Don't forget the food!

Off course I wasn't forgetting about the food. I've been cooking, baking, eating and tasting just as much as before, so I have a whole bunch of new things to show you.

I'll start simple, with the 'Wentelteefje'. This is a traditional Dutch recipe that I love to make on sunday morning when I'm feeling hungry. All you need is a bit of old bread (white preferably), some milk, an egg and some sugar and cinnamon.
You mix the milk, about a cup, with the egg and a pinch of cinnamon. In that mix you soak your slice(s) of bread for a couple of minutes until it becomes all soft and spongy. Then you heat a knob of butter in a frying pan and bake the 'Wentelteefjes' on both sides until golden-brown. I always drizzle a lot of 'Lyle's Golden Syrup' on top and some extra cinnamon dusting. You can serve them with any fruit you like!

'Wentelteefjes' with banana

Then I made this funky filled bread by Jamie Oliver. The recipe is in his third book 'Happy days with the naked chef', I love that book. I really rediscovered it a couple of weeks ago. I often make the puddings that are in it too. The bread was filled with raw ham, soft cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and some boiled eggs. I only made half the recipe of the bread, but it became huge anyway. I still have half of it in the freezer, Yum!

Then we made some 'lovely speculaasjes' also a typical Dutch cookie with a mix of spices in them. We eat them on the 5th of december which is Sinterklaas, a national holiday with lots of presents and sweets.
This year we made them for our Italian friends to let them have a taste of a Dutch tradition.

It's a very simple recipe with flour, sugar and butter and the spices. But they have a lovely warm old-fashioned taste to them.
If you want I'll give you the recipe, just let me know!

Heart 'Speculaasjes' by my Love

And speaking of cookies, my Love gave me these German gingerbread cookies that are a bit like the 'speculaasjes' but soft and a bit tough. My parents used to bring me one of these hearts with 'Ich liebe dich' written on it. I especially love the ones coated with white icing. I have to find me a shop where they sell them. Or I could try to make them myself.

Guten appetit!