September Love&Inspiration

It's time for the first Love&Inspiration post, a monthly series where I'm going to share with you some of the things I fell in love with and that inspired me in the last 30 {,29, or 31} days. Besides that I love to read other people's favorites lists, I'm a huge list-maker myself. I can make lists of nearly everything imaginable - to-do lists, to-cook lists, to-buy lists, to-listen lists, to-.... Post-its are my friends. Moleskins are my trusted fellows. Oh and have you tried stone paper? You really should! {new obsession}

Here we go... September Love&Inspiration

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» The Swedish designer Monika Förster developed these beautiful Tower measuring cups for Alessi. Such a cute addition to my kitchen!

» I'm deeply in love with the new Weather Diary Collection  from Marimekko which is inspired by the Finnish weather phenomena. I mean look at the colors {painted by Aino-Maija Metsola}!  I'm lost for words. I've been doing some serious window shopping lately... You should also read the story behind the collection. They talk about the beauty of rain. Yes!

» Dorie Greenspan talks about why she bakes. This woman. Her enthusiasm and love for food is pure inspiration.

» The flavor combination of dill and stone fruit. I'm in!

» The hunt. So true, it's almost embarrassing.

» This post.

» Can we talk about nail polish? It's that time of year again... The time to wear Chanel's Rouge Noir. Beauty investments.

» Fall music.

» The gorgeous fabrics from by nord. I fell for the moose dish towel the moment I saw it. You have to know, I'm totally into rhinos and moose - I even have a big white rhino standing on my windowsill... True story.

» 40 must-see photos from the past.

» This picture of a sea of tents made me smile.

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What are your September favorites? I would love to hear some of them!

Side note:
Tomorrow, it's October! Can you believe it? September went by so fast... I'm looking forward to wearing my yellow rain boots & chunky knitwear, hiding under an umbrella, witnessing the beauty of fall colors, burning candles, and foraging mushrooms. October will be good.

>> Sunday Still Life <<

Canada in my Heart - Homemade Apple Butter

Ever since my trip to the Maritimes, fall brings back sweet memories of Canada. Its kind and hospitable people, the breathtaking nature, and the food we enjoyed - scallops on Prince Edward Island, blueberry beer in Saint John, clam chowder on Cape Breton Island, and lobsters in Halifax. We were lucky enough to visit during fall when the trees were on fire. All those colors! What a beautiful region it is. I left a piece of my heart right there at the shores. One day, I'll come back to look how it's doing.

It was in Nova Scotia, in the small town of Baddeck, that I tasted apple butter for the first time in my life. Here in Scandinavia we aren't aware of its existence. Such a shame! I still remember the lovely young shop owner (?) couple. He was totally into hockey and beyond excited when he heard we were from Finland - "the Koivu brothers!". She couldn't stand maple syrup which I though was totally weird. Living in the promised land of maple syrup and not liking it? What a crazy world we're living in.

This is for you, New Brunswick, P.E.I., and Nova Scotia. 

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Homemade Apple Butter

yields about 1 liter of apple butter
 
2,5 kg (5.5 lbs) slightly tangy apples, peeled, cored, & coarsely chopped
250 ml (1 cup) hard cider
1 dl 1 tbsp (½ cup) packed light muscovado {or light brown} sugar 
4 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
⅛ tsp ground cloves

Put all the ingredients into a large ovenproof pot. Mix well and cover with a lid. Bring the liquid at the bottom of the pot to a boil and let simmer for 30 minutes, or until the apples are soft and falling apart. Remember to stir occasionally. 

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Place an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.

Remove the pot from the heat and discard the cinnamon sticks. Pour the applesauce into a blender or use an immersion blender and blend until lump free. {At this stage you have a delicious applesauce. Feel free to stop here and enjoy!} If you used a blender, pour the applesauce and the discarded cinnamon sticks back into the pot.

Place the pot in the preheated oven. Cook, uncovered, for 1 hour. Remember to stir occasionally to prevent any scorching. Discard the cinnamon sticks. Continue cooking the applesauce, stirring every half an hour, for 3-4 more hours, or until it has the desired consistency. As it cooks, the applesauce will slowly thicken and turn into a gorgeous deep red-brown color.

Remove from the oven and store in jars. The apple butter will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks or longer if you decide to can it. {For canning instructions, look at my Queen Jam post.}
 

Note: The recipe can easily be halved. The cooking time in the oven will reduce to 2-3 hours. 

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The first snow was sighted yesterday. Wait, what!?! I'm sure the poor cloud just lost its way. I'm definitely not expecting more snow until November.

>> Sunday Still Life <<

Chocolate, Almond & Fleur De Sel Pots de Crème

When I crave chocolate, a chocolate bar from the nearby grocery store won't do. When I crave chocolate, I need something homemade {and heavenly good}. Like a rich chocolate cake, chewy chocolate chip cookies, or, like last time, sophisticated pots de crème.

Aran Goyoaga's cookbook Small Plates & Sweet Treats, which was published in October 2012, is one of my most favorite cookbooks. It's full of delicious recipes arranged by season, lovely memories & stories, and gorgeous photography & food styling.

These pots de crème caught my attention immediately. The original recipe calls for hazelnuts and hazelnut butter but I used almonds and almond butter because that was what I had on hand. I also sprinkled some blueberries on top and liked the flavor combination a lot. Next time I may serve them with some vanilla-flavored sautéed apple cubes.

This is a wonderful, rich chocolate dessert for any occasion. I'm sure you too will fall in love with it.

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Chocolate, Almond & Fleur de Sel Pots de Crème

recipe adapted from Small Plates & Sweet Treats by Aran Goyoaga, p. 62
recipe can also be found on her blog

30 g (¼ cup) almonds
500 ml (2 cups) unsweetened coconut milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise & seeds scraped out
1 egg (L)
2 egg yolks (L)
50 g (¼ cup) coconut palm sugar
2 tbsp almond butter
60 g (2 oz) milk chocolate, finely chopped
60 g (2 oz) bittersweet dark chocolate (70 % cocoa), finely chopped
½ tsp fleur de sel

whipped cream, to serve
optional: blueberries or other berries or fruit, to serve


Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Roast the almonds on a baking sheet for 5 to 7 minutes, or until fragrant. Let them cool and chop coarsely. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C (300°F).

In a medium-sized pot, combine the coconut milk, vanilla bean, and seeds. Over moderate heat, bring to a low simmer.

In the meantime, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and almond butter until (at least almost) lump-free.

When the coconut milk has come to a simmer, remove the pan from the heat. Remove the vanilla bean pod. Add both chocolates to the warm coconut milk and stir until the chocolates have melted.

Pour a little bit of the hot coconut milk mixture over the eggs while whisking. Slowly add the rest of the milk mixture and whisk until homogenous. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot or bowl. Add the fleur the sel and stir.

Pour the custard into 6 (4-ounce) oven-safe ramekins. Place the ramekins in a deep baking pan and place it on the oven rack. To create a water bath, carefully pour hot water into the baking pan to come half-way up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake the custards for 30 to 40 minutes. The custards are ready when the cream is set. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature, allowing them to set completely.

The custards can be enjoyed at room temperature or chilled. Personally, I prefer mine chilled. To serve, top with whipped cream, roasted almonds, and blueberries.

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Oh and I have approximately 30 kilos of apples on my balcony… Recipe suggestions, anyone?