Pictures

The first pictures from the wedding cake are here, if you want to check it out! La suite, please

The lovely Frozen Strawberry Pie

I know I should be talking about the end of the wedding cake story.
But there's something more urgent first. I want to introduce you to this lovely dessert. It would be such a shame to wait there's definitively no more strawberries to share it with you. Because I really want you to try this pie.

Who knows, maybe it will become a favorite dish in your home too, one that you prepare for birthdays, mother days, or all June long... It will have its own memories attached to it.
Just like an antique dish or furniture, it has many stories to tell, the recipe being passed to friends and family and creating new souvenirs.

I got this recipe from Marsha, my "american mother". When my brother was 16, he decided to spend one year in America. We were happy (and relieved!) to see that he was hosted by this incredibely generous and loving family. Actually, I was lucky too, because it also changed my life. Without him (and them), I don't think I would have cared to do an internship abroad. I learned english to communicate with them. And ten years later, we're still in touch...

Can you imagine that this cake was the first thing I ate in the US? Well, actually, I think the first thing was a half bagel. Then a wonderful chicken salad with strawberries. And then, this! (now I wonder... did Marsha did some research? I was a picky eater then. But strawberries? Always have been my favorites!).

It was nine years ago. We were going to meet the family and to pick up my brother before exploring the West. Is that why I remember everything so precisely? My first impressions in the plane (actually, I was struck by the wide roads. It seemed like cars could park on each side of the road, and that 2 other ones could still cross each other. Even in the residential areas! My parents live in a ruelle. It's wide enough for 1 car. No parking. No crossing. And no huge car!). The first evening. And this pie is like a vessel carrying back all these memories to me.

Now, the vessel has grown larger, because my mother and I love it so much that we have it pretty often. One year we made it almost every Sundays of the summer...
Now that I think of it, it's also the one I made for my friends on the week-end they stayed over, just before our final graduation exams. The cake was great, but the week-end did not turn out exactly as I planned... Umm, here's one advise : don't ever run for the phone when you just got out of the swimming pool! Unless you want to go to the exams with a plaster cast and crutches... And as we were waiting for the ambulance, my friends tried to make me laugh and speak. You know what the best way is : talk about baking! So I actually had to repete this frozen pie recipe almost 10 times in a row. yeap.....

So go make your own memories (maybe not this one!). You need more convincing? Ok.
- It's super easy to prepare (no requirement for an ice maker), and super quick, so you'll have more time to enjoy the sun outside this afternoon
- Well, it is lovely, isn't it? The pinky cream, the crisp crumble... What's not to love?
- We're in July. It's warm. You need something light and refreshing. Like a frozen dessert, don't you think?
- A frozen strawberry sherbet with some walnut crumble? Gah. What are you waiting for?

Frozen Strawberry Pie
From Marsha, who says " This recipe comes from Aunt Helen, my father's only sister (who had to grow up with 5 brothers on the farm) - she had no kids and was always our 'favorite' aunt because she was so nice and spoiled us!!! She was also a very good cook!"

For the dough
1 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butter at room temperature

For the sherbet
2 fresh egg whites
1 pound strawberries
1 cup whipped cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter a 10-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom and sides with parchment or waxed paper.

Place the walnuts in the oven for 5 minutes before chopping them.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, butter and chopped walnuts with a spoon.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup of this dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Gather and press the rest of the dough into a ball, and press on the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes (the crumble will be done before the crust). For the crumble topping, break the big crumbs while they are still warm.

Reserve 2 oz. strawberries for the decoration.
Dice the rest, the puree half of the strawberries.
Beat whites in mixer at medium speed until they form soft peaks*. Add sugar gradually, beating, and continue beating at high speed just until whites are thickened and form stiff peaks.
Add strawberries (dices and puree), lemon juice and whipped cream, and whip until fully incorporated.

Pour on the bottom crust in the round pan and place in the freezer for at least 6 hours. Before serving, apply a spong with hot water against the form and use the waxed paper to remove the pie from the pan. Sprinkle with the crumble and decorate with the remaining strawberries.

* Note : If you are concerned about using raw eggs, you could replace the sugar by a syrup : bring 1 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp water to a boil until it reaches 245°F. Then pour it on the fluffy egg whites while beating slowly. Continue beating at high speed just until whites are thickened and form stiff peaks, then proceed with the strawberries, etc...


Gateau Glacé aux fraises
De Marsha

Pour la pâte
140g de farine
100g de beurre
40g de sucre brun
70g de pralin ou de noix

Pour la crème aux fraises
2 blancs d'oeufs ultra frais
150g de sucre
450g de fraises
25cl de crème liquide
2 cuillères à soupe de jus de citron

Préchauffez le four à 180°.
Beurrez un moule rond de 26 cm de diamètre et tapissez le de papier sulfurisé.

Faites chauffer les noix 5 mn au four avant de les concasser, ou utilisez directement du pralin. Mélangez-le avec une cuillère avec le beurre, le sucre brun et la farine.
Reservez environ une poignée de pâte que vous saupoudrez sur une plaque à patisserie.
Formez une balle avec le reste, et étalez-la au fond du moule rond.
Faites cuire 15 à 20 minutes (attention, le crumble sera prêt avant le fond du gâteau). Si les morceaux de crumble sont trop gros, brisez-les lorsqu'ils sont encore chaud. Laissez refroidir (sans démouler).

Réservez 50g de fraises pour la décoration.
Coupez les 400g restantes en morceaux et réduisez la moitié en purée.
Battez les blancs en neige*, puis versez doucement le sucre en continuant à battre doucement. Augmentez la vitesse jusqu'à ce que les blancs soient fermes et brillants.
Dans un autre saladier, battez la crème liquide en chantilly. Ajoutez-la aux blancs, ainsi que les fraises et le jus de citron.

Versez l'appareil sur le fond dans le moule, et faites prendre au congélateur (au moins 6 heures).
Avant de servir, appliquez une éponge d'eau brulante sur les parois du moule, puis aidez-vous du papier sulfurisé pour le démouler et le placer sur une assiette. Parsemez le dessus de crumble et décorez avec les fraises.

* Si vous n'êtes pas à l'aise avec l'utilisation ddes oeufs non cuits, vous pouvez remplacer le sucre par un sirop : lorsque les blancs sont montés, portez 200g de sucre et 1 cuillère d'eau à ébullition jusqu'à atteindre 120°. Versez le sirop doucement sur les blancs tout en continuant à battre, puis augmentez la vitesse jusqu'à ce que les blancs soient fermes et brillants. Ajoutez ensuite les fraises, etc...

La suite, please

The first wedding cake : recap, links and advises

A few weeks ago, I teased you about this big project I was working on.
I haven’t told you anything yet, because I just don’t know where to start. Do you remember my new year’s wishes? To the one moving in a new place, becoming a parent, or getting married? Well, I had people in mind for each situation, most of them happening in May / June. And because we were having a surprise party for one of the girl getting married, I decided to bake a “mini” wedding cake for her.

In France, we usually don’t have wedding cakes as in the US. The typical “pièce montée” is a croquembouche. A pile of fluffy choux filled with pastry cream and covered with caramel, on a nougatine base. The whole cake / frosting thing was somehow unfamiliar to the pie lover I am. So, why did I come up with this idea?
I had actually never thought I’d do something like that. When I first read that Deb was baking one, I thought it was crazy. Not that she was crazy, no, she's like incredibly brave, but the whole concept? Oooh, stop right there! Baking a such a huge thing in a tiny kitchen? For a bride? All this responsability? Never gonna happen!
Helen was the next one. She’s a professional pastry chef, and her desserts always look amazing. Her pictures let me speechless, but I don’t imagine achieving as beautiful creations as she does…
They were both really committed to do a perfect cake for their friend; their posts gave my first glimpse of what an American wedding cake was. I discovered that they were actually different cakes, with different flavors or fillings, stacked one on top of the other. The cakes are most often butter cakes (1-2-3-4 cake, white butter cake, chocolate cake...) with a filling (lemon curd, chocolate ganache…) and the frosting. Although I had this first approach, I was far from conceiving baking one myself.

Two weeks before the surprise party (D-12), it all changed.I found some very clear tutorials on Epicurious site. If you’re planning to make a wedding cake, or even if you only want to understand what’s “under” the imposing white assembly that has pride of place on the wedding buffet, go check out these videos. It opened a new world to me. I was now bursting with curiosity. Will I be able to do that for her? Will I remember how to frost a cake with a smooth layer? If I do some effort, will the decoration be ok (instead of really bad)? Will she like having a cake like this, and what type of cake does she like best?

Because I’m really bad with subtle investigation, I had to rely on what I already knew : she loves peanut butter & chocolate, and enjoys the berry pies I sometimes bring. Therefore it was soon (D-6) decided that the cake would be:

- First tier a chocolate cake (in FR) with a chocolate kahlua ganache (in FR)

- Second tier a raspberry cake (in FR) with a lemon curd filling (in FR)

- Third tier a chocolate cake with a peanut butter frosting (in FR)

The next two days were dedicated to researches about the frosting and decoration, but I'll tell you more about it next time..

For now, let's talk about the cakes and the filling, which I made on Monday afternoon (D-3). Luckily for me, it was a holiday, which gave me more time to prepare and to take notes...
Both cakes recipes come from the Smittenkitchen repertoire, and originally from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes. I followed the chocolate cake recipe à la lettre (by the letter - which means without changing anything), and I've liked it so much that I've already made it twice since. The steps are very easy to follow (just make sure the bowl of the mixer is big enough ; there is a LOT of batter), the cake is moist and very light. You add a cup of coffee in the batter, but you won't really taste it. However, it picks up and extends the toasty notes of the best quality cocoa. You could use it for cupcakes, birthday cakes... or without any reason, just because it is sooo good.
For the white cake, I did tweak the recipe a little in order to reduce the quantities and to flavor the batter with raspberries, but in the end both recipe are similar and very simple (which is what you're looking for when you also have fillings and frosting on your to do list!). The cake was too sweet for my taste, and I tried to offset that by reducing the sugar in the lemon curd. It must have been successful, because this was everyone's favorite. If you're only doing the cake or the curd, keep that in mind and adjust the sugar level...

The chocolate ganache will take only a few minutes to prepare (if you're not goofy like me, who read the wrong page and used milk instead of cream!*). It can surely satisfy any chocolate lover, with its intense flavor and bittersweet notes, and the complexity added by the Kalhua. You could easily replace that with Brandy, Amaretto, or any liquor you like.
As for the lemon curd, it's THE recipe I swear by. It's by Pierre Hermé (could you have guessed that?), and everyone just raves about it. You can use it on a simple sablée dough, with strawberries, on a gingerbread biscuit, on poached blueberries. The tangy, citrusy aromas are sweetly counterbalanced by the buttery taste and by its lightness in the mouth. The secret of its fluffy texture lies in the last step of the process : after adding the butter, do not underestimate the importance of the whipping time...

*Btw, if this happens to you, just start over again. You will never obtain the right consistency for a cake, no matter how long it stays in the fridge... You can use it as a chocolate sauce though!

Ok, so after all this talk, maybe you'd like the recipes, right?

Chocolate Cake layers
From Smittenkitchen.com

3 cups cake flour
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
3 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups freshly brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Butter two 10-inch and two 3.5-inch round cake pans, and dust with flour.

In a large mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. With the electric mixer on low speed, blend for about 30 seconds.
Add the butter and buttermilk and blend on low until moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Whisk the eggs and coffee together, and add to the batter in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating only until blended after each addition. Divide the batter among the prepared pans.

Bake the large cakes for about 40 minutes, the smaller ones for about 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in its pan on a rack for 20 minutes; then carefully turn the cake out of the pan and revert it. Allow to cool completely. The cake will deflate slightly as it cools.


Raspberry cake layers
Adapted from Smittenkitchen.com

1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp buttermilk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup pureed raspberries

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Butter two 7-inch round cake pans and dust with flour.

Combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the mixer on low speed, blend for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the buttermilk. Mix on low speed briefly to blend; then raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time to the cake batter, whisking after each addition. Add vanilla extract and raspberry puree, and whisk well. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in its pan on a rack for 20 minutes; then carefully turn the cake out of the pan and revert it. Allow to cool completely on a rack.


Chocolate Kalhua Ganache
Adapted from Pierre Hermé

Soon

Lemon Curd
From Pierre Hermé

3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
Zest from 3 lemons
1/2 cup lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)
1 3/4 sticks butter

In a big bowl, combine with your fingers the sugar with the lemon zest, until the sugar is fragrant. Add the eggs and the lemon juice, and whisk until homogeneous.
Place the bowl over a bain marie (a pan of boiling water). Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens and has the consistency of a cream (about 10 minutes). Be careful that it doesn’t boil.
As soon as the cream is ready, change it to a cold bowl, to stop the cooking. Wait for the cream to slightly cool down before adding the butter cut in small pieces.
Whisk with the mixer during 10 minutes to obtain a light consistency.
Keep in refrigerator for up to 3 days.


Peanut Butter Frosting

1.5 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/8 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/8 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 Tbsp smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)

In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.
Keep in refrigerator for up to 3 days.


Biscuit au cacao
Du site Smittenkitchen.com et du livre Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes

420g de farine
600g de sucre
125g de cacao
1 cuillère à soupe (15g) de levure
1 cuillère à café (2g) de cannelle
1 cuillère à café (2g) de sel
300g de beurre ramolli
37,5 cl de lait fermenté**
3 œufs
37,5cl de café à température ambiante

** Si vous n'avez pas de lait fermenté, pour 25cl de lait il faut ajouter 1 cuillère de jus de citron et laisser reposer 10 minutes.

Préchauffez le four à 175°.
Beurrez et farinez 2 moules ronds de 26 cm de diamètre et 2 moules de 9 cm de diamètres.

Dans le bol de votre mixeur, combinez la farine, le sucre, le cacao, la levure, la cannelle et le sel. Mélangez doucement 30 secondes. Ajoutez le beurre en morceaux et le lait fermenté et mélangez pour les incorporer à la farine, environ 2 à 3 minutes.

Dans un saladier, mélangez les œufs et le café, et ajoutez-les au mélange précédent en trois fois, en mélangeant bien à chaque fois. Utilisez une spatule pour racler les bords et le fond du bol et bien tout incorporer.

Versez l'appareil dans les moules et faites cuire environ 40 minutes pour les gros gateaux, 20 minutes pour les petits (en plantant la pointe d’un couteau au centre du gâteau, celle-ci doit ressortir sèche).
Attendez 20 minutes avant de démouler et laisser refroidir totalement les biscuits sur une grille.


Biscuit aux framboises
Adapté à partir du site Smittenkitchen.com et du livre Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes

Note : Ce biscuit est très sucré, ce qui était compensé par l'acidité de la crème au citron. En revanche, si vous pensez le garnir avec une autre crème, n'hésitez pas à réduire la quantité de sucre (je dirais 200g).

260g de farine
250g de sucre
1 sachet de levure
1 pincée de sel
125g de beurre ramolli
20cl de lait fermenté (cf note dans le biscuit au chocolat)
3 œufs
1 cuillère à café d'extrait de vanille
50g de framboises réduites en purée au hachoir

Préchauffez le four à 175°.
Beurrez et farinez 2 moules ronds de 18 cm de diamètre.

Dans le bol de votre mixeur, combinez la farine, le sucre, la levure et le sel. Mélangez doucement 30 secondes. Ajoutez le beurre en morceaux et le lait fermenté et mélangez pour les incorporer à la farine, environ 2 à 3 minutes.
Ajoutez ensuite les œufs un à un, en mélangeant bien après chaque addition. Utilisez une spatule pour racler les bords et le fond du bol et bien tout incorporer. Finissez avec la purée de framboises et la vanille.

Versez l'appareil dans les deux moules et faites cuire environ 30 minutes (en plantant la pointe d’un couteau au centre du gâteau, celle-ci doit ressortir sèche).
Attendez 20 minutes avant de démouler et laisser refroidir totalement les deux biscuits sur une grille.


Ganache Chocolat Kalhua

Bientôt...


Crème au citron
Adapté de Mes Desserts préférés, Pierre Hermé

3 œufs
150g de sucre
les zestes de 3 citrons
120g de jus de citron (environ 4 citrons)
175g de beurre

Dans un grand bol, frottez avec vos doigts le sucre avec les zestes de citron, jusqu'à ce qu'il soit humide. Battez ensemble les œufs, le jus de citron, le sucre et les zestes.
Posez ce bol dans un bain marie (une casserole d'eau bouillante). Continuez de remuer jusqu'à ce que le mélange épaississe et prenne la consistance d'une crème (environ 10 minutes). Attention, elle ne doit pas bouillir.
Dès que la crème est assez épaisse, versez-la dans un bol froid, pour stopper la cuisson. Attendez que cette crème refroidisse un peu (si vous avez un thermomètre, elle doit atteindre 60°) avant d'ajoutez le beurre coupé en petits morceaux.
Fouettez avec le batteur électrique pendant 10 minutes pour obtenir une consistance homogène. Ne sous-estimez pas cette étape, c'est elle qui donnera la légèreté à la crème.
Vous pouvez conserver cette crème au réfrigérateur jusqu'à 3 jours.

Crème au beurre de cacahouète

45g de fromage à tartiner (type St Moret)
15g de beurre ramolli
50g de sucre glace
3 cuillères à soupe de beurre de cacahouète

Dans un saladier, à l'aide d'un batteur électrique, fouettez le fromage frais et le beurre jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit crémeux. Ajoutez doucement le sucre glace, en remuant d'abord avec une cuillère (pour ne pas mettre du sucre dans toute la cuisine). Ajoutez finalement le beurre de cacahouète, et battez cette crème au moins 3 minutes.
Vous pouvez conserver cette crème au réfrigérateur jusqu'à 3 jours.

La suite, please

A strawberry watermelon smoothie for a sunday afternoon

Tomorrow it's gonna be Sunday. It's going to be a sunny and warm day. Imagine yourself enjoying the nice weather outside. Maybe even having a barbecue, gardening, or just relaxing. You know what would make this day even more perfect? The vibrant taste of strawberries, yes. But, most of all, in the form of a cold and refreshing drink!
So please, go put one yogurt in the freezer now. That's it. Tomorrow, all you'll have to do is to add a handful of strawberries, a piece of watermelon, and some mint leaves to brighten up the flavours. And enjoy!

Strawberry Watermelon Smoothie

1 yogurt (fat free)
A dozain strawberries
2 oz. watermelon (without the skin)
4 mint leaves

The day before, put the yogurt in the freezer.

Cut the fruits in large cubes, put in the blender with the frozen yogurt and mint. Blend. Serve. Enjoy!

Smoothie aux fraises et à la pastèque

1 yaourt nature (0% par exemple)
Une douzaine de fraises
1 morceau de pastèque (environ 60g sans la peau)
4 feuilles de menthe

La veille, mettez le yaourt au congélateur.

Coupez les fruits en large morceaux, placez les avec le yaourt (brisé en morceaux) et la menthe dans le mixeur. Mexez. Servez. Et appreciez! :)

La suite, please

Bring summer home with a tomato tart

This was a surprise.

Most of the times, I know before starting what's going to be shared with you. The choice is already made, and the experience is very different. I'm thinking of you in the kitchen, and I am paying special attention to the preparation : I take detailed notes and pictures of the different steps, I measure everything, and I try not to be messy.

And believe me, clumsy as I am, this is the hardest part! When I bake, I usually end up with flour and eggs all over the place. Maybe it sounds more real, but it doesn't look good on the pictures! ;-)

After that comes the plating and the testing. This is when I might be torn :

See, sometimes it looks good.

The pictures are nice.

I'd really love to show you the result (especially if I took 25 pictures of it).

Like this one. Pretty thing, isn't it?

But!

The taste doesn't match with the work needed / the look achieved. And I won't tell you how to spend 3 hours in your kitchen for a bla result, won't I?
Yeah, I'm that nice!

Because I'm that nice, I'm also going to tell you about this savory tart I made the other day. It's very simple, and was made in a hurry, before leaving for a party. I was late, and it even finished cooking during the evening, in the turned off oven. I did not care, it was just a way to use my soon-to-be out-of-date mozzarella. But last night, I had a bite of it, and O.M.G.! No way I'm keeping that for myself! Even if I don't have any picture to go along with it...

PS : Next time, I'm going to tell you about what kept me busy since saturday. Non stop (in my head anyway). Let just say it involves some research. A little handycrafts. Lots of butter and sugar. And a super excited me!! I'm doing the last (and most difficult) steps tonight. We'll see if I'm still this happy tomorrow... But the best thing is all the nice bloggers who helped me with the little aléas in my way to buttercream heaven!

That's how far it gets with the pictures....

Zucchini, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Mozzarella Tart
Adapted from Bon Appetit

For the tomatoes (you can substitute them with oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes)
6 small tomatoes or 4 large ones
5 Tbsp olive oil
1 rosemary branch (about 1 Tbsp dried one)
1 thyme branch (about 1-2 Tbsp dried one)
1/2 tsp salt

1 sheet puff pastry (made with butter, please!!)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
6 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 small zucchini, cut into thin rounds
2 large eggs
1 cup half and half
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Prepare the tomatoes :
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Quarter the tomatoes (or cut in 6 for the large ones). Remove the seeds, you just want to keep a tomato "petal". Put them all in the same way, skin side down, on your baking pan, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary, thyme and salt. You could also add a garlic clove.
Roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, turning the tomatoes from one side to another every 15-20 minutes.

