This is very unique recipe. All you have to do is whisk all the ingredients together in the mixer bowl for 1-2 minutes, bake for 30 minutes and voilà, you can enjoy the cake with your favorite cup of tea.
Quick Almond Cake
You can use any cake pan you like or have. My favorite one is loaf pan, and I usually make it without the almonds on top. Easy to cut and easy to pack for lunch or picnic.
Ingredients
- 180 g sugar
- 4 eggs
- 100 g unsalted butter softened
- 1 pinch of salt
- 100 g almond flour
- 60 g all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp sliced almonds (optional)
- 1 tsp confectioner’s sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Grease a cake pan.
- In a medium bowl whisk all the ingredients together until combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan. You can sprinkle with almonds if desire.
- Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove your cake from the oven and allow it to cool. Transfer to a plater. Dust it with powdered sugar before serving.
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This post was posted in Desserts
Flourless chocolate cake
The flourless chocolate cake is a delicate gluten free dessert that melts in your mouth. The recipe is absolutely simple without any flour! All you need is chocolate, butter, sugar and eggs.
Flourless chocolate cake
Ingredients
- 200 g chocolate chips (60%)
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 200 g sugar
- 6 eggs
- 2 pinches salt
- 1/4 tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate and butter on a water bath or in a microwave. Mix well.
- Add sugar and mix well.
- Separate yolks from egg whites.
- Add yolks into the melted chocolate and mix.
- Add salt to the egg whites, and beat into a thick foam.
- Using a spatula carefully fold in whipped egg whites into chocolate mass.
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Generously butter a baking pan and pour the batter into the cake pan.
- Bake in in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes. The exact time of baking depends on the oven, size and quality of the baking pan. Once the the cake is moist and not liquid inside (it’s not a lava cake) – it’s ready. Please, don’t overcook!
- Let the cake cool then carefully remove it from the pan. Dust it with powdered sugar and serve.
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Puff Pastry-Wrapped Shrimps
The reason I love making Puff Pastry-Wrapped Shrimp so much is the simple ingredients. And because I almost always have frozen shrimp and puff pastry left in my freezer!
Puff Pastry-Wrapped Shrimps
Ingredients
- 20 medium peeled shrimps
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/2 sheet all butter puff pastry
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Season shrimp with salt, pepper and seasoning.
- Roll out the pastry dough and cut into 1 cm wide strips.
- Starting at the top, wind one pastry strip around one shrimp, slightly overlapping the pastry and ending just before the tail. Repeat with each shrimp.
- Place shrimp onto the baking sheet. Beat the egg in a small bowl with a fork, to make egg wash. Brush the shrimp pastry with egg wash.
- Bake for about 12 min, or until golden brown. Do not overcook.
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This post was posted in Appetizers, Puff Pastry
Baked Feta (Psiti)
Baked Feta (Psiti) is a traditional Greek dish. It is very easy to prepare at home and will become one of your favorite appetizers.
Baked Feta (Feta Psiti)
Ingredients
- 200 g feta cheese (in one block)
- 2 pinches oregano
- Some chili pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Place the feta in an oven-proof dish. Add the oregano and chili pepper flakes followed by the olive oil.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Serve hot with fresh bread or pita.
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This post was posted in Appetizers
Duchess Potatoes
Duchess potatoes (Pommes de terre duchesse) are a French classic recipe made from mashed potatoes with butter and egg yolks. Using a pastry bag, mashed potatoes are formed into roses and baked in the oven until golden brown.
The dish looks very elegant and is served as a side dish for meat, fish or vegetables.
Duchess Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg potatoes
- 200 g butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- A little (on the tip of a knife) grated nutmeg (optional)
- 4 egg yolks
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes, cut into pieces and boil in salted water. Once the potatoes are cooked (pierce the potatoes with a knife or fork to check), immediately drain the water.
- Mash hot potatoes into a puree, adding butter. Salt, pepper and add nutmeg.
- Add egg yolks and mix very well. Puree should be soft and without lumps.
- Preheat oven to 200C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper or a silicone mat.
- Transfer the puree to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe the roses of the desired size onto a baking sheet.
- Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, for about 10 minutes.
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This post was posted in Main Dish
Vegetable Tian
This is not a ratatouille, it is a “tian!” I often have to correct my guests when they ask me if this is a ratatouille. 😉
Tian is a french recipe of baked vegetables made with alternating rows of sliced eggplant, tomato, onion and zucchini. A tian itself is an earthenware dish that goes from the oven to table. Everything baked in this dish is called tian.
Vegetable Tian
To make the tian look more appealing, use vegetables with similar widths.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 7 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 eggplant
- 1-2 zucchini
- 1-2 summer squash
- 5 tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp herbs de provence
Instructions
- Peel and cut the onion into half moons. Peel and cut the garlic into 2-4 pieces.
- In a medium skillet heat 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil until hot, add onion and sauté until tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Spread the cooked onion on the bottom of a baking dish.
