Decadent Chocolate, Caramel and Hazelnut Cheesecake

While I've been getting my fatpants out of the closet again, it seems my sweet tooth isn't satisfied for the year just yet. There's more elastic to be used in that waistband and I won't let it go to waste. It's the season to be jolly after all, and apparently to be jolly, you have to be at least a little chubby - just look at Santa. Now that's all just kidding of course. But nothing wrong with some good old amazingly creamy cheesecake. I will be serving this cake for some guests who are coming around tomorrow (31st) - not in the evening though because I have a whole other (deep-fried) spectacle coming up for that..The details of which I will post here tomorrow!

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Creamy Broccoli and Gouda Cheese Tart with a Walnut Crust

In my family, savoury tarts are a Christmas staple. I love making them outside of Christmas as well, because they are incredibly versatile. You can vary endlessly with fillings as well as (to a certain extent) with the crust, coming up with new, exciting and tasty flavour combinations. The nutty flavour of this tart's flaky crust compliments the creaminess of both the broccoli and the Gouda cheese and is a welcome change from your run off the mill tart crust.

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Soft Banana, Oatmeal and Walnut Cookies (Foodblogswap)

It's not often that I get to name most of the ingredients that go into a recipe in the post title. That's right, this cookie only contains 4 ingredients! These must be the simplest cookies I've ever baked, but in this case simple is good, yummy even. They're healthy, sugar-free and vegan too! Not a bad thing after all this sugar-laden Christmas fun. They're absolutely fabulous for breakfast, I usually eat oatmeal with banana and walnut anyway, having it in cookie form is all the more convenient!

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Bagels with Poppy and Sesame Seeds

Are we all still doing okay? Don't worry, this is not an existential question, I'm just wondering whether you're all still keeping your cool in these days of food frenzy! I'm quite alright myself, even though I have to bake 4 cakes, loads of bread and cook a three course dinner. I'm planning ahead and freezing whatever I can. I've already baked a carrot cake, banana bread and of course these bagels! 

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Christmas Stollen with Raisins and Hazelnuts (Kerststol)

Think of December and the "dark days before Christmas", and think of dried fruit laden and bursting-with-almonds enriched doughs. Whether it's cake or bread, raisins and almonds are what count these days. You'll need some patience for this soft and fruity loaf, but it will be well worth it - promise!

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Swedish No-Bake Chocolate and Coffee Fridge Cake (Chokladbollar)

Not everybody always has an oven at their disposal (especially students) and at times like those it's good to know that you can still make delicious cakes and cookies (or even bread!). And of course, a baker's worst nightmare is their oven failing on Christmas day! These Swedish creamy chocolate and coffee mini cakes can be your salvation, and are made with ingredients that you usually have in your pantry. These are also great to make with kids over the holidays as a fun activity, but you might want to consider using caffeine free coffee or mocha extract!

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Yule Log (Bûche de Noël)

Ever since I saw Mary Berry making this Yule Log on the Great British Bake Off Christmas Masterclass I have wanted to bake it. It's chocolatey goodness all around with this four-ingredient fatless sponge and creamy ganache icing. This week we celebrated Sinterklaas in my dorm with a potluck dinner, where the yule log was a smashing success. People wanted seconds pretty much straight after eating the first slice! Now that is, for me, the best compliment you can get as a baker or cook. Also, I wanted to bake something extra special for the occasion, as I am moving back to the Frisian motherland next week. I have been living here for four months now and it has been splendid, but since I'm subletting I need to move back to my parents' for about a month. I didn't expect to be staying here for longer, but I got an amazing job offer as a student assistant (I'm not assisting students mind you). That was something I simply couldn't pass up so I'm moving back in January, and I'll be living in this city until June. I'll be living in a studio, which is nice because it provides some privacy, but I'll miss my dormmates as they are excellent cake-eaters (victims). A lot of moving back and forth to come, I hope I'll still get plenty of time to bake! At least Christmas is around the corner: every foodie's favorite holiday!

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Fruity Orange and Cranberry Scones

Things have been super-busy in the school department lately, but that won't stop me from baking. I'm a bit cinnamon-tired at the moment (it really seems to go into EVERYTHING during the month of December), so I went for something fresh and fruity this time, but still very seasonal! Orange and cranberry go really well together, just make sure you use organic oranges and good quality cranberries. If you can only find cranberries that are sort of dry and tough, you could try soaking them overnight in some orange juice to make them juicier and softer. If you can't find organic oranges, just make sure you clean them really well!  

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Swedish Gingerbread House and Pepparkakor

Up until yesterday I had never (succesfully) made a gingerbread house. In the Netherlands it's not really a thing, we are more speculaas eaters and speculaas is notoriously short - not building material! In Sweden however, there is a great tradition of building "pepparkakshus". I have wanted to make one of these for ages, basically since I was a kid. I tried making one with the Hummingbird Bakery gingerbread recipe two years in a row but failed miserably. This time I was absolutely determined to be successful!

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