Apple and Almond Paste Cake

Hello people,

I am sorry for the short Christmas break, even my mum asked me why I didn't blog these days. I was here, but had many things swirling in my head and to do.
But I'm back with a recipe, I baked so much these days!



Where did I find the recipe for this soft, fruity cake?
I opened my favorite cookbook! Leila Lindholm's "A Piece of Cake".
I found a recipe for Apple and Almond paste Rings.
I haven't got any ring mould, but that's ok, no ring for us, just a normal yummy cake.

Ingredients.
(Adapted from Leila Lindholm's "A Piece of Cake")

Yields: 2 cakes (I used one half of the recipe)

For the dough:

• 1 tbsp black cardamom seeds, crushed (I used fennel)
  
• 300 ml milk
• 50 g fresh yeast
• 120 g sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 150 g butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 660-720 g all-purpose flour

For the filling:

• 200 g butter, softened
• 80 g brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 200 g almond paste (see recipe for this below).
  
• 2 apples

For the topping:

• 1 egg
• flaked almonds

How can I make almond paste? You'd never thik I'd be so easy!!
(for 500g)
250 g almonds
225 g sugar

Boil the almonds for 5 minutes.
Blend the almonds until they're reduced to powder.
Add the sugar and mix for 5-7 minutes until a thick paste is formed.

Directions.


Crumble the yeast in the lukewarm milk. Add the crushed cardamom (I used fennel) , sugar, salt, butter and egg.
Slowly add the flour and mix until a soft dough is formed.
Cover with a dishcloth and allow to rise for 45-60 minutes until it has doubled.
(This is the dough for the classic swedish sweet bread (yummy!) )

In another bowl mix butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and almond paste until it's creamy.
Divide the dough in two parts. Flatten one part with a rolling pin to form a disk that can easily cover the baking pan.
Butter tha baking pan and lay the dough disk in it.
Fill with the filling.
Rasp the apples and spred one apple in each baking pan.
Roll out the other dough disk (like the other one) and lay it on the cake.
Fold the dough endings.
Allow to rise for one hour.
Preheat the oven at 175°C (350 F).
Spread the whisked egg on the cake and add the flaked almonds (I forgot).
Bake for 20 minutes.
Allow to cook before pulling the cake out of the baking pan.


I can assure you it's a success. Especially with the cute Christmas tree Roberto cut out of the remaining dough.

Have a nice evening you all,
what did you bake for Christmas?

Juliette

Merry Christmas!

Hello,
I hope you are all enjoying time will your families,
surrounded by a cosy Christmas atmosphere.
I'll write when I'll have spent enough time with my family ^^
My brother and my nephew are here and I haven't seen them in such a long time.
Have some nice days!

Project 365 - Week 2

Today I went to the last classes, hugged my friends, watched "A Nightmare before Christmas" in class. It was a nice day, except for the rain that is still winning against snow which really won't arrive.
Here you have my week in pictures.


8/365 16122010

Today I woke up, had a class, went back home for one hour, went for a coffee with two friends, and..spent an hour in the photocopy shop because our teacher left some photocopies at the library for us to copy. Each of us had to go, take the photocpies, go outside, make our own copy and bring the photocopies back. Turns out he forgot to copy the last page! So we had to go back and do it all over again today (+ another 100 copies of other notes and stuff). Thanks amazing someone who invented the photocopier!

9/365 17122010

Everytime I go to the supermarket to buy my daily amount of food (I love doin the grocery shopping, therefore I go once every two days insted of once in a week how normal people do), I bring this reusable bag with me. I have been aware of pollution, separate collection of rubbish, reuse things and so on. I always try to use as less plastic possible and I remember my mother telling me that a little bag with sweets contains so much plastic, because every sweet is wrapped in plastic. I can recall it as if it were yesterday and since then, or arounf that time (I think I were 8) I have been aware that doing small things can help just a little, but a very important little.
Whenever I forget to bring this reusable bag with me I ask a plastic bag, but then I use it for the garbage.
I could make a prettier bag one day, this is a plain, sad reusable bag, but I'm proud of it.

