies on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes in 200°C oven until golden brown. Remove from the oven, brush with paprika spiced olive oil. Serve hot or cold, enjoy!

Tarte aux amandes et au citron - Almond and lemon tart

2010-01-06T17:40:00.009+02:00

We had a lot of guests at our house during the holidays, and this tart I decided to bake for the New Year's Day. I doubled the recipe because we had about fifteen people visiting. This is a classic French recipe, and I've always wanted to try it. Actually I added something to it, the turkish yogurt frosting. Somehow I'm in love with the turkish yogurt, I think it crowns the recipe and makes it perfect. And it worked very well, it gave a nice softness to this tart and made it look more beautiful. This tart was very refreshing, and perfect for those who love lemon. And for those who really don't love lemon it goes perfectly too. It's very good.

Ingredients for two tarts (one big, the other one a bit smaller)

For the crust:

400g wheat flour

200g soft butter

1 tsp cinnamon

a pinch of salt

For the filling:

5 lemons (you can add less if you don't like the strong lemon flavour)

160g soft butter

300g pulverized almonds

300g fine white sugar

8 eggs, separated

For the frosting:

grated zest of one lemon

5 dl turkish yogurt

juice of one lemon and the pulp also

5 dl powdered sugar

For the decoration carved zest of lemon

1. Pluck the ingredients of the dough with hands into big crumbs (in a bowl). Add about 3-6 tablespoons water, and knead until the dough froms a ball, which doesn't stick or crumble. Cover the bowl and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile heat the oven to 200°C. Grate the zests of the lemons for the filling (without the white part) and then squeeze the juice of the lemons. Melt the butter in the microwave.

2. Mix together in a big bowl pulverized almonds, sugar, grated zest of lemon, lemonjuice and butter. Add the egg yolks and beat briskly.

3. Beat the egg whites into a foam, add to the lemonmixture.

4. Take the dough away from the fridge, knead it and warm it with your hands, deal it to two. Line the buttered and floured baking moulds with the dough, press the dough so that it becomes an even surface. Stick the dough with a fork.

5. Pour the filling into the mould and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until beautifully golden. Try with a fork or a knife, if the dough doesn't stick the tart is ready.

6. Let the tart cool down. Prepare the frosting meanwhile.

7. Put the turkish yogurt into a big bowl, add the grated zest of lemon and then the other ingredients. Mix until smooth. Put on top of the cooled tarts. Decorate the tarts with carved pieces of lemon zest.

Chocolate cupcakes with turkish yogurt & chocolate frosting

2010-01-01T22:28:00.009+02:00

I made these cupcakes for the New Year's Eve, and I have to say that they were absolutely gorgeus, very rich and so lovely chocolatey that they melted in your mouth! I used the same dough as before when I've made these, but the frosting was different, I had this idea to add some turkish yogurt to it and it really became good, it was so much better than before! And for the decorating I used both dark and white chocolate, so it looked even more prettier. This dough makes eighteen big cupcakes, and the frosting is enough just for them.

And this is my darling cat Diana, who admired the cupcakes for a long time.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

250g dark chocolate (50-60% cocoa)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup soy milk

1/2 cup water

2 cups packed light brown sugar (muscovado)

1cup vegetable (olive) oil

6 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting:

100g butter, melted

4-5 dl powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

250g dark chocolate (50-60% cocoa)

about 4 dl turkish yogurt

For the decorating about 100g white and 100g dark chocolate

Directions:

For cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F (180°C). Paper-line 18 big muffin cups.

2. Melt the chocolate in a metal dish attached to a pot with boiling water. Stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

3. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Combine soymilk and water in small glass measure. Beat brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl on high for 2 minutes. Beat in melted chocolate. Beat flour mixture into creamed mixture alternately with soymilk mixture.

4. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.

5. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

6. Frost with turkish yogurt & chocolate frosting.

For the turkish yogurt & chocolate frosting:

1. Melt the chocolate the same way as before, stirring just until melted. Cool to room temperature.

2. Melt the butter in microwave, until it's liquid like. Mix the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, add the melted chocolate and butter, then add to the turkish yogurt, mix until smooth.

