Pumpkin Seed Oil Bundt - Kernölgugelhupf

Yesterday was a beautiful fall day, the sun shone all day long, the sky was strikingly blue, it was almost as warm as a summer´s day. And since our children are in the midst of a two-week fall break,  we decided to take advantage of the fairy tale weather and headed to the "Tomburg Castle" located not too far from our home.

Gestern war ein wunderschöner Herbsttag, die Sonne schien den ganzen Tag und es war so warm wie im Sommer. Zudem haben die Kinder gerade zwei Wochen Herbstferien. Also haben wir einen kleinen Ausflug zu der „Ruine Tomburg“, die nicht allzu weit von unserem Wohnort entfernt liegt, unternommen.

What is known as “Tomburg Castle” are in fact castle ruins located in the small Town of Rheinbach near the City of Bonn. It is located in a small nature reserve on top of the 316 meter "Tomberg hill".

Die "Ruine Tomburg" ist eine Burgruine in Rheinbach bei Bonn. Sie liegt in einem kleinen Naturschutzgebiet auf dem 316  Meter hohen Tomberg.

The earliest known settlement on the "Tomberg hill" can be traced back to the 4th century and historians have suggested that it was established by the Romans. The “Tomburg Castle” was built around the year  900 and was re-fitted numerous times over the period of five centuries.

Siedlungsspuren auf dem Tomberg können bis in das 4. Jahrhundert zurückverfolgt werden und lassen auf eine Nutzung durch die Römer schließen. Die Tomburg entstand um das Jahr 900 und wurde in späteren Jahrhunderten stark ausgebaut.

After an eventful history, the Castle lost its military significance in the 14th century. The inhabitants of the Tomburg who acted as robber barons used the Castle as their retreat. After 1420, there were several owners who had inherited the Castle. After its almost complete destruction on September 7, 1473 it has never been rebuilt. Today you can stiil admire parts of the donjon and the 46 meter deep well.

Nach einer wechselvollen Geschichte verlor die Burg ab dem 14. Jahrhundert ihre militärische Bedeutung. Denen von Tomburg, die sich als Raubritter betätigten, diente sie als Rückzugsort. Nach 1420 gab es durch Erbteilung mehrere Besitzer. Nach ihrer fast vollständigen Zerstörung am 7. September 1473 wurde sie nicht wieder aufgebaut. Erhalten sind heute nur noch Teile des Bergfrieds und der 46 Meter tiefe Brunnen.

Now onto the cake. The Pumpkin Seed Oil Bundt is a culinary specialty from Styria, Austria. Styria is located in the southeast of Austria. Among many other specialties and breathtaking locations, this beautiful region is famous for its Styrian pumpkins and pumpkin seed oil. We also appreciate pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil and fall is, of course, pumpkin season and how could we better celebrate fall and pumpkins than with a wonderfully delicious Pumpkin Seed Oil Bundt.

Jetzt mal zu dem Gugelhupf. Der Kernölgugelhupf ist ein kulinarischer Genuss aus der Steiermark in Österreich und wird mit dem bekannten Kürbiskernöl sowohl als auch mit gerösteten und gemahlenen Kürbiskernen gebacken. Auch wir schätzen Kürbiskerne und Kürbiskernöl sehr und die Herbstzeit ist bekanntlich auch Kürbiszeit und wie könnte man den Herbst und den Kürbis besser zelebrieren als mit einem wunderbar leckeren Kernölgugelhupf.

Pumpkin seeds have a greenish color and can be enjoyed either raw or cooked in sweet or savory dishes. They are delicious when you roast them, sprinkle them with a bit of sea salt, or when eaten in a salad or in a cereal, baked into breads, cakes or other pastries. The seeds are rich in protein, iron, zinc and phosphorus. During fall season, you could also dry some pumpkin seeds yourself for later use in your kitchen.

