I came across the recipe for Sour Cherry Cakes (Višňové koláče) when I was researching beer as an ingredient in Slovak cooking. You might not know, as I hadn't before, that beer can also be used in baking. And you may be surprised, as I was two years ago, just by how tasty these little cherry-filled … Continue reading Sour Cherry Cakes
It's sometimes very difficult to translate the names of our most traditional cakes into English, and the one below is no different. I've spent more time trying to find the best possible name for this recipe than actually writing it. Gingerbread didn't sound right because it's closer in taste and texture to what we call perník in Slovakia … Continue reading Crispy Ginger Cakes or Zázvorníky
I'm not a big fan of raw cakes. Not only are they more laborious and much more expensive than the regular ones, but I doubt their healthy side as well. I love fresh fruit (or vegetables), and I often indulge in all kinds of seeds and whole nuts, but why mash, squeeze and grind these … Continue reading Raw Poppyseed Avocado Cake
With the arrival of summer, life seems to slow down in Slovakia. It's not only because our summers can be very hot, which naturally hinders more strenuous activities. It's also that the two-month's school holidays put all parents into a relaxed mode, which often makes us think about occupations unlikely to come in mind at … Continue reading Home-made Chocolate Ice Lollies
It's time to cook something eggy, because it's Easter and we want to put all those yolks and whites left after decorating our Easter eggs to good use. So why not prepare Bird's Milk - a simple yet nutritious dish which is said to have originated in France, but my mind will always associate it with … Continue reading Bird’s Milk
My mum used to simply call them Košíčky (Baskets) and that's how these dainty cakes are recorded in my old hand-written recipe book. Mum always made them for Christmas, because she knew they would be winners and none of us would make excuses to avoid helping. It was quite a lot of work, granted, but … Continue reading Christmas Baskets
Summer is undeniably over and so is the plum season. We still get quite a lot of sunshine here in Slovakia, but the temperatures have dropped and there's this autumnal nip in the air that makes my gait brisker and my mind more agile. The trim jars of plum jam from last summer's harvest still … Continue reading Sunday Plum Sponge Delight
My daughter and I have tried another old recipe from my hand-written cookbook recently - it's one of those I got from my Mum years ago. I remember I quite liked 'Dobošové kolieska' (Dobosh cookies) as a child, not to mention the fact they always looked immaculate when Mum laid her hands on them. She's always … Continue reading Dobosh cookies
This recipe could also be subtitled 'when the winter asks you what you were doing in the summer'. My answer would be (as that of many other Slovak home cooks): making jam, bottling and preserving all the summer produce from our gardens. As I said in one of my previous posts, last year was very … Continue reading Low-Sugar Non-Dairy Plum Pie
As I wrote in the previous post, these little cakes are my family's favourites for the Silvester buffet. You only need 4 ingredients to make them, yet you're sure to have lots of fun alongside. I have checked the availability of baby biscuits on the Internet, and it seems they can be bought quite easily around … Continue reading Banana No-Bake Minicakes
