Absolutely amazing what a little cream, a little sugar and couple of eggs can turn into…. Perfect restaurant quality dessert. A rich custard topped with a hard layer of caramel. This Vanilla creme brulee is very easy to make if you follow all the steps correctly.
It will perfectly complete your cafe gourmand if the crème brûlée is served in small ramekins.
Look at this short video ! 🙂
Vanilla Crème brûlée
Ingredients
- 8 egg yolks
- 120 g granulated sugar
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 640 ml whipping cream
- 6 tsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds into the cream. In a medium bowl, combine together sugar, eggs yolks, vanilla and whisk.
- Add the cream a little at a time and stir. Remove the scum with a tea spoon.
- Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and pour it into the ramekins. Divide cream mixture among ramekins (about 6 ramekins).
- Arrange the ramekins in a baking pan with deep sides. And carefully pour water around ramekins so that the water level must reach about 2/3 of the ramekins.
- Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. You will know its ready when the custard is wobbly and jiggle from side to side when nudged (it looks like jello).
- Remove the custard from the water bath and let cool completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours (overnight).
- Before serving, cover each cold creme brulee evenly with sugar (1 tsp). Caramelize using a propane torch. If you don’t have one propane torch, use the broiler: put the oven rack about 6 inches away from the broiler. Place the custards on the baking sheet and broil for about 3-5 minutes, or until sugar bubbles and turns golden brown. (Keep a close eye on them, they can burn quickly)
Notes
Tomato Tart
Who said that tarts are only for dessert? Fill a square of puff pastry with colorful mosaic of tomatoes, cheese, Dijon mustard, herbs de Provence. Then surprise your friends or family with this savory piece of artwork.
Tomato Tart
Ingredients
- 1 sheet all butter puff pastry
- 1-2 Tblsp Dijion mustard
- 5-6 tomatoes
- 30 g shreaded cheese (parmesan)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- herbs de provence (optional)
- couple basil leaf (optional)
Instructions
- Cut tomatoes into thin (0.5 cm) slices. Put them in a single layer on paper towel. Pat dry with paper towel.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. On the floured piece of parchment paper roll out the puff pastry and poke all over with a fork, to release the steam while baking.
- Evenly spread with dijon mustard.
- Arrange the tomatoes on top. Fold the edges of dough.
- Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with cheese and herbs.
- Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for about 25-30 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked through and the cheese is softening and colouring at the edges.
- Cut the tart into quarters, garnish with fresh basil and serve.
Easy Walnut Cake
There are quite a few nut cake recipes; but this one, which my mother-in-law is preparing is a little different. With that easy walnut cake, you can really taste the taste of nuts thanks to the small pieces that crunch under your teeth!
Easy Walnut Cake
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 220 g sugar
- 100 ml milk
- 90 ml olive oil
- 200 g sifted flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 300 g walnuts
- 40 g butter
- Some confectioner’s sugar
- Few walnuts halves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Grease and flour a round cake pan or line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- Using a mixer, beat eggs with sugar.
- Add milk, olive oil, flour, and baking powder. Mix well.
- Place the walnuts in the zip-lock and cruch them using a pastry pin.
- Pour the batter in the cake pan (mould). Lay walnuts halves on top of the cake.
- Bake for 20 minutes. The cake should be well raised with a thin crust but not fully baked. Place the pieces of butter on top of the cake.
- Continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, allow to cool before removing it from the mold.
- Dust it with powdered sugar before serving.
Lemon Infused Vodka
This is my home-made lemon infused vodka. This strong alcoholic drink has a pleasant lemon aroma. You can either drink on its own or use it to make cocktails. Please consume with moderation.
Lemon Infused Vodka
Ingredients
- 1 organic lemon
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 l vodka
Instructions
- Peel the lemon then slice it.
- Place the lemon slices into the jar then add sugar and vodka.
- Cover and keep 7 days at room temperature, out of direct sunlight.
- Discard the lemon slices, strain the infused vodka thru a fine mesh. Transfer vodka into a bottle. Serve chilled or use for the cocktail.
Russian Apple Cake Sharlotka
Apple Sharlotka cake is one of the most popular desserts that each Russian kid will remember from their childhood. The recipe is so simple that you don’t even need to write it down. It will be very easy to remember once you’ve made it: 3 apples, 3 eggs, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of flour. That’s it, enjoy!
Russian Apple Cake Sharlotka
Ingredients
- 3 big apples (sour)
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp confectioner’s sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Grease and flour a round cake pan or line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- Wash, peel and dice apples into 1-inch pieces. Lay out the diced apples on the bottom of the pan.