Kürbiskerne haben eine grünliche Farbe und können roh oder gekocht in süßen und herzhaften Speisen genossen werden. Sie sind köstlich wenn man sie röstet, mit etwas Salz bestreut, oder auf einen Salat oder in ein Müsli gibt, Brot, Kuchen oder anderes Gebäck damit backt. Sie sind reich an Protein, Eisen, Zink und Phosphor. Im Laufe des Herbstes, wenn die Kürbisse reif sind, kann man auch mal seine eigenen Kürbiskerne trocknen.

The other day I came across an interesting Austrian pumpkin cookbook. It contains many wonderful recipes for pumpkin, pumpkin bread, pumpkin rolls, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, and many more. When going through the book, I also found a recipe for a Pumpkin Seed Oil Bundt.. I have experimented during the last few weeks with a number of different variations of this recipe and after a few trials, errors and adaptations, settled on this delicious version of the original recipe.

Neulich stieß ich auf ein interessantes österreichisches Kürbis-Kochbuch. Es enthielt viele wunderbare Rezepte für Kürbisgemüse, Kürbisbrot, Kürbisbrötchen, Kürbiskuchen, Kürbiskekse und vieles mehr. Ich fand auch ein Rezept für einen Kernölgugelhupf. Ich habe einige Variationen des Rezepts ausprobiert und mich dann für das heutige Rezept entschieden.

This Bundt cake recipe represents a variation of a traditional pound cake recipe or “Sandkuchenrezept”, which is based on the weight of the eggs. Traditionally, the eggs were place on one side of the scale while the same amount of flour, butter and sugar where placed on the other side of the scale – so that they weighed the same. The usual butter of a pound cake recipe is replaced in this recipe by oil and water and the cake is baked in a small Bundt cake or Gugelhupf cake pan.

Dieser Kernölkuchen stellt eine Variante alter Sandkuchenrezepte dar, die auf dem Eiergewicht beruhten. Man legte Eier auf eine Seite der Waagschale und wog jeweils die gleiche Menge Mehl, Zucker und Butter ab. Butter wird hier durch Kernöl und Wasser ersetzt und der Kuchen in einer Gugelhupfform gebacken.

Pumpkin Seed Oil Bundt Ingredients for the Bundt (inspired by "Kürbisse in Küche und Garten") 125 grams AP wheat (plain) flour, plus extra for dusting the pan ¾ tsp baking powder 50 grams unsalted pumpkin seeds (from Styria if possible) 1 tbsp unsalted butter (for buttering the cake pan) 2 eggs (L), organic or free range whenever possible 125 grams superfine sugar (white) the scraped seeds from one ½ vanilla bean a pinch of fine sea salt 60 ml pumpkin seed oil (from Styria or other high-quality oil – I like to use the “cold pressed native pumpkin seed oil” produced at my favorite regional oil mill) 60 ml water some confectioners´ sugar (for dusting) NOTE: you should use a small Bundt pan which holds up to 750 ml

Kernölgugelhupf Zutaten für den Gugelhupf (inspiriert von "Kürbisse in Küche und Garten") 125 Gramm Weizenmehl, plus extra für die Form ¾ TL Backpulver 50 Gramm ungesalzene Kürbiskerne (steirische wenn möglich) 1 EL ungesalzene Butter (zum Ausbuttern der Form) 2 Eier (L), Bio oder Freiland 125 Gramm feinster Zucker das Mark einer ½ Vanilleschote (ausgekratzt) eine Prise feines Meersalz 60 ml Kürbiskernöl (steirisches – ich nehme immer ein „kalt gepresstes natives Kürbiskernöl“ einer regionalen Ölmühle) 60 ml Wasser etwas EL Puderzucker (zum Verzieren) TIP: eine kleine Gugelhupfform von 750 ml Fassungsvermögen verwenden

Preparation of the Bundt Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Sift the flour with the baking powder.  Roast the pumpkin seeds in a heavy, ungreased pan (for example cast iron) at medium heat until they are lightly browned and “dance” in the roasting pan like popcorn.   Place the roasted pumpkin seeds in a bowl and let them cool completely.   Finely grind the pumpkin seeds or finely chop with a large knife.   Butter the Bundt or Gugelhupf pan lightly and dust with flower, making sure to shake out the excess. Separate the egg yolks and egg whites.   Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, the seeds of half the vanilla bean and the pumpkin seed oil, until the sugar is completely dissolved.   Whisk together the flour, baking powder and ground pumpkin seeds. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in three additions, alternating with the water.  Beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt until they are uniformly white and stiff and form soft peaks Carefully fold about a third of the whipped egg white into the batter then fold in the remaining 2/3.  Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Bake the Bundt at 180 degrees Celsius (170 degrees convection oven) in a pre-heated oven for about 40 to 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted near the center of the comes out clean. Turn out the Bundt onto a cooling rack and let cool completely. Dust with confectioners´ sugar just before serving.

