Warming winter cuisine

DISCOVER OUR WINTER RECIPES

Especially at the colder time of year, we are grateful for warming drinks that not only supply our body with fluids, but also give us a pleasant warm sensation. The cosy ritual of cooking and enjoying food together can be a welcome occasion to relax and share precious moments.

There is a wide choice of winter recipes for culinary delights that not only tantalise the taste buds, but also spread a feeling of comfort and warmth. Whether you prefer savoury soups, aromatic spiced teas or sweet delicacies, the cold season holds plenty of opportunities to indulge in good food and at the same time give your body what it needs in winter.

Nut bars

• 330 g raw cane sugar
• 100 g butter
• 1 lemon, grated zest
• 2g cinnamon, ground
• Salt
• 1g cloves, ground
• 50g egg yolk (from 3 eggs)
• 75 g egg whites (from 2 eggs)
• 130g ground hazelnuts
• 330g wholemeal spelt flour

Method:

Beat the butter and sugar until creamy, add the egg whites, ground nuts and spices, fold in the flour. Finally add the hazelnuts.

Press the dough into a flat, rectangular form, 1 to 2 cm thick depending on how big the bars should be; wrap in plastic film and cool for at least 1/2 hour (ideally in the freezer). Then cut into 1 cm strips.

Finally brush with the egg yolk.

Bake at 180 degrees for 18- 20 minutes.

Apple Strudel

Strudel Pastry:

• 200g spelt flour, fine
• 100 ml water
• 2 tbsp almond oil, cold pressed
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 pinch of salt

Filling:

• 1 kg apples, grated
• 100g nuts, grated
• 50g raisnins
• natural vanilla
• ginger
• some honey, optional, depending on the sweetness of the apples

dusting flour:

• 20g butter
• 80g nuts, grated
• 50 ml buttermilk for coating

Method:

Mix the spelt flour, water, almond oil, lemon juice and salt in a bowl until the dough comes together. Knead the dough for approx. 5 minutes until it is smooth, workable and has a shiny surface. Knead the pastry into a ball and cover it with a damp cloth. Leave to rest in a warm place for approx. 30 minutes. The pastry must not become dry.

Mix the ingredients for the filling and flour. Roll out the dough on a kitchen towel covered with flour. Coat 2/3 of the dough with the melted butter. Sprinkle grated nuts over the dough and spread out the filling. Fold in the dough on both ends. Use the kitchen towel to roll it in and put the studel on a greased baking tray. Brush the rolled-up studel with buttermilk and bake in a preheated oven at 160 ° (fan) for 30 minutes.

Cinnamon Waffle with Fruit Salad

Waffle dough:

• 100g butter, soft
• 100g honey
• 200g wholemeal spelt
• 2 eggs
• 130 ml milk (1,5 % fat)
• 1 tbsp cocoa power
• 1 pinch of cinnamon

Fruit Salad:

• 400g fruit of the season
• 50 ml orange juice
• natural vanilla
• honey

Method:

Whisk the soft butter, honey and egg yolks to a frothy mixture. Whisk the egg whites stiff. Combine the flour with the cacao and cinnamon, then add to the butter mixture with the milk. Carefully fold in the beaten egg whites and bake in a waffle iron.

For the fruit salad, cut the fruits into uniform pieces and marinate in the orange juice. Flavour with the vanilla. If needed, add some honey.

