chocolate crinkle cookies

If you are looking for a perfectly soft and tender chocolate cookie that everyone will love, this is it! A holiday treat, that is as easy and quick to make as it is to eat!

lime pound cake

This refreshing lime pound cake is a must for citrus lovers. It’s light and zesty, drenched in lime syrup and with a nice sugar-crème fraîche glaze. The perfect way to welcome and celebrate spring!

ricotta cheesecake with berries

If you like cheesecakes you will love this one. The filling is made with ricotta and mascarpone and gives the cake a very light and creamy texture. For the topping you can use any kind of berries you like, or you just serve it plain, simply dusted with powdered sugar.

toffee pudding

This super moist and decadent dessert is a British classic. The cake is filled with sweet Medjool dates and has a wonderful caramel flavour. Drenched in a rich and creamy toffee sauce and sprinkled with a bit of coarse salt, this dessert is a real treat.

marble cake

This all-time classic vanilla and chocolate marble cake tastes deliciously soft and tender. It is easy to make and looks beautifully with the marbled swirl that appears, when you cut off a piece of cake.  A perfect teatime treat.

madeleines au citron

Madeleines are little French cakes, baked in scalloped shell-shape baking moulds. These buttery cakes with the crisp crust on the outside and a tender, moist crumb in the center go perfect for a brunch or with an afternoon tea. The batter can be made in advance, up to two days – preferably they should be eaten straight away, fresh from the oven, but they will still be good for up to a day later.

mini loaves of bread

I love the aroma of a freshly baked bread in my kitchen and for me there is almost nothing better than the taste of a crusty homemade piece of bread, spread with salted butter. To bake your own bread is nothing complicated at all, although it does take a little bit of planning ahead, since the yeast sponge needs to be made the night before you plan baking the bread.

marshmallow hearts

To be honest, Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean a lot to me. Surely, I like being surprised by a bouquet of flowers, some chocolate or (even more) a cake mould. But it doesn’t have to be on Valentine’s Day. So even though we don’t celebrate this day, I couldn’t resist to make this fluffy and soft marshmallow hearts for my beloved.

snowflake cookies

It had been snowing all day long and the world looks like it’s all powdered. Everything is calm and peaceful and after a walk trough the winter wonderland we enjoy a nice cup of tea and some of these perfectly crumbly and tender almond snowflake cookies.

pear tarts

Did I ever mention that I love autumn with the early morning fog and the warming rays of the sun in the afternoon? I love the light and the smell of this season and the big variation of wonderful and delicious vegetables and fruits. For a dinner with friends I made these mini tarts with pears, but they can be made with apples or fresh figs as well and they taste delicious served with some whipped cream or homemade ice cream.

sablés with chestnut purée

This delicate and crumbly French butter cookie is traditional in a round shape with a criss-cross pattern on the top of each cookie. A lovely treat on a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon with a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate.

raspberry tartelettes with almond cream

You really can’t beat the taste of freshly picked raspberries and although the signs of autumn already here, our raspberry bushes are still full with deep-red berries with a delicious sweet flavour.  So what goes better than putting them together with a blob of almond cream into a buttery short pastry crust.

vegan apple tart

My dear friend Luana from benvenutocellini asked me a few days ago, if I could give her some suggestions for vegan cakes recipes. After searching the net and reading many of vegan recipes and articles I was ready for my first vegan cake. I thought I can’t go wrong to start with an apple tart and I’m very happy how delicious it turned out.

three kings day

On the 6th of January we celebrate the Three Kings Day here in Switzerland. It marks the end of the Christmas season and celebrates the visit of the Wise men to the Baby Jesus. To honor this arrival, a Three Kings Cake is made and if you visit any bakeries or supermarkets right now in Switzerland, you will see Three King Cakes for sale. The Three Kings Cake is a sweet bread, similar to a Challah or braided bread and shaped like a flower. In addition, a King is hidden in one of the pieces and whoever gets the piece with the King inside is crowned King for this day. 

dacquoise with mandarins

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and a good start into the new year. We were invited to a lovely new years party at our good friends home. For this special and festive occasion I wanted to surprise my husband and friends with a delicious and nice looking dessert. A few month ago, I made a Dacquoise with mixed berries and it was a big hit on my summer party, so I decided to make this dessert – cake again, but instead of berries I took some refreshing and sweet mandarins.

coconut chocolate bars

These coconut chocolate bars are rich of flavors, soft and tender on the inside, smothered in bitter-sweet dark chocolate and sprinkled with coconut flakes. They taste more like little cakes rather than cookies but nonetheless they look very pretty and decoratively on your christmas cookie plate.

christmas cookies

Christmas is just around the corner and the anticipation for the holiday season grows with each day. I spend the last few days in the kitchen; baking cookies for my family, for friends and workmates. Lets start the festive spirit with two of them; the crisp and buttery spritz cookies, dipped in dark chocolate and the walnut stars with the crumbly and light texture.

chocolate cake with apples and rum

This is a lovely cake for an afternoon tea-party, rich in taste, full of tender apple pieces and delightfully boozy; but for adults only! The cake is very easy and quick to prepare and if you don’t like the taste of rum, it is also excellent with some Brandy or Calvados or even apple juice instead of rum.

coconut macaroons

These coconut macaroons are the perfect way to not let egg whites go to waste! They have a nice sweet coconut flavor, crunchy on the outside with a soft and chewy texture and dipped in dark chocolate the taste heavenly.

