Coffolate Shortcake

A very tasty shortcake, perfect for an Easter table. I have never tried such shortcakes, as my family was used to such Easter shortcakes (which are, indeed very tasty too), but this year I decided to try something new and I am not dissapointed. Try, try, it is worth it ! :)

Recipe, slightly changed, comes from this website.

Ingredients (for a 20x30cm baking pan):

Bottom:

• 170g of flour
• 80g of potato starch
• 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 50g of sugar
• 150g of cold margarine
• 1 egg

Top:

• 200g of cherries
• 25g of milk chocolate

Frosting:

• 125ml of 36% cream
• 1 teaspoon of instant coffee
• 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom
• 30g of margarine
• 200g of white chocolate

Preparation:

Bottom:

1. Take a bowl, sieve flour and potato starch inside. Add sugar and margarine (cut into cubes). Knead or mix well. Add egg and knead again till well combined.
2. Make a bowl, cover with cling film and put in the fridge for an hour.
3. During that time, prepare the kitchen surface, to roll out the dough.
4. Start preheating the oven to 160C.
5. Take the cake out and roll out. 
6. Put in the baking pan, on the entire bottom + 1cm sides.
7. Using a fork, make holes on the entire bottom.
8. Put in previously preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes till gold.
9. Cool down.

Frosting:

1. Take a pan, put cream inside, add coffee and cardamom and heat, till it all dissolves. Stop heating, add butter and chocolate, stir till it all melts (if it is hard - heat it up a little bit).
2. Pour it on previously cooled down shortcake bottom and put in a cold place for an hour so that it stiffens.
3. Put pieces of cherries in any pattern desired, decorate.
4. Melt remaining milk chocolate and distribute all over the shortcake.
5. Store in room temperature.
6. Bon Appetit! :)

Banana Cupcakes

Another recipe for banana lovers :) They look cute and taste very good :) They're light and moist, not heavy and 'munchy'. Long time ago I made banana muffins and they were terrrrible... but it was ages ago and it was a bad recipe. This one is Martha's recipe. It speaks on its own so, as always, expect delectable cupcakes :)

The only thing I changed is the measurement and the frosting (I used my favourite swiss one, from for example Reindeers or Christmas Trees)

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 170g of flour
• 150g of brown sugar 
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda 
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt 
• 113g of butter, melted 
• 3 big bananas, mashed bananas
• 2 large eggs 
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Swiss meringue buttercream:

• 4 egg whites
• 1 glass of white sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 300g of butter, in a room temperature, chopped into small cubes
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 teaspoons of yellow food colouring

Decoration:

• 1 banana, cut into slices
• maple syrup
• cinnamon
• sprinkles

Preparation:

1. Prepare muffin tins and paper cases. Start preheating the oven to 175C.
2. Take a big bowl, sieve flour, put sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt inside. Mix.
3. Make a well in the middle of it. Add butter, bananas, eggs and vanilla inside and mix till all the ingredients mix.
4. Distribute the dough evenly into previously prepared muffin cases.
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes, till the toothpic inserted in a muffin comes out clean.
6. Take muffins out from the oven, let them cool down completely.
7. During that time, prepare a buttercream.

Swiss meringue buttercream:

1. Take a heatproof bowl, put egg whites and sugar inside. Prepare a 'bath'.* Keep stiring and heating the mixture over a steam of a boiling water till the sugar completely melts.
2. Cool the mixture down. 
3. Put the egg white mixture in the mixer's bowl and beat for around 10 minutes to get a white, shiny, stiff meringue.
4. Start adding the butter, one piece after another, mixing after adding every piece. While adding it may look like it is curdled, but don't panic, it's perfectly fine :) (it shall take around 5 more minutes).
5. When the mixture is stiff and all the butter is mixed, add vanilla extract and food colouring, mix.

