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Creamy cauliflower soup

This creamy cauliflower soup not only gets its creaminess from the main ingredient of cauliflower but also from the addition of potatoes. They give it the extra body to the soup. The heavy whipping cream in the end is the perfect finishing touch.

Cauliflower is not only a good source of vitamin C and K, it is also an excellent source of fiber, folate and vitamin B6.

Our family loves a good soup for dinner. My kids request soup based on its color instead of the ingredients. For example, the “green soup” is a huge favorite of my kids. You can find the recipe here.  Even though it is white, this creamy cauliflower soup is a close second choice in my house. Both soups are quick and easy to make. Also have a tomato soup on my site here.

Ingredients creamy cauliflower soup

Cut cauliflowerCut potatoes

Preparation:

Most cauliflower soup recipes will have you roast your cauliflower as a first step. My recipe skips this and the end result is just as yummy. I was in a time crunch one day, so I opted to skip the roasting, and the end results didn’t disappoint at all! For my recipe, begin by melting butter in a pan, and cook your shallot till it is soft and browning. Next, add in the garlic and cook until it is fragrant. Finally, add your cauliflower and herbs and cook for couple of minutes. 

Shallot cooked oft and slightly browned

Cauliflower and potatoes added to browned shallot

Vegetables ready to add the bone broth After you have cooked your cauliflower for around 5 minutes, add your broth. I have chosen to use bone broth for its nutritional benefits. You can also use vegetable broth to make this dish vegetarian. Bring the soup to a boil, and then lower the heat and let it simmer until the vegetables are soft. This should take around 15-20 minutes.

Vegatable with broth getting to a broil

Blending soup with a hand blender

After the vegetables are tender, use a hand blender to mix the soup until nice and smooth. I use this kitchen aid hand blender. Taste your soup and add some heavy whipping cream and lemon juice to your desired taste before blending again. One final taste to see if it needs more salt or pepper. If not serve it hot and enjoy this delicious creamy cauliflower soup with some toasted bread. Delicious for lunch, or an appetizer at dinner.   

Creamy cauliflower soup

 

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: soup
Keyword: Creamy cauliflower soup
Author: Ester van Boesschoten

Ingredients

  • 1 Shallot minced
  • 2 Tablespoon Unsalted butter
  • 2 Cloves Garlic minced
  • 2 Potatoes peeled and cubed
  • 1 Head Cauliflower broken into florets
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Black pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon Dried parsley
  • 32 Fl oz Chicken bone broth
  • 2 Tablespoon Heavy whipping cream
  • Lemon juice to taste

Instructions

  • In large pot, on medium heat, melt your butter. Then add your minced shallots with a pinch of salt, and cook them till soft and slightly browned.
  • Add your minced garlic and cook until fragant, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn it. Burning it will give a bitter taste.
  • Add the washed and cut potatoes, cauliflower, salt, freshly ground pepper and parsley. Cook them on medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Stirring often will prevent it from burning.
  • Add in the broth, bringing it to a boil. Then turn down the heat and let it simmer until the potatoes and cauliflower are soft. This takes around 15-20 minutes.
  • Blend your soup to your preferred consistency. Add some heavy whipping cream and a splash of lemon juice, to your taste. If needed add some extra salt and pepper. Serve hot with some bread. Enjoy!
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Custard

This creamy custard recipe is delicious! The fresh pod of vanilla that is cooked in the milk makes it super nice. The recipe requires a lot of fast whisking, but the end result is drooling good.

Ingredients for custard

In this creamy custard recipe I use tapioca flour, instead of cornstarch. If you don’t have tapioca, or prefer to use cornstarch, you can easily substitute. For every 2 tablespoon of tapioca, use one tablespoon of cornstarch. If you want to try the flour this is the one that I prefer: Tapioca flour. Another important note is to use an egg that is at room temperature.

Egg yolk ready to add cane sugar

Separate the egg yolk from the egg white. Instead of throwing the egg white out, consider saving it to make meringue. Mix in the cane sugar with the egg yolk. Measure out the tapioca flour in advance so it will be ready when the milk is at the right temperature, later in the recipe.

Egg yolk with sugar

The cute measuring spoon, seen in the picture, can be purchased here. Besides being cute, they are sturdy and one of my favorites.

Vanilla pod with vanilla removed from the podI added a fresh organic vanilla pod to the milk being warmed for the custard. Carefully cut it open with a sharp knife and remove the vanilla seeds from the pod. Place both in the milk before bringing it to a boil.