10/365 18122010

Today was a wonderful day.
I woke up because my mother texted me they were coming to visit me. They haven0t been here since July 2009 and I was so happy. I cleaned the house in an hour, and they were here around 11am. We went to the Ikea, which is sooo near!, we enjoyed this time together like we maybe haven't ever done before. No complaining, no judging or being upset. Just smiles and happiness. I bought a cakeholder and some spices containers. Then we went to a pretty Christmas market, with many pretty things, like these cute garlands, but it was extremely cold! Now we're realxing a bit. Later we'll go to the Chinese restaurant and watching the pretty coloured lights which decorate the city during the holiday season. I am so grateful for this day.

11/365 19122010

This morning I woke up hearing the voices of my parents in the other room. So strage, it has been a long while since they came to visit me. They drunk coffee and left to go back home. Roberto was still sleeping, so I made a cup of coffee for him too. We woke up slowly, talked for an hour or two, showered, looked outside with a scry face because of the cold and then got ready and challenged the weather. We were looking for some bread (we both love bread) but there were not many shops open, being 1 pm. We found ou usual market after a long walk through the city and bought half a loaf of kamut bread and a bit of cheese. We went home and turned the oven on. Sliced the bread and the cheese, and this is the result. Warm, crispy bread with molten cheese and such a delicious smell. He then went back home as well and I finished revising for my English literature exam of tomorrow. Wish me luck!

12/365 20122010

Today I woke up late because I had an exam at 2 pm. Usually they're in the morning but this time I had the chance to wake up slow, not being overwhelmed by anxiety and getting ready at my pace. I revised everything and then met a friend to go to Uni. Three hours writing a composition about "A Passage to India" by E.M. Forster. When I finished and went outside it was getting dark already and the day was nearing its end. I never study the day I have done an exam in order to realx a bit and get ready for the next one.

13/365 21122010

These are the headphones I was given by my parents for my birthday. I am superhappy with them, the acoustic is fantastic, I can isolate myself completely if I want and the bass is awesome. They have customizeable earthings (I don't know how to call them) and I thought it'd be nice to wish a merry christmas to everyone. I secretly hope someone sees it and I can make someone smile.

14/365 22122010

Professional photo, right? Well, I have not a nice lightning here and I was packing to go back home tomorrow. I thought that resumed what I've been doing today: last classes, goodbyes to all my friends and classmates, giving the cookies I baked yeasterday to my two best friends, and..packing. That's it. Tomorrow I'm going back home for two weeks, I'm so happy, and my big brother will be there too =)

Have a nice evening.

Juliette

Looking for Christmas

Hullo!

Yesterday I had the exam, all went well, at least I think so. Now I still have two days filled with classes, cold and shopping for books I have to read for the next exams. I feel pretty lonely right now, because everyone out there is feeling Christmas getting nearer and I can't share these moments, so I just stare out the window and wait for thursday, when I'll be home, at my parents', again (and I cannot complain, I already had Sinterklaas a few weeks ago).

The weekend, however, was lovely. My parents came here and Roberto came as well a bit later, but I am so happy we saw eachother.
My parents and I went to Ikea, to a small, cute Christmas market and then with Roberto at the Chinese restaurant. Then we went for a walk in the city which is filled with woderful lights at Christmas (there are many awful lights too actually).
So here are a few photos of the weekend; tomorrow the second week of the 365 project.

Thursday - Loves

Brrr it's getting cold outside. I am an active person, I like to walk, take the bus and the tram as little as possible, I like to go for a ride on the bike. But when it gets cold like this I am so happy when I close the door behind me, coming back from University.
Today I hadn't a special day, it was just a normal one, I am getting ready the last things for Sinterklaas.

Here are the things I loved this week.

