Torta Sorrentina

Mi sembra giusto astenermi dallo scrivere in inglese, quando si tratta di trattare ricette prettamente italiane! In questo caso ancor di più, dato che la ricetta oltre ad essere italiana è Napoletana! =D
Ho finalmente aperto il mio nuovo libro di ricette Napoletane e questa è la prima che testo... sperando che stasera gli ospiti ne siano soddisfatti! =)

Ingredienti:
150 gr. farina
4 uova
200 gr. zucchero a velo
100 gr. noci (+decorazione q.b.)
Per la bagna:
2 bicchierini di Maraschino
Per la farcia:
500 ml. panna montata

In una terrina sbattere i tuorli d'uovo con lo zucchero a velo. Incorporare poi la farina e i gherigli di noce tritati e tostati (io ho aggiunto 2 dita di latte per ammorbidire leggermente).
A parte montare i bianchi d'uovo a neve fermissima ed incorporarli delicatamente all'impasto fino ad omogeneo.
Imburrare due tortiere da 22 cm e dividere l'impasto in queste ultime. Infornare a 180° per circa 40 minuti (30 minuti se forno preriscaldato). Appena le torte saranno dorate, farle raffreddare ed estrarle dalle teglie.
Bagnare con il Maraschino il disco inferiore, farcire con la panna ben montata, adagiare l'altro disco anch'esso bagnato inferiormente. Coprire il tutto con la restante panna e decorare con altri gherigli di noce interi (preferibilmente caramellati) =)

Almond Hot Chocolate

Sunday morning...it's 1:00 pm and i woke up a bit ago =) I won't have lunch and i decided to prepare a hot chocolate. I wanted so much, and now i'm enjoying it! =D

Ingredients:
1/2 milk
3 tablespoons of whipping cream
2 tablespoons of white sugar
100 gr. dark chocolate
almond extract


Melt chocolate. Once melted add sugar cream and milk and bring to hot on a low heat.
Add almond extract and stir again. Remove from heat and pour it in your cup. Add whipping cream on top if you want ;)

Nutella stuffed French Toast

Mum and Daddy are coming back from the Hospital and, meanwhile, i'm baking (or better, toasting) them breakfast =)
Accompanied with a cup of coffee or cappuccino, this is one of the best breakfast you could prepare! =)
Enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 slices of brioche bread (cut into two)
2 eggs
3/4 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
cinnamon
ginger
nutmeg
pinch of salt
vanilla extract
+nutella
+butter for grease the pan
+1 banana

In a medium bowl mix the eggs, milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and vanilla until well combined. Spread the Nutella on the bread, then place the other bread slices on them to make a Nutella sandwich and cut diagonally. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, drop a tablespoon of butter and wait until melted. Dip the bread into the liquid mixture until coated well on each side. Drop the sandiwches into the hot pan and cook 4 halves at a time using a tablespoon of butter for each batch. Cook until golden brown, about 3 - 4 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and eat immediately. Top with the fresh bananas and whipped cream if you want!

Pistachio muffin

The muffins can be made in many different flavors, in recent months we have seen a lot and today I present a recipe that I tried it myself a few days ago, pistachio muffins! The recipe for these delicious muffins is really simple, you can do it in just half an hour and will be perfect to serve snacks or meals to finish sweetly! The pistachio muffins are also excellent gift idea for Christmas =)

Ingredients:
170 gr. flour
130 gr. white sugar
10 gr. pistachios
100 gr. butter
2 eggs
80 ml. milk
1 teaspoon of baking powder


Preheat the oven to 180°.
In a medium bowl mix all dry ingredients and mix well.
In a large bowl whisk eggs, melted butter and milk, and add dry ingredients to egg mixture. Mix until incorporated.
Chop pistachios not too finely. Add pistachios to dough and mix. Pour the dough into a muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes =)

Peanut butter hot cocoa

What's your favourite "after lunch"?
Mine is a peanutty hot chocolate, for today :) so thin and delicious..good for a lazy, cold afternoon!
Remember this recipe ;)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 – 1/3 cup sugar/honey, more or less to taste*
Dash of salt
1/3 cup water
4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup Peanut Butter


Combine dry ingredients in a medium saucepan and whisk in water over medium heat. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Boil for 2 minutes. Whisk in peanut butter.
Add milk and whisk and heat until hot, but do not boil. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract. Serve topping with whipped cream or milk foam :)

Pear fritters

I had some pears that were a little too ripe, so I went looking for a good way to use them. I LOVE this recipe! Yes, they’re fried… which means I won’t make these very often, but they are delicious!


Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pear – peeled, cored, and diced
2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
3 tbsp milk
oil for deep frying

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the pears until caramelized, then set aside to cool.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Add egg and milk into the dry ingredients and mix well.
Fold the pears into the batter.
Heat oil . Drop batter by rounded teaspoonfuls into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels =)

Pumpkin Spice latte

What's the cure for a chilly Fall morning? A pumpkin spice latte. I decided to make some today because the girls have the week off from school and they really wanted to cook. They wanted to make a pumpkin pie, but I thought it would be fun to take our pumpkin pie recipe and turn it into a drink.
I've had pumpkin spice lattes in the past that really only have nutmeg and cinnamon. I made ours with real pumpkin purée, and I sweetened the latte with condensed milk.
You can change pumpkin with nutella or some sweet pastes :)


Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 little cup espresso coffee
2 tablespoons condensed milk
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or almond extract)
1/2 cup pumpkin purée
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder, + extra for dusting
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated




In a bowl, combine the cinnamon powder, ground ginger, nutmeg and clove.
Brew your espresso coffee. 
Add vanilla extract to 1 1/2 finger of milk if you like. Froth the milk.
In another non-stick saucepan, combine the remaining milk, pumpkin purée, condensed milk and the pumpkin spice mix. Warm the dairy mixture over medium-low heat. Do not bring to a boil. Once it's hot, add the coffee. Stir well.
Pour into the cup. Make sure to fill up the cup 3/4 of the way up with the drink. Top with the milk foam. Dust with a little cinnamon powder.
Serve with tea cakes or cookies.
Sip slowly, it's time to relax! ^^

Guinness Chocolate Cupcake with Bailey's Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
2 C unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 C granulated sugar
1/2 C light or dark brown sugar
1/2 C unsalted softened butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg
1/2 C sour cream
1 1/2 C Guinness or stout beer
For Bailey's cream frosting:
210 gr. of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 C confectioner’s sugar
4 – 6 Tablespoons of Bailey’s Irish Cream

Preheat the oven to 180°.

In a large bowl briefly whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. 

Add one egg and beat until evenly mixed and fluffy, make sure to scrape down the mixer bowl once in a while. Add the second egg and vanilla extract and beat again until light and fluffy. 

Add the sour cream and beat in, then with the mixer running, slowly pour in the Guinness. 

Sift the dry ingredients into the batter and slowly stir the batter until it is evenly mixed and there are no streaks of flour. Make sure to stop the mixer frequently to scrape down the sides and make sure to mix up any flour pockets hidden on the bottom of the bowl. 

Divide 1/4 C of batter into each muffin cup, you’ll get about 20 – 24 cupcakes. 

Bake at180° for 20 – 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake in the middle of the pan should come out clean. 

For frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, add the cream cheese, butter, and confectioner’s sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Slowly drizzle in the Bailey’s, more or less depending on how boozey you want the frosting, and beat until completely incorporated into the frosting =D

Sugar puffs

Indistinguishable from the real thing, which is to say, eggy, moist, light and springy.
I suspect the problem with the biscuits was just a lack of moisture. Popovers are made of a fairly thin batter, so that wasn’t an issue here. But I’ll test my biscuit theory again sometime soon and let you know.


Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup flour
For the sugar coating:
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, melted


Preheat the oven to 200°. Liberally grease a muffin pan.
For the puffs, put the 2 tablespoons melted butter, eggs, milk, salt and sugar in a blender and whiz for a few seconds. Add the flour and whiz until smooth.
Divide the batter among 9 greased molds.
Bake for 35 minutes, until the puffs are deep brown.
Remove from the oven, wait a few minutes until cool enough to handle, then remove the puffs from the pans. You may need a small knife to help pry them out.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Thoroughly brush each puff all over with melted butter, then dredge in sugar and cinnamon mixture to coat completely. Let cool on a baking rack =)

Pumpkin Pie

There is a great tradition of serving Pumpkin Pie on Thanksgiving Day in both the United States and Canada. It all began when the European settlers first came to the New World and were introduced to the pumpkin by the American Indians. As soon as the settlers realized the pumpkin's versatility they began using it in both sweet and savory dishes. The English settlers first made a pumpkin pie by substituting fresh pumpkin for the thick pulp of other boiled and spiced fruits that were called for in their sweet pie recipes. Today the pumpkin pie has evolved into an open-faced single crust pie shell that is filled with a smooth custard-like filling made with pumpkin puree, eggs, cream or milk, sugar, and spices (mixture usually consisting of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves). It is considered a "soft" pie because it is made with an unbaked crust and uncooked filling that is baked until the crust has browned and the filling has set.

