Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding

My Sonnenschein is 8 weeks old today. How time flies fast. Life as a mom is totally different but I'm enjoying it with all what belongs to it. And I think - well, I hope - so far I manage to handle my new life and to find a balance between being a mom and a wife and also having a me-time. I have fun with my baby doll and enjoy every single second of it.

This self-saucing chocolate pudding is kind of a celebration for today, for one healthy baby, for our little family, for us. Actually I wanted to try out the recipe ages ago but today even the weather isn't that nice - rainy and grey - it's the perfect day for this lovely treat. A must for a chocolate lover, I might say.

Source: Favourite Everyday Dinners

Ingredients:
10 gr unsalted butter -- melted
50 gr unsalted butter -- chopped, extra
75 gr good-quality dark chocolate -- chopped (I used 80 gr of 78% dark chocolate)
1/2 cup (125 ml) milk
1 cup (125 gr) self-raising flour
4 tbsp cocoa powder
2/3 cup (160 gr) caster sugar
1 egg -- lightly beaten
1/2 cup (115 gr) soft brown sugar
Icing sugar to dust
2 1/4 cus (560 ml) boiling water

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 180C (350F/Gas 4) and lightly grease a 2 litre ovenproof dish with the melted butter

Place the chopped butter, chocolate and milk in a small saucepan, and stir over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, or until the butter and chocolate have melted. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly

Sift together the flour and 2 tablespoons of cocoa, and add to the chocolate mixture with the caster sugar and the egg, stirring until just combined. Spoon into the prepared dish. Sift the ramaining cocoa evenly over the top of the pudding and sprinkle with the brown sugar

Pour the boiling water over the back of a spoon (this stops the water making big holes in the cake mixture) over the top of the pudding. Bake for 40mins, or until the pudding is firm to the touch. Leave for 2mins before dusting with icing sugar. Serve with cream or vanilly ice cream if you like

Cranberrymakronen // Cranberry Macaroons

When I'm writing this post it's midday of December 24th. Christmas is coming closer and I miss to celebrate it with my big family in Jakarta. Sometimes having two families and two homelands is not easy for making a decision where to celebrate Christmas this year. I wish next time I can have a tropical Christmas again.

These makronen are traditional German Christmas bake but it seems that Italy had made them popular. The word of macaroon comes from the Italian maccarone or maccherone.

Me and family wish you a Merry Christmas, frohe Weihnachten, Selamat Natal, feliz Navidad. May the joy of Christmas brings us peace in our heart.

Source: Lieblings-Weihnachtsplätzchen from GU

Ingredients:
150 gr dried cranberries (You can substitued with dried apricot)
50 gr grind almond
50 gr grind hazelnut
1 tsp vanilla pod
2 egg whites
A pinch of salt
100 gr confection' sugar
30 round wafers with 50mm diameter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 150C. Cover a baking tin with a parchment paper. Then finely chop the dried cranberries then combine with almond, hazelnut and vanilla pod

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff then put confection' sugar into it little by little then beat again until it forms a thickly creamy baiser/merengue. Pour the cranberry mix into it and combine well using a spatula, slowly and don't stir

Put the batter on each round wafer. Bake in the middle of the oven about 15 to 17mins until they're crispy outside but still fluffy inside. Cool before serving

Schokoladenbrot // Chocolate Bread

Today is my 36weeks and it means 4 more weeks to my due date. I also finished packing my clinic suitcase and doing all the papers we need for the clinic. Holly molly, it's so real and I become a mom soon. Something that I've been longing for ages is gonna happen in 4 weeks - or could be sooner.

I decided not to go to my Mom in law's place for celebrating Christmas and New Year. This year I want to stay in our home, close to the clinic, just in case it's really happening. Hubby understands me a 100% when I told him about my decision.

This time I also baked some Christmas goodies. One of them is chocolate bread. This isn't a bread actually but more likely to brownies-like-soft-cookies. The recipe is from my Mom in law who got it from her mom. So yes, it's a family recipe.

Source: Elfriede Jordan

Ingredients:
250 gr butter at room temperature
250 gr brown sugar
6 eggs (size M)
250 gr grind almond
100 gr flour
250 gr dark chocolate -- chopped or grated

Directions:
Cover a baking tin with a parchment paper

Cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs, all in one time then combine well. Add grind almond, flour and chopped dark chocolate. Mix well using a spatula. Pour the dough over a prepared baking tin, make it even

Bake in 150C for 35mins or until set. Cut into your desired size when it's still warm. You can decorate it - I use chocolate glaze from melted dark chocolate - or have it like it is. Both ways are yummy. You choice! ;)

Note: My Mom in law said you can use a pinch of cinnamon or other spice then you'll have a Lebkuchen-sort-of-bread

Potato Gratin

Time flies... I'm in 35 weeks and the most further among other women in my prenatal class. I'm happy doing this prenatal class, meeting other moms to be and share stories about all the problems during our pregnancy. Last night we - the women - took our partners, the fathers to be, with. The midwife, which is also my midwife, told us about the labor, what to do when the contractions come, what should dads to be do for helping moms to be, etc. It was an interesting class and hubby was very happy that he finally could take part on this class.

One day in my 34 weeks I felt our baby girl was moving but really a lot!! It was just like she was turning and moving around. I told hubby about this. He said, our baby probably moved to a birth position. The next day my midwife came to visit, to see how far our preparations are and before she left, she did a bump check-up; baby heart beats and position. It was so nice listening to our baby's heart beats and she told me that our baby girl is on birth position. WOW!! Good girl... So what we thought was right. Later on that day was my appointment with my obgyn. I did a CTG and my obgyn did an usual check-up then he told me that the baby's head is already in the pelvic. Everything is just like written in the book.. Amazing! Right after the appointment I gave hubby a ring to tell him about that. He was so happy to hear that.

We're also speechless for all the pressies we've received for our baby girl. Now she has all what she needs. Hubby even made a diaper changing place on the top of our washing machine. First we wanted to have it in our bed room but my midwife told me not to do that because it's too cold for the baby. She suggested us to make it in the bathroom, it's warmer and we have running water, so it's practical. What we still have to buy is a pram.

Adapted from Jamie Oliver's The Perfect Potato Gratin

Ingredients:
1,5 kg potatoes -- peeled and thinly sliced
A handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Bacon -- cubed
A handful of your favourite nuts
A large knob of butter
100 ml milk
200 gr sour cream
1 clove garlic -- peeled and finely sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6. Butter the inside of an ovenproof dish with at least 3cms deep

Pour the milk and cream and garlic into a wide pan. Bring to boil, then simmer gently for a minute or two then remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and stir well. Spoon into the gratin dish, shake to even everything out. Sprinkle with the Parmesan then cover with an oiled piece of foil. Bake for 45 to 50mins

Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a little olive oil then stir in your favourite nuts. When your gratin is ready, remove the foil and spoon the bacon mixture over the top. Pop it back in the oven for another 10mins until crispy on top

KBB Challenge #26: Panettone

First of all, happy Advent time to whom celebrate it. We spent our first Advent at my mom in law's place. I brought my homemade Lebkuchen and a Panettone which was KBB's task this month. I wasn't really satisfied with the Panettone. I think I should have knead the dough longer. Telling you the truth, it wasn't comfortable for my big bump while I was kneading the dough. My baby seemed to protest too. The good thing is that hubby liked it. Panettone and Stollen, both are not my kind of dessert/cake/bread.

Advent time is the time before Christmas, 4 weeks before to be exact. This year I also make my own Advent wreath which consists four candles. Each candle is burnt on Advent Sunday, one by one. Beside the wreath, Advent calendar is also typical during this time. It's a calendar contains 24 windows which mean December 1st to 24th. Each window has a surprise inside, commonly are chocolates. Just like last year, I'm gonna make an Advent calendar by myself again this year.

On the way back home, we passed to Christkindlsmarkt (Christmas Market) in Augsburg. It was the first time spending time on the market without using gloves and being tortured by the cold. One thing that a must for me is warm maroni (chestnut), not Glühwein (hot spiced red wine) which is a typical drink during the Christmas in Germany and also some parts of Central Europe. I do like visiting Christmas Markets, especially when they're located in a beautiful old town, and somehow it's a must to me during this lovely season.

Once again, I wish you all a very blessed Advent time!

Linzer Plätzchen // Linzer Cookies

Last Thursday I went to see my obgyn for a monthly check-up. Hubby came along. I did a CTG and everything was fine. Our little pea is now 2kg and the momma is now 64kg. So it means I've gained 15kg during this pregnancy. And after a pornlike-4D-picture then it's official that we're having a baby girl. Having friends come over on last Sunday and she said that I still look pretty skinny for carrying 2kg-baby inside me. She brought us a basket full of baby cloths and stuff. Really, no need to buy cloths again until our baby girl 6months old. This week I'm welcoming my 33 weeks. My baby bump is getting heavier and it doesn't make easy to put my winter boots. Let alone vacuuming... it's a challenge!

This is the second recipe from my new Christmas cookies recipe book. Linzer cookies are originally from Linz, Austria. It actually is adapted from Linzer Torte, a tart using Linzer shortbread dough then spread with apricot jam. This recipe is actually easy but yet tricky. I had to add flour since the dough was delicate. I normally don't like doubled cookies but because of shortbread dough, they're so soft and light. Really a must try!

