Of Müsli Power Bars & Saint Christopher's Day (The Patron Saint of all Travelers and Motorists)

School holidays are in full swing around here. In Germany they are set at regional level by each of the 16 federal states (Bundesländer). Each state will have holidays each year for fall, Christmas, Easter and summer, plus schools in most states also have a winter break around February. A few states have a break of about one to two weeks for Pentecost around May/June. There are also days off throughout the year which vary between the different states.

German school holidays are often used as a time for families to get together and celebrate festive holidays such as Christmas and Easter, go away on family vacations or have a local day trip. Holidays may also coincide with regional days of celebration or Carnival periods - for example as we live in the Rhineland, we always have a few days off for Carnival celebrations (for this year's recipe with respect to these popular holidays, pls go HERE).

Different beginning and ending days for the holidays are meant to ensure that the German highways, rail system and airports are not overwhelmed with vacationing families at the same time.

But just in case you want to make sure to be well prepared for and well-fed during your trip (no matter the method of transportation), following is a lovely recipe for my Müsli Power Bars that can easily be prepared in advance of your trip, fed to your hungry travel companions during the trip or be packed up and enjoyed at your place of desination. They are chock-full of protein (nut butter), heart healthy oats, dried fruits, coconut and dark chocolate to keep all of you travelers happy and your energy levels up.

Müsli Power Bars (Müsli Energieriegel)

Ingredients

• 265g rolled oats (around here that would be 'kernige Haferflocken‘)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (I like to use 'Ceylon cinnamon‘)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 50g chocolate chunks (I like to use dark chocolate with 70% cacao) – you can use nuts, seed or chopped dried fruits instead 
• 30g unsweetened shredded aka dessicated coconut (I like to use coarsely shredded coconut, available at most health food stores)
• 60g dried fruits such as sour cherries, cranberries or 30g dried raisins and 30g sultanas or go with 60g apricots (chopped)
• 75g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 150g dark brown sugar (or use light brown sugar)
• 35g superfine baking (caster) sugar 
• 2 eggs (M), free-range or organic, at room temperature
• 250g peanut butter, smooth or chunky (I like to use a brand from The Netherlands with small chunks) – you could swap another nut butter if you prefer OR make your own nut butter
• 8g pure vanilla sugar (around here that's 'Bourbon Vanillezucker')

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC (356°F).
2. Butter a 25x5x25cm rectangular/brownie baking pan. Line with baking parchment - leaving leave enough to grab when the baked bars are finished, so you can use the overhang as handles, to lift the bars from the pan.
3. Mix the oats, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl.
4. In a small bowl, mix the chocolate chips, coconut, and dried fruits.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl by hand, beat the butter and brown and granulated sugars until light and fluffy. 
6. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl, to make sure they are well-incorporated.
7. Then add the peanut butter and the vanilla sugar and mix, then add the oat mixture and mix on the lowest speed of the mixer for two minutes.
8. Mix in the chocolate chips, coconut, and cherries and stir until completely incorporated, making sure everything is well-mixed.
9. Scrape the dough into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. 
10. Bake until the top is golden brown and the center feels just set when you press it lightly, 20 to 25 minutes. NOTE: pls make sure not to overbake, as they still harden while cooling and they should be soft and chewy inside.
11. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack; cool completely before slicing (this can take up to two hours).
12. Eat the same day they were made OR keep the Müsli Bars in a cookie tin between layers of parchment paper (to prevent sticking). 

While we can all use energy from the these delicious Müsli Power Bar during our travels, it certainly cannot hurt to reassure ourselves of a bit of saintly protection of St. Cristopher, whose service to travelers earned him the honor of being the patron saint and protector of travelers. It is the story of a man who was, himself, a traveler, and of his journey to find Christ.

According to legend, St. Christopher, initially called ‚Reprobus‘, encountered a hermit who instructed him on the Christian faith. He suggested that he might use his strength to help travelers cross a dangerous river. One day a child arrived to be carried across the river, Reprobus took the child upon his shoulders, but as he crossed the river, the child grew heavier until Reprobus feared he would fall and that they would both drown. When he finally reached the other side, he said to the child: "You have put me in the greatest danger. I do not think the whole world could have been as heavy on my shoulders as you were." The child replied: "You had on your shoulders not only the whole world but Him who made it. I am Christ your king, whom you are serving by this work."