Zubereitung des Gugelhupfs Den Ofen auf 180 Grad vorheizen. Das Mehl mit dem Backpulver durchsieben.  Die Kürbiskerne in einer ungefetteten, schweren Pfanne (zum Beispiel aus Gusseisen) über schwacher bis mittlerer Hitze solange rösten, bis sie leicht gebräunt sind und wie Popcorn springen.  Aus der Pfanne auf einen Teller geben und vollständig auskühlen lassen.  Die Kürbiskerne fein mahlen oder mit einem großen Messer fein hacken.  Die Gugelhupfform mit der Butter ausstreichen und mit etwas Mehl ausstreuen.  Eigelb und Eiweiß trennen.  Die Eidotter mit dem Zucker, dem Mark der Vanilleschote und dem Kürbiskernöl schlagen, bis der Zucker vollständig aufgelöst ist.  Das Mehl zusammen mit dem Backpulver und den gemahlenen Kürbiskernen mischen. Abwechselnd Mehl und Backpulver, gemahlene Kürbiskerne und Wasser unter die Eimasse rühren. Die Eiweiß mit der Prise Salz schlagen bis sich weiche Spitzen bilden. 1/3 des Eischnees vorsichtig unter die Kuchenmasse heben. Dann vorsichtig die restlichen 2/3 unterheben  Den Gugelhupfteig in die Kuchenform geben. Bei 180 Grad Celsius (Umluft 170 Grad Celsius) im vorgeheizten Ofen 40 bis 45 Minuten backen, bis ein hineingestochenes Holzstäbchen sauber wieder herauskommt.  Den Gugelhupf sofort stürzen und vollständig erkalten lassen. Mit Puderzucker bestreuen.

This is certainly a somewhat special cake. It is definitely wonderfully aromatic with a beautiful somewhat dark green color and an incredibly interesting taste. You should take care to get a really good Styrian pumpkin seed oil before baking with it. This intense green oil has a distinctive nutty taste. The famous Styrian oil pumpkin is the basis for the popular Styrian pumpkin seed oil. About 30 to 35 pumpkins are needed for the manufacture of about one liter of oil. The original Austrian product is also a European Union Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product.

Dieser Kernölgugelgupf ist sicherlich ein etwas spezieller Kuchen, auf jeden Fall wundervoll aromatisch, mit einer unglaublich schönen dunkelgrünen Farbe und einem unglaublich interessanten Geschmack. Man sollte vor dem Backen darauf achten ein wirklich gutes steirisches Kürbiskernöl zu besorgen. Dieses intensiv grüne Öl hat einen ganz eigenen, nussigen Geschmack. Der Steirische Ölkürbis ist die Grundlage für das beliebte Kürbiskernöl. Etwa 30 bis 35 Kürbisse benötigen die Hersteller für einen Liter. Das original österreichische Produkt ist mittlerweile durch den Zusatz “geschützte geografische Angabe“ als “Steirisches Kürbiskernöl g.g.A.“ gekennzeichnet.

Since there is a fabulous regional oil mill in the City of Bonn, that even produces an incredibly delicious "cold-pressed native pumpkin seed oil", I usually use that pumpkin seed oil for my baked goods. And I prefer buying the pumpkin seeds in a health food store – whichever pumpkin seed oil or pumpkin seeds you chose to buy, do make sure that they are good quality and your small Bundt cake will definitely taste intense and delicious.

