It took a while for me to get acquainted with the American habit of drinking Hot or Mulled Apple Cider in winter. In the Netherlands, we do not drink our apple juice hot; apple juice typically is a cold drink. However, one day my kids asked for Hot Cider, so I started making it at […] Read more…
Christmas Stollen
Dresden, a two-hour drive from Berlin, is the hometown of the real Christstollen (Christmas Stollen). It’s serious business: about 130 bakers make these famous breads every year. There is one more or less secret basic recipe, but all bakers make their own variations. Traditionally, you should buy a stollen two to four weeks before Christmas. […] Read more…
Ulla’s Glögg & Ginger-Licorice Cookies
My Danish friend Ulla, who opens a coffee shop in Berlin next January, is a great cook and also knows how to bake the most delicious cookies. For her traditional Advent Party she made eight different versions, among which these crispy ginger cookies with raw licorice powder. Cookies with licorice? It may sound odd, but […] Read more…
Advent Cookies: Thumbprint Cookies with Oats & Hazelnuts
I just love the Advent season in Berlin! In a way, I find the four weeks before Christmas even nicer than Christmas itself. Every Sunday, we celebrate together with friends, drinking the inevitable Read more…
Kruidnootjes XXL (tiny gingerbread cookies)
December is not complete without the celebration of Sinterklaas, the much-discussed tradition on the 5th in the Netherlands and Belgium. No matter where we live, we celebrate this feast for children like we always do: with special presents and funny poems, hot chocolate, home made pea soup, and mandarins for dessert. Here in Berlin, we […] Read more…
Megan Gordon shares her Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
It’s a fact! We have our first American cookbook author on our site: Megan Gordon. Our new Kitchen Table Friend is also food blogger and the owner of the popular Seattle-based granola brand Marge Granola. She shares with us one of the beautiful recipes from her latest cookbook. We are honored and happy to have […] Read more…
Pumpkin Bread
My two daughters are too old for trick-or-treating, but they’ll surely love a nice treat while watching a scary movie. I make this Pumpkin Bread every year for Halloween, it has become kind of a tradition in our house. I think it’s one of my favorite classic American sweet treats. I’m not really a dessert […] Read more…
Sneak preview: Dutch Baby from ‘Home Baked’ by Yvette van Boven
There she is again, our dear Kitchen Table Friend Yvette van Boven. For many months, we have been looking forward to her new book Home Baked that will hit the Dutch stores next week (the English and German edition will not be printed until next year, sorry). It contains over 200 recipes for baking. Read more…
Pflaumen Streuselkuchen (Plum Streusel Cake)
August is prune time! It’s a beautiful time to take long walks through the lush and green fields of Brandenburg, the federal state that surrounds Berlin. When strolling through the fields you will be able to pick prunes and other fruits from the many fruit trees. Actually, it’s a favorite pastime of locals. They often […] Read more…
Apricot Apple Cake
I often make this easy cake when friends show up unannounced. Most ingredients I have readily available in my cupboard, and I make it with the fresh fruit I have on hand. You can even use frozen berries. I love the combination of apricots and apples, so now that fresh apricots are in season I […] Read more…