Czech

Gingerbread Christmas Ornaments

Posted on December 5, 2014

Hey Everybody! For the past couple of Christmases, I’ve always shared my traditional Czech gingerbread cookies with you, and today I’m here to share this year’s! Gingerbread cookies are one of my favorite Christmas traditions, but I don’t actually like to eat them… I make them purely for decorating purposes! I usually arrange them in a big shallow basket lined with greenery that I put on our dining table, but this year, I decided to make ornaments out of them, and decorate one of my little trees with them. To make the cookies into ornaments, you could either make holes at the top before baking (which I find never works well for me and they always seem to close up as the cookies expand when they bake) or you could very carefully make the holes using a needle once the cookies have completely cooled and you’ve decorated them (this is the way that I do it, it’s best to make the holes a day or two after baking and decorating so they’ve had time to sit out – I don’t store them in an airtight container since they are for decoration only). And I’ll let you in on a little secret… I used to make the cookies from scratch, but since we never eat them, I just use a store-bought cookie mix for them now. They smell just as delicious, and you save yourself a little bit of time! If you’re interested in saving yourself some more time and still want that person touch, my friend recommended Personalized Ornaments. They look so fantastic and still have that personal touch.

Lots of these gingerbread cookies are sold at the Christmas markets back at home in Prague. They are usually intricately decorated (my decorating skills have a looooong way to go!) and iced with different colors. I always miss the Christmas markets whenever we don’t go home for Christmas, because they are so fun to wander through; there are lots of stalls selling beautiful handmade Christmas ornaments and traditional gifts, lots of cookies and treats and holiday foods (which are the best part), all under the glow of a big Christmas tree! There are Christmas carols playing, people shopping and eating, and it always feels like a magical Christmas Wonderland! I can just smell it all now…. the spicy scent of all the cookies, the holiday drinks, the ham, sausages and slowly roasted pig… smells like Christmas!

And if you want to see some more gingerbread goodies, HERE are my cookies from a couple of years ago (left) and HERE are my (non-edible!) felt gingerbread man ornaments & gift tags (right)!

Happy Baking and Decorating, Everyone!

My Favorite Cookbooks

Posted on November 10, 2014

Hi Everyone! I wanted to do something a little different, and share some of my favorite cookbooks with you today! I love cookbooks. In fact, every time I go to a bookstore, the cookbook isle is the first one I go to. And I don’t think there’s been a single Christmas or birthday in the past couple of years for which I haven’t received a cookbook! I have collected lots of cookbooks over the years, some new, some old, and wanted to tell you a little bit about my most favorite ones! As I started writing this post and sharing a little bit about each cookbook with you, I realized that there was a story and lots of memories tied to every one of them, which really is my favorite thing about cooking; the memories it brings back. Fun childhood memories of baking with my grandparents or learning how to cook as a newlywed; it’s funny how it only takes a few ingredients to turn back time and be transported to those precious memories!

Here are just a few of my favorites…

Cookbook: Nigella Lawson’s Nigella Kitchen. Favorite Recipe: Apple Cinnamon Muffins

So, there is a little bit of a back story to the reason for why this cookbook is one of my favorites! Other than my love for being in the kitchen started when I was a kid. I was that kid who used to love pretending to play as if I was making a fancy meal or hosting a dinner party. But fast forward some years, ever since, my friend and I got VIP tickets to go to the Martha Stewart show in New York City, and Nigella Lawson happened to be the guest on the show that day! We got to sit in the front row, and it was such a fun experience! At the end of the show, we all got Nigella’s cookbook and that was when I was really introduced to her cooking. I think that Nigella is really the queen of flavor. Every single one of her recipes that I have tried has always been excellent, and the flavors have always been so complex. And also, she looked even more beautiful in person than she does on TV if that’s even possible! As for my favorite recipe from the cookbook, I have SO many, and cook several of them pretty frequently, but one of my favorites have to be these Apple Cinnamon Muffins. So simple, but so delicious, like most of Nigella’s recipes!

Cookbook: The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book. Favorite Recipe: Black Forest Cake.

This is one of the best basic baking books I’ve read! I got this cookbook for Christmas one year, and I remember I dragged it to Europe with me for the holidays because I was so excited to read through it, and it’s a pretty heavy book! But that’s how good it is! It has a great selection of classic baking recipes, ranging from cookies and cakes to breads and muffins. It’s a great guide for beginning bakers, but also just for anyone who loves to bake! I have made so many recipes from this book, but one of my all time favorites is this Black Forest Cake. I made it for Valentine’s Day one year, and it disappeared pretty quickly!

Cookbook: The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics. Favorite Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie.

As you can tell by all the sticky note page markers in this book, it is clearly a favorite! I got this cookbook the first year I was married, and have been working my way through it ever since! I have always been a big Martha Stewart fan and have several of her cookbooks, but this is one of my favorites simply because it has pretty much every basic recipe you would ever want and need (and more)! My absolute favorite recipe from this book is the Chicken Pot Pie. I remember making it one fall in our teeny-tiny little kitchen in Haddonfield, New Jersey, where I had pretty much zero counter space and very little kitchen equipment, but being an excited newlywed making dinner for my husband, it was the best thing in the world! Every time I make this recipe, it takes me back to that little kitchen and brings back so many wonderful (and delicious!) memories, which really, I think is the best thing about cooking!

Cookbook: The Pioneer Woman Cookbook: Food from my Frontier. Favorite Recipe: Beef Stew.

This cookbook is also pretty high up on my list! I just love the Pioneer Woman! And her kitchen. And her ranch. And her lodge. And her cooking, especially! My husband got me this cookbook for my birthday one year, and I kept trying to ask him what presents he got me for my birthday (as I do every year, because I am oh so impatient). He wouldn’t tell me (as he never does), but he said he got me a present at Bass Pro Shops (for those of you who don’t know this store, which is his favorite store by the way, it’s a store with all things outdoorsy, and not one where I ever shop!) I didn’t know whether he was kidding or whether I should be afraid, but when I unwrapped that particular present, it was this Pioneer Woman cookbook! I have so many favorite Pioneer Woman recipes, but her Beef Stew is definitely one of my favorites!

Cookbook: Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Favorite Recipe: Chocolate Mousse.

This cookbook is a classic of course, and one that belongs in every cookbook collector’s collection! These recipes are not “30 minute meals” by any means, and most require several hours, extensive preparation and pretty much every single dish, tool and piece of equipment in your kitchen! But oh my goodness, is it worth it! If you love to cook and enjoy spending time in your kitchen, then this is the book for you! One of my favorites is Julia’s chocolate mousse. She said it was sinful, and it most definitely is. It is one of the richest, most indulgent desserts I’ve ever made!

These two books are not cookbooks, but if you enjoy food writing, you may enjoy these two! The one of the left is Julia Child’s My Life in France, which recounts her life and stories in France. It’s a very easy read, with so many stories and cooking memories. The book on the right is one that I just picked up recently, The New Yorker’s Secret Ingredients, which is a collection of short stories from famous writers and chefs, all based around food. I’m still reading this book, but there have been several great stories in it so far!

And of course, some of my most loved recipes are ones that can’t be found in any cookbook, but have been passed down and tweaked from generation to generation. I’ve loved sharing some of my favorite family recipes with you here (like THESE Linzer Cookies that I make every Christmas, or THESE Traditional Czech Gingerbread Cookies) and always look forward to recreating those old familiar recipes in my kitchen! If you want to read a little more about some old family recipes, I wrote a whole post about them HERE (“From My Grandmother’s Recipe Files…”)

What are your favorite cookbooks? And favorite recipes? I would love to hear what your favorites are! Thanks for stopping by today, I hope you all have a great rest of your week!

Baking with Yeast – Recipe Collection

Posted on May 7, 2014

Hi Everyone! I have another recipe collection to share with you today, and this time it’s all about baking with yeast! When I was getting married, my grandma told me that if I can master baking with yeast, I am ready to get married! Although, I’m pretty sure there is more involved when it comes to establishing whether you are ready for marriage. Do you love your partner? Do they fill the hole when it comes to your sexual life? Can you see a life with them? Of course, loving your partner is a massive part of whether you decide to live the rest of your life with them. You have to be attracted to them. If you’re not, how can you build a life together? Now I know I shouldn’t think this way, but to most couples, sex is everything. And if women are required to use a silicone dildo to receive their sexual pleasure, then it could mean that they jumped into marriage too quickly. It may not affect everyone, but sexual attraction to your partner is definitely very important.

To me, these are the more important factors to consider when it comes to thinking about marriage, but as I like baking, maybe mastering baking with yeast is just as important too. I don’t know how she came up with this marital test, and I’m not sure that I passed it too well at that point, but since then I have learned a lot about baking with yeast and have had a very happy marriage, so maybe there was something to it! I’ve had a good amount of disasters in the kitchen, but have also found some great recipes that I’ve made over and over again. So I think I’ve passed the test, and my grandma would be very happy with me! If you don’t usually bake with yeast, it can be a little overwhelming at first and seem like the process is too time consuming and complicated, but it’s really pretty simple and if you follow the simple steps to allow the yeast to activate and let the dough rest and rise properly, you will no problems and your breads, rolls and desserts will turn out beautifully!

These are nine of my favorite recipes, both sweet and savory, using yeast. Going clockwise row by row, here they are: Nutella Swirl Rolls (Recipe), NY Times No-Knead Bread (Recipe), Czech “Buchty” filled with Rosehip Jam (Recipe), Soft Pretzels with a Sweet Mustard Dipping Sauce (Recipe), Raspberry Swirl Rolls (Recipe), Homemade Pita Bread (Recipe), Blueberry & Lemon Sweet Rolls (Recipe), Homemade French Bread (Recipe), Easy Artisan Bread (Recipe)

Happy Baking, Everyone!
I will be linking to THESE wonderful blogs!

Merry Christmas!

Posted on December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas to all my sweet and wonderful readers! I hope you all have a great Christmas that’s filled with lots of love, fun, laughter, good food and new memories! It’s a beautiful sunny day here in Maryland with no traces of snow anywhere, but I’m still hoping for a white Christmas! All the Christmas cookies have been baked, the presents are wrapped and sitting under the tree and I’m about to get started on our traditional Czech Christmas Eve dinner of ham, schnitzel and potato salad!

(Making another batch of my Linzer Heart Cookies yesterday!)

With so much to do during the holiday season, it’s so easy to get caught up in the stress and craziness of trying to get everything done (and done perfectly!), and forgetting what Christmas is really all about, and what even thousands of years later, the meaning of the season is. To make sure we don’t get caught up in all of the stress, it might be worth taking some time to yourself and using something like this top rated CBD oil UK. That should help people to de-stress, allowing them to enjoy Christmas for what it really is. I love that Christmas is a time of renewed and infinite hope, and I love the part of the Christmas story where the angel answers Mary’s disbelief and says to her, “For nothing will be impossible with God!” (Luke 1:37) And the rest of the story is proof of that promise! And that promise didn’t end back then, doesn’t end on Christmas day, or ever, thank God! I hope you all have the most wonderful Christmas, and that it’s one you’ll never forget!

Classic Apple Strudel

Posted on September 10, 2013

Hi Everybody! I’m so excited to share this Apple Strudel recipe with you today, not only because it’s one of my very favorite desserts, but also because it’s one of those recipes that has taken me a while (and by while I mean a couple of years!) to master. This is a classic apple strudel recipe, with thin layers of dough filled with the wonderful flavors of apples, cinnamon and raisins; perfect for this time of year! To me, this apple strudel tastes like home. It’s one of the traditional Czech desserts, and growing up, it was one of my grandmother’s specialties. The hard part of the recipe is making the dough, because you literally need to get it paper thin and super elastic without tearing it. It takes a little bit of practice, but it is well worth the effort, because once you learn how to do it, you will be able to make a delicious strudel that looks and tastes like it came from the cafe’s of Europe! Dusted with some sugar and served with sweet whipped cream, it’s the perfect sweet treat with some afternoon tea or coffee!

CLASSIC APPLE STRUDEL

(Recipe from Apetit Magazine)

*Makes 2 Strudels*

YOU WILL NEED

DOUGH

1 1/2 – 2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbs canola oil

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 egg

1/4 tsp salt

3 1/2 oz warm water

FILLING

8 apples, peeled and cored

8 tbs unseasoned breadcrumbs

6 tbs granulated sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

7 tbs unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup raisins

DIRECTIONS

1. Begin by preparing your dough: Whisk together the water, oil, salt, lemon juice and egg and set it aside. Sift the flour into your electric mixer bowl and make a well in the center, then pour in the wet ingredient mixture, and mix until a soft dough forms (begin by using 1 1/2 cups of flour, and if the dough is too wet add more flour, I used almost 2 cups). Using the dough hook attachment, knead your dough for a couple of minutes, until it is soft and elastic. Form the dough into a ball and place it on a plate and cover it with a hot bowl or pot (I boiled some water, added it to the pot until the pot warmed up, then poured it out and dried the pot, and covered the plate with the dough with it). Let the dough rest of 30 minutes.