[Things that make you feel that Christmas is getting nearer] (I haven't got the stress of the gifts, so I can enjoy Christmas even more)

(source)

[Warm, organised shelves]

(source)

[Romantic settings]

(source)

[Holland]

(source)

[Christmas treats]

(source)


(source)

[Real Mail]

(source)

Tomorrow I'll see Roberto, and I am so happy. We are going to celebrate Sinterklaas on Saturday and I feel like a little girl. I am so happy!!

Juliette

Love <3

Yesterday evening I made some little candies for some friends. Later I will post the pictures.

Some lovely things I "liked" on my Tumblr.

1. England
(nanarobinson)(lipstickheelsandrocknroll)

2. Sweet puppies

(sschwarzkopf)(778)

3. Creative projects!




(sewingstars)
(nezhaiswninnie)
4. Funny statistics.




(juiceinabox)

5.Christmas cupcakes!

(jupcake)


(Angelina Cupcake)

That's all, I could post another 20 thousand pics, but I really have to study..

Bye!!

HappyFroggy

Christmas Decorations Tutorial

Hallo!!
Saturday my boyfriend and I made some Christmas decorations with Fimo.


And I made.. another tutorial XD (the pics are a bit dark (
-.-)

1. First of all we've made the candy cane
pick the two colours, red and white (I had only transparent), amd make two long rolls, and turn them together like this:




2. Put them in the shape of the candy cane




3. Take a bit of Green, make a ball, and flatten it.




4. Then draw the holly leaf and then cut it out (we will need two leafs for each cane)




5. Draw also its veins.


6. Wit a bit of Red Fimo (I used the red with glitters) make three little balls to make the berries.



7. Put the cane on the leafs, and the three berries on the cane, like this:


8. Then I made some bows, I followed the tutorial that Katja posted on her blog (here) and used it like the three berries.
Like these:


9.



10. Fire them and varnish them.



11. I took ribbons and then made bows, to hang them in the Christmas tree or where you want ^^


12. I put them into a box and gave it as a gift.. I thought it could be a nice little present.



Hope you like it!!!
Have a nice evening!

HappyFroggy

Fimo Angel Tutorial

Hi!
I made this angel for my grandmother's birthday and for christmas.



I thought I could make a Tutorial, since I've made only one =)
Ok, ready?

Choose the colour of the angel's body: I chose White.

Model it to make it like this:
The part you can see at the right will be the back of her dress.

Choose the colour of her wings: I wanted them to be light blue, so I took White and Peppermint and mixed them.

Model the wings (1) and if you want add the details of the feathers (2), then try to make them more "3d" bending the top of the wings, and if you want, also the bottom a little (3).


Fix the wings to the angel's body.



Take the colour you chose for her body again and make two little canes, ending with a peaky top (those will be her arms!) (1), and fix them to the body (2) (3):



Then, I took "flesh light" to make her face and hands.
Make two little balls and fix them and the end of her arms, and afterwards make 3or4little stripes in them with a knife or a toothpick.



With the same colour make a bigger ball, which will be her head.

With a little "white" make two veeery little balls for the eyes, and the with black two even smaller ones. Besides, make also a very little roll for the mouth.


Fix them like this:


Fix the head with the body and take the colour you decide to make her hair.
Make a looot of very thin rolls and fix it to her head, think of how real hair would fall on her shoulders, and try not to make them jut out too much because they could break.

Take a bit of Red and make a very tiny heart, fix it above her left hand.

Take a wire and make a little bow, and put it in her head (XD) (I don't know how to explain it, but look at the pictures).


Then let it fire (cook, oh, how do you say it? ^^) like always for half an hour, 120 °C.
You can varnish it (if you want), and let it dry for another half an hour.
I took some ribbon and made a little bow, which enables to hang it in the christmas tree.


I hope you'll enjoy making this little present or/and home decoration.

Now I'm making a gingerbread man! Maybe I could make another tutorial ^^.
Bye!!

HappyFroggy