Mutzemandeln - Fried Almond Cookies

Since carnival season is just around the corner, I am posting the recipe for my personal favorite sweet Carnival treat, namely Fried Almond Cookies (Mutzemandeln) again today. Just like I did today, I bake these cookies every year around Carnival season.  I have loved these ever since I was a child. But this year I used spelt flour instead of the wheat flour, giving these wonderful treats an even more "nutty" character. One of the nice aspects about a blog is that you can revisit recipes and make revisions, while learning more about baking, and sharing those discoveries with your faithful readers.

Da die Karnevalszeit ja kurz bevor steht, gibt es heute schon mal ein Rezept für mein persönliches Karnevals-Lieblingsgebäck, Mutzemandeln. Ich backe Mutzemandeln jedes Jahr zur Karnevalszeit, ich habe diese Kekse schon als Kind geliebt. Dieses Jahr habe ich allerdings die Mutzemandeln mit Dinkelmehl gebacken, was den nussigen Charakter dieser wunderbaren Kekse noch besser zur Geltung kommen läßt. Einer der Vorteile eines Blogs ist doch, dass man Rezepte, über die man schon einmal geschrieben hat, überarbeiten kann und dann die Änderungen mit seinen treuen Lesern teilen kann.

Mutzemandeln are almond-shaped pastries or cookies made from a medium stiff dough with baking powder as a leavening agent. The dough is prepared with or without ground almonds, then some cinnamon, pure vanilla sugar, and some dark rum (or whole milk). Having tried both versions many times, I much prefer the version containing almonds to the ones with no ground almonds added to the dough and we do love the taste of ground nuts, particularly almonds, in all kinds of baked goods. During Canival season you can buy these cookies at many bakeries in Cologne and in the lower Rhine region, but they are also easy to make at home and they do taste so much better when you bake them yourself.

Mutzemandeln sind mandelförmige Kekse, die aus einem relativ festen Teig mit Backpulver als Triebmittel hergestellt werden. Der Teig kann, je nach Geschmack, mit oder ohne gemahlene Mandeln gemacht, dann wird noch etwas Zimt, Vanillezucker und etwas dunkler Rum (oder Vollmilch) dazu gegeben. Nachdem wir beide Versionen oft und gerne ausprobiert haben, bevorzugen wir definitiv die Version mit Mandeln, da wir generell den Geschmack von Nüssen, besonders Mandeln, in Backwaren sehr schätzen. Man kann diese traditionellen Kekse in vielen Bäckereien in Köln und im Rheinland während des Karnevals kaufen, aber wenn man sie selbst macht, schmecken sie doch um einiges besser und sind einfach unschlagbar.

Once you have prepared the cookie dough, it has to be chilled. Then you just rolled it out on a well-floured surface, and, here comes the fun part, then you cut out the cookies using a special cookie cutter that cuts up to twenty almond shaped cookies at the same time. The other day, I bought a vintage cookie cutter that cuts out only ten at a time and that is the one that the kids prefer to use. The cookies get fried in vegetable shortening, or oil, drained on paper towels and dusted with powdered sugar while still lukewarm.

Der gut gekühlte Teig muss ausgerollt werden und mit einem speziellen Mutzemandelausstecher ausgestochen werden. So kann man bis zu zwanzig  Mutzemandeln auf einmal ausstechen, was natürlich auch Zeit spart. Ich habe letztens einen alten Ausstecher für zehn Mutzemandeln gefunden - den nehmen die Kinder lieber. Die Kekse werden in Fett ausgebacken, auf Küchenpapier abgetropft und nach dem Ausbacken mit Puderzucker bestäubt, am besten wenn sie noch lauwarm sind.

While the special cookie cutter might not be available everywhere (www.staedter.de), the cookies can also be cut out by using a tear drop cookie cutter set, such as the one from Ateco (Ateco Tear Drop Metal Cookie Cutter Set available for example at www.amazon.com). If you cannot get your hands on one of these cookie cutters, I will be more than happy to help you get one.