2. In the meantime, prepare your filling. Thinly slice your apples, and to make sure that the raisins are plump, soak them in some hot water, then strain them. Divide the dough in half (each half will make one strudel), and roll out the first half on a floured surface until it is thin. Then, take out a clean kitchen towel, and place the dough on it. Using your hands, gently stretch out the dough and make it as close to the size of the kitchen towel as you can, and as thin as possible without tearing it. Cut off any rough edges to make a nice rectangle. Preheat your oven to 375 deg F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Brush about 2 – 3 tbs of melted butter on top of the stretched out dough, then sprinkle it with half of the breadcrumbs, sugar and cinnamon, and lay down an even layer of half of the apples and sprinkle them with the raisins, leaving a 1 inch border around the sides, and a 3 inch border on one of the short sides. Begin rolling the strudel jelly roll style, starting at the shorter end (not the end with the 2 inch border). Once you have formed the strudel, place it on your baking sheet, tuck under the ends and brush it with some butter. Repeat the same process for the second strudel.

4. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the strudels are golden brown, brushing them with butter a couple of times during the baking time. Let rest for at least an hour before eating. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream.

(*NOTE: The original recipe was in metric measurements and I converted them to cups/oz. If you prefer to use the metric measurements to be more precise, here they are: 280g all-purpose flour, 100ml warm water for the dough.)

Happy Baking, Everyone!

From my Grandmother’s recipe files…

Posted on August 10, 2013

Those of you who know me, or have been reading my blog for a while probably know that I love to bake! I am by no means an expert baker, it’s just something I enjoy doing and learning more about. While visiting my parents this summer, I went through my grandmother’s and great grandmother’s recipe files, which I’ve been meaning to do every time I’m here. I love old things, especially old family treasures like this, and besides finding some new recipes to try and being reminded of delicious memories from my childhood, it got me thinking about some other things too.

I find it so interesting how much you can find out about family, traditions and even culture and history, just by going through some old recipes. Let me tell you a little bit more about these particular recipes… my grandmother was born in the late 1920’s in Czechoslovakia, and my great-grandmother at the end of the 19th century in what was then the Austro-Hungarian empire. Many of these recipes are from the first half of the 20th century during which Europe experienced two world wars, and it’s interesting to see how much of that is reflected in these recipes. Cooking was much more frugal and women had to get creative and use whatever they had when there were wartime rations; the recipes didn’t use as many eggs or butter or other ingredients that were expensive or rationed at the time, and yet I found so many delicious looking recipes, showing that women still wanted to feed their families well and keep a state of normalcy in their homes. It’s interesting to see how everything, even cooking and domestic life was affected by things like war.

It was also fun seeing what dishes that my grandmother used to make we still make today, and how certain holiday traditions continue. I still make the same gingerbread cookies for Christmas that my grandmother used to make many years ago. All the recipes have a little note on them to say who they were from, maybe they were from a neighbor, a friend, an old aunt… but it shows how much people shared life together, even just exchanging beloved recipes, and how important that community life was. As the recipes were passed down from one generation to the next and as families grew, the traditions continued and were added to, and the recipes continued to be written down, and passed down again, holding not only delicious and secret culinary information, but precious family memories, which may just be even more important. Because even though I now live thousands of miles and an ocean away from the kitchen where my grandmother and her mother cooked, as soon as I put those same ingredients together in a mixing bowl my kitchen is filled with the warm and familiar aromas that bring me back to where it all started.

And I guess that’s part of the reason why I write this blog today, and why I love reading all the other wonderful blogs out there. It’s a way of capturing what you love and sharing it with others, and hopefully creating and continuing something that many other generations will come to treasure in years to come! Thanks for stopping by today and reading along, I would love to know your stories and memories from your kitchen too!

A Little Tour of Prague

Posted on February 8, 2013

Hi, Everyone! It’s been fun being back at home in Prague, Czech Republic, for a little while visiting my family again, and I wanted to share some pictures with you today! Prague is a beautiful old city in the heart of Europe, filled with historical buildings and town squares, little cafes, and cobblestone streets.