Ingredients
Crust pastry:
175 gr. all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
14 gr. granulated white sugar
113 gr. unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into pieces
30 - 60 ml ice water
Pecan and Gingersnap Layer: 
30 gr. pecans, toasted and ground
30 gr. crushed cookies

+powdered ginger

Pumpkin filling:

3 large eggs

400 gr. fresh pumpkin puree

120 ml heavy whipping cream

110 gr. light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

For pie crust: in a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds). Add 1/8 cup (about 2 tablespoons) water and process just until the dough holds together when pinched. If necessary, add the remaining water.

Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour before using. After the dough has chilled sufficiently, place on a lightly floured surface, and roll into a 33 cm. Fold the dough in half and gently transfer to 23 cm pie pan. Tuck the overhanging pastry under itself and use a fork to make a decorative border. With the remaining pastry make decorative cut-outs and with a little water, attach them around the lip of the pie pan. Refrigerate the pastry, covered with plastic wrap, for about 30 minutes.

For layer and filling: place the pecans, along with the gingersnap cookies, in a food processor and process until finely ground. Press this mixture evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of the unbaked pie crust. Cover and return the pastry to the refrigerator while you make the pumpkin filling.

Preheat oven to 170°. In a large bowl lightly whisk the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell and place on a large baking pan to catch any spills. Bake the pie for about 45-55 minutes or until the filling is set and the crust has browned (the center will still look wet). (A knife inserted will come out almost clean.)
Place the baked pie on a wire rack to cool. Serve at room temperature with maple whipped cream. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. 
Makes 23 cm pie =D

Praline al cocco

Ingredients:
150 gr. milk chocolate
60 gr. whipping cream
30 gr. rum
30 gr. butter
+coconut flour 


Broken chocolate into pieces and melt it on low heat.
Put cream, rum and butter on heat and, when it start to boil, remove from heat and add it to melted chocolate and mix well!
Put the mixture in the fridge to harden it. Once firmed, form little ball with a teaspoon, roll it with your hands and roll it again into coconut flour. Keep it in the fridge =)

Clafoutis alle amarene

Today we're gonna make black cherry clafoutis! You could prepare it with normal red cherries, but i had a big quantity of black cherries. I needed to use them :) (the original recipe includes mint leaves)

Ingredients:
300 gr. black cherries (with syrup)
150 gr. flour 00
50 gr. sugar
3 eggs
320 ml. milk


Put cherries with syrup on the bottom of a baking dish (buttered).
Preheat the oven to 180°.
Whisk together eggs with dried ingredients and then pour milk on the mixture. Mix well!
Pour everything on cherries and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes =)

Chocolate Chip Ringo Dough Brownie Bars

Is it a cookie, is it a brownie,  is it a bar? I’m not sure but I do know that it’s GOOD. I’m opting to call it a chocolate chip cookie dough brownie bar for the sake of argument. It’s the best of the cookie and brownie world put together. All in one chunky chocolatey bite. If you wanted to take a few short-cuts and use pre-made mixes we won’t tell!

Ingredients
Brownies: 
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter – room temperature
2 large fresh eggs
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour – sifted
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter – softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs 
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chip

For cookie dough: add: flour and salt into a bowl. Mix together with whisk. Set aside.
In your mixer beat butter until creamy and fluffy. Add sugar. Mix well. Add eggs (1 at a time) mix well. Gradually add flour mixture. Mix. Fold in chocolate chips with spatula.
For brownie layer: into a mixing bowl add: flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Using a whisk, mix together & set aside.
Into your stand mixer add: sugar, butter.  Mix together until creamy. Add in eggs one at a time. Mix well. GRADUALLY add in your flour mixture until it’s well combined. Batter should be thick and sticky.
Preheat oven to 180°.
Cover a baking tin with parchment paper. Spoon cookie dough batter into dish and spread evenly. Top with ringo cookies. Spoon brownie batter on top and evenly distribute.
Bake for approximately 35-45 minutes until brownies begin to pull from sides and pass the toothpick test. Allow bars to cool completely before slicing =D

Banana walnuts cookies

Banana Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies exploding with toasted walnuts and chocolate chips. These cookies are incredible and a delicious way to use up your over ripe bananas. The riper the banana the more intense the flavor! These cookies combine two of my favorite things, chocolate chip cookies and banana bread! 


