tirsdag 27. desember 2011

Zabaglione: Italian eggnog



Here is some inspiration for an easy dessert which is really tasty and not so heavy for the stomach after all the dishes of christmas. Maybe it's an idea after a newyear dinner?

The Italian nobleman Giovan Paolo Baglioni, nicknamed "Zvan Bajoun", was the day before an important battle without food for their soldiers. He sent out soldiers to search for food, and they came back with a little egg, a splash of wine and  wild honey. Bajoun gave orders that they were going to whip it together well and cook it. The soldiers of his eating and could go to bed satisfied. The next day they fought with great enthusiasm and energy, and they won the battle. When soldiers were asked how they obtained this strength from, they replied "Zvanbajoun"-a word that through time has evolved into Zabaglione

Giovan Paolo Baglioni

 Ingredients:
----------------
4 egg yolks
100 g sugar
75 cl Marsala wine

some water



Start mixing the yolks and sugar together untill almost white. Use a bowl that can stand heat.



















In the meanwhile, cook up a little water in a little pan.











When you have a nice white and fluffy blend of egg and sugar, take the bowl over the cooking water. Don't let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. You want to warm the mix, not  cook it...





...and blend inn the Marsala wine. Keep
on mixing.













After a while the mix is getting thicker. You should be able to make a little trace in the Zabaglione. Then it is ready.









BUON APPETITO!






mandag 19. desember 2011

Fresh baked Bagels


When you wake up early and want to surprise your wife or husband with some wonderfull bakework: why not make Bagels.
Bagels are in origin Jewish and the funny thing with them is that they are not only baked but they are also cooked.

Let's go:
You need 30g fresh yeast (or a packet of dry yeast)
2,5 dl handwarm water (37 degr. max)
2 ss oil
2 ts salt
50 g sugar
500g wheat flour
1 egg, beaten for glazing

Blend the yeast in the water (if using dry yeast, blend the yeast in the flour)
Bland salt, sugar and flour and pour the water in the middle. Make a dough of it and work about 10 min with it.
Put the dough at a warm place for 30-40 min.
Knead it again and make 12-24 pieces of it, depending on how big you want your bagels to be. Roll them to a ball and put your finger trough them so that you get a donutlike form.
 Let the bagels raise on a warm place, covered with a humid towel for about 15 min. Warm the oven to 200 degr. C


 While waiting for the bagels to raise, cook a big pot of water. Cook the bagels for about 1 min each.














 

When cooked, spread poppyseeds or sesamseeds over them, brush the bagels with egg and bake them for 20-25 min.








Look at those wonderfull small tasty breads!
BON APPETIT!


søndag 18. desember 2011

Sarah Bernard Cakes

Sarah Bernard was a French actrice, born 22nd october 1844. She is the queen of all actrices and a Danish baker loved her acting so much that he called one of his specialities after her: The Sarah Bernard Cakes.
Sarah Bernard (source: Wikipedia)

The cakes are not so difficult to make and they taste marvellous.

Ingredients:
  • 500 g kransekakemasse (this is Norwegian. It is a blend of 250g grounded almonds, 2 eggwhite and 250g flour sugar. )
  • 200 g unsalted butter
  • 3dl flour sugar
  • 50 g 70% cocoa chocolate; melted
  • one teaspoon of strong coffee, evt some grounded espresso
  • 200g 70% cocoa chocolate 
  • 2 teaspoons of cocos fat (Delfi)
Warm the oven to 200 degrees C. Start by rolling the almonddough in a sausage-way. Cut small slices, cut those in half, roll them to a little ball and press the ball down. You have now a little circle.



 Fill a plate and bake the little circles for 10 min, or untill golden, on 200 degrees.







Don't bake too long. It will make them hard









Now let them cool totally down. Mix together the soft butter,  the flour sugar, coffee and 50g melted chocolate
Put this mix in a spraybag with a 1M tip and spray nice little swirls on the cookies

Now you can put the cookies in the fridge for about 30-60 min
When the butter is stiff, melt the chocolate and the cocos fat "au bain marie"









 Dip now the buttercream of the cookies in the chocolate and put them cold again to let the chocolate be stiff.












ENJOY !