Apple, banana and oats cake

Last weekend we celebrated in advance a very important event for our family (the youngest member of the gang is tyrning two).
As a very dear guest was a vegan, I wanted to bake an egg-free and dairy-free cake. After a lot of research, inspired by a recipe of the wonderful Ella, I made an apple, banana and oats cake, very easy to make and really delicious!

I didn't have the chance to take more pics, which means it was really successful.

Ingredients:
- 6 medium apples;
- 4 very ripe bananas;
- one handful of raisins;
- 300g oat flour / grind rolled oats;
- 2 tsp cinnamon;
- seeds from 1/2 of vanilla bean;
- 2 lg chia seeds;
- 2 lg coconut oil.

Method:
Peel and core the apples, then dice them or grate them. Place the cut apples in a pot and simmer over low fire until they get soft and the syrop evaporates (if you diced them, add a splash of water in the beginning, otherwise they might get burnt).
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
When the apples become soft, remove them from the fire, add the mashed banana and the rest of the ingredients and mix until combined.
Place the batter in a cake tin (line the base with baking paper and grease the margins)

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until it passes the toothpick test.

For the topping, I used peanut butter and fresh raspberries, but any fruit will do.

Enjoy!

Simple egg and spinach breakfast idea

It's been a while...a lot of stuff happened in our lives, so I had to take a break from blogging, which doesn't mean that I also took a break from cooking 😋
Long story short, I have a lot of pics and a lot of healthy and tasty meals to share.
For today, a simple (but effective) breakfast idea, with three food groups included in it. You will need:
Ingredients for 2 portions:
- a bit of butter;
- 2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves, blanched (if you want, you can add a little garlic);
- 2 Tbsp sour cream;
- 1/2 tomato or red bell pepper,diced;
- 2 eggs;
- any spices of your choice (you can simply add salt and pepper or even skip the salt if you have small babies).

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Grease (with butter) 2 ramekins or 2 muffin tins / molds.
3. Blanch and then drain the spinach eaves. Divide in two equal parts and place them in the ramekins.
4. Add one spoonful of sour cream in each mold, then the diced tomato / bell pepper and, finally, put one egg in each ramekin.
5. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the egg yolk gets the desired texture. For kids it should be completely processed, to avoid the risk of salmonella. To be sure it's not runny, after 15 minutes of baking remove the ramekin from the oven, pierce the egg yolk with a knife and bake again for another 10 minutes, until the egg is completely done.

 

 

Enjoy!

Quick croissants, simple and with apricots

My kids are crazy about French croissants and the truth is we like them too. The only problem is that it can be pretty difficult to find good quality butter croissants in bakeries (most of them are made with margarine) and it's really difficult to bake them at home (they are so many steps to follow and it takes more than 2 days to fold them, refrigerate them, fold them again etc. Too much stress).
So, when my kids asked for croissants NOW, it was a real challenge for me to find a healthy, tasty  and quick recipe.
Long story short, I decided to bake some butter croissants, similar to the French ones but without all the folding and refrigerating. So, the recipe is really simple, you need maximum 15 minutes of effective preparation plus some time to freeze, then rise the dough. They turned out very very good, different than the French version, but fluffy and really tasty. I left some of them simple (you can fill them after baking with cream cheese or homemade pate) and I filled some of them with apricot slices, both versions were great.

Ingredients:
- 300 g flour;
- 150 g cold butter, diced;
- 100 ml lightly warmed milk;
- 1/2 pack active dry yeast;
- 1 egg yolk and 3 Tbsp of milk for the egg wash;
optional:
- a pinch of vanilla or orange powder, by taste;
- 1-2 sliced apricots/ other fruit (for filling the croissants).

