Tag Archive for: autumn

Spiced Mandarin Upside-Down Cake

This mandarin upside-down cake with vanilla and cardamom will bring joy and coziness to these gloomy fall days. It’s super simple to make!

This mandarin upside-down cake with vanilla and cardamom will bring joy and coziness to these gloomy fall days. It's super simple to make!

I just love the season of mandarins! They take me back to my childhood when we spent afternoons with my family eating them and having a good time. They come at the perfect time when the autumn is getting moodier and cooler. So we get to hang out together, talking and playing games over healthy snacks, and also add have some extra vitamins.

I feel like this is even more important this year than any other. An extra dose of vitamins is super important. I hope you’re doing well! Please take care of yourself and the people around you. One way to do that is also by baking this delicious mandarin upside-down cake.

This mandarin upside-down cake with vanilla and cardamom will bring joy and coziness to these gloomy fall days. It's super simple to make!
This mandarin upside-down cake with vanilla and cardamom will bring joy and coziness to these gloomy fall days. It's super simple to make!
This mandarin upside-down cake with vanilla and cardamom will bring joy and coziness to these gloomy fall days. It's super simple to make!

This mandarin upside-down cake is super simple!

I know I say this with most of my recipes, but this is probably the simplest cake ever. You can make it in only one mixing bowl. This means less cleaning, and this is a big win for me already 🙂

It’s a little denser and moister than a regular sponge cake, which I find perfect for colder days. Together with some warm tea or mulled mandarin juice, it makes for a perfect afternoon dessert.

I used some yogurt, which I use a lot when I want to make a sponge a bit juicier and when I want to add that milky flavor. Because yogurt already makes it a bit denser and heavier, I used oil instead of butter. And the end result was amazing.

Imagine baked caramelized mandarins on top of a delightful cake. I can’t imagine anything better to have right now. I hope you try the recipe and enjoy it just as much as we did.

This mandarin upside-down cake with vanilla and cardamom will bring joy and coziness to these gloomy fall days. It's super simple to make!
This mandarin upside-down cake with vanilla and cardamom will bring joy and coziness to these gloomy fall days. It's super simple to make!

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

This mandarin upside-down cake with vanilla and cardamom will bring joy and coziness to these gloomy fall days. It's super simple to make!
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Mandarin Upside-Down Cake

Course Dessert
Keyword cardamom, mandarins, spiced cake, sponge cake
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 1 7-inch cake
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

  • ½ cup + 2 TBSP sugar
  • ¼ cup sunflower oil (olive oil is great too)
  • ½ cup Greek-style yogurt or crème fraîche
  • ¼ cup mandarin juice (you can cut slices first and use the ends to squeeze out the juice)
  • 2 medium-size eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla seeds or vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup hazelnut flour (or finely gorund hazelnuts)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp powdered cardamom
  • pinch of salt
  • 3-4 mandarins
  • 2 TBSP sugar for sprinkling
  • butter for greasing the cake tin

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.

  2. Cut mandarins into 0,5cm (1/5 inch slices). Save the ends and use them to sqeeze out the juice. Save it for later.

  3. Butter a 7-inch cake tin and place mandarin slices on the bottom in one layer.

  4. Mix sugar, oil, yogurt, and eggs at a high speed until well combined.

  5. Add mandarin juice and vanilla (if using vanilla extract) and mix again.

  6. In a separate bowl mix together flour, hazelnut flour, baking soda, cardammon, vanilla (if using vanilla seeds) and salt.

  7. Add flour mixture in two increments and mix on a low speed.

  8. Sprinkle the mandarins in the cake tin with sugar and add the cake batter.

  9. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.

  10. Wait to cool completely, before removing the cake from the tin. If the cake has a big dome, cut it away, before turning the cake around.

You can find the recipe in Slovene here.

This mandarin upside-down cake with vanilla and cardamom will bring joy and coziness to these gloomy fall days. It's super simple to make!
This mandarin upside-down cake with vanilla and cardamom will bring joy and coziness to these gloomy fall days. It's super simple to make!

Pumpkin Gnocchi With Sage And Prosciutto

These soft nad pillowy pumpkin gnocchi are one of my favorite fall comfort foods. And they are super easy and quick to make!

These soft and pillowy pumpkin gnocchi are one of my favorite fall comfort foods. And they are super easy and quick to make!

What would fall be if we didn’t enjoy in some enjoy in a nice pumpkin dish. Today were’ making homemade pumpkin gnocchi with a some delicious goodies. There’s butter, there’s prosciutto, there’s sage and then there’s also some grated pecorino on top.

Can you think of anything better?

If no, then keep reading.

How to make homemade pumpkin gnocchi?

It all starts with cooked pumpkin. This is super easy and quick. Even though pumpkins are very tough when raw and sometimes a pain to cut, they get cooked very quickly. And what is more a lot of the pumpkins (the sweet varieties at least) have a skin which also gets soft and they don’t need to be peeled at all.

For these gnochi, I did peel them, to keep that smooth color look, but if the skin is soft, you dont need to peel it.

So to make the gnocchi you need to purée the cooked pumpkin add in flour and an egg, some salt, and mix it all up. Be careful not to overmix, otherwise, you might end up with rubbery gnocchi. When it starts holding together this is when you can stop mixing.

Shape the dough into long strips and roll them out, and cut into nice bite-size pieces. This is super important! Place them on a lightly floured sourface or they’ll stick.

They cook very quickly as any other gnocchi, so this is a super fast meal, which you know I love!

These soft and pillowy pumpkin gnocchi are one of my favorite fall comfort foods. And they are super easy and quick to make!
These soft and pillowy pumpkin gnocchi are one of my favorite fall comfort foods. And they are super easy and quick to make!
These soft and pillowy pumpkin gnocchi are one of my favorite fall comfort foods. And they are super easy and quick to make!

What about the sauce?

This is the best and simplest sauce there is! I mean, we’re talking butter, prosciutto and sage.

All you need to do is melt butter and quickly fry sage and prosciutto. Throw in the cooked pumpkin gnocchi and add some grated pecorino and you have a perfect fall meal.

These soft and pillowy pumpkin gnocchi are one of my favorite fall comfort foods. And they are super easy and quick to make!
These soft and pillowy pumpkin gnocchi are one of my favorite fall comfort foods. And they are super easy and quick to make!

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

Need some extra pumpkin recipe ideas. Here are some of my favorites:

These soft nad pillowy pumpin gnocchi are one of my favorite fall comfort foods. And they are super easy and quick to make!
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Pumpkin Gnocchi With Sage And Prosciutto

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

  • 400 g cooked pumpkin
  • 250 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1½ TBSP butter
  • 2 slices prosciutto cut into thin strips
  • 100 g grated pecorino cheese (a little less than 1/2 cup)
  • 8 sage leaves
  • 1 TBSP salt for cooking gnocchi
  • pumpkin seeds

Instructions

Pumpkin Gnocchi

  1. Puree cooked pumpkin in a food processor and add it into a mixing bowl.

  2. Add flour, egg and salt and knead everything together, but don't over-knead or the gnocchi will be rubbery.

  3. If the dough is too sticky to roll, add a litlle bit more flour. It also helps if you let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.

  4. Divide dough into 8 pieces and roll each to about thumb width. then cut into thumb-size pieces.

  5. Place shaped gnocchi on a lightly floured surface until cooking.

Cooking Gnocchi

  1. Bring a large amount of salted water to a boil and add gnocchi. When the gnocchi float to the surface they are done. This should take around two minutes. If they don't float it's possible that they stuck to the floor or to one another. Use a wooden spoon and gently stir the water.

