Raspberry Mousse

So this is another product from Glenilen Farm. I tried their lemon cheesecake earlier. The Raspberry Mousse is just as good. I added some fresh berries to it. Makes a nice little dessert.

Tiny Lemon Cakes for Baby Benjamin

This morning I became an aunt! My sister gave birth to a baby boy whom they called Benjamin Aleksanteri. The new little family lives in England so I wont have a chance to see the new arrival for a while, but still I decided to celebrate the occasion. My way is of course by making something sweet.


I got a recipe for a Spanish lemon cake from a colleague of mine who sometimes -not often enough!- brings her gorgeous cake to work to share. That's so nice of her! She was also so kind as to give me the recipe! I just love people like that.

I only made one fourth of the recipe since was running low on sugar and flour; the most basic cake ingredients.. Also because instead of making a cake I used my mini muffin tray. It's so handy! I have a lot of ideas for this recipe, can't wait to go to Finland and treat my family with all sorts of lemon delights! And for Benjamin to grow and learn about his Finnish heritage and good Northern food.

Courgette Mascarpone Pasta

This is one of the most wonderful pasta sauces I've come across. It's very rich and absolutely delicious. Today was the second time I made it. I love using fresh pasta, it makes very fine bubbles when boiling. I call them champagne bubbles, adds a bit posh to my dinner.


Courgette Mascarpone Pasta

Courgettes
Mascarpone
Milk
Lime
Basil
Salt & Pepper
Vegetable oil & Butter

Fresh Tagliatelle

1. Wash and thinly slice the courgette.
2. Cook the courgettes on a pan with little oil and butter.
3. Cook the pasta.
4. Mix mascarpone with milk so it is not so thick. Add some basil, lime zest and salt&pepper.
5. Mix mascarpone with courgettes and heat a little.
6. Drain pasta and pour sauce over. Serve.

Mignon Chocolates

My lovely mom was ever so kind and surprised me by sending a box of chocolates. Not just any ordinary Finnish choccies but a new kind of Easter confectionary.


The traditional Fazer Mignon is actually an Easter egg. It is an almond hazelnut nougat inside a real eggshell. Fazer has been making them since 1896, so perhaps it is about time to make different variations for modern chocolate lovers. Although I'm sure the Mignon egg will stay a favourite for generations to come.


This modern version is packed in an eggshaped box. It even stands upright, how clever is that!

And they taste delicious of course!!

Amsterdam

I went to Amsterdam for a very short trip on St Patrick's day weekend. It was my first time in the Netherlands. I arrived there on Sunday afternoon, since it was mid-March the air was quite cool. I dropped my backpack at the hostel, St Christopher's Inn, and started exploring the city.

What a nice city it really is! Small and compact with endless canals and quiet streets. I loved the fact that there was no traffic jams, hardly any cars in fact in the city center! Since everyone has a bicycle or a scooter. How brilliantly it works over there! Sadly Dublin is the exact opposite of that.

On Sunday I had just time to visit the Van Gogh museum after spending most of the afternoon just happily walking around. In the evening I took a budget option for dinner and bought some sushi and a bag of carrots from a supermarket to enjoy back at the hostel.


On Monday it was a bit warmer and in the morning first thing I headed to the famous Albert Cuyp market. A mile long market street where one can buy just about anything. I bought some mini pancakes. They're covered in a thick layer of icing sugar and served with a dollop of butter that melts nicely so you can dip the sugary treats in it! It was delicious, but I had a black trench coat on and as I was walking along the street while eating I ended up having half of the sugar powder on me.


After the market I visited FOAM, a gallery that had an exhibition of Richard Avedon's photos. Did some more walking along the canals and river Amstel. Then some shoeshopping -of course!

To fuel my shopping I bought some frites from Vlaams Frites Huis, a tiny little chippie on a side street that has been making probably one the best fries in Amsterdam since 1957. And for my sweet tooth, I got a caramel stroopwafel from a bakery called Lanskroon.


I had to buy some stroopwafels from Albert Heijn supermarket to bring back to Dublin too. They really are so deliciously addictive!