Baumkuchen

     This weekend I decided to make a unique cake that I hadn't tried before. It's called baumkuchen, also known as a German tree cake. It was very fun to bake and, most importantly, tasted delicious!

Ingredients:

• Cake Batter:
• 4 whole eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tbsp dark rum
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• Chocolate Glaze:
• 1 cup dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp dark rum
• 1/2 envelope gelatin
• 1/2 cup water

     Begin by placing the butter in a pot and heating over medium-high heat. Continuously stir the butter until it develops a brown color and begins smelling nutty. Remove from heat and set aside.

     Whisk the eggs in a medium stainless steel whisking bowl, adding in the vanilla extract, milk, run, and sugar. Place this over a pot with boiling water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Continuously whisk over the boiling water for about 5-8 minutes. 

     Next, whisk the cake batter with a mixer for about 10-15 minutes until it has tripled in size. Add in the brown butter and flour, and fold into the mixture. 

     Butter a cake pan and place piece of parchment paper on the bottom, and butter the top of that. Place the cake pan in another cake pan so that the bottom of the cake doesn't burn. Add one cup of the cake batter and place in the oven over broil for about 1-2 minutes until lightly brown. Repeat this process until you run out of cake batter.

     Flip the cake onto a wire rack and let cool. Make the chocolate glaze by warming up heavy cream and adding it to the dark chocolate until it melts. Add in the dark run and gelatin with warm water to create a nice, shiny glaze. Pour over the cake, and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Hurmasice

     Hurmasice are my favorite Bosnian dessert. My mom used to make them growing up, but I never really appreciated them until I got older. Bosnian desserts are usually very sweet, but don't have very potent flavors that are usually seen in American desserts. They are basically cookies that are soaked in a sugar water mixture, which gives them a sweet, moist texture. These cookies are so easy to make, require simple ingredients, and the optional addition of coconut flakes makes them absolutely delicious.

     Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar (whole packet) or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup coconut flakes (optional)

     I like to start by making the simple sugar water mixture first. Add 2 cups water with 2 cups of sugar to a small pot and place on medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir occasionally. Remove from heat once the sugar has melted, about 10-15 minutes, and allow to cool. 

     In a large bowl, beat the eggs with 1/2 cup of sugar. Add the vegetable oil and packet of vanilla sugar or vanilla extract. Mix in the baking powder and flour, adding half a cup at a time. Lastly, mix in 1/2 cup of coconut flakes.

     Form rectangular shaped cookies, and place side by side in a baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes until the cookies are light golden brown. Pour the sugar water mixture over the hurmasice and allow to soak in. Once half of the sugar water has soaked into the hurmasice, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of coconut flakes over the cookies. 

Blueberry Muffins

     Tomorrow is Sunday, and on Sunday mornings I love making something sweet for breakfast. As you can probably tell by now, I have a huge sweet tooth. Believe it or not, I have never made muffins! I had some fresh blueberries in the fridge and decided to utilize them for blueberry muffins. I topped them with a sugar/nutmeg mix to give them a bit of a crunch which perfectly balanced the warm and sweet blueberry filling.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

      For the topping:

• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

     Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 18 regular-sized muffin cups with some butter or oil. 

     In a bowl, mix the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt. Using a spoon, fold in half of the flour then milk into the batter and repeat. Finally, fold in the blueberries. 

     Spoon the muffins into the muffin tin (I found that using an ice cream scoop is easiest). Top them with the sugar/nutmeg mixture, and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

     Vanilla bean cheesecake is one of my favorite cakes. The graham cracker crust and three layers of vanilla flavor make for a smooth, creamy, and delicious cake. The extracted pods from vanilla beans are what really set this cheesecake apart from the rest. This cake takes several hours to make and can be quite difficult, but it is well worth it.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
• 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
• 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 vanilla pods, beans removed and divided
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
• 4 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 4 oz white chocolate baking squares, melted
• Raspberries (optional)

     Begin by preheating the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9 inch springform pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Mix the graham crackers in a bowl with 1/4 cup of sugar. Then add the egg yolk, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, and melted butter, and mix to combine everything. Press the mixture into the springform pan.

     Bake for 8 minutes, or until the edges are slightly brown. Remove and let the crust cool.

