reading time: 3 min

If you're looking for a dessert for the upcoming summer solstice, I have the perfect recipe for you. This dreamy floral cheesecake is infused with the sweet fragrance of elderflowers and topped with a pink glaze made of fresh strawberries and rose petals. Where I live, that's the essence of June.

If you didn't know, the month of June was named after Juno, the queen of the gods in Roman Mythology, goddess of marriage, childbirth and the protection of women. The strawberry, rose and elderflower present in this cake are traditionally associated with the Goddess Venus, or her Greek equivalent Aphrodite, as all of them are symbols of fertility, beauty, love, and passion. However, I also see a beautiful connection of these Venusian themes to the fierce and sovereign Juno. After all, the elder plant is mythologically associated with protection, life and death, as well as being a portal between the realms. If that's not a metaphor for womanhood, then I don't know what is!

Anyway, that's enough for now about these Ancient goddesses. Let's move on to a different kind of divinity - let's talk cake! 

Preparation time: 1 1/2 hours (+ 12 hours infusing time)
Main ingredients: flour, soy yoghurt, elderflower cordial
difficulty level: easy-moderate
makes: a 26 cm- or 10-inch springform pan
suitable for: vegan, lactose-free, wheat-free, egg-free, yeast-free

Ingredients

Elderflower-infused Whipping Cream (prepare the night before!):
100 g vegan whipping cream (I use the unsweetened version of the German brand Schlagfix for this)
2 handfuls of freshly picked elderflowers

Crust:
250 g spelt flour (I use type 1050 which is the German equivalent to bread flour)
50 g raw cane sugar
1 package (8g) vanilla sugar
150 g vegan margarine
50 g dry sourdough starter (see notes for alternative!)

Filling:
400 g vegan vanilla Greek yoghurt (I use the Vanilla Skyr by Alpro)
150 g plain vegan cream cheese
150 ml elderflower cordial
100 g elderflower-infused vegan whipping cream (see above)
1 package (35 g) vegan vanilla or cream pudding powder (I use the vegan cream pudding powder by Dr. Oetker)
1 tbsp cornstarch
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon

Glaze:
300 g fresh organic strawberries
2 handfuls of organic rose petals (I use our homegrown)
3 tbsp elderflower cordial
3 g guar gum or carob gum (or swap for 1 tbsp cornstarch)

Instructions

To make the elderflower-infused whipping cream:

Pluck the flowers from the freshly picked elderflowers and compost the stems. Add the flowers to a medium-sized bowl, along with the (not whipped) whipping cream. Stir well and place in the refrigerator to infuse overnight, or for about 12 hours.

To make the crust:

The following day, prepare the crust. In a large mixing bowl, combine margarine, sugars and sourdough starter. Mix until fluffy, using an electric mixer. Add the flour and mix, using a dough hook, until it all sticks together. Cover and set aside for about 30 minutes at room temperature. 

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C. 

After 30 minutes, press the crust into the greased springform pan, spreading it out evenly. Make sure that the edges are raised to form a rim that will be able to hold the filling (about 5 cm / 2 inches high). Using a fork, prick the bottom a few times to avoid rising during baking.

To make the filling:

Remove the Elderflower-infused whipping cream from the fridge, and strain out the flowers. Compost, or add to a smoothie.

Combine all ingredients for the filling in a large mixing bowl (I  use the same bowl that I used for mixing the dough). Using an electric whisk, mix until creamy.

Pour the filling over the crust and spread it out, using a spatula. Lightly “drop” the pan on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles that might cause cracks in the cheesecake. 

Bake for about 60 minutes in the preheated oven at 350 F / 180 C.

Once the time is up, crack open the oven door, and allow the cake to gently cool down in there for about 15 minutes. Then remove from oven, and allow to cool completely.

To make the glaze:

Once the cake has cooled completely, you can glaze it. Add all ingredients for the glaze to a blender (or use an immersion blender and a bowl for this). Blend until silky smooth. 

Add the mixture to a small saucepan, and gently bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for about 3 minutes until thick. Then remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Allow the glaze to cool for 10-15 minutes before spreading it over the cake. Top off with fresh elderflowers.

Yes, this cake is a labour of love. It's worth it!

It tastes best when refrigerated before serving for at least 1 hour.

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

NOTES:
- If you don't have any sourdough at hand, replace it with 25g flour and 25g cold water.
- Instead of using fresh strawberries, you could use frozen ones. Make sure to let them thaw fully before preparing the glaze.

 

Looking for more foraged flower recipes? Here are some I really like:

Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake Crumb Cake

Vegan Strawberry Sourdough Cobbler (with elderflower)

Vegan Lemon and Elderflower Buttercream Layer Cake

♥

Maisy

   reading time: 4 min

I first encountered medicinal wines that use herbs and spices for healing purposes during a 4-day Green Witch Retreat I attended last year. During the retreat we also made this healing herb infused honey wine, also known as heart wine ("Herzwein" in German) or parsley potion ("decoctum petroselini" in Latin). The recipe originally stems from the medieval German abbess Hildegard from Bingen, who is regarded as an important naturopathic scholar.

The wine is said to strengthen the heart and circulation as well as the immune system. It is also said to improve gastrointestinal and kidney function.

It is easy to make, has a pleasant sweet taste, and makes for a wonderful gift for people who enjoy a glass of wine every now and then. In case you are in need of a quick and easy Christmas present ...

Although this wine is supposed to be used for medicinal purposes, you could just as well replace your "regular" glass of red wine with a glass of this heart wine to enjoy its health benefits! As the name suggests, this beverage contains alcohol, therefore it should be consumed in moderation.

St. Hildegard (1098 – 1179) apparently said the following about this wine:

»Wer im Herzen oder in der Milz oder in der Seite Schmerzen leidet, der koche Petersilie in Wein unter Zugabe von etwas (Wein)Essig und reichlich Honig und seihe durch ein Tuch (Filter) ab. Den so zubereiteten (Herz)Wein trinke er oft, und es heilt ihn.«
(PL 1159 A)

^{(Freely translated: "Whoever suffers pain in the heart or in the spleen or in the side body, boil parsley in wine with the addition of a little (wine) vinegar and plenty of honey, and strain it through a cloth (filter). Drink the prepared (heart) wine often, and it will heal them.")}

Portrait of Hildegard von Bingen, German Abbess and physician. (source)

The star of this recipe is definitely the fresh parsley. By the way, if you don't normally like parsley – like me! –, you will probably still actually enjoy this wine. Parsley is one of the very few foods I dislike, and I love this wine!

Parsley is high in vitamin C, provitamin A, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron which is necessary for blood formation. It has an invigorating effect and strengthens the entire digestive system. It purifies the blood, helps with rheumatism and gout, has a diuretic effect, stimulates the appetite, promotes metabolism, and supports kidney and bladder activity. For menstruating humans, it stimulates the uterus and promotes a pain-free period.

   reading time: 2 min

Have you ever heard of southernwood? Or perhaps one of its other common names, like southern wormwood, lad's love, lemon plant, or my personal favourite – maid's ruin?

Earlier this month I learnt about it and harvested it on the grounds of the horse farm where I help out every week. In German it also bears the name Cola-Kraut which translates to "cola herb" because of its scent that is reminiscent of the gummi cola bottles.

The Artemisia abrotanum is an extremely aromatic herb – or rather, a deciduous shrub, and actually a member of the sunflower family – that emits both a pungent and citrusy scent and has an intense bitter camphor taste with a cooling effect similar to mint. (A lot of comparisons in that description, I know, haha!) It has been used both as a culinary and as a medicinal herb that aids digestion and improves liver function.

The young shoots can be eaten to flavour pastries and pudding, or to season very fatty meat as it because of its digestive bitter substances. I wouldn't actually eat it, however, due to the very intense, bitter, sharp taste that I described earlier – instead, I use it to make an absolutely refreshing herbal lemonade with it 😍 That way it gives off its unique flavour without tasting unpleasantly harsh. In the same way, you can use southernwood to make a digestive tea.

By the way, the volatile oil in the plant's leaves makes southernwood not only a nice air refresher, but also a great companion plant for cabbages and other plants, as the strong, sharp scent repels cabbage moths, fruit tree moths, and ants. It can also keep away moths from your wardrobe, so dry some southernwood if you spot one, and place it into a little pouch, like a lavender bag. This insect-repellent quality can also used to deter mosquitoes, for example by crushing the leaves and rubbing them on your skin! (Perhaps you could even make your own "bug off balm" using southernwood?! I will have to give that a try ...)

But now – let's talk about this wonderful lemonade! Or as I like to call it, the "Southernwood Soda".

