RHUBARB STREUSEL MUFFINS, yum with a +

 Have not been baking to much lately but am back in business! And i got to say having the portable AC running  makes baking in summertime even "do-able"without melting away :) 
Enjoy this recipe, not to sweet and oh sooooooo good!

streusel ingredients :


  -1 stick of butter (8 oz)
  -1/3 cup+ 2 tbsp suger 
  -3/4 to 1 cup of flour
  -bit of cinnamon 
heat the butter on medium heat, just to melt it all, stir in cinnamon , take from heat ,stir in sugar, now slowly add flour to make it non liquid ( didn't take me a whole cup last time but it differs with the temp!), take out of pot and place in a bowl , set in the fridge.

MUFFIN Ingredients:

•  1and 1/2 cups of brown sugar
•  1 egg 
•  1/4 cup of oil
•  2 tsp vanilla extract
•   1 cup buttermilk 
•  2 cups finely diced rhubarb ( about 3 stems)
•   2 and 1/2 cups flour
•  1 tsp baking soda
•  1 tsp baking powder
•  1/2 tsp salt

preheat oven to 400degree F,

beat together well : brown sugar+egg+oil+vanilla

STIR in rhubarb +buttermilk

in another bowl mix other dry ingredients together 

add dry mixture to the wet ingredients , do not over-mix but stir until all ingredients are moistened

fill muffin cups almost full ( it took about 21 medium sized muffin cups)

sprinkle streusel on top 

bake for about 16 min or until done 

                                                       ENJOY

PIZZA NIGHT!!!

making pizza is so much more then just "making pizza"
my dad made endless amounts of pizza for our birthday parties! i remember competitions on who can eat the most pizza, candle lit nobel dressed up eating with forks and knife pizza parties, and so many more which makes our pizza a fun way to bring back memories!
its fun to hear my childhood friends or the friends of my siblings also remembering those oh so memorable times!

we made a simple  dough just like my dad used to make it :
flour
water
olive oil
yeast
salt and sugar

 simple pizza sauce:
tomato sauce
diced tomatoes
mediterranean herbs and spices
fresh garlic
pepper
salt and sugar

 can't forget to throw on some boots for entertainment:)

 sammo was very creative getting the cheese on the pizza...we would probably still sit there ...

 then finally he got a lil bored and started dumping a whole bunch on there!

 we got to know all ingredients up close and sammo was brave and wanted to eat a fresh onion ring. after that he kept asking for water and told me it was "spicy"

 we always make a whole bunch of pizza to throw it in the freezer for those days we don't like to cook!
the topping here were
olives
onion
artichoke hearts
banana peppers
pepperoni

unfortunately not a lot of artichoke hearts stayed on the pizza and made it in the oven!

and ...don't mind the pizza sauce on the wall... making food its all about fun, isn't it?!

Bacon Twist Rezept, Germans can 'Twist It' too!

Wie versprochen , hier das Rezept nun auch auf deutsch! 

BACON TWIST REZEPT


Teig:       450 g Mehl ( Vollkronmehl oder eine Mischung schmecken auch)
                1 Teeloeffel Salz
                1 Paeckchen Trockenhefe 
                nach Belieben: mediterrane Gewuerze wie rosmarin, basisikum, knobi pulver, majoran, ....
                1 Essloeffel Zucker oder Honig
      vermengen
                1 Essloeffel Oliven Oel
                 300 ml warmes Wasser ( ca 45 C oder was auf dem Hefe Beutel geraten wird)
     zugeben und zu einem Teig verkneten (evtl etwas Mehl oder Wasser zugeben)
     in ungefaehr 12 Stuecke teilen und zu Rollen formen


The Twist:  Fruehstuecksspeck oder "American Bacon"  , Streifen um die Teigrollen wickeln
                   nun noch einmal "twisten" und am besten auf ein mit Backpapier belegtes Blech legen
                   1 Ei verschlagen und die Twists einstreichen
                   nach Belieben mit Mohn, Sesam, Thymian oder aehnlichem bestreuen
                   ungefaehr 30 min gehen lassen 


Backen:   Im vorgeheizten Ofen bei 200 C ca. 20-25 min backen 
                Backzeit evtl anpassen! 




Viel Spass beim backen, lasst mich wissen ob das Rezept fuer euch so stimmig war!

let's start with a crowd pleaser!

before the baking

I have been asked for the recipe for our BACON TWISTS a lot, 
finally i find time to calculate amounts, and find a "lotti-way" to describe how to make everyone bacon happy!


Bacon Twist Recipe


Dough   :           3 1/2 cups flour ( i used a mix of    
                          whole wheat and regular before and it 
                           turns out great too)
                    1 package fast acting dry yeast 
                    1 teaspoon salt
                    1 1/2 Tbsp sugar or honey

                    optional: add mediterranean herbs and spices 

                                (eg garlic powder, thyme, rosemary,oregano,  
                                                       marjoram,basil,....)




               mix in a large bowl
               add  1 Tbsp olive oil 
                    1 1/4 cups warm  water ( about 120 F or follow        
                          instruction on yeast package) 
               knead dough(might need to add a pinch of water or flour to       
                          form "firm" not sticky dough)
               divide into about 12 pieces (depending on the size you      
                          like,they will rise a little bit)
                                      form dough into ropes 


Do the twist: take  bacon slices and wrap around each dough piece. 
              before setting on a cookie sheet twist the dough 
              beat 1 whole egg with a fork
              brush on twists and 
              sprinkle with topping , for example sesame seeds, poppy     
                                                seeds ,thyme
                 let rise on cookie sheet for about 30 min
Bake         : in preheated oven at 380F for 20 -25 min (adjust   
                  time if needed)