Sparkling Ink

{ chili cashews }

Hello friends. Hello March. For the first time after the cold winter, I feel the approaching spring. I get so much energy from the light mornings and the warm feeling of the sun on my back when I'm walking on the street.

While B is traveling for work, I'm planning to read through food blogs, old cookbooks and magazines with spring food in mind. Sara's post is my first spring favorite. I'm also going to have a few after work drinks with friends. These chili cashews are perfect with a few drinks. A very addictive mix of saltiness and heat from the chili with a hint of sweetness.

Ingredients

- 300 g cashews (not salted or roasted)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dark syrup
- 2 teaspoons dried chili flakes
- a generous pinch of salt (such as Maldon)

Heat oil in a large drying pan over medium heat. Add in cashews. Mix in syrup, chili flakes and salt. Toss the nuts around until they are fragrant and start to brown. Transfer in a bowl and serve.

 

{ cinnamon chocolate nuts }

Slow down, kick back and relax.
Have a warm Christmas time with lots of laughter, enjoying all the wonders of the season!

Cinnamon chocolate nuts (7 ounces)

- 7 ounces (200 g) walnuts and almonds
- 4 ounces (115 g) dark chocolate
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder

Toast walnuts in 300 F (150 C) oven until fragrant. Let cool completely. Melt roughly chopped chocolate in a bowl over steaming pot of water on low heat. Stir on heat until melted and smooth. Toss the walnuts and almonds a few at a time in the melted chocolate, and transfer onto a parchment paper to set.

Mix cinnamon and cocoa powder in a small freezer bag. Toss the set chocolate covered nuts in the powder until evenly coated.

{ recipe adapted from Green Kitchen Stories }

{ chocolate fruitcake }

Fruitcake is not usually my favorite but I still want to make one every Christmas. I have been testing and combining different recipes over the years, and this year, I'm especially pleased with the result. In addition to chocolate fruitcake, you could as easily call this recipe boiled cake. The trick of the flavorful and fragrant cake is that the batter is all prepared in a pot and boiled gently before baking it in the oven.

You can choose your own favorite combination of dried fruit. My mixture was dried apricots, raisins, dates and cherries. Cocoa powder gives the cake an incredibly smooth chocolaty flavor. For a finishing touch, the cake gets a delicate layer of powdered sugar on top. I used a homemade paper snowflakes as a stencil to make the fruitcake look as Christmasy as it tastes like.

Ingredients (16 pieces)

- 3 cups (7 dl) dried fruit
- 1 cup (2 1/2 dl) brown sugar
- 4 1/2 ounces (125 g) butter
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- generous pinch of nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cup (3 1/2 dl) cold water
- 1/2 cup (1 1/4 dl) freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups (5 dl) flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- powdered sugar for dusting

Roughly chop the dried fruit. Combine dried fruit, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, cold water and orange juice in a large pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat a bit and simmer gently for 25 minutes.

Remove from heat and mix in baking soda. Let it bubble and cool for 10 minutes stirring a few times. Add in eggs one at a time and mix. Combine flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and stir in the batter. Scoop the batter into a greased cake pan (around 11 inch, 28 cm) and smooth out the top. Bake at 320 F (160 C) for over an hour until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top has browned beautifully. Allow to cool and remove from the pan.

Cut a snowflake stencil from paper, and place it on top of the cake. Dust the cake with powdered sugar and remove the stencil.

 

{ mulled apple cider }

Hope you have enjoyed the beginning of December. We have got so much snow. I went Christmas shopping yesterday. Oh, the city looked amazing under a thick layer of snow with all the lights. This simple mulled apple cider warms up the night. I just love its invitingly cozy scent of the holidays.

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

- 2 liters (8 cups) apple cider
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 4 cloves
- a pinch of nutmeg
- juice of 2 clementines
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 3 tablespoon cane sugar

Pour cider into a pan. Add cinnamon stick, half vanilla pod, cloves and nutmeg. Squeeze in the juice of 2 clementines and shave a few slices of lemon zest in. Add sugar and mix. Heat until steaming but not boiling. Run the cider through a sieve and serve hot.

 

{ vanilla mashed sweet potatoes }

So much to be thankful for. Wish we could gather around the same table with the other half of our family across the ocean. We are thinking about you. (And would love to share these vanilla mashed sweet potatoes with you.) Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!

Ingredients (generously serves 4)

- 1 1/2 pounds (700 g) sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup (1.25 dl) cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste or 1/3 vanilla bean
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
(- coarse salt & pepper)

Bake sweet potatoes at 350 F (175 C) for about an hour until soft to a fork tip. Let cool a bit and remove the skins. Puree using a stick blender or a food processor.

Pour cream into a sauce pan and add in vanilla. If you are using vanilla bean, cut it in half lengthwise. Heat over medium heat, and let simmer for 5 minutes. Discard the vanilla bean.

Pour the cream in with the sweet potato puree. Add in butter and run the blender until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve warm as a side dish.

{ recipe adapted from 101 cookbooks }

 

{ italian tiramisu }

When an Italian shows you how to make an authentic tiramisu, you know you are learning something great. This surprisingly easy recipe is the way Juls and her family make tiramisu, and always have. The ratio between the three main ingredients is key in this recipe. 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of sugar to 100 g of mascarpone. This makes the recipe easy to multiply and adjust to any size for any occasion. Tiramisu cookies, fresh espresso, dark chocolate and sweet wine work like magic together creating the true flavor of this classic dessert. It's the best tiramisu I have ever had - thank you, Juls!

Ingredients (serves 8)

- 4 good quality eggs
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 400 g mascarpone
- 2-3 tablespoon sweet wine (f.e Vin Santo or Sherry)
- 7 ounces (200 g) tiramisu cookies (ladyfingers)
- 1/2 cup (1 1/4 dl) espresso or strong coffee
- 2.5 ounces (70 g) dark chocolate
- 3-4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Separate egg whites and yolks into two bowls. Add sugar in yolks and whisk until light and foamy, and until the sugar has dissolved. Add mascarpone and mix until smooth.

Beat egg whites until firm peaks form. Mix egg whites in the mascarpone mixture. Pour in sweet wine of your choice and mix. Vin Santo is a lovely Italian alternative.

Spoon mascarpone foam on the bottom of a large dish. Sprinkle with roughly chopped dark chocolate. Dip cookies lightly in espresso on both sides, and place them on top of the first layer. Spoon more foam on top and sprinkle with chocolate. Repeat for a few times leaving a mascarpone layer last. Sift cocoa powder generously on top. Let sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

 

{ mocha cake }

I'm excited to share this recipe with you today. It is a long time favorite of ours, and it has been tested and perfected over the years. This is a recipe I return to time after time. The frosting is so good!

 

Ingredients (makes 20 pieces)

- 7 ounces (200 g) butter
- 3/4 cup (1.75 dl) milk
- 2 cups (5 dl, 300 g) flour
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups (3.5 dl) sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
- around 1/2 cup (1.25 dl) strong coffee for spooning on the cake

{ frosting }
- 2 ounces (55 g) butter
- 1/2 cup (1.25 dl) strong coffee
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 15 ounces (425 g) confectioner's sugar
- 3 tablespoon coconut flakes for sprinkling

Melt butter in a sauce pan on medium-low heat. Pour in milk and let warm back up until the ingredients combine nicely. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. In a separate bowl using an electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla sugar until light and airy. Turn down the mixer speed. Taking turns between the two, gradually add in butter-milk mixture and sift in the dry ingredients. Switch to a rubber spatula towards the end. Mix just until combined.

Scoop the batter into a baking dish (9 x 14 inches/22 x 35 cm) lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 F (175 C) for 20-25 minutes until the cake is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. While the cake is in the oven, make coffee. You can use coffee of your choice such as espresso or instant coffee. (I love to use dark roast with a hint of vanilla.) Spoon coffee evenly on the baked cake for moisture.

Prepare the frosting. Bring butter and coffee to a simmer in a sauce pan. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit. Mix in cocoa powder. Gradually add in confectioner's sugar and stir strongly until smooth. Pour frosting on the cake starting from middle. Sprinkle with coconut flakes. Let the cake set in a cool place before serving.

 

{ easy strawberry mascarpone tart }

This week has been hot and sunny which means one thing - the strawberry season has started here! This tart is a celebration of those bright red local strawberries that taste this sweet only for a short time of the year, and is a great dessert idea for those of you planning a 4th of July barbecue or picnic. On a sunny day, you want to be quick in the kitchen; store-bought products make this tart a simple dessert. For easy serving, you can bake the crust ahead of time, and fill it with the soft mascarpone cream just before the guests arrive. A drizzle of caramel sauce and hazelnuts on top gives the freshness of the strawberries a perfect finish. 

Ingredients (serves 6)

- pastry dough, store-bought

{ filling }
- 1 pound (450 g) strawberries
- 1 cup (2.5 dl) mascarpone
- 1 cup (2.5 dl) whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar

{ on top }
- hazelnuts for sprinkling
- caramel sauce, store-bought

Roll out the pastry dough and fit it into a tart tin or pie dish. Trim off the excess pastry. Bake the crust at 350 F (175 C) for around 15-20 minutes or until cooked and pale golden. Set aside to cool. If you want to save the crust for later, cover it well with plastic wrap after it's cooled down.

Just before serving, whip the cream until soft and smooth. Gradually mix in the mascarpone and sweeten with confectioner's sugar. Roughly cut the strawberries, and mix about half into the mascarpone cream. Spoon the filling on the pastry. Scatter the remaining strawberries over the filling. Sprinkle hazelnuts on top and drizzle with caramel sauce.

{ shrimp and herring canapes }

Happy Friday! It's been so gorgeous here this week. It's hard to stay inside working when it's hot and sunny outside. We'll fix that this weekend, and do outdoor kind of things with a good layer of sun screen on. Because of the sudden heat wave here, local new potatoes are starting to hit the store shelves. They are still very pricey but should get cheaper in a few weeks before the Midsummer celebration when the whole country is eating new potatoes and barbecue food.

I wanted to make savory and chic little bites to serve with those pretty new potatoes. I love the combination of seafood, herring, hard boiled eggs and potatoes. You could also use any leftover crab meat or fish for a tasty topping. These easy canapes are my idea of perfect weekend food for the first light and warm summer nights. Slow down, gather together with friends and enjoy the weekend!

Ingredients (serves 6)

- 8 eggs, hard boiled
- 8 slices of creamy jarred herring
- 1 red onion
- handful of small cooked shrimp
- 4 tablespoons creme fraiche
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- small bunch of dill
- lemon wedges for serving

Peel and halve the hard boiled eggs. Arrange egg halves on a serving platter. Spoon jarred herring in a creamy sauce on top of half of the eggs. You can choose any jarred herring you like - I love to use creamy crab marinated herring with this recipe. Top the herring with finely chopped red onion.

Mix a squeeze of lemon juice into creme fraiche, and spoon a generous dollop on the remaining egg halves. Top the creme fraiche with small shrimps. I used cooked frozen shrimps well thawed and drained. Sprinkle chopped dill on the eggs and place lemon wedges between the eggs. Serve with steaming new potatoes and a mix of your favorite lettuce and fresh herbs. 

{ sacher cake }

Mother's Day is coming up, and I wanted to share a recipe for my Mom's favorite cake, Sacher cake. This soft chocolate cake hides a layer of apricot jam inside, and is covered with rich chocolate frosting. The original recipe for Sacher Torte, invented in 1832 in Vienna, is a well-kept secret - this recipe is one take on the loved recipe, and if you ask me, quite close to as delicious as the classic Viennese dessert. While the recipe is somewhat advanced level, the cake is well worth it.

Ingredients (makes 10-14 slices)

- 6 egg yolks

- 3.5 ounces (100 g) butter, melted

- 7 ounces (200 g) dark chocolate (55 - 70% cocoa)

- 8 egg whites

- 2/3 cup (1.5 dl) extra fine sugar

- 4.5 ounces (125 g) flour

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

{ filling }

- 10.5 ounces (300 g) apricot jam

- 2 tablespoons water

{ frosting }

- 7 ounces (200 g ) dark chocolate (55 - 70% cocoa)

- 2 teaspoons butter

- 1/2 cup (1.2 dl)  heavy cream

Butter and flour a 9-inch (23 cm) cake pan. Separate egg yolks and whites into two mixing bowls. Melt chocolate in a double boiler, and melt butter in a microwave just until melted, not hot. Using a whisk, break the structure of the egg yolks, and slowly add in the melted butter in a thin stream stirring strongly. Follow with the melted chocolate and mix until combined.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and extra fine sugar until glossy and soft peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the foam into the chocolate mixture. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and vanilla sugar. Sift in the dry ingredient mixture and mix. Fold the remaining egg white foam into the batter just until combined.

Pour the batter into the buttered and floured cake pan. Bake at 350 F (175 C) for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Using a sharp bread knife, slice the cake into two equal layers. Mix a bit of water into the jam, and spread it evenly on both cut sides on the cake. Lift the halves carefully on top of each other with the jam sides gluing the layers together. Also spread some jam on top of the cake. The still slightly warm cake will absorb the jam well. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap, and let sit in the fridge overnight or minimum of 6 hours.

To prepare the frosting, melt chocolate and butter in a small saucepan on low heat. Whisk in cream and keep on heat stirring constantly just until smooth. Spread the mixture generously on the top and sides of the cake. Let set for an hour before serving.

{ recipe adapted from olivia }