Da es hier in Bonn eine unglaublich gute Ölmühle gibt, die auch ein „kaltgepresstes natives Kürbiskernöl“ produziert, benutze ich bevorzugt dieses für mein Gebäck. Die Kürbiskerne kaufe ich am liebsten in einem Bioladen – aber auf jeden Fall sollten auch sie hochwertig sein, damit der kleine Gugelhupf auch richtig intensiv und unglaublich lecker schmeckt.

The Bundt will keep for several days and the color of the cake will even intensify on the second day – this is a  a slightly “different” cake with pumpkin seed oil and ground roasted pumpkin seeds instead of pumpkin puree or grated pumpkin pulp.

Der Gugelhupf hält sich mehrere Tage. Die Farbe des Kuchen intensiviert sich auch noch am zweiten Tag – ein etwas anderer Kuchen, mit Kürbiskernöl und Kurbiskernen, wo sonst meist Kürbispüree oder geriebenes Kürbisfleisch verwendet werden.

"River Cottage Veg Everyday" - Spelt salad with squash and fennel

For today´s recipe in my River Cottage Veg Everyday series, one of our children chose the colorful "Spelt salad with squash and fennel". Obviously, squash is abundantly available at this time of year and so is fresh fennel, so this lovely grain and vegetable salad was a good choice for the twelfth post in my series.

When you look at the picture in the book, you see a hearty salad that is loaded with vegetables and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall comments this recipe by saying that “this substantial grainy salad makes a lovely autumn/winter lunch or supper”.

For the grain you can use spelt or pearl barley. Since pearl barley is rather common around here, that is what I first used. We can choose between fine and coarse pearl barley – so I prepared the coarse one according to the package instructions but when I took a look at the cooked barley, I decided to use it for my beef and barley soup and prepared wheat berries instead. I much prefer the structure of cooked wheat berries in this salad. They are more rustic than the pearl barley and stand up much better to the chunky roasted vegetables.

For the squash I used a medium sized lovely butternut squash. We love the flavor and bright orange-colored flesh of that squash. I am rather grateful that this type of squash has become widely available around here in recent years. I made a butternut squash soup with smoked spicy Spanish paprika and butternut crisps last week and the family loved it. Oh, I so have to bake a butternut squash pie this week…but I digress…back to the salad recipe at hand. A fruity olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and some wonderful French sea salt set off the sweetness of the butternut squash in this recipe. Just let the oven work its magic.

After roasting the chunks of squash for 15 minutes, you add the wedges of fresh fennel to the roasting pan together with one clove of garlic and then roast them for another 20 to 30 minutes. Fennel is such an aromatic vegetable with a mild aniseed flavor that pairs amazingly well with the butternut squash. By the end of roasting time, the vegetables should be caramelized but still soft. There were also walnut halves to be added to the salad but my kids do not like nuts in their salad and since they are such unbelievably devoted vegetable taste testers, who am I to argue with them about a few walnuts?!

To finish the salad, you will need the juice of a lemon, grated Parmiggiano Reggiano or other well-flavored hard cheese, freshly chopped Italian parsley and some more freshly ground pepper and sea salt – I also added some more olive oil for a final touch. A picture perfect and wonderfully complex and hearty salad – just perfect for autumn. Who would have thought that fennel and butternut squash taste so wonderful together in a salad – do make sure to keep the fennel fronds for scattering on the finished salad just before serving!

If you own the English edition of this vegetable cookbook, you will find the recipe for the “Spelt salad with squash and fennel” on page 72 in the chapter on "Hearty Salads".

Please take a look at the other posts from my "River Cottage Veg Everyday" series.

FFwD: Caramel-Almond Custard Tart

Today we are making a Caramel-Almond Custard Tart as the designated recipe for the French Fridays with Dorie group. According to Dorie Greenspan this is a newer version of the traditional French Almond Custard Tart.

The first step in making this tart is the preparation of a Sweet Tart Dough using plain flour, confectioners´ sugar, a bit of sea salt, cold unsalted butter and one egg yolk. This is a dough that I always make by hand and not in the food processor – in my humble opinion, making the dough by hand is a rather meditative activity.

After a good three hour rest in the refrigerator, I decided to roll-out the crust rather than press it into my tart pan. This is a very forgiving dough, I enjoy making it and working with it.

