tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45351958680334181912012-02-01T00:48:33.899+01:00berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.comBlogger931100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-11854078290041037832012-01-27T21:01:00.000+01:002012-01-28T23:38:28.065+01:00

After two months of absence from the Daring Bakers' I didn't want to miss another one, especially a challenge hosted by one of our most active and helpful members, Audax Artifex. He chose basic scones as the challenge, also known as biscuits in North America; that's something I didn't know, as I always thought a scone is a scone everywhere. Apparently what North Americans call scones are

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-70652637602150916152012-01-23T17:18:00.000+01:002012-01-24T17:14:02.708+01:00

Today is the beginning of the Chinese year of the Dragon. It is supposedly a very good year, since the dragon is seen as strong and lucky. I always enjoyed the Chinese New Year's Parade in San Francisco or Vancouver and this year it is probably extra beautiful with lots of colorful dragons. For the occasion I made some Asian flavor inspired cakes. We had them for our Chinese New Year's

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-59896328238180368752012-01-18T20:13:00.002+01:002012-01-31T21:02:07.638+01:00

Last fall I was in San Francisco for a short visit. San Francisco is a place which will always be in my heart, since I lived there for a while. It is such a great place, with wonderful people and awesome food. I try to go there as often as I can, so I was very happy when we managed to stay a week in San Francisco on the way to our honeymoon in Hawaii. One of the places I always wanted to

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-52542406083904550912011-12-31T16:02:00.000+01:002012-01-02T23:14:51.705+01:00

What's better than ringing in the New Year with some Champagne. I bring you some bubbly in form of a gorgeous cake. So, have a piece and a toast to a happy, healthy year full of excitement and joy. And a big thank you to all of you my wonderful readers for your continued support. Champagne Cream Cake (makes one 26 cm (10-inch) round cake) Shortcrust: 100 g flour 40 g powdered sugar

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-56573035983424946542011-12-31T15:13:00.000+01:002012-01-01T23:50:12.263+01:00

5. Strawberry-Raspberry Charlotte This is a real favorite of mine. I love a good summer-cake with lots of fresh berries and creamy mousse. 4. Gingerbread Cookies Cute little Bambi Cookies for the Christmas season. They were rewarded in a contest from the German magazine Brigitte as one of the prettiest Christmas cookies. 3. Chocolate Mousse Cakes These elegant chocolate cakes are a

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-84197171072474523662011-12-22T20:14:00.000+01:002011-12-24T14:55:53.216+01:00

If you are still looking for a festive cake for Christmas, this might be the one. It is a chocolate mousse cake, spiced with gingerbread spice. If you can find it, you can additionally use spiced chocolate to make the mousse. Or you just use a mix of your favorite Christmas spices to flavor the mousse. You can make the cake base the day before. Just allow some time to cool the cake after

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-52458361881656890422011-12-14T13:24:00.000+01:002011-12-14T13:24:51.569+01:00

Vanilla Kipferl are one of the most liked Christmas cookies in Germany. They have a distinctive half moon shape and are dipped in vanilla sugar right after baking. My kipferl today have a little twist. Instead of the usually used almonds I used pecan nuts, which is my favorite nut. For the finishing they are dipped in homemade orange sugar. The great discovery for me in this recipe was

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-85912573364565021492011-12-06T16:35:00.001+01:002011-12-07T22:01:26.519+01:00

For those surprise visits from friends and family, it is always to have a marble cake on hand. Everybody likes it and it can be kept for several days without going stale. This version of marble cake has a Christmas flavor to it, which from chocolate that is filled with spices and aromas like cinnamon and coriander. The chocolate I used was already very creamy, so it is perfect to use it as a

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-45814983796297828632011-11-27T20:33:00.000+01:002011-11-27T22:41:00.096+01:00

Today we celebrate the first advent in Germany. For people who don't know this tradition, Advents are the four Sundays before Christmas. Usually people have a wreath decorated with four candles. Each Sunday you would light one candle, so on the fourth advent they are all lit. You often meet in the afternoon for cookies and other goodies or go together to the Christmas market. I really like this

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-31283953806131420712011-11-24T16:39:00.000+01:002012-01-19T16:26:26.290+01:00

If you have ever been to Vancouver and are into sweets chances are you have heard of Thomas Haas. He is quite a famous pâtissier in the city and makes the most wonderful chocolates. He also creates my favorite cakes and pastries in Vancouver. There are two store locations, but you can also find his chocolates at several food stores. I am also proud to say that he is a fellow German. One

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-13409321554692507592011-11-16T19:18:00.000+01:002011-11-16T20:18:41.165+01:00

Apple pie or cake is one of our familie's favorite Sunday treats. Luckily our apple trees were bursting full of nice apples. So, besides a lot of pies we made some juice, compote and also dried them for snacking. Most apples can also be kept for several month, if stored in a cool dry place, like a basement. I often make apple pie with a streusel topping, this time I changed it to a "

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-69567314460710061502011-11-07T22:00:00.002+01:002011-11-07T22:00:24.466+01:00

