Apfelkuchen: authentic Bavarian apple cake

This recipe for apfelkuchen was created by Franziska of Greiling, Bavaria, a long time friend of my husband's family. We stayed with her family for a few days while we honeymooned in Germany. Though there was a language barrier between us (I know about 5 words of German), she and her husband made me feel like I was part of their family. I immediately felt welcome in their home even though we'd never met before.

Bavarian hospitality is remarkable for its deep, genuine generosity. Food culture is a very important part of it -- Bavarians particularly love to create baked goods to share with others. We were showered with many such homemade delights while we stayed in Franziska's home. Holiday cookies, fruit tortes, and strudels are to the Bavarians what puff pastries are to the French: an important source of cultural identity. Bavarian desserts are marked by a subtle sweetness, often relying on fruit and other natural flavorings rather than just sugar. This light apple cake would be traditionally served with afternoon coffee, but it could also be served as an after-dinner dessert, or even as a breakfast dish.

Vanilla sugar is a staple in Bavarian baking, and gives this cake its truly authentic flavor. Vanilla sugar is usually sold in little packets that can sometimes be found in specialty stores in the States. If you cannot find it, half a teaspoon of vanilla extract may be substituted for a packet of vanilla sugar, but the flavor won't have quite the same character.

True to the cultural heritage that makes them the best precision machinists in the world, the Germans are very precise in their baking. Dry ingredients are measured by metric weight (number of grams) rather than volume (cups, spoonfuls, etc). My proudly German husband has proved to me that this measurement approach is in fact more precise. My imprecise nature concedes defeat on this point, but stubbornly maintains that precision is sometimes unnecessary. So, I have converted the original recipe to approximate volume measurements for ease of use, but also included the weight measurements to stay true to German form. Use a springform cake pan for this recipe if you have one. Avoid nonstick pans, or line them with parchment paper to prevent scorching the edges of this delicate cake.

Grand Marnier Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Normally I wouldn't post two cake recipes back-to-back, but this one is too good to keep secret. My husband requested an orange-chocolate birthday cake this year. This was new territory for me, but I was happy to experiment, and absolutely thrilled with the result. This is quite possibly the best and most decadent birthday cake I've made to date.

Pecans lend a delicate sweetness to this moist and buttery cake, while whipped egg whites make it light and fluffy. I created a subtle and pleasing orange flavor by using sour cream to balance Grand Marnier, orange zest, and orange extract. The secret to a perfect cake is to use really top-notch butter. Que manifique!

Carrot Cake: a family favorite on a Fall day

I created this moist and flavorful carrot cake by adapting a family recipe from my mother-in-law. Shredded carrots, chopped pecans, and orange zest create a pleasing texture and balanced sweetness. I used a traditional cream cheese frosting sprinkled with pecans and dried cherries. This cake can either be made in two 9" round pans or baked in a 9"x13" glass baking dish. For layer cakes, scale up the frosting ingredients by 50%.

Ginger Crinkles: sweet, unique, yummy cookies

My husband renamed my ginger crinkles "ginger doodles" because their sugar-crusted exterior looks somewhat similar to that of snickerdoodles.  Molasses and brown sugar gives these cookies a deep sweet flavor, while ground ginger adds a pleasing little spicy note.  They taste a lot like Christmas gingerbread, only richer and more complex.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Tarts: A celebration of summer

What better way to launch a cooking blog than with a recipe for a sweet fruity treat?  The tang of rhubarb plays off the sweetness of strawberries in this summery dessert.  Orange zest and cloves add subtle complexity, and the buttery crust rounds out the flavor.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

Crust
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp table salt
12 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Filling
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp ground cloves
4 tbsp flour
zest of one orange
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 lb rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries

Crust directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2.  In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour with powdered sugar and salt.
3.  Use a fork to cut the cold butter into the flour mixture, stirring until a crumby texture is achieved.
4.  Scoop 2 cups of the crust mixture into an 8"x8" baking dish.  Reserve the remaining mixture.
5.  Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar to the reserved mixture, stir to incorporate, and set the bowl aside.
6.  Bake the crust for 25 minutes until golden in color.

Filling directions

1.  In a separate large bowl, combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar with ground cloves using a fork.
2.  Add 4 tbsp flour, orange zest, and vanilla and stir with the fork to thoroughly combine.
3.  Add the rhubarb and strawberries, mixing with your hands to fully coat the fruit in the sugar mixture.
4.  Pour the fruit filling onto the hot baked crust, distributing evenly out to the edges.
5.  Sprinkle the remaining crust crumbles over the top of the filling.
6.  Bake for 50 minutes, until top crust crumbles are light golden brown.

Cool to room temperature before cutting into squares to serve.

Note:  These tarts will keep for up to 5 days in a sealed container at room temperature.