Christmas

Easy Christmas Cookies

/ sarahgiebens / 13 Comments

Hi guys!

Merry Christmas

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Let there be love, fun, happiness and… food! ;D

Today’s menu: super easy Christmas Cookies to hang in your Christmas tree :) I’ve said it before with my Christmas Jam Cookies: What’s Christmas without cookies? Just a meeting!

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What we need:

  • 250 g butter
  • 165 g sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 250 g flour
  • pinch of salt
  • Christmas cookie cutters
  • plastic foil
  • baking plate
  • baking paper
  • a straw
  • ribbon

 

Christmas Cookies

How to:

  1. Mix together butter and sugar until fluffy.
  2. Add the egg yolk.
  3. Sift the flour and add it together with the salt to the mixture.
  4. Mix until everything gets combined and it forms a real dough.
  5. Wrap the dough in plastic foil and store for 30 – 60 minutes in the fridge.
  6. Remove the foil and roll out the dough.
  7. Cut out different Christmas figures.
  8. Heat the oven at 190°C.
  9. Place the cookies on a sheet of baking paper on a baking plate and make a little hole in the cookie with the straw.
  10. Bake for 15 minutes at 190°C.
  11. Let the cookies cool on the baking plate for a bit until placing them on a rack to cool completely.
  12. Take some ribbon and put it through the cookie-hole to hang them in your tree :)

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Merry Christmas!

Have a delicious day <3
xxx Sarah

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Christmas Jam Cookies

/ sarahgiebens / 16 Comments

Hi guys!

Nothing says Christmas more than Christmas Cookies… I’m sorry but you can’t say you’ve celebrated Christmas if you haven’t had any cookies to go with it. You just can’t.

Sooooo I’ve made some yummy Jam Cookies! They can be used for several occasions because they aren’t Christmas exclusive as you can see but these star shaped cookies fit Christmas perfectly as well :)

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What we need:

  • 250 g butter
  • 165 g sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 250 g flour
  • pinch of salt
  • raspberry jam (or any kind of jam you like)
  • cookie cutters in 2 sizes
  • plastic foil
  • baking plate
  • baking paper

Christmas Jam Cookies

How to:

  1. Mix together butter and sugar until fluffy.
  2. Add the egg yolk.
  3. Sift the flour and add it together with the salt to the mixture.
  4. Mix until everything gets combined and it forms a real dough.
  5. Wrap the dough in plastic foil and store for 30 – 60 minutes in the fridge.
  6. Remove the foil and roll out the dough.
  7. Cut out as much stars as you can.
  8. Cut out a smaller piece in half of the stars (these will be your top stars).
  9. Heat the oven at 190°C.
  10. Place the cookies on a sheet of baking paper on a baking plate and bake for 15 minutes at 190°C.
  11. Let the cookies cool on the baking plate for a bit until placing them on a rack to cool completely.
  12. Take your ‘full’ stars and put some jam on them.
  13. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on the top stars (the ones with the holes).
  14. Place the top stars on top of the jam.
  15. Serve! :D

Jam Cookies

Merry Christmas!

Have a delicious day <3
xxx Sarah

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Cake Mix Challenge: Cupcake Edition

/ sarahgiebens / Leave a comment

Hi guys!

Christmas is getting really really close now… Are you guys excited? Christmas Tree all set? Gifts all wrapped? Dinner plans thought out? Awesome Christmas sweaters ready? :D

I know Christmas can be a real rush. Especially if you’re the one cooking! Best thing you can do is save time wherever you can to get you through the holidays with a smile. And that way you can spend as much tie with your loved ones as possible :) I don’t like saying it, but dessert is something you can ‘cheat’ on.

Looking for something easy but festive and delicious? Cupcakes are always a good idea! They’re easy to make and everyone loves them. How you can save even more time? Use a cake mix for cupcakes.

There are so many different cake mixes. They all look the same but there can be some differences. I’ve decided to try three different cake mixes to let you know which one is best :)

It’s on!

#1: Fun Cakes

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Fun Cakes is a pretty known brand here in Belgium. Lots of cupcakeries and hobby stores have them. The cupcakes come out nicely and bake evenly. The taste is good, but maybe a little bit too dense for a cupcake. It reminds me of a vanilla cake instead of a cupcake. The mix also says it can be used as a regular cake mix.

#2: De Bakboetiek (The Bake Boutique)

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This one is made by a local baking store. They sell their products in their store in Mechelen, Belgium and online. The cupcakes rise a bit more than the other cupcakes from Fun Cakes. The taste is in my opinion better since it really tastes like a cupcake (omnomnom). The texture of these cupcakes is is too. It’s much less dense and you can keep on eating them xD

#3: AVEVE / Horta (Farmer’s Union)

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They look a lot like the ones from Fun Cakes. I didn’t manage to bake them 100% even as you can see. It tastes nice and the texture is okay. I feel like this one is inbetween vanilla cake and cupcake. This mix was made by the Farmer’s Union. I don’t know if I say this 100% correctly though.

