Pink Lemonade

This is just like a normal lemonade but with an additon of colour, normally with grenadine or cranberry. But I used raspberry, since the result is the same, lemon with a light pink color. It is very easy to make, refreshing, perfect for summer days and if it is pink much better!

As you can see I put ice cubes with a raspberry inside, I think is gives a sophisticated touch. These ice cubes are so easy to make, and look very nice, I use to make them also with other berries or with menta leafs.

I am gonna show you two ways to make lemonade, one is the traditional, the other is not so common, looks strange but I assure you the result is fantastic.

INGREDIENTS

120 g sugar
2 cups lemon juice
1´5 litre cold water
4 raspberries crushed and strained
ice cubes

Mix sugar, lemon and water, finally add raspberries bit by bit until you get the prefered color.

The other option is: 

2 lemon well cleaned
120 g sugar
1'5 liter cold water
4 raspberries crushed and strained
ice cubes

Cut the lemons in 4 pieces and pit them. Mix all ingredients less the raspberries in a blender. Do not overbeat otherwise you get too much lemon taste. Finally add raspberries bit by bit until you get the prefered color.  You can strain the mixture if you prefer.

Traditionally I know you put directly the whole lemon in the blender, but I prefer to cut it first and pit it, and also much better for the blender.

If you want to do this second option I recomend you to use organic lemons, just to avoid all the additives. And much better to serve inmediatly, cause it could taste sauer after some hours. The first option you can keep it in the fridge for some days.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer, I go on holidays tomorrow and I will be back in the middle of september.

Lot of hugs  ♥♥♥

Smoothie

Here you have a rich smoothie, perfect for breakfast. Since I have got my new blender, smoothies became my favorite to start of the day. It is a funny way to eat fruit, and you have a large taste variations. 

A smoothie is just a fruit drink mixed with milk or yogurt, it use to be quite thick, and you can add whatever your preferences.

Here is my suggestion:

INGREDIENTS makes 2

2 kiwis

1 ripe banana
8 frozen strawberries (can be also no frozen)

1 greek yogurt

2 spoons of milk

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 teaspoon honey
some menta leafs

Use these mesurements as guides. Peal and mix it in the blender.  

You can make it thicker using more for example banana, or if you prefer it thinner use more milk and no yogurt.

That simple!

Enjoy ♥♥♥

Truffle Cupcakes

You know already I am a chocolate lover, I love anything that contains chocolate, the darker the chocolate the better for me. And there is a little treasure I use to have in my frezzer: truffles! As you can check here they are so easy to make, with or without alcohol. A good and a quick way to improvise a dessert or just as a simply snack. That's the way when I saw this lovely recipe in Lola's book I knew I had to make these cupcakes. 

INGREDIENTS  makes 12 big or 16 medium

Dark chocolate Ganache

225 ml heavy cream

175 g dark chocolate chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

Put the cream in a saucepan over medium heat and heat until just strating to bubble around the edges.
Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chopped. Stir until chocolate has melted and you have a glossy ganache. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Let cool and firm up while you make the cupcakes.

Cupcake Mixture
100 g dark chocolate chopped
175 g butter
225 g caster sugar
4 eggs
100 g self-rising flour
2 tablespoon cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
12 truffles

Preheat the oven to 180º.

Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water. Heat, stirring, until the chocolate melts and you have a smooth, glossy mixture. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

Beat the slightly cooled chocolate mixture with an electric han mixer for 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at the time, beating each addition. Sift the flour, cocoa and salt into the bowl and beat until blended.

Take 4 tablespoon of the ganache and beat it briedly into the cupcake mixture until just combined.

Put the remaining chocolate ganache in the refrigerator.

Divide the mixture between the cases and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes and latter on a wire rack before decorating.

Spread the chocolate ganache over the cupcakes with a spatula and top with a truffle.

With these cupcakes I surprised friends when I was invited to have a lovely dinner here in the Netherlands, but they really surprised me with a red Rioja wine and real jamón! So maybe I should have to make a spanish dessert instead. Next time for sure.  Thank you guys for the nice evening!

♥

Cup&Cake Barcelona, Cakes with Love...