Milk with pod and vanilla ready to bring to a boil

Stirring with a whisk, bring the milk, pod and vanilla slowly to a boil.

Milk with thermometer

The milk has to come to a boil but the temperature needs to be closely monitored. I use this thermometer, which is made specifically for baking and cooking. The temperature of the milk has to be 180 degrees Fahrenheit, but can not get above 185 degrees Fahrenheit. If it gets higher, and you add the yolk mixture, you will end up with scrambled eggs instead of a custard. Thus, the temperature is really important to keep an eye on.

Egg yolk with sugar and tapioca flour mixture

When you see that your milk is getting close to the 180 degree Fahrenheit, quickly whisk the tapioca flour into your egg yolk-sugar mixture. This will help you be ready when the milk reaches the right temperature. 

Milk wished with the egg yolk mixture

When the milk has the right temperature remove it from the heat. Slowly add the milk to the egg yolk mixture in small batches. Whisk it really well to combine everything and avoid lumps in your custard. This will get your arm workout in, so start whisking! After the milk is fully added to the egg yolk, you can return it to the pan and put it back onto a low heat. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes.

If the custard separates you either had it too long on the heat, or the heat was too high. When this happens, take the custard off of the heat and whisk it really, really well. If this doesn’t work, then you can put the custard through a strainer.

Custard simmered for 4 minutes ready to cool down

After the custard has simmered for 3-4 minutes it is ready to eat warm. Alternatively, you can cool it down slowly on the counter. If you choose to cool the custard, it is important to whisk it again frequently to avoid a film forming on the top which can make lumps in the custard. Whisk it every few minutes while it slowly cools down on the counter. When it is fully cooled, you can transfer it to a jar and store it in the fridge. Freshly made custard can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days. 

Custard you can combine with my pound cake recipe and some whipped cream and fruit to create a trifle.

Custard

Homemade silky smooth custard.
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: custard
Keyword: custard, vanilla custard
Servings: 1
Author: Ester van Boesschoten

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Whole (full fat) milk
  • 1-2 Tablespoon Cane sugar
  • 2 1/2 Tablespoon Tapioca flour or 1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • Pinch Salt

Instructions

  • Crack the egg and separate the egg white from the egg yolk into two different bowls.
  • Add the sugar to the bowl with the egg yolk and whisk them together.
  • Put the milk into a pan and remove the vanilla seeds out of their pod. Add the vanilla and the pod into the milk.
  • Slowly bring the milk to a boil. The temperature of the milk should be 180 Fahrenheit but not higher then 185 Fahrenheit.
  • Just before the milk has reached 180 Fahrenheit, mix in the tapioca flour to the sugar mixture.
  • When the milk has reached 180 Fahrenheit, take the milk off of the heat. Slowly add the milk mixture to your egg-sugar mixture while whisking really well. Whisking is really important here!
  • When everything is whisked together, without any lumps, add the mixture back into the pan.
  • Let the custard simmer on low heat, for around 3-4 minutes, while constantly whisking.
  • After it has simmered for 3-4 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and remove the vanilla pod from the milk.
  • You can eat the custard warm, or if preferred, let it cool. It is important to stir during the cooling process, otherwise a film will form on top of the custard.
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Focaccia bread
This super easy focaccia bread is delicious. Focaccia bread is the easiest bread you can make. The dough is similar to pizza dough but with lots of olive oil. The other ingredients are bread flour, yeast, honey and sea salt. The topping can be anything you enjoy. 

Basic ingredients for focaccia bread

Most bread recipes require sugar to activate the yeast. As I’m not a fan of refined sugar, I always look for an appropriate replacement. In this case, I found raw honey adds a delicious flavor while being able to activate the yeast.

Ingredients for focaccia bread with topping ingredients

For the topping I experimented with potatoes, rosemary, bacon and Parmesan cheese.

Active dry yeast with 1/4 cup of water and honey to active the yeast
To start begin by mixing the 1/4 cup of warm water with the yeast and honey. The water needs to be  around 110 Fahrenheit to dissolve the yeast with the honey and to activate the yeast. It is important to let it stand until it is foamy and bubbly, around 5 minutes.

Active dry yeast mixture, nice foamy and bubbly

Here you can clearly see the foam and bubbles from the active dry yeast. It is ready to mix in with the flour and salt mixture after you can see the bubbles.

