This week, I am sharing with you a special recipe, all the way from Sweden. My dear friend, Sofia Nordgren, from The Nordic Kitchen, published her beautiful baking book just in time for the holidays, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and try her recipes!

The Nordic Baker is a plant-based book filled with delicious baking recipes divided by season. Across beautiful images, seasonal recipes, and stories, Sofia takes you on a unique journey of discovering Sweden and invites you to slow down and enjoy the mundane. Her approach to baking and cooking with nature in mind is really inspirational, inviting you to discover the Nordic lifestyle and great recipes. In her book, Sofia shares different recipes for different seasons - from breakfast ideas, recipes for bread, homemade granola, jams, to cakes and delicious sweet treats, the choice of recipes is exceptional.

If you are looking for a last-minute gift for a cook or foodie lover, this book will be a perfect gift. Grab a copy for yourself on the way, and discover beautiful recipes from Sofia's kitchen. The book is available on Amazon here. 

Today I am happy to share a special recipe from her book - Lussekatter or Swedish Saffron Buns. These soft, fluffy buns are rich in saffron flavour and decorated with raisins at each end. In Sweden, they are traditionally prepared on December 13, Santa Lucia (Saint Lucy) day. According to the Julian Calendar, December 13 was the winter solstice, the year's longest night. In Sweden and other Scandinavian countries, where the days are pretty short during the winter, St. Lucia's Day or "The Festival of Lights" is meant to bring hope and light during the darkest time of the year. In addition, it announces the Christmas season and the beginning of the holiday preparations.  In Swedish tradition, young girls wear a crown of candles and wake their families with these sweet saffron buns. In fact, the saffron gives them a golden colour and represents the light.

SWEDISH SAFFRON BUNS
RECIPE FROM THE BOOK THE NORDIC BAKER

INGREDIENTS

Makes 40 buns

150g vegan margarine, plus extra, melted for brushing

500ml plant milk, plus extra for brushing

1g (a pinch) saffron

135g caster, superfine sugar

50g fresh yeast

1/2 tsp salt

900g plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting

80 raisins ( 2 raisins per bun)

100-200ml mulled wine, optional 

METHOD

Melt the margarine in a small saucepan set over a lo heat, then stir in the plant milk. Let the liquid cool until it's lukewarm (37 C/99F). Grind the saffron and 1 tablespoon sugar using a mortar and pestle. then add it to the milk mixture.

Crumble the yeast into a large bowl, then pour over the lukewarm milk and stir until the yeast is completely dissolved. 

Add the remaining sugar, the salt and about two-thirds of the flour to the bowl. Stir together until well combined and then work the dough in the bowl with your hands for 5-10 minutes, dusting over the remaining third of the flour as you knead. You are aiming for a smooth and slightly sticky dough. Shape the dough into a ball and nestle it into the bottom of the bowl, then cover it with a tea (dish) towel and place it in a warm place to prove for about 45 minutes. 

Line two baking sheets with baking paper. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and work it for a minute or so. Using your hands, roll the dough into a long sausage shape, then cut into 40 equal pieces. 

With open palms, roll each piece of dough on the work surface into a long sausage shape again, about 1 cm (1/2 in) in diameter. Curl the ends of each in opposite direction, forming an "S" shape. Place the buns on the prepared baking sheets and repeat with the rest of the dough to make 40 buns. Leave some space between them. Loosely cover the buns again and leave to prove for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 220 C / 425 F / Gas 7. 

In a small bowl, cover the raisins in the mulled wine and leave to soak until the buns are proving. (optional)

Brush the buns with melted margarine and press a raisin into the swirls at each end. Bake one sheet of buns at a time in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack and loosely cover with a tea towel to cool. Best eaten fresh. 

Christmas at home 

with Sofia, the author of The Nordic Baker

In Sweden we celebrate Christmas on December 24th (Christmas Eve). I think the Christmas traditions in Sweden look a bit different depending on whom you are talking to. However, there are a few things that a lot of people do. The mornings are probably different in different families, but around lunch most people gather with family for a Christmas lunch - usually including a big buffet of all the Christmas food you can think of. At 3 o'clock almost everyone in Sweden turn on their TV to watch "Donald Duck and his friends celebrating Christmas" as it's called here, the proper English title is however From All of Us to All of You. It has been on Swedish tv since 1960 so it's indeed a tradition. Sometime after that Santa typically arrives in most families, at least if you have kids. After some gift opening many gather around boardgames, eat more Christmas food and perhaps watch another TV show.

For our family, we start the day with our toddler getting a gift in the Christmas stocking. Then we eat rice porridge for breakfast before heading out to take a walk or play in the snow (if any). Then we enjoy a Christmas lunch before watching Donald Duck. We usually drink mulled wine while watching it, and enjoy a saffron bun or two, and some gingerbread cookies. Then we play for a while before Santa knocks on the door. We don't give much gifts for Christmas, we usually stick to one gift each. After opening them we don't have much planned. We play, talk and just enjoy being together.

Hi, I am Mariangela, wife, mother of Cecilia, and owner of a blog Accade in Tavola. I am from Basilicata, from where I chase the beauty, or maybe she is the one who is looking for me. Pursuing everyday beauty allows me to express myself creatively and present what surrounds me the best - from food that I prepare with love every day to my home - hearth, and nest of my existence. You can find my recipes and stories on my blog Acccade in Tavola and follow my daily adventures on my Instagram.

