1. For the dough, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the cold butter in small cubes and work it in quickly with your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter throughout. Add the cold water and apple cider vinegar, then bring everything together with your hands until a rough dough forms. Shape it into a rectangle on your work surface, cut it into four equal pieces, stack them on top of each other, gently press together, and wrap the stack in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for about 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, wash the rhubarb thoroughly, peel if necessary, and cut it into finger-length pieces. Depending on your preference, slice them into thin strips or slightly thicker chunks. Toss the rhubarb in a bowl with cornstarch and powdered sugar, then set aside. Wash and hull the strawberries, then slice them as well.
3. Next, prepare the almond cream. Cream the soft butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the egg, salt, vanilla extract, and ground almonds. Mix until smooth and set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 200 °C / 392 °F. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge, let it rest briefly on a floured surface, then roll or press it out into a large, rustic circle using short movements. Don’t worry if the dough tears slightly, this is typical for shortcrust pastry and can be patched with leftover scraps. Gently roll the dough around your rolling pin and transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Spread the almond cream evenly over the dough, leaving a border of about 8 cm (3 inches) all around. Distribute the prepared fruit over the almond cream, then fold the edges of the dough over the filling and press them down gently. Brush the crust with oil or a beaten egg, sprinkle with sliced almonds and a bit of sugar, and bake the galette for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. Serve best while still slightly warm paired with a scoop of ice cream, whipped cream, or vanilla sauce. I used pistachio ice cream, which pairs beautifully with the almond cream and the tart rhubarb.

1. In a small saucepan, heat the cream with the sugar, vanilla extract, and half of the milk until it comes to a boil. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, egg yolk, and remaining milk. Slowly pour the starch mixture into the boiling cream while whisking constantly until it thickens into a smooth pudding. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Set aside for later.
2. Gently warm the milk to 38°C / 100°F and stir in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let it sit for a few minutes until slightly foamy. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, remaining sugar, egg, soft butter, and salt. Add the yeast mixture and knead for about 10 minutes until you get a smooth, soft dough that doesn’t stick. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 90 minutes.
3. Combine the butter, sugar, flour, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt and mix until crumbly. Chill the streusel until ready to use.
4. Once the dough has risen, knead it briefly and divide into 12 equal balls, about 80g / 3oz each. Line a rectangular baking dish with parchment paper and arrange the dough balls inside. Let them rest for 20 minutes.
5. Use your thumbs and press in the middle of the dough ball to form kind of a bowl shape that is going to be filled each with 1 tablespoon of vanilla pudding and 1 heaping teaspoon of strawberry jam side by side.
6. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°Ft. Sprinkle the chilled streusel generously over the buns and bake for about 55 minutes, or until golden. Serve slightly warm or fully cooled—both are delicious. Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar before serving.

PREPARATIONS

• Chop the chocolate into coarse pieces.
• Melt the butter for the cookie dough in a pot or microwave.
• Bring the butter for the frosting to room temperature.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In another medium bowl, combine the brown and white sugar. Add the melted butter and whisk until creamy.
3. Add one whole egg and one egg yolk, whisking until the mixture becomes thick.
4. Next, add the dry ingredients from the other bowl and mix slightly, then add the chocolate and combine until no flour is visible. Be careful not to overmix.
5. Form the dough into 8 equal-sized balls and place them in a container that fits in the fridge. Chill the cookie dough balls for at least 2 hours. If you want to prepare the dough ahead, you can refrigerate it for up to 48 hours.
6. Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F (top/bottom heat). Once the oven is hot, place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 8 minutes.
7. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool for 15 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, prepare the strawberry frosting: Beat room-temperature butter with an electric mixer in a medium bowl until pale yellow and fluffy. Add cream cheese and mix again. Then, add powdered sugar and mix for another 1-2 minutes until creamy.
9. Grind the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or a powerful food processor. Add the strawberry powder to the frosting and mix until it turns a lovely pink color.
10. Once the cookies have cooled and are no longer warm, spread 1 tablespoon of strawberry frosting evenly on each cookie.
11. Optionally, sprinkle with some melted chocolate and crushed freeze-dried strawberries.

PREPARATIONS

1. Thoroughly wash the strawberries, dry them, and cut into small pieces. Set aside.
2. Cut parchment paper into small squares and press two layers into every other cup of the cupcake tin. Alternatively, you can skip the parchment paper and use cupcake liners instead. Set the prepared tin aside.

COOKING

1. For the crumbles: In a small bowl, knead together room temperature butter, flour, sugar, and a pinch of salt until combined, then break into large chunks. Store in the refrigerator until needed.
2. For the filling: In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar, zest from half a lemon, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract until creamy. Store in the refrigerator until needed. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
3. For the batter: In one of the medium bowls, mix together the dry ingredients – flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
4. In another medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients – melted butter, eggs, yogurt, milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract using a whisk until smooth.
5. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and use a spatula to blend into a batter. Mix just until no flour streaks remain, then fold in the chopped strawberries.
6. Grab the crumbles and cream cheese mix from the fridge.
7. Place a scoop of batter into every second cup of the cupcake tin. Press a scoop in the center and add 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese filling. Cover with another scoop of batter. Distribute crumbles over 6 of the 12 cupcakes, pressing down firmly. Leave the other 6 plain for the strawberry frosting later.
8. Bake the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes. Remove the tin from the oven and let cool briefly before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. Prepare the next batch of cupcakes similarly, but without the crumbles. Let all cupcakes cool completely.
9. Meanwhile, make the frosting: In a medium bowl, beat room temperature butter with an electric mixer until pale yellow and fluffy. Add cream cheese and mix again. Then, add sifted powdered sugar and mix for 1-2 minutes until creamy.
10. Crush freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle (or a powerful food processor). Mix this strawberry powder into the frosting until evenly pink.
11. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, evenly spread and smooth the frosting over the 6 plain cupcakes. And now enjoy your pieces of happiness!