Month: March 2013

Marzipan and Raspberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

~ Ann & Chris Demant ~ 3 Comments

I don’t think that I should say an awful lot about these cupcakes, except from – try them, try them, try them!

The combination of marzipan, raspberries and cream cheese frosting is just fabulous. Had the cakes not been for a friend, I might have eaten enough to get a horrible bellyache 🙂 Already trying to find an occasion to bake them again!

 

Ingredients (20 cupcakes)

4 eggs, room temperature

1 1/8 cup granulated sugar

2 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking powder

4/5 cup marzipan

2/3 cup butter

60-80 raspberries

 

1 cup cream cheese

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

 

Melt butter in a small sauce pan and let cool while preparing the rest of the ingredients. Grate the marzipan and set aside.

Whisk together eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add baking powder and vanilla extract and whisk for a few seconds. Shift in flour 1/2 cup at a time and whisk to combine.

Grate the marzipan and add to the batter. Whisk until combined, before pouring in the melted butter. Whisk until just combined.

Line standard muffins tins with paper liners. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 1/3 full. Place 3-4 raspberries in  the middle of the and cover with the remaining batter. The muffin forms should be 2/3 filled.

Bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the baked cupcakes from the muffin tins and place on a wire rack to cool.

While the cupcakes cool, you can make the frosting. Whisk together cream cheese and vanilla extract until soft and fluffy. Shift in confections sugar and whisk until combined, soft and fluffy.

Place the frosting in a party bag with a piping tip of your own choice (I have used Wilton M1) and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.

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If you think that the cupcakes look a bit plain and boring, you can decorate with all sorts of things.

On the above picture I have sprinkled some freeze dried raspberry and raw liquorice powder on top. Below, I have use orange zest and raw liquorice powder.

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Bon Appétit!

Ingredients (20 cupcakes)

4 eggs, room temperature

250 g granulated sugar

280 g flour

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking powder

2 dl marzipan

150 g butter

60-80 raspberries

 

250 g cream cheese

0.8 dl confectioners sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

 

Chocolate Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

~ Ann & Chris Demant ~ Leave a comment

These cupcakes has a perfect combination of chocolate, cream cheese and orange  – YUMMI they are delicious!

These was made for a colleague who retired a few days ago, and he loved them 🙂

 

Ingredients (36 cupcakes)

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 cups flour

2 1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3 sticks butter

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup dark quality chocolate (70%)

 

2 cups cream cheese

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

3 oranges, zest

 

Melt butter and sugar in a sauce pan. Stir to combine. When melted and combined, transfer to a mixing bowl and whisk at medium speed until cooled.

In another bowl mix together cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

When the butter and sugar mixture is cooled, add one egg at a time and whisk between each. Then add vanilla extract.

Shift in flour mixture in four batches, alternating with the sour cream, and whisk until just combined.

Chop the dark chocolate and fold into the batter.

Line standard muffins tins with paper liners. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full.

Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes. Halfway through, turn the muffin tin 180 degrees, to secure that the cupcakes are baked evenly. Transfer tins to wire racks and let cool for 10 minutes before turning cupcakes onto racks to cool completely.

While the cupcakes cool, you have time to make the frosting.

Place cream cheese and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl and whisk until soft and fluffy. Shift in confectioners sugar and whisk until combined, soft and fluffy. Fold in 3/4 of the orange zest.

Decorate the cakes with the frosting and sprinkle the remaining orange zest on top.

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Bon Appétit!

Ingredients (36 cupcakes)

1.9 dl unsweetened cocoa powder

375 dl flour

450 g sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

345 g butter

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

4.4 dl sour cream

100 g dark quality chocolate (70%)

 

500 g cream cheese

1.25 dl confectioners sugar

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

3 oranges, zest

 

Surprising Easter Eggs

~ Ann & Chris Demant ~ Leave a comment

These easter eggs are sooooo delicious – you should definitely try them 😀

When we refer to almond nougat below, we don’t mean the soft nougat with nuts, but the kind made from almonds, cane sugar and cocoa butter (the picture below).

sahnenougat

Ingredients (20 eggs)

4/5 cup almond nougat

30 almonds

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 orange, zest

3/4 cup dark quality chocolate

 

 

Place the almonds and sugar in a frying pan and heat until sugar is melted. Stir to combined the almonds with the melted sugar. Transfer the brittle to a sheet of baking paper and let cool completely. Chop the brittle when cooled.