Even though I’m currently visiting here for my leisure, there are people who make a profession out of traveling, like a travel blogger, for instance. The more attention their blog or social media handles like TikTok and Instagram get from their followers, the more likely they are to be noticed by reputed firms that can most likely pay them to advertise their services. In addition, these bloggers could also make use of the best TikTok growth services, or similar ones, in order to expand their audience base. What better way than to earn money while traveling and blogging? To be honest, Prague could definitely be an ideal location for them to follow their passion of leisurely travel and making money out of the same.

Coming back to my story, it’s been so cold here for the past couple of days, and it has snowed a little bit almost every day, making the city look so magical. Let’s take you to few places that might be of interest to you.

Old Town Square, famous for its Astronomical Clock “Orloj”, Tyn Church and statue of Jan Hus. It’s also filled with lots of cafes, restaurants and little shops in all the historical buildings, and there is a big market in the center of the square every Christmas and Easter.

The astronomical clock “Orloj” (which dates back to 1410) on Old Town Square. Every hour, lots of people gather in front of it to see the the little doors on it open, and see figures of the Apostles walk by.

One of my favorite things about Prague is its beautiful architecture, and all the beautiful little details on each building. This sculpture decorates one of the 15th century buildings off of Old Town Square, which is called “U Kapra” (At Carp’s).

Stavovske Divadlo (Estates Theater). This 18th century theater is most famous for being the site of the premiere of Mozart’s Don Giovanni in 1787. Walking around the theater and going inside it, you can almost imagine what it was like back in Mozart’s day, with beautifully dressed ladies and gentlemen rushing into the theater in the evenings, going to see plays and operas that would become musical masterpieces.

Prague Castle

Walking by the river Vltava which runs through Prague.

One of the traditional Czech appetizers, “Chlebicky” – open faced sandwiches, which are slices of a baguette topped with different meats, cheeses, spreads and vegetables.

A classic Czech dessert, “Vetrnik” – it’s basically a large cream puff, that’s filled with a special cream and topped with caramel.

At least some signs of spring…

Beautiful tulips at a street stand.

I hope you enjoyed this little tour of this beautiful city in the heart of Europe, and if you are ever in the area, make sure you visit Prague and see some of the sights it has to offer! Prague is famous for many different things and there are so many things to do! You could even check out the best nightclubs in Prague if you enjoy drinking!

Have a great weekend, Everyone!

Traditional Christmas Gingerbread Cookies

Posted on November 25, 2012

Hi, Everyone! Today I want to share one of my favorite Christmas traditions with you – traditional Czech gingerbread cookies! I look forward to baking these cookies every year, because it brings back sweet memories of making them with my mom and my grandparents every year, and because it fills the house with the most wonderful, warm, gingerbread aroma! Once these cookies are baked, decorated and sitting on the dining table, the Christmas season can officially begin! Personally, I only use these cookies for decoration but you could definitely eat them. Here are some pictures of my Christmas 2012 gingerbread cookies!

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

YOU WILL NEED

Cookies:

325g all-purpose flour

125g powdered sugar

50g honey

2 tbs unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1/2 tbs ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp anise

Icing:

2 egg whites

2 cups powdered sugar

,
DIRECTIONS

1. In your electric mixer bowl, combine flour, baking soda and cinnamon. In another bowl, cream together butter, eggs, sugar, honey and anise.

2. While mixing, slowly add the wet mixture to the dry until a firm dough forms. I like this dough because it’s not greasy at all. Form it into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

3. Once chilled, divide the dough into two, and roll each half our on a floured surface (into about a sugar cookie dough thickness, the cookies will puff up quite a bit while baking!) and cut your shapes out. Preheat your oven to 350 deg F (180 deg C)

4. Place your cut out shapes onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, and bake for about 7 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely before icing.

5. To make your icing, whisk 2 egg whites until stiff white peaks form, then slowly begin adding the sugar. Spoon that mixture into your piping bags, and decorate your cookies! This icing is great as it dries hard, just make sure you give it enough time to dry!

I hope you have lots of wonderful Christmas traditions that you look forward to every year too!

Happy Baking, Everyone!

Newer Entries

Disclaimer