Salt and bread flour mixture

This recipe works best with a stand mixer and you will need to use the dough hook. My mixer https://www.boschmixers.com/product/bosch-universal-plus-mixer/ is Bosch, but any mixer with a dough hook will do.

The focaccia dough mixed and combined and coming away from the sides

When the dough comes away from the sides and is tacky, but doesn’t stick to your hands, it is ready. Grease a bowl with olive oil, and let it rest until it is doubled in size.

Focaccia dough before first riseWhen the dough has doubled in size you are ready to place it on a greased baking sheet, and shape it into a rectangle.  However, first you have to punch out the air in the dough.

After first rise dough doubled in size

Air punched out of the dough

After the air is out you shape it into a rectangle on the baking sheet. I used parchment paper on the baking sheet to make it easier to transfer to a cooling rack later.

Focaccia dough formed in rectangle

Focaccia dough covered for second rise

After you formed a rectangle with your dough, you cover it and place it in a warm area on your counter until it is doubled in size. This length of this rise will vary based on where you live and what season it is. It can take up to 1 hour or more if it is colder weather. It is important that you cover your dough and put it in a warm draft free area.

When it has doubled in size, you drizzle it with olive oil and make deep holes in the dough with your fingers. Don’t be shy!  Dig them in far, until you feel the baking dish.

Focaccia dough ready to be prepped to bake

Focaccia dough with finger holes

When you’re satisfied with the amount of holes, sprinkle the dough with sea salt (I used this French salt) and add your washed rosemary. You can bake it now, or add some extra toppings. I added potatoes, bacon and Parmesan cheese.

Focaccia bread with toppings

After adding the toppings, bake your dough in a preheated oven until it is golden brown. This can take around 20 minutes. Keep in mind that every oven is different, so the baking time may be more or less. Keep a close eye on the bread in the final baking minutes.

Golden brown baked focaccia

Light brown baked focaccia bread cut

You can enjoy this light, airy and delicious Focaccia bread after it cools a bit on a cooling rack!

Focaccia Bread

Flat Italian bread. The dough is similar to pizza dough but has the addition of a generous amount of olive oil. It is crispy on the outside while remaining soft inside. It is versatile enough to be served as a side dish or used as a sandwich bread.
Prep Time2 hours 25 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Bread
Keyword: focaccia, focaccia bread
Author: Ester van Boesschoten

Ingredients

Bread

  • 1 3/4 Cups Warm water 95-100 Farhenheit
  • 2 1/4 Teaspoons Active dry yeast
  • 3 Teaspoons Raw honey
  • 4 Cups Bread flour
  • 1 Tablespoon Salt
  • 1/2 Cup Olive oil extra for greasing the tin

Topping

  • 3 Tablespoons Olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Coarse sea salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Fresh rosemary

Instructions

Bread

  • In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup water, yeast and one teaspoon of honey. Stir and let it stand until it is foamy. This takes around 5 minutes.
  • In the bowl of your mixer, with a dough hook, combine bread flour and salt. With the mixer on low slowly pour in the yeast mixture. When combined, add the rest of the honey, remaining water (1 1/2cup) and half a cup of the olive oil. Mix it on medium speed for 3-4 minutes.
  • Grease a bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the greased bowl. Cover and let it rest in a warm, draft free area until it is doubled in size. This takes around an hour.
  • Drizzle 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a rimmed sheet pan that is about 17×13 inches.
  • After the first rise, punch the dough down to release the air. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and shape the dough into a rectangle. The dough should be a 1/2 inch thick.
  • Cover the dough with cling wrap and place it in a warm draft free area on your counter until it is doubled in size. This takes about 1 hour.
  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Farhenheit.
  • After the second rise, use your fingers to poke and create deep dents in the dough. Then drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and top with fresh rosemary and sea salt. You can bake it now or add extra toppings.

Topping

  • Cook your bacon to a crisp and let them rest on a paper towel.
  • Thinly slice your potatoes and grate your cheese. Add your extra toppings to the bread.

Baking.

  • Bake the focaccia until it is slightly golden and cooked through. This takes around 20 minutes.
  • Let it cool on the cooling rack.

If you’re looking for more bread ideas, check out this Irish soda bread on my blog.

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Goulash soup

While skiing with my family in Austria we had a delicious Goulash soup. It was such a delicious combination of herbs and filling that I was still craving this soup when I got home. So I got to work trying to replicate the soup, and I have to say this recipe is very close to the original.