It's time for some chocolate dessert. Over the summer I made mostly fruit desserts, but now since it's getting colder my craving for some good chocolate is getting bigger every day. Don't get me wrong I can eat chocolate all year round, but in summer I prefer it in form of ice-cream. These chocolate mousse cakes will make quite an impression. They taste wonderful and are a perfect dessert

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-43957695541711210462011-10-27T20:22:00.000+02:002011-10-29T00:10:33.762+02:00

For this month's Daring Bakers we made Povitica. You might have never heard of this before, at least I haven't. It's origin is from Eastern Europe and it is basically a yeast bread with a nut filling. It becomes its nice pattern from rolling and layering the dough with its filling. I made the suggested recipe provided, just changed the dry yeast to fresh yeast, since I like to use fresh

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-59439193353870663302011-10-22T22:47:00.000+02:002011-10-22T22:47:46.276+02:00

Plum Cake is my favorite early fall cake, so I was glad to see they were still available in the market last week, as we were already finished with picking all of our fruits a few weeks before. For baking, my favorite variety are Italian plums. They are more firm and also more tart than regular plums. They are perfect for a crumble cake, either with short crust or yeast dough. This time I

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-56391920992039260062011-10-14T20:28:00.003+02:002012-01-19T16:30:20.153+01:00

Seems like quite some time I haven't been here, but a lot has happened over the last month. We finally went on our honeymoon after 9 months of marriage. It was worth the wait, as we went half way around the world to Hawaii. My husband also got a new job, so we are in the process of moving to south Germany. Not much time for baking, but I already really miss it. If you still have access to

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-57368665820669547242011-09-14T19:04:00.002+02:002011-09-14T19:04:41.076+02:00

Blackberries are usually in season later in summer. Now in September it already might be a little difficult to get them still, depending on where you are. We have had a lot of them in our garden this year, but the wild ones that you find in the forest or on some hiking trails are still my favorites. They are just so much sweeter. These muffins are really easy to make. They are basically

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-23373302267300261872011-09-06T22:07:00.000+02:002011-09-06T22:07:39.303+02:00

Blueberries are a real treat in summer, and I think the best are the wild variety, as for most fruits. Luckily we found our spot for wild blueberries in the forest again this year. It is not the fastest or easiest fruit to pick, but it's worth the effort. People here used to do it with a big comb, but that method is not good for the blueberry shrubs as it takes off a lot of leaves, smaller

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-9895006062605314462011-08-27T21:40:00.003+02:002011-09-04T22:56:41.837+02:00

It's Daring Bakers time again, and this month's challenge were candies and confections. There was a choice of a wide variety of recipes. One option was the Pâte de Fruit, which is fruit gelée, something I wanted to make for a long time. You can use any fruit, which would be suitable for making jam. The process is also very similar to jam making. You puree the fruit, add sugar and pectin, then

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-16156659497619315662011-08-19T19:36:00.001+02:002011-09-04T22:54:42.581+02:00

Red currants are usually not everybody's favorite berry. A lot of people probably find them too sour. I am not a big fan of eating them raw myself, but they are very versatile for baking and desserts. You should try making a sorbet, or sprinkle a few of them over your müsli. I also like to make red currant curd and jelly. The black variety has a stronger almost bitter taste and is best known to

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-67240897498655236212011-08-15T22:10:00.003+02:002011-09-06T22:09:26.203+02:00

Unfortunately the strawberry season is slowly coming to an end, at least for the local strawberries, and they are of course the sweetest. The you-pick farms around here are already closed some weeks ago, so I was pleasantly surprised to see some really nice local strawberries at the supermarket. This summer hasn't been very nice in Germany and this means fall is approaching very fast So,

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-65861014040001003392011-08-10T21:06:00.000+02:002011-09-06T22:09:57.583+02:00

Sour cherries are very precious, because their season is rather short and they spoil quickly if not picked in time. But the good thing is that they are perfect for canning and that way can be used as cake filling or fruit compote all year round. I prefer sour cherries for cakes and canning since I think sweet cherries taste a little bland if cooked. These little cakes I made for you today

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-24945882821756046752011-08-05T20:36:00.094+02:002011-08-06T14:42:47.924+02:00

Exactly two years today I started my blog, Berry Lovely. I have made a lot of cakes, tried many different doughs, learned new techniques, and gained a lot of pounds. I started my blog to take more food photographs, but it gave me a lot more. During this time I have discovered a thriving community of food bloggers and food photography enthusiasts. I learned a lot from these people and their

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-24582627014133253062011-07-27T17:19:00.003+02:002012-01-19T23:24:48.748+01:00

I have to say this has to be the most delicious Daring Bakers Challenge so far. What's not to love about the the combination of strawberries, cream and a soft spongy cake. But all the components of this recipe were exceptionally delicious. No wonder it comes from one of my favorite baking books, Tartine. The cake is not only tasty it is also a showstopper and would impress your guests at any

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-4810987540812833512011-07-21T22:54:00.003+02:002011-08-14T22:16:59.648+02:00