When they reached the opposite bank, Christ asked Reprobus to press his staff into the ground. When he did, the staff turned into a beautiful flowering tree, and he was rewarded. Christ then baptized Reprobus in the river and gave him his Christian name which ‚Christopher‘ which means ‚Christ-bearer‘.

The above three pics of the St. Christopher statutes were taken by me at the famous Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom), St. Andreas Basilica (Basilika St. Andreas) also in Cologne and at the Münster Cathedral (St.-Paulus-Dom). 

Christopher spent the remainder of his life in the service of Christ and worked tirelessly to spread Christ's teachings. He died a martyr in Lycia, in 251 A.D.

During the 1960s, the Catholic Church reviewed and revised the Calendar of Saints, and eliminated the feast days of several saints including the celebration of St. Christopher which was on July 25th. Although Christopher does remain a saint, his day of celebration is no longer listed in the Catholic calendar. Despite this, devotion to St. Christopher continues. Travelers wear St. Christopher medals around their necks, place St. Christopher medallions on their dashboards, carry St. Christopher medal key chains in their pockets, or affix a St. Christopher bell to their bicycle handlebar - like my hubby did!

All St. Christopher medals depict a bearded, middle-aged man. Upon his shoulders sits a child representing Christ, and in his hand is a staff. The Latin inscription around the medal, this one on a bicycle bell reads ‚Sancte Christophore - Iter Nostrum Protege‘ which means ‚Saint Christopher protect us during our travels‘.

Please note that my recipe for the Müsli Power Bars (Müsli Energieriegel) is part of my series for a 'local' (meaning across the state of North Rhine-Westphalia) radio station, where, throughout the years, I present different baked goods that are closely tied to various holidays and seasons. If you are interested, have a listen (in German) HERE.

The various recipes of my series can be found here:

• in January, for Three Kings Day (Dreikönigstag) two kinds of Galette des Rois (Dreikönigskuchen) (HERE)
• for Lent (Fastenzeit) Lenten Soup with Lenten Beugel (Fastenbeugel) (HERE)
• for Good Friday (Karfreitag) the delicious Hot Cross Buns (HERE)
• for Pentecost /Whitsun (Pfingsten) the fun Allgäu Bread Birds (Allgäuer Brotvögel) (HERE)
• for the beginning of the summer vacation, the lovely Sacristains (Almond & Sugar Puff Pastry Sticks) (HERE)
• for St Christopher's Day (St Christophorus), the energy-packed Müsli Power Bars (Müsli Energieriegel) (HERE)
• for Mary's Assumption Day (Mariä Himmelfahrt) my Tear & Share Herb Bread (Kräuterbrot) (HERE)
• for Mary’s Birthday (Mariä Geburt) some very pretty Mary’s Sweet Rolls (Süße Marienküchlein) (HERE)
• for Thanksgiving (Erntedankfest) a delicious and seasonal Thanksgiving Apple Tart with Frangipane (Erntedank Apfeltarte mit Mandelcreme) (HERE)
• for Halloween a Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake (Kürbis-Gewürzkuchen)
• for St Martin's Day (Martinsfest) the cheerful Sweet Dough Men (Weckmänner) (HERE)
• for St Andrew's Day (Andreastag) a classic Petticoat Tails Shortbread (HERE)
• for Christmas Day (Weihnachten) these Traditional German Gingerbread (Elisenlebkuchen) (HERE) 
• for New Year's Eve a New Year's Eve Pretzel (Neujahrsbretzel)
• for Candelmas Day (Mariä Lichtmess) some delightful Navettes de Saint Victor (HERE)
• for Carnival Season (Karneval) these lovely Carnival Doughnuts (Karnevals-Krapfen) (HERE) 
• for St Patrick's Day a traditional Irish Brown Soda Bread (Irisches Sodabrot)(HERE) 
• for St Joseph's Day a long-forgotten but thankfully re-discovered Sweet Cotton Bread (Baumwollbrot)(HERE) 
• for Palm Sunday (Palmsonntag) these very pretty Palm Pretzels (Palmbrezel) (HERE)
• for Easter Sunday (Ostersonntag) an Easter Brunch at Home with Tarte Flambée (Flammkuchen) (HERE)
• for the Month of May (Marienmonat Mai) these elegant Visitandines de Nancy (HERE) 
• for Pentecost/Whitsun these festive Beignets (Heiliggeistkrapfen) (HERE) - more delicious treats to come very soon.