3. Put spoonfuls with a big spoons on top of the cupcakes, decorate with grated white and dark chocolate.

Apple, Cinnamon & White chocolate cheesecake

2009-12-28T15:45:00.009+02:00

I've been having a little Christmas break in blogging, and it's actually more than a week from the last time I posted something. I haven't had time to cook anything else than Christmas food, and it feels it's about a time to start doing something else. Yesterday I visited my dear friend in Nummela, and I had promised to bake a cheesecake and to bring it with me. I wanted to try something new, and I got an inspiration when I thought about the apple & cinnamon cookies one of my friends had gave me as a Christmas present. Then straight away I decided to make a cheesecake with the apple & cinnamon theme, I added some white chocolate to the filling to give extra delicious flavour. And there were also apple sauce and cinnamon in the filling, of course. I must say this cake was very excellent, delicate and unique, it was perfect. When my friends ate it they were speechless, and one of my friends said that he will order this cake to his wedding! So I was very pleased, because I wasn't sure at all if this cake would be good. I think I'll make it again, quite soon. Because it was so perfect.

Ingredients:

150g Bergen apple & cinnamon cookies

100g cinnamon Bastogne cookies (about ten pieces)

(if you can't find those cookies, use somekind of cinnamon cookies or digestive cookies)

100g butter or margarine

For the filling:

600g philadelphia cream cheese

200g creme fraiche (not low-fat)

3 eggs

200g white chocolate

juice of one lemon

grated zest of one lemon

2 dl powdered sugar

125g applesauce (you can buy it, but try t use one without any added sugar)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon (you can put two, if you like it)

1. Heat the oven into 170°C. Crush the cookies well, melt the butter and mix with the cookie crumbs.

2. Line the base of the springform pan with a parchment paper, butter the sides of the pan. Spread the cookie crumbs on the base.

3. Melt the white chocolate.

4. Beat the chocolate (when it has cooled down a bit) with the creamcheese and the creme fraiche until smooth. Add vanilla extract, cinnamon, grated zest of lemon, juice of lemon, apple sauce, powdered sugar and the eggs. Mix carefully until smooth.

5. Spread over the cookie crumbs, even up.

6. Bake in the oven for 1,5 hours, take the heat off and let the cake stand in the oven for couple of hours. Then remove, cool down in the room temperature and keep in the fridge over night.

7. If you want to, you can decorate the cake with some cinnamon sprinkled over. Enjoy in a good company!

Date cupcakes for Christmas

2009-12-20T10:09:00.007+02:00

I wanted to bake cupcakes suitable for Christmas, the only problem was to find a good recipe, and a recipe that seemed to be interesting. When I couldn't find one, I decided to make it myself. I love dates and we had a lot of them in the kitchen cupboard, that's why I finally made these lovely, lovely and addicting date cupcakes with créme fraîche glazing. The outcome was excellent. For the cupcake dough I used an ancient datecake recipe, a bit modified. The glaze I made up myself, and I'm quite proud of the whole combination, it was so wonderful. You know I've always thought that only chocolate can "take you to heaven", but these date cupcakes verify the fact that date can do that as well. I wish you enjoyable moments with these cupcakes (like I very much had) and be careful, you might get addicted!

Ingredients:

makes about 25

For the cupcake dough:

400g dates (remove the seeds or use seedless)

240 ml water

240 ml white sugar (you could add less, because the dates are so sweet)

240 ml white flour

2 eggs

200g salted butter

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

For the glaze:

200g créme fraîche

1 dl dates, chopped into very tiny chunks

5 dl powdered sugar

1/2 dl milk

1 tbsp lemon juice

25g melted butter

For the decoration:

25 sliced seedless dates

To make the dough:

1. Chop the dates with scissors into very tiny chunks (the smaller the chunks are the better the dough will become). Put the chopped dates into a big kettle with water and sugar. Boil the mixture to soften the dates, about 5-10 minutes. Take away from the heat.

2. Cool down the mixture a bit, add the butter and then the eggs (first break them in a cup). Be careful not to add the eggs into a too hot mixture, because the egg whites might congeal). Mix well.

3. Mix the dry ingredients with each other and add them into the date mixture, mix well.

4. Deal the dough into about 25 cups (it depends on the size of the cup, I had quite small cups). Leave some space for them for the rising, fill about 3/4 of the cups.

