"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.

Nigel Slater´s September Cakes - A whimsical look at Nigel Slater´s Carrot Cake - Nigel Slaters Möhren-Kuchen

Last September, I did a series on a few of my favorite cakes from Nigel Slater. First up was his delightful Black Banana Cake. That recipe made me forget all about my previous recipes for Banana Cake. Then we indulged in his Cinnamon Pear Cake with Vanilla Fudge Sauce. What a treat. And the third cake of the series was the Plum Pudding Cake that I baked with Reine Claude plums. Delightful.

Im September letzten Jahres habe ich eine Reihe meiner Lieblingskuchen von Nigel Slater gepostet. Als erstes war sein wunderbarer Bananen-Kuchen dran. Slaters Rezept hat mich meine bisherigen Rezepte für Bananen-Kuchen vergessen lassen. Dann verwöhnten wir uns mit seinem Zimt-Birne-Kuchen mit Vanille-Karamell-Sauce. Was für ein Genuss! Der dritte Kuchen der Reihe war der Pflaumen-Pudding-Kuchen, den ich mit Reine-Claude-Pflaumen gebacken habe. Wunderbar.

In October, I moved on to his unbelievably delicious Chocolate Beetroot Cake and in November it was the Beetroot Seed Cake. Who would have thought that baking with beets could be this amazing. Oh, yes, let´s not forget about the Rhubarb Cinnamon Polenta Cake that I blogged about in July - that cake convinced me to start a Nigel Slater cake series in the first place. But now let us move on to this lovely, indulgent, delicious Carrot Cake with Mascarpone and Orange Frosting.

Im Oktober gab´s dann den unglaublich leckeren rote Beete-Schokoladen-Kuchen und im November war es der rote Beete-Körner-Kuchen. Wer hätte gedacht, dass Backen mit roten Beeten so erstaunlich lecker sein kann. Oh ja, nicht zu vergessen war aber auch der früh-sommerliche Rhabarber-Zimt-Polenta-Kuchen, der eigentlich die ganze Nigel-Slater-Kuchen-Reihe ins Rollen gebracht hat. Aber heute geht es ja um den Möhren-Kuchen mit Mascarpone und Orangen Frosting.

There are so many recipes for Carrot Cake out there and I have baked quite a few over the years. I like to bake my traditional European-style Carrot Cake that contains no flour but lots of ground nuts and warm spices. But then we also really enjoy these double-layered Carrot Cakes like this recipe from Nigel Slater with a creamy frosting.

Es gibt so viele Rezepte für Möhren-Kuchen und ich habe schon viele verschiedene Rezepte ausprobiert. Meistens backe ich meinen eher traditionellen europäischen Möhren-Kuchen, ohne Mehl, aber mit viel gemahlenen Nüssen und warmen Gewürzen. Aber wir lieben auch solche etwas gehaltvolleren Möhren-Kuchen, wie diesen hier nach einem Rezept von Nigel Slater, mit einer unwiderstehlichen Creme aus Mascarpone, Philadelphia und Orangenzesten.

Since I am a bit in a veggie mode or rather frenzy these days, I bought way too many fresh carrots, again, and decided to incorporate the “raw” carrots into my pictures, for a somewhat whimsical look at Nigel Slater´s delightfully moist, not too sweet carrot cake.

Da ich zur Zeit ein bisschen in einem Veggie-Modus oder vielmehr Rausch bin, habe ich viel zu viele frische Möhren mit nach Hause gebracht und beschlossen, die rohen Möhren in meine Bilder mit einzubeziehen – für einen etwas schrägen Blick auf Nigel Slater´s wunderbar saftigen und herrlich leckeren Möhren-Kuchen.