I've always loved Christmas, and ever since I was a child, the holiday season was so special to me. It was the time of the great family reunions, the time to open presents and spend long days around the table with all the cousins. 

Christmas day was also the day when the house changed its appearance. We would use the prettiest tablecloths, special plates, and glasses that were hidden in the cupboards waiting for a special occasion, and I remember how much I enjoyed seeing the table dressed up for the party, so beautiful and different from most of the other days of the year.

It was also the time for the great preparations in the kitchen and traditional meals. Lucanian Christmas panzerotti was a must-have dessert, and its preparation officially marked the beginning of the holidays.
Everyone was included in its preparation, and for us, children, it was the moment where we played to be grown-ups and helped with tasks.

Like many in the South, Lucanian society remained on the matriarchy for many decades, and at that time, my grandmother was still there, and she was the head of the family.  She would take care of the ingredients list, then pass the task to my mother, who would go grocery shopping and prepare all the tools needed, and my aunt was in charge of frying.
I was about 8 years old, and we, kids, had the most challenging task: passing the dough through the pasta machine under the grandmother's watchful eye and carrying trays back and forth between the kitchen and the bedroom.

Christmas panzerotti were prepared for three families, which was not an easy task! I remember placing the trays and trays of those plump white panzerotti on my grandmother's blue and orange checked plaid, all in a row perfectly spaced from each other, each with small fork holes, ready to be taken back to the kitchen and dipped in boiling oil. The scent of grape jam mixed with chocolate, cinnamon, and the raw dough was so indulging, and we couldn't wait to try them!

The smell of fried food remained for days - soaking into curtains and furniture, but we didn't care. Impatiently, everyone would wait for the tasting moment, and the women who prepared them were happy that the dessert turned out perfectly. I invite you to try them out, following our traditional family recipe that you can find here.

The moment of preparation and the days preceding the holidays are those of great enthusiasm, excitement, and desire to do. Cooking for family and friends is undoubtedly an act of great love, but it is also a lot of work and long hours spent in the kitchen.
These are the days when we show off our best culinary skills, trying to surprise everyone by presenting a beautiful table and decorations.
If you ask me what the best way to approach the preparations without getting exhausted for the big day is, simple: Let people help you! Above all, preparations are the best part of any event, so invite people to join the backstage, prepare meals together, and have fun!

Italian version

 
Sono Mariangela, lucana, moglie e madre di Cecilia, rincorro la bellezza o forse è lei che viene a cercarmi. Attraverso di lei riesco ad esprimere il meglio di ciò che mi circonda, dal cibo che ogni giorno preparo con amore, alla mia casa, focolare e nido della mia esistenza. Ciao, sono Accade in tavola sui social e sul mio blog dove vi racconto di tutto questo e molto altro ancora.

Tra i miei ricordi da bambina quello del Natale è ancora vivo in me.

Era il momento delle grandi riunioni di famiglia, il momento per poter aprire i regali e trascorrere quelle intere giornate intorno ad un tavolo con tutti gli zii e i cugini che solo in quel giorno riuscivamo ad unire. Ma era anche il giorno in cui la casa cambiava aspetto, la comparsa di tovaglie mai viste, dei piatti e bicchieri chiusi per mesi nei credenzoni e ricordo che mi piaceva vedere quella tavola vestita a festa, diversa da tutti gli altri giorni dell’anno. Era il momento delle grandi preparazioni in cucina.

I panzerotti di Natale della tradizione lucana erano un must di queste festività, la preparazione di questo dolce, segnava ufficialmente l’inizio delle feste.
 
Per noi bambini era il momento del gioco a fare i grandi. Improvvisamente diventavamo elementi di un ingranaggio a catena che non poteva spezzarsi. Tutti eravamo indispensabili e ognuno aveva il proprio compito.

Tutto partiva dal capofamiglia ( la società lucana, come molte del sud, per molti decenni si è mantenuta sul matriarcato e a quel tempo c’era ancora mia nonna ) lei, si occupava della lista degli ingredienti, poi passava il compito a mia madre, colei che si impegnava a far la spesa, recuperare gli attrezzi da utilizzare e infine  il turno di quella che un giorno sarebbe diventata la sostituta della nonna, mia zia, sorella maggiore di mia mamma che si occupava esclusivamente della frittura, tutto il tempo davanti a questo calderone di olio bollente.

E noi bambini?
Avevo circa 8 anni e a noi spettava il compito più duro, quello del passaggio dell’impasto alla macchinetta sotto l’occhio vigile della nonna e di portare vassoi avanti e dietro tra la cucina e la camera da letto che aveva l’unico piano d’appoggio sufficientemente ampio, il lettone. Si preparavano panzerotti di Natale per tre famiglie, per nulla una passeggiata!
Su di un plaid a quadri, color blu e arancio (che tutt’oggi ricordo come se lo avessi ancora qui con me) poggiavamo vassoi e vassoi di quei cuscinetti bianchi paffutelli, profumatissimi di marmellata di uva, cioccolato, cannella e impasto crudo, tutti in fila perfettamente distanziati l’uno dall’altro, ognuno con dei buchini di rebbi di forchetta, pronti per esser riportati in cucina ed esser tuffati in olio bollente.

La cucina sembrava un laboratorio di apine laboriose, tutte intente tra concentrazione degli adulti e gli schiamazzi di noi bimbi.
L’odore di fritto permeava tende e mobili per giorni interi e poi il momento dell’assaggio che ci vedeva come cavallette impazzite di fronte ad enormi coppe e infine l’espressione soddisfatta delle donne di casa per l’operato ben riuscito.