Knead the 2/3 of the brittle and the zest from 1 orange into the almond nougat. Form to a ball and fridge for 10-15 minutes. Divide the nougat ball into 20 equally sized pieces and form to eggs. Fridge again for 10-15 minutes, while tempering the chocolate.

Cover the eggs with tempered chocolate and decorate with the remaining brittle 🙂

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Bon Appétit!

Ingredients (20 eggs)

200 g almond nougat

30 almonds

0.6 dl granulated sugar

1 orange, zest

100 g dark quality chocolate

 

Cognac and Orange Dream Easter Eggs

~ Ann & Chris Demant ~ Leave a comment

Yesterday we made an entry on liquorice fudge easter eggs and earlier today it was easter eggs with lemon. Both belong to the more untraditional easter egg combinations but very delicious and we really recommend that you try them 🙂

These easter eggs with cognac are more traditional but with a twist of orange – and I must admit, that I believe that this is the perfect combination and will definitely make them again for christmas 🙂

We have used a good quality cognac from Cadenhead’s which is known to be the oldest independent bottler of spirits. If you are interested in whisky, rum or cognac, you should really give your self the pleasure to taste some of there products – but be careful, once tasted, you’ll never go back to cheap spirits again 😀

Ingredients (20 eggs)

4/5 cup marzipan

2 oranges, zest

3-4 tbsp. quality cognac

1/4 cup walnuts, roasted

2/3 cup dark quality chocolate (70%)

 

Place the marzipan in a bowl and whisk until it gets soft. Add 3/4 of the orange zest and 1 tbsp. cognac at a time. Whisk between each tbsp. cognac.

Chop the roasted walnut and mix into the marzipan.

Form the marzipan to a ball and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

When cold, divide the marzipan into 20 equally sized pieces and from to small eggs (approximately 1 tsp. each). Refrigerate again while preparing the chocolate.

Chop the chocolate, melt and temper it, in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water.

Cover the eggs with melted and tempered chocolate and decorate with the remaining orange zest 🙂

Serve with a good cup of coffee, or wrap it in zellophan and bring it as a hostess gift if you are going out 🙂

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Bon Appétit!

Ingredients (20 eggs)

200 g marzipan

2 oranges, zest

3-4 tbsp. quality cognac

0.6 dl walnuts, roasted

100 g dark quality chocolate (70%)

 

Easter Eggs with a touch of Lemon

~ Ann & Chris Demant ~ Leave a comment

Today it is Maundy Thursday – in Denmark this means that we have a holiday. Are you having a holiday in your country too?

Well, we have decided not to do anything, except from relaxing and enjoying each other, for the next few days. As we are staying in, and haven’d invited anyone over, the entire easter egg production is for our selves (except from those who were given away yesterday as a colleague retired and a former fellow-student graduated with a Master degree in Public Health – congratulation once again Louise, you deserved that grate) 😀

To get back to the easter egg production, we have made 5 different varieties which will all be coming on to blog in the following days. If you are curious, we can reveal, that we have made a variation with liquorice and white chocolate fudge – one with almond nougat, orange zest and almond brittle – one with marzipan, cognac, orange zest and roasted walnuts – and one with marzipan and freeze dried raspberries.

The recipe for this delicious lemon variation is, once again, stolen directly from Maja who makes the most wonderful chocolate recipes. One could wonder why she can keep that body shape with all that delicious chocolate she makes (she even has a chocolate fridge)! Check out her amazing blog – also if you don’t understand Danish. If you find something you want to try, we will happily translate the recipe for you 😀

 

Ingredients (20 eggs)

4/5 cup marzipan

1 organic lemon, zest and juice

2/3 cup white quality chocolate

1 tsp. freeze dried raspberries (for decoration)

 

Place the marzipan in a bowl and whisk until it gets soft. Add 1/2 of the lemon zest and juice, whisk again and taste. If think it needs more lemon, add the remaining zest and juice. Whisk until combined.

Form the marzipan to a ball and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

When cold, divide the marzipan into 20 equally sized pieces and from to small eggs (approximately 1 tsp. each). Refrigerate again while preparing the chocolate.

Chop the white chocolate, melt and temper it, in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water.

Cover the easter eggs with the tempered chocolate and decorate with freeze dried raspberries 🙂

Serve as a petit four for your easter guest together with at good cup of coffee, or wrap them in zellophan and use it as a hostess gift if you are going out.

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Bon Appétit!