apple cake with shortcrust pastry

Last autumn we planted a little apple tree in our garden and I’m overjoyed how many delicious and beautiful fruits our tree has given us this year. There are plenty of tasty things that can be made with apples; so stay tuned for some more luscious recipes in the next few weeks! The base for this apple cake is a cross between pastry and biscuit and tastes lovely with the juicy and slightly sour apples.

chestnut and chocolate cake

I love this time of the year; the leaves change colors, the air is crisp and clear, the early morning mists, followed by plenty of sunshine in the afternoon. The smell of autumn and the wonderful aroma of roasted chestnuts wafting through the air. Enjoy this moist and nice chestnut & chocolate cake with a cup of coffee or tea for warming up after an autumn walk.

meringue mushrooms

These adorable meringue mushrooms are great to decorate cakes and desserts or as a beautiful addition for your dinner table. They are really not difficult to make and can be stored in an airtight container for several days.

cannelés bordelais

After a wonderful week in the marvelous city of Poitiers in France with our gorgeous friends Elsa and Fred, I came back with my head full of ideas and inspirations for desserts and pastries. I start today with a specialty of the Bordeaux region of France; Cannelés. It’s a pastry with a thick caramelized crust and a soft and tender and slightly chewy center, flavored with vanilla and rum. For the best results, the dough has to rest for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator and then placed in a very hot oven. Enjoy these little cakes for breakfast, dessert or just as a snack in the afternoon.

muffins with roasted hazelnuts & raspberries

Sweet raspberries, fresh roasted hazelnuts, topped with lemon glaze; enjoy the last days of indian summer with these absolutely delicious muffins with a glass of Champagne or dessert wine. 

dacquoise with summer fruits

A  Dacquoise is a kind of dessert cake made with layers of almond or hazelnut meringue, filled with pastry cream, buttercream or whipped cream and topped with seasonal fruits. The texture of this classic french cake is soft and creamy, crisp and crunchy and will satisfy everyone. It will take some time to prepare this heavenly dessert but it is worth it.

cheesecake with peach sauce

This refreshing and fruity peach sauce goes great with the rich and creamy consistency of cheesecakes and makes it an ideal and delicious summer treat.

strawberry trifle flavored with tonka beans

I’ve never made a Trifle before or even has eaten one. So, when I saw this Trifle recipe by Jamie Oliver I knew, this would be the ideal finish for my next summer party. Instead of vanilla sugar or vanilla extract I used a Tonka bean. The Tonka beans tastes like a cross between vanilla, almond and cinnamon and are used particularly in the French kitchen for desserts and in perfumes.

The fresh strawberries with the sparkling Prosecco and topped with pastry cream and the unique flavor of the Tonka bean makes it one of  the most decadent desserts ever.

cheesecake cream with cherry sauce

Last weekend we were invited to a garden party.  I was offering to bring the dessert, so I chose to make this delicious and simple cheesecake cream. We had a wonderful time, lots of drinks and great food.

summer fruit tarts

Summer has finally arrived in Switzerland and what goes better with this wonderful and sunny weather than a light, flavorful and refreshing dessert?! This Tart with the fluffy pastry cream and topped with seasonal fruits will be the star on your summer party.

blueberry cupcakes

I’m actually not a huge fan of cupcakes, for my taste they are much to sweet. But these mini cupcakes have a delicious and not to overly sweet topping and have the perfect bite size. They are great for breakfast, as snack or for a dessert. And if you are a blueberry fan like me, you just can’t resist.

vanilla cake with almonds and caramel

Enjoy your afternoon tea or coffee with one or better two pieces of this moist and not overly sweet vanilla cake, topped with a crunchy almonds and a lovely caramel sauce.

blueberry cake with cinnamon streusel

This moist and tender cake topped with blueberries and cinnamon streusel, looks pretty, taste delicious and it is so easy to make! For this delicious cake you can use any of your favorite berries.

pulla bread with cardamom and almonds

Pulla is a sweet bread from Finland, flavored with cardamom and occasionally with raisins or/and sliced almonds. It reminds me a little bit of Brioche and tastes amazing while still warm out of the oven.

coffee ice cream with kahlua

This delicious homemade coffee ice cream with a shot of Kahlua and garnished with almond brittle has a wonderful creamy and smooth texture and is the perfect way to end a delicious meal.

crème bavaroise with strawberry sauce

Crème bavaroise is a classic dessert from Germany. The cream is similar to a French crème pâtissière, but thickened with gelatin instead of cornstarch, flavoured with liqueur and lightened with whipped cream. The texture is very smooth and it is not too sweet. It’s a simple but elegant dessert to finish off your dinner.

macarons au café

Enjoy these soft and bittersweet Macarons, filled with dark chocolate and coffee, like a delicious cup of coffee. 

caramel pastry cream

This caramel pastry cream is one of my all time favorite dessert. It’s simple and smooth and while it’s creamy, it’s not overly rich. The caramel is made by boiling together sugar and water to form a caramel syrup. Depending on what you like, your syrup can be a light amber color or a deep, rich golden hue which makes for a richer contrast in flavors.

valentine’s day macarons with raspberry filling

A delicious and home-made-sweet surprise on Valentine’s Day; treat your beloved one with this pretty looking and fruity tasting raspberry Macarons!

cardamom yeast knot rolls

Enjoy these flavorful and delicious yeast knot rolls on a Sunday morning for breakfast. The preparation is easy and can be made the night before.

apple pie ice cream

If you like apple pie, you will love this delicious ice cream. The smooth and creamy concoction is flavored with apples and a cinnamon crunchy streusel mixture. One scoop just isn’t enough!