This goulash soup is rich, full of meat and vegetables. Every bite is so full of flavor! I think it could make a complete lunch or dinner but it is best when consumed with some bread; we combined it with my sourdough bread. You can find the recipe for my sourdough bread here.

Skiing as a family is something we have always loved doing. We lived in America for 11 years. In California we loved to go to Lake Tahoe with its beautiful views over the lake. When we moved to Pennsylvania we traveled up to the mountains of Vermont and had a blast there too. After moving back to the Netherlands we planned our first family ski trip to Austria. We were there during Christmas with my husband’s brother, his sister-in-law and their kids. Growing up my family often went skiing in Austria, so being back there felt so familiar. We had beautiful ski holidays in the USA, but Austria feels like home to me. The slopes were gorgeous and we could ski from one delicious restaurant to another eating all the foods we had been missing. Nothing beats a good filling soup for lunch after spending the morning in the cold on skis. Paired with some homemade sourdough this goulash soup hits the spot for sure.

Ingredients

  • Tomatoes: pureed with flour and some garlic this is the base for the soup. 
  • Ground beef: I choose ground beef for this recipe. Most soups call for diced meat, but that can turn out dry and tough so I prefer ground meat.
  • Bacon: gives the soup an extra salty flavor.
  • Caraway seed: also known as meridian fennel and Persian cumin. It is highly aromatic and has a distinctive mild anise flavor.
  • Paprika powder: dried and ground red peppers.
  • Garlic: I used fresh minced garlic.
  • Vegetables: onions, bell peppers and potatoes. 
  • Flour: to thicken the soup.
  • Beef broth: The base is the tomato base with the beef broth.
  • Bay Leaf: I used dry bay leaves.

Vegatables

Meat and bay laf

Preparations:

Start with cutting up all the ingredients. Next we will make the tomato base. Start by frying the shallot and when it is soft add in the tomatoes and fry till softened. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Next add in the tomato paste, stir and add 2 tablespoons of flour continuing to stir for a bit. Finally add in one cup of broth. Put this into a blender and combine till smooth. Set aside for now. 

In the same pan, add some oil and fry the bacon to a crisp. I like to use this Le Creuset cast iron Dutch oven pan. Then add in the ground beef and spices, breaking it up until the meat is cooked through. To the meat mixture add in 2 tablespoons of flour, or more if a thicker soup is preferred. Continue to cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Then add in all the vegetables, tomato base and the rest of the broth to the meat mixture. Finally, add the bay leaves and let it simmer for 1 hour. 

Goulash soup

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Course: Soup
Cuisine: soup
Keyword: Goulash soup

Ingredients

Tomato base

  • 1 Shallot diced
  • 2 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 5 Tomatoes diced
  • 2 Tablespoons Flour
  • 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (70 gram)
  • 1 Cup Water

Goulash soup

  • 300 Grams Ground Beef
  • 2 Teaspoon Ground Paprika Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Pepper
  • 150 Grams Bacon diced
  • 1 Bell Pepper diced
  • 3-4 Golden Potatoes peeled and diced
  • 2 tablespoon s Flour
  • 500 Milliliters Beef Broth
  • 1 teaspoon Caraway Seed
  • 2 Bay Leaves

Instructions

Tomato base

  • Start with cutting all the vegetables. I choose to dice all the vegetables into small pieces.
  • In a warm pan, add some oil or butter. Fry the shallots until soft. Then add garlic and fry for another 30 secondes or until fragrant.
  • Add your diced tomatoes, salt, pepper and tomato paste. Stir quickly. Then add the flour. Combine and cook for 1 -2 minutes.
  • Slowly stir in one cup of broth.
  • Transfer your tomato base to a blender and blend until smooth and set aside.

Soup

  • In the same pan where the tomato base was prepared, on medium heat add some oil and the bacon. Fry until the bacon is crisp.
  • Add the ground beef to your pan with the bacon and stir in the spices; salt, pepper, paprika powder. Cook the meat throughly. Add the onion to the meat mixture. Cook until they are soft.
  • To thicken the soup you will be adding 2 tablespoons of flour to the meat mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
  • Add all your diced vegetables, tomato base and the rest of the broth little by little. When all is combined add bay leaves and let the soup simmer for 1 hour with lid on the pan.
  • Taste and adjust spices to your preference. Remove the bay leaf and serve with some delicious sour dough bread. Enjoy!
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Granola in storage jar

