Crescia with apples

(Photo@TheFoodTraveller.com - Nikon D200)

Sometimes I am amazed by how many varieties of apple cakes are around. This one is something of a sweet bread ('crescia') stuffed with apples. Light and tasty. Shaping the crescia in the tin can be annoying, but the result is quite nice: a tasty and light alternative to the brise'. Funny is ... I have recently discovered my mum has been doing pastry like this for years. Should have paid more attention.

Serves: 10
FlexiPoints: 8

Suggested wine: none
Special equipment: a 24cm baking tin

Ingredients:
500g flour
500g apples
100g butter
180g sugar
10g instant yeast
2 eggs
1 lemon
50ml calvados
Honey as needed

Ingredient note: none

How-to:
1. Peel and slice the apples. Put them in casserole with 80g of sugar. Distribute 1 glass of water on top and cook on medium-low heat with the lid on until the apples are soft (about 10’).
2. Work together the flour, yeast, butter, the rest of the sugar, the grated lemon zest, the eggs, the calvados and 1 tbsp of the cooking juice of the apple until a uniform pastry is obtained.
3. Roll the pastry in a 24cm disc and one of 30cm. Grease the baking tin with some butter and dust it with flour. Cover the tin with the larger disc. Distribute the apple and cover with the second disc trying to seal the border. Remove the hanging trims.
4. Bake it in an hot oven at 200C for 30’. Brush the top with some honey and serve at room temperature.

Chocolate shortbread cookies

(Photo@TheFoodTraveller.com - Nikon D200)

I wanted to bake this ones since I saw a post on the traditional version on the blog "cavoletto di brussel". I used basically the same recipe, but added chocolate and reduced the baking time since it felt a bit too long ... these cookies last a while. I made them almost two weeks ago and they taste still fresh now out of my cookies' tin. I love the chocolate flavor in it!!! Pity they are so fatty!!!

Serves: up to 50 cookies
FlexiPoints: 2 per cookie

Suggested wine: forget wine ... coffee!
Special equipment: none

Ingredients:
350g flour
200g french lightly salted butter
50ml milk
100g dark chocolate (50% or more)

Ingredient note: the darker the chocolate the bitterer the final taste. Milk chocolate is not an option as there would be very little flavor after baking.

How-to:
1. Cube the butter and let is soften at room temperature. Break the chocolate in small pieces.
2. Work it with the flour, milk, chocolate and the sugar until a solid dough is obtained. Refrigerate for at least 60’ in cling foil.
3. Roll the dough to a sheet not thicker than 1 cm and cut out the shortbread cookies using a knife or a shape. You might need to knead and roll the dough a few times until it is all used-up.
4. Bake in the middle of an over at 150C for 30’-35’.

Uitsmijter deluxe or dutch fried eggs

(Photo@TheFoodTraveller.com - Nikon D200)

Everybody does fast food sometimes ... I mean, it cannot be that we all like to spend time or eat always great stuff. Sometimes, I simply long for quick things like a couple of fried eggs or french fries or even a salad. Last week I had one of these moments. I was stuck home due to the snow (yes snow!) and did not feel like spending time in cooking. The result I simply made one of my favorite junk food: fried eggs or uitsmijter. Why bother with the dutch name? Because I like the story of this dish in the Netherlands: it is the only food a pub would (be able to) serve before closing to people when leaving after several beers ... a kind of hang-over thing! Anyway, this is a luxury version with great cheese and no bread ... and I always liked it !

Serves: 1 as main course
FlexiPoints: 7

Suggested wine: well ...junk food deserved a coke ... possibly light!
Special equipment: a metallic pan cover

Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 10g Comte Cheese
- 1 large slice of roasted ham
- 5g salted butter
- Salt and pepper as needed

Ingredient note: you can also use old Gouda cheese or farmhouse Cheddar.

How-to:
1. Melt the butter in an hot non-stick pan.
2. Break the eggs in it being sure to leave the yolks intact. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Lay the ham so that both yolks are covered and distribute the cheese on top in think slices. Season with more pepper.
4. Cook covered for 3’ or until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Brussel waffles ... so light, you can't stop!

(Photo@TheFoodTraveller.com - Nikon D200)

One day my parents came over to Belgium and wanted a waffle. And we Italians got baffled by the fact that, apparently, there are two types of waffles in Belgium: Liege and Brussels waffles. The former are soft, sugary and sticky. The latter are crunchy and very light. I love both, but this time I will share the one my fiancee Elke does more often. Brussel waffles. Eat them for breakfast, with powder sugar, icecream, whipped cream, almost anything ... even nutella!!

Serves: 16
FlexiPoints: 2.5

Suggested wine: none !!
Necessary equipment: waffle maker or similar

Ingredients:
- 300g flour
- 500ml UHT milk
- 75g caster sugar
- 100g butter
- 2 eggs
- 10g instant yeast
- salt as needed

How-to:
1. Melt the butter avoiding to get it burned.
2. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and butter. Add the eggs and whick well.
3. Warm up the milk to room temperature and add it to the flour a bit at the time working it until a smooth batter is obtained.
4. Let it rest for 1 hour. Bake in a hot waffle machine in 16 batches following the machine instruction.
5. Best when just made, they will stay tasty for a couple of days!

Bitter chocolate cakes

(Photo@TheFoodTraveller.com - Canon PowerShot G2)

I used to bake these very often for breakfast. Alas, no longer due to lack of time. I love the taste of a simple chocolate cake loaded with a bitter chocolate flavour. I personally use very bitter chocolate (85%) and sometimes I add some extra chocolate in little pieces with slightly less bitterness (70%). Fabulous and rich; a real treat! I wish I had time for baking them more often.

Serves: 12
FlexiPoints: 5

Suggested wines: none

Ingredients:
- 180g dark chocolate (>70%)
- 120g fine sugar
- 100g self-rising flour
- 150ml single cream
- 80ml half-fat UHT milk
- 4 separated eggs
- 1 entire egg
- Margarine and salt as needed

How-to:
1. Whisk the 4 egg whites to soft peak and set aside.
2. Melt the chocolate in either a pot with a thick base or in a bowl on simmering water. Stir in the cream and the milk so as to obtain a uniform cream.
3. Work together the 4 yolks and the sugar. Add the chocolate and the flour (through a sieve). One uniform stir in the entire egg till it is fully absorbed.
4. Fold the egg whites in with a spatula and bottom-up movement.
5. Grease a 12-muffin tray with abundant margarine. Distribute the batter among the muffin cavities.
6. Bake at 190C on the second lowest slot of the oven for about 35’. Let cool down outside of the oven before eating.