Recipe for the Carrot Cake with Mascarpone and Orange Frosting (as adapted ever so slightly from Nigel Slater) Ingredients for the Cake 250 grams self-raising flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon (I always use “Ceylon” cinnamon) a pinch of fine sea salt 200 ml sunflower oil 250 grams light muscovado sugar 3 eggs (L), organic or free range 150 grams carrots, organic (please keep the tops for decorating the cake later – optional, of course) juice of half a lemon, organic 150 grams walnuts

Rezept für den Möhren-Kuchen mit Mascarpone und Orangen Frosting (wie immer so leicht von Nigel Slater angepasst) Zutaten für den Kuchen 250 Gramm Mehl (mit Backpulver Zusatz) 1/2 TL Natron 1 TL Backpulver 1 TL gemahlener Zimt (ich immer benutze "Ceylon" Zimt) eine Prise Meer Salz 200 ml Sonnenblumen Öl 250 Gramm heller Muscovado Zucker 3 Eier (L), Bio oder Freiland 150 Gramm Möhren, Bio (Bitte den oberen Teil für die Deko der Torte behalten) Saft einer halben eine Zitrone, Bio 150 Gramm Walnüsse (gewogen ohne Schale)

Ingredients for the Frosting 250 grams Italian mascarpone cheese 200 grams Philadelphia cream cheese 150 grams icing sugar zest of a medium orange, organic carrots tops for decorating (those that you kept from before – and then some) - Nigel Slater decorates his version with walnut halves

Zutaten für das Frosting 250 g Mascarpone 200 g Philadelphia Frischkäse 150 Gramm Puderzucker Zucker abgeriebene Schale von einer mittlere Orange (Bio) Möhrenteile für die Dekoration (die man für die Deko behalten hat und dann noch ein paar dazu) - Nigel Slater dekoriert seinen Möhren-Kuchen mit Walnusshälften

Preparation of the Cake Pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Butter two 22 cm cake pans and line each with a disc of baking parchment. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Beat the oil and sugar in a mixer until well creamed, then introduce the beaten egg yolks one by one, reserving the whites for later. Grate the carrots into the mixture, then add the lemon juice. Roughly chop the walnuts and add them. Fold the flour and spices into the mixture with the machine on slow. Beat the egg whites till light and stiff, then fold tenderly into the mixture with a large metal spoon (a wooden one will knock the air out). Divide the mixture between the cake pans, smooth and bake for 40-45 minutes. Test with a skewer. The cake should be moist, but not sticky. Leave to settle for 10 minutes, then turn on to a wire cooling rack. Preparation of the Frosting Put the icing sugar, mascarpone and Philadelphia into the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat till smooth and creamy. Mix in the orange zest. Assembly of the Cake When the cake has completely cooled, sandwich the two cake halves together with about a third of the frosting. Use the rest to cover the top and sides. A rough finish will look appropriate. Decorate with carrot tops (optional). Place in the refrigerator for about an hour. Storage of the Cake The cake will keep for several days in the fridge, wrapped tightly in saran wrap but bring it to room temperature before serving.

Zubereitung des Kuchens Den Ofen auf 180 Grad Celsius vorheizen. Zwei Backformen (22 cm) fetten und mit Pergamentpapier auslegen. Das Mehl, Natron, Backpulver, Zimt und Salz mischen. Das Öl und Zucker mit dem Schneebesen des Rührgeräts cremig rühren. Dann geschlagene Eigelb eins nach dem anderen hinzugeben, die Eiweißen beiseite stellen. Fein geraspelte Möhren unter die Eigelbmasse heben, dann den Zitronensaft zugeben. Die Walnüsse hacken und ebenfalls unterheben. Das Mehl und die Gewürze in die Mischung geben. Das Eiweiß steif schlagen, dann vorsichtig unterheben (am besten mit einem großen Metall-Löffel, da man mit einem Holzlöffel vorsichtiger arbeiten kann und der Teig dann weniger Volumen verliert). Den Teig auf die beiden vorbereiteten Backformen gleichmäßig verteilen und vorsichtig glattstreichen (am besten mit einer kleinen Palette) und dann 40 bis 45 Minuten backen. Mit einem Spieß testen. Der Kuchen sollte feucht, aber nicht klebrig sein.10 Minuten auskühlen lassen dann auf einem Kuchenrost vollständig erkalten lassen. Zubereitung der Frosting Den Puderzucker, Mascarpone und Philadelphia in einer Schüssel geben. Mit einem elektrischen Mixer glatt und cremig rühren Die Orangenschale untermischen. Fertigstellung des Kuchens Wenn die Kuchenschichten vollständig erkaltet sind, den unteren Boden auf eine Tortenplatte setzen. Mit ca. 1/3 Frosting bestreichen. Oberen Boden daraufsetzen.und wellenartig mit dem restlichen Frosting einstreichen. Wahlweise mit Möhrentops verzieren. Für eine gute Stunde in den Kühlschrank stellen. Lagerung des Kuchens Der Kuchen hält sich für mehrere Tage im Kühlschrank. Dafür gut in Frischhaltefolie einwickeln und vor dem Servieren auf Zimmertemperatur bringen.

