Monsterbreads (Spooky Fougasse)

If you didn't have anything spooky planned for your Halloween dinner yet, don't worry, I've got you covered! These spooky fougasses are so easy and very effective. 

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Mint, or the Worst Flavor in the World

© Anthony Cramp

I think that everyone has that flavor they hate, but the rest of the world seems to love. I've had people hating chocolate, potato and tomato - for me it is mint. In pretty much every variety, whether it's peppermint or eucalypt, I keep it far away from my nose let alone my tastebuds!

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Chocolate & Coffee Vegan Fudge with Nuts

Feeling blue on a rainy day? This vegan fudge is very easily whipped up. You don’t need a lot of equipment, other than a pan, some heat and something to pour your fudge into (something square would be great for that though). Perfect for students! Technically this is more like a pretty solid ganache, feel free to use it in that way as well - it turns out very shiny on top! Be warned: this is extremely rich and addictive. This'll keep for a while though, so you don't need to eat it all right away (you know you want to).

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Mince Pies from a Muffin Tin

So I went Christmassy again. The closer we're getting to Christmas, the more excited I get. Actually, I start looking forward to Christmas the day after Christmas, that's how bad it is. While I was getting my daily Christmas-fix (scrolling through pictures of christmas trees and candy canes on Tumblr)I suddenly felt the urge to make mince pies. Now this is not exactly a Dutch tradition as you might have guessed. I hadn't even tasted these until last year! When I visited my friend in the Hague a couple of weeks back, I found some vegetarian mincemeat at the expat store and so my saturday was filled with the most delicious smell of orange peel and crunchy crust. I think we should introduce mince pies to Dutch Christmas tradition. Oh, I made these in a muffin tin, and used a fluted cutter. The fluted cutter does not yield the prettiest results so I suggest you use a "regular" round cutter for a smoother finish. For your dose of Christmas in October, see the recipe below!

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Vegan Brandy Snaps

Some of you might remember these Brandy Snaps from the Great British and the Australian Bake Off where they were featured as a technical challenge. I'm always up for a challenge and I made things harder for myself by transforming these snaps into a vegan, lactose-free version. Its name suggests some form of brandy being involved, but in fact " brandy"  here is a derivative of the adjective "branded". Branded means "Of a tawny or brownish colour, marked with bars or streaks of a different hue" and was used to describe the color of cattle and other animals in the olden days (definition from the OED). Actually, I think it describes the colour of this rolled biscuit quite accurately.

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Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Hummingbird Bakery)

The Hummingbird Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe has been a staple recipe for me ever since I first tried it. The cookies that result from this recipe are so deliciously chewy and chocolatey, they are irresistable! One of my housemates told me that they are a bit salty, and she's absolutely right. But just as a pinch of salt works in a glass of chocolate milk (as Gloria taught us in Modern Family), it works for these cookies. 

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Cinnamon Bun Day (Kanelbullensdag)

You have to love a country that celebrates the glorious cinnamon bun, or any baked good for that matter. Sweden celebrates "kanelbullensdag" every year on the 4th of october. Since Sweden is like my second home country, I thought I might celebrate this day today and bake some lovely buns. It's not too late to get baking yourself! You can bake these buns seperately on a baking sheet or in bun cases (shouldn't those technically be pants?) and decorate with nib sugar. You'll notice the recipe is a little different, in Sweden they often measure in deciliters. Don't let that scare you off though, it always works out well. Just keep to the recipe!

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Sachertorte (my modern interpretation of it anyway)

For those passionate about patisserie, Vienna is somewhat of a food heaven. Vienna is, amongst other things, the birthplace of the Sachertorte. The original recipe for this 'torte' was developed by Franz Sacher in 1832 for a dinner party hosted by Prince Wenzel von Metternich. It was Franz' son, however, who succeeded in perfecting the recipe and introducing it at the famous Demel bakery and later at Hotel Sacher, where you can still enjoy it today. Needless to say that I would love to have a cup of tea with a genuine slice of Sachertorte at some point! For now, however, other recipes and my own baking will have to suffice.

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