Man kann den speziellen Ausstecher bestellen (www.staedter.de), oder man kann die Kekse auch mit einem tropfenförmigen Ausstecher machen, oder sogar einzeln per Hand formen. Falls ihr einen Mutzemandel-Ausstecher braucht und nicht finden könnt, helfe ich gerne weiter.

Fried Almond Cookies Ingredients for the Cookies 3 eggs (L), organic or free range  2 tbs dark rum* 1 tbsp milk (I use 3.5%) 175 grams (6 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted 75 grams (2,6 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature 200 gram (7 ounces) natural almond meal 400 grams (14 ounces) white spelt flour** 2 tsp baking powder a pinch of fine sea salt 1 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon 2 tsp pure vanilla sugar (homemade or store bought) * NOTE: you can use 3 tbsps of milk instead of rum and milk **NOTE: you can use wheat flour instead of spelt flour In addition some flour for the work surface a special cookie cutter some powdered sugar for dusting the fried cookies fat/vegetable shortening for frying

Mutzemandeln Zutaten für die Kekse 3 Eier (L), Bio oder Freiland  2 EL Rum* 1 EL Milch (3.5%) 175 Gramm Puderzucker, gesiebt 75 Gramm Butter, Zimmertemperatur 200 Gramm Mandeln, gemahlen  400 Gramm helles Dinkelmehl** 2 TL Weinstein-Backpulver eine Prise feines Meersalz 1 TL Ceylon-Zimt 2 TL Bourbon Vanillezucker (oder selbstgemacht) *TIPP: man kann auch nur Milch anstatt Rum und Milch nehmen **TIPP: man kann auch Weizenmehl anstatt Dinkelmehl nehmen Außerdem etwas Mehl für die Arbeitsfläche ein Mutzemandelausstecher etwas Puderzucker zum Bestäuben Pflanzenfett/Öl zum Ausbacken

Preparation of the Cookies With an electric hand mixer or a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs together with the rum (if using) or the milk, until frothy. Add the powdered sugar and continue whisking for a few minutes. Cut the softened butter into small pieces and gradually add to the dough mixture. In a medium bowl whisk together almond meal, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and vanilla sugar. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and slowly beat until the whole dough comes together (it will be sticky). Half the dough and wrap the pieces well. Place in the refrigerator for about an hour (better overnight). In a deep fryer heat your oil or vegetable shortening until it reaches 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Take one half of the dough out of the fridge. Divide the dough into four parts. While rolling out 1/4 of the dough to a 1 centimeter (0.4 inch) thickness, you can keep the rest of the dough in the refrigerator. Cut out the cookies preferably using an almond or tear shaped cookie cutter. Deep-fry the cookies (20 at a time) for about three to five minutes or until they have a deep golden color. Transfer to a paper-lined cookie sheet to get rid of some of the fat used for frying. While still lukewarm, liberally dust with powdered sugar and serve. NOTE: Should you not be able to get the specialty cookie cutter, you can always make these cookies using the following technique: form the dough into 1.5 cm thick rolls. Cut the rolls into 2 cm long pieces and shape each piece into a teardrop-shaped cookie.

Zubereitung der Mutzemandeln Mit einem elektrischen Handmixer oder Standmixer die Eier zusammen mit dem Rum oder der Milch, schaumig rühren. Den Puderzucker hinzufügen und für einige Minuten weiter rühren. Die weiche Butter in kleine Stücke schneiden und nach und nach zu der Eiermasse hinzufügen. In einer Schüssel Mandeln, Mehl, Backpulver, Salz, Zimt und Vanillezucker miteinander mischen.  Die Buttermischung zur Mehlmischung hinzufügen und langsam verrühren bis ein homogener Teig entsteht (der Teig ist recht klebrig). Den Teig halbieren und die Teighälften in Klarsichtfolie einwickeln. Für eine gute Stunde (besser über Nacht) in den Kühlschrank legen. Das Fett auf 180 Grad in der Fritteuse oder in einem hohen Topf erhitzen. Die eine Hälfte des Teig aus dem Kühlschrank nehmen. Die Teighälfte in vier gleiche Teile aufteilen. Jedes Teigstück auf der bemehlten Arbeitsfläche zu einer Dicke von 1 Zentimeter ausrollen. Man sollte den Rest des Teigs in der Zwischenzeit im Kühlschrank lassen. Die Mutzemandeln ausstechen – entweder mit einem speziellen Ausstecher oder einem anderen tropfenförmigen Ausstecher. Die Mutzemandel ausbacken (20 auf einmal) – das dauert zirka drei bis fünf Minuten oder solange, bis die Kekse goldgelb sind. Auf einem mit Küchenkrepp ausgelegten Backblech die fertigen Kekse gut abtropfen lassen. Während die Kekse noch lauwarm sind, reichlich mit Puderzucker bestäuben und möglichst frisch genießen. TIPP: Sollte man keinen Mutzemandelausstecher besitzen, kann man die Mutzemandeln auch mit den Fingern formen. Dafür aus dem Teig 1,5 cm dicke Rollen formen. Die Rollen in 2 cm lange Stücke schneiden und daraus kleine tropfenförmige Mandeln formen.