Today, I chose my lovely rectangular French tart pan with removable bottom for this tart, I love the way you can cut clean small slices when you bake tarts in this pan.

After blind-baking the tart shell for about twenty minutes, I let it cool down while I prepared the easy caramel custard filling with sugar, water, heavy cream, two eggs, a pinch of sea salt and whole milk. It did not take long to make the caramel and then prepare the custard with it. It had a nice warm brown color when it was ready to be poured into the pre-baked tart shell.

Before you can pour the custard into the pre-baked and cooled tart shell, you scatter about one cup of slithered sweet almonds over the bottom of the tart shell. And then I baked the tart for about 45 minutes until the filling was uniformly puffed.

The tart will have be cooled to room temperature before you can cut nice clean slices. This is a surprisingly easy dessert tart to prepare and it has a nice, elegant look. Some of my taste testers enjoyed a slice with softly whipped cream, others sans crème fouettée – all agreed it was a nice French dessert tart.

To see how much the other members of the French Fridays with Dorie group liked Dorie´s Caramel-Almond Custard Tart,  please click here.

TwD: Danish Braid with Spiced Pear Compote and Chestnut Purée Filling

Today´s recipe for the Tuesdays with Dorie group is a very pretty Danish Braid. The recipe for this traditional breakfast treat was contributed baker Beatrice Ojakangas.

Like other viennoiserie pastries, such as croissants, Danish pastries are made of  laminated yeast-leavened doughs, creating a layered texture similar to a puff pastry. Usually, the traditional method of making these pastries is somewhat laborious and quite time-intensive. Today faster recipes such as Beatrice Ojakangas` version of Danish pastry dough are fairly common. Many of the "newer" recipes combine the butter into the détrempe rather than adding it in the folding process and following that common method, the laminated dough in today´s recipe was made in the food processor and then folded.

After an overnight rest in the refrigerator, the well chilled dough was ready to be shaped and filled. Danish pastry dough is very versatile and keeps well in the fridge for at least 24 hours and up to 4 days.

For the filling the recipe lists different choices such as fruit or berry jam filling and confectioner´s cream or almond filling. I opted to make two fillings using seasonal ingredients.

First I made a spiced pear compote with some fresh pears, ginger, cinnamon, half a vanilla bean and a bit of sugar. While the pear compote was cooling, I made a chestnut purée with the chestnuts from the tree in our garden. For the purée, I used whole milk, a pinch of sea salt and about 100 grams of fresh chestnuts – after about 20 minutes, I forced the cooked chestnuts through a food mill and let the purée cool as well.

After the fillings had cooled and the dough was rolled out, I spread the pear compote down the middle third of the dough, then I made a small well in the compote and spread the chestnut purée down the well. Then I cut the dough strips in slanting lines down each side of the filling and folded the strips of pastry into the center, criss-crossing the filling.

For a final touch, I brushed the Danish braid with a beaten egg white and sprinkled some pearl sugar and slithered hazelnuts over top and baked the Braid for a good 20 minutes.

Using Beatrice Ojakangas basic Danish Pastry dough, you can bake pretty impressive and delicious Danish pastries at home, so long as you apply just a little patience and care when making the dough. It is a time-consuming pastry to make but the outcome is quite delicious and if you decide to make one of the lovely Danish Braids, you will certainly not regret it. Personally, I believe that adding seasonal fillings to your homemade pastry will take your Danish pastry from ordinary to excellent.

Even one of our many bunnies (this one is called Leo) dropped by and took a curious look at what I was serving for teatime today…This Danish Braid is excelllent when enjoyed while still warm and fresh from the oven. The warm spices in the pear compote harmonized quite nicely with the creaminess of the chestnut purée. The pearl sugar and the slithered hazelnuts were a nice final touch, looked pretty and tasted just right as a topping for this Braid.

To see an array of more Danish Braids, baked by the other members of the Tuesdays with Dorie group, please click here.