5. Bake in the 200°C oven for 10-15 minutes, or until ready. Cool down before adding the glaze on top.

To make the glaze:

1. Mix the créme fraîche, tiny date chunks, milk, lemon juice, melted butter and powdered sugar together in a bowl, mix well to create a smooth glaze. With spoon, put about two spoonfuls on top of the cupcakes.

2. Then decorate with sliced dates. Enjoy! And remember to store them in the fridge.

Hazelnut toffees

2009-12-12T20:30:00.007+02:00

These pretty little hazelnut toffees are one of the all time favourites, and perfect Christmas presents. They are very easy to make and I really enjoy pouring the toffee mixture into those small coloured metal cups. These toffees remind me of my childhood, and how toffee was a special treat then. It's nice to make these at Christmas time and memorize the good old days.

Ingredients:

makes about 40 toffees

2 1/2 dl white sugar

2 dl cream

1 1/2 dl milled hazelnuts (you could use almond too)

25g butter

1. Pour th sugar into a big kettle and let it get a nice light brown colour. Be careful not to fry it too long. Add the cream and let the caramel bubble up. Cook until the caramel thickens and it simmers with big bubbles. The caramel's temperature should be 120°C so that it will harden properly.

2. Add the butter and the milled nuts, mix well. Pour into small aluminium cups, put in the fridge overnight. Store in the fridge.

Cookie dough truffles

2009-12-12T20:19:00.013+02:00

I found these tempting cookie dough truffles in the How sweet it is blog. I had to make them, they looked so irresistible. And if someone's wondering why on earth do I suddenly cook so many sweets, the answer is that all of these are going to be christmas presents. These cookie truffles are easy to make, and they really are what americans call yummy. It's a pity that these are going to be presents, I'd like to eat them myself.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 can sweetened, condensed milk

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

To coat:

400g milk chocolate (I used Fazer's blue)

1. In a large bowl cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla. Gradually beat in flour and add milk. Add chocolate morsels, mixing well. Put in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, it helps you to roll the balls later.

2. Shape into little balls. Since the dough is sticky, roll your fingers into flour. This will make it easier to roll. Place on perchment paper; chill 2 hours.

3. Melt chocolate chips or disks in a double boiler.

4. Using 2 forks, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Place on waxed paper and chill to set. Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Gnocchi verts avec sauce de tomates - Green gnocchi with tomato sauce

2009-12-12T19:50:00.014+02:00

My dear friend gave me a lovely vegetarian recipe book which has only Mediterranean food from the French Provence. For a long time I've been intrigued to try the spinach gnocchi recipe, and today I finally made it. The tomato sauce I made from my own head, and with the gnocchis it was awesome. It was excellent, perfect and wonderful. It was really good. My mom praised it so much. I actually really love tomato sauce, it's so exuberant and it warms on a dark and cold day. This dish contains all the warmth of the French Riviera, just jump in!

Ingredients:

For the spinach gnocchi:

For four persons

600g spinach, washed well

salt

280g plain flour

4 tbsp just grated parmesan (and about 1 dl for serving)

half teaspoon just grated nutmeg

flour for baking

For the tomato sauce:

(if you want plenty, double the recipe)

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, cut in half and then sliced

1 can garlic flavoured crushed tomatoes (about 400g)

70g tomato pureé

1 sweet red tapered pepper

some broccoli, about 100g

5-6 pieces of sun dried tomato

a dollop of soy cream

handful of fresh basilic, chopped

salt (herbamare)

black pepper

paprika

To make the spinach gnocchis:

1. Cook the washed spinach in water seasoned with salt for five minutes.

2. Put into a sieve, press the liquid away with a fork or with hands.

3. Chop the spinach and mix the flour, parmesan, salt and grated nutmeg to it well, so that the dough forms into a ball. Don't knead more than necessary because the dough is quite sensitive.

4. Cut the dough into four parts and roll the parts into bars. Cut the bars with a knife into 2 cm wide pieces, sprinkle some flour over.

4. Cook in a simmering water just for some time. The gnocchis are ready when they rise into the surface of the water, take them out when they do that. Strain the gnocchis carefully, then they're ready to serve with the tomato sauce and some grated parmesan sprinkled over.

To make the tomato sauce:

1. Sauté the sliced onion in olive oil in a large pan, add the red pepper (chopped into small chunks). Fry for a while, then add the broccoli (cut into smaller chunks).

