Pumpkin Muffins – perfect fall dessert

November 7, 2019November 7, 2019 - Tobia 2 Comments

In all my time blogging I have never shared a muffin recipe here. Not because I don’t like them. Not because I don’t bake them. No I didn’t share because I am very protective of my recipes. Some at least. Today I feel like sharing tough. Not any muffin recipe no. Pumpkin Muffins – perfect fall dessert and my all time favorites. I’ve used to make them quite often but it’s been almost 10 years I last made them. Ingredients were hard to come by back then. Nowadays it’s a bit easier though.

I can not even say why those muffins are something special. They are sweet but not too sweet, they are always moist and soft even when days old – in case they last that long. I used to bake them for my host family and it’s actually a recipe from my host mom from back in the day.

craftaliciousme seeking creative life Pumpkin muffins perfect fall dessert

But without further ado here are the ingredients to make Pumpkin Muffins:

2 eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
8 oz / 230g pumpkin pie filling – you can buy it on amazon or make your own
3/4 vegetable oil
1,5 cups of flour
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cups semisweet chocolate chips

If you want to make the pumpkin pie filling from scratch: cut up a pumpkin. I have used the regular halloween pumpkin as well as Hokaido. But in oven on low temperature until soft. Thats it. I have not done cooking it because I feared the taste will diffuse in the cooking water.

How to whip up your pumpkin muffins:

In a large bowl beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until everything is smooth.
Combine flour, baking soda and baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
Fold in chocolate chips
Fill greased muffin pan.
Bake at 200°C/400°F for about 16-20 minutes.

This makes about 12 muffins. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Enjoy

Tobia

seeking creative life Pumpkin muffins perfect fall dessert craftaliciousme

PORKKANAVESIRINKELIT – Finnish Carrot Rolls

February 8, 2019February 9, 2019 - Tobia 4 Comments

It’s time for our annual Finnish get-together. How awesome of you to join me for the fifth time and celebrate with me. I promised you dinner last year unfortunately the recipe I was going too serve needs to be in the oven for 5 hours or so. Not very ecological when cooking for 1-2 people. So instead let’s have some hot steaming porkkanavesirinkelit – Finnish for carrot rolls. Could be part of your dinner too however I enjoy them in the morning.

Finnish Carrot Rolls PORKKANAVESIRINKELIT spread

Here is what you need:

100 ml of warm water
50 ml of milk
50 ml vegetable oil
7g of yeast which equals one pack of dry yeast
1/2 tsp of sugar
3 spritz of agave sirup
1/2 tsp of salt
100g grated carrots
500 g flour (I used 350 whole grain and 150 wheat)

PORKKANAVESIRINKELIT finnish carrot rolls hands

Here is how it’s done:

Dissolve yeast in warm water, milk and add sugar, salt and oil. Add too carrots and mix well. Now add flour and knead dough until it comes off your fingers. Let rise in a warm place. I prepared the dough at night and let it sit over night.

Form little balls and gently press flat. Let them rise a bit more while you start heating a pot with 2 l of water and add 2 teaspoons of salt for cooking. Preheat oven 200-degree.

Make a hole in the middle of the buns with your thumb and drop them into the water a few at a time. Allow to boil for about a minute and bring them to baking paper to dry.

Bake the rolls about 15 minutes until they have a beautiful color.
Serve with salted butter or marmalade.

Finnish Carrot Rolls –PORKKANAVESIRINKELIT

Now I would suggest you enjoy them still warm and fresh out of the oven. At least that is how I prefer homemade fresh rolls.

As you know I love a good winter hence my winter wedding. However it seems like yet another winter where Berlin is not really blessed with snow. We’ve only gotten one or two days with a tiny bit of snowflakes. Nothing stayed on the ground of course. While I haven’t given up completely on winter yet I see the signs for spring all over. And therefore I was wondering if those rolls might actually be a perfect addition to an Easter brunch. What do you think?

Well for now let’s enjoy the cold weather.
Happy Friday

Tobia

PORKKANAVESIRINKELIT – Finnish Carrot Rolls for easter brunch

Chickpea Salad with Tuna

November 23, 2018October 12, 2019 - Tobia 2 Comments

Hello hello,

today I have a quick home cooked salad for you. cooked salad you wonder. Yes! I love food that is warm. I also like salad. So I often mix the best of both: cooked veggies and some cold ingredients. For today I raided my pantry and I came up with a glass of cooked chick peas and can of tuna. This is how the Chickpea Salad with Tuna was born.