Enjoy baking some wonderful cakes with those delightful veggies. If you do happen to need more inspiration, you could always look at my Cakes & Vegetables series that I did last year – it features not only the recipe for above-mentioned Carrot Cake and the Chocolate Beetroot Cake but also recipes for a Sweet Potato Bundt Cake, Mini Pumpkin Muffins, an Old-fashioned Potato-Raisin  Gugelhupf and a Parsnip Spice Cake! So,bake some lovely cakes this fall with all those veggies that are still abundantly available!

Man sollte es in vollen Zügen genießen, mit Gemüse süße Kuchen zu backen. Falls jemand noch ein wenig Inspiration braucht, wäre da noch meine Reihe über „Cakes & Vegatables“, die ich letztes Jahr zusammen gestellt habe. Man kann dort nicht nur oben genannte Rezepte für Möhren-Kuchen und Rote Beete-Schokoladen-Kuchen finden, sondern auch für einen Süßkartoffel-Gugelhupf, Kürbis-Gebäck, Kartoffel-Rosinen-Gugelhupf und Pastinaken-Gewürz-Schnitten! Also dann, frohes Backen mit Gemüse!

FFwD: Rice Pudding with caramelized Italian plums

Today´s recipe for the French Fridays with Dorie group is Rice Pudding or riz au lait.

A fundamentally humble recipe, this is comfort food at its best. Actually, we have not met anyone yet who does not like rice pudding or “Milchreis” as we call it. We all grew up on this dessert and we all have fond memories of eating it.

I have made rice pudding so many times, I believe that I (or anyone else in my family) can prepare it with my (or their) eyes closed. Sometimes I serve it plain, with cinnamon sugar, with all kinds of fruits, with apple sauce or spiced pear compôte. I bake brownies and cakes with rice pudding. And one of my family´s very favorite recipe is the famous “Tarte au riz belge”, a tart filled with creamy rice pudding that is extremly popular in Belgium, the Netherlands (the Limburg region) and in the City of Aachen.

My taste testers were a little irritated when I told them that the designated recipe for today was rice pudding, they were expecting something a bit more “out of the ordinary”. But since the kids consider this to be one of their very favorite dessert of all times and simply never tire of it, they were forgiving.

Obviously, rice plays a pivotal role in rice pudding. The classic choice is, of course, is so-called “pudding rice”. This is not a specific type of rice, but a generic description for short-grained white rice used for making rice pudding. Over the years, I found numerous recipes calling for other sorts, including long-grained basmati. But whichever rice you use, the important thing is that it should give a soft, creamy, slightly sticky result. Pudding rice is widely available in German supermarkets. Make sure to look for rice with plump, shiny, round grains.

Dorie´s recipe calls for Arborio rice (which is also the rice I used when I could not find specific “pudding rice”), milk, sugar and pure vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. I scraped the seeds of one whole vanilla bean into the milk and added the scraped bean as well - this adds a wonderful pure vanilla flavor to the rice pudding.

When the rice pudding was cooked and had cooled for a while, I prepared some caramelized Italian plums using a few tablespoons of local honey, the juice of an orange and cinnamon and those very seasonal and wonderful Italian plums that are abundantly available right now.

Well, happy faces all around! Nice to be making rice pudding with caramelized Italian plums on a Friday afternoon for the whole family! And I liked serving this widely popular dessert in my small WECK jars that I like so much - this delicious rice puddding was a perfectly good excuse to be using them again!

If you are interested to see how the other members of the French Fridays with Dorie group prepared this fabulous dessert, please do click here.

