Magical bakes

Christin Geweke is a freelance cookbook editor, writer and passionate baker.

Fairytale Baking is a stunning giftable package featuring recipes for exquisite cakes and desserts fit for a princess or prince.

There are recipes and exquisite photographs of forest berry ice cream cake, mini gingerbread kuglofs, marzipan chocolate rolls, dreamy peach rose cups. Like old family recipes, fairytales and stories are also handed down from one generation to the next. And delicious baking can delight the senses and bring back memories just like a good story, for both old and young alike.

Lose yourself in fairytales to while away the time until your goodies are ready to take out of the oven and devour.

• Christin Geweke is a freelance cookbook editor, writer and passionate baker who is quite happy to spend any free time she has in the kitchen, trying out new recipes. She lives in the countryside near Celle, in Germany, with her husband, daughter, son and cat.

120g plain flour

½ cup ground hazelnuts

150g sugar

1½ tbsp vanilla sugar

½ cup cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1 pinch salt

200g cooked beetroot

150ml canola oil

3 eggs

Also:

100g dark cooking chocolate

50g icing (confectioners') sugar

About 1½ tbsp beetroot juice

Red food colouring

½ cup (80g) hazelnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line two 6-hole or one 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases; alternatively, butter the holes and dust them with flour to get beautifully smooth muffins.

2. Combine the flour, ground hazelnuts, sugar, vanilla sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Coarsely chop the beetroot and transfer to a tall mixing bowl together with the oil. Finely blend with a stick blender, then add the eggs one by one. Quickly stir in the dry ingredients in three batches to combine everything well.

3. Divide the batter among the muffin holes, filling them two-thirds full. Bake for about 22 minutes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Set the muffins aside to cool, then remove from the tins.

4. Melt the dark cooking chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk the icing sugar, beetroot juice and a little food colouring together to make a bright pink icing. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts and dry-roast in a frying pan until they smell fragrant. Glaze half of the cooled muffins with the chocolate and the other half with the icing. Sprinkle with the nuts.