Homemade chocolate bars

Hello my fellow chocoholics, welcome to paradise. This post is for you. It might be a little longer than usual, but bear with me. This post is about something every person needs – chocolate bars. Of course you can buy them at the supermarket. But you can also make them yourself. I know, I was shocked too when I found out. And then I was thrilled. Does that mean that I get to create my own personal favourite chocolate? Heck yes. It also means that I never have to worry about Christmas or birthdays anymore. What is a better present than a homemade chocolate bar?

I have to say…it takes a while. One needs patience, a thermometer and a chocolate bar form. But if you have all of that and want to try out something new – well there you go.

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by Ineke

Spinach quiche with tomatoes and goat cheese

It´s official. The semester started again. Which means that after 4 months of vacation I need to get used to getting up early, going to class, listening to the professor for 1 1/2 hours, reading a horrible amount of textbooks and studying. It also means that my time left for baking and spending time in the kitchen has been reduced. And that I have to focus on recipes that are easy to adapt to my tiny kitchen. One of those recipes is quiche. I like quiche especially because you easily change the recipe to those ingredients that you personally prefer. Once you found a good recipe for the dough it is up to you to create a filling. Basically any type of vegetable and cheese can be used for quiche, that way it never gets boring. It is not one of those recipes that you can easily prepare on short notice because the dough needs to chill for a while and the quiche itself needs about 40 minutes in the oven. But your patience will be rewarded.

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by Ineke

Carrot cake with cream cheese topping

My love affair with carrot cake is fairly young. That´s because I never thought cake and vegetables could be combined together. Little did I know that carrot cake doesn´t taste like carrots at all. Instead it tastes like cinnamon and almonds and Christmas and rainbows. Well, I finally tried a piece 2 years ago and since then I love it. Especially when combined with a cream cheese topping that makes everything even more delicious. Long story short, I think carrot cake is great. And for anyone who might still be skeptical: try it, you´ll love it!

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by Ineke

How to make a perfect risotto

Risotto is one of my go-to recipes. It´s simple, very tasty and perfect to make when you´re cooking alone. And you can always mix it up, according to season. Just exchange the vegetables for whatever might be in season right now, risotto can be made with pretty much everything. Pumpkin, Mushrooms, saffron…

This recipe is for my sister who once told me that she needs 40 minutes to make a risotto. For her and for anybody else who might struggle with risotto or maybe never tried it before: Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make a perfect risotto. Everybody who is more experienced in risotto making is also very welcome to try out this recipe. I am sure, more recipes will follow, but for the start I am going to show you how to make a simple vegetable risotto.

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by Ineke

Plum Tarte

It´s still plum season. I love it. And I still got a couple of recipes in my mind. So this time, let´s make a tarte! I´ve seen this recipe before on various food blogs. It was always made with peaches or nectarines but since summer is officially over I had to find something else. Thank god for plums! I like this tarte for its non-perfection. It looks handmade and every tarte you make will be unique. And you can make it all year round, just exchange the fruits according to season. Peaches, apricots, plums, nectarines, apples…you can make it with pretty much anything.

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by Ineke

Applesauce or what to do when you´re left with too many apples

I don´t know if applesauce is known outside of Germany. I don´t even know if that is the correct translation. I found it once in a Spanish supermarket but everywhere else I´ve been the concept of turning apples into a sauce was unknown. Here in Germany we have various recipes that include applesauce. Pfannkuchen mit Apfelmus (german pancakes with applesauce), Himmel und äd (mashed potatos, applesauce and blood sausage) or Kartoffelpuffer mit Apfelmus (potato pancakes with applesauce) are just a few of them. So for any non-germans that might follow this blog, here is a typical german recipe. You should try it!

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by Ineke