Other refreshing beverages you might enjoy:

Sparkling Elderflower Cocktail

Homemade Ice Tea

Green Juice in a Blender

Homebrew Kombucha

♥

Maisy

  reading time: 3 min

»Indeed it is,« said Gimli. »Why it is better than the honey-cakes of the Beornings, and that is great praise, for the Beornings are the best bakers that I know of; but they are none too willing to deal out their cakes to travellers in these days.«

The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien


(...) he would lade them with food to last them for weeks with care, and packed so as to be as easy as possible to carry-nuts, flour, sealed jars of dried fruits, and red earthenware pots of honey, and twice-baked cakes that would keep good a long time, and on a little of which they could march far. The making of these was one of his secrets; but honey was in them, as in most of his foods, and they were good to eat, though they made one thirsty…

The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien

Today we are making honey cakes that would make Beorn proud! Well, actually I made these brownie-like cakes a looong time ago for my friend Björn's birthday because the name Björn (like Bjorn from Vikings) sounds very similar to Beorn and also means "bear" in Swedish, but didn't get around to posting them until now.

For those who aren’t familiar with The Hobbit, Beorn is a shape-shifter (J.R.R. Tolkien called it a “skin-changer” in the book) who helps Bilbo and the 13 dwarves on their quest to the Lonely Mountain. He’s a vegetarian, but can take on the form of a huge bear, who is very fond of honey and cream. Honey cakes were the speciality of the Beornings, the people living between Mirkwood and the Misty Mountains. You can find an illustration by Tolkien of Beorn's hall down below :)

Fun fact: The character of Beorn is probably based on the hero Beowulf, whose name is commonly translated to "bee's wolf" or "bee-hunter", which describes a "honey-eater", so a bear!

Since Beorn's honey cakes are "twice baked" according to the book and supposedly similar to cram, the Hobbit hardtrack (though tastier than that), and also similar to Lembas, the Elvish travel food, they are probably quite dry and firm. It's even possible that Tolkien had something like Italian Biscotti in mind, since the Latin (panis) biscoctus means "(bread) twice-baked".

After comparing 16 different recipe options, however, I decided to make a fluffier cake for my take on this recipe with ingredients based on the Dutch honey cake (Honingkoek) that is typically enjoyed with lashings of butter for a traditional breakfast in the Netherlands. I also drew inspiration from the Dutch and Flemish spiced breakfast cake (Ontbijtkoek) that bears similarities to gingerbread. (bears, gettit? ... never mind ...)

Anyway, here are my fluffy sweet honey cakes!

BEORN'S VEGAN HONEY CAKES

Preparation time: 50 mins
Main ingredients: spelt flour, almonds, honey / golden syrup
difficulty level: easy
makes: 12 cakes (9-inch square brownie pan)
suitable for: vegan, lactose-free, wheat-free, yeast-free, soy-free

Ingredients

dry ingredients:
2 cups spelt flour (type 1050) *
1/2 cup almonds, finely ground
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar or raw cane sugar
1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp fresh minced ginger OR 1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
pinch of salt
1 tsp orange zest

wet ingredients:
1/2 cup of liquid mountain honey or clover honey (or vegan "honey" or golden syrup or dark molasses, for vegan version)
1/4 cup of golden syrup (or dark molasses – NOT blackstrap molasses!)
1/4 cup of soy milk (use soy milk or pea milk to achieve vegan "buttermilk" that curdles)
1/2 cup vegan butter or margarine
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)

3 tbsp golden syrup or liquid honey + 2 tbsp water for soaking


* If you are confused about that flour type, check out this website which explains the difference between German flour types and US-American flour types.  



Instructions

Preheat oven to 180 °C / 350 °F. Line a 9-inch square brownie pan with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients except for the sugar. Stir. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter/margarine and sugar. Mix soy milk with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to form vegan "buttermilk". Add this to the butter mixture. Lastly, add honey and syrup. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, and combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared brownie pan.

Bake in the preheated oven at 180 °C / 350 °F for approximately 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Remove the pan from the oven. Brush the still warm cake with some diluted golden syrup or liquid honey if you like. This is optional, as the cake is plenty sweet on its own. Decorate with orange zest or leave plain. *

Run a knife (preferably of Gondolin or Númenórean make – no Morgul blades!) around the side of the cake, and slice into brownie-sized squares.

Cool in the pan and serve warm or cold and slathered with butter, custard, ice cream or whipped cream. Beware, hobbits and dwarves are known to be prodigious eaters, so a single cake will not be sufficient for large parties!

Stored in an airtight container this cake will keep for at least four days. In fact, it becomes even more delicious if you keep it for a couple of days wrapped in foil or wax paper.

Cut into individual squares or slices, this can also be kept in the freezer for up to two months.



NOTES:

Looking for more nerdy recipes? Check out some of my other literature-inspired creations:

Sansa's Lemon Cakes (vegan)

Bilbo's Seed Cakes (vegan)

♥

Maisy