hindbaersnitter

Hindbaersnitter - a Danish delight! From my many years of exposure to Danish culture and lifestyle, I quickly learned that hindbaersnitter was commonly used for birthday treats! Just as we bring cupcakes to school to celebrate birthdays (or, just as we USED to bring cupcakes, before all schools became sugar, nut and fun-free), Danes bring these! Easy to make and ooohhhh so delicious! I dare you not to eat the whole batch on your own! 

For the dough: 

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 stick butter 

1/3 cup sugar 

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup water 

For the filling: 

1/3 cup raspberry jam/preserves (or any other flavor you prefer)

For the topping:

2 cups powdered sugar

a few splashes of water

Procedure: 

1. Mix flour and baking powder. Add room temperature butter. Mix in sugar, vanilla and water. 

2. Divide dough into 2 equal parts. 

3. Roll out both balls of dough to form two long rectangles, placing one rectangle into a buttered shallow baking pan/sheet. 

4. Distribute the raspberry jam thoroughly all over the dough, leaving a 1 inch border (or else your jam will squirt out while baking!) 

5. Carefully place the second dough rectangle on top of the jam layer. Voila! 

6. Bake in a 400 F preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. 

Set aside to cool! Add topping, sprinkles, decor and cut into squares for serving! 

E N J O Y ! 

I translated the recipe into English, from a whimsical Danish book called Krudtugler og Kanelsnegle  - -  "Rascals and Cinnamon Buns: recipes, tips and ideas for families with children" The beautiful book is full of colorful pictures, recipes, decorating and entertaining ideas organized according to season. Danes pay attention to detail and focus on delivering quality and cozy entertainment, whether it be a child's birthday, a dinner party or a picnic on the beach.   

 . . . and that's what I love about those great Danes! 

*the direct translation of the Danish word "krudtugler" is literally "live wires", indicating energetic/mischievous children... I figured rascal was most fitting :) 

happy apple

Dad's birthday...one heck of a healthy and delicious dessert! Baked apples stuffed with dried fruit, sliced almonds, cinnamon and a tad of low fat margarine to bind the ingredients. 

Scrape out a well in your apples, squeeze in a little lemon juice. Mix all 'stuffing' ingredients in a bowl.

Stuff apples with mixture- place them in shallow baking dish.

In a 350 F preheated oven, bake apples for 15-20 min. 

Enjoy with ice cream or alone. Candle optional.

Sigi says: try adding a variety of ingredients into the mixture! Walnuts, pecans, even pine nuts! Dried cranberries, coconut, or even a tad of chocolate! Be creative! It's only an apple! 

chocolate.chip.oatmeal.

girls just wanna have fun(fetti) sprinkles 

The. Best. Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. Ever.

Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature [110 g]

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups old fashioned oats

1 (4-ounce) 60 percent cacao bittersweet chocolate (I HIGHLY recommend Ghirardelli)

Directions

1. Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. Beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.

4. With the machine running, gradually add the flour mixture. Add the oats and chocolate chunks. Mix until just incorporated (dough will be stiff).

5.Arrange 6 balls of dough, spaced evenly apart, on each baking sheet. Using the back of a spoon, flatten the tops slightly and bake until the cookies are slightly golden on the edges, about 13 to 15 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes before serving.

All you need is love...and cookies

Happy Valentine's Day from Sigicakes :) 

sugar cookies with royal icing 

sugar and spice

apple spice cupcakes with honey cream cheese frosting,

topped with cinnamon-sugar dusted apple hearts

Cupcake recipe comes from one of my fave recipe books "Cupcakes" by Shelly Kaldunski,
the frosting recipe is inspired from the same book,
and the apple hearts were a Sigi-on-the-spot original : )

cupcakes:

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

3 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 tbsp plus 3/4 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground allspice

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup sour cream

1. Melt 2 tbsp butter, add apple chunks and 2 tbsp sugar. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Take off heat to cool.

2. In one bowl, wisk together dry ingredients. 

3. In another bowl, beat the remaining 3/4 cup sugar with remaining butter (6 tablespoons). Beat until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. 

4. Slowly add dry ingredients mixture to wet ingredients. Mix until combined.

5. Add sour cream and apple chunks. 

6. Bake in 350 F preheated oven, for 18-20 minutes! 

honey cream cheese frosting:

cream cheese, honey, powdered sugar, vanilla

apple hearts: 
slice apples, dip in lemon juice. Using a small cookie cutter, create little hearts! Make sure the apples hang out in the lemon juice until you use them. Before serving, dust cinnamon sugar on top! For a colorful spin, brush on a food color/water mix onto the apple hearts!

These were made for my sister's 24th birthday :)

funfetti flowers.

The most photographed cupcakes, by far. If I do say so myself... these were a beautiful success.

It all started with a homemade funfetti recipe and a cupcake book. 

The flower petals are made by cutting mini marshmallows in half (diagonally) and dipping them in sanding sugar. The dipping and assembling would be a fun activity for kids to take part in (helloooo fine motor skills) !! 

Add a thin layer of cream cheese frosting (or whatever your heart desires, but please for the love of cupcakes, don't ruin these baked beauties with a layer of store-bought frosting!!!!) After adding the layer, begin assembling the petals! It's a tedious process, but obviously worth it :) 

These cupcakes were a special treat for my 3rd graders at Lithuanian Saturday school. I found it particularly entertaining to watch my students eat them. The boys instantly devoured the topping first, while the girls sat staring at the cupcakes with wide, sympathetic eyes... "they're too pretty to eat!" 

..... but that didn't last long :) 

oh my sprinkles 

ready, set, bake

so festive 

. . . then the fun begins . . . 

mini marshmallow flower petals 

assembling 

all dressed up and ready to go :) 

success!!