Alien – Spiced cake bars

  

There are times, when I’m surrounded by a bubble that follows me wherever I go. It’s a shield that protects me at least to a certain extent from this crazy, disturbing place our world has become. It’s desperately needed to distance from all the hate an alienation that we’re faced with these days.

It’s a wall, too: Invisible, but preventing full immersion, full connection with others. Always one step aside, an alien amongst groups of insiders.

Do we have to resign, accept all this alienation? No, somehow we have to destroy the bubbles we live in, reconnect again, embrace differences. But how to overcome? I haven’t found my answer yet. Cake – although it’s a delicious bar of cake with warming winter spices – isn’t the solution, but it brings comfort, that can arm us. But we can’t remain hyggelig (German article on hygge), we are forced to get involved: Oxford Dictionaries named their word of the year: cosy ‘hygge’ was on the shortlist, but ‘post-truth’ won.

Currently reading: Carolin Emcke: Gegen den Hass
Soon be watching: The Arrival

Spiced cake bars (1 baking sheet)
adapted from Frau Gold’s famous recipe

ingredients
batter: 4 eggs, ¼ teaspoon salt, 250 g sugar, 150 g butter (room temperature), 350 g flour, 150 g grounded almonds, 4 tablespoons cocoa, 3 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon grounded cinnamon, ½ teaspoon grounded cardamom, ½ teaspoon anis seeds, 2 cloves, 220 ml milk
glaze: 100 g powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons lemon juice

preparation
Preheat oven to 180° C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Separate eggs. Beat egg whites with salt until stiff. In a medium bowl beat egg yolks and sugar until light and creamy. Add butter and mix. Grind and mix spices in a mortar. In a medium bowl mix flour, baking powder, spices and cocoa.
Alternately, add dry ingredients and milk to egg yolk mixture. Finally fold in egg whites. Spread on baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. Take off the oven and let cool out on a wire rack.
Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice into a thin glaze. Glaze cake, let dry and cut into retangles, rhombes,…