Source: Lieblings-Weihnachtsplätzchen by GU

Ingredients:
150 gr flour
100 gr grind Hazelnut
50 gr grind Almond
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 pinch of cinnamon powder
A pinch of grind clove, grind cardamom and grind nutmeg
150 gr soft butter
50 gr very fine sugar
A pinch of salt
1 egg at room temperature
150 gr raspberry jelly (I used cherry jam)
Icing sugar for dusting
Cookie cutter

Directions:
Combine the flour, haselnut, almond, baking powder and spices in a bowl. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and salt. Put the egg, combine well. Pour the flour mix into the batter all in one go then mix well quickly. Put the cookies dough on a folie, wrap and chill for ca. 2 hours

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C for air circulation). Cover a baking tin with a parchment paper. Dust a working space with flour, roll the dough ca. 3mm thick. If it's still too soft, dust some flour. Using your favorite cookie cutter, cut the dough and place one by one to the baking tin and bake in the middle of the oven for about 8minutes or until golden yellow

When you use a jelly, you should warm it in a small pot shortly before the baking time is over but you don't need to do this step when you're using jam like I did. Spread the warm jelly (or jam) over the half of the warm cookies. Cover each with the rest of the cookies. Dust with icing sugar and chill

Elisenlebkuchen // Nürnberg Lebkuchen

November comes and I feel so happy because my little pea stays healthy and I'm in maternity leave. Actually I took my maternity leave earlier as my obgyn gave a doctor's certificate that I must stay at home due to some early contractions I had at the end of October. He told me that I had to take it easy, take a lot of rest eventhough he also told me that all was fine and those early contractions seemed Braxton hicks but the CTG machine detected them as early contractions. I asked him why was that? He replied,"You're very thin. No fat". His answer made me laugh. I mean, I've gained 11kg (on that check-up-day). I also asked my obgyn whether it's possible for me for travelling. He said, as long as it's not to somewhere on the other side of the globe then it's fine.

Me and hubby had our babymoon in South Tyrol, Italy. From where we live, it took us only 2hours car driving. We enjoyed South Tyrol so much and the weather was so kind to us. Baby's lucks surrounded us too; a nice surprise for parents to be from the hotel we stayed and a room price discount from the second hotel. South Tyrol was once belong to Austria - during Napoleon time was shortly belong to Bavaria. That's why the locals speak German and Italy and some street signs are even written in German first then Italy.

I start my prenatal course and prepare the baby stuffs which are mostly presents from friends and other family members. What we still needs are some blankets and a pram. Hubby and I enjoy the moment we spend with our little pea; to feel her kickings, her hiccups and to talk to her. Proud parents are on the way, I warn you ;)

I decided to bake some Christmas goodies before my big bump is in my way and to my surprise hubby gave me a recipe book and some cookies cutters in its packet. This preggo momma is so happy. Lebkuchen is among the other 14 recipes. The famous Lebkuchen is from Nürnberg, which is also called Elisenlebkuchen or Nürnberg Lebkuchen, a nice city where hubby was born. Actually there are two types of Lebkuchen in Germany; the soft one and the hard one for Oktoberfest or carnival or Christmas ornaments. Elise refers to the daughter of a gingerbread baker or the wife of a margrave. Her name is associated with the finest of the Lebkuchen produced by members of the guild. Since 1996, Nürnberger Lebkuchen is a protected designation of origin and must be produced within the boundaries of the city. (quoted from Wikipedia)

Source: Lieblingsweihnachtsplätzchen by GU

Ingredients:
100 gr succade and candied orange peel (both are mixed as you like) -- finely minced
3 tbsp Rhum (can be substitued with orange juice)
100 gr grind hazelnut
200 gr grind almond
3 tbsp Lebkuchen spice
1/4 tsp baking powder
20 round wafers (70mm ⌀ but I used 30 round wafers 0f 50mm ⌀ )
2 eggs (M size)
150 gr raw or molasses or brown sugar
A pinch of salt
150 gr dark chocolate for glaze -- chopped

Directions:
Combine the hazelnut, almond and Lebkuchen spice
Cover two baking tins with parchment paper and apply the round wafers on each baking tin

In a bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and salt then beat using a mixer for about 5minutes until fluffy. Then add the succade and candied orange peel and Rhun (or orange juice) also the dry ingredients. Combine well using a spatula

Using a spoon, apply a stack of batter in the middle of each round wafer and don't forget to make a space from its edge. Use your damped fingers, flatten it into about 1,5cm thick and round it. Let stay for minimum 1hour

Preheat the oven to 150C (air circulating 140C). Bake the Lebkuchen in the middle rack for 15 to 20minutes until they change the color and solid but stil firm inside. Let them totally cool

Melt the dark chocolate using bain-marie-system and brush each Lebkuchen with melted chocolate and let them dry