On the 145th Enric Granados Street in Barcelona is located Cup&Cake Barcelona, a cosy, pleasant and nice place to enjoy a cupcake or a delicious coffee. 

I've been there twice now and I love this place, with a nordic style and friendly service. They have a large veriery of cupcakes and cakes, and the prices are correct according this kind of places, up to 2,50 eur for a cupcake.

I totally recommend you this place, not only for a cupcake but also to enjoy a nice coffee in a warm atmosphere. And what you also should to know they have a recognition by the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE), their coffee is 100% organic, I can assure you it tastes lovely and has a cool presentation.

On the number 19th of the same street is located Brunch&Cake Barcelona, where you can enjoy a nice breakfast and at noon you can have a tempting brunch with pancakes, pizzas, salads, creative sandwiches... and of course their known cupcakes and cakes. I had no chance to get in, but is already on my list for my next visit to the city.

They also have a second point of Cup&Cake close to Plaça Catalunya and Plaça Universitat, 79th Tallers Street,  it is a take away, there is no place to sit, but is also a perfect place to take your cupcake and enjoy it on the street.

Let me know your opinion if you have the chance to go!

Raquel

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Banana and Chocolate Layer Cake

Even you can buy bananas along the year, I think bananas fit perfect with summer recipes and specially this summer I decided to eat more healthy, eating more fruits and vegetables. But sometimes happens that bananas start to go bad, so I have the perfect reason to make a fantastic cake such as this one. Actually I was thinking to make a quick icecream I read on a magazine, but I have to confess that my freezer is full of icecreams, but also then is quite complicated to eat all the fruit I promissed myself I have to eat... so a cake is much easier to carry anywhere and share (which is an other perfect reason to not eat all what I make).

INGREDIENTS makes a tin of 20 cm

250 g flour

220 g sugar

175 g butter cubed and soft

125 ml sour cream

2 eggs

2 teaspoon baking powder 

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoon lemon juice

300 g ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)

Preheat the oven to 180º, grease and flour the tin.

Sift the flour and the baking powder and reserve. Mix mashed bananas and the lemon juice and reserve.

Mix the butter, the sugar and the vanilla. Add the eggs, one by one, continue mixing, add the sour cream and add the flour mixture gradually. Finally add banana mixture and beat until smooth and all ingredients are well combined.

Pour the mixture in the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 5 minutes, and after let it cool down on a wire rack. Once cooled cover with plastic film and store in the fridge, for few hours or much better overnight.

FROSTING & FILLING

400 g icing sugar

70 g butter cubed and soft

50 ml whole milk

1 ripe banana

1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

chocolate ganache

To make the chocolate you will need the same porpotions of chocolate and heavy cream and you can follow this. Store in the fridge for few hours.

For the frosting chop the banana with a fork. Mix the butter, milk and sugar until pale and smooth. Add the  chopped banana and lemon juice and beat for 3 minutes. Cover with plastic and place in the fridge for 1 hour.

Cut the cake and fill it with a ganache layer, place in the fridge if it is necessary for 10 minutes and cover with a frosting layer and repeat the process. You can top with melted chocolate.

I suggest to serve it very cold.

Enjoy!

XXX

Raquel

Blueberry Gin Tonic Sorbet

I can assure you this sorbet is absolutly amazing, refreshing, fruity, with a touch of gin and a great option to make hot summer days cooler, you will really surprise your guests!

You can serve it scooped but it is really tasty and nice when sorbet starts melting, it is just fantastic.

INGREDIENTS

Makes about 8 scoops

250 g blueberries

75 g sugar

2 tablespoons gin

2 cups of tonic water

1/4 cup lemon juiced (or lime)

Make a syrup in a saucepan with the sugar and 1/2 of tonic water, stir frequently until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and let it cool down.

Put blueberries in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. You can taste it and make any adjustments according your taste.

Pour the mixture in a freezer-proof container and refrigerate it for 45 minutes. After this period remove from freezer and mix it well. Repeat this process 2 times more.

If you have an ice cream maker place the mixture in the fridge once you mixed all the ingredients and let it cool down and after follow the machine's directions to freeze the sorbet. Store in the freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

I suggest to topping it with some fresh blueberries and a slice of lemon or lime.

Enjoy this lovely sorbet ♥♥♥