2. Add the crushed tomatoes and the tomato pureé.

3. Slice the pieces of sun dried tomato, the add. Add the soycream, then the chopped basilic. Then add the salt, plenty of black pepper and some paprika. Lower the heat into the minimum and let stay under the lid for 10 minutes.

Truffes au chocolat de Dutournier

2009-12-12T19:07:00.014+02:00

These endearing truffles are made by the recipe of a Parisian high class cook Alain Dutournier. I have to say that these are the best truffles I've made by myself, they worked out perfectly and the taste was so exquisite that I couldn't believe I had just made them! The original recipe said that you could use cognac or liqueur to flavour the truffles. I decided not to put it, but why not, it could give a nice nuance to the taste. I was quite proud of my truffles, because I thought they looked so beautiful and on the whole they were like little pieces of art. You should try them too! And these truffles are also excellent christmas present ideas, beautifully packed with a nice card.

Makes about 30 truffles

Ingredients:

200g dark chocolate (I used about 50-60% cocoa baking chocolate, Fazer)

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp strong coffee

1 1/2 dl sieved confectiner's sugar

1 tbsp crème fraîche

(1-3 tbsp cognac or liqueur)

For the decoration:

100g white chocolate

about 50-70g dark chocolate

hazelnut or almond, milled

desiccated coconut

or sieved cocoa

cocktail sticks

1. Melt 200g of chocolate with butter in a pan over simmering water. Add the crème fraîche, coffee, confectioner's sugar (and the cognac or liqueur). Mix well and put in to the fridge for 20-30 minutes until set up and easy to handle with.

2. Take the paste out of the fridge and form about 30 little balls out of it with dampened hands. Put for example on a tray covered with parchment paper and press a cocktail stick into every ball. Put in to the fridge for two hours.

3. Melt the white chocolate and the dark chocolate in separate pans.

4. Dip part of the truffle balls into the white chocolate, and the rest into the dark chocolate. Put on a tray covered with parchment paper, remove the cocktail sticks.

5. Decorate the white chocolate covered truffle balls with the dark chocolate, do some chocolate stripes with a teaspoon. Sprinkle over milled almond or hazelnut.

6. Decorate the dark chocolate covered truffle balls with desiccated coconut, sprinkle a lot of it over. Leave to set for a while.

7. Move the truffles into little truffle cups, store in the fridge.

Cherry & coconut Florentines

2009-12-12T18:50:00.014+02:00

These beautiful little hearts are cherry and coconut Florentines, wonderful present ideas for friends at Christmas. I found this recipe in a GoodFood magazine, and thought that I must try it. It was very easy and succeeded well, and the taste - mmmm! Just wonderful. I've never heard about Florentines before, but I think that from now on I'll make these every Christmas.

Makes about 36 hearts

Ingredients:

140g dark muscovado sugar

100ml clear honey (liquid)

200g salted butter

100g desiccated coconut

140g flaked almonds

300g glacé cherries, sliced into small pieces

4 tbsp plain flour

250g dark, mik or white chocolate (I used semi dark chocolate, about 50% cocoa)

1. Heat oven to 200°C. Put the sugar, honey and the butter in a large pan and gently melt together. When all the sugar has dissolved stir in the coconut, flaked almonds, sliced cherries and flour.

2. Line a large baking tray with a parchment paper (about 40x30cm). Roughly spread the Florentine mixture out to a thin layer - don't worry if you have small gaps, it will melt together in the oven.

3. Bake for 10-12 mins until a rich golden colour, the set aside to cool and firm up.

4. Melt the chocolate in a small kettle over gently simmering water.

5. Line a second large baking tray with a parchment paper and carefully flip the cooled Florentine bake onto it. Peel off the baking parchment.

6. Spread the melted chocolate over, if you're using a few types just leave a gap between each one.

7. Leave aside until set, then stamp out shapes using a preferable cookie cutter (I used heart, but you can use for example star or something else). If the cutter is diggind into your hands (as the Florentine mix may be a little hard), rest a small plate or pan on top of it and push down on this instead.

Finnish Christmas tarts with plum marmalade

2009-12-06T11:59:00.001+02:00

These tarts are the traditionals Christmas bakings in Finland. I really love these, it's the must thing to eat every Christmas and we usually make the first tarts in the beginning of December so that we eat them the whole Christmas time. Some people make the tarts from a normal puff pastry, but I think those tarts aren't that good, they just don't have any flavour. We have always made our Christmas tarts from a quark-butter pastry, and this recipe is my father's mother's, Elsa's. I think it's the best one. And it's easy too.

You can bake the Christmas tarts in different shapes, the classic one is the star shaped tart, then the half moon and the angel.

I prefer the half moons, because they have more of the plum marmalade than the others, and I really love the plum marmalade. But of course the stars are prettier and more traditional. I really recommend trying these tarts, I'm sure you'll love them like I do.

Ingredients:

500g soft quark

500g soft salted butter

500g plain wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp water

For the filling:

a lot of plum marmalade, about 600g

1. Mix all the ingredients together (not the marmalade of course) and knead well into a smooth dough. Deal the dough in two.

2. Roll out (on a table sprinkled with flour) one half of the dough into a big rectangular plate, about half centimetre thick.

3. If you have the moulds for baking a half moon or a star you can use them and make the tarts.

4. If you don't, you can use a pasrty wheel and with it form the stars. To make the angel, use the same mould when making the stars, just fold the edges differently.

5. Put a dollop of the marmalade in the center of the stars, then start folding: the sharp edges to the middle. Attach the edges with some egg or water.

6. To make the half moons: use a round mould, put some of the marmalade on the other half of the circle and then turn the otherside on, use the mould to press the half moon closed.

7. Move the tarts into a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and butter with egg.

8. Bake in the 200°C oven for 10 minutes until lighlty golden.

9. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Serve traditionally with glogg (or mulled wine).

Persimmon cheesecake with chocolate sauce

2009-12-06T11:35:00.001+02:00

Today it's the Independence Day of our country, Finland. We celebrate it by inviting some of our closest friends, eating good food and watching the big party from TV which is held every year in the castle of our president. Every celebrity, politician or famous sportsman get invited, and the veterans of our wars with Russia too (they are the guests of honour). I love the day of Independence, because on that day it feels that everything goes back to where it should be, on that day we realise how wonderful it is to have an independent country and what have the men in war done for it. It's so amazing.

So, I wanted to bake something very delicious and also try something new. I love persimmons, they're my favourite fruits right now (I could eat a dozen in a day!) and in my mind I had a thought rising about the persimmon cheesecake. That's what I did, and it turned out great. I decided to use Finnish Domino cookies in the base (quite same as Oreos) and puree the persimmons for the filling. I didn't want to put any sugar to the filling, because the persimmons are so sweet, that's why I added one can of condensed milk (it gives sweetness but not too much). And the other thing I must say to you is that the crust doesn't need any butter, because the domino cookies have a cream filling, which works like butter in the crust. And if you keep your cheesecake in the fridge overnight the crust becomes even more moist, I really suggest you to do that.

So wonderful, I have to say. And everyone loved this cake, they wanted to have more and more end even my brother who's very hard to please said that is was crazily good! The chocolate sauce was a magnificent companion to the persimmon - it was so terrific that I can't even describe it!

Ingredients:

250 g Domino or Oreo cookies

3 packages philadelphia cream cheese (600g)

(Remember to take the cream cheese into room temperature for 30 minutes before baking, so that it softens)

1 can condensed milk

3 persimmons

3 eggs

Chocolate sauce:

100 ml cream (20%)

100 g dark chocolate

1. Heat the oven into 150°C. Line the base of the springform cake pan with a parchment paper, butter the sides of the pan. Crush the Domino cookies and spread over the base.

2. Whisk the cream cheese so that it's soft and smooth (no lumps). Add the condensed milk, mix well but not too much (the cheesecake's surface will crackle if there's too much air in the filling.

3. Wash the persimmons, take the leaves off and then cut into smaller chunks.

4. Puree them with a handmixer. It's okay that the puree has small chunks of the fruit, it's only good for the cake. But only small.

5. Add the persimmon puree to the cream cheese, mix and then add the eggs, mix well.

6. Pour into the cake pan, bake in the oven for about one hour. Open the oven's door, take the heat off and let the cake stand in the oven for one hour. Then take away to the room temperature, let cool down for about 1-2 hours and put in to the fridge overnight.

7. To make the chocolate sauce: melt the chocolate in a kettle with the cream on a low heat, mix to create a smooth sauce.

8. Serve with chocolate sauce, and decorate with persimmon if you want to.