Kärlek Muffins

These muffins are dedicated to my friend Susanna <3 

Last time I went home, she gave me a big box of gifts (love) and there was also one of these Swedish candy bars Kärlek Plopp. The traditional Plopp bars are filled with toffee (adore them too) but this other version has raspberry cream filling which is so sweet. 

I ended carrying a dozen of them back to Italy. 

They are delicious by themselves but as well in these muffins!

KÄRLEK MUFFINS

Muffins:

2 eggs

130 g (1,5dl) sugar

160 g (2,5 dl) white flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

50 ml chocolate soya milk (or normal if you wish)

150 g Kärlek Plopp chocolate (3 bars)

Topping:

200 g cream cheese

150 g (2dl) icing sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla sugar

+ red berry sprinkles

Prepare a muffin tin putting on paper liners.

In a bowl whisk eggs and sugar to a white foam. Mix together all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and vanilla sugar). Start adding them together in the egg-sugar mixing carefully, them add chocolate soya milk and melted candy bars 

With a kitchen spoon fill the muffin forms and bake in the oven 200 C for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Mix together cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla sugar. 

With a help of a spoon, place the topping on the muffins.
Decorate with red berry sprinkles.

Place in the fridge and serve cold.

 

Mini Flapjacks

These days I'm always on the run and sometimes I forgot to eat the breakfast or have an afternoon break. I promised myself to get better and keep with me some healthy little things like müsli bars, nuts, dried fruits or cereal biscuits. 

Obviously you can also make snacks yourself if you find the time :)

I modified the traditional British Flapjack recipe to a more nutritional one and came up with these mini bars. This is just the first version. I'm surely going to try others too because they were so good!!

MINI FLAPJACKS

300g (6 dl) oatmeal

100 g (1,5 dl) sesame seeds

5 tablespoons maple syrup

5 tablespoons honey

50 g melted margarin (vegetal)

2 medium bananas mashed

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Prepare an oven tin covering it with a baking paper.

In a bowl mix all the ingredients together starting first with oatmeal and sesame seeds, continuing with maple syrup, honey and margarin, last add mashed bananas and cinnamon. Mix well, pour it in the oven tin and bake for about 15 minutes until it turns golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. After cut small bars of it and make little portions covering them with alluminium foil. Better kept in the fridge, ok also in a room temperature max one day. 

 

 

 

Choco-Orange Pies

 

Everybody knows that dark chocolate is good for you.

For me it's still something to get used to because usually I prefer the milk and white chocolate.. But I start to like it more specially when it's flavoured :)

These little pies have a simple crust with sesame seeds which make them more crispy.

The filling is just plain melted chocolate with some cream. 

I used new edition of Fazer's dark orange chocolate but in case you can't find this brand, you can use for example a similar versions of Lindt or Novi. 

CHOCO-ORANGE PIES

Base:

100 g butter

125 g (1,5 dl) sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla sugar

1 egg

1/2 zest of a lemon

70 g  (1 dl) sesame seeds

175 g (2,5 dl) white flour

Filling:

250 g Dark chocolate with orange

100 ml cream

Preheat the oven to 175 C. Prepare six small pie tins (or one big pie tin if you prefer) spreading some butter and sprinkling fine breadcrumbs on them. 

In a bowl mix well the butter with sugars, add an egg and then the other ingredients. Place the dough in a fridge for 15 minutes. With a help of a rolling pin make it flat, cut right sized pieces of the dough to cover all the tins. Bake the pie bases in the oven for 10-12 minutes until they turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. 

Meanwhile melt the chocolate in a medium heat, mix together with cream and then fill all the pie bases with it. If you wish you can decorate the pies with some sprinkles :)

Place in a cool place for a while and serve.

 

 

 

Also my new favourite aperitif drink is made with citrus fruits :)))

Coconut Puffs

Coconut is something you love or hate. I happen to love it :)

Another thing I adore is Tahini and it has become one of my top products in the kitchen. 

Usually I spread it on bread or use it as a dip for vegetables. 

The biological brand Rapunzel is very good one.

I wanted to use it for a dessert and I came up with this recipe. 

These little treats are super easy to make!!

COCONUT PUFFS 

200 g puffed wheat

150 g coconut flakes

150 g tahini (sesame seed spread)

100 g white chocolate

3 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons vanilla sugar

On a tray prepare small paper liners (about 30 pieces)

In a bowl mix together puffed wheat, coconut flakes, tahini, melted white chocolate, honey and vanilla sugar. With a help of the spoon fill the paper liners and place them in the fridge for an hour. 

Serve and enjoy :) 

Salmon Sandwich Cake

The other night I made dinner to my Estonian colleague/friend.

We have much in common and it's such a pleasure have her over because I know that she appreciates the same nordic things.. 

I made this salty cake with a simple salad. For desert we had some delicious gelato :))

SALMON SANDWICH CAKE

300 g toast without the crust

first layer filling:

100 g smoked salmon

100 g cucumber cubes

100 g cream cheese

50 g mayonnaise (I used the one with yoghurt)

2 teaspoons Horseradish sauce

2 teaspoons lemon juice

pepper, aroma salt

second layer filling:

300 g ready Russian salad (or potato salad/Italian salad)

topping:

150 g cream cheese

100 g mayonnaise

pepper, aroma salt

decorating:

salmon, cucumber slices, fresh parsley

Start by preparing the first filling, cutting the cucumbers into cubes, slicing the salmon and mixing everything together. 

On a serving plate place the first piece of toast (I used the very big ones so I put just one but if you have smaller ones, you can put two aside making the cake rectangular instead of a square). Spread on the toast half of the first filling, put another layer of toast and on the second one spread half of the Russian salad. Repeat the same thing another time with both layers putting toasts in the middle of the layers. 

For the topping simply mix cream cheese with mayonnaise and pepper plus aroma salt and spread it all over the cake, also on the sides. Decorate the cake with salmon rolls, cucumber slices and parsley. 

Place in the fridge at least for an hour and serve with a salad.

Buon appetito!!

 

 

 

 

Mint Drop Muffins

It is time for Italian Ferragosto holiday and usually everybody is home enjoying time with their family and friends. As in Verona there is tourism all year long despite the national festivities I'm going to work.. to make my colleagues happy I made these muffins :)

MINT DROP MUFFINS

Muffins:

3 eggs

130 g (1,5 dl) sugar

75 g margarin

150 g Mint drops

200 g (3 dl) white flour

2 teaspoons vanilla sugar

2 teaspoons baking flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

100 g natural yoghurt

Topping:

200 g icing sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
2 tablespoons milk

+ Mint drops on top

Preheat oven 180 C. Prepare a muffin tin with paper liners (12 pieces)

Melt the mint drops in a medium heat in a microwave resistant container.

In a bowl whisk eggs and sugar until the foam is white. 

In another bowl mix together flour, vanilla sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Start adding them in the first bowl together with room temperature margarin, yoghurt, and then melted mint drops . Mix carefully.

With a kitchen spoon fill the muffin liners and bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool.

Prepare the topping by mixing together icing sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla sugar and milk.

Cover the muffins with the topping and place in the fridge. Serve cooled.