Il momento dei preparativi e i giorni che precedono le feste, sono quelli del grande entusiasmo, fermento e voglia di fare. Cucinare per familiari ed amici è certamente un atto di grande amore ma è anche il momento di lungo lavoro ed ore trascorse ai fornelli.
Sono i giorni in cui mettiamo in mostra le nostre migliori doti culinarie, cercando di sorprendere tutti anche attraverso la presentazione di una bella tavola e qui ne trovate alcune tra le mie preferite.

Se mi chiedete Qual è il modo migliore di approcciarsi ai preparativi senza arrivare sfiniti al gran giorno, io vi rispondo:
Semplice, Lasciatevi aiutare!

Soprattutto, ricordate, I preparativi sono la parte migliore di ogni cena o pranzo ben riuscito ed è anche il momento dello stare insieme affinchè anche il dietro le quinte diventi un momento di divertimento.

Christmas Yule Log Cake is one of the traditions I love to keep as it presents such a beautiful dessert for the holidays. Even though this cake is originally made with chocolate filling ( check my Chocolate Yule Log Cake), this holiday season, I've decided to create a slight variation of that recipe as well, combining refreshing tones of lemon curd with the richness of mascarpone cream and of course, glorious, toasted Italian meringue.

Roulade cakes or swiss roll cakes are always fun to make, and this recipe, in particular, can be made all year round. The roulade consists of baking a sponge cake in a flat pan, then rolling it and filling it with a cream of your choice.

Secrets of a perfectly soft sponge cake 

A perfect sponge cake has a light, airy, and fluffy texture and comes in a pale color. To achieve such a result, you need to start whipping egg whites until soft but not firm yet, slowly adding ingredients like described in the recipe. It is essential to slowly add sugar so the eggs can beat properly in beautiful white peeks. The same goes for other ingredients - add yolks one at a time and sift the flour to avoid any lumps. Even though the sponge cake usually calls for eggs, sugar, and flour, we will add just a bit of sunflower oil for extra moisture and a pinch of baking powder for a slightly higher result.

how to make a homemade lemon curd

Lemon curd is easy to make, and you need four simple ingredients: lemons, sugar, eggs, and butter. With these four ingredients, you will get a delightful and tangy flavour with a fantastic, creamy texture. Lemon curd can be stored for a couple of days in the fridge and used for different recipes - scones, cakes, pancakes, and pies. To prevent any lumps, whisk the cream constantly until thickened. Once you get the desired texture, add in butter, whisk until melted, then cover with plastic wrap. In that way, your lemon curd will stay creamy and will not create a so-called "skin" on the top while cooling. For this recipe, I am mixing it with mascarpone cream for a richer and more creamy filling.

how to make a homemade lemon curd

Sometimes assembling a roulade cake can be intimidating as you don't want your beautiful sponge cake to break while rolling. The secret behind the perfect swiss roll cake is to roll the sponge cake while it's still warm and moist. All you need to do is take the sponge cake out of the oven once it is ready, cover it with a clean kitchen towel and flip the cake, so it's upside down. Gently remove the baking paper, and with the help of the kitchen cloth, roll the cake. Even though the cake is still warm, the kitchen cloth will act as a heat protector, so you will be able to do this without burning your fingers. You can roll it on both the short and long sides, depending on the look you are going for, but if you are making a Yule log cake, roll the sponge cake on the longer side as we will be cutting one part later on for decoration. Leave it rolled with the kitchen towel until cooled completely. Once it's cooled, you can proceed with the filling and assembling of the cake. curd is easy to make, and you need four simple ingredients: lemons, sugar, eggs, and butter. With these four ingredients, you will get a delightful and tangy flavour with a fantastic, creamy texture. Lemon curd can be stored for a couple of days in the fridge and used for different recipes - scones, cakes, pancakes, and pies. To prevent any lumps, whisk the cream constantly until thickened. Once you get the desired texture, add in butter, whisk until melted, then cover with plastic wrap. In that way, your lemon curd will stay creamy and will not create a so-called "skin" on the top while cooling. For this recipe, I am mixing it with mascarpone cream for a richer and more creamy filling.

how to prepare the italian meringue

While sometimes preparing a meringue sounds terrifying, Italian meringue is really easy to follow, and the result is this silky, beautiful Meringue that you can use on top of your cake. If you haven't made a meringue before and unsure of the difference between Italian, French, and Swiss meringue, I highly recommend watching How to Make a Meringue with Erin McDowell. I love Erin and her easy ways of explaining baking techniques, so if you are in that kind of thing as well, I highly recommend her.
Italian Meringue is so silky, thick, and delicious, and perfect for covering the cakes as it is safe to eat due to mixing the egg whites with hot sugar syrup. It is made by cooking a sugar syrup, then adding that hot syrup to whipping egg whites. To have a perfectly whipped meringue, make sure to have a thermometer as it will be of enormous help while preparing the syrup. If you are going for a toasted meringue-like in the pictures, make sure to have a cooking torch. Every kitchen should have one, especially if you love meringue. Finishing off the cakes and pies with some toasted meringue is both delicious and beautiful to see, so I highly recommend you to try it out. The process of making a meringue will be easier if you have a stand mixer running on itself, but the hand mixer is perfect as well ( that's how I whipped the one in the recipe). Make sure to add syrup slowly and beat the eggs continuously until the result is super glossy meringue and stiff peaks are formed. Once the Meringue is ready, cover your cake and torch it with a kitchen torch and serve immediately.

LEMON MERINGUE YULE LOG CAKE
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 1O 

For the sponge cake 

5 eggs, room temperature, separated

5 tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 tbsp sunflower oil

5 tbsp all-purpose flour

8g baking powder

zest from 1/2 lemon

FOR THE SPONGE CAKE 

2 whole eggs, room temperature

2 egg yolks, room temperature ( leave the egg whites for the meringue)

120g granulated sugar

juice from 2 medium lemons

zest from 1 lemon

110g butter

200g mascarpone for the filling

FOR THE ITALIAN MERINGUE 

2 egg whites

170g granulated sugar

85g water 

1/8 tsp cream tartar

METHOD

Prepare the sponge cake:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (parchment should hang over the sides). Place the egg whites in a large bowl and beat on medium/high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Slowly add in sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and mix continuously. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Add egg yolks, one at a time, along with a half tablespoon of sunflower oil. Beat on medium speed until combined. Beat the mixture around 3 minutes, until it gets a light yellow color. Add in the zest of half lemon. Sift the flour and baking powder over the egg mixture and fold in until just combined.

Spoon the batter into the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, or until the top of the cake is just golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Cover the cake completely with a clean kitchen towel. Flip the cake over so that it is on top of the cloth and carefully peel the parchment paper off of the cake. Starting at the longer edge of the cake, roll up the cake (along with the towel) and set the rolled cake aside to cool. Once the cake is cooled, and your filling is ready, unroll gently.

Prepare the lemon curd-mascarpone filling:
In a medium heatproof bowl, place eggs, yolks, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and whisk to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (bain-marie). Cook on moderate heat, constantly whisking until the mixture thickens (it takes between 10 and 20 minutes). The lemon curd will thicken more once cooled. Remove from the heat and stir in butter. Whisk until butter is completely melted and incorporated. Cover the surface of the curd with the plastic wrap and leave aside to cool.

Once cooled down, mix the lemon curd with 200g mascarpone until you get a nice, creamy filling. 

Unroll the sponge cake gently and fill it in with the lemon-mascarpone filling. Roll it back and place it in the fridge. Before adding the Italian meringue, cut a smaller piece of the roulade and position it on one side of the main roll for a more Yule log look. 

Prepare the Italian Meringue:
I recommend preparing the Italian meringue just before serving or just a few hours before, as meringue tastes the best once freshly made. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar into the mixing bowl. In a medium pot, combine the sugar and water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir the mixture until it begins to simmer, but once it does, stop stirring. If any sugar crystals are visible on the sides of the pot, use a pastry brush dipped in cool water to brush them away. Continue to cook until the mixture reaches  110°C  (230°F)  on a thermometer. When the temperature reaches 110°C, start whipping the egg whites on medium speed—the goal is to get it frothy by the time the sugar syrup reaches 115°C (240°F). When the sugar syrup reaches 115°C (240°F), raise the mixer speed to be high, and gently pour the hot sugar syrup into the mixing bowl. Once all the syrup is incorporated, continue to whip until the meringue holds desired peaks - it will take about 10 minutes for meringue to make stiff peeks. Use immediately to cover your roulade. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue slightly and serve immediately. Enjoy!

NECESSARY OBJECTS
These items may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using this link.

Even though this year has been challenging in many ways, Christmas is time to set back and enjoy the little things life has offered us. Bake some cookies, turn up the Christmas music, and enjoy the candlelight and the tree.
As this year, I can not visit my family and friends back home, I decided to bake all the goodies from my childhood, including these amazingly soft sandwich cookies with marmalade, or as we originally call them, Vanilice.
This recipe is maybe one of the most popular recipes in Balkan countries and is usually made for special occasions. They are simply a must-have when it comes to Christmas baking, and today's recipe has been used in my family for generations. Whereas they might look simple, they bring so many memories along, from Christmases spent with family, my grandparents, and the time when I used to bake them with my mom and sisters.
Mom always found a way to include us in baking, and making these cookies was a really special, sweet project my sisters and I loved. Our job was to fill them with marmalade and then pass them through the icing sugar with our tiny, sticky hands. Many of them were eaten right away, just to confirm that the recipe is right.

The recipe is very straightforward and easy to make, and once you try them, you will bake batches and batches more. The secret about these cookies is that the more they last, the better they get - so don't worry about making too many - these cookies will be perfect even after a few days after the baking.

The dough is made with lard instead of butter, which makes them incredibly soft and delicious. The dough is easy to make, with simple ingredients, and from one batch, you can have around 26 to 30 cookies, depending on the size you have. We usually fill them with my mom's homemade cornelian berry jam, but any good quality jam could work. Ensure it's not too runny, as assembling might get tricky if your jam is not firm enough. Just a half teaspoon of marmalade is enough for one cookie as in that way, they are perfectly bite-size cookies that you can serve during the holidays.

Try making them this holiday season, and make sure to leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @thehungryapron, as I would love to hear your opinion!

I wish you all Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Soft Sandwich Christmas Cookies
Vanilice
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 2O 

200g high-quality lard*

5 tbsp sugar

Zest of ½ lemon

1 egg and 1 egg yolk

400-500g all-purpose flour*

Jam of your choice

Icing sugar for dusting

METHOD

In a large bowl, with a hand mixer beat the lard until soft and creamy for about 2 minutes. Add egg, egg yolk, and lemon zest. Beat on medium until incorporated. Add in sugar, gradually add flour, and mix everything with a spatula or with your hands. The dough is ready when soft and not sticky to touch. Leave the dough to rest a room temperature for 20 minutes.

Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, make cookies using a small cup, or a round cookie cutter. The perfect diameter is around 4cm.

Bake for around 12-15 minutes, just until the edges are slightly golden. The cookies should remain bright and almost white. Let them cool completely, then assemble by making cookie sandwiches - add a ½ tsp of marmalade on the cookie's bottom side, then cover with another cookie, so they form a sandwich. In a shallow bowl, place icing, sugar, and roll every cookie sandwich until both sides are covered. Repeat until all your cookies are used.

These cookies can be stored for a week in an air-tight container. They are better with time, so you can prepare more in advance without worrying that they will dry. You can freeze them as well for 3 months.

*Note: If you don't have lard, you can use butter or shortening as well, but lard is highly recommended as it makes these cookies extremely soft.
As for flour, start adding a bit at a time. The dough is ready once it doesn't stick to your hands.

We all face the fact that this year our Christmas will be different. We won't gather with all our friends and family, and we might have to stay in for the whole holiday season. This is just a reason more to bring the magic of Christmas inside and enjoy the holidays as much as we can.

I love family Christmas traditions, which in my family include a lot of cooking and baking. Even though every year I prepare something new on the Christmas menu, old family recipes are my favorite as they bring some special memories along.

The recipe for this cake is one of those recipes, but this year, instead of making a rectangular sponge cake and then rolling it into a log, I decided to bake a chocolate layer cake. Layers of soft and moist sponge cake are covered with the silkiest chocolate filling you will ever try. I mean, when you combine chocolate, eggs, and butter, miracles can happen, am I right?

Besides being incredibly good, I found this "woodland" look very charming and magical. For a log look, use the fork and make straight-up lines. For decoration purposes, I added a smaller piece of cake next to the primary cake so that the log looks more natural. Mushrooms are edible and made with sugar paste (fondant) and are easy to make and give a more natural look to the log.
For the sugary mushrooms, all you need to do is soften the fondant with your hands, so it gets easier to work with. Make stems and caps and then assemble them. Brush them with some dark cocoa powder for a more realistic look, or add a dash of edible brown color to the fondant to get light brown mushrooms as well.

The recipe for the sponge is one of my go-to recipes as it always gives excellent results and very soft, moist cake layers. The chocolate filling is super easy, incredibly silky, and dense, and it can be used for all sorts of recipes. Its density is super handy when decorating this cake as it will be easy to work with and decorate.

I really hope you will give this Chocolate Yule Log Cake a try this holiday season and if you do, please, tag me on Instagram @thehungryapron so I can see and share all your magical holiday decorations.

Enjoy this season with all your heart, and take time for yourself and your loved ones!

Bûche de Noël - Chocolate Yule Log Cake
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8-10

For the  cake 

5 eggs, separated

1g salt

150g granulated sugar

150g all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

50ml melted butter (or margarine), room temperature

50ml milk, room temperature

FOR THE chocolate filling 

6 eggs
 
250g icing sugar
 
60g dark chocolate
 
250g softened butter (not melted)

METHOD

Prepare the cake:

Separate the eggs carefully. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and mix with a hand mixer until foamy. Start adding sugar 1 tbsp at a time and beat on high speed continuously until the soft peaks form. Once the peaks are formed, add in salt and egg yolks, one at a time, without stopping to whisk.
Sift in flour and baking powder and mix gently, from bottom to top, until all the flour is incorporated. It is essential to mix very slowly in order not to dissolve the egg whites. In a small bowl, mix melted butter and milk. Add in a small portion of cake batter and whisk. Once all the ingredients are mixed, place them back to the rest of the batter.
Preheat your oven at 170 degrees Celsius. Grease and flour your pan (round pan, diameter 18-20cm) and transfer the batter. Depending on your pan's depth, you can decide to either bake the layers together or separate them. In case you are baking all at once, make sure to leave the cake to cool completely before cutting the layers horizontally. You should have 4 layers (or 5 thinner layers) and a little bit on the side for a smaller portion of the log (optional).
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is set and golden, and the toothpick inserted comes out clean. It may take a bit longer if you are baking all the layers at once. Cool completely before assembling.
Prepare the chocolate filling:
Prepare the filling by adding eggs and sugar to a medium pan. Cook them over hot water (bain-marie), constantly whisking for 8-10 minutes or until the mixture comes together, is thicker, and has a pale yellow color. Add in chopped chocolate and whisk until melted. Once the consistency has thickened, remove from heat and add softened butter. Whisk until butter is melted. Leave to cool completely before covering the cake, as with cooling, and the butter will make your cream much richer, firmer, and easier to work with.
Fill every cake layer with chocolate cream and cover the outer sides as well. Use the fork to create bark lines, and decorate with mushrooms made out of fondant. Place in the fridge for at least 4-5 hours or overnight. For a snowy effect, sprinkle the cake with some icing sugar before serving. 

It has been a crazy couple of weeks. To be honest, there are days that I have no idea which date or day is. It seems like March 57th. We have been social distancing for six weeks now and despite the quarantine, days have been flying extremely fast by. From working, to cooking and experimenting with new recipes, gardening and sowing first tomato seeds, we have been enjoying the spring in the countryside, fresh air in the woods and sunshine. 

In the kitchen, I've experimented with lots of pantry friendly recipes as I know that nowadays not all the ingredients are actually always available. This cake is one of those recipes that requires simple ingredients and can be easily adjusted to what we actually have at home.