Old Viennese Topfen Cake l Altwiener Topfentorte

The word ‚Topfen', is the Austrian name for what Germans call ‚Quark‘. These days Quark is starting to be available in many supermarkets and stores around the world. It is a European style cottage cheese that is much creamier than the drier cottage cheese that many of you are used to in other parts of the world and, with the addition of cultures, has a mild yogurt tang. In general, Quark can by used for anything that you may use crème fraîche or sour cream for.

If you follow my blog, you might have noticed that around here Quark is not only very popular for baking but also for slathering over oven-baked (Ofenkartoffeln) or boiled potatoes (Pellkartoffeln) and then topped with fresh herbs (Kartoffeln mit Kräuterquark). In Austria, Quark is often mixed with eggs and sugar and sometimes butter to form a luscious thickened cream for a variety of desserts, pastries and strudels including Quark Dumplings (Topfennockerl), Quark Strudel (Topfenstrudel), Quark Turnovers (Topfengolatsche), to name a few.

And while Quark is an essential ingredient for baked cheesecakes in the two German speaking countries, the approach to cheesecake is different. German cheesecake (Käsekuchen) often includes a pie crust to encase the baked filling, while this classic Old Viennese Topfen Cake (Altwiener Topfentorte) is made with Quark mixed with almond meal and is essentially gluten free.

The combination of good quality butter, Quark, farm fresh eggs, sugar, vanilla and almond meal gives this traditional Old Viennese Topfen Cake (Altwiener Topfentorte) an extremely light texture that will surprise you. But you will definitely need a light, quick hand when folding through the beaten egg whites otherwise you will end up with a cake on the dense side. It is always a good idea to make sure your beater and bowl are clean - free of any fats - before you start beating your egg whites to ensure a good volume results.

Old Viennese Topfen Cake - Altwiener Topfentorte
(this is a smallish cake, so it serves 6 to 8)

Ingredients

• 120 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 120 g superfine baking (caster) sugar
• 4 eggs (M), free-range or organic, separated
• 120 g Quark (I use 20%)
• zest of an organic lemon
• 8g pure vanilla sugar
• a pinch fine sea salt
• 120 g almond meal
•  icing sugar for dusting

In addition

• a 22cm (8.5in) springform pan
• baking parchment

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F). 
2. Butter the springform pan and dust with almond flour, shaking out any excess.
3. With a mixer, beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. 
4. Add one egg yolk at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Then add the Quark, lemon zest and vanilla sugar and mix through. Set aside.
6. Using a separate clean and dry bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.
7. Fold a third of the beaten egg white into the Quark mixture to loosen it and then fold the rest in quickly with a spatula or large spoon, with a cutting motion, along with the almond meal. 
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. 
9. Take the cake out of the oven. Transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely on the wire rack. 
10. Then remove the cake from the pan, remove the baking parchment, dust with icing sugar and serve.

If you are interested in another Viennese treat, why not look HERE for my wonderful recipe for  'Viennese Whirls' - these are pretty delicious too.

Hope you enjoy your virtual, culinary trip to Austria.

Oven-Baked Ratatouille - July Cooking

Traditionally Ratatouille is a French Provençal dish, originating in Nice, sometimes referred to as 'ratatouille niçoise'. It's a slow-cooked dish of eggplant (aubergine), tomatoes, peppers and zucchini (courgettes) that is usually served as a room temperature side dish. It dates back to the 18th century when it was a sort of 'coarse stew'. Nowadays it can be considered as a wonderfully healthy and simple way to enjoy the summer’s best produce, and makes the best leftovers. Sometimes I adapt it for my version of Summer Ratatouille Pasta.

And then there is this Oven-Baked Ratatouille, this recipe is one not original to me, but this is my summery version and I love the ease with which it can be prepared. It is a dish of layered vegetables baked in the oven until tender. Basically, like a gratin. There is nothing fancy about it at all. But it can look very pretty when the vegetables are thinly sliced and laid with care. This method of preparation certainly makes the most of such humble humble of ingredients as summer tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant.

The overlapping, melting vegetables look very special and effortful but is easy enough to do as a weekday meal, especially if you already have a thickish homemade tomato sauce on hand.

This dish works great as a main meal or a side and depending on and how large your skillet is, you may not end up using all of the vegetables in this recipe but then again you might – just make sure to keep any leftover veggie bits for that Summer Ratatouille Sauce.