These Fried Almond Cookies taste best the day they are made, even better, while they are still a bit warm. But if you have any left-overs, they do keep well for up to a week if properly stored. I like to use a large glass or porcelain container to keep them as fresh as possible. Tomorrow we will be visiting an artisan flour mill. I will buy many different kinds of fresh flour there - some of that flour will be put to rather good use for more delicious carnival treats to be featured here in the coming days.

Obwohl die Mutzemandeln direkt nach dem Backen und noch lauwarm natürlich am besten schmecken, kann man sie jedoch gut bis zu einer Woche lang aufbewahren. Dabei sollte man allerdings darauf achten, dass man die Kekse am besten in einer Porzellandose oder einem Glasgefäß gelagert werden. Morgen besuchen wir eine Mehlmühle in der Region - dort gibt es eine Reihe wunderbarer frischer Mehlsorten. Und dann gibt es diese Woche hier auf meinem Blog noch mehr leckeres Karnevalsgebäck.

Pretzel Sticks & Small Crunchy Pretzel - Salzstangen & Salzbrezel

There are probaly not many snackers out there who do not like Pretzel Sticks. Their generous crunch, and abundant salt coating make for an easy-to-love snack that never really goes out of style. At least not in our house.

Es gibt wohl kaum jemanden den ich kenne, der keine Salzstangen mag. Sie sind unwiderstehlich knusprig und so schön salzig – da ist es schwer, sich nicht der Knabberei hinzugeben.

I have been looking for the longest time for a recipe for homemade Pretzel Sticks. I wanted a recipe that was not unduly complicated and relatively fast to make. A recipe that had no yeast, hence needed no time for a first and second rise. And since snack food like this never really lasts long at our house, I also did not want it to include a sourdough starter, which is known to keep baked goods moist for quite a while. And, most importantly, I wanted a recipe for crunchy salty pretzel sticks. These will keep for a day or two in a cookie tin but they are definitely at their best when enjoyed the day they were made. That´s exactly what I was looking for when I developed this recipe, crunchy goodness to be enjoyed right away!

Ich habe schon sehr lange ein Rezept gesucht um mal Salzstangen selber zu machen. Ich habe ein Rezept gesucht, dass nicht allzu kompliziert ist und das relativ schnell zu machen ist. Ein Rezept, bei dem der Teig nicht zu gehen braucht, also ohne Hefe. Und da solches salziges Gebäck bei uns sehr beliebt ist und immer schon am selben Tag verspeist wird, wollte ich auch ein Rezept ohne Sauerteig, der Backwaren länger saftig hält. Außerdem sollten die Salzstangen ja auch knusprig werden und nicht locker. Diese Salzstangen halten sich zwar in einer gut verschlossenen Dose, aber am besten schmecken sie an dem Tag, an dem sie gebacken wurden. So soll es sein. Knusprig gebacken und noch am selben Tag verspeist.