"River Cottage Veg Everyday" - Cannellini Bean Hummus (Cannellini-Bohnen Hummus)

Today I am featuring the "Cannellini Bean Hummus" (Cannellini-Bohnen Hummus) as tenth post in my River Cottage Veg Everyday series.

Although Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall suggests serving this creamy hummus with flatbread or roasted leeks, I decided to serve this easy dip with lots of vegetables, most ot them raw.

For the hummus you need a can of cannellini beans or other white beans (really such a convenient pantry item), half a clove of garlic, a bit of tahini (that lovely sesame paste that has also become a staple at our house), olive oil, some freshly squeezed lemon juice, fresh thyme, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.- you process these ingredients to a purée. Done. You can adjust the seasonings according to your personal taste. At this point, I ususally end up adding more lemon juice to cut through the richness of the puréed white beans and tahini.

For a “topping” of the hummus, you can prepare a Paprika oil which consists of nothing else but olive oil (or rapeseed oil) and paprika (smoked or sweet). Those two ingredients need some gentle heat and a few minutes for the flavors to develop.

For the raw veggies I served “classic” orange carrots, violet carrots (they are particularly sweet and I love the fact that they are orange on the inside and violet on the outside) and yellow carrots  called "crème de lite"(they are less sweet than the other carrots), peas in their pods, red, orange and yellow tomatoes, and small snack cucumbers. And I found what seems to be the last of the sweet corn – I steamed it for a good ten minutes and let it cool before serving it with the other veggies (and, yes, we cut it into equal pieces before eating it with the hummus, same for the cucumbers).

For the paprika that I added to the oil, I settled on a Spanish smoked sweet paprika rather than using a Hungarian one. The flavor of a smoked paprika is quite different from the flavor of other paprika – we found the taste to be very harmonious with this hummus.

I also decided to serve the Paprika oil on the side as opposed to trickling it over the hummus – the kids prefer it that way and who am I to argue when they munch on all these lovely vegetables all the while happily digging into this nice white bean hummus?!

If you own the English edition of this vegetable cookbook, you will find the recipe for the “Cannellini Bean Hummus & Paprika oil” on page 300 in the chapter on "Mezze & Tapas".

 For more Hummus recipes:

• Hummus with Broad Bean & Garden Herb Topping (Hummus mit dicken Bohnen & Gartenkräutern) (HERE)
• Pottery Love, a handcrafted Bowl and Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi's Basic Hummus (HERE)
• Red Beet Hummus & Comfort Food (Rote Beete Hummus & Wohlfühlessen) (HERE)
• A Seasonal Delight: Wild Garlic Spring Hummus (Hummus mit Bärlauch) (HERE)
• Seasonal Cooking: Hummus with Rhubarb Topping & Homemade Tortillas (Saisonale Küche: Hummus mit Rhabarber-Topping & selbstgemachten Tortillas) (HERE)

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

"River Cottage Veg Everyday" - Tomato, thyme and mozzarella tart

Today I am featuring the "Tomato, thyme and mozzarella tart" as the ninth post in my River Cottage Veg Everyday series. Still lots of sunshine and late summer weather today - meaning that we enjoyed this delightful savory tart as a starter to our outside late lunch.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall comments this recipe with the following words "this is a very simple tart to make, using ready-made puff pastry”. In this recipe he suggests various cheese and herb options (such as goat´s cheese, pecorino or blue cheese and basil, rosemary or chives). But, as he so aptly points out, “the basic principle is the same: crisp pastry, soft caramelized tomato, tangy cheese”.

For my version of this recipe, I chose a good-quality puff pastry and for the topping, I opted for some medium-sized vine-riped tomatoes because they are still abundantly available at this time of year. For the cheese I chose to top my tart with fresh organic mozzarella and since the herbs are still growing wild, I picked thyme from my garden to top the tart.

Other than those four ingredients, all you need for this simple and delicious tart is a good quality olive oil* for trickling over the tomatoes. Plus one clove of fresh young garlic, a bit of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper*. And a wee bit of cornmeal for the baking sheet to keep the pastry crisp. And do not forget the eggwash so that you can build a border around your tart with some extra strips of dough and carefully brush the sides so that they will get that extra bit if shiny golden brown color during baking.

