Pumpkin cake with spiced crème fraîche

At first I thought I'd wait until Halloween to post this recipe, but thankfully I realised that someone might actually want to bake a pumpkin cake for the occasion and in order to do so I'd need to post the recipe a bit before the day itself.

Until recently, I had never though much of Halloween as to me it was a foreign (I'd even say a very US) thing to celebrate. But after trying pumpkin cake in one of my classes at school 6 years ago the whole concept of Halloween became a bit more familiar. I wouldn't say that I'm fascinated with Halloween now, but being allowed to dress up one night a year and then going out with friends is a lot of fun...

But, back to the cake now. I got the recipe from my English teacher who allowed me to post it on my blog. I fell in love with the cake the moment I tried it and I've made it for four past Halloweens and plan on carrying baking it for years to come. If you like carrot cake you are absolutely going to love this pumpkin cake - it is moist, soft and just melts in your mouth. And in addition it fills your kitchen with an amazing cinnamon smell. I do have to admit that grating the pumpkin is a tedious and time-consuming task, but the result is so worth it. And to add a little twist to the cake, I served it with a dollop of spiced crème fraîche, but trust me - the cake is incredibly delicious even without the crème fraîche on its side.

For past years I have made the cake using a different sized class and therefore the quantities here are just an indication of how much of what went into my cake this time. I'd suggest you take a normal 200-250ml glass and use that to measure the quantities (or even better, rely on you 'gut feeling' to determine the exact amount of ingredients needed).

Ingredients
-  1 glass of grated pumpkin (300g)
- 1 glass of sour cream (200ml)
- 100-150g butter, melted
- 1-2 glasses of sugar (300g)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- Lots of cinnamon (you can never have enough of it)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- flour (5tbsp)

- Crème fraîche
- Sugar
- Cinnamon

Directions
Heat the oven to 180C. Melt the butter and mix in the sugar and allow it to cool. In the meantime grate the pumpkin. When the butter and sugar mixture has cooled down add eggs, pumpkin and sour cream and mix. Then add flour with baking powder, cinnamon and salt and mix. Add more flour if necessary - make sure that the batter is not too thick nor too liquid. Pour the batter into a baking tin (lines with baking parchment) and cook for around 20-30 minutes (or until nicely cooked). Cooking time depends on the consistency of the cake you prefer (a bit gooey or well done) as well as the size of the baking tin you're using.

For the crème fraîche topping, mix crème fraîche with good amount of cinnamon and sugar and then place on top of the cake to serve. Your can serve it either warm or cold - its delicious both ways. And as there can never be enough cinnamon, I sprinkled some on top of the crème fraîche and on the plate.

 

 

Individual classic cheesecakes

I know I shouldn't say this but I think that this is the best dessert I have ever made so far. I love cheesecakes, as you already know by now, and this time I fiddled around with my favourite cheesecake filling and decided to make it in individual portions, rather than as a cake and instead of normal base use the digestive biscuits. Needless to say that I became hooked from the first bite.

And as usual, I couldn't wait for the cakes to cool down and had one fresh out of the oven. I usually don't do it to cheesecakes, but trust me I have muffins and cookies the moment I take them out. To my pleasant surprise it tasted amazing and reminded me of the cheesecake I ate as a kid back home and I haven't had it, or anything close to it, since they took the cake off production. My mum used to buy it as a treat and then we microwaved it hot and ate - one of the most delicious things I had had at that point. However, although they are delicious when they are hot, they are absolutely divine when they have cooled down properly in the fridge. The amazingly silky smooth filling and the crunchy base really make you feel like you're in cheesecake heaven - and there's no way you want to come back down from there.

Perfect recipe to treat yourself or the loved ones, serve at a dinner party or just have for breakfast with your morning coffee. Every time of the day and every occasion is suitable for eating cheesecake... Serve with ice-cream, with melted chocolate, fresh berries, some strawberry jam or enjoy them just on their own - they are delicious either way.

These muffins actually freeze well, so you can make a batch and put some in the freezer for future consumption (cause if you eat them all in one go your waistline is not going to be very happy). Just remember to take them out half a day before and defrost them in the fridge (to keep the smooth consistency). Although they are the best without being frozen, they are still really-really good after that as well.

Ingredients
(Makes 10-12)
For the base:
- 150g digestive biscuits, crushed
- 75g butter, melted

For the filling:
- 150ml sugar
- 1 tbsp flour
- 400g Philadelphia cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla sugar
- 150ml cream

Directions
Line a 12 hole muffin pan with muffin liners. Mix the melted butter with the crushed biscuits and divide evenly between the muffin holes. Press the mixture hard to form a solid base for the muffins and place the muffin pan into the fridge for 30 minutes or so.

Preheat the oven to 150C. To make the filling, put all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until the mixture is smooth and even. Divide it between the muffin holes and bake for around 20 to 25 minutes. Leave them out to cool down and then put in the fridge (or freezer if freezing them) until they have completely chilled.

Crispy apricot pork

I have to admit that it is quite difficult these days to find nice and quick recipes, which do not require you to go out and buy a whole new spice cupboard. I've made these pork chops quite a few times and both my dad and my other half have given big thumbs up. Last time we had it I was even told that it is ok to make it more often than just twice a year.  I love to fact that they are so easy and quick to make and that the result is really delicious.

The juicy pork chops go so well with the semi-sweet apricot jam. This recipe actually made me into a big apricot jam fan - it's perfect with pancakes and for spreading on toast. The combination of those two is really delicious and they compliment each other well. Pork makes a nice neutral base and the jam adds the spark to this recipe. And the home made breadcrumbs are like a cherry on top. They are so fluffy and golden and slightly crispy on top... Mmmm.... Basically this is a great mix of different tastes and textures that compliment each other so well. Quick and easy to make and can be served with anything - from rice and potatoes to just a simple salad or steamed vegetables. Have it for a a quick lunch or serve at a nice dinner - easy to make for many people as all you have to do is to chuck it in the oven.

Ingredients
(Serves 2)
- 2 bone in pork loin chops
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp apricot jam
- 1 slice of wholegrain bread
- Salt
- Pepper
- Green salad, to serve

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 210C. Pat the pork dry and place on baking tray covered with baking parchment. Generously season both pork chops with salt and pepper and then spread 1 tbsp of apricot jam on the top of both pork chops.

Put the slice of bread into a food processor and pulse until breadcrumbs form, add the tablespoon of olive oil and pulse again until the olive oil evenly covers all the crumbs. Then divide the breadcrumbs between the port chops and gently pat them into the apricot jam. Bake for 18 minutes until the pork is cooked throughout and the breadcrumbs are nice and golden.

Wash and prepare the green salad and place it on the plate. When the pork is ready, add it and serve immediately.

Feel free to serve the pork with other vegetables and potatoes, however I think that as the pork is quite heavy on its own, it goes well with a light salad or some steamed vegetables.

Recipe from marthastewart.com

Pancakes with strawberry jam à la mum

Nearly for long as I can remember, pancakes have always been a special treat for breakfasts. When I used to stay at the countryside house, my great aunt used to make them for us on Sunday mornings or whenever my grandmother babysat us I always could count on having fresh and warm pancakes in the morning. Now I've grown up and it seems that I've been in charge of making pancakes for years. Whenever I go to Estonia I know, even without someone telling me, that I have to make pancakes at least for one morning whilst I'm there. Fortunately, I can consider myself to be very lucky as my other half is also amazing when it comes to cooking - and making pancakes for that matter - so when we're together it's usually him who treats me to pancakes and all I have to do is eat them. Today was an exception, as I really-really wanted to surprise him and therefore made the pancakes that he makes for me, but with added surprise - the strawberry jam that my mum always makes.

Usually every summer, when we have local strawberries, my mum makes the most simple and hassle free jam out of them - she just purees them with some added sugar. The only problem with this jam is that it won't stay good for a long time, but because it's so good and so universal (use it to top up your ice-cream or have it on toast) I've never viewed that as a problem. Also, it can be frozen and then defrosted if you want to save up some for those cold winter mornings when you want to remind yourself of the sweet summertime.

Going back to pancakes, I am really of the opinion that whoever invented them was an absolute genius.  You can have them in so many different varieties and to be honest, every person I know makes different kind of pancakes - thick, thin, small, big, with buttermilk, with berries ... the list is pretty much endless. And on top of that, one could have pancakes for every meal of the day - breakfast, lunch, even dinner or for dessert. I remember when I used to order pancakes with ice-cream and jam whenever we ate out. What makes them even more universal is the fact that you can eat pancakes with anything you wish - indulging in pancakes with sour cream and caviar, reminding yourself of your childhood by having them with home made jam or sugar or just simply melting some cheese and adding some ham for a more filling pancake. Long story short, pancakes are absolutely amazing and you can have my word that this won't be the last pancake recipe to appear on my blog.

PS! It makes the most amazing romantic surprise for that special someone!

Ingredients
(Makes 8 20cm pancakes)
- 110g plain flour
- salt
- 2 eggs
- 200ml milk
- 75ml water
- 50g butter, melted
- 250g strawberries
- Icing sugar, to serve

Directions
Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a well into the flour mixture and break the eggs into it. Whisk the eggs and flour until all the flour has been incorporated. Pour the water and milk into a jug and slowly add it to the flour and egg mixture, whisking whilst you're pouring it in. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and does not have any lumps in it.

Melt the butter in a pan and whisk 2 tablespoons of it into the batter. Set the rest aside and use it to oil the pan.

Put the pan on the hob and heat it up, then turn down the heat to medium and bake the pancakes.

To prepare the strawberry jam, wash the strawberries and remove the green leaves. Set aside 4 nice strawberries and put the rest into a bowl or a jug and crush with a handheld mixer until smooth. Add 1,5 tablespoons (or more if you prefer sweeter jam) of icing sugar into the strawberry puree and mix well. Chop of the remaining 4 strawberries.

To serve, fold the pancakes into sectors and place on a plate, put the chopped strawberries next to it, pour over some strawberry jam and finally sprinkle with icing sugar. Serve immediately.

Pancake recipe by Delia Smith from BBC Food