Method:
Dissolve the yeast in the lightly warmed milk. Let it cool completely (even in the fridge) or it will melt the butter.
Place the flour (and vanilla/orange powder, if using) and the diced butter in a bowl and mix with your fingers or with a fork until you get a rough sandy texture. You need to leave whole grains of butter as they will melt in the oven and give a nice texture to the croissants.
Add the cold milk with yeast and mix for a couple of minutes until you get a dough. Don't knead the dough too much, otherwise the butter will melt. Give it a relatively square shape, cover with cling film, and put it in the freezer for 45 minutes.
Remove the dough from the freezer, roll it flat onto the table in a rectangular shape (length double than width). It will be pretty difficult in the beginning as the dough is frozen and it might break. Just stick the pieces together and continue as fast as possible (the coldest the dough remains, the better).
Fold the dough as following: put the ends together so that they meet in the middle of the rectangle, like a letter. Turn it on the other side (so the folded ends will be underneath) and then turn it 90 degrees clockwise. Repeat the procedure 3-4 times, then roll it into a long rectangle (from this one you will cut the croissants).

Cut the rolled dough into equal rectangles, then cut every rectangle on one diagonal. Add the filling on the shortest edge of each triangle, then roll to the opposing vertice.
Place the croissants on a tray lined with baking paper and coat them with egg wash. Let them rise, in a warm place, for about 1h.
Preheat the oven to 230 degrees Celsius.
Cover the croissants with one more layer of egg wash, then bake them for 10-15 minutes (depending on their dimension).
Remove from the oven and let them cool a bit (if you can 😍) before you serve.

Enjoy!

Strawberry & banana pudding cake

This is the cake I made for International Children's Day (1st of June) and it's actually a Fraisier type of cake, adapted to be baby friendly. I got inspired by a wonderful cake I saw on a Romanian blog called Savori Urbane (recipe here) and I decided to bake something similar (at least in aspect, as I changed the ingredients a bit...).
I wanted to prepare a cake just the right size for our family's dinner so I used a cake tin of 10 cm diameter, with a removable ring. I made some more batter though, so apart from the small cake I also had 3 mini-tarts (baked in silicone molds), that we "tasted" the evening before. They were yummy!

So, here's my take on Fraisier cake, baby friendly version. For larger cake tins, just double or triple the ingredients.

Ingredients:
For the base:
2 eggs
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 banana, mashed

For the banana & vanilla pudding:
250 ml milk
1/2 vanilla bean
3 egg yolks
1/2 banana, mashed
15g cornstarch
75g butter 80% fat, room temperature

For the filling and topping:
10-15 small strawberries

Method:
Base:
Preheat the oven at 190 degrees C.
Mash the banana, add the egg yolks and oil and mix well. Add the flour and mix some more.
Separately, beat the egg whites until fluffy and add them to the batter. Mix carefully, using a spatula, to keep as much fluffiness as possible.
Pour the batter into tins / molds (I used a cake tin and 3 silicone molds - see some of the cakes in the picture below). Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the surface is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. Cut the cake base into 2 layers.

Pudding:
Heat up the milk with the vanilla bean and the vanilla seeds (be careful to remove it from the heat when it starts boiling).
Meanwhile, mix the egg yolks with the mashed banana until they get foamy. Add the cornstarch and mix well. Pour the hot milk gradually (after you removed and discarded the vanilla bean) and mix well.
Put the batter back on the stove and stir continuously with a silicone spatula. Let it simmer for a few minutes, until it gets thick and remove from the heat. Pour the pudding in a bowl lined with cling film and cover with the cling film's margins and let cool (if left uncovered, it will form a crust).
Whisk the butter (room temperature) until it gets creamy and a bit fluffy and add the cold vanilla pudding on top. Continue mixing until you it gets nice and creamy. If the butter starts separating, just continue to mix. It should be fine in a few minutes.

Wash the strawberries, dry them on a paper towel and cut 4-5 of them in halves.

Cake assembly:
Place half of the cake base on a plate, with the ring from the cake tin around it. Cover with a little pudding and place the halved strawberries on the circle, with the cut part outside. Then, fill all the inside with whole strawberries.

 
Pour more pudding into the tin, to cover all strawberries and press with a spoon, so that the cream gets everywhere between the fruit. Place the other half of the cake base on top, cover it with some more pudding and decorate with strawberries.
Let it cool in the fridge for a few hours before removing the ring.
Enjoy!

