Yorkshire Pudding with Vanilla Custard

I am still in Carnival / Mardi Gras mood. :)))

I found this amazing Yorkshire pudding recipe on the blog of duende ("Szellem a fazékban") about a week ago (originally the recipe is from Nigella). It was love at first sight as:

1) You don't need a huge amount of oil to fry them.
2) Easy ingredients, easy steps.

Duende made her version with pomegranate syrup, but my version was made with vanilla custard I have already prepared for the pandoro. This recipe is super easy. Thanks again duende for posting it.

Apple Donuts for Mardi Gras

Oops, it seems we just over Mardi Gras. :)))

I just realized that the Mardi Gras season starts on Epiphany (6th January) and ends on Fat Tuesday. As of Ash Wednesday the 40-day Lent starts that will end at Eastern. So from this Wednesday, there is no more Carnival season. Too bad, I just started to get in a Carnival mood :)))

During thinking about this weekend's Mardi Gras pastry, I remembered that we used to make donuts. However, I also remembered having this burning oil smell all over the kitchen. Sorry if it is a bit of a downer, but that is why I googled through the internet to found my perfect donuts and found fried apples. So I made cinnamon apple rings in american pancake coat.

TWD 2 - Chocolate Truffle Tartlets

Here is the time for the second "Baking with Julia" recipe and as an introduction I should start with saying: 

WOW!!!!!!!

I loved it. It was a melted chocolate bomb with just a hint of almond taste. Both me and my husband loved it. It reminded us of chocolate lava cake or chocolate souffle. Due to lack of deep freezer, we missed a little vanilla ice cream. Maybe next time. :)))

6-Layer Coconut Cream Cake

One of my dear colleagues celebrated her birthday yesterday. I got her invitation a month ago and I was quick to ask her whether I can bake a birthday cake for her. 
 
Of course, she said yes. Especially, as she has never had a marzipan cake before. Her favorite flavor is coconut, so the cake turned out to be a 6-layer coconut cream cake. 
 
Coconut cream was a bit of a challenge for me as I have never made anything with coconut before. Yeah, except coconut balls, but that is mainly chocolate balls sprinkled with coconut rasps. 
 
So I had one month to come up with the perfect recipe. I searched the internet and my cookbooks to find one. 

Cookies for Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I was sure that I wanted to make heart-shaped cookies, but I did not know how to make them special.

I have come across Ali Bee's Bakeshop before, where I saw this amazing technique: "Brush emboidery". Here is a super video tutorial from her. So I decided I gave it a go.

The cookies are again danish tea-biscuits I used for the baby shower cookies, but this time I tried the Wilton recipe of royal icing I found in the meringue powder box. :)))

Pear Frangipane Galette

Frangipane is for a long time now on my inspiration list. It went up on the list, when I tasted Galette des Rois for Epiphany. 
 
Galette des Rois is a puff pastry filled with frangipane cream. For some pic, click here. If you want a good recipe, visit Almond Corner. 
 
However, galette can be made also from Paté Brisée, which is kind of shortbread. You can use any kind of filling you want. All you have to know is that it should be flat, round and the sides should be made by hand. Very simple, very easy. 
 
Last week I came across "Tarte Bourdaloue", which is a typical French tart with frangipane cream and pears. So I got inspired.

Chocolate Cupcakes with "Xmas Crackers"

The idea of a cupcake and "Xmas crackers" (click here if you want to find out what I am talking about) came from the fact that I have been tossing around 10 "Xmas crackers" for a while.

I am, for a long time now, not in a Christmas mood. So it is not surprising that I have not feel like eating them any more. But what should I do with them?

That is when the idea came to bake some cupcakes with them.

Searching for a perfect cupcake recipe I came across the blog of the Cupcake Project, where they recommended Chockylit's plain chocolate cupcake as the best cupcakes ever.

TWD 1 - Pizza loaves

I got very excited when I opened to book and put it on the cupboard. It is time. Time to start.

I was also very nervous as yeast doughs are not my outmost favorite. Based on my previous experience (garlic-cheese crescents and mini chocolate rolls) yeast dough is among the harder ones. I usually bake tart dough, but challenge is accepted.

Tuesdays with Dorie

I have been joined the new round of Tuesdays with Dorie. I am sooooo excited. The book of Baking with Julia just arrived. Wow. A lot of recipes. :))) It will take a long-long time to finish it. 

Never heard of TWD? 

Poppy-seed Dumplings with Baked Vanilla Custard

It has been a long time since I ate poppy-seed dumplings, but finally on this weekend I found minced poppy-seeds.

Oh, yes, it is quite a challenge to find MINCED poppy-seeds in Luxembourg. You either have to go the a mini, but special shop or drive to Germany. Of course, driving to Germany doesn't take that long. 30 minutes and you are there.

I had no intention to make regular poppy-seed dumplings, as a food blogger you have to challenge yourself. I searched on the internet and found that besides me a whole lot of people thinks that vanilla custard and poppy-seed dumplings are amazing together. However, nobody baked the two together. So, here is the recipe for Poppy-seed Dumplings with Baked Vanilla Custard.