Butter Sauce

  1. Prepare the sauce before cooking the gnocchi.

  2. Melt butter in a large skillet.

  3. Add sage leaves and prosciutto strips. Roast for a few minutes until they get crisp.

  4. Turn off the heat.

  5. When the gnocchi are cooked drain them well and add to the skillet. Add grated pecorino and mix well.

  6. Serve immediately with some extra pecorino and chopped pumpkin seeds on top.

Notes

Pumpkin gnocchi can be frozen. Place them on a lightly floured baking tray and freeze. When they are frozen transfer them to a container of choice.

These soft and pillowy pumpkin gnocchi are one of my favorite fall comfort foods. And they are super easy and quick to make!
These soft and pillowy pumpkin gnocchi are one of my favorite fall comfort foods. And they are super easy and quick to make!

Fall Harvest Cheese Plate

How to make a fall harvest cheese plate using seasonal ingredients that you can find at the local food market or local farms.

How to make a fall harvest cheese plate using seasonal ingredients that you can find at the local food market or local farms.

We don’t often put up a fancy cheese plate. At least not with that much detail, but with fall already here I feel like it’s time to invite some friends over and serve them a nice harvest cheese plate with some wine.

Fall harvest is perfect for that, because of all the sweet fruits that pair so nicely with the cheeses and meats (which you can, of course, omit if you’re making a veggetarian cheese plate).

Often times you’ll fins dried fuits on a cheeseplate, but I honestly think that with so many fresh fruits around this time of the year, you can just skip that!

How to make a fall harvest cheese plate using seasonal ingredients that you can find at the local food market or local farms.
How to make a fall harvest cheese plate using seasonal ingredients that you can find at the local food market or local farms.
How to make a fall harvest cheese plate using seasonal ingredients that you can find at the local food market or local farms.

So how do you prepare a fall harvest cheese plate?

All you need to make a stunning cheese plate is a few good kinds of cheese, some delicious meats, and a few extra nibbles, like nuts, seeds, preserves, spreads… the sky is the limit.

The trick in making a beautiful cheese plate is to lay everything out nicely. For the fall theme I like to include a wooden plate for that natural cozy feel.

I start with cheeses, spread them around the plate, so they are not all bundled in a pile. Then I add cured meat. Or in this case, I wrapped prosciutto around the grissini. Then add some small bowls with different little treats like preserves (such as artichokes, gherkins, olives…), nuts, seeds, spreads, and so on. You can add bread, grissini, crackers, or something else for the crunch and for spreading any kind of spreads.

At the end choose some autumn fruits like grapes, figs, pears or apples for the sweetness and freshness.

For extra fancy schmansy feel sprinkle some fresh herbs around the plate.

Add a bottle of wine or grape juice and you’re good to go!

How to make a fall harvest cheese plate using seasonal ingredients that you can find at the local food market or local farms.
How to make a fall harvest cheese plate using seasonal ingredients that you can find at the local food market or local farms.

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

How to make a fall harvest cheese plate using seasonal ingredients that you can find at the local food market or local farms.
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Fall Harvest Cheese Plate

Course Appetizer, brunch
Keyword cheese board, cheese plate
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 wedge soft cheese (Brie or Camembert)
  • 1 wedge cheddar cheese
  • 1 wedge aged goat cheese
  • 1 wedge gorgonzola or blue cheese
  • 1 dried sausage
  • prosciutto
  • grapes
  • figs
  • pear slices
  • pomegranate wedges
  • preserved artichokes
  • crackers
  • grissini
  • almonds or other nuts

Instructions

  1. Lay out your cheeses and meats on your plate.

  2. Fill tiny bowls with remaining ingredients (except fruits) and spread them around the plate.

  3. Add fresh fruits all around the plate.

  4. Add fresh herbs.

Recipe in Slovene available here.

How to make a fall harvest cheese plate using seasonal ingredients that you can find at the local food market or local farms.

Simple Rustic Plum Pie

This delicious plum pie is made with fresh plums, a flaky pie pastry, and optional some spices for the cozy cooler days.

This delicious plum pie is made with fresh plums, a flaky pie pastry, and optional some spices for the cozy cooler days.

Okay, so I’m this crazy pie lady and I know it. I just love them so much, and late Summer/Autumn is for sure my favorite pie season. All because I get to make a ton of plum pies. Probably much more than I should, if there even is such a thing.

Plum pie is my absolute favorite. It has that perfect amount of sweetness, acidity, and creaminess. So it’s surprising to me that I’ve never posted a baked plum pie here, yet. I have a no-bake recipe and an apple pie with plum jam (YUM!) but no cozy baked pie. Until now!

So here it is!

This delicious plum pie is made with fresh plums, a flaky pie pastry, and optional some spices for the cozy cooler days.
This delicious plum pie is made with fresh plums, a flaky pie pastry, and optional some spices for the cozy cooler days.
This delicious plum pie is made with fresh plums, a flaky pie pastry, and optional some spices for the cozy cooler days.
This delicious plum pie is made with fresh plums, a flaky pie pastry, and optional some spices for the cozy cooler days.

I’ve tried a new kind of pastry that includes some baking powder and I love it. It’s a bit different from the pastry I normally use. The baking powder makes it a bit softer and just a bit cake-like. It’s amazing straight from the oven (because warm pie is YUMMY) but it gets even better the second day. So if can manage to keep your hands off for a few hours, then you’re in for a treat. I know it’s hard, but trust me, you’ll thank me later.

The filling is really simple, no fancy stuff, just simple plums, and a tiny bit of sugar. But if you have very tasty and sweet plums, you don’t even need that! Just plum with nothing on is amazing. I love simple pies!

So if you are ready to ride into Autumn with this delicious plum pie, here’s the recipe.

This delicious plum pie is made with fresh plums, a flaky pie pastry, and optional some spices for the cozy cooler days.
This delicious plum pie is made with fresh plums, a flaky pie pastry, and optional some spices for the cozy cooler days.
This delicious plum pie is made with fresh plums, a flaky pie pastry, and optional some spices for the cozy cooler days.
This delicious plum pie is made with fresh plums, a flaky pie pastry, and optional some spices for the cozy cooler days.

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

This delicious plum pie is made with fresh plums, a flaky pie pastry, and optional some spices for the cozy cooler days.
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Rustic Plum Pie

Course Dessert
Keyword pie crust, pie pastry, plum pie
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Resting time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 1 10 inch (25 cm) pie
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
  • ½ cup fine sugar (110g) You can use any kind (white, cane, coconut…) but make sure it's fine, not too coarse
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 stick of butter (115g) cubed and chilled
  • 1 tsp vanila extract or vanilla seeds
  • 4-6 TBSP cold milk or water (alternatively you can add two egg yolks and reduce the liquid)
  • 500-600 g plums
  • some sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to a food processor and mix shortly to combine all ingredients.

  2. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand.

  3. Add the liquid (water, milk, and/or egg yolks) one tablespoon at a time and vanilla extract (or seeds). Pulse until the pastry comes together.

  4. Wrap the pastry in a plastic foil and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

  5. In the meantime, cut plums in half (or into quarters for larger plums).

  6. After 30 minutes divide the dough into 1/3 and 2/3. Use the bigger piece to roll out the bottom of the pie. I only cover the bottom, but you can cover the sides as well, only the crust will be a bit thinner.

  7. Place plums on top so they cover the entire surface.

  8. Use the remaining 1/3 of the pastry to decorate the top.

  9. Sprinkle with a tablespoon or two of sugar.

  10. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (355°F) for 55-60 minutes.