Chilled soups are a great refreshment in summer, either as a dessert or as replacement for lunch. This sour-cherry soup was especially refreshing because of its tartness. We had it on a very hot day, and it was the perfect lunch. I topped the soup with a creamy mousse, made with quark and lemon. If you can't find quark you can make it yourself using buttermilk. Meeta from "What's For Lunch Honey

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-39186081576398030542011-07-14T22:10:00.000+02:002011-07-14T22:10:40.742+02:00

This is a truly spectacular cake, and is perfect for any special occasion. Well, mine was just that we had picked a lot of raspberries, which became ripe this week, so I made it for a nice family gathering in the afternoon. But sometimes it's those little moments you share with people you love that are the nicest. This is definitely a cake for the summer when raspberries are in season. For the

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-22386688726313776502011-07-09T20:54:00.001+02:002011-07-09T20:55:29.916+02:00

A Clafoutis is a french dessert, which is made with a pancake like batter poured over cherries and then baked in the oven. Cherries are the traditional choice of fruit, but it can be made with a wide variety of fruits like for example plums, apricots, peaches, apples or raspberries. This batter is made with ground almonds, which pairs very well with the cherries. Some recipes use cherries with

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-42860353751480553692011-07-01T21:23:00.000+02:002011-07-01T21:23:05.469+02:00

Elderflower syrup is something I have discovered 2 years ago, when I was back in Germany for vacation. Now being back living here I am glad to take advantage of the flowers, which grow everywhere in May and June. When I was still living in Canada I tried to look for them in parks, gardens and even in the forest, but unfortunately I couldn't find any, although Wikipedia says they also grow in

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-59867002148668851202011-06-27T17:37:00.001+02:002011-07-15T13:24:14.958+02:00

For this month the Daring Bakers challenged us to make Baklava with homemade Phyllo Pastry. I have never tasted baklava before, because I always thought it is overly sweet. The real challenge was making the phyllo pastry dough, and rolling it out paper thin. I am always up to making all kinds of challenging doughs, like puff pastry, fresh yeast dough or crossaint dough, but this one was really

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-35428788820262687622011-06-20T23:43:00.003+02:002012-01-19T16:31:37.107+01:00

What can be better than a buttery crust with lots of tart rhubarb? Well, what about topping it with crumbles and whipped cream. These are beautiful spring tartlets, but they will also be great for a summer picnic, if rhubarb is still available in your area. The rhubarb season in our garden is coming to an end, so these little treats were perfect. If we get some more rain for the next few

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-85373366694689461602011-06-13T21:01:00.002+02:002012-01-19T23:19:42.504+01:00

Spring and summer bring us all kinds of delicious fruits in our garden. I love turning them into jams. I wanted to make some space for new jams on my shelves, so I needed to find a recipe to use up my old ones. I had made a blueberry-jam cake last year, and it is a great way to give a regular bundt-cake a fruity taste and moist texture. This time I used a Greengage-Vanilla jam. Greengage is

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-84699082035502488402011-06-10T22:10:00.002+02:002011-07-07T18:30:39.299+02:00

It's already been 6 month since we got married, and one year since we moved to Germany. Time really flies, and so a special cake was in order. I remembered our little honeymoon in Vienna, and the delicious chestnut mousse cake (Maroni-Obers Torte) we have been eating there. It wasn't easy to find a recipe for it, but I managed to find a website which is a great source of inspiration for

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-56136733474193985502011-06-05T22:07:00.001+02:002011-06-23T10:10:08.057+02:00

Even though we have been doing a lot with our rhubarb since they started coming in our garden a few weeks ago, I just noticed I haven't posted anything on them this year yet.  So, here I am having some cake-in-a-jar for you. They are perfect for gifts this time of year, and great to bring to picnics. Of course, this recipe can also be made with a muffin or loaf pan. I think that they taste

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-23540439215902139462011-05-27T22:10:00.002+02:002011-05-27T22:25:58.319+02:00

It's Daring Bakers time again, and this month's challenge was a "Chocolate Marquise on Torched Meringue with Spiced Almonds and Caramel Sauce". Quite a mouthful, and intimidating to make on the first look, but if you plan ahead and make each component early enough it comes together quite easy. I really loved this month's challenge. Many delicious components, beautifully plated. But I think I

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-22000328127872612502011-05-25T17:27:00.114+02:002011-05-27T11:47:35.680+02:00

I haven't participated in the Mac Attack Challenge for a while, but this month's theme was so interesting I wanted to give it a go. Ballpark-snack macarons are the topic of this month's Mactweets. I have actually never been to a big ballgame in Germany, neither have I been at a hockey game all those years I lived in Canada. I know, shame on me, but in my defense, I have been to several football

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-39640276103420270902011-05-22T16:47:00.029+02:002011-05-22T19:25:58.789+02:00

If you like boozy baked goods, this cupcake is for you. They have a good amount of amaretto in it, combined with crunchy amarettini. Since those two ingredients are almond-based, they pair perfectly with apricots, which are also in the dough and the frosting. Of course you can use apricot juice instead of the amaretto. I haven't made cupcakes for a while, since I often find the frosting too

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-6718869916510553492011-05-08T17:21:00.030+02:002011-05-27T22:35:53.184+02:00

To all mothers: I wish you a very happy Mother's Day. Enjoy lots of treats from your loved ones. You deserve it. And a special big hug to my Mutti, she is simply the best. Thank you for being there! I made this Strawberry-Champagne Cake for her. It was really delicious. You can find the recipe here (sorry, it's only in German).

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-34927909840200974322011-05-04T16:27:00.000+02:002011-05-04T23:10:17.290+02:00

I made the traditional apple tarte tatin several times already, but this version with bananas is my new favorite. If you like fried or baked bananas, you will love this one. Caramel and bananas just go so well together. I have never tried mini-bananas before, and I don't think they tasted much different from regular ones. But their size was perfect for this arrangement. The tart is best eaten

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-59779983212572431432011-04-24T13:15:00.051+02:002011-05-03T18:49:28.921+02:00

I had some leftover pistachio butter-cream from making some pistachio macarons. I don't like to eat butter-creams in big doses, like a huge butter-cream cake. So I decided to make something small. Petit Fours came to my mind, as I have just eaten some really good ones in a nice Cafe in Regensburg, and wanted to try out to make them myself. I made a simple sponge sheet cake and filled it with the

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-55076972775484341392011-03-31T20:09:00.003+02:002012-01-19T16:27:26.190+01:00

I was looking for a decadent chocolate tart, something which would help to brighten up a friends day. I found the perfect recipe at Saveur Magazine. I made Salted Chocolate-Caramel Tartelettes. The crust uses a good amount of cocoa powder, which gives it a very chocolaty taste. Then follows a very rich creamy caramel layer. And on top a dark chocolate ganache. The tartelettes are then

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-53212473959105695582011-03-27T19:38:00.004+02:002011-08-29T21:31:13.534+02:00

This month the Daring Baker's chose a yeasted coffee cake, formed into a wreath as their challenge. It's a little early, but this would make the perfect bread for your Easter brunch. The special thing about this recipe is the addition of a meringue layer in the filling. The dough was very easy to work with. I chose to use fresh yeast, instead of dry, and it was a really smooth dough. For the

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-7129152252090483912011-03-11T19:06:00.151+01:002011-07-04T12:58:12.687+02:00

This Valentine's Day we made a trip to Vienna, which was also our first trip since we got married, so I guess it counts as a honeymoon, too. A romantic place, it definitely is. It is very charming, not hectic, and you can still feel the imperial grandeur. During the four days we stayed, we were able to see and experience a lot. There are beautiful museums, palaces and other landmarks. Everything

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-42063226788581606152011-02-27T19:33:00.191+01:002012-01-19T23:19:25.603+01:00

Creamy and crunchy was this month's theme of the Daring Bakers. We were asked to make Panna Cotta and Florentines. I made panna cotta many times before, and really like it for its creamy consistency and easy preparation. As I usually make the original vanilla version, I was looking for something new. I found inspiration at Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert, which has three different versions of

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-78413587852541384352011-01-27T20:54:00.004+01:002011-07-07T18:30:56.241+02:00

This month for the Daring Bakers we made a special french dessert. It is called a Biscuit Joconde Imprime Entremets. When I was first reading it I had no idea what it is, but a look at the pictures clarified it. I always admired these kind of desserts and wanted to make it for a long time. It makes a great presentation for a cake, and looks very elegant. I will definitely make them again, since

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-29251480832178531242010-12-24T11:44:00.002+01:002011-03-16T12:16:46.587+01:00

Usually this is the time for the Daring Bakers, but unfortunately I didn't have time to do the challenge this month, since I just got married two weeks ago. It was a wonderful winter wonderland wedding. Back to the Daring Bakers, we were asked to make a typical German Christmas treat: Stollen. There is really no Christmas without Stollen in Germany, and you can find all kinds of variations, with

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-30020533103452977932010-11-27T21:35:00.058+01:002011-05-03T21:56:46.758+02:00

It's time for Daring Baker's again, and looking back, my last post was also for the Daring Baker's. I have been absent from my blog, because I have a lot to do right now., exciting things. The big news I want to share with you today is: I am getting married, and this will be already in less than two weeks! We didn't take a lot of time for planning, only about three month, so with a lot of DIY

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-74824792194313012622010-10-27T22:41:00.101+02:002011-08-29T21:31:53.647+02:00

Oh my, it's Daring Bakers time again, and wasn't my last post also for the Daring Bakers. Time really flies and I am sorry to say that I didn't have the time or muse to post anything in between. But these doughnuts were too good to just let them go. I never made doughnuts before, but I always loved them. Here in Germany we have the "Berliner", which are just doughnuts without a hole and filled

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-40359222575039086262010-09-28T20:41:00.017+02:002011-03-16T12:33:50.189+01:00

I was afraid and excited about this month' Daring Bakers Challenge at the same time. We had to make sugar cookies. Well, you might say, everybody makes sugar cookies. But we had to make those beautiful decorated ones, which you will see in many books, as favors or in pretty stores. I always admired those, but after one not so successful try, I just stayed with my old time sugar cookies, just "

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-22607223022169999042010-09-25T16:54:00.001+02:002011-03-16T12:34:31.198+01:00

Fruits are my favorite ingredient for desserts. I like to use what is in season, because then it will have its best taste. Most of my fruit desserts are on the rustic site. Everyday cakes and crumbles, a creamy dessert with fruit topping or a compote. Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson is the perfect book for all those simple but good recipes. There are no fancy cakes

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-65593435861206598892010-09-04T20:49:00.002+02:002011-03-16T12:29:54.915+01:00

In the last few years we were lucky to know a few places in Vancouver where you can find lots of blackberries. They were always very sweet and there was an abundant amount of them. In no time my basket was full. This year we have our own blackberries in the garden, but I must say the wild ones always taste sweeter, maybe because it seems like a little treasure hunt if you take a walk and find

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-53142524566237027592010-08-27T16:17:00.007+02:002011-05-27T22:38:28.821+02:00

Well, I never thought of putting ice-cream into a hot oven, but this month it was time to try something daring. Yup, it's Daring Bakers' time again. This month challenge was to make a Baked Alaska. A Baked Alaska is a dessert which contains of a cake base, in this case a totally yummy brown butter cake, this is topped with ice cream. Then the whole cake is spread with meringue, which serves as

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-10857809887298841732010-08-10T19:47:00.003+02:002011-08-29T16:26:22.009+02:00

Apricots are now the peak of their season in Europe. I especially like the apricots from France, because they are firm, and yet sweet and juicy, so they are perfect to put on a cake. They are also good for making jams, and I made a batch of apricot-vanilla jam last week. It's one of the most versatile jams for baking. It tastes great as a glaze on fruit tarts, danish pastries and as filling in

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-16582878790518339502010-08-05T19:35:00.034+02:002011-07-07T18:31:13.341+02:00

Today my little blog is turning one year old. I can't believe how fast the last year passed. It's been very rewarding to share my photographs and baking with all of you. It is always encouraging to read all the nice comments and I really appreciate them. I made a few updates to the site, I hope you all like it. For the future I hope to post more frequently with more pictures. Now, being back

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-84664523649397665712010-07-31T16:43:00.040+02:002011-05-23T23:35:22.827+02:00

Red currants are still in abundance in our garden, so I made a batch of little cakes in glass jars to preserve them. I have made some cakes in glass jars before, and they make a really nice gift. You don't need any special glasses, anything heatproof, like jam glasses, with a wide opening works fine. Of course you can also bake them in a regular muffin pan. The special ingredient here is muesli

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-34266124579081631982010-07-27T20:51:00.060+02:002011-03-16T12:28:03.772+01:00

Perfect for the hot summer weather the Daring Bakers' theme this month was an ice-cream cake. Lucky for me, I was just reunited with my ice-cream maker in Germany and couldn't wait to bring it to use, after a long time in storage. The outside of the cake contains of a biscuit roll, which in the past I always had problems rolling. This recipe was great and it was easy to manage. I was very busy

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-2360983638622302292010-07-10T18:04:00.004+02:002011-08-02T20:08:11.924+02:00

We have a huge amount of red currants in our garden this year. The branches are so heavy that they already lean down. For my taste red currants are a little sour to eat raw, maybe if you put them in yogurt or muesli. But red currants are perfect for baking and jam making. I already made some batches of jam, which I will post soon. This cake has a nice hint of tartness, but is still sweet enough

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-2956383205412986442010-06-30T20:17:00.015+02:002011-03-16T12:32:25.204+01:00

Rhubarb season in Germany is slowly coming to an end, so I had to take advantage of our garden supply and bake one last rhubarb cake for the season. This rhubarb cheesecake has a very nice tartness to it and a lovely buttery crust. If you can't find rhubarb anymore the cake works also very well with sour cherries. Rhubarb Cheesecake (adapted from Brigitte.de) for the dough: 250 g flour 125 g

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-71682725845124973582010-06-27T20:48:00.003+02:002012-01-19T23:12:41.013+01:00

Pavlovas was this month Daring Bakers' challenge, more specific Chocolate pavlovas filled with a chocolate mousse. This dessert is named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova and probably originated in New Zealand. The base is a meringue which is crisp on the outside, but still chewy on the inside. It is usually topped with whipped cream and various fruits. I made a version with berries

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-24782050364865721042010-06-14T18:22:00.003+02:002011-03-16T12:33:12.061+01:00

First of all I have to apologize for the long absence from my blog. I was moving back to Germany, which took a lot of time and organizing. So not so much time for baking, photographing and blogging. I was happy to see that there was a lot of rhubarb ready to be picked in the garden. Rhubarb is one of my favourite ingredient for fruity desserts. I added some strawberries to the topping, as those

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-23363364148681695002010-05-27T20:34:00.030+02:002011-03-16T13:26:06.086+01:00