Carrot cake flavoured overnight oats

I was saying in a previous post about how I made the "huge discovery" of the ideal breakfast, prepared in advance and ready in the morning, the "overnight oats". This time I tried a recipe with "carrot cake" flavor and I don't have enough words to say how wonderful it turned out. The carrot gives the oat flakes a sweetness that surprised me again (as it surprised me in the carrot cake) and the combination with cinnamon and raisins is absolutely divine. 

Inspiration from here.

Ingredients (for a 500ml jar - perfect for 2 kids):
- 1/2 cup instant rolled oats;
- 1/2 cup of milk;
- 100 ml Greek yogurt;
- 2 Tbsp cream cheese / fresh cheese / ricotta;
- 1 tsp chia seeds;
- 2 small carrots, finely grated;
- 1 tsp cinnamon;
- a few raisins.

Method:
Gently mix all ingredients in a bowl, then place them into jars and close tightly with lids. Leave in the fridge overnight.

Enjoy!

Overnight Oats (carob, peanut butter and banana)

Since the beginning of summer we've spent our time mostly outside so, as I don't spend so much time in the kitchen, we eat simple and quick foods, like salads with cheese and a lot of fruits. I didn't have time to write on the blog lately, I don't know how the hours fly.
Even in the mornings we seem to be much more in a hurry than before, so I started looking for some breakfast ideas that I can prepare the night before. I discovered the "overnight oats", the rolled oats hydrated over night, with different ingredients (I couldn't believe the cool texture they get, similar to a pudding)
Plus, it just takes 3 minutes to prepare them in the evening and in the morning I don't have to worry about breakfast anymore. Î

Ingredients (for one 500ml jar - perfect for 2 kids):
- 1/2 cup instant rolled oats;
- 1/2 cup of milk;
- one 150 ml jar of Greek yogurt;
- 1 tsp chia seeds;
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract;
- 2 Tbsp peanut butter;
- 2 Tbsp carob powder;
- one banana, chopped.

Method:
Gently mix all ingredients in a bowl, then place them into jars and close tightly with lids. Leave in the fridge overnight.
They had a huge success with kids, so I plan on testing them in other combinations soon.
Enjoy!

Oven Baked, Vegan Falafel

I absolutely love the falafel from the Lebanese restaurants, so I tried make a baby friendly version at home. The first recipe I tried was the one from Ruxandra Micu's blog (here) and I never needed to look for another recipe, as I liked this one a lot 😂😂😂 This is my version (slightly adapted).

Ingredients:
- 1 cup of boiled chickpeas, (1/2 cup raw chickpea, soaked over night and boiled) or one can of chickpea.
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast;
- 1 handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped;
- 1 small carrot, finely grated;
- 1 small onion, finely chopped;
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed;
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika;
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder;
- salt (if no restrictions) and pepper by taste;
- 1 big tbsp tahini;
- 1 tbsp olive oil / olive oil spray.

Method:
Process the drained chickpeas in a blender until it becomes a smooth paste (or you can leave bigger chunks, depending on the texture you like). Transfer to a bowl and add all ingredients except for the oil. Mix well.
If the mix is too wet (and you cannot shape it using your hands) you can add a little bit more nutritional yeast or chickpea flour.
With a wet hand form patties, flatten them and place them on a tray lined with baking paper. Using an oil spray or a brush apply a thin layer of oil on the patties.
Bake in the oven until they get a golden brown crust (about 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius; time may vary depending on the size of the patties).
You can also fry them in a non-sticky pan, without oil, under a lid, adding a splash of water from time to time.
I served with potato puree and a vegetable stew.
Enjoy!

Roasted Porc Tenderloin (for sandwiches)

I was looking for a healthier alternative to cold cuts (which are anything but baby friendly) and I came across the option of using thin slices of cold roast meat, which is much tastier and - obviously - healthier than the processed meat from the supermarket.
You can use chicken or turkey breast, but our favorite is the porc tenderloin.

The spices can vary, depending on your taste, here is what I use:

Ingredients:

- 3 pieces of porc tenderloin ("filet mignon") - mine had about 300g each;

- 6 garlic cloves, sliced or crushed;

- one sprig each - fresh rosemary and thyme; 

- 1 Tbsp sweet paprika;
- 1 tsp dry chives;

- 3 bay leaves;

- 2 Tbsp oil;

- pepper and salt by taste (if no restrictions).