This delicious plum pie is made with fresh plums, a flaky pie pastry, and optional some spices for the cozy cooler days.

Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger

This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.

This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.

Here we go with another burger recipe!

I love my beef burgers but today I have a special plant-based recipe for you.

When Nataša from The Amaze burgers wrote to me and asked if I wanna try their pea-protein burger patties I felt really excited to try them out. And I was excited to make an entirely plant-based burger.

My first thought was it needs to have a smoky taste and something that resembles bacon. So after a bit of testing, I decided on making my own mushroom bacon. And it tastes delicious. Why haven’t I tried this before? I’m pretty sure this is going to be my favorite topping form now on.

And to add some tang, I made quick-pickled radishes. Super easy and so so delicious. It adds some nice freshness and crunch to the burger.

As far as the patty goes I used the Amaze patty but you can use any patty you like such as bean or chickpea patty.

This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.
This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.
This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.
This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.

So what’s in this delicious plant-based cheeseburger?

Nothing but the best 😀 And it’s all about color, smoky flavor and freshness. Just like I love my burgers. So here’s what’s in these burgers:

  • a delicious soft burger bun,
  • some baby spinach or arugula,
  • plant-based burger patty,
  • vegan cheese,
  • vegan mushroom bacon,
  • homemade pickled radishes,
  • and smoky BBQ sauce.

Okay, I know you’re probably hungry by now, so let’s just head to the recipe.

This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.
This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.
This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.
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Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger

Course Main Course
Keyword mushroom bacon, plant-based burger, vegan burger
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 4 burgers
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

Mushroom Bacon

  • 250 g mushrooms (button mushrooms, shitake…)
  • 2 ½ TBSP olive oil
  • 2 TBSP soy sauce
  • ½ TBSP maple syrup
  • ½ TBSP smoky BBQ sauce
  • ½ TBSP smoked paprika (or additional BBQ sauce)

Quick home-pickled radishes

  • 100 g radishes
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 3 TBSP unrefined cane sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Other ingredients

  • 4 burger buns
  • 4 plant-based burger patties
  • 8 vegan cheese slices
  • ½ cup smoky BBQ sauce
  • a bunch of fresh baby spinach

Instructions

Mushroom Bacon

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a baking sheet with baking paper.

  2. To prepare the marinade, place all mushroom bacon ingredients except mushrooms in a small bowl and mix until well combined.

  3. Clean mushrooms with a brush and remove stems. Cut mushroom tops into thin slices, about 3-4 mm.

  4. Place mushroom slices in the marinade and gently toss to cover all mushrooms from both sides.

  5. Transfer mushroom slices to the lined baking sheet making sure there's not too much excess marinade on the mushrooms.

  6. Roast in the preheated oven for ten minutes then flip the mushrooms and bake for another 10-15 minutes. The mushrooms should be a bit crunchy on the edges and they will firm more after they cool. If you see mushrooms burning, lower the heat and bake for a longer time.

Quick home-pickled radishes

  1. Wash radishes and remove the greens.

  2. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan, stir well and bring to a boil. Cook for 2-3 more minutes over medium heat, then let cool to room temperature.

Making the burgers

  1. Cook your vegan burger patty as per instructions, adding two slices of vegan cheese two minutes before finishing, covering the skillet to help melt the cheese if necessary.

  2. To assemble the burgers, cut burger buns in half. Spread a tablespoon of BBQ sauce on each half of the buns.

  3. Place some spinach leaves on the bottom bun. Place burger patty with melted cheese on top. Add mushroom bacon, pickled radishes, and some more spinach. Top with the other half of the bun and serve immediately.

This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.
This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.
This Juicy & Smoky Plant-Based Cheeseburger recipe is all about smoky flavors and freshness. These vegan burgers include the most delicious vegan mushroom bacon and quick homemade pickled radishes.

Mediterranean Style Mussels In Wine Sauce

This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.

This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.

I’ve been scared of cooking mussels for a very very long time. In fact, I’ve just recently discovered how easy they are to make.

So how did I even get started?

We took our son out to eat some seafood and we ordered mussels after years of not eating them. He loved them so so much and we did as well. After that, I felt inspired and wanted to try them out. There’s one recipe that excites me the most and it’s this recipe. I’ve tested a few over a few months and wrote my own, like I make it.

The recipe is really a very popular way of cooking mussels in this part of the Mediterranean, where I’m from. This is just a variation and there’s also one with tomatoes, but I don’t think I’ve ever tried that one. Note to myself: make the tomato version!

This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.
This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.

Okay, so this Mediterranean style mussels recipe is literally the simplest dish you’ll ever make. And also one of the most delicious ones. Just imagine the flavors of the sea mixing with some good wine, garlic, and parsley. Doesn’t it already sound so delicious?

It only takes you a few minutes to prep and a few minutes to cook. The only thing that requires a bit more work is cleaning them, but it’s actually really easy.

So how do you clean the mussels?

First, make sure you buy fresh mussels. They should smell like the sea. I tried googling how long the mussels really last but the answers are so different. Since I don’t live next to the sea, I can’t get them straight from the water. This would be amazing and if you have that chance, I recommend buying them the same day they were harvested.

For the unfortunate ones: I tend to buy them if they are a day old and no more. Then I prepare them the same day or in the worst-case scenario the next day.

When it comes to cleaning the mussels, first you need to throw away dead or damaged mussels. Toss the mussels with a broken shell. If the shell is open tap it lightly against the counter and if the mussel starts to close after a few seconds, then it’s alive and you can keep it, if not, toss it. If the mussel is closed and the shell is not damaged it’s good to go.

After you’ve tossed away the bad ones, pour some water in a bowl and add a bit of salt. Place mussels in the salted water and wait for 30 minutes so they can release all the dirt which has accumulated inside the shells.

And that’s it. It’s very easy and so worth the extra few minutes of cleaning them.

This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.
This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.
This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.
This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

This mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.
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Mediterranean Style Mussels In Wine Sauce

Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword mussels, steamed mussels, wine sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

  • 1 kg fresh mussels
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 5-6 garlic cloves finelly chopped
  • 2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 3 TBSP breadcrumbs

Instructions

Cleaning the mussels

  1. Before cleaning the mussels be sure to only keep the ones that are alive. If the mussel is closed and the shell is intact, keep it. If the shell is open tap the mussel lightly against the counter and wait a few seconds. If it starts closing, this means the mussel is alive. If nothing happens toss it.

  2. Scrub the mussels to remove any debris or mud. Remove the "beard" of a mussel, which is the thick cluster of hair on one side of the mussel.

  3. Place mussels in cold lightly salted water for thirty minutes. In this time they will release the grit and dirt from inside the shell.

  4. After thirty minutes remove the mussels from the water and give them a quick rinse.

Cooking the mussels

  1. In a large pot, fry chopped garlic in olive oil for about a minute stirring constantly.

  2. Add wine, chopped parsley and breadcrumbs to the pot and wait until it boils. Add cleaned mussels. Cover and lower the heat. Let steam for 10 minutes. Only eat the mussels that have opened. Toss the closed ones.

  3. Serve warm with some bread or pasta.

This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.
This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.

Vegan No-Bake Pomegranate Coconut Pie

A simple and easy Valentine’s day dessert – a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn’t require any baking.

A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.

Hello February!

In a blink of an eye, we’ve arrived in the second month of the year. Omg, time flies!

This month we have a bunch of celebrations in Slovenia. First, we have a national holiday, when we celebrate the life and work of our biggest poet. It’s this Saturday, so we’ll be heading to the city for the celebration.