The strawberry season has begun in Italy, and I had to stock my fridge with these red beauties before they were all out. Their sweet taste goes so well with refreshing notes of lemon and coconut cream gives that extra creamy texture to the whole cake. The cake itself is very soft and moist and has a zesty lemon taste. 

Even though this recipe is very simple, here are some pantry friendly options if you don't have all the ingredients at home:

• If you don't have strawberries, top the cake with fresh or frozen berries. In case you use them frozen, cook 200g of mixed frozen berries with 4 tbsp sugar. Leave to cool and then drizzle over the coconut cream.

• If you don't have coconut cream, you can top it with some regular whipped cream or heavy cream. If neither of these is currently in your fridge, sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar and slice fresh fruit on top. If you don't have powdered sugar, it can be obtained by grinding some regular granulated sugar in a food processor or blender.

• If you don't have either fresh/frozen fruit or cream, cut the cake horizontally and add some strawberry marmalade in between the layers. Sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar and serve.

As you can see, this recipe is very versatile and you can enjoy several varieties of this cake during the spring. I know that this Easter will not be the usual extended-family gathering as we all are staying home, but there is always room for celebration and a good refreshing cake for dessert.
 
If you decide to bake it, tag me on Instagram @thehungryapron and use #makingordinarymagical so I can repost your creations! Stay home and take care.

Vegan Lemon Cake with Coconut Cream
and Strawberries
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8  

For the  cake 

140g fine brown sugar

260ml sparkling water

120ml sunflower oil

zest of 1 lemon

200g all-purpose flour

1tsp vanilla sugar

1tsp baking powder

1tsp baking soda

FOR THE coconut cream 

1 can (400g) full-fat coconut milk, chilled overnight

2 tbsp sweetener (maple syrup or powdered brown sugar)

TO GARNISH 

fresh strawberries 

METHOD

Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 °F).

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, water, sunflower oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla sugar. Mix well until incorporated. The cake batter will be liquid, but that is fine.

Grease and flour a 20cm round pan or line your pan with a parchment paper. Pour the mixture and bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is set and the toothpick inserted comes out clean. Place it on a cooling rack and let it cool completely before serving.

Prepare coconut whipped cream by taking out the can of coconut milk (that you had in the fridge overnight). You need to chill the coconut milk until it’s very firm. Open the can and scoop the solid white coconut cream in your mixing bowl. Pour the remaining liquid part in a separate bowl and reserve it for making smoothies or other desserts. With the help of an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the cream until smooth and fluffy. Add in the sweetener of your choice to taste. Place whipped cream back to the fridge until ready to use. It will firm when chilled and soften at room temperature.

Once the cake has cooled down and is ready to serve, top it with some whipped coconut cream and fresh strawberries. Enjoy!

It's St. Valentine's day and of course, we are talking about chocolate. Is there any better way of celebrating love than with delicious chocolate desserts? Or celebrating life in general (big chocolate fan over here).

Today I am sharing with you a delicious, yet so easy chocolate dessert perfect to surprise your loved ones. These Chocolate Doughnuts are very cake-like, baked in the oven (so much better than fried) and covered in naturally colored pink glaze and glossy chocolate.

I will admit that I am not a big fan of fried desserts in general, so doughnuts were not on my primary dessert list. However, I decided to bake them instead of frying, and let me tell you the result was spectacular! Just look at those perfect chocolate doughnuts!

I recently bought a doughnut baking pan that I was dying to try and is there a more perfect occasion to bake dozens of chocolate doughnuts than for Valentine's?

The procedure for baking the mixture is very simple and they are ready in less than 10 minutes. It is important to have a good non-stick pan (find mine here) and you will be good to go!

As it's Valentine's day I decided to step up my decorations and do two different glazes - glossy chocolate and naturally-colored berry glaze. I sprinkled them with chocolate nibs and rose petals but you can leave them plain or decorate with your favorite sprinkles.

Both types of glaze are very easy to prepare and give amazing results. Both glaze recipes require few, simple ingredients and make your doughnuts super shiny and pretty!

Are you ready to give a try and bake some this week? If you decide to bake them, make sure to tag me on Instagram @thehungryapron or comment below - I am very excited to hear your feedback!

Happy weekend and happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Chocolate cake doughnuts (oven-baked)
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 12
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 8 minutes

For the chocolate doughnuts

250g all-purpose flour

130g sugar

60g dark cocoa powder

2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

180ml buttermilk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsp butter, melted

FOR THE chocolate glaze

3 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

80ml heavy cream

2 tbsp water

75g bittersweet chocolate

FOR THE RASPBERRY GLAZE 

100g icing sugar

2 tbsp whole milk

a handful of fresh or frozen raspberries

2 tbsp granulated sugar

METHOD

Prepare the chocolate batter:

Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Spray your doughnut pan with the cooking spray or cover with some melted butter and flour. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt. Add buttermilk, eggs, and butter. Beat until just combined. Fill each pan cavity approximately with 2/3 of the cake batter. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the doughnuts spring back when touched. Let cool in the pan for 4-5 minutes before removing. Cover them with your favorite glaze and serve.

Prepare the chocolate glaze:
In a small saucepan combine sugar, cocoa, heavy cream, and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour the sugar mixture over the chocolate and let stand for about a minute. Using a heat proof spatula, stir until chocolate is completely smooth. Strain the glaze through a fine-mesh sieve and use it immediately. The chocolate glaze can be refrigerated for up to 3 weeks. Warm to desired consistency before use.
Prepare the pink raspberry glaze:
Blend raspberries with 2 tbsp granulated sugar starting at low speed and increasing to high. Blend for two minutes on high or until the mixture is completely smooth. Strain the raspberry puree and conserve only the liquid part. In a small bowl mix milk with icing sugar. Start adding raspberry puree 1 tsp at a time. In this way, you can regulate the color. The more puree you add, the pinker is the glaze.

Notes: If you don't have buttermilk you can also use 180ml milk + 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice. Mix well and leave it aside for 5 minutes before adding to the cake batter.

NECESSARY OBJECTS
These items may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using this link.

Christmas season is here and I am doing some last decorations this weekend. Even though I promise myself every year that next one I will start decorating way earlier than December, I somehow end up putting decorations just before Christmas. Even though I started late, the house has this cozy holiday feeling and I enjoy Christmas lights on our tree. With the new house in the countryside, I went for simple, rustic decorations and a classic red and green tree. I also fell in love with paper stars and made a few to hang all over the house. Have you ever made them? Instagram is filled with tutorials and I really had so much fun making them! Simple, yet so elegant and pretty. It only takes 5 minutes to make them and if you are interested, Linda from Call me Cupcake has a great tutorial on how to make them.

This year surprisingly I've finished all Christmas shopping pretty early and all the presents are ready to be open under the Christmas tree. If you are still looking for interesting last-minute presents, check my Holiday Gift Guide. The selection is carefully picked among my favorite small shops, creatives, and crafters. The guide is inspired by slow living and authentic work and items selected are great for any occasion, not just Christmas. 

This weekend I will be doing most of the baking, which includes also batches of different Christmas cookies. If you are tired of classic shortbread cookies, today I am bringing a slightly different version that will definitely make your holiday afternoons sweet and enjoyable. In the last year, I have used Earl Grey tea in many of my recipes and I really loved the aroma and the taste it gave to my cakes. Usually, the recipes call for a prepared tea mixed in with milk for creams or cake mixtures, but we will be using finely ground tea leaves for these Earl Grey Christmas Cookies. The final result will be sweet-scented cookies and I am sure everyone who tries them will appreciate the little twist you gave to a standard shortbread cookie recipe.

You could even make more of the same cookie dough and make varieties - for example in one add Earl Grey tea, in one cocoa powder and in one gingerbread spice mixture. With one similar mixture, you will obtain totally different cookies, perfect for homemade gifts! Wrap them and make cookie gift-boxes for your colleagues and friends, or even use them as a name tag on your Christmas table. Or simply, enjoy them in your afternoon, with a book or near the fireplace. That's what we will be doing in the next few days.

Hope your holidays will be relaxing and sweet! 

Earl Grey Christmas Cookies
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 20 
Prep.time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

250g all-purpose flour

60g fine brown sugar

100g butter, cold from the fridge

1 egg, lightly whisked

2 tsp fresh Earl Grey Tea (finely ground)

a pinch of salt

METHOD

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, earl grey tea, chopped butter, egg, and salt. With top of your fingers, knead your dough until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Have ready two baking paper sheets where you will place cookies.
Roll out your dough (4-5 mm thickness) and cut cookies using cookie cutters. Repeat rolling and cutting, until all your dough is used.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven. They are ready as soon as the edges are golden. Remove from oven, place on the wire rack until completely cool. Sprinkle with some powdered sugar and enjoy!

do you need more christmas inspiration?

Try some of the following recipes:

Austrian Linzer Cookies

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

No-bake chocolate walnut bars

Chocolate bundt cake with spices 

*In collaboration with Mimina Granola

2019 was an exceptional year. A rollercoaster of changes, new beginnings, and perspectives. 

I entered the freelancer world with my feet on the ground, but with my head in clouds -full of dreams and goals to achieve. I got married, yes, that happened as well :), we moved to the countryside in search of inspiration, a slow life, and clear air. We traveled, mostly for work, but found so much pleasure in meeting new people, eating local food, and being able to work from wherever we want to. It wasn’t easy, but as always, things fall in their right place eventually. 

It was a year of Instagram as well, where I got to meet (even if only virtually) so many wonderful personalities, talk about recipes, share stories, and admire courageous people from all over the world. Seeing all these people trying to build their own dreams and believing firmly in their calls, encouraged me even more to follow silly dreams of my own. Dreams are a funny thing - they might come true when you least expect it. 

Even though I try to slow down, I have already started drafting new projects for 2020. I've always wanted to have a small corner of my website where I can share articles outside of the world of recipes (even if this is still my favorite) that touch upon areas such as slow living, gardening, entrepreneurship. With the holiday season on our doors, I decided to open Table stories. 

Table stories are born as a need to give a voice to many ideas and dreams in realization. I envision it as an online magazine where you can read interesting articles over a cup of coffee or tea on a slow Saturday afternoon, find out about new companies or events.

I am thrilled to open this new chapter with an inspirational story of a female entrepreneur from Italy, Francesca D'Antonio, and her Granola business. Francesca was kind to share her path from living all over the world, becoming an art expert, finding happiness in slow life in Santa Sofia, and opening her own granola business. You can read all about it in my latest article here.

A great family story, high-quality organic ingredients are just one of the things that can describe Mimina Granola. As a granola lover, I often bake my own granola as the store-bought is too sweet and with additives. Finding granola that seems like the homemade version wasn't possible until I've tried Mimina Granola. When Francesca sent me the box of four different flavors, I couldn't wait to try them all, and let me tell you I couldn't decide which one was my favorite. Great texture and even better taste, the mix of ingredients and spices are what make every granola mixture so interesting.