- Using a mixer beat eggs with sugar, until its two times in volume. Using a spatula carefully fold in sifted flour. Pour the batter over the apples.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until а toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Once the cake cools off a little, transfer to plate.
- Dust it with powdered sugar before serving.
Easy Puff Pastry Cheese Sticks
These crispy, flaky, cheesy sticks require just a few ingredients and 15 minutes of your time. Very easy to put together with absolutely no experience needed. They go with dips, salads, soups, beer and yet, kids favorite crunchy snack.
More recipes with puff pastry on my cooking blog.
Easy Puff Pastry Cheese Sticks
Ingredients
- 1 sheet all butter puff pastry
- 1 egg yolk
- 50 g shredded cheese
- Some Herbes de Provence or any herbs of your choice
- freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On a parchment paper roll out the puff pastry.
- Whisk the egg yolk and spread evenly over the puff pastry.
- Sprinkle cheese, herbs and pepper on top of the yolk mixture. Slice with a pizza cutter into 1 cm strips.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes.
Easy Madeleines
Very light, fluffy and tasty French cookies. Classic small sponge cakes shaped like seashell, usually made with lemon zest. I love lemon, but I decided not to add any to my madeleines. I just like them plain.
You can find molds for mini-madeleines. That’s really nice and you can savor them for a cafe gourmand.
French Madeleines
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 200 g sugar
- 120 ml milk
- 200 g all purpose flour sifted
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 120 g unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine eggs and sugar. Whip until light. Add milk and mix well.
- Carefully fold in the flour, baking powder and pinch of salt.
- Add melted butter and mix throughly until smooth. Let the batter rest in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter madeleine pan. My pan makes 12 cookies at a time. From this receipe you’ll make 24 cookies.
- Spoon batter into the prepared molds, filling 3/4 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are golden and the tops spring back. Remove the madeleines from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes.
- With a knife or fork carefully loosen the madeleines from the pan and then tip the whole pan out to a prepared plate.
- If you want to make it in a loaf pan, it will take much longer, about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake come out clean.
Shortcrust pastry
Shortcrust pastry (or pie crust) is very popular when making quiche, pie, tart and tartelettes. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to make this unsweetened pie shell. It turns out light, crumbly, crunchy and deliciously buttery. After trying making this recipe you will never go back to store-bought crust again.
Shortcrust pastry
Ingredients
- 240 g all purpose flour
- 2-3 pinches of salt
- 125 g softened unsalted butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 2-3 Tbsp water
Instructions
- In a large bowl or on the clean table surface combine salt and flour together. Add chunks of softened butter.
- Use finger to combine until crumbly.
- Add egg yolks and start to knead the dough, only add as much water as dough needs. Do not over-knead.
- Shape into a ball.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 380°F. Unwrap dough and roll into a thin circle between two pieces of parchment paper.
- Fit dough into a tart pan, press firmly on bottom and sides. Trim any extra dough. Pick all over with a fork.
- Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until pie shell is lightly golden.
Tuna pate with smoked salmon
Delicious Tuna and Smoked Salmon Pate is an amazing appetizer served with fresh or toasted bread.
Tuna pate with smoked salmon
Ingredients
- 160 g tuna in water drained
- 5-6 slices smoked salmon
- 160 g mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 onion chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh dill to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine together mascarpone cheese and tuna, mash it with fork.
- Add chopped dill and minced onion, salt and pepper.
- Add finely chopped smoked salmon and stir together.
- Transfer to a small dish and garnish with chopped fresh dill or with thin slices of salmon. Cover with food plastic wrap.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
Notes
Liquor 44
One orange, one liter of vodka or rum, 44 coffee beans, 44 pieces of sugar, and 44 days of infusion. A French alcohol drink that will enchant your guests. Consume with moderation!
Liquor 44
Ingredients
- 1 orange organic
- 44 coffee beans
- 44 pieces of sugar (or 220 g of granulated sugar)
- 1 liter vodka or white rum
Instructions
- Wash a jar with boiling water then dry it. Wash and dry the orange.
- With a knife, make 44 cuts in the orange and put a coffee bean in each hole.
- Put the orange in the jar and add the sugar.
- Add the vodka (or rum).
- Close the jar well, keep it in a cool and dark place for 44 days.
- Throw away the orange (sadly it is not good anymore). Filter the liquor and pour into a bottle.