Granola

Granola is my favorite breakfast of all time! It is easy, quick and filling. Unfortunately, store bought granola is typically full of refined sugars and nuts. With a son who has a nut allergy, I was forced to figure out my own recipe. My naturally sweetened granola is super yummy, crunchy and bakes up quickly. It can easily be made into a nut free version by substituting the almonds with raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

Ingredients

Ingredients granola
  • Coconut sugar: In most of my baking I prefer to use a natural sugar instead of a refined sugar . Coconut works great in this granola.
  • Avocado oil: It is full of good fats, antioxidants and vitamins (A, B1, B2, D and E). Also has a high smoke point. However, the main reason I like using avocado oil is because of the great taste. It is not overpowering and remains a light, fresh addition to your cooking or baking. If you don’t have avocado oil you can use olive oil too for this granola recipe.
  • Raw honey:  It is a good source of antioxidants, amino acids and enzymes while providing a natural sweetness.
  • Cinnamon: This gives the granola a lot of flavor and a lovely smell.
  • Vanilla: Another nice flavor addition to this granola.
  • Salt: A universal flavor enhancer.
  • Rolled oats:  These are a whole grain food. They are nutritious and a good source of carbs and fiber. They are loaded with important vitamins ( magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, folate, B1, B5).
  • Unsweetened shredded coconut: This is rich in fiber and MCT’s.
  • Raw almonds:  They are rich in magnesium, vitamin E and fiber. If you prefer to make this granola nut free then use raw pumpkin seeds or raw sunflower seeds instead. 
    Flavor additions to granola

Preparation:

This granola is super easy to make. First, preheat your oven.  Start by mixing the coconut sugar with the oil. Measure the oil in same cup you will use to measure the honey because it provides a grease to the cup, allowing the honey to easily slide out.

Coconut sugar in bowl and oil in the 1/2 cup
Stir the oil and sugar together. Then add in your honey, cinnamon salt and vanilla.

Oil, sugar honey and spices 

Liquid combined with spices

After it is well combined, add your rolled oats one cup at the time. Making sure to combine well after each addition.

Adding rolled oats one cup at the time

When your oats are mixed in well, add the shredded coconut, almonds or pumpkin/sunflower seeds to the mixture and combine.

Added shredded coconut and almonds

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread your oat mixture onto the pan and flatten it out with the back of your spoon or fork.

Unbaked oats mixture

Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Set the timer for 25 minutes. Set a second timer for 7 minutes. When the 7 minute timer goes off, take the baking sheet out of the oven and stir the oat mixture. Make sure to flatten it again with your fork or spoon. Return the tray to the oven and set a new timer for 7 minutes, Repeat the process every 7 minutes until the 25 minutes are up. 
After 7 minute stirring the oats
When your granola is done baking you will smell it; the toasty cinnamon scent will spread into your kitchen.  It should be a golden brown. See picture below.

Done baking granola

Once it is done baking, stir it one last time and really press it down  firmly with your fork or spoon. Let it cool completely.

When it is cooled completely you can break it apart into bite size pieces and store it in an airtight container. I use this mason jar.

Baked and broken apart granola

We love to enjoy this granola in the morning with yoghurt and some fresh fruit, but is it also yummy on its own as a snack in place of a cookie.

Other cookie recipes can be found here on my page.

Baked granola

Another breakfast recipe on my blog is french toast. You can find the recipe here.

Granola

Crunchy natural sweetened granola
Prep Time10 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: granola
Keyword: granola
Author: Ester van Boesschoten

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Cup Coconut sugar
  • 1/4 Cup Avocado oil
  • 1/2 Cup Raw honey
  • 2 Teaspoons Ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla extract
  • 3 Cups Rolled oats
  • 3/4 Cup Unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 3/4 Cup Raw shopped almonds For a nut free version use raw sunflower seeds or pumpkin seed

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Farhenheit.
  • Combine coconut sugar with your avocado oil. Tip: measure your honey in the same cup as your oil so it will slide out easily.
  • Add the honey, cinnamon salt, vanilla extract and combine.
  • One cup at a time, add the rolled oats and mix after each addition.
  • Lastly add the shredded coconut and almonds. Stir until combined.
  • Spread the ingredients on a baking sheet with parchment paper and press down firmly with the back of a spoon or fork.
  • Place the baking sheet in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until it is fragrant and golden brown. Set a separate timer for 7 minutes and stir your granola every 7 minutes.
  • When your granola is golden brown and fragrant take it out of the oven and stir it one last time. Then press with the end of your fork until the granola is flat. Let it cool completely.
  • Once it is cooled, you can break it into pieces and store it in an airtight container. Enjoy it for breakfast or as a snack.
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One of my favorite things to do is visit second-hand bookstores looking for old recipe books. I found this book in sunny California. Finding a Dutch cookbook in America is rare, so I just had to buy it. 

