Cakes

When I am stressed and tensed about something, there are a couple of activities that relax me. I found that the best combination is a manual activity that, nonetheless, requires some brain power. 

Books are great when I am just generally stressed. But when I am worked up over something, reading just doesn't cut it. My mind starts wandering away and circles back to the thing that got me upset in the first place. And my body stays tense. Same happens when I go for a run.

It has to be a combination of both, physical and mental activity, to really do the job. And one of the best things I found to help out with the tension is cooking and baking. Which is very lucky, cause I really love making something special in the kitchen. 

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm no Donna Reed (if you don't get the reference, you clearly didn't spend hours and hours of joy watching Gilmore Girls, see: http://gilmoregirls.wikia.com/wiki/That_Damn_Donna_Reed). But I love to show off with a special dinner or dessert.

Here are a couple of my recent cake creations:

Starting from top left, these are:

1. French rhubarb cake: http://www.mykitchenintherockies.com/2011/05/20/french-rhubarb-cake/
2. Rhubarb and cinnamon muffins: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/cinnamon-rhubarb-muffins.aspx
3. Blueberry raw vegan slice: http://www.choosingraw.com/raw-vegan-blackberry-cheesecake-bars/ 
4.  Rhubarb scones (can you spot the pattern yet?): http://www.crumbblog.com/2010/05/tea-party-rhubarb-ginger-scones.html
5. Chocolate, raspberry and vanilla mousse cake: http://www.sugarhero.com/chocolate-raspberry-mousse-cake/ 

February Challenge

If you've read my previous post you know that I've been experimenting with challenging myself. Each month I try something new, something that brings a difference to my life, something that takes me out of my comfort zone. Last month, I sworn off sugar and it was interesting to try, I wasn't wowed by the impact of that challenge.

This month I am trying something more active. I will sample 15 new recipes, that I have not tried before. It is not a crazy challenge but I feel like I lack time for this in everyday life. During the week I often skip cooking in the evening and just grab a sandwich, even though I love cooking and it relaxes me. So I want to try to force myself motivate myself to do more of that. You can see 14 recipes I have chosen on pinterest. The 15th dish is going to be a nutty variation on my sourdough bread, that I dreamt of myself so there is no recipe.

The first recipe, and the celebration of no-sugar month, was this, gorgeous looking and yummy, raspberry swirl cheesecake. When I lived in London, raspberry swirl cheesecake from Sainsbury's was my guilty pleasure so I decided to try to bake it myself.

I tasted delicious although it was a bit more wet than expected. I went for a thick variant of yoghurt, you can buy in Denmark, called skyr, instead of fatty cream cheese. It made the cake healthier but not as firm and creamy. Next time, I will go all out :) 

Homemade sourdough bread

A couple of weeks ago I started my first ever sourdough. I had been planning it for a long while but I was always a bit afraid having never done it or seen it done before. Luckily, I found this great set of recipes for sourdough and for sourdough bread. And voila! I've been baking ever since. 

Dark sourdough bread is a staple of Danish cuisine and so husband is exceptionally happy to have fresh, seed-packed loaf twice a week. And the best part is, every time I bake, I can change the recipe, add something new, try new tastes. You can never get bored.

I strongly encourage you to try it at home. Home-baked bread tastes great, is healthier and makes your house a home. And it is much easier than it seems. Now, the recipes above are of course in Danish so check my quick translation below. But in case you are in need of more information there are many available recipes all over. For example check this one here. The ready sourdough should smell somewhat like beer or yoghurt. Not the most pleasant smell. 

Pumpkin seed and honey sourdough bread

Sunflower and sesame seed sourdough bread

Sourdough

1. In a glass or ceramic jar with a lid  mix 1 dl rye flour, 1 dl wheat flour and 2 dl lukewarm water. You'll do best with organic and fresh ingredients. Leave it open for a couple of hours so that all the necessary  microorganisms can find their way into the mix. Close the lid and let it stand on the kitchen top overnight.
   
   This recipe doesn't use any helpers but some others suggest you add honey, beer, apples or yeast to speed up the process. 
   
2. Until the sourdough is done, you will have to feed it once a day. Throw out half of the dough and add 0.5 dl rye flour, 0.5 wheat flour and 1 dl lukewarm water.  
   
   In about 3-4 days the dough will start smelling sour (like beer, yogurt and/or vinegar) and bubble on the surface. In my case it was actually much faster. Once it does that you can start throwing out even more of the dough so that only a few spoons are left at the bottom (and of course feeding it as before). 
   
   When the dough is entirely bubbly and smells really sour, it is ready. It will take about a week, maybe slightly longer. Now you can start baking. 
   
   If you are not planning to use the dough for a while, you can put it in a fridge. This way you will not have to feed it regularly.  Once you need to use it again, take it out of the fridge, feed it as per usual and give it 6-8 hours to ferment again. Then it is ready to use.

Bread

1. This takes a bit of planning. In the evening mix:
   
   1,5 dl sourdough
   2 dl chopped rye grains
   2 dl chopped wheat grains
   4 dl water
   2 dl rye flour
   
   Leave the mixture overnight on the kitchen top. I always cover mine with a cloth to make sure no insects (or my cats) get inside. I know that rye and wheat grains can be hard to get in some countries, but you can always replace them with seeds of your choosing. I usually replace wheat grains with flax seed. But just in case you want to try rye and wheat grains, you can usually find it in health stores or online. In UK the grains are for example available here.
2. The next morning add the following to the mixture:
   
   1 spsk malt syrup (I usually add soft, half-liquid honey instead)
   0,75-1 spoon of coarse salt
   1,5 dl wheat flour
   0,5 dl rye flour
   
   And put the mixture into the fridge for about 7-8h.
3. After you come back from work or school take the dough out of the fridge and transfer it to a buttered form. Leave it on the kitchen board for about 3h so that it can rise.
   
   Warm up the oven to 200C (hot air) and bake the bread for about 1h 15m. Once it is done, take the bread out of the form and put on a rack so that it can cool down without getting soggy. 

And there you go. Your bread is all ready. Remember to add a lot of seeds, the hard ones in the first phase so that they can soak overnight, the soft once in the morning or just before putting it into the form. Enjoy!

Celebrating Autumn: Pumpkin Buns

Don't they just look delicious? I baked these pumpkin buns yesterday and, despite it being my first time, they came out quite nice. They are very soft and airy inside and they have this amazing aroma of cardamom (even though I added much more cinnamon and clove). They taste fantastic with smelly soft cheeses and gruyère although I must say I like them with apple and ginger jam as well.
The only disadvantage is that the pumpkin taste is completely lost in them...pity. Anyway, I found the recipe here - well of cooking and baking inspirations! I promise to translate it for you in the next few days so stay tuned.

My First Brownies Ever

Tonight, I baked my first brownies ever. They are very good and I feel so proud, that I just had to share it with you!

This was the first time I have ever baked anything else than bread so it really feels good. So to all of you out there who, like me, are afraid of baking, I say: go for it!

Now I need to clean my kitchen, also known as the battlefield...