Then there’s Valentine’s day. It’s not really a traditional Slovenian holiday, but it’s quite popular anyway 😀 We have our own ‘Valentine’s day’ in March.

And at the end of the month, there’s the carnival. I can’t wait for it and I also can’t wait to try making sourdough doughnuts. Oh yeah, I’ve made my first (non-failed) sourdough starter last week and baked one bread already. It didn’t turn out perfect but it was delicious anyway.

So yeah, my mission is to bake more things with sourdough. And hopefully also share some recipes here as well.

A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.
A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.
A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.
A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.

Enough of me blabbing about holidays 😀

Let’s talk about this amazing recipe for this lovely pomegranate coconut pie. I made it with Valentine’s day in mind. You know the reds, whites, and pink. They remind me of Valentine’s day. And it’s a dessert. Can there really be Valentine’s day without a dessert?

Uhm, no!

Let’s talk about failure first. I had this idea about taking some beautiful photos of a white pie on a blue backdrop. Then suddenly my recipe changes and the pie no longer was only white. It also had red aka pomegranate. So when I took the photos of this pie I was unhappy with the results. It was so blah. I can’t even explain.

So I took it on another backdrop – this beige one. And I loved those so much.

But this wasn’t the only failure with this pie. At first, I wanted to make the coconut layer with coconut milk and cashews and I hated the texture and the taste. Too much cashew taste and not enough coconut. So I decided to add some white chocolate and use coconut paste instead of milk, just to make it even thicker than the creamy white stuff that forms when you’ve placed a can of coconut milk in the fridge.

And OMG this cream turned out better than I imagined!

I need to try making a cake with this cream. I’m pretty sure it would be just as amazing as this pomegranate coconut pie.

A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.
A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.
A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.

So how do you make this pomegranate coconut pie?

It’s fairly easy and straightforward.

First, you make the pie base with rolled oats, coconut flakes and ground almonds (or almond meal), coconut oil and dates. I just love the coconut and almond combination!

Then you make a pomegranate jelly using only pomegranate juice (bought or freshly squeezed) and agar-agar. You can use gelatine if you’re not vegan.

In the end, you make a coconut paste using creamed coconut and mix it with melted chocolate. Done! As simple as that.

The only thing you need to be aware of is that you’ll need to wait between each layer for it to set. So first you make the base and let it harden in the fridge. Then you make the jelly and wait again for it to set. In the end, make the coconut filling and wait again.

So not a lot of work, but a bit more waiting! You can watch your favorite series in the meantime or read a book 😀

A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.
A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.

Okay, let’s just make the pie!

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.
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Vegan No-Bake Pomegranate Coconut Pie

Course Dessert
Keyword coconut pie, pie, pomegranate coconut pie, pomegranate pie
Prep Time 30 minutes
Resting time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings 10 inch pie
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

Pie base

  • 1½ cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 cup ground almonds or almond meal
  • 9 Medjool dates soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
  • 5 TBSP coconut oil
  • ¼ tsp salt

Pomegranate jelly

  • 1¼ cup pomegranate juice
  • 1 tsp agar-agar

Coconut filling

  • 150 g creamed coconut coconut oil removed
  • 200 g vegan white chocolate
  • ½ cup + 2 TBSP water

Instructions

Pie base

  1. In a food processor blend all pie base ingredients into a sand-like texture that's slightly sticky

  2. Press into a 10-inch pie pan and set in the fridge to chill.

Pomegranate jelly

  1. Once the pie base is set, mix pomegranate juice and agar-agar in a saucepan and mix well.

  2. Place over a medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Simmer for a minute or two then remove from the stove.

  3. Leave a few minutes to cool just a little bit then pour into the set pie base and leave to set to room temperature.

Coconut filling

  1. Once the pomegranate jelly is set make the coconut filling.

  2. First, crumble creamed coconut into a food processor and add water. Blend until smooth.

  3. Meld white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water.

  4. Once the chocolate is melted remove from the stove. Add coconut cream one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each tablespoon.

  5. Pour the cream on top of the pie and place it into the fridge to set.

Serving

  1. Take from the fridge 30 minutes before serving.

A simple and easy Valentine's day dessert - a rich pomegranate coconut pie that doesn't require any baking.

Fruity Winter Salad with Mustard Dressing

When it comes to winter salad recipes, nothing beats arugula and kale salad with avocado, apples, feta, hazelnuts and some delicious mustard dressing.

When it comes to winter salad recipes, nothing beats arugula and kale salad with avocado, apples, feta, hazelnuts and some delicious mustard dressing.

The temperatures are finally getting more wintery over here, but there’s no sight of snow whatsoever!

Either way, a hearty winter salad with some fruits, cheese, and nuts is making me feel like Winter is as it should be.

It’s the beginning of a new year and it’s the time when a lot of us (including me) look more closely at what we eat. The thing is, in my personal experience if we give ourselves a tough challenge of eating lots of veggies we tend to fail soon if we’re not used to it.

I think it’s because we go to boring veggie foods. And I don’t mean veggies are boring, but they may seem this way if we don’t lift them up with some delicious add-ons.

And that’s what I love this salad!

It has some amazing leafy greens, but what it gives it heart and soul (and a chance that we’re not going to fail the healthy eating habit!) is the fruitiness of apples and pomegranate, creaminess of avocado and almond mustard dressing, flavor kick from feta cheese and some crunch from hazelnuts and also pomegranate.

It’s really such a simple Winter dish (or side dish), but I honestly couldn’t stop eating it when I first made this.

I used kale and arugula as the leafy green part, but if you grow or have excess to any other leafy greens I’m sure they will work just as well. As for the apple part, you could also use pears or some red oranges. Or all of them.

When it comes to winter salad recipes, nothing beats arugula and kale salad with avocado, apples, feta, hazelnuts and some delicious mustard dressing.
When it comes to winter salad recipes, nothing beats arugula and kale salad with avocado, apples, feta, hazelnuts and some delicious mustard dressing.
When it comes to winter salad recipes, nothing beats arugula and kale salad with avocado, apples, feta, hazelnuts and some delicious mustard dressing.
When it comes to winter salad recipes, nothing beats arugula and kale salad with avocado, apples, feta, hazelnuts and some delicious mustard dressing.
When it comes to winter salad recipes, nothing beats arugula and kale salad with avocado, apples, feta, hazelnuts and some delicious mustard dressing.
When it comes to winter salad recipes, nothing beats arugula and kale salad with avocado, apples, feta, hazelnuts and some delicious mustard dressing.

I’ll be a little shorter today. My poor sick son is asleep so I’m just trying to write this post and recipe as quickly as I can before he wakes.

Anyway, have a lovely weekend friends!

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

When it comes to winter salad recipes, nothing beats arugula and kale salad with avocado, apples, feta, hazelnuts and some delicious mustard dressing.
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Fruity Winter Salad with Mustard Dressing

Course Salad, Side Dish
Keyword winter salad
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

  • 2 cups arugula
  • 1 cup kale sliced
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 apple
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
  • 1/4 cup hazelnuts chopped

Hazelnut Mustard Dressing

  • juice of ½ Meyer lemon
  • 4 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 TBSP almond butter
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions

Hazelnut Mustard Dressing

  1. Whisk all ingredients until you get a uniform dressing.

Salad

  1. Remove pits from the apple and avocado. Remove avocado skin. Cut apple and avocado into thin slices.

  2. In a large bowl mix arugula and kale slices and dress them with the dressing.

  3. Add apple and avocado slices on top and sprinkle with crushed feta cheese, pomegranate arils, and crushed hazelnuts.

  4. Serve immediately.

When it comes to winter salad recipes, nothing beats arugula and kale salad with avocado, apples, feta, hazelnuts and some delicious mustard dressing.