Method:tt.
Pat the meat dry using paper towels, lightly coat it with oil and place it in a Pyrex (or similar) pot. Sprinkle the spices on top, except for the bay leaves that should be placed next to the meat. Cover the pot with Se șterg bucățile de carne cu un prosop de hârtie, se ung cu ulei (cu mâna) și se așazăcling film and and put it in the fridge for a couple of hours (if you are in a hurry you can skip this step and roast the meat right away). 

When you want to roast the meat, turn on the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Add water to the pot to come halfway up meat, cover the pot with a lid (if it doesn't have a lid, make a cover out of baking paper).
Roast in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, then roll the meat on the other side and bake for 20 more minutes (also under the lid). In the end, roll the meat again, remove the lid and roast some more, until the meat forms a crust on top.

To check if it's ready, try the meat with a fork - it should be tender. If necessary, roast it some more, but make sure it has enough water, otherwise it gets dry. When ready, remove from the oven and let cool.
Once cooled, remove the meat from the sauce and keep it in the fridge, covered in cling film.

My kids love to have fine slices of roast meat on bread and butter. Obviously, you can also serve this warm, with some vegetables on the side.

Enjoy!

Traditional Romanian sweet bread ("cozonac" - from Bucovina region)

As Easter is just around the corner, I figured you'd appreciate a recipe for "cozonac", the traditional Romanian sweet bread, which we typically bake for all holidays. This is my favorite recipe, as it is specific for Bucovina region, and the outcome is a fluffy, tasty and- of course - baby friendly sweet bread.  😄 
The original recipe is a classic and it belongs to Silvia Jurcovan. I found it  here and I adapted it to be baby friendly, basically by using dates instead of sugar. The result was not as sweet as the original, but tasty and ideal for kids (especially together with a cup of warm milk or yogurt). 

*Tips and tricks:
- when you start preparing the sweet bread, all ingredients have to be on room temperature (except for the butter, which has to be melted). So, it's good to leave all ingredients on the table overnight.

Ingredients - for two loaves:
- 1100 g white wheat flour;
- 8 egg yolks;
- 600 ml milk;
- 50 ml oil;
- 60 g fresh yeast;
- 200 g butter;
- 8 dates, hydrated and blended into a paste (the original recipe has 250g of sugar: the 8 dates give just a little sweetness);
- zest of a lemon and zest of an orange;
- seeds of a vanilla bean;
- 1 leveled tsp of salt (you can omit that if you have any restrictions).

Ingredients - for the walnut filling (1 loaf with A LOT of filling):

- 250g ground walnuts;

- 2 Tbsp carob powder (cocoa, in the original recipe);

- 6 egg whites, whisked until fluffy; 

- 3 dates, hydrated and blended into a paste (in the original recipe - 5 Tbsp of sugar) 

Ingredients - for the poppy seeds filling (1 loaf with A LOT of filling):

- 250g ground poppy seeds;

- 200 ml milk;

- 3 dates, hydrated and blended into a paste (in the original recipe - 5 Tbsp of sugar) 

Method:

In a bowl, place 100g of flour. Boil 200ml of milk and pour them over the 100g of flour, mixing vigurously until you break all lumps. Set aside and let cool.

In another bowl, solve the yeast in a little milk (in the original recipe, the yeast is mixed with 1 Tbsp of sugar and mixed until it becomes liquid - I tried both with and without sugar and the result is OK either way). 

Once the parboiled dough is cooled, add the yeast, mix well, cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm place, for about 20 minutes. It should double its volume.
While the dough is rising, blend the egg yolks, salt (if using), date paste, vanilla, lemon and orange zest, oil, remaining milk and 100g melted butter.

Sift the flour into a big bowl. Add the risen dough and the egg yolk mix and start kneading. I used the kneading tool of my kitchen machine and I let it knead for about 20 minutes. If you knead by hand, you will need about 30 minutes.

After kneading, the dough has to be soft and a little sticky. Add the remaining 100g of butter, melted and from this moment don't knead anymore, just pack the dough from the margins to the interior  and tap it with the back of you hand, to incorporate all butter.
Cover the bowl with the clean cloth and let rise for about an hour - it should double its volume.

***

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.
For the walnut filling, whisk the egg whites until fluffy, add the date paste, the sifted carob powder and mix carefully, with a spatula, to keep its fluffiness.
For the poppy seeds filling, boil in milk the ground seeds mixed with date paste, until it thickens. Let cool.

***

When the dough is risen, split it into 4 equal pieces (each of them is half of a loaf).
Flatten each piece of dough, using your hands (not the rolling pin!), in a rectangular shape. Place the filling (about 1/2 of the quantity needed for a loaf) on top, distribute evenly (leave a clean strip at the margins), then roll up the dough into a log.

Repeat with another piece of dough.
Braid the 2 logs together and place them into a bread pan lined with baking paper).
Repeat everything with the remaining dough. If you have smaller pans, you can make more loaves.
Turn on the oven, at 180 degrees Celsius.

Let the sweet bread rise some more, in the pan, for about 30 more minutes. Coat them with egg yolk (lightly beaten) and place them in the oven until they turn golden brown (at least 45 minutes).
To check if the sweet bread is baked, test it with a very thin knife or with a skewer- introduce it in the middle and if it comes out clean, it's baked.

Enjoy!

Chicken liver pâté

       

Ingredients:

- 400g chicken liver;

- 1 large carrot;

- 3 medium onions;

- 150g butter;

- 150 ml milk;

- one sprig fresh thyme;

- 2 dry bay leaves;

- a pinch of nutmeg;

- salt and pepper by taste.

* to prevent oxidation, I put a thin layer of gelatin or melted butter on top. 

Method:

Add the liver, roughly cut vegetables, 50g butter, thyme and bay leaves to a pot. Pour the milk on top and place on low fire. Boil for about 20-30 minutes, stirring continuously. After the liver and the vegetables are completely boiled and softened (check the carrot, it has to be soft), remove from heat, remove and discard the thyme and bay leaves and let cool.

Meanwhile, leave the remaining 100g of butter on the table, so it can get to the room temperature.

Once the liver and vegetables are cooled, pass them through the meat grinder or process them in a food processor / with a vertical mixer, until they become a smooth paste. Add some of the liquid remained in the pot, until the paste is soft (not watery). Save the liquid so you can make the paste smoother later, if needed.

Whip the remaining 100g of butter, using a hand mixer. Add the remaining liver paste, one spoon at a time, mixing continuously and in the end add the nutmeg and season with pepper and salt (if there are no restrictions). 

Place the liver pâté in jars. In this phase it will probably be pretty soft, so put the jars in the fridge and let it set for a few hours. If you want to keep it longer (for a few days or a week), add a thin layer of gelatin or melted butter on top, to prevent oxidation.

Enjoy!

 

Crustless cheesecake

I made this very quick recipe only because I had some mascarpone cheese that I needed to consume. The cheesecake turned out to be so good, creamy and pleasant, that I think I will make it again for this coming Easter, maybe with a biscuit or tart crust.

Ingredients:
- 500g mascarpone;
- 450g fresh cows cheese / ricotta;
- 4 eggs;
- seeds of a vanilla bean;
- one banana (very ripe, but not black);
- one cup fresh or frozen berries.

Method:
Turn on the oven on 160 degrees Celsius.
Place the cows cheese, mascarpone and mashed banana in a bowl and mix (using the hand mixer) until smooth. Continue by using a spoon! Add the eggs one by one and mix well, then add the vanilla seeds.
Pour the batter in molds (you can use silicone muffin molds or a cake tin, I combined both) and bake it in the oven for 45-60 minutes (depending on the molds' dimension). When set, turn off the oven, open the oven's door just a little bit and leave the molds in there for 15 more minutes, them remove and let them cool on the table. After they are completely cooled, place them in a fridge for about 1h, then you can remove the cheesecakes.
Serve with whole berries or make a sauce by blending the fruit.
Enjoy!

Courgette and goat cheese clafoutis

On March 21st, famous chefs and restaurants from all around the world participated in the 3rd edition of the event "Gout de France / Good France" (more details aici), dedicated to the French cuisine. To be in line with the international events, I decided to prepare a French recipe for the kids - a courgette and goat cheese clafoutis. 

Clafoutis is a traditional dessert from the French region Limousin and it is similar to a no-crust tart, traditionally prepared with black cherries. Last year I tried a sour-cherry clafoutis and this time I found this recipe with courgettes and goat cheese, which seemed very tempting.

Ingredients:

- 2 small courgettes (or 1 large);

- 2 eggs;

- 150 ml milk;

- 40g flour;

- 150 g fresh cheese (I used goat cheese but I'm sure cow cheese works as well);

- basil, thyme, pepper and salt by taste (if no sodium restrictions);

- a little butter to grease the molds.

Method:

Turn on the oven and let it heat up to 200 degres Celsius.

Wash the courgettes and slice them (skin on). Bake the slices in a non-sticky pan (no oil) on both sides, until most of the water from the courgette evaporates. Remove from heat and place the slices in a strainer. Set aside. 

In a bowl, whisk the eggs with a fork, then add the cheese, flour and milk and mix well. Season by taste.
Prepare the molds for baking (the original recipe calls for a 20 cm round silicone mold, but I used a ceramic rectangular one and two ramekins) and grease them with butter (no need to grease if using silicone molds).

Place the courgette slices in the molds and pour the batter on top (you can also put the courgettes in the batter and then pour everything in molds - however you prefer).

Bake in the preheated oven (200 degrees Celsius), until the batter is set and the top becomes golden brown (35-45 minutes).
Enjoy!
 

Sweet potato walnut bread

The sweet potato bread is an excellent base for breakfast, as it is full of nutrients and goes perfectly in a variety of combinations: butter/cream cheese/peanut butter + banana slices / strawberries / raw jam of chia and berries.


Store it in a plastic bag to keep it fresh and fluffy for about a week.

Ingredients:
- 300g sweet potato puree (1 medium sweet potato, boiled with the skin on, peeled and pureed);
- 600g white wheat flour + 100g extra, if needed;
- 1/2 package dry yeast (about 1tsp);
- 1 tsp cinammon;
- 50g chopped or ground walnuts;
- 100 ml milk (you can use vegetal milk if you want to go vegan);
- 100 ml oil or melted butter;
- a pinch of salt (if there are no restrictions) and a pinch of pepper.

Method:
In a bowl, mix the sifted flour, dry yeast and cinnamon. Add the nuts, salt and pepper and the sweet potato puree. Pour in the milk and mix well, until you get a sticky dough. Knead by hand for a few minutes (add a bit more flour if the dough is too sticky but don't exaggerate). Add gradually the oil /melted butter and continue to knead until completely mixed in. At this time the dough should be non-sticky and elastic. Î
Place the dough in a bowl, cover it with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1h (it should double its volume). Remove from the bowl, place it on the table (sprinkled with flour) and knead some more for 2-3 minutes.
Place the dough in a rectangular bread tin, lined with baking paper and let it rise again in a warm place for one more hour.
Bake in the preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius, for about 35-45 minutes, until it gets a golden crust. To check if the bread is completely baked, stick a wooden skewer in the middle, then remove. It should come out clean.
Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy!

Sweet dough wreath (Romanian traditional dessert)

This is a Romanian traditional recipe, usually made for the holiday of the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste (9th of March). It's usually made with sugar and soaked in honey or sugar syrup, but this version is baby friendly (no sugar and very little honey on top, just to stick the ground walnuts).
It's absolutely delicious, so it can make a nice dessert or snack on any day of the year.

Ingredients:
- 550g flour;
- 1 pack of dry yeast (9-10g);
- 220 ml warm milk;
- zest of one bio orange, grated (or 1/2 pack bio dehydrated orange zest);
- seeds of a vanilla bean (or1/2 tsp bourbon vanilla powder);
- 1 egg;
- 100g butter.
Extra (opționale):
- 1 egg for brushing on top;
- 1 Tbsp honey;
- 100g ground walnuts.

