I've taken pictures of some of the things I have baked/cooked so I substitute them with Google Images again I apologize but my iPhone was either covered in flour and sugar or in my room at the time of cooking.
One day I was grocery shopping and feeling adult because I had a set grocery list and a budget, but obviously that went away fast when I bought a kilo of carrots for 10SEK when I didn't even need carrots, let alone a kilo of them.
Thinking I would need them for something I bought them and then they stayed in my fridge for a week and then it was time to do something with them. So I made carrot cake cupcakes using the kilo of carrots that I had.
I made a note to my corridor mates who were going to eat them that if they were too carrot-y tasting that it's because I put a kilo in them.
I had to do something with the carrots guys.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp, vanilla
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 pinch of salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups grated carrots
Whisk eggs and sugar.
Mix all dry ingredients
Pour dry into egg mix
Add oil and carrots and mix
Bake for 55 minutes at 300F
Lately, here in Sweden and also in California, I always tend to run out of eggs faster than I run out of milk. I have no idea why, it just happens.
So when I'm craving to bake something but don't' have eggs, Google becomes my friend and I search for 10 minutes on how to make a simple eggless desserts, thus leading to the brownie recipe below.
Eggless Brownies (for the times I have opened my fridge and realized that I don't have eggs)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup oil
1 cup milk
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp coffee
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350
Mix milk and vinegar and set aside.
In bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, coffee and salt and mix powdered sugar. Mix all well.
Mix oil and vanilla to milk mixture
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently fold to combine
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
When I was little and my mother would make lentils during the wintertime, I refused to eat them. The thought of eating little beans that resembled pebbles along with vegetables was not on my top food palette. But now being an adult and living on your own and having a half bottle of wine sitting your room that you don't feel like drinking, lentils in red wine seemed like the wise adult thing to do.
Lentils braised in red wine
1 onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 celery stalk chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
1 1/2 cup lentils
2 cups red wine
salt and pepper
In saucepan add onion, carrot and celery and cook for at least 5 minutes until vegetables are soft and lost their crunch.
Add 3 cloves of garlic
Add lentils, wine 2 1/2 cups of water and salt
Raise the heat and bring to a boil
Cover and reduce heat to low
Let it simmer for 45 minutes until lentils are tender
I found this recipe on the Internet (as I find many things on the internet) and decided to be fancy and make a fancy soup. Also it was right before I left for London and needed something that would last me the couple days before I left.
This soup took at total of 2 hours because I timed everything that the recipe said and in between that explain to my corridor mate what French Onion Soup is, also he had some type of Biology or science type test to study and was procrastinating and my soup seemed more interesting than his test. My french onion soup was more interesting than science. Obviously.
6 large onions, sliced thinly
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups white wine
2 quarts of chicken stock
5 ounces of cheddar chefs
4 slices of country bread
In a large pot, combine onions, cream, butter and salt.
Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are soften and cream reduces to its solid (10-30 minutes)
Turn heat up slightly so onions and cream bubble- cook without stirring for 6-7 minutes until onions are browned
Stir onions and add 1/2 cup of wine
Scrap all the burnt and browned bits
Leave onions without stirring for another 6 minutes
Repeat until all 2 cups of wine are used
Add chicken stock and bring to simmer (15 minutes)
Preheat oven to 200
Toast the bread until dry
Ladle the soup into an oven proof bowl
Float the bread on the soup and sprinkle with the cheese
Bake until cheese is bubbly and browned about 20-30 minutes.
I had a can of chickpeas sitting in my pantry and had no idea what to do with them. I didn't have a blender or a food processor to make hummus so there went my yummus idea, so I made another soup with chickpeas.
Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Soup
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
6-8 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon paprika
1 can of chickpeas
chicken broth
1 teaspoon of sugar
salt
pepper
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat
Add onion and garlic and sauté until onions begin to turn translucent
Add chickpeas, broth and sugar
Season with salt and pepper
Chickpeas should be covered with liquid
Bring to simmer and lower the heat and let it sit for 45 minutes
Season again.
I discovered this recipe on Pinterest made it many times in the states and then brought it here in Sweden at 11PM one night and the next morning at 10AM the whole plate was gone. A little note about these cookies: they have a ton of chocolate in them plus Nutella in the middle, they are ridiculously intense.
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
In a large bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt until combined
In saucepan, melt and cook butter until little brown bits appear in pan.
Remove from heat
In bowl, mix butter and sugars until fully incorporated.
Beat in egg, egg yolk, vanilla until well combined
Gradually add dry ingredients
Fold in chocolate chips
Place cookie dough in fridge for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350F
Roll 1 1/2 tbs of dough and flatten dough to make a flat circle
Place 1 tsp of Nutella in the middle then place another flat cookie on top
Crimp edges
Bake 9-11 minutes.
I made these cupcakes for my friend Jenn's birthday well because, every girl deserves cupcakes and Nutella on their birthday. Point blank.
