Liquorice and Beetroot Babka / Babka alla barbabietola e liquirizia

For those who know me well this recipe does not come as a surprise… you know ho much I love beetroot and licorice don’t you? I tried this babka for breakfast and it is simply delicious, pillowy soft and just slightly sweet, want a slice? Well, roll up your sleeves and get started baking!

What a Daring Challenge! Sfogliatelle ricce / Che sfida ardita, le Sfogliatelle ricce per Daring Bakers!

Sandie of the lovely blog, Crumbs of Love, was our November hostess. Sandie challenged us to make a traditional Italian dessert, along with its American version – Sfogliatelle (or better known in the US – lobster tails!) The flakey, 1000 layers of super thin dough, shaped into a horn and filled with a scrumptious filling. Così buono!

Sfogliatelle ricce has always been one of my favourite sweet treats. Anything made out of layers, especially food, fascinates me. Like a surgeon I dissect mozzarella layer by layer, and do the same thing with Msemen, a moroccan bread a friend taught me to bake recently that will be surely included in the blog. Savouring sfogliatelle I’m used to gently pull one end to see at which extent the spiral will unravel before breaking. It’s a childish but irresistible way of savouring food.

Beetroot, tangerine, tonka beans and vanilla Sourdough Bread / Pane al lievito madre con barbabietola, mandarino, fava tonka e vaniglia

This bread was inspired to me by this month’s Twelve Loaves theme: roots. I had been looking for many weeks at the great achievements obtained by fellow bakers with this kind of bread (both professionals and home bakers) during my web surfing. Every single one had a different shade of pink, a different crumb, crust and rise. A whole world of beetroot breads.

Banana Bread, the ultimate comfort food / Banana bread, cibo coccola per eccellenza

Autumn is slowly drawing in, climate is getting colder, days are getting shorter. We are hit by mixed feelings about whether adventuring out of the house risking to catch a cold out of a sudden watery change of weather, or stay in, sipping on an old good cuppa. Tea time, comforting and soothing. Nothing wipes away fatigue, stress and anxieties like a mug of black tea. There’s no game, tea wins over everything. It can be savoured with a good varieties of foods, may it be sandwiches, scones, biscuits or cakes. One of my favourite options is toasted banana bread, with a gentle spread of salted butter.

About blackberries cheesecake and “abductions” / Di “rapimenti” e torta alle more e ricotta

As you all know some ingredients, if not handpicked in our backyards, can be quite expensive. Blackberries, at least in Switzerland, are among those. As a child I would pick them, and clearly remember a bush near to my father’s vegetable garden, but now no trace of them can be found in the surroundings. Luckily my uncle has a huge blackberry bush near to his house and two weeks ago I decided to go over and pick some with him. No warnings of abduction whatsoever. Yes abduction.

Mille feuille Tale, part two / Storia di una Millefoglie, parte seconda

Back to my mille feuille quest, as promised I devote myself to this cause and will do a test recipe once a week until the 28th of September. Last Friday was no exception. But I admit my second row has been part success part fail. Well not fail, I’d rather say bail…out. My excuse? I had many other things on my mind, especially baking fresh goods for guests that came over for the weekend.