Easy 15-minute Cheat Ramen

This easy ramen soup only takes 15 minutes to make and is super healthy with a beautiful deep miso flavor. With some added fresh vegetables this is a delicious and healthy meal.

This easy ramen soup only takes 15 minutes to make and is super healthy with a beautiful deep miso flavor. With some added fresh vegetables this is a delicious and healthy meal.

Hello and Happy New Year!

I’m very late wishing you this, but I’m here now and I’ve got an amazing recipe for a very simple ramen soup bowl that you can make in 15 minutes flat. It’s been the dish that we’ve cooked a lot the past month. We’re all fans of Japanese food here and a big bowl of soup with Japanese feel is our jam these days!

Before I get to the recipe, I’ll bore you a bit more with a big decision that we’ve made for the new year, but actually we want to stick with it for the long run. During the holidays I’ve had a long talk with my hubby about what’s making us nervous about being in the house. We felt like being indoors creates so much stress and it’s not only because being outside is just so much more fun. We’ve realized that it’s actually because of STUFF. To be more exact – too much stuff. So we made our mission to seriously declutter our house during the next few months and then keep the habits of decluttering regularly.

Ugh, it’s going to be a hard job, because we’ve accumulated so much stuff (and we’re not hoarders!). go through all my storage at least two times a year, but after watching some youtube decluttering videos I see that I just wasn’t strict enough.

Even though it’s a stressful and long procedure, I’m looking forward to having less clutter in my life.

This easy ramen soup only takes 15 minutes to make and is super healthy with a beautiful deep miso flavor. With some added fresh vegetables this is a delicious and healthy meal.
This easy ramen soup only takes 15 minutes to make and is super healthy with a beautiful deep miso flavor. With some added fresh vegetables this is a delicious and healthy meal.
This easy ramen soup only takes 15 minutes to make and is super healthy with a beautiful deep miso flavor. With some added fresh vegetables this is a delicious and healthy meal.

Okay, I’ve talked about my New Year’s decisions long enough. Let’s talk about this DELICIOUS ramen recipe.

Traditionally ramen has different variations and it takes a long time, but I’ve shortened this for the occasions when you either don’t have all the ingredients or just simply don’t have the extra few hours to make it.

I used premade broth or broth cube for this recipe. Clearly, if you’ve got time you can make your own and that’s awesome, but if you’re short on time the other two options are still completely fine.

So what does a ramen soup consist of?

Ramen is a noodle soup that was brought to Japan from China.

There are a few different variations, but they all have a few components:

  • BROTH: Traditionally they are usually made with chicken or pork, but these days we can find lots of other variations.
  • FLAVORS: Those are flavors that are added to the broth to add some extra feel to the soup. Those can be anything like soy sauce, miso, salt, curry…
  • NOODLES: Traditionally noodles for ramen are made specifically for being served in a soup so they don’t drink in the soup and get soft and mushy. In my own personal opinion, I feel like I eat the soup pretty quickly, so I haven’t noticed the soaking of noodles.
  • TOPPINGS: So many options here. You can add meats, veggies, mushrooms, kelp, eggs… Whatever you feel like that day or just have in the fridge.

Since it’s winter I’ve topped my ramen with veggies that I can find right now. But depending on what the season is when you’re reading this, you can use some other seasonal ingredients. There’s no right or wrong here 🙂

This easy ramen soup only takes 15 minutes to make and is super healthy with a beautiful deep miso flavor. With some added fresh vegetables this is a delicious and healthy meal.
This easy ramen soup only takes 15 minutes to make and is super healthy with a beautiful deep miso flavor. With some added fresh vegetables this is a delicious and healthy meal.
This easy ramen soup only takes 15 minutes to make and is super healthy with a beautiful deep miso flavor. With some added fresh vegetables this is a delicious and healthy meal.
This easy ramen soup only takes 15 minutes to make and is super healthy with a beautiful deep miso flavor. With some added fresh vegetables this is a delicious and healthy meal.
This easy ramen soup only takes 15 minutes to make and is super healthy with a beautiful deep miso flavor. With some added fresh vegetables this is a delicious and healthy meal.

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

This easy ramen soup only takes 15 minutes to make and is super healthy with a beautiful deep miso flavor. With some added fresh vegetables this is a delicious and healthy meal.
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Easy 15-minute Cheat Ramen

Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword ramen, vegan ramen, vegetarian ramen
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

Broth

  • 4 cups vegetable broth (or 4 cups water + 2 stock cubes)
  • 2 TBSP miso paste
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled
  • 1 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 thumb size ginger peeled
  • 1 TBSP sesame seed oil

Toppings

  • 4 shitake or champignon mushrooms
  • 1/2 carrot
  • 1/2 small leek only the white part
  • 1 spring onion greens

Other

  • two servings of ramen noodles
  • sesame seeds for sprinkling

Instructions

Broth

  1. Finely chop garlic and ginger.

  2. Heat a skillet over high heat. Add sesame seed oil and quickly fry garlic and ginger for about 30 seconds to a minute.

  3. Add miso paste and soy sauce and mix well.

  4. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Toppings

  1. Cut carrots and leeks into julienne strips.

  2. Slice the mushrooms and spring onion greens thinly.

  3. Optional: If you prefer you can quickly roast mushrooms over high heat for about a minute or two. Or you can eat them raw.

Noodles

  1. Cook as per instructions right before serving.

Assembling

  1. Place noodles into two bowls.

  2. Pour over the broth.

  3. Add the toppings: mushrooms, carrots, leek, spring onions.

  4. Sprinkle with some sesame seeds.

This easy ramen soup only takes 15 minutes to make and is super healthy with a beautiful deep miso flavor. With some added fresh vegetables this is a delicious and healthy meal.

Spiced Almond Butter Chocolate Babka

This delicious almond butter chocolate babka is made of rich sweet dough and creamy filling. It’s so cozy and homey. A perfect Christmas treat that everyone will love.

This delicious almond butter chocolate babka is made of rich sweet dough and creamy filling. It's so cozy and homey. A perfect Christmas treat that everyone will love.

With just a few days left until Christmas, we’re still deciding who’s going to host this year’s Christmas dinner. It’s usually us or my parents, but we haven’t decided yet this year. In any case, I’m making my favorite holiday dessert.

When it comes to Christmas desserts I’m all about sweet bread. My favorites include Italian panettone, walnut chocolate star bread, our traditional walnut roll called ‘potica’ and this year I found a new one – almond butter chocolate babka. Do you see a pattern here? Sweet dough, nuts, and chocolate.

This delicious almond butter chocolate babka is made of rich sweet dough and creamy filling. It's so cozy and homey. A perfect Christmas treat that everyone will love.
This delicious almond butter chocolate babka is made of rich sweet dough and creamy filling. It's so cozy and homey. A perfect Christmas treat that everyone will love.
This delicious almond butter chocolate babka is made of rich sweet dough and creamy filling. It's so cozy and homey. A perfect Christmas treat that everyone will love.
This delicious almond butter chocolate babka is made of rich sweet dough and creamy filling. It's so cozy and homey. A perfect Christmas treat that everyone will love.
This delicious almond butter chocolate babka is made of rich sweet dough and creamy filling. It's so cozy and homey. A perfect Christmas treat that everyone will love.
This delicious almond butter chocolate babka is made of rich sweet dough and creamy filling. It's so cozy and homey. A perfect Christmas treat that everyone will love.

And I’m sharing the recipe with you today.