Pretzel Sticks (makes about 40, each 8 inches long) Ingredients for the Pretzel Sticks 125 grams spelt flour (I used white spelt flour) 1/8 tsp baking powder one good pinch of fine sea salt 1 egg yolk (L), oragnic or free range 30 ml (2 tbsps) unsalted butter, melted and cooled 60 ml (4 tbsps) whole milk, tepid For the glaze some more whole milk coarse sea salt or pretzel salt Equipment required two baking sheets two sheets of baking parchment oder Silpmat baking mats a pastry brush with soft bristles

Salzstangen (ergibt ungefähr 40 Stück, zirka 20 cm lang) Zutaten für die Salzstangen 125 Gramm Dinkelmehl (hell) 1/8 TL Weinstein-Backpulver eine Prise feines Meersalz 1 Eigelb (L), Bio oder Freiland 30 ml (2 EL) ungesalzene Butter, geschmolzen und etwas abgekühlt 60 ml (4 EL) Milch, lauwarm Zum Bepinseln etwas Milch grobes Meersalz oder Brezelsalz Desweiteren zwei Backbleche zwei Bögen Backpapier (oder Silpat-Backmatten) einen Backpinsel mit weichen Borsten

Preparation of the Pretzel Sticks Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F (conventional) or 325 degrees F (convection ). Line two baking sheets with baking parchment or Silpat baking mats. Fill a small cup with the milk for the glaze and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Then add the egg yolk, butter and the milk. Knead the dough just until it feels smooth, not shappy anymore.  Transfer the dough to a very lightly floured work surface and divide into forty pieces - keep the remaining dough pieces loosely covered with cling wrap while working on rolling out the dough. Roll each piece into a very thin rope about 8 inches long. Leave them as ropes or continue on to form small pretzel. Gently place the dough ropes onto the prepared baking sheets (20 per sheet) and brush carefully with some of the milk, sprinkle with coarse sea salt or pretzel salt. Bake the pretzel sticks for about 20 to 25 minutes until fully hardened, crunchy, light to dark brown, and glossy, checking every few minutes after 15 minutes.  Let the pretzel sticks cool completely on the baking sheets (or they will break).  Eat straight away or store the pretzel sticks at room temperature in an airtight container for a day or two.

Zubereitung der Salzstangen Den Ofen auf 175° C (150° C Umluft) vorheizen. Zwei Backbleche mit Backpapier oder Silpat Backmatten belegen. Die Milch zum Bestreichen der Salzstangen in eine kleine Schüssel füllen. Beiseite stellen. In einer mittleren Schüssel, das Mehl, mit dem Backpulver und Salz vermischen. Dann Eigelb, Butter und Milch dazugeben und nur so lange unterkneten, bis ein geschmeidiger Teig entstanden ist. Die Arbeitsfläche mit sehr wenig Mehl bestäuben und den Teig in 40 Stücke teilen. Die anderen Teigstücke solange locker mit Frischhaltefolie abdecken. Aus den Teigstücken sehr dünne Stangen (zirka 20 cm lang) oder (wahlweise kleine Brezel) formen. Die Stangen auf die vorbereiteten Backbleche legen und vorsichtig mit der Milch bestreichen dann mit etwas Meersalz oder Brezelsalz bestreuen. Die Stangen zirka 20 bis 25 Minuten knusprig braun backen, oder solange backen, bis sie die gewünschte Farbe haben. Nach 15 Backzeit alle paar Minuten nachsehen, ob die Salzstangen nicht zu dunkel geworden sind. Auf den Backblechen völlig abkühlen lassen (sonst brechen sie zu leicht). Die Salzstangen am selben Tag verzehren oder in einer gut schließenden Dose ein bis zwei Tage aufbewahren.

l made two versions of this dough. The first version for the Pretzel Sticks exactly as per the above recipe and the second version for the Small Pretzel with only one change to the recipe. Instead of the white spelt flour, I used half wheat flour and half whole wheat flour.

Ich habe zwei Versionen von diesem Teig gemacht. Einmal für die Salzstangen genau wie oben im Rezept beschrieben mit hellem Dinkelmehl. Die zweite Version für die kleinen Salzbrezel habe ich mit 60 Gramm Weizenmehl und 65 Gramm Vollkornmehl gebacken.