     Next, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the 16 oz of cream cheese, sour cream, flour, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of softened butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and beans from one vanilla pod. Blend until creamy and smooth. Spread this mixture onto the cooled crust. 

     Bake for 30-35 minutes until the edges are slightly browned. Allow to cool for one hour.

     In a cold mixing bowl, beat 1 cup of whipping cream with 2 tbsp of powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Place this mixture in the fridge. 

   

  In another cold mixing bowl, beat the 4 oz of reduced fat cream cheese with the melted white chocolate until smooth. 

     Fold the whipped cream from the fridge into the white chocolate mixture and place back in the fridge.

     In another bowl, beat 1 cup of whipping cream with 1 tbsp powdered sugar and beans from one vanilla pod until stiff peaks form. 

     Spread the white chocolate mousse onto the cooled cheesecake. Refrigerate for an hour, then spread the whipped cream on top. Evenly arrange the raspberries over the top of the cake, and refrigerate several hours before serving. 

Classic Burger with Fries

     Anyone who knows me knows that I love burgers. I love trying and recreating different kinds of burgers, but I always end up going back to this classic burger recipe. This classic burger holds a lot of falvor with the addition of a tangy special sauce and sweet caramelized onions. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp sweet pickle relish
• 1/2 tsp white vinegar
• 2 lbs ground chuck (60%)
• 4 burger buns
• Pickles
• 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce ( I left off)
• 4-6 slices of tomato
• 8 slices of American cheese
• 4 russet potatoes

     Begin by heating the oil in a pan and add in the onions. Cover the pan, and cook the onions over medium heat for about 30 minutes until they turn golden brown and caramelize. Make sure to stir them often so that they don't burn. Remove the lid and cook for an additional 5 minutes, then add 1/2 cup of water. Allow the water to evaporate. Set the onions aside to cool.

     To make the special sauce, mix together the mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickle relish, and vinegar in a small bowl. Set the sauce aside as well.

     Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Peel and chop the potatoes by halving, halving once more, then cutting into wedges, then strips. Add to a bowl and mix with olive oil and pepper. Toss onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper, and bake for 25-35 minutes. When the fries are finished, remove from oven and sprinkle with salt again. 

     Add salt and pepper to the meat, mix, and create 8 patties. For best taste, cook these on a gas grill. Once cooked, top with American cheese and allow to melt. Lastly, add the buns and lightly toast.

     Spread a tablespoon of the special sauce on the bottom bun. Add the patty, top with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and caramelized onions. 

Blueberry Crisp

     When you're craving something sweet this summer, try out a fruit crumble or crisp. They are very easy to make, and the addition of your favorite fruits (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, or peaches) will bring out both tart and sweet flavors. Served warm with vanilla bean ice cream is the perfect combination.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 6 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
•  1 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• Vanilla bean ice cream, for serving (optional)

     Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, stir together the 3 tablespoons flour and granulated sugar. Add blueberries and lemon juice, toss gently to combine, and spread evenly in an ungreased 3-quart rectangular baking dish.

     For the topping, in a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, 3/4 cup flour, oats, and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender (or your hands) cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the berry mixture.

     Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the edges are bubbly. Cool for about 45 minutes, and serve with vanilla bean ice cream if desired.

Chicken Cutlets with Spicy Arugula

     On this wonderful Saturday morning, chicken cutlets with arugula sounded like the perfect meal to make for lunch. The thin and crispy breaded chicken was absolutely delicious and paired nicely with a spicy arugula salad.

Ingredients:

• Chicken cutlets:
• 4 chicken cutlets
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• Canola oil, for frying
• Salt and pepper
• Spicy Arugula
• 4 oz arugula
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
• 1 tbsp chopped shallots
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

     Place a chicken cutlet between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound it out until 1/4 inch thick.

Season with salt and pepper and repeat for the other three cutlets.

     Whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl. On another plate, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, basil and Italian seasoning. Take the cutlets and dip in the egg, coating both sides, then in the breadcrumb mixture.  Place on a dish and refrigerate for 20 minutes to allow the breading to set.

     Set a large skillet with canola oil over medium-high heat, and once hot fry the chicken cutlets until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the cutlets onto a plate with paper towels to soak up the excess oil.

     In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, shallots, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Lightly toss the dressing over the arugula. Serve the cutlets with the arugula salad and a lemon wedge.