This almond butter chocolate bread is a product of another amazing collab with my friend Tereza from Tereza’s Choice. We had so much fun during our day together creating this babka and taking photos. Although I erased all of the images in the middle of the shoot, I managed to get them all back with the help of my brother. Cheers to him! I think I need to bake him a babka just to say thanks 😀

This delicious almond butter chocolate babka is made of rich sweet dough and creamy filling. It's so cozy and homey. A perfect Christmas treat that everyone will love.
This delicious almond butter chocolate babka is made of rich sweet dough and creamy filling. It's so cozy and homey. A perfect Christmas treat that everyone will love.

Back to the recipe!

We used the same dough recipe as in my walnut chocolate star bread recipe. I honestly think this is the best egg-free sweet dough I have ever made.

For the filling, we used Tereza’s almond butter with cinnamon and vanilla. Yes, she has her own line of products and I love them. But don’t worry, you can use regular almond butter and add spices yourself in case you don’t have access to her spiced almond butter. It’s all in the recipe.

The filling is actually pretty simple. Melted chocolate (mix of semi-sweet and milk), almond butter and spices. That’s all. And I can honestly say, using nut butters as a filling for sweet breads is one of the best things there is.

We made a version with chopped almonds on top and dried cranberries inside and a plain one without the almonds and cranberries and they both turned out super delicious!

This delicious almond butter chocolate babka is made of rich sweet dough and creamy filling. It's so cozy and homey. A perfect Christmas treat that everyone will love.

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

This delicious almond butter chocolate babka is made of rich sweet dough and creamy filling. It's so cozy and homey. A perfect Christmas treat that everyone will love.
5 from 1 vote
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Spiced Almond Butter Chocolate Babka

Course Dessert
Keyword babka, Christmas bread, sweet bread
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rising time 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Author Anja Burgar & Tereza Poljanič

Ingredients

Sweet Dough

  • 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup + 2 TBSP milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp dry yeast
  • 1 tsp vanilla seeds or vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 2 TBSP unsalted butter melted

Almond Butter Chocolate filling

  • 50 g milk chocolate
  • 50 g semi-sweet chocolate
  • 1/2 cup almond butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla seeds
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • OPTIONAL: dried cranberries (soaked in water for 15 minutes and drained)

Other

  • chopped almonds for topping
  • 1 TBSP milk or butter or 1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water (for egg wash)

Instructions

Sweet Dough

  1. In a small bowl mix 2 TBSP sugar, half of the milk and yeast. Cover and wait for it to activate and start foaming.

  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the flour, vanilla seeds (or extract), ground cardamom and sugar at low speed to combine all the ingredients. Add the rest of the milk and melted butter and mix until the dough comes together. Lastly, add activated yeast. Continue mixing until a soft smooth dough forms. You can do this by hand, as well. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise at room temperature for 60 minutes or until double the size.

Almond Butter Chocolate filling

  1. Melt both milk and semi-sweet chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water.

  2. Add almond butter, vanilla, and cinnamon and mix well.

Making Babka

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

  2. Roll out the dough to about 20x50cm (4x10inch) or 2-3 mm thick.

  3. Spread over the filling. Sprinkle cranberries on top if you wish. Roll along the ling edge and cut in half to get two rolls of the same length.

  4. Cut each roll in half lengthwise and swirl one half over the other (see photos above).

  5. Place the two babkas into two bread tins lined with baking paper and lightly brush with milk (or butter or egg wash). Bake in the preheated oven until deeply golden and puffy, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Chocolate Hazelnut Bundt Cake

This simple but super rich chocolate hazelnut bundt cake recipe is guaranteed to impress at your Christmas dinner.

This simple but super rich chocolate hazelnut bundt cake recipe is guaranteed to impress at your Christmas dinner.

Omg guys, I can’t believe Christmas is less than two weeks away! I’ve already made a ton of cookies. Most of them are already gone, so there’s more baking ahead. One more thing I love to do at Christmas is a bundt cake. This year I’m making this chocolate hazelnut bundt cake again for sure.

It’s a super-rich dark chocolate cake as you can see from the dark almost black color 🙂 And I also added one of my favorite nuts – hazelnuts. You can use any other nuts, but let’s face it. Chocolate and hazelnuts are a classic for a reason. 

This cake is very easy to prepare. I feel like I say this for every recipe I post, but I really love sharing easy recipes, what can I say. This bundt cake is guaranteed to impress. I especially love it with a cup of tea now that it’s so cold.

This simple but super rich chocolate hazelnut bundt cake recipe is guaranteed to impress at your Christmas dinner.
This simple but super rich chocolate hazelnut bundt cake recipe is guaranteed to impress at your Christmas dinner.
This simple but super rich chocolate hazelnut bundt cake recipe is guaranteed to impress at your Christmas dinner.

Yesterday, it was snowing for the first time this season. Yay for that! It’s been a strange year and I was almost sure we wouldn’t get to see the snow for a while. So today we go sleigh-riding! I’m keeping my son at home all throughout December and while I still work a bit, I decided to take it easy and make more time for my family, enjoying the stress-free time. I feel like holidays often put us in a lot of stress even though it should be the most wonderful time of the year.

So like I promised last week, I made some edible Christmas gifts yesterday and still have more to make. I made some flavored sugars inspired by the recipe from Linda Lomelino.

And right now it’s snowing again so I’m going to put my winter gear on and go out with the kiddo. And I’ll leave you with the recipe…

This simple but super rich chocolate hazelnut bundt cake recipe is guaranteed to impress at your Christmas dinner.
This simple but super rich chocolate hazelnut bundt cake recipe is guaranteed to impress at your Christmas dinner.
This simple but super rich chocolate hazelnut bundt cake recipe is guaranteed to impress at your Christmas dinner.

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

This simple but super rich chocolate hazelnut bundt cake recipe is guaranteed to impress at your Christmas dinner.
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Chocolate Hazelnut Bundt Cake

Course Dessert
Keyword bundt cake, cake, chocolate cake, Christmas
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (300g)
  • 1 1/2 cup ground hazelnuts (125g)
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (120g)
  • 2 2/3 cups sugar (500g)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup melted butter
  • 4 eggs
  • extra butter and cocoa (or flour) for the pan

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). 

  2. Grease and dust a bundt cake pan with cocoa powder or flour.

  3. Combine melted butter, milk and cocoa powder until smooth.

  4. Beat eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy. About 2-3 minutes.

  5. Add the cocoa mixture to eggs and beat until thoroughly combined.

  6. In a separate bowl combine all dry ingredients. Add them to the chocolate mixture in thirds combining well before adding more. Use a low speed or mix by hand.

  7. Pour the batter into the bundt cake mold and bake in a preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If the bundt cake starts to get too black at the top, cover with some aluminum foil, to prevent burning the top.

  8. Wait until the cake cools down completely before removing from the pan.

This simple but super rich chocolate hazelnut bundt cake recipe is guaranteed to impress at your Christmas dinner.
This simple but super rich chocolate hazelnut bundt cake recipe is guaranteed to impress at your Christmas dinner.
This simple but super rich chocolate hazelnut bundt cake recipe is guaranteed to impress at your Christmas dinner.

Chewy Almond Butter Cookies

These most delicious vegan chewy almond butter cookies are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!

These most delicious vegan chewy almond butter cookies are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!

Hey hey!

Have you started your Christmas baking yet?

I did some Christmas baking already and I have some more planned in the next couple of weeks. I made some classic vanilla cookies, honey gingerbread cookies, and these delicious chewy almond butter cookies in collab with Rok’s Nut Butter.