We loved both versions of and the slight difference in taste and texture. My recipe is easily put together and relatively fast to prepare. Another bonus is that you can vary the kind of flour that you would like to use. And as much as I love my savory cheese biscuits (as can be seen here), these Pretzel Sticks look very pretty and they are different. And it is always good to know the ingredients  used to bake our beloved snack food.

Uns haben beide Varianten ganz ausgezeichnet geschmeckt – das Rezept lässt sich leicht variieren, ist einfach und relativ schnell hergestellt. Und dann doch mal etwas Anderes als Käsegebäck (was ich auch sehr liebe, wie man hier sehen kann) und doch sicherlich auch ein Hingucker. Und es ist doch gut zu wissen, welche Zutaten in unserem Knabbereien stecken.

Enjoy baking my Pretzel Sticks and Small Pretzel and share them generously with family and friends!

Viel Spaß beim Nachbacken meiner Salzstangen und Salzbrezel und beim großzügigen Teilen mit Familie und Freunden!

French Fridays with Dorie - You´ll Spoil Your Appetite Croquants

Today´s recipe for the French Fridays with Dorie group is Croquants, a rather delightful "You´ll Spoil Your Appetite" kind of French cookie.

Croquant translates as "crispy" or "crunchy" in French and that goes a long way towards describing these delectable cookies  They are - like their name - crisp and crunchy, made very simply with egg whites, sugar, a bit of flour, and the toasted nut(s) of your choice. Today, I made these croquants with three kinds of nuts and one kind of seed using almonds, Italian hazelnuts (called "round Romans", they are simply the best hazelnuts you can find around here), unsalted cashews and, my favorite, dark green Styrian pumkin seeds. You can also opt for the more typical almond version, if you prefer.

As mentioned above, they only take a handful of ingredients and are rather easy to make. You chop the nuts (and seeds, if using) and the batter is a simple stir and drop affair that you can bake immediately. No need to whip the egg whites, either.

Making the croquants will always begin with the selection of the nuts. Roughly chop them. Once the nuts are taken care of, the rest is a breeze. Add superfine white baking sugar (I also added pure vanilla sugar, cinnamon and some fine sea salt), then the flour (I used white spelt flour) to a medium bowl. Whisk together before stirring in two egg whites. Stir the lot together until the batter is thick and holds together well. And the batter is done!

These cookies are delicious and quite satisfying. One minute you have these tiny piles of just-mixed stuff, the next you have some macaroon-esque delights. And this is also a great way to use up leftover egg whites. The cookies also last for ages in a cookie tin so do not worry about having to gobble them all up the same day. The only thing to pay attention to really is the space between each one, do not be tempted to place too many on one baking sheet. It is wise to use two sheet here, covered with baking parchment, as these cookies will definitely spread and stick. Let them cool completely before removing them from the baking sheets.

If you enjoy crunchy cookies, you will agree with me that these cookies are delicious, addictive, and incredibly easy to make - definitely the "You´ll Spoil Your Appetite" kind of cookie that you would want to share with family and friends!

To see whether the other members of the French Fridays with Dorie group enjoyed this week´s recipe, please go here.

For copyright reasons, we do not publish the recipes from the book. But you can find the recipe for “Croquants“ on page 410 in Dorie Greenspan´s cookbook "Around my French Table".

The Cottage Cooking Club - January Recipes

January marks the ninth month of our international online cooking group, The Cottage Cooking Club. As a group, recipe by recipe, we are cooking and learning our way through a wonderful vegetable cookbook written in 2011 by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, called „River Cottage Everyday Veg“.

The Cottage Cooking Club is meant to be a project aimed at incorporating more vegetable dishes in our everyday cooking, getting to know less known, forgotten or heritage vegetables, learning new ways to prepare tasty and healthy dishes, and sharing them with family and friends.

All the members of this cooking group will make an effort to use as much local, regional, organic and also seasonal produce as is resonably possible. With that goal in mind, during the month of January, I prepared a nice array of vegetable dishes from the recipe line-up.

Since I prepared seven out of ten recipes, I will write about each dish according to the order in which I prepared them.

My first recipe for this January post was the Spelt Salad with Squash and Fennel (page 72) from the chapter "Hearty Salads". I have made variations of this wonderful salad many times before. Sometimes I will use medium-sized or large pearl barley, or pearled spelt and sometimes wheatberries. Depending on the season, I will also add different kinds of vegtables to it.

This time I added oven-roasted butternut squash and fennel, as per the recipe. The roasting brings out the best in those two lovely vegetables. While roasting, the butternut squash will turn sweet and creamy and the fennel will develop the most wonderful anisseed flavor paired with a distinct sweetness as well. Heavenly.The dressing is quickly prepared with olive oil from the roasting pan, lemon juice, pepper, salt, Parm and chopped Italian parsley – make sure to keep the fennel fronds for the final touch.

This salad is now a true family-favorite and I cannot stress enough that you should really be making this on a regular basis. The left-overs are almost more delicious than the freshly-prepared salad and are perfect for packing-up for the office or for school.

The second recipe was one I was looking forward the most – fennel is my very favorite veg these days and the Fennel and Celeriac Soup with Orange Zest (page 142) from the chapter „Hefty Soups“  really got my attention.

The soup is made with fennel and some celeriac as the vegtable base, then some shallots and homemade vegetable stock (page 130) and a touch of orange zest. Before serving, add a nice dollop of crème fraîche. While roasting makes fennel sweet and tender, cooking fennel in the stock brings out a rather mild aniseed flavor, one that is complemented in the most delicious of ways by the orange zest. The addition of the crème fraîche makes for an even more velvety texture. Fennel is excellent for making soup we really enjoyed it but I like fennel even better when it is sweet and oven-roasted (above) and adorned by nothing else than a really good-quality salt for example.

The third recipe I prepared was the dish with the most lovely name of them all, the Curried Bubble and Squeak (page 228)from the chapter „Store-cupboard Suppers“.

The name refers to the appetizing sound this stir-up of cooked potatoes and greens makes as it cooks. As kitchen recycling goes, this is probably the most useful of all, neatly dispensing with those most difficult of leftovers. I used cold cooked potatoes and Brussels sprouts as the main stars of this dish – then some finely sliced onions, salt, pepper and a mild curry powder. Kids loved this, it is not unlke the pan-fried potatoes that we make around here, except that you can add just about anything edible to it that strikes your fancy. Delicious. Easy. Fool-proof.

The fourth recipe this month was Big Baked Mushrooms (page 385) from the chapter „Side Dishes“. Love at first bite.

This will be my go to recipe for a mushroom side-dish in the future and although I did not find large mushrooms for this recipe, the recipe worked just the same. Dot mushrooom caps with butter, scatter on some garlic, then salt and pepper to taste and bake for a good 15 minutes, then I added some cheese and baked them for a few minutes more. Done.

When served on a bed of various greens such as red baby Swiss chard leaves that taste a little like spinach and gorgeous dark burgundy-colored red beet leaves, these easy mushrooms are the most tempting, utterly delicious side-dish that you can imagine – pure veg bliss on a plate.

The fifth recipe was my favorite dip from this book so far, the Artichoke and White Bean Dip (page 303) from the chapter of „Mezze & Tapas“.

The dip consists of artichoke hearts (a great staple to have), onion, garlic, cannellini beans (another great staple to have), fresh lemon juice, ground red pepper flakes, Greek yogurt, salt and pepper. Heat it all up and give the ingredients a good whiz in the food processor – done.

Add some homemade pita chips with chives to the mix or serve alongside fresh veg (as soon as spring rolls around, that will be my go to option) and you will have a winner. It is a creamy dip, not heavy at all, with just the right tang from the yogurt and the fresh lemon juice – to round out the taste of the dip, I added a few drops of cold-pressed hemp oil  – this cold-pressed oil from our beloved oil mill in Bonn, was given to me as a Christmas gift. While this oil is one of the most healthy oils you can use to finish-off a dish, it does have a distinct taste that paired well with the creamy dip. Besides, since my artichoke hearts were packed in water, not oil, the dip was not weighed down at all – just right.

The sixth recipe was Cauliflower with toasted Seeds (page 108) from the chapter „Raw Assemblies“. What a lovely way to enjoy cauliflower.

At first you need to lightly dry-roast sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds. Then you slice some cauliflower florets as thinly as possible. All that is left to do is prepare the vinaigrette using lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest (instead if the sumac), pepper and salt – served on a bed of various salad greens, this makes one wonderful winter salad with lots of diffferent textures. The crunchiness from the nuts and the raw cauliflower and the freshness from the greens easily made this one of my favorite dishes.

The last recipe for this month was the Beetroot Pizza with Cheddar (page 180) from the chapter of „Bready Things“.

Now this is one fun way to enjoy pizza. With a rather unusual topping of homemade tomato sauce (page 58), roasted beetroots (page 92) and one portion of the magic bread dough (page 172), this pizza turned out so fabulous, I could not believe it.

Potentially, this pizza can be put together in no time at all using storebought sauce, pre-cooked beets (available around here in the veg isle) and ready-made pizza dough and there is nothing wrong with that. But if you have the time (maybe on the weekend) to make all the elements of this pizza at home, go for it, at least once, you will not regret it. We loved this smoky-sweet pizza and I cannot wait to make it again.

Another month full of wonderful vegetable dishes – we certainly love the recipes from this cookbook.

Please note, that for copyright reasons, we do NOT publish the recipes. If you enjoy the recipes in our series, hopefully, the wonderfully talented and enthusiastic members of the Cottage Cooking Club and their wonderful posts can convince you to get a copy of this lovely book. Better yet, do make sure to join us in this cooking adventure!

For more information on the participation rules, please go here.

To see which wonderful dishes the other members of the Cottage Cooking Club prepared during the month of January, please go here.

Nigel Slater´s Lazy Loaf

Usually, bread takes quite a while to make, what with waiting for the dough to rise, knocking it back and then waiting for it to rise again before baking it, but if you do not have that much time and are still looking for some instant gratification, this fabulous soda bread called Nigel Slater´s Lazy Loaf might just be right for you. It is the kind of bread that you tear a hunk off and dip into steaming bowl of soup, or eat stickily spread with local honey, or your favorite homemade jam. Soda bread is perhaps the easiest bread to make by hand - with little kneading and no waiting around for it to rise.

In general, a soda bread is a bread leavened with bicarbonate of soda together with an acid, either lactic acid in the form of buttermilk (as in this recipe) or yogurt or a chemical agent like cream of tartar. The resulting reaction releases carbon dioxide bubbles into the dough. Though simple soda breads were common throughout Britain up to the late 1960s, people now usually associate soda bread with Irish baking.

Soda bread is best eaten fresh and can be made at home easily. Typical ingredients not only include bicarbonate of soda and buttermilk or yoghurt, and sometimes cream of tartar, but also wheat flour, water, salt and butter.

This is a Nigel Slater recipe. Yes, we all seem to have a soft spot for this particular cook and pretty much everything of his that I have tried, works. And I have blogged about many of his recipes before, such as his amazing Carrot Cake (here), delightful Black Banana Cake (here), decadent Walnut, Chocolate and Honey Tart (here), and his absolutely outstanding Chocolate Beetroot Cake (here). to name but a few. I know he cannot lay claim to inventing soda bread, because that has existed for many years already, but he can ceratinly lay claim to bringing it back to my attention.

This is a very simple recipe. And Nigel Slater is a dedicated fan of straightforward yet awesome food, and somehow I am always enamored with his recipes and methods. And this recipe is no exception. I particularly like the idea of baking the loaf in a preheated cast iron casserole dish.

Nigel´s Lazy Loaf
(inspired by a recipe from Nigel Slater's Simple Suppers)

Ingredients for the Loaf

• 225 grams plain wheat flour
• 225 grams wholemeal flour 
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tbsp molasses (the original recipe calls for sugar, I used local sugar beet molasses)*
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 350 ml buttermilk (I used a really thick buttermilk from my fav farm shop)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degress Celsius (425 degrees Fahrenheit)
2. Put a large casserole dish** and its lid into the oven.
3. In a large bowl, mix the flours, sea salt, molasses and bicarbonate of soda together with your fingers. Do get your hands in there and get it all properly mixed up.
4. Pour in the buttermilk, bringing the mixture together as a soft dough. Work quickly as the bicarbonate of soda will start working immediately.
5. Once the dough has come together and is not sticking to the bowl any more, shape the dough into a shallow round loaf about 4 centimeters (1½ inches) thick.
6. Remove your hot casserole dish from the oven, dust the inside lightly with flour to prevent sticking then lower in the dough. Dust the top with a bit more flour. If you so desire, you can score a small cross in the top of the dough
7. Then cover with the lid and return to the whole thing to the oven.
8. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and leave in place for 5 minutes before turning out and leaving to cool slightly before enjoying.