Nutella Frosting Cupcakes
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 salt
Nutella
Preheat oven to 325
In bowl, beat butter, oil and sugar until fluffy
Add eggs, vanilla until smooth
In small bowl, stir flour, baking powder and salt
Add butter mixture until combined-batter will be thick
Divide the batter
Drop spoonfuls of Nutella on batter add Nutella and add another layer of batter on top.
Swirl batter and Nutella
Bake 25-30 minutes.
For Easter, my mom sent me a package of Easter goodies and cake mixes from home, one of them being a box of Funfetti cake mix. Not being aware of what funfetti was, I decided to make them for my corridor mates, where one of them called it "funny-fetti" cupcakes even after seeing the note I wrote.
::Sigh:: I guess some Swedes aren't that perfect.
Funfetti Cupcakes
3 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter (melted)
2 eggs
1/2 cup yogurt
1 1/2 cups milk
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup colored sprinkles
Preheat oven to 350
Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
Mix sugar and butter until combined
Add eggs one at a time
Mix until just combined
Add vanilla
Add 1/3 of dry ingredients to mixing bowl followed by yogurt
Add another third of dry ingredients then add milk
When incorporated add dry ingredients
Mix until combined, stir sprinkles
Bake 18-22 minutes
On Easter Sunday, I offered to make dessert for my friends and decided to be an adult again, I looked in my fridge and pantry and wondered what I could bake with the stuff I already had (Look at me all grown up!)
This maple cake had appeared on the Internet and I had a huge bottle of maple syrup from Minnesota and cake and syrup mixed together the whole thing tasted like a pancake.
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup water
Preheat oven to 350
In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar for 1 minute
Add eggs one at a time
Add flour by thirds alternating with water and ending with dry ingredients
Bake for 30 minutes
I was at the grocery store once again and this time with no list but tons of items at a low price. And as a student on a major budget, I was excited.
I bought 2 zucchinis for 15 SEK again, like the carrot incident, not knowing what I would do with them but would figure it out later.
Then a movie night with friends came about and zucchini bread (with chocolate chips) came to mind.
Zucchini Bread
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
Preheat oven to 325
Sift flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon
Beat eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar together in large bowl
Add sifted ingredients to creamed mixture and beat well
Stir in zucchini until well combined
Bake for 40-60 minutes
In my last post, speaking of Eurovision (okay guys I swear this is the last time I'm mentioning Eurovision I SWEAR!). I made these little bars for my friends while watching the song competition show that I just promised I wouldn't mention also M&Ms were on sale at the grocery store and any American product on sale at a Swedish grocery store is a major sign that I need to buy it.
2 1/8 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
12 tbsp butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 12 oz bag of M&Ms
Preheat oven to 325
Line 9x13 pan with foil, letting excess hang out
Mix flour, salt and baking soda together in medium bowl
Whisk melted butter and sugars in large bowl until combined
Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well
Using rubber spatula fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined
Fold 1 cup of M&Ms and turn batter into prepared pan
Sprinkle remaining M&Ms on top and press slightly
Bake 24-28 minutes
Recently, I got an email stating that I was accepted for a job. I'M EMPLOYED AND FEELING SO GROWN UP LIKE BETTER THAN MAKING A GROCERY LIST THAT SORT OF GROWN UP.
And so to celebrate I bought myself Oreo ice cream and made my corridor mates these cookies, because good news brings happiness and happy people make cookies and everyone likes cookies.
White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup oats
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups white chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350
Beat butter until creamy
Gradually add sugars
Add eggs one at a time
Stir in vanilla
Combine flour and next 2 ingredients ( baking powder, baking soda)
Gradually add to the butter mixture
Beat until blended
Stir in oats and white chocolate chips
Bake for 12 minutes
I had a pack of Oreos, a full set of baking ingredients and cocoa powder and decided to really indulge and make an intense triple deck major brownie recipe that would drive everyone crazy and it totally did. These brownies even had one of my corridor mate's boyfriend's say that it was the best thing he had ever tasted, so there you go, a complete to the Swedish Chef.
To make the brownie
10 tbsp butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 package of Oreo
To make the cookie dough
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips
In medium sauce pan, melt butter
Add sugar and cocoa powder and whisk to combine then remove from heat
Add salt, vanilla and eggs until combined
Add flour and mix
Set aside
Cream together butter and sugars
Add eggs and vanilla
Add flour, salt and baking powder and mix until incorporated
Fold in chips
Preheat oven to 350
Line bottom of pan with foil
Layer cookie dough on bottom
Layer Oreos
Pour brownie batter on top
Bake 30-35 minutes
Enjoy these treats and hope I didn't make your mouth water too much to the point where it went on your computer to your keyboard and know the letters G, H, B or N don't work and have to embarrassingly explain to Apple what happen.
Goodnight and Good noms