Bread Dumplings on Mushroom Ragout

Bread Dumplings

• 300g dry wholemeal bread
• 75g onions, finely diced
• 20g brown butter
• 400 ml hot milk (1,5 % fat)
• 20g parsley
• salt, pepper
• nutmeg
• 2 egg yokes
• 2 egg whites, beaten

Mushroom Ragout

• 20g onions
• 1 clove of garlic, pressed
• 1 tsp olive oil, cold pressed
• 150g carrot stripes
• 340g mushrooms, cleaned
• thyme
• salt, pepper
• 200 ml vegetable stock
• 20g rice flavour
• 2 tbsp chives, chopped

Method:

Bread Dumplings

Thinly slice the dried wholemeal bread. Sauté the diced onions in some of the brown butter and add to the sliced bread. Add the rest of the butter and milk, cover and leave to stand for approx. 10 minutes. Fold in the parsley, spices and egg yolks and seasons to taste. Finally, fold in the beaten egg whites carefully with a wooden spoon. Place the mixture on a clean tea towel and mould into a 5 cm thick roll. Tie the ends with a string and stream for approx. 20 minutes or simmer in lightly boiling water.

Mushroom Ragout

Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil, then add the mushrooms and carrot strips. Braise the vegetables and add salt, pepper and a sprig of thyme. When the carrots are “al dente”, add rice flour and the vegetable stock, simmer for 2 minutes. Season again and add the chives at the end.

Tip Brown butter (nut butter) is suitable for refining dishes. With the evaporation of the water contained in the butter and the light roasting, the butter turns golden brown and takes on a slightly nutty flavour.

Gently heat the butter in a frying pan until it starts to froth. Then gently simmer at moderate heat until small brwon crumbs rise to the surface. Take the butter off the heat and allow to cool down. Place kitchen paper into a fine sieve and strain the brown butter throug the sieve.

Potato Soup with Vegetable Brunoise

• 0,3 l water
• 80g uncooked potatoes, skinned
• 40g carrots
• 40g leeks
• 40g celeriac
• 40g courgettes
• 5g olive oil, cold pressed
• lovage
• majoram
• nutmeg
• salt, pepper

Brunoise

• 10g carrots, very finely chopped
• 10g courgettes, very finely chopped

Method:

Wash and peel the potatoes and vegetables well, cut them into large pieces and sauté them in a saucepan with olive oil at low heat for a few minutes. Add water and salt. Add the majoram and simmer for approx. 30 minutes with the lid on. Then whisk the vegetables with a blender, if necessary dilute with water ans season. Add the brunoise, garnish with fresh herbs such as parsley, chervil, majoram or lovage and serve hot.

Tip “Brunoise is a cutting technique used in the cuisine. The vegetables are cut into very small cubes (1-2mm).

Tea to boost the immune system

Ginger and lemon have antibacterial properties and help to strengthen the immune system. Lemon supplies large quantities of vitamin C. As vitamin C is heat-sensitive, the lemon should be added once the tea has cooled a bit.

• 10 g fresh ginger
• Leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh mint
• 10 ml (1 tbsp) freshly pressed lemon juice
• 1 lemon slice
• To taste: 1 teaspoon of honey

Method:

Chop the ginger finely or cut into fine slices, put in a tea filter, add the mint and pour approx. 500 ml boiling water over it.
Allow the tea to steep for approx. 5 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and slice, and let it steep for another 5 minutes.
If the tea is too sour, you can add some honey before serving.

Tea to aid digestion

This tea can support digestion after a rich lunch or dinner.

• 40 g aniseed
• 40 g fennel seed
• 20 g caraway

Method:

Grind the ingredients in a pestle or using an electric grinder. Keep the blend in an airtight container away from the light to conserve the ingredients’ properties. An ideal option is a canister with a snugly fitting lid.

(makes around 200-250 ml)
Put 1 heaped teaspoon of the blend in a tea filter and add 200-250 ml boiling water.
Allow to steep for 7-10 minutes before serving.

Christmas feel-good tea

If you like typical Christmas aromas, you are sure to love this tea.

• 2 l water
• 3 fresh apples
• 1 cinnamon stick*

Method:

Boil the water in a pan.
Cut the apples into quarters, wrap in gauze together with the cinnamon sticks and place in the boiling water.
Leave it to simmer for another 20 minutes.
Remove the gauze bag and serve the tea hot or lukewarm.

*We recommend drinking no more than 500 ml of this tea daily due to the amount of cinnamon it contains.