Oven-Baked Ratatouille

Ingredients

• 2 zucchini (courgette), medium size
• 2 yellow squash (summer squash),  medium size
• 1 eggplant (aubergine), medium size
• thickish homemade tomato sauce (enough to cover the base of your baking dish), about 350g OR use a good-quality store-bought Passata di Pomodoro or Tomato Passata (an uncooked tomato purée that has been strained of seeds and skins)
• a few sprigs of lemon thyme, thyme or rosemary or whatever strikes your fancy
• 50g shredded mozzarella NOTE: the cheese is optional, you could also opt to add some Ricotta Salata (a salted and dried cheese, providing a texture similar to feta cheese) to the finished dish
• fresh basil (to serve) - try to change things up here and maybe use purple basil with that slightly spicy flavor as well as your regular basil 
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• a good fruity olive oil for brushing the vegetable and for serving

Preparation

1. Prepare your veggies: thinly slice all your veggies – this is best done using a mandoline but you can also slice each vegetable with a sharp knife, aim for thin slices.
2. Preheat your oven to 180° C (350°F).
3. Heat your homemade tomato sauce over medium-high heat. Once warmed, taste one more time for seasoning and then pour sauce into the base of your chosen baking dish (go with a pie or glass baking dish or use a cast iron pan).
4. Next, layer the sliced vegetables in a spiral pattern around the dish and on top of the tomato sauce until the entire pan is covered.
5. Brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Layer a few sprigs of herbs on top of the veggies.
6. Cover the dish first with baking parchment, then tightly wrap with foil. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes covered. Check to make sure that the veggies have taken on some color, are soft and the sauce is bubbling around them.
7. Remove the foil and the baking parchement, then the sprigs of herbs, then add some shredded mozzarella on top and return to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes until the veggies are nice and soft, slightly charred and the cheese has melted.
8. Very carefully remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before eating warm or at room temperature.
9. Scatter a few basil leaves on top (optional), add a few drops of a fruity olive oil and some freshly ground black pepper (to taste).

Enjoy summer veggies at their peak. This Oven-Baked Ratatouille is a delicious, easy lunch to enjoy in the summer sunshine, just serve with fresh bread, a crisp salad and an assortment of herb-marinated olives.

July cooking is delicious.

Sacristains & Summer Vacation Vibes

Sacristains are a puff pastry specialty from Provence (Département Vaucluse) in the Southeast of France, to be exact. These crunchy puff pastry twists are generously filled and sprinkled with pearl sugar and slivered almonds. They can be found in most bakeries (boulangeries) and many markets (marchés) throughout Provence.

The origin if the name ‚Sacristains‘ is not entirely clear but the French word ‚Sacristains‘ means ‘parish clerk‘  in English, hence, an official designated to carry out various duties for a church parish. The twisted shape of the Sacristains is said to represent the shape of a parish clerk’s walking stick or the rope that was tied around said walking stick. Now, whether that is exact or not, it is a fun and interesting way to explain their name and one fact remains undoubted, namely, these Sacristains taste absolutely heavenly.

This recipe is easy to make and a delicious and rather decadent sweet treat. Use a roll of ready-made, all-butter, good quality puff pastry (pâte feuilletée)  that you buy at the grocery store near you or were lucky enough to have bought in France OR go all the way and make these Sacristains a real treat and make the puff pastry from scratch – believe me when I say that agreeable wheather (meaning cooler temperatures) is helpful when making these from scratch.

No matter whether you make the puff pastry yourself or not, just remember that to be true Sacristains, these treats have to be filled AND topped with sugar and almonds.

Personally, I like them to be elegant and long but you can opt for shorter versions too. Serve them alongside a fresh summer fruit salad, ice cream or milk shake. Come cooler temperatures, these are lovely alongside a steaming cup of coffee, tea, hot chocolate or a tall glass of milk. If you are looking for a bit more of that French flair, why not opt to serve them with a glass of ‚Sauternes‘ (that French sweet wine from the Sauternais region), much like you would serve Italian Cantuccini (Biscotti) dipped into Italian dessert wine called ‚Vin Santo‘ (from Tuscany).

Sacristains - Almond & Sugar Puff Pastry Sticks
(makes about 10 to 11 sticks)

Ingredients

• 1 roll all-butter puff pastry (pâte feuilletée) – around here a roll of ready-made puff pastry weighs about 275g (if you chose to use store bought, make sure to get the fresh kind, as frozen puff pastry tends to un-roll less well) OR use homemade puff pastry
• 1 egg yolk (M), free-range or organic 
• 60g pearl sugar (divided into 40g and 20g)
• 8g pure vanilla sugar (or use homemade vanilla sugar)
• ¼ tsp cinnamon (I like to use Ceylon cinnamom)
• 60g flaked almonds (divided into 40g and 20g)
• a bit of powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

In addition

• a bit of regular flour for working the pastry
• rolling pin
• baking sheets and baking parchment

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 200° C (180° C convection).
2. Line a large baking pan/cookie sheet with baking parchment and set aside: Depending on the size of your baking sheet, you may need two sheets and bake them off one after the other).
3. Roll out the puff pastry. Using a sharp kitchen knife, straighten the sides of the pastry. Then cut the pastry in half.
4. In a small bowl whisk the egg yolk with a bit of water (eggwash) and brush one side of the puff pastry (keep a little for the rest of the procedure).
5. Top the half that you brushed with the eggwash, with 40g of the pearl sugar, then 4g of the vanilla sugar, a tad bit of cinnamon and then 40g of the flaked almonds.
6. Fold the other half of the dough over and flatten the two halves together with a rolling pin to press in the ingredients.
7. Brush the top of the surface with the rest of the eggwash.
8. Sprinkle the top with pearl sugar (remaining 20g), 4g vanilla sugar, cinnamon and finally the remaining flaked almonds (20g).
9. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut 10 to 11 (2cm) stripes and twist them against each other.
10. Place the Sacristains on the baking sheet(s).
11. Reduce the heat to 180°C (160°C convection).
12. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until they become golden brown and crispy.
13. Remove from the oven and pull them with the baking parchement onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
14. Dust with powdered sugar.
15. Serve fresh from the oven, if possible. These taste best the day they were made but can be kept in a cookie tin for a few days. If you want to store them in a cookie tin, make sure to do so between layers of parchement and keep the tin in a cool room.

These Sacristains are great served as nibbles with a little French flare. Just think summer vacation in the Provence.

They are also very easy to make and while the traditional almond-pearl-sugar-version is my favorite kind, it is fun and equally easy to experiment with different fillings and flavors. I have seen them filled with a ‚Crème pâtissière‘ (a sort of vanilla custard), or a 'Ganache au chocolat‘ (chocolate ganache) or a ‚Crème fragipane‘ (almond filling) – much like the filling for my ‚Galette des Rois‘ (recipe and post here) – also with marzipan or homemade fruit jam. You can also opt to add a hint of orange or rose blossom water to their filling. But whatever be the filling of your choice, make sure to fill AND top them. And just let your taste buds and your imagination be your guide.

Please note that my recipe for French Sacristians from Provence is part of my series for a 'local' (meaning across the state of North Rhine-Westphalia) radio station, where, throughout the year, I talk about different baked goods that are closely tied to various holidays and seasons. If you are interested, have a listen (in German) HERE.

The various recipes of my series can be found here:

• in January, for Three Kings Day (Dreikönigstag) two kinds of Galette des Rois (Dreikönigskuchen) (HERE)
• for Lent (Fastenzeit) Lenten Soup with Lenten Beugel (Fastenbeugel) (HERE)
• for Good Friday (Karfreitag) the delicious Hot Cross Buns (HERE)
• for Pentecost /Whitsun (Pfingsten) the fun Allgäu Bread Birds (Allgäuer Brotvögel) (HERE)
• for the beginning of the summer vacation, the lovely Sacristains (Almond & Sugar Puff Pastry Sticks) (HERE)
• for St Christopher's Day (St Christophorus), the energy-packed Müsli Power Bars (Müsli Energieriegel) (HERE)
• for Mary's Assumption Day (Mariä Himmelfahrt) my Tear & Share Herb Bread (Kräuterbrot) (HERE)
• for Mary’s Birthday (Mariä Geburt) some very pretty Mary’s Sweet Rolls (Süße Marienküchlein) (HERE)
• for Thanksgiving (Erntedankfest) a delicious and seasonal Thanksgiving Apple Tart with Frangipane (Erntedank Apfeltarte mit Mandelcreme) (HERE)
• for Halloween a Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake (Kürbis-Gewürzkuchen)
• for St Martin's Day (Martinsfest) the cheerful Sweet Dough Men (Weckmänner) (HERE)
• for St Andrew's Day (Andreastag) a classic Petticoat Tails Shortbread (HERE)
• for Christmas Day (Weihnachten) these Traditional German Gingerbread (Elisenlebkuchen) (HERE) 
• for New Year's Eve a New Year's Eve Pretzel (Neujahrsbretzel)
• for Candelmas Day (Mariä Lichtmess) some delightful Navettes de Saint Victor (HERE)
• for Carnival Season (Karneval) these lovely Carnival Doughnuts (Karnevals-Krapfen) (HERE) 
• for St Patrick's Day a traditional Irish Brown Soda Bread (Irisches Sodabrot)(HERE) 
• for St Joseph's Day a long-forgotten but thankfully re-discovered Sweet Cotton Bread (Baumwollbrot)(HERE) 
• for Palm Sunday (Palmsonntag) these very pretty Palm Pretzels (Palmbrezel) (HERE)
• for Easter Sunday (Ostersonntag) an Easter Brunch at Home with Tarte Flambée (Flammkuchen) (HERE)
• for the Month of May (Marienmonat Mai) these elegant Visitandines de Nancy (HERE) 
• for Pentecost/Whitsun these festive Beignets (Heiliggeistkrapfen) (HERE) - more delicious treats to come very soon.

Elderflower Bread l Holunderblüten Brot

The elderflower season is short, if you have access to elder trees, which bloom from about April to the end of June, rush to pick those little white flowers from the elderberry bush while you can. The large, flat-topped clusters grow along urban roads, in parks and gardens, in countryside lanes, woods and hedgerows. Elderflowers smell floral, creamy and summery. Now is the time to make elderflower champagne, cordial, jelly, whatever takes your fancy.

At this time each year, I like to make elderflower cordial. With its sweet, delicate flavor of muscat, homemade elderflower cordial is so much better than anything you can buy. Serve the cordial with cold sparkling water for a refreshing drink or sparkling wine (maybe even from a wine grower in your area) for a delicious cocktail. A couple of years ago I posted the recipe for homemade Elderflower Cordial HERE. If elderflower fritters are your thing, go ahead, indulge while you can, I posted the recipe HERE.

Apart from using my elderflower cordial for drinks or fritters, I use it in a variety of ways including my baking. Sometimes I make a lemony sponge cake that I infuse with elderflower syrup. Or I will mix some elderflower cordial into icings for cakes and muffins.

This year I’m into baking a sweet yeast bread that I call Elderflower Bread (Holunderblüten Brot). It has ground almonds and elderflower blossoms as well as elderflower cordial in the dough . Basically, this is a so-called 'enriched yeast dough', meaning that there is butter, milk, sugar and an egg added to the simple yeast dough. And just before baking I like to place a sprig or two of the flowers on top – for looks and for taste.

Elderflower Bread l  Holunderblüten Brot

Ingredients

• 200g strong white bread flour (around here 'Type 550'), plus some to flour the baking pan OR use spelt flour (around here that would be 'Type 1050') 
• 50g almond flour (use almond flour OR grind 50g of natural almonds in your food processor)
• 3g fine salt
• 50g superfine baking (caster) sugar
• 50g butter, unsalted, room temperature
• 10g fresh yeast (the equivalent in dry yeast would be 4g) 
• 60ml lukewarm whole milk (I like to use 3.5%)
• 2 eggs (M), free-range, 1 for the dough, 1 for the egg wash*
• 2 tbsp elderflower cordial (homemade OR good-quality store-bought)
• 2 tbsp freshly picked elderflower blossoms (you can sub dried elderflower blossoms OR leave them out)
• 1 or 2 small sprig(1) freshly picked elderflower blossoms (you can bake the bread without)

NOTE: * an egg wash is a mixture of beaten egg and liquid (usually water or milk) that is brushed onto baked goods like pastries before baking. It adds shine as well as color.