Then bake the tart with the tomatoes, sliced garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil for a good 15 minutes in a very hot oven, scatter the cheese over, distribute a few sprigs of thyme on top of the cheese, some more olive oil and pepper and bake again for about ten minutes.

Next time I make this tart, I will add some freshly grated Pecorino Romano in addition to the Mozzarella because I like the delightful saltiness it brings to dishes. And I might leave off the thmye and sprinkle the baked tart with some fresh and wonderfully fragrant basil instead. Also a note on the choice of tomatoes, try to use the least "watery" ones that you will find, as tomatoes have a tendency to make these tarts soggy and that is not what you want.

And last but not least, you should make sure to pre-heat your oven and bake the tart on a low rack, otherwise the bottom will become soggy - although the cornmeal on the baking sheet also helps.

If you own the English edition of this vegetable cookbook, you will find the recipe for the "Tomato, thyme and mozzarella tart" on page 216 in the chapter on "Store-Cupboard Suppers".

Sources:

• Olive oil "nativ extra" from Bonner Oelmanufaktur (Bonn, Germany)
• Black Kampot pepper from Hennes´ Finest (Cologne, Germany)

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

Autumnal Cake with Vanilla Custard and Marzipan stuffed Apples - Apfel-Vanille-Kuchen mit Zimt und Mandeln

Now that fall has officially arrived, why not make the most of apple season by trying and using lots of wonderful, delicious apples and maybe bake a lovely cake, such as an Autumnal Cake with Vanilla Custard and Marzipan stuffed Apples There are countless varieties of apples available at the country fairs, greengrocers, farmers´ markets as well as supermarkets. The flavors of the different apples range greatly and there are two basic types of apples available, the so-called "eating apple" and the "cooking apple". The ones sold as “eating apples” are sweeter and have the more interesting flavors, they include “Golden Delicious” and “Granny Smith”, the “cooking apples” are usually larger and more acidic and include varieties such as “McIntosh” and “Pink Lady”.

Jetzt wo es offiziell Herbst ist, warum nicht das Beste aus der Apfel-Saison zu machen. Man sollte ruhig mal wieder viele wunderbare, leckere Äpfel zum Backen und Kochen nehmen und vielleicht ja mal die ein oder andere "neue" Sorte ausprobieren..Oder vielleicht mal einen wunderbaren Apfel-Vanille-Kuchen mit Zimt und Marzipan backen. Es gibt zur Zeit unzählige Sorten leckerer Äpfel beim Obsthändler, auf dem Markt oder im Supermarkt. Die Aromen der Äpfel sind allerdings oft sehr verschieden und man sollte auf jeden Fall beachten dass es zwei Grundtypen von Äpfeln gibt, den sogenannten „Essapfel“ und den „Kochapfel“. Die Äpfel die hierzulande als "Essäpfel“ verkauft werden sind oft süßer und haben interessantere Aromen, dazu gehören "Elstar“, „Jona Gold“,  und "Granny Smith". Die "Kochäpfel" wie „Cox“ oder „Boskoop“sind in der Regel größer und auch säuerlicher im Geschmack.

There are early varieties also called "summer apples", mid-summer fruit and late-season apples, also known as "winter apples" – the types of apples depend entirely on the place where you live. But whatever kind of apples you buy, the best fruit is the one that is not only regional but was also recently picked. You can create countless dishes with apples, you can put them in pancakes, slice them over your morning muesli, add them to red cabbage or a stuffing, pair them with pork, duck, chicken or turkey, make juice and cocktails, bake tarts, cakes, muffins and puddings, prepare compote, jelly and fritters, or this very pretty treat of a cake.

Es gibt frühe Sorten, wie die Sommeräpfel („Klarapfel“, „Schöner aus Barth“ zum Beispiel), dann gibt es Herbstäpfel (wie Alkmene, Gravensteiner, Holsteiner Cox) und Winteräpfel (wie Berlepsch, Gloster, Sternrette). Welche Sorten man bekommt, hängt natürlich ganz davon ab, wo man lebt. Aber egal für welche Sorten man sich entscheidet, die besten Äpfel sind sicherlich solche aus der Region und frisch geerntet. Man kann ja bekannter weise unzählige Gerichte mit Äpfeln machen. Äpfel schmecken besonders gut auf Pfannkuchen, oder im Morgen-Müsli, als Zutat zum Rotkohl oder als Füllung für Geflügel aber auch zu Schweinefleisch passen Äpfel hervorragend. Man kann aber natürlich auch mal wieder mit frischen Äpfeln wunderbare Torten, Kuchen, Muffins und Pudding, Kompott, Gelee und Krapfen oder ähnliches zubereiten – oder eben diesen hübsch herbstlichen Kuchen backen.

