El Costurero is a lovely craft  magazine from Spain, filled with lots of cute surprises.
One of them is that I am part of it this time – such an honor :)
Here’s a little preview – please have a look at the blog or buy the little goodie

I know it has been far too long since I last posted a recipe. But believe me – it was worth waiting. These cherry and marzipan muffins are delicious and juicy. I just enjoyed 2 of them with a caramel soya milk iced coffee on my little balcony, smelling the summer breeze here in Barcelona

Cherry & Marzipan Muffins
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Ingredients:

*200g Marzipan
*1 jar of cherries ( ca 360g drain weight)
*100g white sugar
*15og butter, softened
*1 sachet vanilla sugar
*2 eggs
*hint of salt
*170 all purpose flour
*1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
*some drops of almond extract or rum

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Preheat the oven @ 155ºC( air circulation).
Grate 100 marzipan and set aside. Drain the cherries.
Mix (electric mixer) softened butter, sugar, vanilla sugar, salt and almond extract until foamy.
Add the marzipan. Add eggs – one by one – and stir well. Mix the flour with the baking powder and add to the batter. Mix well.
Add the cherries and stir with a spoon.
Place 12 muffin paper cups in a muffin pan and divide the batter equally between the cups.
Now cut the remaining marzipan in little cubes and place on top of the muffin batter.
Bake for ca 20 minutes.
Enjoy

Last week, flicking through Lula Magazine , I saw this pretty , black and white editorial, where the Vanessa Paradis look-alike model eats a Brezel.
Since then I am craving for Brezels  – but no friends are visting from Germany these weeks and I still couldn’t find a place in Barcelona, where they sell them.  So I tried this easy German recipe of Brezel Muffins  – and they taste deliciously like home

Brezel Muffins  – 12 pieces
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Ingredients:

* 22g fresh yeast
*1 tablespoon softened butter
*400g flour
*1 teaspoon sugar
*1 teaspoon salt
*50g sodium carbonate ( E500)
*some sea salt for decoration
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Add sugar and crumbled yeast  into 250g warm water and stir until well dissolved.
Add flour, salt and softened butter and knead with an electric mixer ( dough hook) until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the dough and let rise for 15 minutes at warm roomtemperature.

After 15 minutes, knead the dough well with your hands and divide into 12 equal dough balls. Cover them up and let rise again for 30 SECONDS.

Grease a 12 unit muffin pan and preheat the oven @ 220ºC.

Then add the sodium carbonate to 1 liter water and let come to boil. ( I recommend not to use an aluminium pot, as it might react with the sodium carbonate). Then one by one add the dough balls to the water and leave for approx.30 minutes, then lift out with a sifter, skimmer etc and let drip on a kitchen towel.

Place the dough balls into the muffin pan and sprinkle some sea salt on them.
Put in the oven and let bake for 15 minutes.  Take out of the oven and let them cool for 10minutes before you take them out of the pan.

The Brezel muffins taste delicious just with butter. But you can eat them also wether as a salty snack ( with cheese and tomatoes etc) or sweet with butter and marmelade or honey. Enjoy

beautiful, dreamy editorial by Harper Smith for Factory / Winter 2010

trying out new recipes – these are Baileys and almond Muffins

wishing I could own these perfect leather bags from MYSUELLY

my new handmade crochet peas from Ohioja

watching great videoclips like this one from  Barcelona’s Canada production company

these hidden animal teacups – here

rediscovering old Levis commercials from the early 90’s

I’ve got a little post “Festivalet” depression:) Last weekend I had the honor to participate with a muffin & cupcake stand at the 3rd edition of Barcelona’s best handmade craft fair – . I had the best time ever, met the most amazing people and bought the loveliest xmas presents. I miss the vibrating atmosphere and the people already. Can’t wait for the next edition. More pictures

Foto by Dudua

foto by Las Coleccionistas

Après Ski – foto by Mia Accesoires

Petit Pot

I love Muffins – Foto by Dudua

Ohioja – picture by Petit Pot

Mia – foto by Dudua

I love Muffins by Dudua

lovely video from Dumbo Shop

I am over the moon – I have reached over 5000 followers on my “I love Muffins” facebook site. It’s time to thank you all, dear readers and followers for your support – that encourages me to go on with my little “I love Muffins” project. I wish I could thank you all in person – for those of you who live in Barcelona: Please come visit me at my little stand at the “, a lovely fair with an amazing selection of handmade things. Have a great weekend!

Morning brunch with a good, old friend and finding a picture of “I love Muffins” in Vogue Niños! What can you possibly wish more on a Tuesday morning. I am happy

Although I am a bit embarrassed to see/hear myself in a video, I had to show you this lovely short documentation the great team of Bvisio filmed with me for their website.(Sorry, it’s just in Spanish). Have an amazing weekend

watching “Gainsbourg – vie héroïque”

new muffin paper cups

Elena Melnik by Jette Jors in Cover Magazine

these oh-so-great metallic animal clutches from TsuruBride

Perfect cover of “Fools rush in” from She&Him

lovely illustrations from Après Ski

wishing I could have this beautiful, out of print photo book… source

“Les filles en Vogue” an very entertaining documentary about the actual “it-Models” in Paris

Karen Elson on the new Jalouse cover

How exciting! I gave my first TV interview for Barcelona TV today( which will be featured tomorrow 29.4) and prepared this setup with lots of muffins and cupcakes. Hope you like it