Method:
Place in a bowl the dry yeast, 2 Tbsp of flour and 4 Tbsp of milk and stir firmly until you get a thick paste. Set aside and let it rise a little bit, until you prepare the other ingredients (about 10 minutes).
In a big bowl (or in the food processor's bowl) sift the remaining flour, add the vanilla and the orange zest and mix well. In the middle, make well and add the yeast paste, the egg and the remaining milk. Knead using your hand or the kneading tool of the food processor (I used the latter) for about 10-15 minutes (the dough should be pretty soft and a bit sticky), then add the melted butter and continue kneading until you get a soft, non-sticky dough.

Grease a bowl with a little oil and place the dough inside, cover with a clean towel and place it in the warmest place of the kitchen (on a high cupboard). Let rise for about 1h,

Split the dough in 2 pieces, then split again every half in two equal halves and continue until you get 16 balls of dough, of approximately the same size.

Form the wreath: Roll every ball until you get a long, thin string (about the thickness of the little finger). Bend it at the middle and braid the two halves. Put the two ends together to obtain the shape of the letter "O". Bend the "O" in the middle and turn, so you get an "8". Place the wreaths in a tray lined with baking paper. Set the tray aside and let them rise for one more hour.

Optional: lightly whisk an egg and brush it over the wreaths.
Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (preheated oven) for 20-30 minutes, or until they get a golden crust.

Optional: when removed from the oven, brush them with a thin layer of honey and sprinkle some ground walnuts.

They are delicious! A bit crispy on the outside, fluffy and soft on the inside, orange flavoured and very little sweet from the honey drop on top.

Enjoy!

Crunchy cheese breadsticks (100/100/100 Biscuits)

The "100/100/100" biscuits / crackers are one of the most popular recipes among moms with small kids. The biscuits are really easy to make and very tasty, so I decided to make them for my daughter's birthday party. This time I made them like bread sticks and I added some poppy and sesame seeds on top.

Ingredients:

- 100g cold butter, diced;

- 100g fresh cow's cheese / ricotta (virtually any cheese works but these are the most appropriate types for kids, due to the low sodium contained); 

- 100g flour (+ extra, until you get a firm, non-sticky dough, but not hard - depending on the cheese consistency it will take more or less flour);

- 1 egg to brush on the surface (optional);

- poppy and sesame seeds to top (optional).

Method: 

Place the diced cold butter, the cheese and the flour in a bowl and knead with your hand (or with the kneading tools of the food processor) until you get a firm, non-sticky dough (you can add extra-flour, little by little, until you reach the desired texture).
Form a dough ball, wrap it in cling film and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Remove from fridge, roll dough flat (about 1/2 cm thick) and cut the desired shapes (I cut sticks and rolled them). Place the biscuits / sticks in a tray lined with baking paper, brush them with the egg (lightly whisked) and add poppy or sesame seeds on top (this step is optional).
Bake in the preheated oven (180 degrees Celsius), for 10-15 minutes or until golden.

Enjoy!

Sweet potato brownie / muffins / cake

The sweet potato brownie cake has already become a tradition for my older daughter's birthday (coming soon). This time I decided to try it before the actual party, just in case the recipe needed any adjustments (it didn't).

I played a bit with the silicone molds, so I made some muffins, some hearts and a mini layered cake :) The fruit yogurt decoration was very successful (and also the yogurt left in the blender - perfect replacement for an ice-cream).

For these muffins / brownies / cake you will need: 

- 2 medium/large sweet potatoes, boiled and pureed;

- 1 cup flour;

- 1 tsp baking powder;

- 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts (or ground walnuts if you make it for babies);

- 3 eggs;

- 2-3 Tbsp carob powder;

- 2 tsp ground cinnamon;

- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg;

- 1/2 tsp ginger powder.

To decorate: Greek yogurt / heavy cream / Mascarpone cheese + forest fruit

Mix separately, in two bowls, the wet ingredients (sweet potatoes and egg) and the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, walnuts, carob, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger). Combine the contents of the two bowls and stir well. If the batter is too thick, add a drop of milk (max 50ml). It has to be thicker than the normal muffin batter.  

Pour it in the molds and bake in the preheated oven (180 degrees Celsius) for cca. 40 min (even less if using muffin molds), until it passes the toothpick test.

I decorated the hearts with yogurt mixed with forest fruits and the mini-cake with simple cream. 

Enjoy!