Spekulatius - Spelt Gingerbread Cookies

Speculoos Spekulatius, Speculoos or Speculaas. Popular in Belgium and the Netherlands, but also in the Rhineland and Westphalia. In Germany spekulatius are typical gingerbread Christmas cookies, and in Belgium, the Netherlands and Indonesia, as well as in former Dutch colony, they are eaten throughout the whole year.Its distinctive flavor spekulatius owe to cardamon, cloves and cinnamon. An important role is played by almonds to soften the spicy taste spicy. Sometimes, almonds flakes are on placed the bottom of the cookies.Cookies in bulk are cut by using a rectangular - wood or metal - matrix. The photos on cakes traditionally depict the story of Santa Claus, and today there are also motifs such as ships, farmhouses and windmills.Before World War II, production of gingerbread due to the high price of spices were expensive and only a part of society could enjoy their taste. Fortunately, today, all the ingredients - once called exotic - are generally available and we can all enjoy them.

 Ingredients for about 30 gingerbread:

250 g spelt flour*
 100 g butter at room temperature
 70 g brown sugar
 50 g ground almonds
 2 eggs, organic 
1 tsp lemon zest  (I used homemade)
1 tsp baking powder 
1/2 tsp cinnamon 
1/2 tsp nutmeg 
1/2 tsp cardamom 
1/2 tsp ground cloves 
1/2 tsp of ginger powder

Directions:

Combine all dry ingredients, in a large mixing bowl, next add all the rest and knead well. (you can use food processor). Then roll the dough in plastic foil and chill in the refrigerator for 3 - 4 hours. After the time sprinkle the flour over pastry board and roll out the dough on it. Molds of any patterns you like/have. Line the cookie sheet with a baking paper and lay cut-outs. Put into preheated to 180°C oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove, wait a few minutes and then place on cooling rack. Spekulatius can be store up to a month.

* For healthy reason I used spelt flour

 The recipe was inspired by kochabar.de.

Elisenlebkuchen - the Original (flourless) Nuremberg Cookies

This original Nuremberg gingerbread cookies recipe is a top secret, and the one which will share with you today is very close to the original. Cookies are childishly easy to make, and at the same time healthy, if you reduce more than half of sugar, as I did, and of course replace it with a healthier substitute. Very helpful if using "Backoblaten". or if you like waffles, cakes or gingerbread pads. With spelt ones haven't come across yet, and for this recipe I used wheat, but it is such a small amount that almost imperceptible. These waffles are also made out of whole-wheat.
And what is the taste of Elisenlebkuchen? Perfect. Delicious. The best Christmas cookies I ever had. 
Will not write more, you have to try it yourself.
Elisenlebkuchen can be stored for several weeks in well tightly closed in a box.

Ingredients for 25 cookies:

300 g ground almonds
120 g brown, unrefined sugar
25 wheat waffles, I used 70 mm ones
4 eggs, organic
4 drops lemon oil

2 tbsp candied lemon peel, preferably homemade
1 tsp almond essence
1 (2 mm) rum essence oil
1 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves, minced

 
Additionally:

 
Lemon glaze:

 
50 g brown, unrefined sugar milled to powder
Juice of half large lemon
A few teaspoons of boiled water

 
Everything mix together and spread over half of cookies.

Chocolate glaze:

75 g dark chocolate, 85% or more
3 - 4 tsp maple syrup, genuine
A few teaspoons of boiled water

 
Melt the chocolate in a water bath or in oven. Add the syrup and water. Spread over other half of cookies.

Directions:

Beat the eggs until white, add sugar, reduce the speed, and add all remaining ingredients. Cover cookie sheet with a parchment paper and lay out pads. Each pad cover with a dough, flat/even it with a wet finger.
Cookies sheet place in a heated convection oven to 150°C with (175°C standard) and bake for 20 minutes. Dry cookies on a cooling rack.

Inspired by a recipe found in a German magazine.

Slovene Tagliatelle with Pumpkin

The original name is "Rezanci z Bučo". I found the recipe in a culinary guide about Slovenia, by Heike Milhench. The author analyzes and presents dishes of specific region of the country and tells their genesis. When I rolled another page I read the ingredients for tagliatelle with pumpkin, I immediately knew that I will prepare the dish. Except the fact that this pasta dish sounded delicious it perfectly fits into the current season.
(Pictures first appeared on my old blog, over two years ago, that's why different logo)

Ingredients for 4 people:

500g tagliatelle (I used spelt wholemeal)

Pumpkin sauce:

1 kg pumpkin, peeled and cut into small pieces
500 ml vegetable broth
250 ml of white wine, dry
4 shallots
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp nutmeg
Sea salt and color pepper to taste

In addition:

100 g Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

In a large, deep skillet melt the butter over medium heat, add sliced shallots and fry until they turn translucent (approx. 8 minutes). Then add the pumpkin and broth. 
Cook over low heat until pumpkin is tender, approx. 30 minutes. In the meantime, cook the pasta according to the package's directions. Soft pumpkin can be mashed in a blender, or you may leave it in pieces as I did. When the sauce is ready, spices it. Serve Tagliatelle with the sauce and sprinkle with cheese.