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 mashed ripe banana 
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted


Preheat oven to 180°.
In a small bowl, whisk together flours, salt, and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add egg; mix until combined. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chunks, and walnuts.
Using a ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake in preheated oven, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, 12 to 13 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets on wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate chips & Pistachio Scones

Chocolate Chip Scones make a very tasty breakfast treat. These scones also contain sweet dried red cherries which I think pairs nicely with the dark chocolate chips. The scones are baked in a fairly hot oven which gives them a nicely browned outer crust. If you can enjoy these scones the same day as they are made, preferably shortly after they come out of the oven. 

These are for tonight =D

Ingredients:

260 gr. all purpose flour

50 gr. granulated white sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

113 gr. unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

100 gr. milk or semi sweet chocolate chips or chunks

80 gr. pistachios

1 teaspoon pure almond extract

130 ml milk

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C and place rack in middle of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour and mix by hands.

Stir in the chocolate chunks (or chips) and pistachios. In a small measuring cup whisk together the milk and almond extract and then add to the flour mixture. Stir just until the dough comes together (add more flour as necessary). Do not over mix the dough.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface (share dough into two) and knead dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into 4 pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk and sprinkle with sugar. Repeat with the second half part.

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool =D

Apple fritters

So easy and fast to do *.*
So delicious and good to taste *_* you can combine them with lemon sauce =D


Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
1 egg
3 medium apples, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon 
Oil for frying



In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Gradually stir in milk and well-beaten egg. Add finely chopped apples. Mix ingredients together into a batter. 
In a skillet or fryer, heat 2-3 inches of oil. Drop batter from spoon ("about the size of a walnut") into hot oil. Fry until golden brown, remove from skillet, and place on paper towel to soak up excess oil.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar =D

Rice chocolate pudding

Rice Pudding meets all the criteria of a comfort food. That is, it evokes feelings of nostalgia, it is simple to make, uses the most basic of ingredients (milk, rice, and sugar), and tastes good. Looking back to Roman times, Alan Davidson in 'The Oxford Companion to Food'  tells us that rice puddings were not eaten daily but were considered a medicine to be used as a cure for upset stomachs. Interestingly enough, although sweetened milk is the basis for all rice pudding recipes, country and culture does influence what type of milk was (is) used and also what spices (nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon) and flavorings (such as rose water, vanilla, orange and lemon peel) are added to the pudding. 


Ingredients:
700 ml milk
75 gr. rice
75 gr. sugar
1 pinch of salt
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
50 gr. chocolate chips
50 gr. hazelnuts


In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan combine the milk, rice, and salt. Place saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium to medium-low and simmer until the rice is tender (about 25 minutes). Stir the milk mixture frequently using a heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. When the rice is tender (al dente) remove from heat and add the sugar and ground cinnamon. Return to heat and cook until the rice pudding thickens, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add the nuts and chocolate. Spoon the pudding into your serving bowls and cover with plastic wrap. If you want a film or skin on the puddings, allow them to cool before covering with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until serving time, about 1 to 2 hours. 

French Toast

Oww soooooooo goooood! Wonderful breakfast =D
I woke up at 06.45 to preparing breakfast for my birthday..something easy but soooooo delicious!
My 2oth birthday starts with French Toast *_*


Ingredients:
3 eggs
180 ml milk or cream (or half and half)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
6 slices of briosche bread
2-3 tablespoons of butter
+ cranberry syrup

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and ground cinnamon. Dip both sides of each slice of bread into the egg mixture. 
Meanwhile, in a large non-stick frying pan, over medium to medium-high heat, melt about one tablespoon of butter. Fry the slices of bread until golden brown on one side and then turn and fry the other side. Continue frying the other slices of bread, adding more butter as needed.
Serve immediately with a dusting of powdered sugar and pure cranberry syrup or fresh fruit =D

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Ooooooooww tomorrow it's my birthday and I have to enjoy my cake and sparkling wine with my friends tonight...at midnight...we'll enjoy!
My 20th birthday *_* can't wait and believe!

Ingredients
For cake:
3 eggs
12 tablespoons of oil (seed or olive)
2 tablespoons of flour
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
5 tablespoons of cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 glass of milk
For chocolate frosting:
1 cup butter room temp
1 cup cocoa powder
2 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon almond extract


Preheat the oven at 180°.
Whisk eggs with sugar until smooth.
In a medium bown mix all dried ingredients and slowly add them to eggs mixture. Mix well until fluffy!
After add oil and milk and stir together until smooth and incorporated.
Pour it into two baking tins and bake them at 180° for 40-50 minutes. Check with a toothpick ;)
To prepare the frosting: mix the cocoa powder and powdered sugar together. In another bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Mix in 1/3 of the cocoa/sugar mixture. Add about 1/3 of the milk. Repeat this until all the cocoa powder, sugar, and milk are added. Mix in the almond extract. The frosting should be spreadable at this point. If not, add in more milk or powdered sugar as needed.
Fill the cake and the whole surface with chocolate cream, and place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
I sprinkled with some colouring funfetti =D

Tiramisù

It's been too long...Paolo's keeping on to ask me to bake this pie and, onestly, i forget to prepare it everytime xD I'm a selfish :(

Not now! I did it =D 

Ingredients:

300 gr. savoiardi

250 gr. mascarpone cheese

80 gr. sugar

2 eggs

5 little cups of espresso coffee

40 gr. chocolate scales

3 tablespoon of Irish cream Baileys

+cocoa powder

Prepare coffee.

Whisk together egg yolks with sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add mascarpone and liquor. Mix well and set aside.

In a medium mix bowl, twist whisk egg whites until cream and add them to eggs mixture very slowly, stir until incorporated. Add chocolate scales if you want!

In a alluminium dish, pour a light layer of cream and spread it, then cover whole dish with savoiardi wet into coffee (not to much!). Then proceed with another layer of cream and then with coffee savoiardi until end. Sprinkle with chocolate scales and put it in the fridge for 5 hours at least. Cover with cocoa powder before serving =D

Almond jam bars

These bars. Oh, these bars! They are delicious. I first saw these bars in an issue of Everyday Food a few years ago. I just love Everyday Food recipes because they're simple and not fussy, but they're consistently good.
Breakfast for tomorrow!


Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp, plus more for baking dish
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup of milk
1 large egg 
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup apricot jam



Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy; beat in egg. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Stir in almonds.
In a small bowl, whisk jam to loosen. (Stirring the jam with a fork or a whisk will enable it to spread smoothly over the dough.)
Gently press half of dough into bottom of prepared dish. With the back of a spoon, gently spread jam over dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border so the jam doesn't stick to the sides of the pan. Sprinkle remaining dough over top all the way to the edges; press gently to form top layer.
Bake until top is golden, 25 to 35 minutes; cool completely in dish. Cut into bars with a serrated knife =D

Black Forest cupcake

Black forest cupcakes are just like black forest cake, but in cupcake form. Black forest cupcakes are chocolate cupcakes soaked in cherry liqueur, with a cherry filling, a whipped cream topping, and cherries and chocolate on top.
According to What's Cooking America, black forest cake was named in the late 16th century after the Black Forest Region in Germany (Der Schwarzwald in German) located in the state of Baden-Württemberg. In German, black forest cake is called Schwarzwälderkirschtorte.
These black forest cupcakes were light, fluffy, and incredibly moist. Because of the cherry filling and liqueur, they were almost too moist to eat without a fork. This didn't seem to bother anyone! =)

Ingredients:
1 2/3 C all-purpose flour
2/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 C butter
1 1/2 C white sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t coffee extract 
1/2 cup of whipping cream
1/2 cup of milk
Buttercream Frosting:
1 cup of unsalted butter
2 1/2 cup powdered sugar



Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. 
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extracts. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, until combined.
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and put a cherry per each in the middle.
Bake at 350 F for twenty minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when touched.

For frosting: Using the wire whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.

Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and mix. Whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.

Put a cherry on the top, in the end and sprinkle with chocolate scales =D

Cinnamon Apple muffins

This Cinnamon Apple Muffin recipe is super easy to pull together.  It doesn't take long to bake them up.  They taste SO GOOD with juice, hot tea and coffee; not too sweet but just right. Full of soft, sweet apple bits and the cinnamon just makes them hard to stop eating.  Top half the batch with a little brown sugar and oats and they're a fun snack to kill off the late afternoon munchies.  Treat yourself to a batch.  Bake a batch for your workmates.  They will love you for it!


Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 medium apple, cored, peeled, small dice
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
+ brown sugar to sprinkle


Pre-heat oven at 180°.
In a small bowl, beat milk, oil and egg. Stir in diced apple. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Make a well and pour in wet ingredients.  Stir slowly just until flour is moistened--batter will be lumpy. Do not over stir.
Use a 2-inch scooper to divide batter evenly into muffin cups.  Should fill cups 2/3 full.  Sprinkle with brown sugar topping if you want =D
Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan =)