Bear paws are made from simple ingredients, readily available in every household. Biting into a šapa can instantly take me back to my grandmother’s little kitchen, with wooden floors, green credenza and an old tin box she kept them in. Šape are made for birthdays, feasts, weddings, christenings, Christmas and almost every other special occasion. They are sort of a shortbread cookie, originally made with lard, but are just as good made with butter. Traditionally, walnuts are used in the cookie, but I’ve seen them made with shredded coconut, poppy seeds or spiced with cinnamon. The crumbly dough is pressed into tin forms, placed onto a cookie sheet, baked and tossed in powdered sugar. They simply melt in your mouth!

Šape or Bear Paws

[print recipe]

Ingredients:

• 120 g /4.2 oz lard (or 140 g /4.9 oz butter)
• 120 g / 4.2 oz sugar
• 1 vanilla sugar (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 egg
• 120 g / 4.2 oz ground walnuts
• 300 g / 10.5 oz / 2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 13 g / about 1 tsp baking powder
• A few tsp of milk (if needed)
• 1 – 2  tbsp honey (optional)

+

• Powdered sugar
• Baking tins
• Butter (melted) to brush the tins

Preparation:

1. Beat lard (or butter), sugar and vanilla for about 3-4 minutes, then add egg and lemon zest and mix for couple of more minutes.
2. Add ground walnuts.
3. Combine flour and baking powder; add to the lard mixture.
4. The dough will be crumbly. If too dry, add a tbsp or two milk
5. Brush the tins with melted butter, fill them about 2/3 with dough.
6. Place the tins on a cookie sheet and bake at 180 C / 355 F for about 15 minutes or until golden-brown color.
7. Let them cool down for a minute or two, remove from tins and liberally dust with powdered sugar.

Enjoy with a cup of coffee, tea or dip in milk!

This simple chocolate cake can be paired up with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or topped with  fresh berries or berry sauce. It is easy enough to make for those who are new to baking or for the times when you learn that friends are coming over and you don’t really have a lot of time to prepare a dessert.

Enjoy this fine chocolate cake and Happy Spring! ♥

Easy Chocolate Cake with Hazelnuts

{print recipe}

Ingredients:

• 115 g (1 stick) unsalted butter (softened)
• 150 g (3/4 cup) sugar
• 1 TSP vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 125 g (1 cup) flour
• 1 TSP baking powder
• 3 TBSP cocoa (sifted, unsweetened)
• 75 g (2.6 oz) chopped and toasted hazelnuts

Preparation:

Beat butter and sugar at a high speed until nice and fluffy, add vanilla extract and eggs.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and add to the butter mixture.

Reduce the mixing speed and mix until creamy; add hazelnuts.

Rub a bottom and sides of a tart pan with butter and pour the cake batter in.

Bake at 175 C (350 F) for about 20 – 25 minutes.

If desired sprinkle the cake with some powder sugar.

Simple, Easy and Yummy!

Bon Appétit!

A 16th birthday cake had to be (almost) as special and as pretty as our daughter! She wanted to have something with strawberries and chocolate, and this is what mom came up with: A strawberry jelly roll, cut into slices and used to cover the bottom and sides of a cake form; filled with cream cheese, whipped cream and blended fresh strawberries filling.

Jelly Roll Cake with Strawberries and Chocolate

[print recipe]

For the jelly roll:

• 6 large eggs
• 1 egg white
• 100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
• 1 pack vanilla sugar (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
• 135 g (1 cup) cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

• 120 g (1/2  cup) seedless strawberry jam

For the filling:

• 450 strawberries (1 lbs)
• 750 ml (3 cups) heavy cream
• 100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
• 225 g (8 oz)cream cheese
• 65 g (1/2 cup) powder sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100 g (3.5 oz)semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 envelopes plain gelatin
• 6 TBSP water

Also needed:

√ 10 inch ( 25 cm) round spring cake pan

√  18 x 13 (46 X 33 cm) inch jelly roll pan

√  parchment paper

√  a small sauce pan

√  Plastic wrap

Make jelly roll:

Prepare a large baking sheet and cover it with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 395 F or 200 C.

Add 6 eggs and an egg white into the mixer bowl. Mix at high speed until eggs start foaming. Slowly add sugar and vanilla and mix for another 2-3 minutes.

Combine cake flour and baking powder, mix well and slowly start adding to the eggs and sugar, mixing slowly at the lowest setting.

Pour the batter into the baking sheet and bake until edges start getting lightly brown (about 15 minutes).  Take a large kitchen towel, place it under the whole cake and roll it up lengthwise (together with the parchment paper)to form a roll. Keep it inside of the kitchen towel until completely cooled down.

Now lightly heat strawberry jam, unroll the cake and remove the parchment paper.  Spread the jam in an even, thin layer all over the cake. Roll the cake back into a firm roll, wrap again in kitchen towel and leave it in the fridge until needed again.

Filling:

1. Wash and quarter strawberries, place them in a blender and puree them.
2. Melt the chocolate and spread in a very thin layer over a bottom of a flat surface (such as a cookie sheet or a tray that can fit into freezer)
3. Whip the heavy cream, add sugar. Reserve about 1/4 of it for decoration.
4. Mix the cream cheese, powder sugar and vanilla until smooth.
5. In a sauce pan mix two envelopes of plain gelatin with 6 TBSP of water until smooth and leave it to rest for about 10 minutes.
6. Remove the chocolate from the freezer. Holding  a metal spatula or a knife under 45 degree angle, start pushing the chocolate to form shavings, later to be used for the filling and decoration. Place all the shavings in the fridge.

At this point take the jelly roll out of the fridge and slice it into 1/2 inch thick slices. Line your cake spring pan with plastic wrap. Lay the jelly roll slices all around the wall and on the bottom of the pan. Now it’s time to finish the filling:

1. Place the sauce pan with gelatin on the stove and on a low heat and melt the gelatin. Do not let it boil!
2. Pour the gelatin into cream cheese and stir in thoroughly, add whipped cream and stir until well combined.
3. Pour half of the mixture into a second bowl, add chocolate shavings and spread it all on the cake. This filling will be firm.
4. Add strawberry puree into the remaining cream cheese-whipped cream mixture and pour it over the first filling. The second filling will be kind of liquidy, but don’t worry it will solidify because of the gelatin. Now cover the cake with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge at least for 4 hours or best over night.
5. When you’re ready to serve the cake, remove it from the spring cake pan and place it on a serving plate. Pull all the plastic wrap from underneath the cake, decorate with fresh strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Bon Appetite!

Birthday girl enjoying her cake!

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… a great ending to a great day!

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I really missed getting my hands sticky with dough and having the aroma of fresh baked goods around the house. All I could think of was to bake something good, warm and familiar and nothing sounded better than this challah bread topped with poppy seeds. Every bakery in Bosnia sells this bread. Their sizes range anywhere from a small knot, to an individual size challah to a large family challah. For me, it is an essential part of a good breakfast! It can be eaten just plain or spread with butter, jam, honey, paté or anything you may like. It can be used for a sandwich or for the bread pudding. It looks great on a holiday table!

I painted this while taking a break from baking

Poppy Seed Challah

{print recipe}

Ingredients:

• 500 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour (+ flour for kneading)
• 21 g (0.7 oz) fresh yeast
• 1 TBSP sugar
• 200 ml (3/4 cup + 2 TBSP) warm water
• 1 egg
• 50 ml (about 1/4 cup) sunflower or vegetable oil
• ½ TBSP salt
• Milk for brushing
• 2 TSBP poppy seeds

Preparation:

1. Place the flour in a mixing bowl. Make a deep indent in flour, add 1 TBSP of sugar and crumble up the yeast. Lightly mixing by hand, add ¼ of the quantity of water. Mix only inside the indent, just to get a small ball of starter. Cover and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
2. Combine the rest of the water with oil, egg and salt and stir well. Put the flour bowl back on the mixer and mixing at a slow speed start adding the liquid. Switch to medium speed setting and mix for about 3-, rest for about 3- and then mix for 3 more minutes.
3. Dough will look nice and smooth. Cover it and let it rest for 30 minutes.
4. Lightly dust your working surface with flour and knead the dough by hand for a few minutes. Divide the dough into 3 or 4 pieces, depending on what you want to make, a three- or four-strand challah.
5. Shape each piece into a foot long strand. Transfer all the pieces onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Braid the strands to form a challah. Cover the bread and let it rest and rise for about 30 minutes.
6. Brush the bread with milk and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
7. Bake at 200 C or 395 F for about 35-40 minutes or until challah gets a nice,  golden-brown color.

***More about shaping a four-strand challah here.

Proofing yeast for challah dough

The base for the soup can be chicken or veal stock and dumplings are made from farina flour. This flour is coarse and resembles grits, but unlike grits, it is made from wheat. Apparently for many years I was confusing the name for semolina and farina flour. I recently learned that semolina is mainly used for making pasta and gnocchi and farina is used as cereal (cream of wheat). In Bosnia farina is called griz and in Germany grieß. We mainly use farina for dumplings and desserts. If you happen to go through my recipe index, my Semolina Pudding should actually read farina pudding (I promise I will change that).

Chicken Soup with Farina Dumplings

{print recipe}

Chicken stock:

• 1. 5 – 2 l (1.5 – 2 quarts) water
• 100-200 g (3.5 – 7 oz) chicken (I usually use breast without skin, but dark meat can be used as well) or veal
• 2 medium carrots (cut once lengthwise and once across)
• 1 parsnip (cut once lengthwise and once across)
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 small onion
• 2 parsley twigs
• Vegeta
• Salt
• Pepper
• Parsley (finely chopped)

Farina dumplings:

• 100 g (3.5 oz) farina flour
• 2 pinches of salt
• 1 pinch of fresh ground black pepper
• 1 pinch of ground nutmeg
• 50 g butter (1.7 oz)- at room temperature
• 1 egg

Preparation:

1. In a stock pot filled with water add chicken and all the vegetables. Bring it to a boil and then lower the temperature and simmer for about 30 minutes.
2. Strain the stock and set aside all that’s left in the sieve.
3. Return the clear stock into the pot. Finely chop chicken, carrots and parsnip and put back into the stock.  Onion, celery, and parsley can be discarded. Spice with vegeta, salt and pepper. Let it simmer lightly.
4. Dumplings need to be prepared immediately before you want to add them to the soup. Do not let the dumpling mixture sit and wait, because they will not turn out good.
5. For the dumplings combine farina with salt, pepper and nutmeg in a small bowl. Add softened butter and egg and make a mixture gently mixing with a fork. Do not use electric mixer. Do not over mix.
6. Take a small spoon and grab some of the mixture. With another spoon help shape the mixture into a nice oval and put it into simmering soup. Work fast. Dumplings will start expanding and coming to the surface.
7. When they are about triple in size, turn off the stove, add chopped parsley to the soup and let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving. If dumplings are made right they will have a soft consistency, somewhat grainy texture and will not be hard or fall apart.

*** I suggest not to make these dumplings with hands as you may squeeze and press the mixture too much and then they will be too hard after they are done.

Making Farina Dumplings

Farina Dumplings Mixture

Make Farina dumplings using two spoons and shaping them into an oval

Although I am not going to be mad if you use canned beans, I would strongly suggest – don’t. I am speaking from my own experience here. Take the time and make this soup the proper way and you will be rewarded with a best cup of bean soup you ever had.

Since I don’t have a way to get the real Bosnian beans here in the US, I tried substituting them with pinto beans, black eyed peas and kidney beans. None of these have worked too well. Recently I found peruano beans which are just perfect for this soup and if not the same, then they are very similar to my favorite Bosnian beans.

As we (Bosnians) are pretty serious meat eaters, we like to add some nice smoked meat to the soup. I usually add authentic Bosnian smoked beef, but smoked pork ribs or similar will also give it a great flavor. Smoked meat from Balkans would require a whole new post, so I will just say that if you would really like to have some, try any store with products from Balkan. Serve the soup with some good, crusty bread. This is essential because you will be dipping that bread into soup and using it to pick up the last drops from your cup! In the winter time we also might serve this soup with pickled vegetables such as pickles, pickled peppers, sarena salata (a mix of various pickled veggies), pickled peppers stuffed with sauerkraut, etc.)

Bosnian Bean Soup (Grah)

{print recipe}

Ingredients:

• 500 g (17 oz) dry peruano beans
• 1-2 l water
• 1 medium onion
• 1 medium carrot
• 1/4 of a green bell pepper
• 250 g (9 oz) smoked beef (cubed)
• 1 TSP salt
• 1 TSP vegeta
• 1/4  TSP fresh ground black pepper
• Bay leaf (optional)
• 1 TBSP tomato paste
• 2 TBSP cooking oil
• 3-4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 2 TBSP flour
• 1 TSP ground paprika

Preparation:

*** Soaking the beans in cold water over night will reduce the cooking time.

• If you have pre-soaked the beans, rinse them, place in a large cooking pot and go to number 1.
• If you didn’t soak the beans, place them in a cooking pot, add water and let it boil for a few minutes, rinse and add fresh water.

1. Finely chop onion, carrot and the bell pepper. Add it to the beans and let it boil. Reduce the temperature to medium, cover the pot slightly and let it cook for about 1 hour. Occasionally check if water level has decreased, add additional water to always keep the same level of liquid in the pot.
2. After 1 hour add all spices and cubed smoked meat (polish sausage or similar can be used too, but then you will add them at the last half hour of cooking time). Cook for another 1 to 1.5 hours. To check if beans are ready take a few out of the pot and squeeze them between your thumb and index finger. If they are soft and creamy, and the peel comes off they are ready. The soup will look thick and it will smell wonderfully.
3. Now add tomato paste and let it incorporate well into the soup.
4. It is time now to make the roux to thicken the soup.
5. Peel and finely chop 3-4 garlic cloves. Using medium setting, heat 2 TBSP oil in a small frying pan. Toss the chopped garlic in oil just until fragrant.
6. Add flour and mix it with a wooden spoon until all crumbs disappear and flour starts changing its color to a very light brown. Now add paprika and again mix well. Pour the roux into the soup. This might produce a lively reaction. Give it a nice stir, reduce the heat and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.
7. Serve warm with a slice of a nice, crusty bread.
8. This soup freezes well and keeps well in the fridge for at least 3-4 days.

Smoked beef meat

Steps of making roux

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Its sweet and satisfying taste will definitely charm your taste buds. Talking about love at the first bite!

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Valentine’s Cake

{print recipe}

Cake:

• 250 g (8.8 oz) honey
• 50 g (1/4 cup) sugar
• 1 pack vanilla sugar (or 1 TSP vanilla extract)
• 50 g (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 lemon (zest and juice)
• 1 TSP cinnamon
• 1/2 TSP ground cloves
• 2 eggs
• 250 g (8.8 oz) flour
• 3 TSP baking powder

Frosting:

• 130 g (1 pack) vanilla pudding powder (not instant)
• 200 g (2 sticks less 1 TBSP) butter (at room temperature)
• 100 g (3.5 oz) cherry jam (red currant jam can be used too)

Also needed:

• 8 inch (20 cm) round cake pan
• Same size piece of parchment paper

*** The recipe for the chocolate swirls I found here and it worked perfectly!

PREPARATION:

1. In a larger sauce pan combine honey, sugar, vanilla and butter. Heat at medium temperature until well blended. Set aside and let it cool completely.
2. After honey mixture has cooled down, add zest and juice of one lemon, cinnamon and cloves.
3. Lightly beat two eggs and also add it to the mixture.
4. Combine flour and baking powder and fold into honey mixture.
5. Pour the batter into the cake pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 365 F (185 C) about 30-35 minutes.
6. For the frosting prepare vanilla pudding as directed on the box. Instead of 3 cups of milk use only 2 cups since a thicker pudding is needed. When pudding is cooked and cooled down, mix it with 200 g whipped butter until well combined.
7. To assemble the cake, first cut it once across to get two equal pieces. Spread the bottom piece with cherry jam and then with the half of the frosting. Put the second piece on the top. Frost the cake all around with the remaining frosting. Decorate as desired.

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That same weekend my daughter asked me to take her to the library, and while I was waiting for her to checkout her books, a displayed cookbook caught my eye. I went over to take a look and saw that it was John Barricelli’s “The Seasonal Baker”. I picked up the book, which suddenly flipped open to a recipe for a French Lemon Tart. Ha! It sounded super delicious so I decided to give it a try. Instead of just using only lemons I used some oranges and a lime. I also adapted ingredients for the filling and maybe next time I would reduce the baking time because my crust turned out quite dark. Nonetheless, the tart was to-die-for, citrussy, sweet with a hint of pungent lime. For those who don’t favor lime taste, I would suggest to go for oranges and lemons only (or lemons only as the original). And yes, I am totally ordering this cookbook from Amazon!

Citrus Tart

[print recipe]

Crust: this quantity of ingredients is enough for one double crust or two single 9-inch crusts

• 2 cups (255 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk.

Filling:

• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• 6 TBSP (85 g) melted butter
• 3 TBSP crème fraiche or sour cream
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
• Zest of 1 organic orange, 1 organic lemon and 1/2 organic lime (coarsely grated)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 TSP salt
• 1/2 TSP almond extract

Candied lemon and orange slices:

• 2 cups (400 g) sugar
• 1/2 lemon and ½ orange sliced thinly
• 1 cup (236 ml) water
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) of orange jam
• 1 TBSP of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 TBSP water

Preparation:

1. In a mixer bowl beat the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Add the whole egg and the yolk and mix to combine. Add the flour and mixed until it has been absorbed. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disk, wrap in plastic and leave to rest in the fridge for about 2 hours.
2. On a floured surface roll out the half of the dough and press into a 9 –inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Chill 15-20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 365 F. Put the tart pan on a cookie sheet and place it all together into the lower part of the oven. Bake until edges just start to darken (about 15 minutes). Remove from the oven and cool completely.
3. To make the filling in a medium bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, melted butter, crème fraiche, citrus zest, lemon/orange juice, salt and almond extract. Let stand for 5 minutes.
4. Place the tart shell on to a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the oven. Carefully pour the filling mixture into the tart shell. Bake until filling is completely set and no longer jiggles in the center (about 30 minutes). The filling will remain bright yellow.
5. Transfer baked tart to a wire rack and let cool. Chill completely in the refrigerator.
6. To make the candied citrus slices place the sugar and water in a medium sauce pan and bring it to boil. Reduce to a simmer. Add the lemon and orange slices and poach at very low simmer until the rinds are translucent (about 40 minutes). Let cool completely in the syrup. Drain the slices and pat dry with paper towels.
7. Set the cooled tart on a top a large can and allow sides of the pan to fall. Place the tart on a serving plate. Arrange candied lemon and orange slices on the top of the tart. In a small saucepan, stir together jam, lemon juice and water. Bring to boil. Set a fine strainer over a small bowl. Strain the glaze into the bowl. With a pastry brush, brush the glaze over the candied fruit slices and crust.

Hello friends! I hope everyone had a great start into the New Year. I think of this year as a year of changes and improvements.

My first resolution is to focus more on spiritual as opposed to material. I plan to spend more time doing things I love, things that make me and people around me happy. Inspired by my friend Korena’s post The List, here is what I plan to bake, make and do this year (and not necessarily in this order):

Hungarian Dobos Torte or here

All colors macaroons

Esterhazy Torte

Vacherin framboise et chocolat

Croissants from the The Bourke Street Bakery, AU

Baguette from the Bourke Street Bakery

Baked Alaska

Poppy Seed Strudel

Traditional Bosnian corn bread

Poulet chasseur

Bosnian Begova Corba (or Bey’s Soup)

Stuffed Adriatic Squid

Reproduce a master painter piece or this one

Make a child portrait in pastel

Improve my watercolor skills

Paint a large scale painting or a mural

Travel here and here (very possible)

Travel here, here or here  (dreaming about)

Explore my surroundings,

et cetera…

I would be happy to hear about your plans!

Love to you all!

Sibella

My basic cheesecake recipe comes from one of the numerous Dr. Oetker cookbooks. I have changed a thing or two over the years to suit my taste. This time I added chocolate and hazelnuts to it and I didn’t pre-bake the crust as recipe directs, since it always turns too dark and burnt tasting. I just poured the cheesecake batter right onto the unbaked crust and it turned out just right baked together. I also prefer quark cheese for the cheesecake since it is so much lighter than the common American cream cheese, but it was way too expensive, so I went for what is known in the US as Neufchâtel or Farmers’ cheese and has a lower fat content.

Chocolate swirl cheesecake topped with toasted hazelnuts

[print here]

Crust:

• 150 g (5.3 oz) flour
• ½ TSP baking powder
• 75 g (2.6 oz) sugar
• 1 pack of vanilla sugar (or 1 TSP vanilla extract)
• a pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 75 g (2.6 oz) butter (softened)
• Flour for kneading

Filling:

• 750 g (26 oz) cream cheese (used Neufchâtel, but quark cheese is the best)
• 200 g (7 oz) sugar
• 3 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 50 g (1.7 oz) corn starch
• 3 eggs (divided)
• 250 ml (1 cup+2 TBSP) heavy cream (whipped)
• 100 g (3.5 oz) semisweet chocolate
• 50 – 75 g (1.7 – 2.6 oz) toasted hazelnuts (coarsely chopped)

Also needed: 25 cm (10 inch) round cake spring pan

Preparation:

1. For the crust combine all dry ingredients, add 1 egg and butter and mix it at medium speed until well blended. Transfer the dough on a floured surface, knead it for a minute, wrap in plastic and leave in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
2. While the dough is resting prepare the filling. First divide eggs and beat egg whites until firm. Set aside. Next whip the heavy cream and set aside. Lightly toast hazelnuts and chop them coarsely.
3. Mix the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolks and lemon juice until smooth and creamy, add corn starch and mix for another minute.
4. Now add in whipped cream and fold in egg whites by hand. Melt the chocolate over the hot water bath. Take about 1/5 of the cream cheese mixture and place it a small mixing bowl. Pour melted chocolate inside and mix well.
5. Take the dough out of the fridge and divide into 3 equal parts. Roll 2/3 of the dough and place it onto a greased spring cake form. From the remaining 1/3 of the dough make a long rope and press it into the wall of the cake pan. Pour the filling into the unbaked crust, pour the chocolate mixture on the top and make swirls all around with a tooth pick. Top with toasted hazelnuts and bake at 175 C or 345 F for about 45-50 minutes. ***Since I made the cake at night, preparation photos were too dark, so I will not post them this time.

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Happy Birthday son!

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Here Birthday Cheesecake just ready for the oven:

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Baked, cooled down and ready to cut into it:

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First slice for the Birthday boy:

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The next day, a break from painting and a piece of cheesecake. Yum!