 

You can probably guess which one is my favorite :) I guess a local store just puts more love into their products than a mass manufacturer. BUT no panic if you don’t have a local bakery who makes cupcake mixes. All three of them taste delicious and a good frosting can turn every cupcake into a real Christmas treat! (not the burned ones…) Just keep in mind the cupcake-level of each mix.

All though cake mixes seem so much faster, I don’t think it can ever live up to the result you get from adding flour and sugar yourself because there’s not much more to a cupcake than that. But I do understand people wanting to use them. So go ahead and use those mixes to serve your guests some lovely cupcakes!

Happy Holidays!

Have a delicious day <3
xxx Sarah

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Christmas gift idea: Elvea Limited Editions Box

/ sarahgiebens / 2 Comments

Hi guys!

I was invited to the official opening of the Elvea Pop-Up Boutique at Stadsfeestzaal, Antwerp. The famous canned tomato brand exists 130 years and that calls for some special celebrations!

Elvea launched the exclusive Selezione del Maestro. Beautiful products with Datterini tomatoes. These tomatoes are a bit sweeter than the others. You can buy them in the supermarket but the limited editions gift box (the four of them together in a beautiful gift box) is exclusively available at the Pop-Up Boutique. It makes the perfect gift for every tomato-lover!

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Looks fancy, huh :D The dark blue with the gold gives this special edition a very luxurious look. It looks good, tastes great and doesn’t cost you a fortune. What more would you wish for? This fabulous gift box is available in the Pop-Up Boutique at Stadsfeestzaal in Antwerp for 12,50 euros.

For those of you who live in Antwerp or have visited the city in the near past know how the Pop-Up stores inside the Stadsfeestzaal look like. Elvea has claimed its place next to Zest Juice Bar, at the main entrance. You can’t miss it! :D

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The Pop-Up Boutique also offers you the regular and newest products by Elvea. So you can easily buy your own canned tomatoes whilst Christmas shopping for family and friends ;)

To promote the Pop-Up Boutique, Elvea has created this fabulous Fiat 500:

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Have a delicious day <3
xxx Sarah

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Red Velvet Christmas Crinkle Cookies

/ sarahgiebens / 18 Comments

Hi guys!

I’m sorry forgot posting a Christmas recipe last Tuesday. It’s not that I didn’t want to or didn’t try. I was making these awesome Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies Tuesday night at around 10 pm. I had hoped to finish them in time to post them before midnight but my oven had other plans…

Everything went well until I put the first batch in the oven. After just a few minutes I started to smell something weird. My first thought was: “Djeez these cookies smell bad, my god!” You know something’s really wrong when there’s smoke coming out of the oven!

NO PANIC! I had it all under control. Except for that awfull burned smell that lived in our appartment for two days…

But the second time went perfectly well as you can tell by these yummy Crinkle Cookies :)

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Store the cookies in an airtight container. If you don’t, the cookies will become soft and they’ll taste more like cake than cookie xD It becomes a cake-cookie :p Tastes great too.

I was lucky to try a cookie before going to bed. It was crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. Just the way they are supposed to be.
I had put them in a box and left them on the table when I went to bed. You never guess what I saw when I woke up: the cookie box had been opened!

I secretly think the boyfriend has something to do with it. He may have stolen a cookie when he got home from his boys night out or he might have just looked inside to see what I made. Either way, he forgot to close the box and left his marks! Busted! ;)

Red Velvet Christmas Crinkle Cookies

What do we need:

  • 390 g self-raising flour
  • 25 g cocoa powder
  • 180 g butter
  • 160 g sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 teaspoons red food coloring
  • 130 g powdered sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • baking paper

Crinkle Cookies going in the oven

How to:

  1. Put the flour, cocoa powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
  2. Mix together butter and sugar until the sugar is absorbed by the butter.
  3. Add 1 egg at a time and mix until smooth.
  4. Add the food coloring.
  5. Add the other ingredients you had set aside in the bowl and mix until the batter is smooth.
  6. Put the dough in a bowl, wrap it with foil and put in the fridge for about 2 hours.
  7. Butter your hands and make small balls of dough.
  8. Put the powdered sugar in a bowl and roll every ball in the sugar. One  at a time.
  9. Place the balls on a baking sheet.
  10. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes at 180 degrees celsius.

Have a delicious day <3
xxx Sarah

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Christmas Wishlist 2015

/ sarahgiebens / Leave a comment

Hi guys!