 

I recall my mom having this cookbook at home when I was young, but I never had Kringelen cookies, so this recipe intrigued me. The combination of cinnamon and lemon sounded delicious. I added some vanilla and salt to the recipe to add more flavor.

 

The trickiest part was figuring out the oven temperature to bake them. The recipe said to bake them “in a somewhat warm oven”…. So after making the dough I had to do a couple of trial bakes to determine an exact temperature. I played with different shapes of the cookies, making both donut and pretzel shapes. Forming the dough in a log and cutting round cookies gave the best end result.

I hope you will enjoy this easy and delicious recipe as cub as we did.

Kringelen cookies

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time17 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: cookies
Keyword: cinnamon, cookies
Author: Ester van Boesschoten

Ingredients

  • 3 Cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 Cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 Cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 egg at room temperature
  • 2 Tsp cinnamon
  • 1 Zest lemon
  • 1/2 Tsp salt
  • 1 Tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Measure flour, salt, cinnamon and the zest of the lemon. Add into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
  • Add the softened butter and sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer. Cream together on medium high speed for about 5 minutes, until it is fluffy, airy and lighter in color. Make sure to incorporate all the sugar.
  • Add the vanilla extract, egg. Cream together until well blended.
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet until incorporated. Be careful not to over-mix.
  • Turn out the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Gently form the dough into a disk. Cut the dough into 4 quarters.
  • Form each quarter shape into a round log shape about 1-11/2“ diameter cylinder.
  • Wrap your dough in plastic food wrap and twist the ends so it is airtight.
  • Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours. This allows the dough to set and hold its shape nicely when baking.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
  • Remove dough logs from the fridge and unroll on a cutting board. Using a dough scraper or sharp knife to slice the log into ¼” – ½” thick cookies. Arrange them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet with about 1” of space on all sides.
  • Bake for 15-17 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the bake. They should come out with a golden ring around the edge and be firm to the touch, with just a bit of give in the center. 
  • Use the dough scraper to transfer them to the cooling rack. Let sit until completely cooled

Notes

*Inspired by: Amsterdamse huishoudschool from CJ Wannee.
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Laced cookies are one of my favorites. The ingredients list is short, so you probably have everything you need in your kitchen already. I combined the ingredients and did a test bake. Unfortunately, I burned the first batch. It took a few more bakes until I got my oven temperature right and the time to bake. They take only 6 minutes to cook and I had to keep a real close eye on them. I recommend you do the same. Every oven is different and my times and temperature could be different to your oven. But trust me, once you get them just right they are delicious! 

 

Laced almond Cookies

Kletskopjes
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: cookies
Keyword: cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 1/2 Cups brown sugar
  • 1 Cup sifted flour
  • 1/2 Cup raw almonds peeled and shopped
  • Pinch salt

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients with a mixer.
  • Form the dough into marble sized balls.
  • Preheat the oven to 420 Farhenheit.*
  • Place the dough balls on baking sheet 1 1/2 inches apart.
  • Bake them for 6-10 minutes* on top rack position. The cookie dough will melt quickly under the high oven temperature and spread out. If needed, help it with a fork while baking. Keep a close eye on them.
  • Let them cool down on the baking sheet.

Notes

* You can add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough if you prefer
*each oven is different, the bake temperature varies between 400-430 Farhenheit. Suggest you start first with one cookie to see if you get the desirable end result. 
*Pay close attention around minute 6, because the time between golden brown and black is super close.
* Inspired by: Amsterdamse huishoudschool, CJ. Wannee 1910
*Inspired by: Eet smakelijk, Junior Welfare of Holland 1964
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Started with the recipe from baking the goods: lemon olive oil cake. My batter was super thin and dripping out of my pan. So had to open the oven way to many times to clean up and place something under it to catch the drip. Also took the cake out of the oven way to soon so it was still a bit wet and dense. Regardless I loved loved the taste! Started to look online for more recipes for lemon cakes. After searching and looking at different recipes I tried again.

This time I used butter instead of olive oil. And more baking powder. The smell out of the oven was amazing! When it was time to take the cake out and cut it I was super happy with the end results. 

Hope you all enjoy baking this one too. 