Finishing:

1. Take a pastry bag with a star-like tin nozzle, put the buttercream inside and start distributing on the muffin.
2. Start from the middle of the muffin and making circles go it its edge.
3. Decorate with pieces of banana, cinnamon, maple syrup or any other sprinkles.
4. Bon Appetit! ;)

*A bath is simply heating the ingredients over a steam (but not boiling them in a water), just keeping them over a pot with boiling water, in a heatproof bowl.

Winter Snowballs

Winter is coming, snow is slowly falling down from the sky and what's more important Christmas is coming as well, so here is another sweet recipe for cold winter evenings at home. These are surprisingly tasty, sweet, cinnamon crunchy cookies which will be a good match for hot tea, cocoa and blanket ;) Another huge advantage - if you're running out of time, these are very easy cookies and quick to make. Sprinkled with powdered sugar or glucose, look like a snowball on a table :)

There original recipe is here, though I've made quite a lot of changes, such as replacing butter with margarine which I tend to do very often recently.

Ingredients:

• 250g of margarine
• 100g of powdered sugar (+ more to sprinkle the cookies)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1,5 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 100g of chopped walnuts
• 100g of candied orange skin
• 375g of flour

Preparation:

1. Prepare a baking tray and put baking paper all over it.
2. Start preheating the oven to 180C.
3. Take a mixer and its bowl. Put margarine and powdered sugar inside and beat till bright and fluffy (around 10 minutes).
4. Add vanilla extract, walnuts, cinnamon, candied orange skin and mix till well combined.
5. Add flour and mix (or knead) again till well combined.
6. Start making balls (around 2 teaspoons of dough for 1 ball) and place on previously prepared baking tray (they might be placed close to each other as they won't grow).
7. If the oven is ready, bake for 10-15 minutes till golden brown.
8. Cool down on a wire rack.
9. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
10. Bon Appetit!

Reindeers (Cupcakes)

Those Reindeers are literally galloping to your plate ;) Christmas-like cinnamon taste, delicate dough with sweet buttercream, sweet cherry and salty ears :) Not only they look wonderful but they will also take your palate and stomach straight to heaven ;)
Original recipe - idea comes from this website, though I made some changes, the main change is the top - not whipped cream but Martha's -a-little-bit-changed buttercream.

What's more, children will definitely love them as much as those Christmas Trees! The buttercream I used is more resistant to warm temperatures (one of my reindeers remained in a room temperature for the entire evening plus night and the next day it looked same cute).

I do honestly recommend all of these wonders for the upcoming Christmas :) I promise You will not be disappointed ;)

Ingredients (all of them need to be in room temperature):

• 3 glasses of flour
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon of cinammon
• 230g of butter
• 1,5 glass of sugar
• 4 big eggs
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/4 glass of milk

Swiss meringue buttercream:

• 4 egg whites
• 1 glass of white sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 300g of butter, in a room temperature, chopped into small cubes
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Body parts :)

• candied cherries (optionally cut into halves) - nose
• pretzels, cut into halves - horns
• any hard, small, edible white (chocolate) balls or small edible eyes, if available - for eyes

Preparation:

Dough:

1. Prepare paper muffin cases and muffin tins.
2. Take a quite big bowl, sieve flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon inside, set aside.
3. Take a mixer and its bowl, whisk butter and sugar till it becomes bright and fluffy.
4. Gradually add eggs, mixing after adding each of them.
5. Add vanilla extract and mix again.
6. At the end, take turns at adding the 'dry', sieved ingredients from the bowl and milk. Repeat till both ingredients are mixed inside. 
7. Distribute the dough evently into every paper muffin case (to its 3/4 height).
8. Bake in 180C for around 20 minutes, till they get gold (check with a toothpick).
9. Cool down.

Swiss meringue buttercream:

1. Take a heatproof bowl, put egg whites and sugar inside. Prepare a 'bath'.* Keep stiring and heating the mixture over a steam of a boiling water till the sugar completely melts.
2. Cool the mixture down. 
3. Put the egg white mixture in the mixer's bowl and beat for around 10 minutes to get a white, shiny, stiff meringue.
4. Start adding the butter, one piece after another, mixing after adding every piece. While adding it may look like it is curdled, but don't panic, it's perfectly fine :) (it shall take around 5 more minutes).
5. When the mixture is stiff and all the butter is mixed, add vanilla extract, mix.

