Furesta Nera Cake (or my version of Black Forest Cake) / Furesta nera (o anche la Foresta nera a modo mio)

 

Antinea is a special person. We’ve known each other for little over a year but it is as if it were a life time that we have been friends. It was a mutual friend who introduced her to me. With the impending 35th birthday I thought it would be good for me to start some kind of physical activity to keep fit. Amongst the various options the most popular for women in their thirties seemed to be pilates and talking to Marko it came out that her friend Antinea is pilates instructor. There was a nice vibe from the start and despite my stiffness and the struggle to assimilate her teachings I decided to trust her, committing to exercising and trying to overcome my limits. And so it was. I’m sure that without her there would have been no “Cuochi d’artificio” and I am convinced that pilates has greatly contributed to my physical and psychological well-being, giving me not only a new body but also a new mindset. Perhaps at my age I have finally reached a state of equilibrium and for that I must thank Antinea too.

MTChallenge February: Bread, Anise and Lemon Zest Baci / MTChallenge di Febbraio: Baci al pane, anice e scorza di limone

What is love? This month Mtchallenge challenges us with baci, Perugina’s world famous chocolate confection and with the daunting task of opening our hearts. Difficult task, tempering chocolate as exploring the darkest recesses of our hearts. Looking back I can see how my view on love has changed, through relationships and heartbreaks. Different shades of the same colour, or so it seems. Have I yet understood what love really is or will my perspective change once again? One thing is clear, however, falling in love is to love as bran to wheat and only in trust, freedom, respect and above all sharing one can find true love. I consider myself lucky having had such a love in my love, even though it’s over now.

Daring Bakers: Sachertorte

The October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Korena of Korena in the Kitchen. She took us to Austria and introduced us to the wonders of the Sachertorte.

It has been a while since I last took part to a Daring Bakers challenge, but this month I could not miss on the appointment, not with this cake, the Sachertorte. Korena challenged us with the cake I baked the most during my university years (as I already told you in my post of the chocolate and cinnamon cake). And I realised I hadn’t been baking it since then. A good opportunity to test my skills (oh the glaze, what a nightmare!) and taste, after so many years, one of the most balanced and soft dough in the world of cakes to my humble opinion.

Maroggia’s Mill Cookbook: Chocolate and Cinnamon Cake / Il Ricettario del Mulino di Maroggia: Torta al cioccolato e cannella

Holidays are indeed over, and Maroggia’s Mill Cookbook is back as well, and back with a sweet tooth. This cake was born from the need to recycle egg whites that I had to freeze last Easter, after some proper Colombe baking (here is the link to the original recipe I used, my post has yet to be put online!). Having had enough of meringues and macarons I needed to find a new recipe to use up all those whites! Upon returning from vacation I realized that my freezer exploded with different vegetables, sauces, meat, and egg whites. A recipe for Sacher Torte taken from an old issue of A Tavola, which I baked several times during my university years, came up to my mind.

Protetto: Chocolate Éclairs / Éclairs al cioccolato

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Chocolate, Orange and Hazelnut Vegan Tart for Nevia, but not for Mimi / Crostata vegana al cioccolato, arancia e nocciole per Nevia ma non per Mimi

Veganism. A choice, a rigid lifestyle and to me, I must admit, a bit of a problem when it’s up to baking and desserts. Until a few months ago I never had to wonder about cooking or baking vegan, but then met Mimi and Nevia.

Panettone Yule Log, the recycling of a monstrous Panettone / Tronchetto Natalizio di Panettone, o del riciclo del Panettone dilusione

Panettone, only Panettone on my mind. Every step I take, every move I make am thinking about IT and yes, it does sound a bit like a bitter-sweet nightmare. What I have been avoiding for years, the most difficult and scary of leavened has now become my obsession.

What I baked last weekend and a chocolate and orange plumcake / Cosa ho sfornato settimana scorsa e un plumckae al cioccolato e arancia

It has been a long one, last week. Full of appointments, things to do and unexpected events. I have baked and cooked, I’ve wrote posts, I’ve driven my car far and got stuck an a few queues. I got tired but didn’t let go, putting my alarm clock at 2 a.m. in order to bake a panettone I have been given at an evening at the bakery promoted by Migros and sleeping 4-5 hours maximum to bake ciabatte. I found the time to put together a quick pot bread but admit a little cheating with an addition of instant yeast (2 gr) which enabled me to bake a loaf in approx 4 hours avoiding the fridge proofing. And here I am, tired, trying to type up a new post for the blog.

Brioche obsession and Chocolate Babka / L’ossessione per la brioche e la Babka al cioccolato

Lately brioche has been the queen of my kitchen. It all started with italian facebook baking groups raving about this russian flower and the endless posting of pictures, videos and blog posts. I’m not usually inclined to follow trends, but admit the shape was so gorgeous I couldn’t help myself. And having friends around for dinner is always a great excuse, isn’t it?