I use granola for many of my recipes, both sweet and savory, as it gives extra texture and taste. Today I am sharing with you my holiday version of panna cotta, with poached pears and delicious cacao hazelnut granola. 

For holidays I always try to make something new and surprise my guests. This spiced panna cotta with poached pears and chocolate is a perfect quick dessert that you can make just a few hours before your guests arrive. Panna cotta itself takes less than 10 minutes, and poached pears give them a more festive and warm tone. Cinnamon, cloves, and star anise are my favorite holiday spices, especially when poaching fruit. Once the pears are cooked, simmer the remaining water until it resembles syrup. This will give your panna cotta extra flavor. 

Cacao Hazelnut Mimina Granola is made of delicious chocolate chunks, and a generous sprinkle of this chocolate heaven will make this recipe more interesting with different flavors and textures. 

Francesca offers so many interesting products and granola combinations on her website, so make sure to stop by and take a look. We prepared a special discount code for your shopping as well - grab the code in my Table Stories article and get free shipping and a free package of salty "Sale & Pepe" granola.

You need more holiday granola recipes? Try this delicious Roasted Pumpkin Apple Cheddar Soup with Apple Cinnamon Granola. If you decide to make either of them make sure to tag me on Instagram @thehungryapron so I can see your creations.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!

Spiced Panna Cotta with Poached Pears and
Cacao Hazelnut Granola

Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

Prep. time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

For panna cotta

500ml fresh cream

80g sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

8g gelatin

FOR poached pears

500ml water

60g sugar

1 cinnamon sticks

2 cloves

1 smaller star anise

2 pears

FOR GARNISH

2 tsp Cacao Hazelnut Mimina granola

Dark chocolate for decoration

METHOD

Prepare the panna cotta:

Prepare gelatin according to instructions. If you are using gelatin sheets, place them in cold water and let stand about 1 minute to soften. Heat gelatin mixture over low heat until gelatin is dissolved (don’t let it overheat) and remove the pan from heat.
In a large saucepan, bring cream and sugar just to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in dissolved gelatin and vanilla extract. Divide the cream mixture into equal four cups and leave to cool on room temperature. Once cooled down, refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.

Prepare the poached pears:
Poach the pears by putting water, sugar, and spices in a large cooking pot. Bring to simmer until the sugar dissolves. Peel the pears and gently add them to the simmering water. Cook until soft, for 15-20 minutes, depending on their size. Once ready, remove them and continue to simmer the water until it becomes syrup.

Serve:
Before serving, dip the glass of panna cotta into a bowl of hot water for 3 seconds and then invert the cup onto a small serving plate. Cover the panna cotta with 2 tbsp of spiced syrup and sprinkle with cacao hazelnut granola and dark chocolate chunks. Serve with half of the soft poached pear.

With Christmas approaching, my kitchen transforms in this little bakery house, where only Christmas music plays and dozens of cookies and holiday cakes are prepared. I will be honest. I could not wait to start baking gingerbread cookies, setting up the lights and decorations all over the house, and drinking hot chocolate. 

While I was in Vienna in November, I bought some gingerbread spices that I couldn’t wait to use. Then, when I got called for a little Christmas project with BWT Italia, I knew I would be adding those to my recipe. I wanted to make something simple, with basic ingredients that can be done by anyone. Easy enough to prepare so you can bake it the night before and serve it on Christmas morning. Something that looks good has chocolate and tastes like Christmas. After a few thoughts, I was baking a bundt cake. Spiced bundt cake with chocolate glaze, garnished with fresh rosemary and pomegranate seeds makes a perfect cake for your holiday parties and gatherings. 

Bundt cakes are definitely something I love to make as they are pretty and make the scene, yet require very little time to prepare. This recipe is also very light as I prepared it with water and sunflower oil. By using BWT Mineralizer in my kitchen, not only my tap water will be clean from heavy metals and other undesirable substances, but at the same time, it will enrich my water with magnesium and will enhance the taste of my recipes!

Make this Christmas season even more special. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Happy holidays!

Chocolate bundt cake with spices
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8
Prep.time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 40 minutes

Bundt pan ø 22 cm

For the bundt cake 

3 large eggs, room temperature

15 tbsp sugar

15 tbsp sunflower oil + some for covering the pan

15 tbsp water filtered with BWT Mineralizer

20 tbsp all-purpose flour + some for the pan

2 tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp spice mix (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, pepper)

16g baking powder

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE  

100g dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa

4 tsp sugar

4 tsp water

1 tsp butter

METHOD

Prepare the cake:
In a bowl mix eggs and sugar. With a hand mixer, beat until well combined and fluffy. Add sunflower oil and water. Mix again. Add flour, cocoa powder, spices, and baking powder. Using a whisk or wooden spoon, mix all the ingredients until combined. Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Grease and flour a bundt cake (mine has a 22 cm diameter) pan and pour in the mixture. Bake it for 30-40 minutes or when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Leave it cool completely before taking out of the pan.
Prepare the glaze:
In a small pan place chocolate, water, butter, and sugar. Mix the ingredients on very low heat until the chocolate and sugar are melted. 
Cover the bundt cake with chocolate glaze or sprinkle with powdered sugar. Garnish with fresh rosemary and pomegranate seeds. Enjoy!