Raise oven temperature to 400°F.
Transfer pastry to 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Fold in overhang to form double-thick sides. Pierce with fork, fill with beans or pie weights. Bake pastry until sides are set, about 20 minutes.

Sprinkle mozzarella over bottom of crust. Top with tomatoes, zucchini rounds in concentric circles to cover top of tart. Whisk eggs, half and half, salt, and pepper in medium bowl. Pour mixture into tart. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Bake tart until custard is set and crust is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Quiche aux Tomates confites, Courgettes et Mozzarella
Adapté de Bon Appetit

Pour les tomates (si vous n'avez pas le temps, achetez des tomates confites à l'huile d'olive) :
6 petites tomates ou 4 grosses
5 bonnes cuillères à soupe d'huile d'olive
1 branche de romarin (environ 1 cuillère de romarin séché)
1 branche de thym (1 à 2 cuillères de thym séché)
1/2 cuillère à café de sel

1 rouleau de pâte feuilletée pré-étalée pur beurre*
1 boule de mozzarella, coupée en petits morceaux
6 bonnes cuillères à soupe de parmesan râpé
1 cuillères à soupe d'origan
1 petite courgettes, coupée en fines rondelles
2 oeufs
12,5 cl de lait
12,5 cl de crème
Sel et poivre

* Après avoir essayé plusieurs marques, la pâte feuilletée de chez Picard arrive loin en tête devant les autres...

Préparez les tomates :
Préchauffez le four à 150°.
Coupez les tomates en 4 quartiers (ou en 6 pour les grosses). Enlevez les pépins et le centre, en ne gardant que la chair extérieure, pour former une sorte de "pétale". Placez les sur la plaque de cuisson, coté coupé vers le haut, et arrosez d'huile d'olive. Ajoutez le thym, le romarin et le sel. Vous pouvez également ajouter une gousse d'ail.
Faites confire les tomates 1h à 1h30, en retournant les pétales toutes les 15-20 minutes.

Augmentez la température du four à 200°.
Foncez le moule avec le disque de pâte feuilletée, piquez le fond avec une fourchette. Faites cuire 20 minutes.

Parsemez le fond de pâte avec la mozzarella, puis disposez les tomates confites et les disques de courgette de manière concentrique.
Mélangez les oeufs, le lait, la crème, l'origan, le sel et le poivre dans un petit bol. Versez cette préparation sur la quiche, et saupoudrez de Parmesan.

Faites cuire 40 minutes, jusqu'à ce que la tarte ait une jolie couleur dorée et soit légèrement gonflée. Servez chaud ou à température ambiante.

La suite, please

Lucky

It’s funny how I tend to digress. I started to write a post about the freshly harvested green onions I bought at the farmers market last week. From that, I went to the fact that I don’t go enough to the market in Paris. Then to a panegyric of the quiet life in Montmorency, where I spend the week-end. I almost finished with childhood memories of our summers in the garden! So glad I stopped there!

Yes, the principal idea was to tell you how I love the farmers market. I really feel lucky to be able to enjoy a life in Paris, with so many things to see, streets to walk in, little shops to be surprised with, building fronts to suddenly notice…

And yet, I have access to the freshest produces from surrounding areas. I love to wander in the aisles, admiring the colorful displays, bright red tomatoes against green asparagus and purple artichokes. I see curious children, asking lots of questions to their parents, wanting to know more, to taste the cheeses, the saucisson. Or the olives, why not? Apparently I ate them by the dozen as a kid, in my stroller!
I see people passionate about their job (because it’s so difficult, I can’t imagine anyone not passionate doing this…).

All of this makes me feel as lucky and happy as the sensation of a sunray on my skin. Actually, I even realize that my memories of the farmers market are imbued with sunshine, while I know I had my rainbow open all the time…

With all this beautiful array of products, it was very difficult to resist. I had not planned the week’s menus, and I was tempted by everything. The green onions seemed so fresh, and with their sweet taste, they offer just what my palate needs!
I was totally smitten with Deb’s idea to caramelize them with balsamic vinegar. I mean, she does that with cippolne, but what could go wrong with green onions cooking in a syrupy glaze made of vinegar, sugar and tomatoes? They were tender to the tooth, and the vinegar adds a slight tang which makes them completely addictive. I already made them 3 times in less than a month.