This month the Daring Baker challenge was to make a Croquembouche, which are basically filled cream puffs built into a pyramid. To glue the cream puffs together either a chocolate glaze or caramel is used. This type of pastry is often used as a wedding cake in France, as it looks really spectacular. I wasn't quite daring enough to make the caramel version with spun sugar, but I definitely want

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-88003041681219207182010-05-11T07:04:00.002+02:002011-03-16T13:21:30.211+01:00

I have read a lot about Meyer Lemons in recent years. This spring I was finally lucky to see them in the store and was able to try them myself. Meyer Lemons are not as sour as regular lemons, and they have a hint of thyme and a very fragrant skin. They are perfect for making lemon curd, and I was thinking about making Meyer Lemon macarons for a long time. So, when this month's challenge for

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-68765245325936154622010-05-05T05:57:00.008+02:002011-03-16T13:22:04.830+01:00

This is gonna be my first cookbook review. With all those beautiful cookbooks being published in recent years, sometimes it's hard to decide which ones to get. Like many of you I often cannot hold myself back and probably have way too many cookbooks on my shelf. That's at least what other people are thinking. Since we have a really great library in Vancouver, I try to borrow new cookbooks first

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-50857564360907864082010-05-01T04:35:00.003+02:002011-08-27T14:39:18.788+02:00

I am in the process of cleaning up my pantry, since we will soon be moving again. I discovered the joy of jam making last summer and have still several jars stored in my pantry. So, what should I do with all of them? We can certainly not finish them up by spreading them on our morning toast, so I was searching for other ideas. I  have decided to make a jam cake, something I never tried before

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-77025331726604235952010-04-26T01:25:00.004+02:002011-05-21T00:41:47.788+02:00

I am always happy to see rhubarbs start popping up in local markets. Rhubarb was always the first fruit (actually a vegetable) in our garden which we could harvest in spring. I am going to Germany in a few weeks and hope there will still be plenty, as I have seen so many good recipes lately. These rhubarb-streusel-muffins are inspired by a recipe of one of my favorite German star chefs Johann

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-27036857307151784672010-04-15T04:55:00.002+02:002012-01-19T23:11:04.646+01:00

It is always good to have a great brownies recipe. Everybody likes them. Brownies are fast and easy, which makes them a great dessert to bring to a party. These ones have different nuts added and are really nice and chewy on the inside.  A common mistake when making brownies is overbaking. Don't be tempted to leave them in the oven too long. They will firm up after cooling. Use a good

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-2823275138397592162010-03-28T07:26:00.003+02:002011-03-16T13:25:12.820+01:00

It's time for another Daring Bakers challenge. This month the challenge took advantage of the citrus fruits widely available right now. We were asked to make a Orange Tian, a dessert I have never heard of before. You start with a pate sablee topped with orange marmalade, whipped cream and segmented oranges, and served with an orange caramel sauce. I decided to make a blood orange - kumquat

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-75565914446742365322010-03-23T04:42:00.001+01:002012-01-19T23:09:51.839+01:00

Since I have been living in Vancouver, I have tasted a lot of desserts made of matcha powder. Matcha powder is finely ground green tea leafs. You will find little matcha cream cakes, matcha macarons, really yummy green tea gelato and even matcha latte.  I bought a little can of this intense green powder a while back, but haven't used it until I saw these Green Tea Shortbread Cookies in

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-3561170262994424322010-03-16T04:25:00.002+01:002011-03-16T13:34:58.320+01:00

This month on March 20th marks the annual Macaron Day. So, the lovely ladies from Mactweets called upon us the macaron lovers to make some spring flower inspired macarons, which will be presented on this special day on their website. It sounded a lot more challenging than I thought. The first things that came to mind were Elderflowers. I made some very nice syrup last year with them, but I

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-77970050795015736232010-03-10T00:52:00.002+01:002011-05-27T22:40:13.930+02:00

There are so many fruits available these days and you see them all the time, but you actually have never tried them. This was the case for me with kumquats, those little mini-orange looking fruits. They are in season now, so it was the perfect opportunity to try them. I decided to make little cakes. It's basically a muffin dough, which are perfect to bake them in glass jars. This is something I

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-43582237650869398912010-02-28T05:39:00.001+01:002011-03-16T13:35:41.664+01:00

When I read this month Daring Bakers Challenge I was pleasantly surprised to see that it is one of my favorite desserts: Tiramisù. I have made Tiramisù many many times. Whenever there is a party this is what I am asked to bring, even when we lived in Rome. Just making Tiramisù is of course not daring enough, so we also made our own ladyfingers and, yes, even the mascarpone. I tried the recipe

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-16487844787368341142010-02-26T04:40:00.002+01:002012-01-26T19:35:57.027+01:00

I promised in an earlier post that I wanted to make croissants, and here they are. I was so proud, that my first attempt making them turned out so well. They also tasted really good, crunchy on the outside and fluffy in the inside. Again, I used a recipe from "Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins and More" by Carole Walter. The process of making croissant dough is similar to

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-46263254603888861112010-02-08T01:21:00.002+01:002011-08-14T23:26:51.272+02:00

I have never tasted Key Lime Pie before or even seen Key Limes in the supermarket. So I was pleasantly surprised when I finally saw those green little balls in the store the other day. Key limes are more tart and aromatic than regular limes and they are also a lot smaller in size. They are named for their origin, the Florida Keys. The first thing I made was of course Key Lime Pie, which tasted

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-8858726318468365832010-02-01T05:19:00.003+01:002012-01-19T23:08:32.565+01:00

I really like to bake with fresh yeast. I think it's not only easier to work with than dried yeast, but I also like the taste of the baked goods better. In Germany every supermarket carries little cubes of fresh yeast, enough for one recipe. Unfortunately, as I have learned, it is really difficult to find fresh yeast in North America.  One trick I have figured out is to ask your

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-3731039272735038142010-01-27T23:40:00.001+01:002011-03-16T13:39:34.450+01:00

It's Daring Bakers time again. After not participating last month I was excited what the new year would bring. The challenge consisted of two parts, first we would make homemade graham crackers, either regular or gluten free, and second use the graham crackers to make Nanaimo bars. I always wanted to make my own graham crackers, and they turned out really good. I made the regular version, since

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-80443007759914047692009-12-14T01:22:00.002+01:002011-08-29T21:34:17.132+02:00

Stollen is the typical German "Christmas-Bread", actually it is more like a cake. It is made from a yeast dough and comes in many variations. Usual ingredients are dried fruit, nuts and marzipan. Most famous is the Dresdner Stollen. The stollen I made has a mixture of poppy seeds and marzipan in the middle and some nuts in the dough. It is usually baked early in December and then let to rest for

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-41750144652832347362009-12-04T23:53:00.002+01:002012-01-19T16:22:09.702+01:00

These little treats are perfect as a small gift to bring to a Christmas party . They are not your average coconut macaroons, since they also have a great almond taste. The roasted nuts give them a crunchy texture, but at the same time, the condensed milk makes them chewy. I made them for the first time and was pleasantly surprised at how good they are. My first batch is almost gone, so I

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-67373024790940785652009-12-03T01:55:00.001+01:002011-03-16T13:40:38.447+01:00

As I told you in my last post, we always bake lots and lots of cookies for Christmas in my family. These Hazelnut Cookies are in my Mom's repertoire as long as I can remember. Actually we are making these probably since I was five or six years old. The recipe came from a comic book which I was reading at that time, and since then we only call them Micky Mouse cookies. They are really easy to

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-53712901816377227882009-11-30T01:51:00.002+01:002011-07-07T18:32:03.270+02:00

Today is the First Advent. Advent is celebrated in many European countries. It marks the four Sundays before Christmas. Each Sunday you light up one more candle. In Germany many people will have a wreath with four candles or some other kind of Christmas arrangement. I made my own wreath this year, and since I couldn't find candle holders to stick in the wreath, I used some nails, and it worked

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-39083489322381392902009-11-27T09:07:00.001+01:002011-03-16T13:41:24.771+01:00

It's Daring Bakers time again. This month, our challenge was the popular Italian classic: Cannoli. I honestly was never a fan of cannoli, even when we were living in Italy. I think it's because the traditional Sicilian cannoli uses candied fruit in the filling, which I don't like. But after making them, I have changed my mind. The recipe we were given was really great, and also very easy to work

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-43097290448999444302009-11-23T02:19:00.002+01:002012-01-19T16:25:50.232+01:00

I was looking for something simple and quick to bake, something which didn't require me going to the store. I found exactly what I was looking for in "Rose's Heavenly Cakes" by Rose Levy Beranbaum, which I just borrowed from the library. This is a great and gorgeous book with endless pages of recipes. The book will definitely go on my Christmas wishlist. I decided to make Gâteau Breton

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-90562396893851886822009-11-16T00:52:00.001+01:002012-01-19T16:39:53.658+01:00

There used to be a Swedish bakery not far from our place, and they had a signature cardamom bread, which I like very much. So I decided to try this out myself, but instead of bread I wanted to make a pound cake. You can get cardamoms at some supermarkets, but I think you'd find them much cheaper in Indian grocery stores. They come in two kinds, with shell (green) and without (brown). Get

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-85889694650924918172009-11-08T01:54:00.001+01:002011-03-16T13:44:59.231+01:00

I wasn't really up for baking or eating anything sweet lately, since I had a bad flu. But I also didn't want to abandon my blog for too long, that's why I have an older recipe for you today. I made those carrot muffins this summer. They were featured on the faboulous blog Design Sponge, and are absolutely delicous. I was in Germany at that time, and my Mom had never eaten carrot cakes before. I

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-5727532609103941162009-10-28T05:46:00.002+01:002011-03-16T13:45:37.980+01:00

French macarons was the October challenge for Daring Bakers! Since I started reading food blogs on a regular basis, about a year ago, this little beauties were popping up everywhere. They are also more and more available in cafes and patisseries all over the place. My first attempt using the original recipe failed miserably. The macarons looked more like a milano cookie, they were totally flat,