Ingredients (20 eggs)

200 g marzipan

1 organic lemon, zest and juice

100 g white quality chocolate

1 tsp. freeze dried raspberries (for decoration)

 

Liquorice Easter Eggs

~ Ann & Chris Demant ~ Leave a comment

How are you going to spent the easter days? We are for once not going to do anything, and we look forward to it 😀

Doing nothing also means, that we’re not going to spent hours experimenting with new recipes – so we have done this beforehand 😀

The recipe for these very very delicious and creamy fudge easter eggs are not our own, but once again it comes from our favorite chocolate blog. For those of you Danes who read our blog, you might have seen the recipe on last weeks postal cover, where Maja gave a few easter eggs recipes.

If you love liquorice, white chocolate and fudge, these easter eggs are perfect for a good cup of coffee.

 

Ingredients (20 eggs)

1 1/4 cup white quality chocolate

1 tbsp. butter

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp. cream

2 tbsp. corn syrup

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp. raw liquorice powder

1 tsp. freeze dried passion fruit (for decoration)

 

Chop 1/2 of the white chocolate and place it in a heat proof bowl.

Combine, sugar, corn syrup, cream and liquorice powder in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil until the mass reaches a temperature of 235F. Stir occasionally to avoid that it burns.

Pour the boiling sugar mass over the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted an the the fudge evenly combined.

Pour the mixture into a mold lined with baking paper and put it in the fridge overnight.

Cut the fudge into 20 equally sized pieces and form to small eggs. Fridge while preparing the chocolate.

Melt and temper the chocolate. Cover the eggs with the melted chocolate and decorate with freeze dried passion fruit.

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Bon Appétit!

 

Ingredients (20 eggs)

80 + 100 g white quality chocolate

1 tbsp. butter

0.9 dl cream

2 tbsp. corn syrup

190 g granulated sugar

1 tbsp. raw liquorice powder

1 tsp. freeze dried passion fruit (for decoration)

 

Greek Barbecue Lamb Sandwich

~ Ann & Chris Demant ~ Leave a comment

There are many ways to serve lamb, but if you want to try something less traditional, you should consider trying this  fabulous greek lamb sandwich, which we made a while ago.

When you have made the meat, it is as easy as boiling an egg, and you get all the good flavors from the greek cuisine combined with the charcoal flavor from the grill – a great great way to serve lamb.

 

Ingredients (4 servings)

1 Barbecue lamb roast

4 greek flatbread

1 cup greek yoghurt

1 cucumber

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. salt

1 romaine salad, sliced

3 red peppers

1 head 2 small tomatoes

1 red onion

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup stoneless black olives

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Grate the cucumber and sprinkle with salt. Let rest in a colander while chopping the vegetables.

Chop the red peppers, tomatoes, red onion and olives into a small cubes.

Drain the salted cucumber as much as possible and mix with the minced garlic and greek yoghurt. Refrigerate the tzatziki for 5-10 minutes.

Cut the lamb roast into 1/2-inch slices and place 2 slices on each flatbread. Add sliced salad, tzatziki, chopped vegetables and some crumbled feta cheese.

Fold the bottom of the flatbread followed by both sides. That way, you don’t drop any of the filling while eating 🙂

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Bon Appétit!

Ingredients (4 servings)

1 Barbecue lamb roast

4 greek flatbread

2.5 dl greek yoghurt

1 cucumber

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. salt

1 head romaine salad, sliced

3 red peppers

12 small tomatoes

1 red onion

2.5 dl feta cheese, crumbled

1.25 dl stoneless black olives

 

Steak Sandwich with Dipping Sauce

~ Ann & Chris Demant ~ Leave a comment

This sandwich is without doubt the best hangover sandwich ever!

When you go through the recipe, you will discover that it takes around 2 hours to makes, which is definitely not hangover friendly! But don’t worry…. You can make the meat and slice it when you have time, freeze it down and just thaw the amount the need when you get hungry 🙂

Another thing that might be difficult (but totally worth it) is the beef stock for the dipping sauce. We make it our selves when ever we have some leftover bones, but an easier solution, is to buy some at your local butcher 🙂

 

Ingredients (2 servings)

2 pounds roast

3 tbsp. mustard

3 tbsp. steak rub

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/3 cup mayo

4 tbsp. horseradish, grated

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 French baguette

1 cup beef stock

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Fire up the kettle grill with some charcoal (place the charcoal in one side of the grill).

Spread out the mustard on the meat followed by the steak rub. Put the meat directly over the coals and sear on all sides. Place the seared meat in a cast iron pan or an ovenproof tray  with some olive oil.