Finishing:

1. Take a pastry bag with a star-like tin nozzle, put the buttercream inside and start distributing on the muffin.
2. Start from the middle of the muffin and making circles go it its edge.
3. Decorate with...body parts of your reindeer :)
4. Bon Appetit! ;)

*A bath is simply heating the ingredients over a steam (but not boiling them in a water), just keeping them over a pot with boiling water, in a heatproof bowl.

Carrot Cake #1

When the owner of MojeWypieki says this is the best carrot cake you've ever eaten, then... it really is the best carrot cake you'll ever eat, if you decide to prepare it. What a taste, my Godness! I can't believe how quickly did this cake disappear! I'm lucky I managed to snap some pictures for You!

This is a must-bake. It looks wonderful, it is possible to decorate it in many different ways, it can also be served as a birthday cake. 

What's more, the wonderful taste - thanks to all the spices - gives it a little bit an aroma of Christmas... :)

Here is the source, I changed it just a little bit :)

Before baking:

• This cake is for a small springform (diameter -> 20 cm), if You wish to make it much bigger, it is neccessary to double all the ingredients.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 2/3 glass of flour
• 1/2 glass of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of cinammon
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/3 glass of oil 
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 glass of walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 glass of chopped pineapple (fresh or tinned one)
• 1 full glass of ground carrots

For the filling&top:

• 250g of philadelphia cheese
• 6 tablespoons of butter (room temperatured)
• 1,5 glass of powdered sugar, sieved
• 1/2-1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Decoration ideas:

• Any pattern desired made of cinnamon powder or cocoa
• Walnuts
• Edible carrots
• Chocolate flowers
• ... :)

Preparation:

1. All the ingredients needs to be room temperatured.
2. Take a springform, grease it and put baking paper all over. Set aside.
3. Take one big bowl, sieve into it all the 'dry ingredients' inside (flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, spices)
4. In another bowl, beat eggs and oil.
5. Mix both bowls, add carrot, walnuts, pineaples and stir precisely with a spoon.
6. Pour the dough into the springform and bake in 175C for 30-40 minutes (to the point when the toothpick comes out dry).
7. Set aside, in the springform, to let it cool down.
8. Meanwhile, prepare the filling&top.
9. Take a mixer and its bowl, put all the ingredients inside and mix till bright. (It is advisable firstly to add 1/2 teaspoon of the extract and check if it isn't already too strong).
10. When the cake cooled down completely, open the springform and cut the cake lengthways into two pieces.
11. Put half of the filling on the first piece of cake, cover with the other one, distribute the remaining filling on the top and decorate.
12. Keep in the fridge (though the filling is strong and will remain as beautiful as it is in a room temperature for a quite long time).
13. Bon Appetit ! :)

Tropical Apple Pie

The second I saw this recipe I knew - this is going to be the best apple pie in the Universe. So I made it, twice bigger than the original recipe says ;) And I was perfectly right :) I had quite a lot of it, all the guests were smitten with it, I gave some 'takeaway' portions and I was receiving calls and txt messages with compliments and asks for the recipe for the entire afternoon ;)

So, here, again, bravo for KS for another wonderful recipe!

I changed the original recipe, I've added more margarine, thanks to this change it has absolutely different taste and is way better, believe me!

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 6 glasses of flour
• 12 tablespoons of powdered sugar
• 2 pinches of salt
• 345g of butter
• 235g of margarine
• optionally - if the dough isn't sticky enough - add a little water

Filling:

• 1800g of apples (cut into a little bit thicker slices)
• 900g of pineapple (fresh or tinned, cut into small pieces) 
• 1/2 glass of brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 1 vanilla sugar
• 2 packagings (40g each) of vanilla powdered budyń (or 1/2 glass of potato starch)
• a handful of almond flakes or shredded coconut

Optionally:

• filling: a handful of raisins (of course if You like raisins, add as much as You like, though not more than 1 glass)
• top: 1 beaten egg to spread on the top, before baking
• top: powdered sugar, to sprinkle the top of the cake, after baking

Preparation:

Dough:

1. Take a big bowl, sieve flour and powdered sugar inside, add salt as well as butter and margarine cut into small pieces. Knead or mix till everything links (especially butter and margarine). If the dough isn't sticky enough and You can't form a ball, add a little water.
2. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, cover with foil and put in the fridge for an hour.
3. During that time, prepare a suitable baking pan (around 30x40 cm) - grease it and cover with baking paper. Also, during that time, prepare the filling.

Filling:

1. Wash, peel, cut the apples (cut out the kernels and throw away) and put in a big pot or bowl. 
2. Do the same with the pineapple and mix with apples.
3. Optionally, add raisins to the same pot/bowl and mix.
4. Add sugar, cinnamon, vanilla sugar and budyń/potato starch and mix precisely.

Baking:

1. Start preheating the oven to 190C.
2. Take the first part of the dough, distribute all over the bottom of the baking pan and its sides.
3. Add mixed filling.
4. Sprinkle with almond flakes or shredded coconut.
5. Take the second part of the dough from the fridge and - either make a crumble or roll out the pastry thinly and cover the cake or roll out the dough thinly, cut into stripes and make a chequered pattern.
6. Optionally - beat 1 egg and distribute all over the top.
7. If the oven is ready, put the cake inside and bake for 70 minutes till golden brown.
8. If the top or bottom is getting too dark and isn't ready - cover the top with a piece of foil and the bottom, for example with baking tray.
9. Take out from the oven and serve for instance with powdered sugar on the top or with some vanilla ice cream.
10. Bon Appetit! :)

Cinnamon Buns

Slightly changed, the recipe comes from this website.

Ingredients (for around 20 buns, depending on size):

• 20g of fresh yeast
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 glasses of flour
• 1/2 glass of milk
• 1 egg
• 63g of melted, cooled down butter
• pinch of salt

Filling:

• 70-80g of melted butter
• 1/3-1/2 glass of brown sugar
• few teaspoons of ground cinnamon

Optional filling ingredients:

• raisins

Preparation:

1. Take a bowl, put yest, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of flour and half of the milk, stir, to prepare a leaven and put aside in a warm place, for around 15 minutes (it needs to double its size).
2. During that time, melt 63g of butter and cool down a little.
3. Take another bowl, put remaining flour, salt, egg and the rest of milk and sugar inside. Add the leaven. Knead for around 10 minutes, till smooth. 
4. Add milk and knead again till it stops sticking to a hand. Put aside in a warm place, so that it doubles its size again (it may take more time than previously).
5. During that time, melt the butter for the filling.
6. Take a baking tray, put baking paper on it. Put aside.
7. Divide the dough into 3 parts. Take a rolling pin and roll out (using only a little flour) the first piece. Distibute the butter all over, sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and opitionally raisins.
8. Roll up (tight, tube shape) and cut into 3-4 cm pieces.
9. Put every piece gently on previously prepared baking tray, leaving some space between every bun, cause they will grow up.
10. Bake for 10-15 minutes in 180C.
11. Bon appetit! ;)

Pumpkin muffins

During such cruelly cold weather there is nothing better than a comfortable chair, mug with steaming tea(or cocoa ;) ) and.... something sweet and tasty, for the pleasure... like these muffins ;) These are one of my naphew's favourites :) Not really difficult to prepare, aaand the feeling of guilt because of eating something sweet, especially in the evening is smaller, because it's made of pumpkins... and pumpkins are healthy, aren't they? ;)

Also, with no regret or sadness that the pumpkin season is over - you can easily use tinned pumpkin :)
The recipe comes from this website.

Ingredients:

• 50g of butter
• 1/3 glass of brown sugar
• 1/3 glass if white sugar
• 1,5 glass of flour
• 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon if nutmeg
• A pinch if salt
• 1/4 glass if oil
• 2 eggs
• 200g of tinned pumpkin pieces
• 1 jar of plum jam

Top(optional):

• plum jam
• powdered sugar
• whipped cream
• caramel

Preparation:

1. Take the tinned pumpkin. Drain it off and smash, using for example a blender.
2. Take a mixer's bowl. Put chopped butter, brown and white sugar inside. Put aside.
3. Take a bowl, put flour, baking powder and baking soda inside. Add cinnamonn, nutmeg and salt. Mix precisely.
4. Mix butter and sugars for around 2-3 minutes. After that time, gradually start adding oil, mixing all the time. 
5. Continue mixing, add one egg, when it links, add another. 
6. Add pumpkin puree, mix till smooth.
7. Add bowl with flour and spices, mix till everything links.
8. Put in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
9. At the end of that 1 hour's time, start preheating the oven to 180C.
10. Take a muffin tin, grease it or put paper muffin cases inside.
11. Put some of the dough inside every paper case (preferably not more than 3/4 of the paper case).
12. Put in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, till muffins grow and turn gold.
13. Cool down... or not, but be careful not to burn yourself ;)
14. Bon Appetit! :)

Christmas Trees

Ahhh, my favourite muffin dough in one of its creations... :) I bake them only once a year, for Christmas cause of that smell and taste... mmmm! :) entire house smells of cinammon while baking them :) that increases the Christmas atmosphere ;) So - this time - Christmas trees :) They're perfect once baked, wonderful while still hot/warm and still perfect after a day or two ;) Soft, quite wet, mouth-watering :) match a lot of additional ingredients :) Must try ;)

Recipe for the dough comes from this website.

Recipe for the butter-cream comes from this website.

Ingredients (all of them have to be in a room teperature):

• 3 glasses of flour
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
• a pinch of salt
• 230g of butter or margarine
• 1,5 glass of white sugar
• 4 big eggs
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/4 glass of milk (3,2%)

Buttercream:

• 4 egg whites
• 1 glass of white sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 300g of butter, in a room temperature, chopped into small cubes
• vanilla extract
• green food colouring (in a gel or powder, not in a liquid)

Additionals:

• Sprinkles

Preparing muffins:

1. Prepare muffin tins, or any other desired tin (but if it is a metal tin, where you can't put paper muffin cases, it needs to be greased)
2. Take a bowl, put flour, baking powder, cinammon and salt inside.
3. Take a mixer and its bowl, put butter and sugar inside, start mixing to get a fluffy, bright mixture.
4. Add eggs, one after another, mixing after every single egg.
5. Add vanilla extract and mix again.
6. By turns: add some 'dry' ingredients (flour with baking powder, salt and cinnamon), mix, add some milk, mix and again, dry ingredients, milk... till all of them are mixed in a bowl.
7. Put in previously prepared tins (not full, 1/2-3/4 of its height).
8. Put in the oven and bake in 180C for around 20 minutes (check, by using a toothpick).
9. Cool down (at least before putting the cream ;) )

Preparing buttercream:

1. Take egg whites, mix with sugar. Prepare a 'bath' for them.* Keep stiring and heating the mixture over boiling water till the sugar completely melts.
2. Cool down the mixture if it got hot. 
3. Put in the mixer's bowl and beat, around 10 minutes to get white, shiny, stiff a meringue.
4. Start adding the butter, one piece after another, mixing after adding every piece. While adding it may look like it is curdled, but don't panic, it's perfectly fine :) (although I did panic, so you are justified if you did panic as well ;)
5. When the mixture is stiff and all the butter is mixed, add vanilla extract and food colouring, mix.

Preparing Christmas Trees:

1. Take a pastry bag with a star-like tin nozzle, put the buttercream inside and start distributing on the muffin.
2. Start from the middle of the muffin and making circles go it its edge.
3. Decorate with additionals.
4. Bon Appetit! ;)

*A bath is simply boiling the ingredients, but not boiling them in a water, but keeping them in a bowl over a steam.

Tart Tatin

I've hardly made a picture of that cake! I would say it's the second best cake I've ever eaten after Gourmet Sensation. Deriving from France, Tart Tatin is a cake for a fans of 'wet' cakes with lots of fruit and little dough. Very sweet, thanks to caramel and very fruity, thanks to soft apples with a scent of cinnamon. Fantastic and absolutely mouth-watering, if you're willing to take up a challange and give it a try :) I do recommend! :) 

This is Pascal Brodnicki's recipe.

Before baking:

• Do not use springform cake tin to prepare it, because the apple juice + butter-sugar mixture will leak, while heating on the stove as well as in the oven so the tart won't be prepared adequately and overturning will be a disaster.
• Choose only big, round, beautiful apples, with no spots.

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 200g of flour
• 20g of sugar
• pinch of salt
• 100g of butter, cut into cubes (soft, in a room temperature)
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons of water

Apples:

• 6 big, beautiful, round apples
• 150g of sugar
• 150g of butter
• 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Optional:

• vanilla ice cream
• mint leaves

Preparation:

Dough:

1. Take a mixer and its bowl. Put flour, sugar, salt, butter and egg yolk inside. Mix/knead till the dough is formed. While mixing add water.
2. When the dough is formed, cover the cake with foil and put inside the fridge for around 30 minutes.

Apples:

1. Choose big apples in a similar size. Wash and peel all them, cut and throw away the kernels. Cut into wedges (or so-called 'boats' ;) around 8 pieces/1 apple)
2. Take a tray, put it on the stove. Add butter, melt it on a very low heat. Add sugar, stir.
3. Boil, for a quite long time, keep stiring, till it starts getting gold, to prepare a caramel (be very very careful with that, it's extremely hot, do not taste it during preparing and do not touch!). Turn  it off, put aside for 5-10 minutes.
4. Choose the most beautiful apple wedges, start putting them on the tray, making a round pattern, like a fan, putting one piece slightly on another one, starting from the edge of the tray, to the centre of the tray. This first layer is very important, it needs to be done really precisely, because after all, this is the top of the cake. Sprinkle the first layer with cinnamon. Put another layer, sprinkle with cinnamon, etc. till all the apple wedges are used.
5. On a very low heat, start boiling it again, covered with a lid, for around 5 minutes till the caramel covers either only the first one or all of the apple layers.
6. Take out from the stove.

Cake:

1. Take the cake from the fridge, roll out on sprinkled with flour kitchen's surface and put it on the top of the apples. Edges which are too long roll inside.
2. Tn the middle of the cake dough make a small hole, a 'chimney'.
3. Put in the oven for around 20-25 minutes till the top is gold.
4. Take it out from the oven, let it cool down a little. (around 10 min.)
5. Using a knife, cut it out from the tray.
6. Put a big plate on it, hold it tight and very quickly overturn.
7. Gently take the tart out of the tray.
8. Serve for example with vanilla ice cream and mint leaves.
9. Bon Appetit!! :)

Pumpkin Cookies

Something nice, really tasty and oh, okay, let's say it - quite healthy ;) in their taste they are very similar to carrot muffins I've baked a couple of times (before the blog was born, but no worries I'm sure that wasn't the last time I baked carrot muffins) and that's probably because of the nutmeg. 
What's more interesting when my little toddler naphew came and asked for a cookie I gave him one of these.. Surprisingly he devoured it and came back asking for more! 
Is there any more encouragement needed? Or any more proof that this is tasty? I hope not! :)
Recipe comes from KwestiaSmaku.

