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.
Watermelon and Cucumber salad with Feta
This fantastic watermelon salad with cucumbers, feta cheese and onion is perfect for spring and summer. Sweet, savory and delicious salad or side dish will look gorgeous for your next BBQ party.
Watermelon and Cucumber salad with Feta
Ingredients
- 1/2 watermelon (or 1 small watermelon ) peeled and cubed
- 1 english cucumber cubed
- 1/2 red onion finely sliced
- 200 g feta cheese cubed
- 1/2 bunch of Fresh mint minced
- 1/2 lemon (juice only)
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, gently toss all cut ingredients, drizzle with lemon juice and season with pepper. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving.
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.
Salmon in Puff Pastry
Who says you need to make a special dough for amazing appetizers? Thank goodness for puff pastry! It is so easy to use and you can buy it in the freezer section at any grocery store. I want to introduce you to this delicious puff pastry packets that are filled with salmon, sour cream and herbs. And can be served with any green salad of your choice. It’s great for brunch, lunch, or light dinner. This will definitely be on my holiday table this year.
Salmon in Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 200 g fresh salmon skinless, boneless
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Some fresh dill finely chopped
- 1 sheet all butter puff pastry
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add finely chopped onion cook and stir until tender.
- Cut salmon into small cubes. Season with salt and pepper, add sour cream, cooked onion and fresh dill. Gently mix.
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Gently roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/2 cm. Using 8 cm round cookie cutter carefully cut out circles.
- Place pastry rounds on a flat surface, divide salmon mixture between them and spread one tea spoon over pastry, leaving a 1/2 cm border all around.
- Brush pastry borders with water. Top with pastry rounds and press edges together firmly to seal.
- Place the pastry packets on baking sheet and brush with egg yolk.
- Make a small hole in the middle of the top of each lid. Use a paring knife to score the top of the pastry as desired. Be careful not puncture through.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden.