Ingredients

  • 175 gram unsalted butter, very soft. And some extra for greasing the tin.
  • 250 gram cane sugar
  • 1 lemon
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature 
  • 250 gram cake flour or regular flour
  • 3 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 115 ml milk, at room temperature 

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven at 350 F. Prep a loaf pan with butter. Then cut a long strip of parchment the width of the loaf pan. Press the paper into the loaf pan so it covers the base and the sides. 
  2. Put the soft butter and sugar in the mixing bowl.
  3. In a mixing bowl, sift and add the flour, baking powder. Wisk in the lemon zest.
  4. Mix the butter and sugar till the sugar is fully incorporated in the butter. After that add one egg at the time and mix well after each egg.
  5. When everything is well combined mix in the flour mixture in 3 additions. 
  6. Add the milk and the juice of the one lemon and mix until it is incorporated.
  7. Pour the batter in the prepared loaf pan.
  8. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  9. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then remove from the pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.
  10. Enjoy!
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Meringue

Meringue is a light, airy cookie with a crisp exterior. They are one of my favorite cookies, but can be tricky to bake. The oven temperature needs to be just right or the cookies will turn a little brown. Fortunately, they will still be delicious if this happens.

Meringue has 2 main ingredients: egg whites and sugar. The final step is to add a pinch of salt. Three ingredients is all it takes to make these delicious cookies.

 
The first step is to whip up the egg whites in your stand mixer, until they become glossy and opaque. It is important to ensure your bowl and whisk are free from grease and moisture before starting. Once you are sure they are dry, I like to add a little lemon juice in the bowl. Then whip your egg whites till they are white and glossy.

Whipped egg whites

Next, add the sugar one spoon at a time while you continue to whisk on medium. Give the sugar a chance to dissolve into the egg white mixture. After all the sugar is added, whisk it until stiff peaks begin to form in the mixture, and it does not fold back in on itself. 

Sugar and egg white whisked till peaks formed

Transfer the meringue mixture into a piping bag. Placing the piping bag into a drinking glass will make the process easier and limit the mess made. Fold the ends of the bag  over the top of the glass and scoop in the mixture. See picture below.

Meringue mixture in piping bag

Cut off the small tip of the piping bag and you are ready to pipe! You can pipe your meringue pretty close to each other on the parchment lined baking sheet. They don’t spread out while baking and you need to bake all your cookies at the same time. So pay attention to the spacing when you begin so that you can be sure to fit them all on the one tray. 

Meringue bAked

Meringue gets baked in the oven on a low temperature. As I have mentioned in other recipes, every oven is different, so the temperature may vary for you. Mine turned out a little golden, but I prefer them more white. Since this was the first time making them in this oven, I will lower the oven temperature next time and have incorporated the correction in this recipe. After the baking time is done, turn off the oven without opening the door, allowing them to cool completely in the oven. They are ready to eat once they are fully cooled. 

Another cookie recipe can be also found on my site. Click here.

Meringue

Meringue are soft whipped egg white with sugar baked to perfection. Crunchy outside with a chewy and soft inside.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: meringue
Keyword: meringue
Author: Ester van Boesschoten

Ingredients

  • 3 Egg whites
  • Pinch Salt
  • 1 Cup Cane sugar (200 gram)

Instructions

  • Check that you stand mixer bowl and whisk are dry and grease free. Add your whites and whisk with a pinch of salt until they are glossy and smooth.
  • With mixer on medium, add one spoon at a time of the sugar to your egg white mixture. Continue whipping the mixture until it forms stiff peaks. The sugar should be completely dissolved.
  • Transfer your mixture into a piping bag. Cut off the end and pipe the cookies onto your parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Bake in a preheated oven of 275 Farhenheit for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off when done, and do not open the oven door. Let them cool with the oven door closed 2-4 hours.
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Sourdough Bread
When the pandemic started I ran into the problem that active dry yeast could no longer be found in any stores. So, I got on the sourdough train along with everyone else. At first I tried to make my own starter, but that wasn’t a big success. Luckily, a good friend got a starter from a local bakery, and kindly gifted some to me. Then the fun began! I started experimenting with lots of recipes for sourdough bread. Eventually, I settled on one my whole family enjoyed and I continue to make one loaf a week. The starter even moved with us from California to Pennsylvania and is still going strong. 

I recorded my first instruction video to accompany this recipe because some parts are hard to explain in words. I really hope this helps. The recipe is easy and delicious but takes a lot of time and patient. Believe me, it is worth it!