I started with a recipe that I usually use to make peanut butter cookies and I need to share that one with you too, hopefully soon 🙂 I changed a few ingredients and made them with dates, unrefined cane sugar a little bit of flour, baking soda, almond butter, and a flax egg.

It’s a recipe that you can whip up in 5 minutes. All you need to do beforehand is make a flax egg and soak dates for 15 minutes.

You mix it all up, make small balls and squash them with a fork to get a beautiful texture on top.

These most delicious vegan chewy almond butter cookies are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!
These most delicious vegan chewy almond butter cookies are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!

So are you excited about December and the upcoming holidays?

I decided to do a more relaxed Christmas this year, because I don’t want to be stressing about Christmas gifts and shopping. I prefer to spend that time with family and friends, spent more time with my son and hopefully go to a cottage with my family. Let’s just hope there’ll be some snow. It doesn’t look very promising, but hey, at least we’ll be together, right?

So for Christmas gifts, I decided to make something homemade. Something small and with love, maybe some homemade hot chocolate mix! Tell me, are you into homemade gifts?

These most delicious vegan chewy almond butter cookies are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!
These most delicious vegan chewy almond butter cookies are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!
These most delicious vegan chewy almond butter cookies are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!

One more thing… there’s a giveaway going on on Instagram. See the latest photo in my feed to find out how to enter 🙂

Good luck!

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

The most delicious chewy almond butter cookies that are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!
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Chewy Almond Butter Cookies

Course Dessert
Keyword almond butter, almond butter cookies, Christmas cookies
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Wait time 15 minutes
Total Time 26 minutes
Servings 25 cookies
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

  • 1 cup almond butter
  • 6 TBSP all-purpose or wholewheat flower
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup unrefined cane sugar
  • 4 Medjool dates (pits removed, cut in quarters and soaked for 15 minutes)
  • 1 flax egg (1 TBSP crushed flax seeds + 2 1/2 TBSP hot water, leave to soak for at least 15 minutes or until sticky)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.

  2. Use a food processor to mix soaked dates and flax egg until almost smooth. It doesn't need to be silky.

  3. In a big bowl mix flour and baking soda. Add all other ingredients and mix with a spoon until you get a uniform batter.

  4. Use approximately 1 TBSP of batter for one cookie. Use the palms of your hands to form balls and place them on a baking tray at least 10cm (4 inches) apart.

  5. Use a fork to smash them twice in a 90° angle, so you get a grid pattern on top.

  6. Bake in a preheated oven for 6-7 minutes. They look unbaked and very soft when you take them out, but they harden as they cool.

These most delicious vegan chewy almond butter cookies are made with no refined sugar and almond butter. A yummy cookie that is super soft!

Vegan Roasted Pumpkin Curry

This vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.

s vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.

Guys, I’m sharing one of my favorite autumn comfort foods – a pumpkin curry. And guess who also loves pumpkin curry? My friend Tereza from Tereza’s Choice. We created this recipe together and oh fun this was. Okay, it was also a bit stressful, since I accidentally erased ALL the images from the card on my camera!! We almost finished shooting and this happened. So I almost couldn’t share this recipe with you this week or at least not with photos. Luckily my dear brother found a way to get those files back.

And drrrrumroll! Me and Tereza have another recipe for you and we’ll share it soon 🙂

s vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.
s vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.

Are you drowning in pumpkins? We are here, but I don’t mind that. I love pumpkins and I never get tired of eating them. They are so versatile. You can use them in savory or sweet dishes. They are super healthy and soooo easy to prepare and really quick too. Who doesn’t love that?

My preferred way to cook pumpkins is to roast them. I roast them, when I make pumpkin soup, I roast them when I make pumpkin cupcakes, I roast them when I make pumpkin risotto… You get the picture! I love how roasting brings extra sweetness and depth from the pumpkins.

Curries are such a great comfort food because they are quick and easy to make and because of all the spices and flavors. I usually make my own curry spice blend, but you can use your own or a bought one. I find using the curry blend that’s available in stores here in Slovenia is very strong and makes each dish taste the same. So I try to avoid it and usually make my own in a coffee grinder.

s vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.
s vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.
s vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.

Okay, I’m not going to bore you with the details. The recipe is pretty easy and straightforward. Basically foolproof 😉

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

s vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.
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Vegan Roasted Pumpkin Curry

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Anja Burgar & Tereza Poljanič

Ingredients

Curry

  • 2 TBSP coconut oil  (or grape seed oil)
  • 1 onion
  • 2 TBSP fresh ginger minced
  • 2 TBSP garlic minced
  • 2 TBSP curry spice blend (link to recipe in notes)
  • 1 pumpkin or butternut squash peeled and cubed
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 TBSP lemon juice
  • 200 g firm tofu

Serve

  • coconut yogurt
  • 2/3 cup roasted cashews
  • chopped parsley
  • flatbread (link to recipe in notes)

Instructions

  1. First set your oven to 220 degrees Celsius.

  2. Peel and cube the pumpkin, transfer to a baking tray and lightly oil. Put in the oven for at least 20 minutes until soft.

  3. Meanwhile, heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add coconut oil, onion, and ginger. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

  4. Add the curry spice blend and fry for another 2 minutes.

  5. Next up add the garlic and sauté for another minute.

  6. Then add the coconut milk, bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, slightly reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  7. At this time, check on your pumpkin, if it’s soft, transfer it to a blender and blend with a bit of water until smooth. Add to your pan and coconut milk and adjust the flavor with salt and lemon juice. Don't be shy with seasonings – this curry should be very flavorful.

  8. Leave aside and fry your cubed tofu on 3 Tbsp coconut oil until it gets a beautiful brown crust.

  9. Serve as is or with flatbread, over rice, quinoa, or buckwheat. This dish gets elevated with the addition of some coconut yogurt, cashews, and parsley for serving.

  10. Best when fresh, though leftovers will keep in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days. Enjoy!

Notes

Recpe for Hot Curry Spice Blend here.

Recipe for Herbed Buckwheat Flatbread here.

s vegan roasted pumpkin curry recipe is super comforting and is a proper late autumn dish. Nothing beats mixing pumpkin with coconut milk and fragrant spices.

Hibiscus Poached Pears with Vanilla and Pink Peppercorns

An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears is guaranteed to amaze at any party!

An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!

Hey you! Do you know what’s today?

It’s our anniversary! YEP, Me and my blog celebrate our 4th anniversary 🎉 Even though we spend a year and a half apart we got together last year and now we’re besties again!

I’ve got some cool stuff to share for this special occasion. First, we have this amazing fancy-schmancy recipe, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

And now to the news, I couldn’t wait to share it with you!!! I’ve been asked so many times lately if I teach 1-on-1? So no I officially opened 1-on-1 online coaching sessions for everyone who wants to learn food photography and food styling with me. Besides online coaching, I also offer in-person workshops for everyone close to Slovenia or willing to travel. So if you’re interested in any of these topics hop on to my workshops page.

Okay, now that we’ve got this out of the way let’s focus on these hibiscus poached pears. Who’s with me? 🙋

An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!
An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!
An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!
An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!

You know me, I love simple desserts. Okay, I love the complicated ones too, but I’m over the moon when a dessert (or any dish for that matter) is AMAZING but it takes like no effort at all. Well, this is this dessert. Sounds real posh, but trust me no skills are needed at all!

Lots of poached pears recipes require poaching in wine and that’s delicious too, but hey, nothing wrong with choosing a different path every once in a while. Especially if you’ve got kids!

What you’ll need for these hibiscus poached pears is:

  • firm pears
  • dried hibiscus (loose or in a teabag)
  • a vanilla pod
  • some pink peppercorns, and
  • honey

I served them on vanilla yogurt (you can have vegan too), but if you feel like making some homemade vanilla custard, that’s awesome too.