2 more nights and Saint Nicholas is here. And then comes Christmas! :D As every one of you do I also have a little wishlist for Christmas. No, I’m not putting all the books I want on this list because I wouldn’t want you to be still reading this list tomorrow morning… ;)

#1: Sushi Kit

 

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I would love to make my own Sushi one day :) I promise to let you guys know how I did when I do ^^

#2: Booze Mixes

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I usually don’t drink. Maybe some wine at a party or dinner but that’s all. But I saw these cute mixes for Strawberry Mojito and Blue Lagoon and I’m tempted to try these out. Or to just put them in our vitrine because to never take out because they look so cool :p

#3: Tea Case with healthy Kusmi Tea

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I love tea. Don’t you think this case looks great? I’d love to have this one, even if I wouldn’t like the tastes. It would look great in our kitchen :) But I bet it tastes great too! And the teas are all supposed to be healthy so that’s an extra plus ^^

#4: Donut Box

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Do I really have to give a reason for this one? Come on…

#5: Mug Cake Set

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Don’t you just love these cute mugs? :D I’ve tried and tested some Mug Cakes before and the relationship just didn’t work. But I’m pretty convinced they would taste so much better in these mugs! What do you say, shall I give it a try? :p

Every item on my list can be found at Alice Délice, by far my favorite cooking store!

If you could have anything in the world, no matter how expensive, what would it be?

Have a delicious day <3
xxx Sarah

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November Favorites – Christmas Edition

/ sarahgiebens / Leave a comment

Hi guys!

It’s December!!! I lost track of how many times I’ve either said or thought that… But I’m just so excited! December really is the most wonderful time to me. Happy times and lovely time with family and friends. It’s such a great time! I don’t even mind the cold. Snuggle together with a fluffy blanket and some tea or hot chocolate and I’ve already forgotten about the crappy wether :)

This months favorites is all about Christmas! Many of you have been preparing for THE holiday of the year (at least it is for me) and I’ve been inspired by so many of your awesome recipes and crafts. My to-do list has grown and I do hope this little list can inspire you as well to create some yummy dishes for your Christmas parties :)

#1: Gingerbread Latte Cupcakes

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Oh Annie… These Gingerbread Latte Cupcakes are to die for! So adorable! I absolutely love those cute little Gingerbread Men. Got to find some myself. Yumm!

#2: Christmas Tree Donuts

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I LOVE these donuts! They look cute, delicious, festive and… fluffy! :D Such a great idea. It’s just awesome! Yes, for those of you who haven’t noticed by now: I’m in love! Thanks so much Erin for sharing this with us.

#3: Eggnog Bundt Cake with Eggnog Sugar Glaze

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Jo-Anna from A Pretty Life made this pretty cake. It’s the perfect Christmas cake if you ask me :) I’ve never had it (or I can’t remember if I had) Eggnog but I’ve seen enough Christmas movies to know this is part of the holidays :)

#4: Peppermint White Chocolate Rugelach

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I would love to try some of these delicious treats :) Don’t they look all festive and Christmas-y to you? :D Aida from The Crafting Foodie made these lovely treats for us.

#5: Peppermint Mocha Fudge

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Yes. Candy cane reminds me of one thing: Christmas! And so does this yummy Peppermint Mocha Fudge from Brandie and her Home Cooking Memories blog. I really like the presentation with the crushed candy cane and it gives me this instant holidays feeling ^^

 

I hope you find these recipes inspiring and festive enough to get you in the Christmas spirits :) I’ll be doing lots of Christmas baking in the next weeks to prepare both myself and you for my absolute favorite holiday of the year!

Have a delicious day <3
xxx Sarah

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Homemade Chocolate Popsicles for the best Hot Chocolate

/ sarahgiebens / 11 Comments

Hi guys!

December is right around the corner, the days are getting shorter and it’s impossible to go outside without your thickest jacket and a scarf. Don’t even think about how cold your feet get from walking outside for a minute…

My ultimate solution: Homemade Hot Chocolate! And these Homemade Chocolate Popsicles make it even better ;)

Hot Chocolate Popsicles

December also means Christmas and I believe these Chocolate Popsicles make the perfect drink for every cozy Christmas party! It may not look very Christmas-y but the feeling you get from drinking hot coco together sure is :)

What do we need:

  • White Chocolate
  • Milk Chocolate
  • Dark Chocolate
  • Wooden spoons
  • Piping bags
  • Bowls to melt the chocolate in
  • Plastic cups
  • Toppings

Ingredients for our Homemade Chocolate Popsicles

How to:

  1. Melt your white, milk and dark chocolate in separate bowls. Do this by putting them in sessions of and stir in between each session.
  2. Put the melted chocolate in piping bags. Use separate bags as well.
  3. Cut off the tip of the piping bags.
  4. Choose what kind of chocolate popsicles you want: all in one colour, 2 colours, 3 colours, …
  5. Pipe your chocolate in the cups the way you like.
  6. Put the spoons in the cups. Your spoons should be completely covered (not the handle)
  7. Add your toppings.
  8. Let the chocolate popsicles cool and harden.
  9. After the popsicles have completely hardened, pull them out the cups. It may take some serious pulling but I know you can pull it off ;)
  10. Dip them in warm milk!
Hot Chocolate Popsicles before cooling

Before pulling them out

Hot Chocolate Popsicles for Hot Chocolate Milk

After :)

I’ve tried something special: adding some salted caramel from Colac to the popsicle. It worked! But you have to make sure you add just a little because the next layer of chocolate has to connect to the one before the caramel. Otherwise the popsicle won’t hold together.

I think restaurants or little tea rooms could easily make this for the holidays or just during Winter, don’t you think so too? :D

Hot Chocolate Popsicles with toppings
Salted Caramel Filling

Have a delicious day and a warm Winter <3
xxx Sarah

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Source of inspiration: PS by Dila

Christmas is coming! Thoughts & Memories

/ sarahgiebens / 13 Comments

Hi guys!

Am I too early with my Christmas excitements? It’s November already you know…
Stores have their Christmas stuff for sale since the end of September here so I’m actually on the late side xD

Those who know me a little know I’m an absolute Christmas freak! I have to keep myself from running to the store and buy myself some Christmas decorations. Or a Christmas tree. I basically have to keep myself from taking over the whole shop!

At our family we always make a whishlist and then pick names. We then receive that persons whislist and have to buy something within a certain budget. We’ve picked names last weekend and I’m always very excited to see who will be my person I can shop for :) No, I won’t tell you who it is because that person might read this post ;)

Me and my christmas hat

Normally, my whislist is always – I repeat – always ready by August. I like to come prepared ;) But this year was a little different since my whishlist was only ready the day of our little party. Oops… I think I broke a personal record by being so late with it xD

Back to our Christmas habits. I LOVE shopping for Christmas! Choosing something from the whishlist, buying it, wrapping it and then when the day finally arrives, giving it :) BUT we don’t just give our presents. Oh no! We always play a game. Sometimes a card game, sometimes a quick word game. The winner either gets a present or gives a present (we decide that before the game;) ) Such a happy time! What about your Christmas habits? I’d love to know all about them!

Me and my mom acting crazy at Christmas

My mom & I acting crazy on Christmas

Christmas never comes too early for me! But it does fly away way too fast. Those wonderful days filled with joy, laughter and family are the best days of the whole year!

Me and grandma at Christmas

Grandma and I

So, tell me all about your Christmas memories :)

Have a delicious day <3
xxx Sarah

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Traditional Apple Pie

/ sarahgiebens / 43 Comments

Hi guys!

It’s getting colder, darker, wetter and a little bit more cosy inside. I’ve even busted myself at thinking about Christmas already…
Can you blame me? ;)

I love apples. And I love Apple Pie even more! I bet you do too.
I’ve always wanted to make a gorgeous traditional Apple Pie. You know, the one with the weaved crust on top. I find it so beautiful :)

And here it is! I’ve finally took the time to make one myself. With weavings and all :)
It was the perfect weather for it anyways! Rainy, dark and very cold so what better way to warm the house than with an oven turned on ;)

Apple Pie

What we need (1 pie):

  • 6 apples
  • 65 g white sugar
  • 65 g brown sugar
  • 45 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons of cinnamon
  • 1 pinch of nutmeg
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 premade pie crusts
  • Baking tin
  • 2 tablespoons of butter (+- 20 g)

How to:

  1. Peel, cut, dice the apples and put them in a bowl
  2. Squize the lemon and poor the juice over the apples
  3. Add sugar, flour and spices to the apples and combine it all together.
  4. Butter your baking tin or spray it with baking spray (I just recently bought one for the first time)
  5. Put one pie crust in the baking tin
  6. Add the apple-spices mixture
  7. Cut the butter in pieces and put them on top of your apples.
  8. Roll out the other pie crust. Cut out long strings, try to make them equal in size. Cut in the long direction (vertical), not horizontally
  9. Place strings on top of your Apple Pie
  10. Pull up the alternated strings and put a string horizontally
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  11. Now pull up the other strings and place a string horizontally
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  12. Do this until your whole pie is covered with weaved strings
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  13. Whisk your egg and put it on the weaved strings to allow them to bake golden brown
  14. Bake the Apple Pie for about 35 minutes at 220 degrees centigrade

Omnomnom!

I made a bit of a non-traditional Traditional Apple Pie because my pie crusts were rectangle instead of round… But it tasted great! And I actually like my rectangle pie :)

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Have a delicious day <3
xxx Sarah

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