- Cut zucchini and summer squash into 1/4 inch slices.
- Cut the eggplant into 1/4 inch slices.
- Core and cut tomatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices.
- Arrange the zucchini, eggplant, squash and tomatoes in alternating rows. Continue until the baking dish is filled.
- Sprinkle the vegetables with salt, pepper, Herbs de Provence and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and golden. If the vegetables are not ready, but the top is starting to burn, cover the tian with aluminum foil.
This post was posted in Main Dish
Easy Apple Cake
Delicate and full of apples easy to make cake. Recipe is very similar to famous Russian Apple Sharlotka but with a little of olive oil and baking powder. Must try!
Easy Apple Cake
Take sour apples for this recipe.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 200 g sugar
- 150 g sifted flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 big apples Granny Smith
- 1 tsp confectioner's sugar (facultatif)
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 an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar. Add flour and baking powder. Mix well, then add oil and mix last time.
- Peel and dice apples into small pieces. Lay out the apples on the bottom of the pan.
- Pour the batter over the apples.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until а knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool then transfer to plate.
- Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.
This post was posted in Desserts
Vanilla Creme Brulee
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
Use vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean, if you don’t have vanilla bean. You could add 2 Tbsp. of rum into the cream if desired. If you don’t own a blow torch, you can always use your broiler as well. You will need to move the top rack in your oven up as high as it will go.
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
With remaining eggs white, you could make some Coconut cookies.
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Tuna Quiche
This French open-faced pie with canned tuna, egg & cream filling seems completely simple, but it is so delicious. Don’t forget to add mustard to this Tuna Quiche, it will give a charm to it.
Tuna Quiche
I usually serve it with green salad. Aragula works the best.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet all butter puff pastry
- 200 g tuna in water (drained)
- 1-2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tsp mustard
- 2 eggs
- 100 ml sour cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tomato
- 30 g cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lay the puff pastry out on a baking sheet. Prick all over with a fork.
- Pop in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the crust starts to turn light gold. Remove the pastry from the oven, pressing the center down with a fork, if it puffed up a bit.
- Meanwhile mix tuna and mayonnaise with fork. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the mustard across centre. (I use mustard “a l’ancienne).
- Spoon the tuna mix on top.
- Combine eggs with sour cream and mix together. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour over tuna.
- Slice tomato and arrange them on top of your quiche. Sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until quiche is golden brown.
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This post was posted in Main Dish, Puff Pastry
Chocolate Yule Log (Bûche de Noël)
Chocolate Yule Log (Bûche de Noël) is the French roll cake very popular during the Holiday season. This is a delicious version of Yule Log you can make at home using very simple ingredients you can find in every store.
Chocolate Yule Log (Bûche de Noël)
Ingredients
Sugar syrup
- 150 g sugar
- 300 ml water
Chocolate ganache
- 200 ml heavy whipping cream ( 35%)
- 200 g dark chocolate (60-70% cacao)
- 15 g unsalted butter
Biscuit
- 4 eggs (at room temperature)
- 120 g sugar
- 120 g all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
Chantilly cream
- 250 ml heavy whipping cream ( 35%) very cold
- 50 g mascarpone cheese
- 1.25 Tbsp sugar
Decoration
- Few meringues, pieces of chocolat
Instructions
Sugar syrup
- In a small pot, bring cold water and sugar to the boil. Keep boiling for a few minutes, stir constantly until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool down. When the syrup is cold, you may add vanilla or the Triple Sec liqueur (optional).
Biscuit
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar until the mixture becomes thick, fluffy, and triples in volume.
- Using a spatula, gently fold in flour and cocoa powder.
- Spread the batter evenly in thin layer into the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in center of biscuit comes out clean.
- Turn upside down onto clean kitchen towel and carefully remove parchment paper. Let cool down.
Chocolate ganache
- Boil the heavy whipping cream. Pour the boiling cream over the dark chocolate. Wait for one minute.
- Then mix it until the mixture is smooth.
- Add butter and mix until this is fully dissolved.
- Let cool the ganache for about 30 minutes in the fridge. Mix and check frequently: the ganache is ready when it’s not anymore liquid and has a spreadable texture.
Chantilly cream
- Beat together very cold heavy cream and cold mascarpone cheese until this is whipped. Keep gradually adding sugar.
Assemblage
- Paint the biscuit with sugar syrup.
- Spread the chantilly cream evenly over the biscuit.
- Roll up firmly.
- Tightly cover with plastic wrap, and keep in the fridge until chocolate ganache is ready.
- Remove the plastic wrap. Spread the ganache over the cake. Using a fork make lines to look like a log. Transfer the cake to a serving platter and let stand in the fridge for a night or at least 3 hours.
- Before serving, dust with cacao cocoa powder and decorate with meringues or pieces of chocolate.
Notes
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This post was posted in Desserts