American Baker in Germany

 It's summer and I wanted something easy, light and, preferably, cold. I came up with this one. Fruit and Granola Yogurt Parfait: 4-6 tbsp small fruit (like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries cut into small pieces, or any other fruit in small pieces) 1 1/2 cups (380g) plain yogurt or quark 2-3 tbsp honey 1 cup (120g) granola In a clear glass or crystal bowl, spoon in small fruit until it covers the bottom of the bowl.  Spoon in plain yogurt to cover the fruit.  Drizzle honey over the yogurt.  Sprinkle granola over the yogurt until it covers the yogurt.  Repeat the whole layers again: fruit, yogurt, honey and granola.    Serve immediately. This is what it looks like stirred, if you so choose.   Otherwise, it's gorgeous with the visible layers through the glass bowl. It tastes amazing. It has just the right amount of sweetness. It can be a hearty breakfast or healthy dessert. Watch us make this gorgeous recipe on our YouTube channel here: https:...

I have made fig newtons before. But I had fresh figs at that time. This time, I couldn't find fresh figs. I could only find dried figs. So, I decided to make them using dried figs this time and make fig bars instead. Fig Bars: 8 ounces (225g) dried figs (stemmed and quartered) 2 cups (450mL) water 1/2 cup (100g) sugar pinch salt 2 tsp lemon juice 1 1/4 cup (150g) flour 1/2 tsp baking powder dash salt 1/3 cup (80g) butter 3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar 1 egg 2 tsp vanilla extract or 2 tbsp vanilla sugar For the filling, simmer the figs, water, sugar and salt over medium heat until the figs are very soft and the juice is syrupy.  There should only be a few tablespoons of liquid remaining in the pan. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes. Puree the figs in a food processor with the lemon juice until the mixture has a jam-like consistency. For the crust, line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and brown sugar together.  Beat in egg a...