Sourdough starter

In this picture you see that my sour dough starter is active. You can tell it is active because of the air bubbles. To get an active starter, I recommend feeding your starter and letting it sit out at room temperature every 4-6 hours, or until it increases in volume by about 30%. I keep an elastic band around my jar, to help me keep track of the growth. I highly recommend to using filtered water when feeding your starter as chlorine can inhibit your active yeast. When mixing the sour dough starter do not use any metal. It is preferable to use a plastic or wood spatula throughout the making of this recipe. 

I normally let my dough rest overnight on the counter top because it takes a long time. Keep this in mind when you feed your sour dough starter. For example, if you feed the starter around 12 pm it will be active around 6 pm. This will allow you to let it rise overnight on your counter and bake the bread the next morning.

Dough after 8-12 hour ret period

Air bubbles should form after the 8-12 hour rise. The exact time needed varies based on the climate where you live. In the winter it may take 12 hours versus on a hot summer night it can take 6-8 hours. In order to keep those air bubbles inside the dough, carefully scrape the dough out of the bowl with a flexible plastic scraper. Try to keep the air in as much as possible. This will create those beautiful holes in the bread later.

Dough in proving basket

Placing the dough into a floured proving basket will allow it to rise nicely. These come in different shapes and sizes. 

Dough after 30 minute rise. Ready to lame

The dough after you lamea nice pattern on it

After the final rise, score the bread on top with a lame or blade. If you get a proving basket sometimes they come with a lame. I have tried multiple tools but so far I like this one the best. If you don’t have a lame a super sharp knife will work. 

The lame I use is from Amazon.

Or you can also buy this lame with proving basket from Amazon.

Bread in Dutch oven pan done baking

 

Bread done baking and cooling on cooling rack

This recipe is written as a starting point, but you can add fresh herbs, cheese or nuts. I recommend that if adding ingredients you don’t add more then 20%. For example, in this recipe, since we use 500 grams of flour you can add up to 100 grams of extra ingredients without adjusting the baking times. If you add in a cheese, use a semi hard cheese such as old Gouda or cheddar. Make sure you shred it small before adding it into the flour mixture.

Fresh baked and cut sourdough bread

Overnight Sourdough Bread

Prep Time8 hours
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Bread
Keyword: Overnight Sourdoughbread, Sourdoughbread
Author: Ester van Boesschoten

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven pan

Ingredients

  • 3 Cups Unbleached all purpose flour roughly 500 grams
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoon Sea salt I use Le Guerandais Gros salt
  • 1 Cup Purified water or filtered water roughly 290 grams
  • 2/3 Cup Active bubbly starter, stirred down 150 gram

Instructions

Night before

  • Mix salt and flour in a big mixing bowl
  • Add the starter and gently mix in with spatula.
  • Stir in the water and mix with hand until the dough is well combined. Around a minute.
  • Cover the dough with cling wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes in a draft free and warm place.
  • After 30 minutes gently stretch each corner out and fold the dough onto the opposite corner. The dough is sticky so it helps to have a little bowl of water next to you that you can wet your hands in throughout the folding process. After each stretch, fold and rotate the bowl to continue going around. Do this for 1 minute. See instruction video for additional explanation.
  • Cover and let the dough rest overnight on the counter, 8-12 hours. When it is doubled in size you are ready for the next step.

Baking

  • Preheat your oven ,with the Dutch oven and lid inside it, to 475 Farhenheit.
  • Dust your counter with a little flour and carefully scape the dough out onto it. You want to keep all the air bubbles in the dough. Shape the dough gently into a ball. See instruction video.
  • Place the dough into your proving basket dusted with flour and cover. Let it rise for 30 minutes. Don’t overprove. It is best to set a timer for this one. If you don’t have a proving basket, place the dough on parchment paper and cover with cling wrap.
  • Carefully turn the dough onto a large piece of parchment paper. Both the dough and parchment paper will need to fit into the Dutch oven so keep that in mind when cutting the paper. Now it is time to get creative with a sharp knife or a lame to score the dough. See video for example.
  • Remove the Dutch oven from the warm oven. Remove the lid and carefully place the parchment paper with the bread into the pan. Replace the lid back and place in the oven.
  • Reduce the oven to 420 Farhenheit and bake for 20 minutes.
  • After 20 minutes remove the lid, set oven to 425 Farhenheit and bake for another 20-25 minutes. Until it is golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when softly knocking on the bottom.
  • Once done remove the bread from the dutch oven and let cool on a cooling rack.
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