* NOTE: Molasses gives it an earthy taste, darkens the crumb and crisps up the crust
**NOTE:  I used my Pyrex Slow Cook Casserole Pan, round, 3.6 liter, cast stainless-steel

This bread  has a lovely, crisp crust and a very tender inside. The crumb looks dense, but it is not heavy at all.

Remember that soda breads like this are best when eaten fresh and while still a bit warm or, according to some of my taste testers, even better when toasted and slathered with really good quality butter - it just does not get better than enjoying a big slice with farm-fresh butter...So, make sure to serve it fresh from the oven with butter and your favorite kind of jam or honey. And  if you do have any left, it does in fact make good toast.

Nigel Slater´s recipe certainly proves that making your own bread does not have to be time-consuming or hard work. Looking for that instant bread gratification, that comforting smell of baking bread, that irrestible taste of homemade bread, then you should really try his quick soda bread, you will not regret it, trust me.

FFwD - Curried Mussels with Shoestring Fries

Today´s recipe for the French Fridays with Dorie group is Curried Mussels, a wonderfully delicious twist on the classic Moules Marinières.

In general, mussels are not expensive at all and plentiful. In the wild, they grow on coastline rocks and stones but the majority of mussels available around here are farmed in suitable coastal waters. Mussels are considered as one of the most environmentally sound types of fish or shellfish available.

Mussels are at their best in the colder months outside the breeding season. When you shop for mussels, you should always select those with tightly closed shells, avoiding any that are broken. Plump, juicy flesh and a delightful taste of the sea is what you are looking for once they are cooked. The color of the mussels is not indicative of quality, orange flesh tells you the mussels are female, while a whiter hue suggests males.

When preparing mussels, you should always eat mussels on the same day you buy them and make sure to discard any that stay open when tapped. Clean and debeard them (pull away their beards) and, if you are presenting them in their shells, it is a good idea to give them a good scrub. A number of rinses in cold, fresh water will ensure you are serving a sand- and grit-free meal.

Mussels require very short cooking time. And Dorie´s recipe is quickly put together. Using a large, heavy-based pan, all you that is required is a sautée of onions and shallots in some good-quality butter, then you add some curry powder and sautée some more to take the raw spice taste off. Then some sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes. You add about a cup of a dry white wine, fresh thyme, parsley, and a bay leaf. Then you  place the mussels in the cooking liquid and turn up the heat to steam them for a few minutes. As soon as the shells start gaping open, you know they are ready. Make sure not to overcook them or you will end up with rubbery flesh. Discard any that fail to open fully. For the sauce, I decided against straining the solids, as we prefer the more rustic version. As a final touch, you can add some cream to the cooking liquid, which I do not really find necessary but it is a tasty option, of course.

Mussels are delicious with a wide array of flavors. Steaming them in vermouth or white wine, along with shallots, garlic and a few herbs, is traditional in a number of European countries including Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany. While we never had curried ones before, we loved the way these tasted.

The cooking liquid or sauce is always half the joy of eating mussels, so have plenty of crusty bread and shoestring fries, on stand-by, for soaking up and munching on – while you ponder the ease of getting a perfect little bistro-style supper on the table in no time and ask yourself all the while whatever took you so long to make this incredibly delicious recipe!

To see whether the other members of the French Fridays with Dorie group enjoyed this week´s recipe, please go here.

For copyright reasons, we do not publish the recipes from the book. But you can find the recipe for “Curried Mussels“ on pages 314-5 in Dorie Greenspan´s cookbook "Around my French Table".