Should-I-Stay-Or-Should-I-Go Hazelnut Cookies - Haselnuss-Kekse

What´s in a name…sometimes you feel like you should find a fancy name for your personal creations. When I was looking for a title for these Should-I-Stay-Or-Should-I-Go Hazelnut Cookies, I was simply inspired by a saying on one of my tea cups or rather mugs.

Namen sind Schall und Rauch, aber manchmal hat man den Wunsch, den eigenen Kreationen einen etwas außergewöhnlichen Namen zu geben. Bei meinen Should-I-Stay-Or-Should-I-Go Haselnuss-Keksen habe ich mich einfach von dem Spruch auf meiner Tasse inspirieren lassen.

Grown in Europe and the US, hazelnuts are encased in a smooth, hard brown shell but are most commonly sold shelled. The sweet-tasting, cream-colored kernel is small and round, with a pointed tip. Its thin, dark brown skin is faintly bitter, so some people like to remove this before eating. You may be able to buy fresh hazelnuts still in their husks, but most are sold already dried and processed, whole, chopped, or ground, either in or out of their skins.

Haselnüsse werden in Europa und den USA angebaut. Sie haben eine glatte, harte braune Schale, werden jedoch meist geschält verkauft. Der süßliche, cremefarbene Kern ist klein, rund, mit einer kleinen Spitze. Seine dünne, dunkle braune Haut ist leicht bitter, weshalb manche Menschen sie vor dem Verzehr entfernen. Manchmal kann man auf dem Markt frische Haselnüsse noch in ihren Schalen kaufen. Die meisten Haselnüsse, die man im Laden findet, sind jedoch bereits getrocknet und weiter verarbeitet. Man kann sie dann entweder ganz, gehackt oder gemahlen kaufen.

Hazelnuts are good eaten raw but the flavor takes on a more mellow, sweeter character when they are roasted. Like almost all nuts, they have a high fat content, which means they will go rancid pretty quickly if not refrigerated.

Haselnüsse schmecken auch roh lecker. Ihr Geschmack wird aber weicher und süßer, wenn sie geröstet werden. Wie fast alle Nüsse haben sie einen hohen Fettgehalt, was bedeutet, dass sie schnell ranzig werden, wenn sie nicht kühl gelagert werden.

My favorite variety of hazelnuts is called “round Romans”. These wonderful plump nuts grow in beautiful Italy. Fresh hazelnuts of this variety are very crisp and are very aromatic. They contain little oil and are ideal for baking. And, of course, I also like the name!

Meine Lieblingssorte Haselnüsse kommt aus Italien und trägt den schönen Namen „Runde Römer“. Haselnusskerne dieser Sorte sind besonders knackig und aromatisch im Geschmack. Sie enthalten wenig Öl und sind ideal zum Backen. Außerdem gefällt mir der Name!

Should-I- Stay-Or-Should-I-Go Hazelnut-Cookies Ingredients for the Cookies 200 grams wheat (AP) flour 200 grams whole hazelnuts, toasted and ground, I use the "round Romans" 200 grams superfine white sugar 1 tsp cinnamon (I like to use “Ceylon” cinnamon) one pinch of fine sea salt 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla sugar 1 tbsp tangerine peel (organic, please) 2 eggs (L), free range or organic 5 grams baking soda juice of 1/2 lemon (organic, please) To finish the Cookies and for Baking some sugar (I like to take a coarse sugar for this) some cinnamon 100 grams hazelnuts, slithered one dinner plate (with a raised rim – such as a soup plate) two baking sheets, covered with parchment paper

Should-I-Stay-Or-Should-I-Go Haselnuss-Kekse Zutaten für die Kekse 200 Gramm Weizenmehl 200 Gramm ganze Haselnüsse, geröstet und gemahlen, ich nehme die "runden Römer" 200 Gramm feinster Zucker 1 TL Zimt, gemahlen (ich nehme am liebsten „Ceylon“ Zimt) eine Prise feines Meersalz 1 ½ TL Bourbon Vanillezucker 1 EL Mandarinenschale (Bio) 2 Eier (L), Freilandhaltung oder Bio 5 Gramm Natron Saft von 1/2 Zitrone (Bio) Außerdem zum Wälzen der Kekse und zum Backen etwas Zucker (darf etwas gröber als der Zucker im Teig sein) etwas Zimt 100 Gramm Haselnussblättchen ein Teller (am besten mit hohem Rand – wie ein Suppenteller) zwei Backbleche, mit Backpapier ausgelegt