Recipe for the Autumnal Cake with Vanilla Custard and Marzipan stuffed Apples (as translated and adapted from a “Lust auf Genuss” recipe, September 2012) Ingredients for the Pâte Brisée (the recipe is enough for one large 28 cm (10- 11- inch) springform pan) 150 grams cold unsalted butter, cubed 100 grams superfine sugar ½ tsp. baking powder one pinch of fine sea salt 1 Egg (M) organic or free range 220 grams AP (plain) flour Preparation of the Pâte Brisée To make the pâte brisée, combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and process until the mixture resembles coarse oatmeal, 8 to 10 seconds. You can also make the dough with a pastry cutter/by hand. Pat the dough into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least thirty minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the cold pâte brisée (the circle should be about 34 cm). Butter and flour your pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Fit the dough circle into your spring form pan, try to fit it in with a few centimeters up the sides. Transfer the pan to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Prick dough all over with a fork. If the dough is too soft, transfer to refrigerator again and re-chill for about 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit), line the unbaked dough with parchment paper and fill up with ceramic pie weights or uncooked rice or beans and blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights and paper and continue to bake for another five to eight minutes or until the crust is golden color. Take out of the oven, place on a rack and let cool while preparing the topping.

Rezept für den Apfel-Vanille-Kuchen mit Zimt und Mandeln (inspiriert von einem "Lust auf Genuss" Rezept aus dem September Heft 2012) Zutaten für den Mürbeteig (das Rezept ist ausreichend für eine große Springform-Backform (28 cm) 150 Gramm kalte Butter in Würfeln und etwas Fett für die Form 100 Gramm feinster Zucker ½ TL Backpulver eine Prise feines Meersalz 1 Ei (M), Bio oder Freiland 220 Gramm Weizenmehl (Typ 505) Zubereitung des Mürbeteigs Alle Zutaten für den Teig in eine Rührschüssel geben und (evtl. mit den Knethaken des Handrührgeräts) zu einem glatten Teig verkneten. Teig flach drücken und in Frischhaltefolie wickeln. Den Teig mindestens 30 Minuten kühl stellen. Den Mürbeteig auf bemehlter Arbeitsfläche zu einem Kreis (Ø ca. 34 cm) ausrollen. Die Springform fetten und am Boden mit Backpapier auslegen. Die vorbereitete Springform mit dem Teig auslegen, den Rand dabei möglichst hochziehen. Die Backform auf ein großes Backblech das mit Backpapier ausgekleidet ist, stellen. Den Teig mit einer Gabel überall einstechen. Wenn der Teig zu weich ist, nochmals für weitere 30 Minuten in den Kühlschrank geben. Den Backofen auf 200 Grad (Umluft: 180 Grad) vorheizen. Den Teigboden mit Backpapier belegen, mit Hülsenfrüchten auffüllen. Teig im vorgeheizten Ofen auf der unteren Schiene ca. 15 Minuten vorbacken. Teigboden herausnehmen, Hülsenfrüchte samt Papier vorsichtig entfernen und eventuell für nochmals 5 bis 8 Minuten weiter backen, bis der Boden goldbraun ist. Aus den Ofen nehmen und auf einem Kuchenrost abkühlen lassen während man die Füllung vorbereitet.