An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!
An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!

I’m not going to keep you from the recipes much longer, just a few quick tips and we’re on.

Tips to cook amazing poached pears

If possible use pears that are firm and not too ripe. If they are too ripe, they might fall apart and not look as pretty. They’ll still be good, though.

Turn the pear halves around every once in a while so they have an even color and they cook more evenly.

That’s it! So so simple!

Let’s cook!

Tag #useyournoodles so I can see your beautiful UYN creations. Also, stay in touch on Facebook and Instagram or subscribe to get the recipes directly to your mailbox ♥

An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!
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Hibiscus Poached Pears with Vanilla and Pink Peppercorns

Course Dessert
Keyword poached pears
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

  • 4 firm pears
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 hibiscus teabags (equals 4 teaspoons loose hibiscus flowers)
  • 2 TBSP honey
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 8 pink peppercorns
  • 4 cups vanilla yogurt
  • chopped nuts for topping

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients but pears in a pot large enough to fit 8 pear halves and bring it to a boil. Let simmer for 5 minutes, while you prepare the pears.

  2. Halve pears and remove skins and pits.

  3. Add pears to the pot cover and cook for 20-25 minutes turning them around every 5 minutes so they get cooked evenly.

  4. Remove the pears from the pan and cook the liquid for another 10-15 minutes, to reduce it to a desired consistency.

  5. Serve with vanilla yogurt, reduced sauce (or vegan vanilla yogurt) and some chopped nuts.

An easy but really fancy dessert like this hibiscus poached pears with vanilla and pink peppercorns is guaranteed to amaze at any party!

No-bake Chocolate Chestnut Pie

This no-bake chocolate chestnut pie is an indulgent autumn dessert that everyone likes. Surprise your guests with this recipe that is full of flavor.

This no-bake chocolate chestnut pie is an indulgent autumn dessert that everyone likes. Surprise your guests with this recipe that is full of flavor.

Ever since I was a child, I remember loving to pick chestnuts and boy, I loved eating them even more. I still do!

I remember the whole family sitting in our dining room peeling a whole bunch of cooked chestnuts. It was a time of gathering when the whole family bonded over this amazing nuts. Actually, my preferred method of eating them is squeezing out the flesh with my teeth. I’m not very skilled with getting them out of their skins with a knife…

This no-bake chocolate chestnut pie is an indulgent autumn dessert that everyone likes. Surprise your guests with this recipe that is full of flavor.
This no-bake chocolate chestnut pie is an indulgent autumn dessert that everyone likes. Surprise your guests with this recipe that is full of flavor.
This no-bake chocolate chestnut pie is an indulgent autumn dessert that everyone likes. Surprise your guests with this recipe that is full of flavor.
Chestnuts

The inspiration

Although I love chestnuts, I never really liked chestnut desserts. They always seemed so heavy and not at all light and fluffy. But then I went hiking with my husband and they had the most delicious and fluffy homemade chestnut cake in the cabin on top of the mountain. So it left me inspired to try and make a light and creamy chestnut dessert. Somehow I ended up making a no-bake chestnut pie and it turned out better than I expected. Like seriously mouthwatering.

And from now on, I’m a fan of chestnut desserts. PERIOD!

This no-bake chocolate chestnut pie is an indulgent autumn dessert that everyone likes. Surprise your guests with this recipe that is full of flavor.
This no-bake chocolate chestnut pie is an indulgent autumn dessert that everyone likes. Surprise your guests with this recipe that is full of flavor.
This no-bake chocolate chestnut pie is an indulgent autumn dessert that everyone likes. Surprise your guests with this recipe that is full of flavor.

How to make this creamy no-bake chocolate chestnut pie?

Easy peasy. Cuz it doesn’t involve any baking.

First, you wanna make the cookie crust. I used a mixture of Oreos and plain butter cookies, but you can go with whatever kind of cookies you prefer. Grind them finely and add melted butter and chocolate. Yes, I added chocolate in the cookie crust. Yum! After you press the cookie base in the pie tin, you need to let it cool in the fridge or the freezer.

What about the filling?

You start with cooking chestnuts as you would normally. Cooking them for about an hour after the water has boiled.

This is the hardest part – peeling. I’m not a fan, so I asked my mom to do it for me. I feel so spoiled right now 🙂 Did I mention I hate peeling chestnuts?

Okay, so you peel the chestnuts, but then you need to cook them again in heavy cream with some sugar. Just to thicken the whole thing and to cook those nuts some more. Done! Blend and pour over the cookie base and wait to set.

You can leave it here, or you can add chocolate icing on top. In that case, make it a day in advance, because it needs to chill in the fridge overnight. Recipe included below!

This no-bake chocolate chestnut pie is an indulgent autumn dessert that everyone likes. Surprise your guests with this recipe that is full of flavor.
This no-bake chocolate chestnut pie is an indulgent autumn dessert that everyone likes. Surprise your guests with this recipe that is full of flavor.
This no-bake chocolate chestnut pie is an indulgent autumn dessert that everyone likes. Surprise your guests with this recipe that is full of flavor.
This no-bake chocolate chestnut pie is an indulgent autumn dessert that everyone likes. Surprise your guests with this recipe that is full of flavor.

If you decide to make this no-bake chocolate chestnut pie, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! I love hearing from you and seeing how you make my recipes!

This no-bake chocolate chestnut pie is an indulgent autumn dessert that everyone likes. Surprise your guests with this recipe that is full of flavor.
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No-bake Chocolate Chestnut Pie

This recipe makes one 20cm (8 inch) pie. Double the recipe to make a 28cm (11 inch).

Course Dessert
Keyword chestnut pie, chocolate pie, no-bake pie
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Anja Burgar

Ingredients

Cookie Base

  • 100 g Oreo cookies
  • 100 g butter cookies
  • 50 g ground hazelnuts
  • 80 g butter
  • 70 g semi-sweet chocolate

Chestnut cream

  • 180 ml heavy cream or whipping cream (¾ cup)
  • 150 g cooked and peeled chestnuts
  • 25 g sugar

Chocolate cream

  • 25 g chocolate
  • 50 ml whipping cream

Instructions

Chocolate cream

  1. Cut chocolate into small cubes.

  2. Add cream to a small pot and add chocolate. Over medium heat cook until chocolate has completely melted, about 5 minutes. Use a whisk to mix constantly.

  3. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Move to the fridge and leave to rest overnight.

  4. After the mixture has chilled whip it using an electric mixer like you would whip cream. Transfer to a piping bag with the desired nozzle. If you whipped the chocolate cream before making the pie, leave it in the fridge to wait for decoration.

Cookie base

  1. Use a food processor to finely grind the cookies.

  2. Meld butter and chocolate in a small bowl over a pot with simmering water. Add to the ground cookies and mix well.

  3. Transfer the cookie mixture to the pie tin and press to the bottom and the sides to form a firm pie crust.

  4. Leave to set for at least two hours in the fridge or 30 minutes in the freezer.

Chestnut cream

  1. Add cooked chestnuts, sugar and cream to a small pot and bring to a boil. Then immediately lower the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.

  2. Transfer to a blender and mix until smooth.

  3. Pour onto the chilled cookie base and let cool for at least 3 hours.

Decoration

  1. Pipe the chocolate cream around the edge of the pie.

  2. Store the pie in the fridge. Leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

This no-bake chocolate chestnut pie is an indulgent autumn dessert that everyone likes. Surprise your guests with this recipe that is full of flavor.