Chocolate Orange Biscotti

Ingredients

Butter 150g

Sugar 200g

Orange 1

Egg 3

Flour 400g

Cocoa powder 25g

Baking powder 12g

Salt 1 pinch

Candiled ginger 70g

Dark chocolate 50g

Grease the zest of one orange very finely. Finely chop the candied ginger and chocolate. In a bowl, cream the sugar and butter until smooth and mix in the orange zest. Then gradually add the eggs to the cream and mix thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, cocoa, and baking powder. Combine the egg and flour mixture in a bowl and stir until smooth. Add candied ginger and chocolate to the prepared dough.

Line a rectangular baking pan (approximately 30x10 cm) with parchment paper and spread the dough evenly on it. Bake in an oven preheated to 175 degrees Celsius (355 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 25 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool at room temperature.

When the cake has cooled completely, use a sharp knife to cut it into equal slices, approximately 6 mm thick.

Place the biscotti in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in an oven preheated to 150 degrees Celsius (300 degrees Fahrenheit). After 10 minutes, flip the biscotti over and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Once the biscotti are dry, remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool completely at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Potatoes (8 pcs)

Eggs (2 pcs)

Vegetable oil

Salt

Sour cream

Peel the raw potatoes, wash them, and grate them using a medium grater (or a fine grater if desired). It's best to use crumbly potatoes for potato pancakes; they won't release much juice, so we won't need to add flour or squeeze the potatoes. If you do need flour, just 1-2 tablespoons will do.

Pour the grated potatoes into a prepared colander and let them drain for a while (in a bowl). Add the starch that settles in the potatoes. Try to do this quickly, before the potatoes begin to darken.

Add salt (to taste) and eggs to the potatoes. Mix thoroughly.

 Now let's fry the potato pancakes. Fry them in a heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet in hot vegetable oil. Use enough oil, but not too much. Carefully place the potato pancakes (pancakes) into the skillet, preferably with a tablespoon, to ensure they are uniform in shape. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side over medium heat, then reduce the heat, cover, and cook until done (3-4 minutes).

Serve the potato pancakes with sour cream (the classic version).

Enjoy your meal!

Currant and Meringue Pie

Ingredients

For the dough:

Butter 90 g

Flour 150 g

Sugar 2 tbsp

Water 2 tbsp

Egg yolk 1 tsp

Salt

For the filling:

Black currants 250 g

Red currants 250 g

For the meringue:

Icing sugar 200 g

Egg whites 4 pcs

Cut the butter into cubes. Quickly knead the flour, butter, sugar, yolk, warm water, and a pinch of salt into a smooth dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 Roll the dough into a circle with a diameter of 28 cm. Line a 26 cm pie pan with it. Cover with parchment paper, sprinkle with peas, and bake the pie crust in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 180°C.

Mix the currants with powdered sugar and spread them over the dough. Beat the egg whites with powdered sugar until foamy and spread them over the berries. Bake for another 20 minutes at 200°C.

Bon appétit!

Parsnip Soup

Ingredients

Pastenac (root) 450g

Leek 450g

Butter 2 tbsp

Apples 2 pcs

Potatoes 220g

Chicken broth 400ml

Cream 33% 1 cup

Salt

Pepper

For garnish:

Butter 1 tbsp

Leek 1/2 cup

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks (reserving ½ cup for garnish). Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.

Add the diced parsnips, apple, potatoes, broth, and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, loosely covered, until the vegetables are tender, 20-25 minutes.

 Garnish: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, until golden brown.

Purchase the contents of the pan in batches in a blender. Pour into the pan and stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the leek garnish.

Enjoy!

Shortbread Cookies with Royal Icing

Ingredients

For the dough:

Flour 200 g

Butter 125 g

Sugar 3 tbsp

Vanilla sugar 1 packet

Pinch of salt

Baking powder 1/8 tsp

Water 6 tbsp

For the glaze:

Egg white 1 tsp

Lemon juice 1 tsp

Icing sugar 165 g

Food coloring

For the dough, combine the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Add cold butter, cut into pieces, and 6 tablespoons of water. Knead until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Roll out and cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Place the cookies on a greased baking sheet and brush the tops with beaten egg. Bake at 190 degrees Celsius for 10-15 minutes.

Whisk the egg whites with lemon juice using a mixer. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until smooth. Add food coloring, if desired. Use the icing immediately or transfer it to an airtight container, as it hardens when exposed to air.

Enjoy!

Shortbread Pie with Raspberry Jam

Ingredients

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

200 g butter

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

200 g raspberry jam

80 g raspberries

Mix the butter and sugar, add the eggs and vanilla, and mix thoroughly. Mix the flour with the baking powder and gradually add, stirring constantly, until you have a soft dough.

Divide the dough into 2 pieces, one half twice the size of the other. Wrap the smaller piece in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer while you work with the larger piece.

Grease a baking pan and preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Place the larger portion of the dough in the pan and use your hands to spread it evenly, creating a border along the bottom. Once the dough is spread, pierce the bottom with a fork in several places, then mix the jam with the cherries or raspberries and spoon into the pan, spreading it evenly with a spoon.

Remove the frozen dough from the freezer and grate it over the jam using a coarse grater, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle with sugar on top if desired, but this is optional, unless you have a sweet tooth. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Cookies with Raisins and Apples

Ingredients

200 g rolled oats

100 g butter

1/2 cup flour

2 tbsp honey

5 tbsp brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

Apple

Raisins

Nuts

Mix the butter and sugar in a bowl, gradually adding the sugar. Then add the honey, eggs, sifted flour, and baking powder. Mix everything with a mixer.

To the resulting dough, add the rolled oats, blended nuts, raisins, and apples. It's best to use a variety of nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc.). The apples can be coarsely grated or finely diced.

 Roll the mixture into small balls using your hands and place them on a baking sheet, about 3 cm apart. You can garnish with flaked almonds before baking. Bake for about 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!