Ingredients:

• 50g of butter
• 1/3 glass of brown sugar
• 1/3 glass of white sugar
• 1,5 glass of flour
• 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
• A pinch of salt
• 1/4 glass of oil
• 2 eggs
• 200g of tinned pumpkin pieces
• 1 jar of plum jam

Preparation:

1. Take the pumpkin. Drain it off and mash, using for example a blender.
2. Take a mixer's bowl. Put chopped butter, brown and white sugar inside. Put aside.
3. Take a bowl, put flour, baking powder and baking soda inside. Add cinnamonn, nutmeg and salt. Mix precisely.
4. Mix butter and sugars for around 2-3 minutes. After that time, gradually start adding oil, mixing all the time. 
5. Continue mixing, add one egg, when it links, add another. 
6. Add pumpkin puree, mix till smooth.
7. Add bowl with flour and spices, mix till everything links.
8. Put in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
9. At the end of that 1 hour's time, start preheating the oven to 180C.
10. Take the baking tray, grease it and put baking paper on it.
11. Take a baking syringe or a baking sleeve, put some of the dough inside and start making small cookies on the baking tray.*
12. Put in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, till the cookies grow and get gold.
13. Cool down.
14. Take two of them, put plum jam between.
15. Bon Appetit! :)

* Honestly, I put some dough in mini tartin tins - yes, shape is different but taste - same good :) 

Sweet Semolina

Sweet semolina could be the second name of (dessert) simplicity. This timeless and delightful dessert will always satisfy both children and adult's palates :) Honestly, there is no sophisticated recipe, if you have never tried it, this is a must-try!
Recipe from... genes? I have no idea... :) it's like preparing cornflakes for breakfast :)

Ingredients:

• 800ml of milk
• 110g of semolina(or farina, or grit)

Additionals:

• caramelized apples*
• cheery (or other) jam
• almonds
• .... :)

Preparation:

1. Prepare around 6 dessert bowls.
2. Take a clean pot, put all the milk inside, start heating on a low heat, not to burn the milk.
3. When milk starts boiling, gradually start adding the semolina, stiring energetically all the time, to avoid lumps.
4. Boil for around 2-3 more minutes, then distribute prepared grit to all the dessert bowls. 
5. Put chosen additionals on the top of every dessert bowl.
6. Bon Appetit!

*How to prepare caramelized apples?

Ingredients:

• 3-4 apples (usually 1 apple per 1 person is enough)
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Preparation:

1. Wash the apples, peel and cut into wedges.
2. Take a pot, put water and apples inside, start heating.
3. After 3-5 minutes add sugar and cinnamon. Stir from time to time.
4. Boil for another 5 minutes.* Turn off the heat.
5. Bon Appetit! :)

* The longer the apples are boiling the softer they become and they start falling into very small pieces.

Burning Bananas

I've always dreamt of preparing them. I have no idea why did it take me so long to do it. I think it is because of that 'burning part' that I was afraid of. But - in this case, there is no need to be afraid of fire :) Of course remember about all the necessary precautions against fire but it is not that scary :) 

And the effect - ahhh, wonderful :) And it is so easy to prepare it ! Unbelievable! :) Must try!

The inspiration for the recipe comes - surprisingly - from the packaging of cinnamon :) Changed, as always, works perfectly :)

Ingredients:

• 2-3 bananas (preferably hard ones)
• 40-50 g of butter
• 1/4 glass of brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinammon
• 1 orange - squeezed, to get 1/4-1/2 glass of the orange juice
• 1/4-1/2 glass of Golden Rum or Whisky

Decoration:

• Ice cream - for example vanilla ones
• Whipped cream
• Any favourite sauce

Preparation:

1. Take bananas, wash, peel, cut - the length and breadth of them.*
2. Take a frying pan, put butter on it and start heating on the lowest heat, so that the butter melts. Add sugar** and cinammon. Stir.
3. Add bananas, boil, to get caramel. Stir from time to time.
4. When the caramel is ready, add orange juice and cover everything with a lid, to let the liquid thicken.
5. Add Golden Rum or Whisky. Stir.
6. Using a lighter or a matchstick, set bananas on fire.
7. Burn for a while. Damp down the fire by using a lid (but it will probably stop burning on its own).
8. Gently take them out from the frying pan and put on a plate.
9. Decorate.
10. Bon Appetit!! :)

*Even if you consider your bananas small and you are unwilling to cut them - I do recommend it, at least into halves, because after preparation, they get very soft and it is hard to take them out from the frying pan.

** If there is still too little butter and what you get is dry sugar - add a little more butter to get a liquid-like substance.