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Apple pie

My mother recently found this recipe that a friend had written for me a few years ago. So nice to see her recipe again! at the time I thought it would be a good Christmas recipe, here goes just as she taught  me:

Ingredients:

For the dough:

250 gr of flour

150 gr of butter

125 gr of sugar

1 beaten egg

lemon zest

pinch of salt

For the filling:

500 gr of reinetas apples

50 gr of sugar

1 envelope of custard

ground cinnamon

raisins

Instructions:

In a bowl put the flour, the butter, sugar, salt, grated lemon and half of the egg together. With two knives cut the butter into small pieces, then knead with your fingers until you get a good dough.

Grease the mold (20 cm) and line it with 2/3 of the dough, put it in the fridge for 30 minutes, like the rest of the dough.

Peel and cut the apples into thin slices, sprinkle with the sugar, cinnamon, the envelope of custard and mix everything well, also add the raisins.

Pour the filling into the mold and distribute well until it covers the entire surface, with the rest of the dough make the decoration. You can make strips in the form of grid, like the classic apple pie, in this case, to give a more festive touch I have chosen to shape the dough with cookie cutters and place it beautifully on top.

To finish, paint with the leftover egg. Take to the oven at 180ºC for about 45 minutes. Served with vanilla ice cream takes it to another level.

Bon Appetite!

Happy Holidays!

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Chocolate cake for New Year´s Eve

Hi everyone!

I would like to continue with the ‘Christmas time dessert´s series’. A good chocolate cake, simple, elegant and perfect to finish the New Year´s Eve dinner and start de New Year´s celebration.

Hmmm…hmmm… hmmm! careful! you will want more than one piece!! 😉

Let´s start!
Ingredients for the cake:

175 g of butter (room temp.)
175 g of sugar
175 g of flour
3 tablespoons of liquid caramel
40 g of ground almonds
2 teaspoons and half of baking powder
40 g of cocoa
1 pinch of salt



Ingredients for the filling:

225 g pure chocolate
225 g of butter
55 g of brown sugar
5 tablespoons of condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla sugar
 
1º) First we mix all the ingredients for the filling in a pan; low heat until everything is well melted.

Then, pour the mixture into another bowl and let cool down, cover and place in the refrigerator during 1 hour.

2º) Preheat the oven at 180 ºC and cover the mold with baking paper.
3º) For the cake mixture, first we mix the butter and sugar, once they are well integrated, gradually add the beaten eggs, then the liquid caramel and the ground almonds.
4º) In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa and pinch of salt and add to the previous mixture.
5º) Put the mixture into the mold and leave in the oven at 180º C for about 35 minutes. Then, take the cake out from the oven and let cool down for 5 minutes. Then, remove the mold and let cool down completely.

In this case I´ve made two cakes, you can divide the dough in two or make another separate cake with same ingredients and measures, so the cake will be taller (that is what I wanted).

6º) Finally we fill the cake with the chocolate (which you will cut thorugh the middle if you have made just one cake. If you have made two cakes, put one on top of the other after filled).
We also use the filling to cover the rest of the cake.

For the decoration, I used almond cubes, I think it looks pretty elegant, just ready to enjoy during New Years´s Eve.
We need something to drink with the cake!! I made mulled wine or Gluhwein, a traditional drink from Germany and northern countries of Europe, especially around Christmas.

Mulled wine it´s a nice option to drink while enjoying the cake
That´s it! I think it is a simple recipe and you can also use your imagination when you are decorating it.
I hope you try it at home; and really really hope you have a veeery nice week ahead and enjoy every day 🙂
Cheers!
Bea.