Add to that some juicy tomatoes, ripe to perfection, and crispy slices of pancetta or bacon, and I guaranty you’ll feel happy too!

Balsamic caramelized onions salad
For 4

For the onions
1 bunch green onions
5 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp ketchup
1/2 tsp salt

1 small head of lettuce
8 slices pancetta or bacon
4 tomatoes
4 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Rosemary

Prepare onions : trimm root ends and cut off the dark green tops. Peel and discard the first layer.
Sauté bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Keep drippings in skillet and add onions; sauté until light golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.
Add vinegar, ketchup, salt and water and bring to a boil. Cook onions 10 more minutes. The sauce should be slightly sirupy. If liquid dissipates too quickly, add a little more water.
Remove from saute pan and allow to cool.

Cut the tomatoes in small dices. Transfer to a bowl with the lettuce and the onions. Sprinkle with bacon.
Whisk olive oil with the balsamic vinegar remaining and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and garnish with rosemary.

Salade aux petits oignons caramélisés
Pour 4 personnes

Pour les oignons
1 botte de petits oignons nouveaux
5 grandes cuillères à soupe de vinaigre balsamique (8 cl)
3 cuillères à soupe d'eau
1 cuillère à soupe de ketchup
1 pincée de sel

1 petite laitue, lavée
8 tranches de pancetta (ou de lard)
4 tomates
4 cuillères d'huile d'olive
1 pincée de sel
1 branche de romarin

Faites griller la pancetta à sec dans une poêle sur feu vif jusqu'à ce que les tranches se recroquevillent, environ 4 minutes de chaque coté, pour qu'elle soit croustillante.
Pendant ce temps, épluchez les oignons, en ne gardant que la partie blanche, et en retirant la 1ère couche de peau. Vous pouvez garder une partie de la tige verte pour servir avec une salade, des pâtes, etc...
Retirez les tranches de pancetta pour les égouttez dans du sopalin, mais laissez la graisse dans la poêle. Ajoutez-y les oignons et faites les dorer quelques minutes.
Ajoutez ensuite le vinaigre balsamique, l'eau, le ketchup et le sel et portez à ébullition. Laissez cuire environ 10 minutes, jusqu'à ce que la sauce soit un peu sirupeuse et adhère aux oignons. Si elle s'évapore trop rapidement, rajoutez un peu d'eau.
Retirez de la plaque de cuisson et laissez refroidir.

Coupez les tomates en dés.

Dans un grand saladier, mélangez les feuilles de salade, les tomates, les oignons, et parsemez de petits morceaux de pancetta.
Emulsionnez (mélanger très rapidement) le vinaigre balsamique qui avait servi à la cuisson avec l'huile et le sel et versez cette sauce sur la salade. Décorez avec le romarin et servez.

La suite, please

Unanimity for the carrot

The theme chosen by Zorra for her monthly blog event is dessert buffet. I thought first cupcakes were a good way to participate for the first time...

I had some serious doubts before baking these cupcakes. Oh, not about the fact that I would like them. No, I'm not anymore the little girl who inevitably said to her grandmother "Kuchen mit Mohren?? Beurk. I mag doch keine Gemüse." ("A cake with carrots? Sounds disgusting. I don't even like vegetables" And yes, this is German, hence the simplified phrase construction I only was able to use...and still am). I've become a lot more curious (and I've learned to enjoy vegetables, but that's another story), and a cake with carrots sounded strange enough for me to try!

It was 8 years ago. I was working in the bakery of a restaurant in Wisconsin. My main task was to prepare the donuts, and the cookies to sell, but we also prepared 2 different types of cake for dessert : chocolate cake with a chocolate mousse and buttercream frosting, and carrot cake with a cream cheese and pineapple frosting.

I remember that working with food all day, in a room at 100°F, really did spoil my appetite. So even though I could eat whatever I wanted in the restaurant, I did not really take advantage of it. But before leaving, I had to try the cake...

Of course, I loved it. The cake was moist and slightly spicy, with a hint of ginger and cinnamon. The sweet frosting was even better, and I loved the freshness the pineapple brought to it. My grandmother was so right!