Preparation of the Cookies In a large bowl whisk together the flour, ground hazelnuts, sugar, cinnamon, salt and vanilla sugar. Add the grated rind of the tangerine. In a small bowl, using a fork, lightly whisk together the eggs. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour the eggs in the well. Mix well. Then add the baking soda and lemon juice. Continue to mix with a fork until the mixture is firm and a little “sticky”. In your soup plate, mix together the coarse sugar, the cinnamon and the slithered hazelnuts. Using a spoon or a small ice cream scoop, take small portions of the dough, then shape into balls and roll in the sugar-cinnamon-hazelnut mixture. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, taking care to leave some room between each cookie as they will spread during baking. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes or until the cookies are lightly colored. After baking, the cookies should be crisp on the outside and still chewy on the inside. Let cool about 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to rack to cool completely.

Zubereitung der Kekse In einer großen Schüssel das Mehl mit den gemahlenen Haselnüssen, Zucker, Zimt, Salz und Vanillezucker mischen. Dann die geriebene Schale der Mandarine hinzufügen. In einer kleinen Schüssel die Eier leicht mit einer Gabel verquirlen, eine Mulde in die Mitte der Mehlmischung machen und das verquirlte Ei hineingeben. Gut untermischen. Dann das Natron und den Zitronensaft hinzugeben und ebenfalls gut mit einer Gabel untermischen - bis die Mischung fest ist und ein wenig "klebrig“ ist. In dem Teller mit hohem Rand den Zucker mit einer Prise Zimt und den Haselnussplättchen mischen. Mit einem Löffel (oder einem kleinen Eisproportionierer) etwas Teig abnehmen, zu Kugeln formen und in der Zimt-Zucker-Haselnuss–Mischung wälzen. Die Teigkugel auf die mit Backpapier ausgelegten Backblechen legen – dabei nicht zu dicht aneinander legen, da sich die Kekse beim Backen etwas ausbreiten. Im vorgeheizten Backofen bei 180 Grad Celsius für ca. 15 Minuten backen oder bis die Plätzchen ein wenig Farbe haben. Sie sollten nach dem Backen außen knusprig und innen durchaus noch weich sein. Erst zirka 10 Minuten auf den Blechen erkalten lassen, dann auf Kuchengittern ganz abkühlen lassen und servieren.

If you appreciate cookies with lots of nuts, these Should-I-Stay-Or-Should-I-Go Hazelnut Cookies are right for you. They g so well with a cup of  tea, coffee or hot chocolate. They taste like hazelnut, cinnamon and vanilla with a hint of tangerine - perfect cookies to enjoy while you stay a little longer!

Wenn man gerne Kekse mit Nüssen isst, dann sind diese Should-I-Stay-Or-Should-I-Go Haselnuss-Kekse genau das Richtige. Sie passen ganz großartig zu einer Tasse Tee, Kaffee, oder heißer Schokolade. Sie schmecken wunderbar nach Haselnuss, Zimt und Vanille mit einem Hauch von Mandarinen – perfekte Kekse, um etwas länger zu verweilen!

"River Cottage Veg Everyday" - Stir-fried sesame cauliflower

For today´s recipe in my River Cottage Veg Everyday series, I chose the Asian inspired "Stir-fried sesame cauliflower". Cauliflower is available year round, and abundantly so this month, making this lovely vegetable a good choice for the eleventh post in my series.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall comments his recipe with the following words “cauliflower takes strong seasonings exceptionally well and this easy stir-fry – flavoured with chili, garlic and ginger – is a good example”. After taking one bite of this dish, I could not agree with him more.