Are you ready. Here is what you need:

🖤 chopped shallot
🖤 chopped clove
🖤 glass of pre-cooked chickpeas
🖤 handfuls of chopped tomatoes
🖤 twig of rosemary
🖤 salt, pepper, lemon juice
🖤 can of tuna
🖤 handful of lettuce/spinach/chard, etc

Let’s get cooking:

Preheat olive oil in pan. Add chopped shallot and clove. Saute.
Add chickpeas and let simmer for a bit.
Add tomatoes and rosemary.
Let simmer until everything looks good but is not all broken up.
Remove from heat.
Add tuna and spice to liking.
Add salad greens and serve immediately.

Next time I do this dish I will probably add a bit of avocado too.

Let me know if you give this a try and how you’ve liked it.

Happy weekend y’all,

Tobia

Spicy Fruit Punch for winter days

November 21, 2018October 12, 2019 - Tobia 2 Comments

After being locked up for the last few days I needed to get outside today. I knew it got cold but I was still a bit surprised how cold it was. Winter was in the air. I could almost smell snowflakes but not quite yet. When I was strolling the streets I thought to myself this will be a really cold long winter. We hadn’t had those in a while. I am looking forward. Just need to get used to the cold. Cold air makes everything feel fresh and new. However when I came home I was chilled to the bone. Time for a spicy fruit punch to warm me up.

Good thing I had all the ingredients already at hand. Let me invite you for a glass and if you are not able to stop by let me share the recipe with you.

What you need:

♥ bag of homemade chai tea
♥ redcurrant juice
♥ mint

Preparations are quite simple. Boil the chai tea in water and let simmer for about 30 mins. Add approx. same amount of juice to the concoction. Heat up. Fill in glass and decorate with min leaves.

If you enjoy this recipe you might also like Kuuma Karpalomehu – Finnish Hot Cranberry Juice. Now I wander what your favourite hot drink during winter time is. Let me know so I can give it a try.

Happy winter,

Tobia

Grandmas Herb Soup and the discovery of unknown herbs

November 6, 2018November 1, 2019 - Tobia 4 Comments

Hey There,

Last year my Mom stopped by and and handed over a few items she thought I would like from my grandparent. They just got done cleaning out the apartment after my gradpa had passed away. I didn’t really have any items I wanted or had specially requested. However I did mention that I would like to have all photography, baking and crafting related items they came across so I could have a look at them. For some reason my mom added my grandmas very old and torn up cook book in there that no one had claimed. And I am beyond happy that it ended up in my possession. I am not a very good cook as I am more the baking kinda girl. However if I know how to do one thing it is how to cook a good soup out of nothing.

So when I opened this book I was in for a double surprise:
1. a personal inscription by my grandpa for their 1. wedding anniversary and
2. a vast dedication of soup recipes savoury and sweet with forgotten ingredients.

Right then I decided I will will put some dedication into trying all those crazy old recipes. Ok maybe not all because honestly I really can’t find any reason to try “Brain Soup” let alone try to find out were to get that stuff in Berlin. I am sure Julia would help me out if I really would put my heart into it though. But besides that one there are quite interesting ones in there like “Elderflower Soup” or “Bread Soup”

However for the first one though I picked the Grandmas Herb Soup.

Here is the recipe:

30g butter
40g semolina (or flour)
1 litre vegetable broth
5 grains of allspices (whole)
5 junipers
3 bayleaves
2 tbs herbs (I used love parsley, parsley, tarragon and rosemary – however the original recipe called for: parsley, chervil, sorrel or a mixture of yarrow, dandelion, ground ivy, stinging nettle and Good-King Henry. Some of those I have never heard of. But I can see why sorrel or dandelion would taste good in it.)

The recipe called for a “Light Roux” as a ground base for the soup. While I was always scared of doing this when doing sauces I read that you could substitute the flower with semolina. For some reason this appealed to me so much more then the flour version. (And I know how to do hot semolina.)

Melt butter. Stir in semolina and add a bit of broth if necessary. Deglaze.
Add in allspice, bayleaf and junipers and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Chop herbs.
Add in herbs.
Season and enjoy.

It really is that simple. And you don’t really need much. The semolina is filling and the herbs give taste. I can imagine adding a bit of mushrooms in too. Anyhow I am amazed of how simple cooking was in the 50ies and the herbs they suggested is what we consider weeds now. So basically you only need a walk across the meadow and stuff you most likely have at home anyways.

Do you have one of those recipes that have been passed down or that you discovered in an old book? Link it please so I can have look.

Happy cooking,

Tobia

Disclaimer: This post contains links to other Blogs. Due to current (German) law this needs to be labelled advertising. Furthermore I have linked a few of my older articles because I believe you might enjoy them.