So now, I try to convert the one doubting. Carrot cakes are more and more popular in France, so it becomes an easier task. But cupcakes don't have such a good reputation : lots of cream / frosting and multiple colors tend to scare people away. It's amazing how different a bakery window is in the US and in France. With my all-American cupcakes, would I have any success?

Well, it turns out, these cupcakes unite the national preferences and bring them together! My colleagues (French and Romanian) loved them. My parents (French and German) and grand parents (add Belgium to the pool) loved them. Even my Italian family, who was visiting last week, loved them.

Will you add some nationalities to the list? Tell me...

Carrot Cupcakes
Adapted from Garrett, on Simply Recipes
The frosting being by nature very sweet, I cut down the sugar in the cake. If you like it sweeter, the original recipe calls for 2 cups. I also removed the cinnamon because one of my tester doesn't like it, but you could use it instead of tonka.

1 pound carrots
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 orange zest
1/2 vanilla bean
1 cup oil
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground tonka bean

For the frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Peel and grate the carrots.
Mix carrots, buttermilk, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla seeds and orange zest together.
Fold the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and tonka in one addition into the carrot mixture, being sure not to overmix*.
Scoop into cupcake papers about 1/2 to 3/4 full and bake for 19-21 minutes at 350F. The baking time depends on your muffin size. The big ones in the pictures were in the oven for 20 minutes, but the little ones were done after 12 minutes of baking. Allow to cool before frosting.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Sift powdered sugar into the bowl and beat until smooth. The sieve is important to avoid any lump.
Fill a pastry bag with the frosting. Holding pastry bag vertically over cakes, pipe frosting on top of every cupcake (touching top of cake) to resemble soft-serve ice cream. If desired, decorate with colored sprinkles.
Here's a link for an "how to" frost cupcakes.
Keep in the fridge until serving.

* When the flour is exposed to liquids and stirred around, the gluten (protein) in the flour starts to develop into a network that will give the cake its structure. An excessive mixing of the dough will therefore make baked goods tough and "rubbery".
So when a recipe instructs you not to overmix, what it means is that you should just do the minimum amount of mixing necessary to make a uniform dough.


Cupcakes aux carottes
Adapté de Garrett, sur Simply Recipes
J'ai utilisé de la fève tonka car certaines personnes n'aiment pas la cannelle, mais si ce n'est pas votre cas, je vous recommande de l'utiliser à la place de la tonka (plus difficile à trouver en plus...).

400g de carottes
300g de sucre
12,5 cl de lait
1 cuillère à café de jus de citron
le zeste d'une demi orange
les graines d'une demi gousse de vanille
25cl d'huile végétale
3 oeufs
375g de farine
1/2 sachet de levure
1 pincée de sel
1 cuillère à café de cardamome moulue
1 cuillère à café de fève tonka râpée

Pour le glaçage
250g de fromage à tartiner (type St Moret), à température ambiante
100g de beurre ramolli
100g de sucre glace

Préchauffez le four à 180°.

Epluchez et râpez les carottes.
Versez le lait et le jus de citron dans un petit récipient et laissez à température ambiante pendant 10 minutes. Cela sert comme substitut au lait fermenté.
Battez les oeufs, le lait fermenté, l'huile, le sucre, les carottes, les graines de vanille et le zeste d'orange pendant 2 minutes.
Ajoutez d'un coup la farine, la levure, le sel et les épices à travers un tamis. Incorporez le tout au batteur, en faisant attention à ne pas mélanger trop longtemps*.

Versez l'appareil dans les moules à cupcakes, et faites cuire environ 20 minutes (selon la taille des moules).
Laissez refroidir avant d'appliquer le glaçage.

Pour le glaçage :

Battez le beurre ramolli avec le fromage, jusqu'à ce qu'il soit bien souple. Ajoutez ensuite le sucre, en le passant à travers un tamis pour éviter tout grumeau.
Décorez vos cupcakes avec le glaçage (avec une poche à douille ou tout simplement une spatule).
Conservez au frigo jusqu'au moment de servir.

* Lorsque la farine est ajoutée à des ingrédients liquides et mélangée, le gluten qu'elle contient développe une sorte de réseau collant et élastique. C'est ce réseau qui permet d'obtenir la texture du gâteau. Si la pâte est trop mélangée, on aura des gâteaux et muffins caoutchouteux ou une pâte brisée dure à cause du gluten qui aura pris trop de "force".

La suite, please