vegan ice cream.

I had been hearing nothing but good things about a new(ish) ice cream store that opened up on Rottenturmstrasse called Eis Greissler.  They use bio, all natural ingredients without any artificial colors, ingredients, etc.  As an added bonus, I heard that they have lactose free ice cream, so of course I wanted to try it!  Every time I passed by there was a long line and I am not a fan of waiting in lines…but lucky for me, I was walking by with the bf the other afternoon and there were only two people in the store.  Score!  We jumped at the chance and headed right in.  

I discovered that while they do not have strictly lactose free varieties, they offer several vegan options, which are also just fine for me and my milk-hating tummy.  I ordered a scoop of strawberry and a scoop of pistachio.  The strawberry was great but nothing to write home about…it was more of a sorbet but with real strawberry bits.  However, the pistachio was TO DIE FOR.  This is coming from a girl who has never even been a big fan of the flavor.  It was so creamy and delicious and even the bf had to agree that you absolutely could not tell that it wasnt ”real” ice cream.  

Speaking of the bf, he is a lucky duck with no dietary restrictions, so he was able to try Caramel, Muffin and Goatcheese flavors.  That’s right, I said goatcheese.  I took a teeny bite and wow- it was so interesting but so good.  I also couldnt resist trying a bit of the muffin and it was my fave.  It made me curse my intolerance but then I took another bite of my pistachio and my sadness magically melted away

oreo cake.

An after-work treat made by the bf.  You can get the mix at Meinl on Graben or at Metro (it’s cheaper at Metro, just fyi).  Perfect for a warm, summer day!
PS: It’s lactose free!

highly recommended.

It’s Restaurant Week in Vienna and that means we had the luxury of choosing from over 90 participating restaraunts all offering a 3 course dinner for only 25 EUR.  The family chose Kristian’s Monastiri in the 7th district. The restaurant is unique as it’s  housed in what used to be a monastery.  We were seated in the lovely courtyard near the entrance.  The atmosphere was lovely- cozy, romantic and comfortable.  The service was OUTSTANDING.  The kitchen went above and beyond to accomodate the special needs of our group (lactose free for me, a long list of “cant’s” from the bf’s pregnant sister, etc).  Not only were they gracious in accepting our requests but they actually seemed to enjoy the chance to get creative with substiutions.  The food itself was a modern take on Vienesse/fusion cuisine and it was sepctacular!  We drank many a bottle of  “Roter Muskateller” which is actually a very light, white wine.  It was the perfect compliment to all courses of the meal.  I can very highly recommend this restaurant and look forward to dining here again.

apple cinnamon crumb muffins.

One of my favorite ways to brighten an otherwise gloomy and rainy day is to fill the apartment with the smell of something yummy baking.  I tried out a new recipe today and made a few alterations in order to create Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins.  They smelled so delicious while baking…even the bf tore himself away from the race to see what I was up to   The good news is they taste just as good as they smell!

Recipe

Muffin batter:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar (1/2 white and 1/2 brown)
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 apples (1 chopped and 1 shredded)

Crumb Topping:

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda,salt and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla extract. Stir in apples, and gradually blend in the flour mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.
4. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is like coarse crumbs (I actually just use my hands to make the crumbles, it goes faster than with a knife). Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan.
5. Bake about 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to sit 3-5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a wire rack.
6. Enjoy!

*Note:  All of the ingredients I use are lactose free and I have found that the baking time varies between lactose free and regular ingredients, so please adjust accordingly.  Also, the batter will be soft and resemble a cookie dough batter but dont worry- it should be like that and the muffins will turn out just fine.