With the holidays approaching and cold weather outside, it is the perfect time to turn on your fireplace and enjoy a cup of smooth, full-bodied homemade Mulled Wine. It is an old fragrant European concoction that is consumed during the Christmas Season, starting with the first of Advent and is served hot, traditionally at German Christmas Markets. It makes a nice drink also on New Year’s Eve.
You will need:
1/4 liter red wine (1 cup), like Burgundy or Cabernet Sauvignon
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or 1 slice of a lemon (rinse the lemon before use)
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed orange juice or 1 slice of an orange, optional (rinse the orange before use)
1 stick of cinnamon
pinch of ground clove
pinch of ground anise or 1 star anise, either one – not both
1 tablespoon rock sugar (or 4 teaspoons white granulated sugar) or to taste
This recipe makes 1 cup of Mulled Wine. Multiply the recipe for more. If using very dry wine, you might want to add more sugar to taste.
Directions:
Heat the red wine with the rest of the ingredients in a pot over medium/medium low heat until very hot, but do not allow the wine to come to a boil, for about 20 to 30 minutes. Sieve the wine using a fine mesh strainer or spoon out any fruit slices or dried spices that are used and pour it into a porcelain mug or a glass coffee mug and serve it hot. Leftovers can be reheated. Store leftover Mulled Wine without any fruit slices, cinnamon sticks, or star anise.
Grab some Macaroons or Butter Cookies and a cup of hot Mulled Wine late in the afternoon. This heavenly tasty concoction is knock-your-feet-off delicious and warms up your body, heart, and soul!
Enjoy Life. Eat Tastelishes. Themed, photo-illustrated inspiring eBooks by Tastelishes for the home cook & home baker are available at Amazon and Smashwords.
All writing, illustrations, and photography is Copyright Tastelishes 2014, unless indicated otherwise, and may not be reproduced. All rights reserved.
Tastelishes recipes feature both simple and extraordinary dishes that tempt the palate and delight the senses to create memorable moments that last a lifetime.
14 photo-illustrated themed Tastelishes eBooks showcase gorgeous, easy-to-follow recipes. Enjoy Life. Eat Tastelishes. Available at Amazon and Smashwords.
All writing, illustrations, and photography is Copyright Tastelishes 2015, unless indicated otherwise, and may not be reproduced. All rights reserved.
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This light, silky smooth Egg Liquor Cake is special for any occasion, festivity & holiday or for simply spoiling yourself, your family, and friends. It is a flourless, full-bodied cake with a velvety cream topping and a touch of rich golden dazzling Egg Liquor. It is out-of-this-world tastelicious. To make it completely gluten-free, make sure you use gluten-free baking powder or completely omit (works well without it) and choose gluten-free eggs from chickens that are not fed gluten grains.
Cake:
Ingredients:
80 grams unsalted butter or unsalted margarine (2.8 oz)
80 grams white fine granulated sugar (2.8 oz)
1 envelope DrOetker vanilla sugar or 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
(DrOetker vanilla sugar is available in the baking aisle of local supermarkets.)
5 large eggs (in whole, or separate the egg yolk from the egg white)
100 grams chocolate sprinkles or finely chopped semisweet morsels (3.5 oz)
200 grams finely grinded almonds or hazelnuts (7.1 oz)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons Cognac
Whisk the butter for a few minutes until creamy and yellowish in color. Add sugar and vanilla sugar or vanilla extract and whisk until fully incorporated, about 3 minutes. Add one egg at a time until completely mixed in. For an even lighter and airier cake, separate the egg yolk from the egg white and only add the egg yolks (one at a time) at this point instead of the whole eggs. Add the sprinkles, nuts and baking powder and mix. Add the Cognac and incorporate. In case you separated the eggs, whisk the egg whites with an electric hand or stand mixer until stiff peaks form, for about 6 minutes, and incorporate it into the batter at the very end, using a wire whisk. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, going in an up and down circular motion, do not stir. Lightly butter (with unsalted butter/margarine) and flour an 11–inch Springform pan, or line the baking pan with parchment paper (cut to size), and fill in the batter evenly. Smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 – 180 degrees Celsius), about 25 to 30 minutes, on the lower oven rack, or until a tester (e.g. toothpick) inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the Springform pan and transfer it onto a wire rack. Release the cake onto the wire rack and let cool completely. Once the cake has cooled, transfer it onto a cake tray. Prepare the topping.
Topping:
Apply the topping to the baked and completely cooled cake. Chill the bowl and whisk for whipping the heavy cream beforehand.
Ingredients:
500 ml heavy whipping cream, chilled (2 cups)
3 – 4 tablespoons white fine granulated sugar (recommended) or confectioners’ sugar
Verpoorten Original Egg Liquor (20 % vol.), as needed (a few tablespoons)
Whip the heavy cream in a large chilled kitchen bowl with an electric hand/stand mixer and a chilled whisk attached, using a low setting for a minute. Using chilled utensils helps stabilizing the cream and speeds up the process. Switch to the highest speed setting. Add the sugar after about 2 minutes. Whisk the cream until frothy, about 3 – 4 minutes in total. Reserve about 5 – 6 tablespoons of whipped cream to make decorative swirls and set it aside (or cover and chill). Spread the big batch of cream evenly over the cake and also cover the edges using an icing spatula. Fill the reserved cream into a pastry bag with a decorative tip attached and arrange continuous decorative puffs on the outer rim around the entire cake (see photograph). Shake the bottle of Egg Liquor well before using. Spoon or pour some Egg Liquor by Verpoorten inside the circle of cream puffs, just enough to apply a thin layer over the entire surface. The cream puffs will keep the Egg Liquor enclosed. Do not apply any Egg Liquor outside of the cream puffs. Serve immediately or cover and chill before serving.