Ingredients for the Vanilla Custard (feel free to use your favorite recipe) 65 grams (1/3 cup) sugar 4 egg yolks (L), organic or free range  2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch 450 ml (2 cups) whole milk 120 ml (1/2 cup) heavy cream 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small bits the seeds from one vanilla bean (or 1 1/2 tsp good-quality pure vanilla extract)

Zutaten für den Vanillepudding (man kann auch sein Lieblingsrezept verwenden) 65 Gramm Zucker 4 Eigelb (L), Bio oder Freiland 2 ½  EL Stärkemehl 450 ml Vollmilch 120 ml Sahne 2 EL ungesalzene Butter das Mark von einer Vanilleschote (oder 1 1/2 TL Vanille-Extrakt)

Preparation of the Vanilla Custard In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, egg yolks and cornstarch. Whisk in milk and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently, then boil, taking care not to "burn" the custard. Continue whisking for about one minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer to a bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the hot custard. (so their will be no "skin" on the surface of the vanilla custard). Set aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the cake.

Zubereitung des Vanillepuddings In einem mittleren Topf den Zucker, die Eigelb und das Stärkemehl miteinander verrühren. Die Milch und Sahne hinein rühren. Bei mittlerer Hitze, und ständigem Rühren zum Kochen bringen, aufpassen, dass die Mischung nicht anbrennt, dann ein oder zwei Minuten weiter köcheln lassen. Den Topf vom Herd nehmen. Mit dem Schneebesen Butter und das Mark der Vanilleschote unterrühren. In eine Schüssel umfüllen und Frischhaltefolie direkt auf der Oberfläche des heißen Vanillepuddings legen (so bekommt der Pudding keine Haut). Beiseite stellen, abkühlen lassen während man die Äpfel für dem Kuchen vorbereitet.

Ingredients for the stuffed Apples 7-8 small apples (choose cooking apples that are all the same size and red skinned, if possible) 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 100 grams (3.5 ounces) marzipan,  (I used “Lübecker baking marzipan”) 2 tbsp raisins soaked in rum or apple juice 1 tbsp cinnamon sugar 4 cinnamon sticks (you will have to break them into equal pieces) - or use 7-8 whole cinnamon sticks

Zutaten für die Marzipan-Äpfel 7 bis 8 kleine Äpfel (Boskoop oder eine andere Herbstapfelsorte möglichst mit roter Schale) 2 EL frisch gepresster Zitronensaft 100 Gramm Backmarzipan 50 Gramm Rum-Rosinen 1 EL Zimtzucker 4 Zimtstangen (die man in 8 gleiche Stücke brechen kann) - oder man nimmt 7-8 ganze Zimtstangen

Preparation of the Apples Wash the apples and core them using an apple corer. With a sharp kitchen knife or vegetable peeler, cut some of the peel off (like a spiral around the apple). Rub the exposed areas of the apples with the lemon juice. With a fork, mix together the marzipan, cinnamon sugar and the raisins. Stuff the hollowed out cores of the apples with the marzipan mixture. Stick a cinnamon stick in the top of each apple (you have to get a really good grip of the apples to do this). NOTE: For slicing the cake, you can take out the cinnamon sticks, that will make it easier to cut nice pieces of the Apple Cake. Equipment one large spring form pan 26 – 28 cm (10 inches) parchment paper ceramic pie weights or dried rice/beans For the “Final Touch” (optional) 2 tbsp (homemade) apple jelly some slithered almonds some confectioners´ sugar

Zubereitung der Marzipan-Äpfel Inzwischen für den Belag die Äpfel waschen und mit einem Apfelausstecher jeweils das Kerngehäuse entfernen. Nach Belieben wie im Foto mit einem Sparschäler die Schale spiralförmig abziehen Äpfel rundum mit Zitronensaft einstreichen. Marzipan mit Rum-Rosinen und Zimtzucker verkneten. Die Äpfel mit der Marzipan-Mischung füllen. Die Zimtstangen in Stücke brechen und in jeden Apfel oben in die Füllung ein Stück Zimtstange als Stiel stecken. Hinweis: Zum Schneiden des Kuchens, kann man die Zimtstangen vorher entfernen – dadurch kann man bessere Stücke schneiden. Zusätzlich eine große Springform 26 - 28 cm  Pergamentpapier Gewichte aus Keramik zum Blindbacken oder getrockneter Reis/Bohnen Zur Dekoration 2 El (selbstgemachter) Apfelgelee einige Mandelblättchen etwas Puderzucker