This vegetable stir-fry is quickly put together and you can enjoy this as a full meal or as a side-dish. The cauliflower florets get a ten minute soak in cold water. The sesame seeds get toasted for a good minute or two until fragrant. In the meantime, you need to stir-fry some onion, two garlic cloves, chili and freshly grated ginger. Then add the drained cauliflower florets and continue to stir-fry. Finally, add the sesame seeds, good quality toasted sesame oil, low sodium soy sauce and finish with fresh coriander - although I took the liberty of adding coarsely chopped Italian parsley instead, as my dear family is not all that crazy about fresh coriander (one of the very few items that they do not really enjoy all that much).

All of us really enjoyed this stir-fried sesame cauliflower – the fresh ginger and the chilies are wonderful in combination with the mild, delicate flavor of the cauliflower. It is true that this vegetable can certainly take some strong seasonings such as the soy sauce and the toasted sesame oil without being overpowered. This recipe seems to be nice variation on the other cauliflower recipes that I usually prepare. I also appreciated the fact that the stir-fried cauliflower florets kept their shape and still looked nice when plated.

Cauliflower is often overlooked, but you should definitely try it in this vegetable stir-fry for a plateful of crunchy goodness with a delightful Asian twist. Inexpensive and local, it ticks all the right boxes, so make sure not to skimp on this wonderful vegetable while it is fresh and abundantly available.

If you own the English edition of this vegetable cookbook, you will find the recipe for the “Stir-fried sesame cauliflower” on page 376 in the chapter on "Side Dishes".

Please take a look at the other posts from my "River Cottage Veg Everyday" series.

FFwD: Salade Niçoise

Today we are making the famous Salade Niçoise as the designated recipe for the French Fridays with Dorie group.

Salade Niçoise, of course, is a classic French recipe but order this salad anywhere and you are likely to get a different salad every time. One cook might include haricot vert, another a handful of broad beans (also known as fava beans). You might see sliced artichoke hearts, or different kinds of lettuce, even raw peppers and fines herbes (such as parsley, chives, chervil and tarrragon). And there are vinaigrettes with or without garlic. There does not really seem to be any rules for making this salad, but rather there are constants.

The elements that seem to be present in most recipes for Salade Niçoise, including Dorie Greenspans´s, involve boiled small potatoes (ideally new potatoes), green beans, hard-boiled eggs, lettuce, shallots, canned oil-packed tuna, ripe tomatoes, Niçoise olives, capers, and anchovies.

Having regards to the fact that we were ten people around the table today, I tripled the recipe. And since no one really enjoys anchovies in their salad (neither those preserved in oil, nor those kept in coarse salt), I decided to skip those. The capers were replaced with some wonderful caper berries (love those) but other than that – no change to Dorie´s basic recipe.

The dressing for the salad was made of Dijon mustard, olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and sea salt.

Accompanied by some lovely Savory Sesame and Fennel Cookies, the Salade Niçoise was just perfect for our late lunch today.

Savory Sesame and Fennel Cookies (Ka´ach Bilmach)
(adapted and translated by yours truly from the German edition of "Jerusalem, A Cookbook", by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi)
makes about 30-40

Ingredients for the Cookies

• 4 cups AP flour (I used strong flour)
• 6 1/2 tbsps olive oil
• 6 1/2 tbsps unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp fin sea salt
• 6 1/2 tbsps water (300ml)
• 2 tbsps sesame seeds
• or
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fennel seeds, slightly crushed

Plus

• 1 egg for brushing, whisked
• sesame seeds and fennel seeds to sprinkle on top (optional)

Preparation of the Savory Cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit).
2. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, baking powder and sesame seeds or fennel seeds.
3. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the oil and butter. 
4. Gradually add the water and mix until a dough forms.
5. Knead for a couple of minutes (I did this step by hand).
6. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 
7. Form 35 grams (1 ounce) dough balls into ropes. 
8. Form each rope into a ring and place on your parchment paper lined baking sheets.
9. Proof the unbaked cookies for 30 minutes (covered with kitchen towel and in a draft free area).
10. Brush the cookies with the whisked egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds or fennel seeds. 
11. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until lightly golden on top. 
12. Let completely cool on wire racks.

To see how much the other members of the French Fridays with Dorie group liked Dorie´s Salade Niçoise, please click here.