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-41886671895719676822009-10-23T02:22:00.003+02:002011-07-05T19:24:54.641+02:00

Quark is the one food item from Germany I miss the most, besides Bratwurst, of course. Quark is such a common item in Germany, it's something you always have in your fridge. It can be described as a fresh cheese, a curd, similar to frommage blanc. Germans eat it for breakfast in muesli, in desserts and also savory on a slice of bread. And of course not to forget, the German style cheesecake is

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-61539887321310987022009-10-20T23:24:00.003+02:002012-01-19T16:44:56.442+01:00

Apple pie season has arrived in our home. This is my sweetheart's favorite pie. No matter what other elaborate cakes or tarts I made, in the end he would always request a good old apple pie. I am used to making my pies in a springform, but I just got a beautiful pie dish on the weekend and was eager to try it out. I found the recipe on the website of the Gourmet Book Club, which always

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-61884768555584339502009-10-13T21:50:00.002+02:002011-03-16T13:47:14.887+01:00

Last weekend we went to the annual Cranberry Festival in Fort Langley, BC. It is a perfect little village for this kind of events, it always reminds me of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. They sell all kinds of things cranberry from food related items to decoration and cosmetic products. And of course cranberries. British Columbia is one of the biggest producers for cranberries and if you are

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-72412406373671602222009-10-05T04:51:00.003+02:002011-07-07T18:32:50.029+02:00

Before it is to late, and the season is over, I had to make another plum cake. Plum cakes in all variations are my favorite treats in fall. The alignment of the plums makes the cake look really elegant and perfect for a special occasion. It is really delicious with a dollop of freshly whipped cream. Plum-Almond Cake enough for a 10 inch Ø (26cm) springform 2/3 cup (150g) butter½ cup (100g)

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-15043074516894826682009-09-27T21:32:00.003+02:002011-08-02T20:08:24.410+02:00

I MADE IT! Here is my first Daring Bakers challenge. For this month, it was Vols-au-Vent with homemade puff pastry. Even though I have never consider making my own puff pastry before, I knew I could do it, but I also needed a little push. The anxiety was there, as I didn't know how it would turn out, but I was very happy with the results. It took some time to make it, but it was well worth it.

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-26777428902378066512009-09-10T00:59:00.002+02:002012-01-19T16:45:12.605+01:00

Stone fruits are still at the markets, and lots of those fruits are grown locally, which makes them extra sweet. I got the idea of making this galette from Williams-Sonoma: New Flavors for Desserts, where it is just made with apricots. I added nectarines and peaches to the recipe. The combination of the three fruits gave the galette a good mix of sweet and tartness. The recipes in the

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-71603134548054244612009-09-07T00:59:00.001+02:002011-03-16T13:49:58.471+01:00

Fall is approaching fast and, as one of the last summer fruits, plums are hitting the market stands. My favorite kind of plums are the dark, small ones, also called Italian plums. In Germany they are called Zwetschgen. They are more tart then the normal yellow or red plums and their flesh is usually firm. These qualities make them perfect for baking. The Zwetschgenkuchen is a traditional fall

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-27661584982757646512009-09-03T06:33:00.002+02:002011-05-27T22:41:25.027+02:00

This is my first official blog entry. I have a few postings before, but I needed some time to practice and see how everything works. Well, there is still a lot to learn, but I get a lot of inspiration from all those wonderful food blogs out there. So, welcome to my blog and thanks for stopping by. Since I call this blog berry lovely, I definitely want to start off with a berry recipe. Since I

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-84178361836194798242009-08-28T23:12:00.003+02:002012-01-19T16:28:41.619+01:00

Before I came to North America I have never tasted lemon tarts or lemon meringue pie. We have great lemon desserts in Germany, too, but those were just not among them. I really love them now, the tartness of the lemon filling in a nice pastry crust is just really good. The recipe I made today is adapted from "Luscious Lemon Desserts" by Lori Longbotham. Like her other dessert books, it has

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-70513214078207043522009-08-13T08:17:00.001+02:002012-01-19T16:45:32.470+01:00

On the quest for the perfect chocolate, I finally discovered Valrhona. This chocolate is widely recommended in various cookbooks and blogs. So, when I saw it in my favorite gourmet store lately I picked up a 200g block of the 70% bittersweet Valrhona chocolate called Guanaja. The taste is really superb, it has a really nice bitter note. But honestly, I probably wouldn't buy it as a

berry lovelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03059281524577617180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535195868033418191.post-58039171715597181292009-08-05T00:55:00.002+02:002011-08-02T20:08:37.316+02:00

Rhubarb and strawberry is a classic and always yummy combination. At home in Germany, we have a lot of rhubarb plants in our garden. When I was over there this spring I couldn't wait for them to be ready. I have just rediscovered my taste for rhubarb in recent years. I wasn't a big fan of it when I was younger, probably because of the tartness and also that your teeth feel funny after eating it.

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