Putting together the Cake If you turned off the oven after blind baking the cake crust, you have to pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) again. Place the baking pan with the pre-baked and cooled crust onto the baking sheet covered with parchment paper (same you used when blind baking). Take your vanilla custard and with an off-set spatula spread it over the bottom of the crust as evenly as possible, do not worry about some lumps, they will smooth out during baking. Taking one apple at a time, carefully place the apples on top of the custard, one in the center, the others around the "center apple". Push ever so slightly into the custard. Return the cake to the oven and bake for a good hour. Take out of the oven. Let the cake cool on the baking sheet. NOTE: after half an hour of baking, you can also loosely cover the cake with a large sheet of aluminum foil to prevent the custard from turning too dark or to help the apples become a bit softer (optional). In a small saucepan, heat the apple jelly and with a soft-bristled pastry brush carefully brush the areas of the apples that are "exposed". Toss a few slithered almonds over top and dust ever so slightly with confectioner´s sugar just before serving. NOTE: you should let the cake cool completely before unmolding and serving it, it will be much easier to cut.

Fertigstellung des Kuchens Falls der Ofen ausgestellt ist, erneut auf 180 Grad vorheizen. Den vorgebacken und ausgekühlten Mürbeteigboden in der Form auf ein Backblech stellen das mit Pergamentpapier belegt ist. Den Vanillepudding auf dem Mürbeteigboden so gleichmäßig wie es geht verteilen – sollten dabei ein paar Klümpchen bleiben oder entstehen, ist das nicht schlimm, da sie beim Backen verschwinden. Vorsichtig die gefüllten Äpfel kreisförmig auf dem Vanillepudding verteilen, dabei leicht in den Pudding drücken, dabei einen Apfel in der Mitte platzieren und die anderen kreisförmig drum herum. Den Kuchen im vorgeheizten Ofen auf der zweiten Schiene von unten eine gute Stunde backen und dann herausnehmen. TIPP: nach einer halben Stunde kann man auch den Kuchen mit einem Stück Alufolie lose abdecken damit die Äpfel ein wenig weicher werden beim Backen. In einem kleinen Topf das Apfelgelee leicht erwärmen und mit einem weichen Backpinsel die noch warmen Äpfel damit bestreichen bzw. den Teil der Äpfel bestreichen, der aus dem Pudding heraus schaut. Alles mit den Mandelblättchen bestreuen und vor dem Servieren nach Belieben mit Puderzucker bestäuben und servieren. Hinweis: man sollte den Kuchen vollständig abkühlen lassen bevor man ihn aus der Form nimmt, dann lässt er sich auch viel einfacher in Stücke schneiden.

For stuffing the apples, try to find real good marzipan, the kind that is made only with ground almonds and sugar. You will not need a lot (just about 100 grams) and you will have plenty left over for other delicious uses. The marzipan that I always use is "Niederegger-Lübeck Marzipan" - the ratio of almonds and sugar in good quality marzipan is 70% whole blanched almonds to 30 % sugar, pure and simple.

Für die Füllung der Äpfel, sollte man versuchen ein wirklich gutes Backmarzipan zu benutzen. Ein Marzipan, welches nur aus gemahlenen Mandeln und Zucker besteht. Da man nur zirka 100 Gramm Marzipan für diesen Kuchen benötigt, hat man ja auch vielleicht ein wenig übrig, für andere leckere Kreationen. Ich benutze gerne das "Niederegger-Lübecker Backmarzipan" - das Verhältnis von Mandeln und Zucker ist dann 70 % Mandeln 30 % Zucker, ohne weitere Zusätze. Lecker.

Hope that you will enjoy this pretty Autumnal Cake with Vanilla Custard and Marzipan stuffed Apples! The cake tastes delightful and it looks very pretty too! And with all those wonderful and fresh apples available, now is the time to bake it!

Frohes Backen! Es lohnt sich zweifellos diesen wunderbaren herbstlichen Apfel-Vanille-Kuchen mit Zimt und Mandeln einmal auszuprobieren! Es schmeckt lecker und sieht entzückend aus! Und jetzt im Herbst mit all den leckeren und frischen Äpfeln, ist einfach die beste Zeit für Apfelkuchen!