Baked Chocolate

It's freezing cold out here  but it's not snowing and the sun is shining which is pretty confusing. I might a bit of a pessimist but who would want to laugh? Every single day I have to leave my warm house and walk to school. I could take a bus if I was able to leave the house before 7:45am (the school starts at 8:00am). Usually I start my "jurney" at 7:50am - very late - so I run (yes, I really "enjoy" this :D) and get to school at 8:02am. However, in a weather like this I pray my legs won't freeze and still I can't feel them for an hour after my arrival in school. Fortunately, Valentine's Day is here to warm us up :D If, of course, I believed in it...

Red Currant Walnut Sheet Cake

Finally! Easter is coming and green grass is almost everywhere, flowers are in blossom, insect is (unfortunately) waking up and - the most important one - sun is shining! While I'm getting ready to start another baking season in my kitchen (our national Easter sweets have to be done :D), the others are roller skating, running, just walking or playing ball games in park. I don't mind that. I mean I love roller skating but baking is my true passion :) And when I'm really tired from this particular activity I just run out (or maybe I should say roller skate out if this even exists :D) and enjoy the fresh air. When I come back home I always feel like eating something juicy, fresh and not very heavy. I'd say this sheet cake belongs to this cathegory and delivers all these things. Plus it's perfect for hot Sunday afternoons when you want a sweet after-lunch treat.

The Daring Bakers' Challenge: Marzipanstollen

The 2010 December Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Penny of Sweet Sadie’s Baking. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make Stollen. She adapted a friend’s family recipe and combined it with information from friends, techniques from Peter Reinhart’s book.........and Martha Stewart’s demonstration.

Okay, we had to use the recipe provided...here's the thing, I did not. Now, I don't know whether I can say I completed the challenge. I used my own German recipe for Marzipanstollen, but I think the point is I was daring enough to make a stollen, right? I had made it two weeks ago and we ate it the day before yesterday. Now it's quite late to make it but hey, next Christmas is almost here :)

Strawberry Poppy Seed Sponge Cake

I don't know how about you, but I'm quite cold these days. The summer season is definitely over and the temperature is lower every day. Oh, and don't forget to add rain to the mix! Yes, fall/autumn is coming or maybe I should say it's already here and to be honest I really don't look for a scoop of ice cream in days like these. In my dreamspace there is an imagination of a warm sweet piece of soft and tender sponge cake. So let's get some!