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine the flours, salt and sugar. Form a well. Add the butter to the well.
2. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk, pour the milk mixture into the well, add the whole egg and the elderflower cordial.
3. Using the dough hook(s) of your mixer, mix until you have a soft, somewhat shaggy dough, then knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes more.
4. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, at least about 1 hour (this can take up to 2 hours).
5. In the meantime grease and flour a small loaf pan (mine is 21.5cm x 11cm) OR double the recipe and use a large loaf pan.
6. Turn the risen dough out onto your work surface. Knead briefly and now add in the elderflower blossoms.
7. Roll up the dough and place it into the floured loaf pan, place this in a warm place and let it rise again for about 1 hour or until it has visibly risen.
8. In the meantime pre-heat your oven to 180° C (160°C convection oven).
9. Brush the risen bread dough with eggwash and place one or two small elderflower sprigs on top of the loaf.
10. Bake in your pre-heated oven at 180° C for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and risen. NOTE: If your bread darkens too quickly, cover loosely with aluminium foil towards the end of the baking time.
11. When finished baking, take the bread out of the pan and place on a cooling rack. Serve warm OR at room temperature.

The taste of the elderflower cordial as well as the elderflower blossoms is subtle but it's there and is complimented nicely by the sweet almond flour. Plus there is a bit of crunch from the elderflower sprigs on top, which is very nice. And very pretty too.

It‘s best eaten the day it was baked. We love it with fresh butter and homemade strawberry jam but local honey is nice here as well.

For more elderflower recipes:

• Elderflower Cake with Strawberry-Elderflower Filling (Holunderblütenkuchen mit Erdbeer-Holunderblütenmarmelade) (HERE)
• Elderflower Shortbread (Holunderblüten Shortbread) (HERE)
• Elderflower Fritters (Ausgebackene Holunderblüten) (HERE)

A Pretty little Carrot Cake in June

The other day (well, maybe a few weeks ago) I posted pictures of this carrot cake on Instagram and promised that the recipe would follow soon - well, that was a little ambitious on my part but today, only three months later, here it is, the recipe for what I claimed 'is the only carrot cake recipe you'll ever need'. The added pistachio nuts make all the difference to this pretty little carrot cake recipe. As does the presentation - like pretty flowers (the edible kind, please) and pretty cake plates (I suspect we all have a few of them in our cupboards).

And, yes, I have posted many Carrot Cake recipes before, like the (also very pretty) Gâteau aux Carottes inspired by a recipe from Pierre Hermé, the famous French pastry chef and chocolatier (HERE). Or the European-style Springtime Carrot Cake (HERE). Or Nigel Slater's Carrot Cake (HERE). So, basically, I am a carrot cake lover and believe that there is no such thing as having too many carrot cake recipes. Not only do I find them irrestible but also very versatile - one or two layers, with or without frosting, fancy, torn into small pieces, elegant or rustic - love them all.

Pretty little Carrot Cake

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 250ml (8fl oz) sunflower oil (or use other neutral tasting vegetable oil suitable for baking)
• 250g caster (superfine) sugar
• 8g pure vanilla sugar (or use homemade vanilla sugar)
• zest ½ orange, organic or untreated 
• a pinch of fine sea salt
• 3 eggs (L), free-range or organic
• 250g (8oz) self-raising flour, sifted
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• 250g (8oz) carrots, organic, grated (you will need about 3 large carrots)
• 100g (3½oz) unsalted pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped

For the Cream Cheese Frosting (optional)

• 300 (10oz) cream cheese 
• 75g (2½oz) icing sugar, sifted
• zest ½ orange (untreated and/or organic)
• 1 to 2tbsp orange juice, freshly squeezed

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C° (356°F).
2. Grease a shallow 20x30cm (8x12in) baking pan and line the base and sides with baking paper, extending the paper 5cm (2in) above the pan.
3. Place the oil, sugar, vanilla sugar, orange zest and a pinch of salt in an electric mixer bowl and mix on a medium speed until well beaten. Reduce the speed of the mixer and gradually add the eggs, one by one, mixing after each addition.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon and ginger.
5. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and gently fold in until smooth.
6. Fold in the grated carrots and half the chopped pistachio nuts. 
7. Spoon the batter into the pan and smooth the surface.
8. Bake for 35 to 40 mins, or until golden and firm to the touch. 
9. Cool in the pan for about 10 mins, then, with the help of the overhanging baking paper, turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 
10. To make the icing, use a handheld electric beater to mix together all the ingredients until smooth and light.
11. Either: spread over the top of the cake and sprinkle with the remaining nuts OR cut the cake into small (12) squares, dollop a bit of frostimg over each piece and decorate with pretty edible flowers and then sprinkle with the chopped pistachios.

Serve this pretty little carrot cake at your next afternoon tea party. Be it May or June or whatever month. It's always delicious.