Place the pan with the meat on the opposite side of the coals (indirect heat) and grill until the meat has reached a core temperature of 156F (about 35-45 minutes). Take the pan of the grill and let the meat rest while you prepare the rest of the sandwich.

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Mix the pan dripping with the beef stock and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes. Cut the meat into thin slices (use an electric slicer if possible) and add it to the simmering stock. Let it all simmer for 5-8 minutes.

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Warm the baguette in the oven while the meat is simmering in the stock. Whisk together mayo and grated horseradish and spread out a generous layer on both the top and bottom of the warm baguette. Add the soaked meat on the bottom of the baguette and sprinkle on the shredded cheddar cheese and finish up by adding the top of the baguette.

Take all the remaining stock and pour it into a bowl. Serve as a dipping sauce for the sandwich – you will be surprised how tasteful it is.

Serve with a cold hangover beer 😀

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Bon Appétit!

Ingredients (2 servings)

900 g roast

3 tbsp. mustard

3 tbsp. steak rub

2 tbsp. olive oil

0.8 dl mayo

4 tbsp. horseradish, grated

1.25 dl cheddar cheese, shredded

1 French baguette

2.5 dl beef stock

 

 

Creamy Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwich

~ Ann & Chris Demant ~ 1 Comment

We are in the middle of March and the calendar show spring – so what the F..K is happening with snow outside our windows? We had planned an easter vacation outside on the terrace with a cold beer and some damn good barbecue….

Of cause we can still fire up in the grill, but it would definitely be more fun if we could stay outside for more than 30 minutes without getting to look like a snowman!

This creamy tomato soup is a favorite of ours on a cold and snowy (normally) winter day. It is quick and easy to prepare and taste is just amazing 🙂

If you are not that fond of chilies, you can leave them out or just add a bit at a time. Regarding the grilled cheese sandwich, it is a first choice as a supplement for the soup, but a good French baguette is also good if you will save some calories from the cheese (we don’t believe in low-fat food – instead we try to go the gym as often as possible :-D).

 

Ingredients (4 servings)

1/2 gallon canned tomatoes

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 1/2 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2-3 red chilies, chopped

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tbsp. butter

1/2 cup cream

Salt

Pepper

 

8 pieces sandwich bread

4 slices cheddar cheese

1 tbsp. butter

 

Sauté the chopped onions, garlic, chilies and dried herbes in 1 tbsp. melted butter, for 3-5 minutes.

Add the canned tomatoes together with  tomato paste. Stir until combined and let cook at medium-low heat for approximately one hour.

Add cream and blend it all into a smooth and creamy mass. Season with salt and pepper. Let rest while making the grilled cheese sandwiches.

Spread one side of the bread with butter. Add one slice of cheese on the un-buttered side of every second bread slice. Top with remaining bread  – the buttered side out. Grill 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve with the slightly cooled tomato soup.

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Bon Appétit!

 

Ingredients (4 servings)

5 tomato cans

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 1/2 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2-3 red chilies, chopped

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tbsp. butter

1.25 dl cream

Salt

Pepper

8 pieces sandwich bread

4 slices cheddar cheese

1 tbsp. butter

911 Hot Sauce

~ Ann & Chris Demant ~ Leave a comment

Are you a fan of VERY hot hot sauce? Then try this incredibly hot chili sauce which is on the edge of being uneatable in large amounts, but still full of flavors and a great dipping sauce for chicken or as seasoning for meatballs and chili.

We made it for burritos, but have since used it for everything that needs to be spiced a little 🙂

 

Ingredients (6 cups)

5-6 large tomatoes

1 red onion, chopped roughly

1 cup chilis

4 cups water

1/8 cup steak pepper

1/8 garlic powder

1/8 cup salt

1 can chipotle in adobo sauce

2/3 cup ketchup

 

Bring together tomatoes, onion, chilies and water and bring to a boil. Let cook for about one hour with the lid on.

Take the saucepan of the heat and let rest with the lid on for 30-45 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, stir around and blend it. Blend until evenly combined.

Keep stored in an clean airtight jar.

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Bon Appétit!

Ingredients (6 cups)

5-6 large tomatoes

1 red onion, chopped roughly

2.5 dl chilis (20-40 chilis depending on the size)

1 liter water

0.3 dl steak pepper

0.3 dl garlic powder

0.3 dl salt

1 can chipotle in adobo sauce

1.6 dl ketchup