Scrambled Aniseed Pancake

This is one of my most beloved memories from my childhood, because my mom would always make it for me, when I was sick:

You'll need:
4 eggs
240 ml / 1 cup milk
4 tbsp sugar
8 tbsp flour
Aniseed to taste
3-4 tsp. butter

Divide the eggs.
Whisk egg whites with 1 tbsp. sugar until stiff
Beat egg yokes and 3 tbsp.l sugar until creamy and white.
Carefully fold in flour, milk and egg whites.
Add Aniseed. I usually use at least 1 tsp., but I really love this flavour.
You may want to use only a little to begin with and add more if you enjoy the taste.

In a pan melt 1 tsp. butter.
Pour in batter approximately 2 cm / 1 inch high.
Bake over medium heat for approx. 5 minutes, until it's starting to set and the bottom is slightly brown.
Flip over and bake for another 2 minutes until slightly brown again.
Using two forks (careful if you use a coated pan) tear the pancake into bite size bits.

Repeat with the remaining batter (depending on the size of the pan you'll get 3 or 4 pancakes).

Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar and a side of apple sauce.

Enjoy,

     Sasha

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

Well, that may just as well apply to women.
If you are looking for some ideas to score with your loved one, here are three simple and easy treats that require little to no cooking skills.

1. Sweet lovin'

You'll need
- Lump sugar
- Powdered sugar
- Sugar hearts

In a very small bowl or cup mix 1 tbsp powdered sugar with 1 tbsp lukewarm water. You want to go for a syrup like consistency. Drop 1 sugar heart in the syrup. Using a little spoon coat the heart with the syrup and then place on a piece of lump sugar. Let dry.

2. Take my heart

  

You'll need

- 1 bag of red hard candy without filling

- Dried rose petals / dried strawberries / coconut flakes

- Wooden skewers

Set your oven to the highest setting. In a food processor grind the hard candy into a fine powder.

Place a silicon mat on your backing pan. You can also use pan liner, just make sure it does not get too dark after the second or third time to the oven.

Place a heart shaped cookie cutter on the mat and fill the cutter with the candy powder. The more you use, the thicker your lolly will get, but it's also more likely for it to burn on the edges if you don't fill it evenly.

Take off the cutter and put a skewer in the middle of the powder down the center of  the heart.

I usually put three or four hearts in the oven at once, otherwise it'll get difficult to time the melting process.

Place in the oven for 15 to 20 seconds (don't go anywhere!), watch the melting process through the glass and as soon as all the sugar has melted, take the baking pan out and let the lollies cool off.

While the sugar is still melted, you could correct the shape if needed. I usually twist the skewer a bit, so it's completely covered with sugar, that way it will hold better.

Also you can sprinkle any of the above mentioned ingredients on your lolly to create different looks.

Those lollies also make a very nice table decoration for a valentine's dinner.

3. Roses are red.

You'll need

- 1 Puff pastry sheet

- 4 to 5 ripe plums

- Vanilla sugar

- Egg yoke

- Powdered sugar

Set your oven to 180°C / 356°F.

Cut the puff pastry in strips about 20 x 2 cm / 8 x 1 inch.

Cut the plum in half, take out the stone and cut the fruit in very thin slices.

Place the slices on the puff pastry, slightly overlapping.

Sprinkle with vanilla sugar.

Brush the egg yoke on the edges, then roll up the strips, carefully tucking in the ends.

Place on a backing pan and brush with egg yoke again.

Bake for approx. 15 min or until golden brown.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Serve immediately, while still warm.

I wish all of you a very nice Valentine's Day.

Let me know if you tried any of those ideas and how your love liked them.

Love,

     Sasha

The World's Easiest Chocolate Mousse

This is actually not my recipe, it has been posted by many people, but it's the first time I tried it.

You will only need two ingredients:

265 gram / 9.35 ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 70% cocoa), coarsely chopped

Since this is the main flavor imparting ingredient you may want to choose a really high quality chocolate.

240 ml / 1 cup water
4 tbsp sugar, optional Without the sugar, this mousse is VERY intensely chocolately.  If you generally prefer a milder chocolate taste, add the sugar.

Place a mixing bowl on top of another slightly larger bowl filled with ice and cold water.  The bottom of the top bowl should touch the ice.  Set aside.

Put chocolate and water (and sugar if using) in a medium pan over medium heat.  Melt chocolate, stirring occasionally.

Once melted, pour the chocolate into the bowl sitting on top of the ice and begin whisking.  Whisk constantly until mousse begins to thicken, 2-3 minutes.  Be careful not to over whisk as the chocolate can become grainy.  (If this happens, just re-melt the chocolate over medium heat and pour back into the mixing bowl)

Divide into four ramekins cups and serve immediately.  Or, you can let mousse set up in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour if you prefer a slightly thicker, chilled mousse.

You can store any left over mousse covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

You could also add some orange or almond liqueur, but be sure to deduct the amount of water that you replace with the liqueur.

Enjoy,

     Sasha

Pharisee Cake

In Germany a "Pharisee" is a coffee with 4 cl rum covered with a dollop of whipped cream, so that the alcohol cannot evaporate in  the hot coffee.

While this is a very nice beverage on a cold day, I prefere the cake version:

Here is the receipe (makes 12 jars):

cake:
150 gr / 5,3 oz dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa)
150 gr / 5,3 oz butter
75 gr / 2,6 oz powdered sugar
pulp from 1 vanilla bean
2 pinches of cinnamon
1 pinch of clove
zest from half a lemon
6 eggs
150 gr / 5,3 oz sifted flour
1 dash of salt
75 gr / 2,6 oz fine backing sugar (not powdered)

soaking syrup:
100 gr / 3,5 oz sugar
150 ml / 5 fl oz strong coffee
100 ml / 3 fl oz rum

cream:
300 gr / 10,5 oz whipping cream
100 gr / 3,5 oz mascarpone
30 gr / 1 oz powdered sugar
50 ml / 4 tbsp rum

Preheat oven to 180°C / 356°F.
Warm coffee and sugar, add rum. Let cool.
Chop chocolate, melt.
Beat butter, powdered sugar, spices and lemon zest until frothy.
Separate eggs.
Add yokes one by one to butter mixture.
Add 3 tbsp flour and melted chocolate.
Whisk egg whites stiff, adding a dash of salt.
Slowly add the sugar.
Fold the beaten egg whites und the remaining flour into the butter mixture.
Fill oven-safe jars no more than 2/3 with batter.
Bake for 30 min.
Let cool.

Alternatively you can bake the cake in a regular pan and later cut out circles using a cookie cutter or glass.

Soak the cake with the syrup.
Whip the cream until stiff.
Mix mascarpone with sugar and rum.
Fold in whipped cream.
Spoon cream onto cakes.
Sprinkle with chocolate shaves and chocolate powder.

Enjoy,

     Sasha