* The method of peeling the pumpkin. 
Cut the pumpkin in half and hollow out the seeds, then cut into the shape of "moons". Peel "moons", preferably using a scraper. One kilo of pumpkin gives approx. 650 g edible pumpkin.

Recipe inspired by Heike Milhench.

Chłodnik, the Polish Cold Soup

Today, I would like to introduce traditional, Polish cold soup 
- very appropriate to the weather outside (40+C°/100+ F°) - called "Chłodnik".

Originally Chłodnik is cooked on a veal broth whitened with a sour milk or butter milk and served with either veal or crayfish. I prefer vegetarian version and cook Chłodnik on a veggie broth. No matter how you cook the cold soup you should serve it with hard boiled eggs, cucumber, radish and garnish with herbs, e.g. dill, chives, parsley. Additionally you can add avocado and cooked potatoes. Such a rich soup makes a whole meal (lunch or dinner).

Ingredients for about 3 liters of soup:

1500 l of broth

1000 l kefir or with sour or butter milk

1 bunch of chard (with about 3 beets)

1 kg beets

Colored pepper fresh grounded

2 tbsp vinegar (fruit, rice)

1 - 2 long cucumbers

1 - 2 bunches radishes

1 - 2 avocado

Juice from one lemon

Hard boiled eggs (1 -2 per person)

Directions:

Wash chard and beets. Peel beats and cut into cubes, chard stems with leaves slice very finely. Cook beets in a broth for about 7 minutes, after add chard and cook another 4 minutes. Turn the heat off, add lemon juice and vinegar. Let it completely cool down. Pour kefir into the cold soup and mix. Ready. Serve with chopped cucumber, radish, eggs avocado and garnish with herbs.

Recipe inspired by "Kwestai Smaku".

Rose Confiture Based on an Old Polish Recipe

Rose Confiture is based on a very old Polish recipe. An author - Maria Disslowa - lived at the turn of XIX and XX century. She was a publicist, educator, principal of a school of household and an author of many culinary books.
For years I thought that the rose confiture must be extremely difficult to make. Nothing more wrong, it's very easy but time consuming. What you need is fragrant rose petals, sugar, and a big, clay bowl  - makutra (our grandmothers used it all the time) - or if you don't have it, a food processor will do it. Recipe calls for double the amount of sugar in relation to the petals, I used the same amount, since I reduce sugar in all my dishes.
Why would you like to make a rose confiture? It's taste delicious in all kinds of sweet pastries and cakes, but the best is when used as a filling, in Polish, traditional donuts.

Ingredients for 475 ml of confiture:

300 g fragrant rose petals (any color, any rose, all roses are edible)

300 g brown sugar

1 lemon

Directions:

Clean the petals under lukewarm water and dry well (I used a salad drainer). Get rid of white petals' ending (they are suitable bitterness). Place petals in a food processor, cover with sugar, squeeze juice from the whole lemon and mix for few minutes. Confiture is ready. Move it into a glass jar if you are going to use it within a week or two and keep in the fridge. If you are saving the confiture for later, transfer to a suitable, freezer safe container and freeze.

Recipe inspired by Maria Disslowa

(Spelt) Very Lazy Dumplings

Original name is lazy pierogi, but lazy dumplings is more appropriate name for them. Lazy dumplings for me, it's a childhood, and of course, the best ones were made by mom. Today's recipe comes from the provision of our neighbors, of whom a quarter-century ago, right after the wedding, we shared the house. My husband was working, I still was studding and therefore, every day we drove by train and public transportation from the beautiful suburb of Warsaw to the city center. The whole operation was taking nearly two hours one way. After coming back home it was not much time left to prepare dinner/supper. One evening my neighbor showed me 
how to make dumplings the express way.
Traditionally, lazy dumplings are topped with buttered breadcrumbs and sprinkled with sugar. I like them with homemade berry sauce and maple syrup.

Ingredients for ca. 50 - 60 dumplings: 

550 g white cheese*

200 g spelt flour 

3 eggs, organic, large

In addition: 

Maple syrup 

Homemade berry sauce

Directions:

Boil water in a large pot, add salt. In the meantime, beat the eggs, add cheese, then gradually add the flour. Well combine. Spoon to take the cake, lightly shaping it by moving the spoon on the side of the dish and gently thrown into the boiling water. Cook few minutes. Serve topped with maple syrup and fruits. Enjoy your meal.

* In Poland we distinguish white cheese and yellow cheese. The time of making white cheese is very short (few days) and is made from fresh milk. It's soft and it's consistency is crumbly or creamy. Outside of Poland I replace white cheese either with cottage or curd cheese and quark, it's not the same, but close enough.

Recipe was inspired by BZ.

"Ruthenian" (Ruskie Pierogi) Spring Rolls

Are there any pierogi lovers? I am sure, they are! Traditional Polish pierogi consume a lot of time to precisely make them. But what would you say to pierogi stuffing wrapped in lumpia? They are same delicious and much easier and much faster to make. Pierogi were served very often in my mom's home, and she was a master in making them. My favorite ones were "Ruskie Pierogi", which stuffing was made with ~2/3 of potatoes and 1/3 of cottage cheese (white cheese). The great taste they owe to fried onion and black pepper, that is essential in this dish.

