Sugar, cinnamon, and love : more than 70 elegant cakes, pies, tarts, and cookies made easy

97 Pages·2015·5.53 MB·English

by  Virginia Horstmann

Table of Contents
Foreword
Sweet Little Sins
For the Cake Plate
From the Cookie Jar
French Tarts and American Pies
In Chocolate Heaven
Index
FOREWORD
My name is Virginia—but everyone calls me Jeanny, ever since I can remember
—and I absolutely love to eat cake. I am ecstatic if a kitchen knife slices through a
smooth cheesecake, if candied pecans crunch between teeth, or if the scent of
warm buttery streusel on a rhubarb cake tickles the nose with an aroma so great
that it should be captured in pretty perfume bottles. Baking is my big passion, my
time away from everyday life, my relaxing oasis. Instead of going to yoga, I
sprinkle flour on my countertop, roll up my sleeves and knead the dough.
With each cake that I bake, I experience my childhood yet again, and with each
bite, I remember all of the festive family gatherings and moments of happiness.
The taste of Donauwelle cake reminds me of Uncle Herbert’s wedding, the spice
cake with extra thick icing brings back memories of each visit to Aunt Erna’s
house, and Frankfurter crown cake automatically makes me think of our old
neighbor. Cake means to me, a piece of a perfect world; and therefore, there’s not
a weekend that goes by where a cake does not sit on the kitchen counter, waiting
to be cut.
Two years ago, I realized that friends and family had started asking me for
recipes more and more often, so on New Year’s Day, I sat myself down at the
computer at night and finally set about sharing my baking knowledge. The next
morning, my food blog, Zucker, Zimt und Liebe (Sugar, Cinnamon, and Love),
was born. Since then, dessert ingredients are not only measured and stirred in
our kitchen, but the final products also photographed, with just as much passion.
Because what could be better than sharing the sweetness of life with others?
As I signed the contract for this book, the fancy letters of my signature curving
across the page, my heart was pounding, and I was fighting euphoria. A real
baking spree lay ahead of me. Seventy-six recipes needed to be thought up, tried
out, and the results beautifully presented. Countless bags of flour and sugar piled
up in our kitchen, next to a good many cans of baking powder, and hundreds of
vanilla beans and chocolate bars. The fridge was completely filled with butter,
cream, and fruit from all over the world. I have braided dough into miniature
works of art, tried many ideas that I ended up rejecting, tweaked and improved,
styled and photographed. The people closest to me ended up tasting, judging,
and getting excited about the goodies. Now all my friends and family have a little
more fat on their hips, but also a bigger smile on their lips.
So that no one is excluded from this joy, the recipes are all fairly simple to make.
You don’t need a patisserie degree, nor professional equipment. The ingredients
are varied so that there is something delicious here for everyone. In addition to
little treats to snack on, there are also more extravagant options for special
occasions, as well as desserts that lift your mood and make dreary days sweeter.
I hope you have a lot of fun while baking, and bon appétit!
ALL THE IN THE UNIVERSE,
Jeanny
FOR THE
Cake Plate
There are so many reasons to bake a delicious cake. A thousand reasons,
and at least as many different types of cakes. It would be hard for me to
name a favorite cake. I like to try out new recipes, from fruit cake to pound
cake, to little treats on a baking sheet. My oven has quite a few hours of
heating work under its belt, and is not tired. Just like me and my appetite . . .