Turkish Flatbreads (Foodblogswap)

This month I participated in a foodblogswap, an initiative of Dutch foodbloggers to cook from eachother's sites. The sites are distributed randomly, for this month I received the task to cook from Mijn mixed kitchen, a blog in Dutch run by Eslem, who focuses on Turkish and Dutch kitchen recipes (hence the "mixed"!).

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Vanilla Kipferl Biscuits

I've gotta say: those Germans and Austrians know what they're doing when it comes to baking. These deliciously crumbly biscuits are a great, luxurious option to bake for your Christmas party. 

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Lemon and Tangerine Piñata Cake (Guest Blog)

A bit of an unusual post today - my friend Nadine, whom I always talk baking with, made this amazing Lemon & Tangerine Piñata Cake for a Dutch cake competition. Of course I'm happy to help her round up some votes, not in the least because I think it is quite a feat to make such a cake without fondant or marzipan! I think it shows great creativity. You can check out her blog here. Now for a message from Nadine:

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Chewy Stem Gingernuts

This recipe is a firm favorite - I adore ginger in all of its shapes and forms and this gingernut combines both ground and stem ginger for a gingery explosion. What's not to love right?

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Plum and Roasted Hazelnut Clafoutis

Be prepared to have your tastebuds throw a party. This clafoutis combines sweet, tart, soft and crunchy for a combination that no-one can resist. Clafou-tastic!

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Q&A: Liebster Award

Two weeks ago I received a "Liebster Award" from the lovely Emmelien(who blogs in Dutch). I had never heard of it upon receiving it, but what it boils down to is the person giving out the award asking a new blogger 11 questions to answer on their blog. The "winner" can then nominate 5 other bloggers, asking 11 new questions. I thought it would be a fun way to tell my readers something about myself, so here goes!

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Dutch Speculaasbrokken (Spice Cookies)

Yup, this is a Dutchie baking alright! I'm still in the "Sinterklaas" mood, this time I've baked some classic speculaasbrokken (spice cookies). The dough is fairly similar to that of the pepernoten I baked last week, but a tablespoon of egg adds some extra rise and softness to the finished product. I would say it's a bit like gingerbread.

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Traditional Dutch "Pepernoten" Recipe

November is upon us, and in the Netherlands that means we are getting ready for the feast of Saint Nicholas ("Sinterklaas"), celebrated on the 5th of december. Saint Nicholas comes with a lot of traditional baking and candy. His helper Piet throws the stuff into rooms when you least expect it. Pepernoten ("pepper nuts") are one of the pillars of Sinterklaas baking, a small, crunchy cookie flavored with speculaas spices. If you don't have access to this blend,  you can make your own. The Dutch eat LOADS of these every year. Pepernoten are so popular that supermarkets now stock them in August - a controversial decision which has led to protest from traditionalists. 

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