Ingredients for 35 - 40 "Ruthenian" spring rolls

40 pieces of lumpia

1.5 kg potatoes (organic)

600 g cottage cheese (can use more)

1 onion, large

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground (can use more)

Oil for frying (I use canola, organic)

Directions:

 Stuffing:

Peel cut potatoes into small pieces, then cook. I always steam-cook veggies to save as many nourishment as possible. Chop onion finely and fry until golden-brown. Mashed cooked potatoes, and cheese, add onion and spices., mix well together. Place a spoonful of stuffing in the middle of lumpia. and roll just like a traditional spring roll. Fry rolls in very little oil, so that they are less caloric. Ready. 

Recipe was inspired by the TV show.

Potato Pancakes with Fried Cheese

Most of the time I am making classical (traditional in Poland) potato pancakes, that my family loves. This time I wanted to make them different way. In the fridge I had a big chunk of Emmental, and thought, I may use it with the pancakes. However, I did not want to shred the cheese and mix with potatoes, because I was afraid that the taste will not be perceptible and I wanted it to be. I decided to fry cheese between two pancakes like a closed sandwich.
Pancakes came out delicious and nutritious. You can satisfy your hunger with smaller amount of them than with the classical ones.

Ingredients for approx. 45 -50 pancakes: 

1 kg potatoes, used organic 

300 g of cheese sliced into small pieces (~ 1.5 cm x 3 cm) 

5 tbsp spelt flour 

3 eggs, large, organic 

1 onion, small 

1 tsp sea salt 

Color pepper to taste 

Oil for frying (organic, canola)

Directions:

Peel the potatoes and shred on a fine grater. Add finely chopped onion, eggs, flour and spices, mix well. On the hot pan pour a little bit of oil and put a spoon (thin layer) of potato dough. After about a minute, when edges of the pancakes will become golden - brown place on them a slice of cheese. Cover with another thin layer of the dough and fry until golden brown. 

Recipe was created in my head and comes from my heart

Beet - Coconut Soup

For most of my life, red beets were associated only with my mom's best ever red beet borsch (soup) and braised beet-apple side dish. For some time now, I am looking for interesting recipes for other use of these tasty and healthy vegetables. Today, a second one presented on this blog.

Ingredients for about 2 liters of soup:

750 - 800 g beet
600 ml vegetable stock
600 ml coconut milk
3 tbsp olive oil
3 green onions
2 cinnamon sticks
1 orange
1 star anise* (omitted)
Ginger the size of the big toe
Spices to taste

Additionally:

Cilantro or other favorite herbs
Coconut flakes

Directions:

Peel beets and cut into small pieces. Cut the onion into slices. Grate orange peel and squeeze the juice into a small bawl. Peel ginger and grate on the fine mesh.
Heat the olive oil in a pot, in which the soup will be cooked. Add beets and cook for a few minutes. After a while, add the onion and continue to fry. After about 10 minutes, add hot broth, milk and the rest of the ingredients. Cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the beets are soft. Season. Serve sprinkled with flakes and/or herbs.

* not my faforite...

Recipe was inspired by "Alnatura".

Eclair Tort

I was looking and looking and did not find it, so I created it myself. If I can make 20 small, regular éclairs, I can make one big, too, right? The Jubilarian asked specifically for eclairs, and I wanted to go one step further and make the pleasure of surprise. For the  éclairs to be even more French I added pattisserie and made it healthier way. The whole torte was poured over with the chocolate - coffee glaze.
 

Ingredients for 24 cm cake:

375 g spelt flour

375 ml water

185 g butter

6 eggs, organic

Coconut flavor Pattisserie (Paleo):

400 ml coconut milk in a cans, organic

50 g shredded coconut

3 tbsp potato flour

3 tbsp honey

1 egg, organic

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of sea salt

In a small saucepan, combine milk, flour, honey, and salt. Heat over medium heat until thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and after 5 minutes, add coconut and vanilla. Done.

Chocolate - Coffee Glaze:

75 g of dark chocolate, I use 85%

30 ml espresso

2 - 3 tbsp maple syrup

Dissolve the chocolate in a water bath or in the oven (5 min, 150°C/300F°). Mix with coffee and syrup. Ready.

Directions:

In a low, wide saucepan boil water and butter. To the boiling water, gradually pour flour, stirring and stir with a wooden spoon. When the flour has absorbed all the water, allow to cool completely (approx. 2 hours). After this time, very slowly add previously lightly beaten eggs. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.  

The consistency should be glossy.

Butter and flour spring form pan. Pour the pastry in to it and put to preheated to 200°C/400°F oven. 

Bake for 30 minutes.

Next, remove from the spring form and cool on a baking rack. Once it's cooled, cut horizontally in half. Put the lower bottom part of the eclairs a serving plate, spread pattisserie over. Gently cover with the second part and decorate with chocolate - coffee glaze.

 Recipe was created in my head and comes from my heart