Tip: In case the whipped cream will not reach a frothy consistency or is too soft, add 3/4 to 1 envelope of unflavored Gelatine or 2 envelopes of DrOetker Whip It and whisk to incorporate. It will be completely neutral in flavor and gives the cream extra and lasting stability. DrOetker Whip It is available in the baking aisle of local supermarkets.
For more information, kitchen basics, recipes & more, go to Tastelishes. Tastelishes cooks and bakes flavorful homemade dishes from scratch with natural ingredients. Enjoy Life. Eat Tastelishes.
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This Tastelishes Zebra Cake is not only an eye catcher, but a light and tender cake, as well. The zebra design is very easy to make.
Ingredients for the Cake:
375 grams unbleached, all-purpose flour (King Arthur recommended) (13.23 oz)
3 – 4 teaspoons baking powder
250 grams white fine granulated sugar (8.8 oz)
1 envelope vanilla sugar (vanilla sugar by DrOetker is available in the baking aisle of local supermarkets), optional, but recommended (or use 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract)
5 large eggs
125 ml lukewarm water (4.23 fl. oz)
250 ml corn oil or vegetable oil (8.45 fl. oz)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
for extra flavor, you could add 1 tablespoon white Rum (e.g. Bacardi), optional
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Add all the ingredients – except for the cocoa – and mix with a hand or a stand mixer shortly on the lowest setting, then switch to the highest setting and mix for about 2 minutes until the dough is smooth. Split the batter in half and transfer one half into a separate bowl. Mix the cocoa into one half of the batter (you could also sift it in and it blends in easier and quicker). Prepare a Springform pan (28 cm = 11 inches). Butter (use unsalted butter only) the cake pan and dust it lightly with flour. Start by adding 1 – 2 tablespoons white batter and place it into the center of the Springform pan. Add 1 – 2 tablespoons of dark batter directly onto the white batter. Add 1 – 2 tablespoons of white batter onto the dark batter, then add 1 – 2 tablespoons onto the white batter and so on. Repeat with the rest of the batter. This pattern will achieve the zebra design. Bake the cake in a pre-heated oven, at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175/180 degrees Celsius), on the lower oven rack, for about 40 minutes or until a tester (e.g. toothpick) inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and release the wall belt of the cake pan. Let cool completely. Transfer the cake onto a cake tray. This cake is also delicious when baked a day ahead.
To sweeten the cake, you could add an icing on top of the cake or simply sift powder/confectioners’ sugar over it.
For a Homemade Icing, you will need:
approx. 150 grams powdered sugar/confectioners’ sugar (5.29 oz)
4 tablespoons white Rum or for a zesty icing, use lemon juice instead of Rum
Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl and spread it atop of the cake, using an icing spatula.
All Writing, Photography and Illustration is Copyright Tastelishes 2013. All rights reserved.
Fabulous recipes for cooking and baking from scratch don’t have to be complicated. The following full-color photo-illustrated eBooks for the home cook and home baker are available at the Amazon Kindle Store for quick, simple, easy recipes with style:
Go homemade and make your own Frappuccino. The topping is made with freshly whipped cream. This is a quick & easy recipe.
Ingredients:
375 ml coffee, chilled (12.7 fl.oz)
90 – 100 ml whole milk (3 fl.oz – 3.4 fl.oz)
4 ice cubes
a pinch or two of baking cocoa
1 tablespoon caramel coffee syrup
1 – 2 tablespoons (or to taste) fine, white granulated sugar
Deco/Topping:
200 ml heavy whipping cream, chilled (chill the kitchen bowl and whisk beforehand) (6.8 fl.oz)
1 – 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar, or to taste
drizzles of chocolate syrup (or caramel)
Mix the ingredients (coffee, milk, ice cubes, baking cocoa, caramel coffee syrup, and sugar) in a blender and blend until well mixed and foamy. Pour it into a cup and set it aside. Prepare the whipped cream. Use a chilled kitchen bowl and a chilled whisk for making the whipped cream, which needs to be chilled well beforehand. It will help to stabilize the cream and it will also speed up the process. Measure the amount of chilled heavy cream in a Pyrex bowl. Pour the cream directly from the Pyrex bowl into the chilled kitchen bowl. Whip the cream with a hand/stand mixer, using a low setting for a minute, then slowly add the sugar. Switch to the highest setting and continue to whisk for about 1 more minute (about 2 minutes in total) until frothy. Scoop the cream into a pastry bag with a decorative tip attached and pipe a large dollop of cream over the coffee mixture in the cup. Drizzle chocolate syrup over the cream. Enjoy this silky, rich & creamy concoction.
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This is such a quick & delicious salad made from leftover pot roast. I sometimes serve it for lunch from leftover meat and I thought I’d share this simple recipe with you today.
Makes 1 large dinner plate
You will need:
Cooked/Leftover Pot Roast, a few slices, diced
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
approx. 2 handfuls of canned carrots (drained) or as much/as little as liked
1 hard-boiled egg, optional
a few sprigs of fresh parsley, finely chopped
salt to taste
fresh pepper to taste
Salt and pepper is suffice for this dish, but if desired, you could add some of the following spices:
pinch of ground nutmeg, optional
dash of ground sweet paprika, optional
dash of Old-Bay Seasoning, optional
dash of any mix of dried herbs (e.g. Italian Seasoning), optional
Vinaigrette:
2 TBS corn oil or vegetable oil
1 TBS white vinegar
Prepare the ingredients and put them into a salad bowl to combine. Season to taste, add the vinaigrette, toss and serve. You can either serve this salad immediately or set it aside for a few minutes to let the spices and vinaigrette develop an even intenser aroma. Enjoy!
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