torta di pane

copyright AT verlag

some treats you have to long for. - this cake is such a thing.  sandro steingruber, the talented chef from restaurant EPOCA at waldhaus flims mountain restort & spa, came up with this amazing recipe for a torta di pane (bread-cake). he doesnt only find the aroma of this blend of chocolate and almonds irresistible, but also likes the fact, that you can make something so divine from yestedays bread. also: you have to wait two full days, before you can savor this wonderful cake. two days longing for a cake seems like a torture. not with this one - you'll be giddy happy to cut the first slice!

this is another recipe from our book schweizer spitzenköche für afrika - come and bake with us, for a good cause.

RECIPE

500ml milk

50g butter

1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out

300g white bread from yesterday

100g dark choclate, roughly chopped

100g candied fruit, chopped

100g sultanas

150g almonds, ground

some drops of almond extract

4 eggs (about 220g)

120g sugar

2 g cinnamon (about 1 teaspoon)

10g breadcrumbs

100g pine nuts

20g butter, soft in flakes

heat the oven to 180 °C.

first combine milk, 50g butter and vanillaseeds and bring to a boil. cut the bread in cubes, then cover with the hot milk. let sit for about 30 minutes. then pure roughly.

mix with chocolate, candied fruit, sultanas, almonds & some almond extract. mix very well.

whip eggs, sugar and cinnamon until light and foamy. then carefully combine with the bread mixture.

butter a springform pan (about 26cm round), then dust with the breadcrumbs. fill in the mixture, sprinkle with the pine nuts and butterflakes. bake in the oven for 70 to 80 minutes.

then have patience and let cake stand for at least 2 days before serving. 

dust with some icing sugar before serving. enjoy!

coriander cakes in a glass

copyright AT-verlag

by the time you read this, the book is out. has been flying off the shelves (thankyouall!) and our dear and creative top chefs have cooked an amazing 18 course menu that dear guests have generously paid for. (here is a little movie to see it all) the corner stone for our school in africa is set - but we need to continue our mission. the more books we sell, the more children get an education.

if you are not in a german speaking part of the world, you might still contribute: bake our cakes (more to follow!), organize a bakesale and consider the charity menschen für menschen, who we trust a 100%. it would be wonderful to see you all help build our school with us.

lets keep on baking for a good cause on once upon a cakestand! this week we'll enjoy tanja grandits wonderful chocolate cakes in a glass. tanja grandits is not only an incredibly talented chef but also the founder of "schweizer spitzenköche für afrika". the recipe she created for the book shows how versatile her kitchen is: its filled with spices! she uses her recipes like a colour chart & mixes and matches them with a lot of courage. and as if with magic - the combinations always work.

these little cakes in a glass are wonderful for the first days of fall. when you need something that warms your heart. add a pinch of cinnamon. an there you have bliss in a glass.

RECIPE

100g dark chocolate

100g butter

100g sugar

3 eggs

50g flour

1 teaspoon coriander, ground

butter, for the glasses

heat the oven to 170 °C.

melt the chocolate together with the butter over medium heat in a pan. stir until smooth.

mix sugar and eggs in a bowl, add flour and coriander. stir in chocolate mixture and smooth the mixture.

put the dough into 4-6 buttered glass jars (about 7 to 8 dl capacity) and bake in the oven at 170 °C for about 20 minutes. then dust with some icing sugar and serve.

TIPP: you can add different spices to this cake: cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and even chili works in this cake. also you can use a larger glass, but make sure you add more time to the baking time.

linzertart for a good cause

copyright: AT-verlag

september marks the end of a very special project that i have been working on for the last few months and that is close to my heart. "schweizer spitzenköche für afrika" - "swiss top chefs of switzerland for africa" is what happens, when the best chefs of my country meet to cook for a better world.

we are doing this at a big gala next weekend at my dear friends tanja grandits restaurant stucki in basel, where the chefs will create an amazing menu. the guests are lined up, they paid for their chairs - partners and suppliers have generously sponsored everything: from the glass of mineral water to chocolate couverture.

that's where we'll also proudly present our little baby. the cookbook: schweizer spitzenköche für afrika. its a book filled with wonderful recipes from the chefs childhood. easy recipes they have discovered while travelling the world, dishes they cook for their loved ones. the book is filled with warmth and love and therefore a book everyone loves picking up & cooking from it.

all the proceeds from the booksales and the charity gala will go to aethiophia. we'll build a school there for the foundation "menschen für menschen" (people for people), that was founded by the actor karlheinz böhm. a school you might ask? - dont they just need food? yes - a healthy life and development starts with education. everyone that can write, calculate and read becomes a smart and proud individual that can provide for himself.

this linzertart by heiko nieder, from the restaurant at the dolder grand hotel in zurich is a little teaser from the book. its a heartwarming and very delicious treat. we will be doing a bakesale with it later in the year. how about you start baking for a our good cause, too? - i'd love to see this project become an international affair. i'd love to see your recipes, the picutres and hear from your experiences. i am sure it will be a good one!

happy baking!

this is Heiko Nieders favourite tart. thing is, he doesnt like linzertart at all. unless his lovely wife bakes it for him. the sunflower seeds give this tart a wonderful & unexpected crunch.

RECIPE

for the dough:

200g flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

125g sugar

1 vanillapod, seeds scraped out

2 eggs

125 butter

125g almond flour (a rougher ground one would be fine, too)

80g sunflower seeds, roasted & coarsely chopped

1 lemon, grated zest

salt

a pinch of ground cloves, cinnamon, ground tonkabean

for the filling:

about 200g homemade mulberry jam

a hand full of almond slivers

1 eggyolk

a dash of milk

for a 22cm round tart tin

heat the oven to 175 °C, butter the tart tin and dust it lightly with flour.

mix all the ingredients for the dough in the kitchen aid until a dough forms. form into a round circle, put in clingfilm and let rest for about half an hour.

leave about 1/3 of the dough for the edges, roll out the rest of the dough into a circle and line the prepared tin with it. now take the reserved dough and decorate the edges with it (you can also roll it out and cut out some decorative sujets. if you want to you can prick the edges with a fork, which makes a simple decoration, too.

now generously cover the bottom with the mulberry jam and sprinkle the almond slivers over it.

mix eggyolk, salt and a dash of milk and glaze the dough.

now bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes.