French Fooid Friday...Croissants

recipe and photo from here

Bonjour mes belles,

I hope that you have had a fabulous week. I for one, am really looking forward to the week-end, which will no doubt include a few of these yummy French creations....

Croissants

Makes: 14
Preparation time:  45 minutes, plus resting and chilling time
Cooking time:  12 minutes

You will need
For laminating:
300g butter, room temperature
40g plain flour

For the dough:
30g fresh yeast or 15g dried yeast
230ml cold milk
2 ½ tbsp sugar
2 tsp honey
380g strong white bread flour
2 tsp salt
Egg yolk mixed with a pinch of salt, to glaze

Method

1. First making the lamination. Put the butter and flour in a bowl and knead together with your hands to incorporate them. Turn the mixture out onto a sheet of clingfilm, top with another sheet and flatten with a rolling pin into a rough square about 10 centimetres across. Refrigerate for about one hour to harden.
2. Meanwhile, make the dough. Put the yeast and milk in a bowl and stir until the yeast has dissolved. Add the sugar and honey and stir again. Either in a mixing bowl with your fingers, or in a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix the flour and salt together, then pour in the yeast mixture. Mix slowly until the mixture comes together into a dough.
3. In a lightly floured surface or in the stand mixer, knead the dough for 10 minutes. If using a mixer, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cover lightly with the butter wrapper or a sheet of parchment paper. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
4. After 10 minutes, using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a rectangle of about 20 by 30 centimetres. Remove the block of butter laminate from the fridge and cut it down the middle. Place one half in the middle of the pastry rectangle. Bring one side of the pastry up and over the butter to cover it. Stretch the pastry if needed. Place the second butter block on top of that and fold the remaining flap of pastry over.
5. Roll the dough out into a rectangle again. With a short side in front of you, fold the top third over, then the bottom third on top of that. Now turn the dough 90˚ clockwise so that the fold is on the left hand side. This process of flattening and folding the dough is called a ‘turn’. Poke a hole in the dough to indicate that one turn has been made. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Give the dough another turn and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Then give the dough a third turn and allow to rest for two hours.
7. After two hours, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about three millimetres thick.
8. Cut the dough in half lengthwise using a large, sharp knife. You now have two strips. Trim the edges if necessary to make sure the strips are neat rectangles. Put the long side of one strip in front of you. Cut out isosceles triangles (tall, with two equal sides) measuring about eight centimetres across the base, all along the strip. They will naturally alternate in direction along the strip.
9. Using a knife or a pair of scissors, make a small snip in the centre of each base to give the croissants a nice turn at the tips of the croisant. Starting from the base, roll up each triangle to make a croissant. At this point, you can freeze the croissants for another time. Take them out of the freezer the night before you want to bake them and place them on a baking sheet. Cover them loosely with a tea towel and they will be defrosted, risen and ready to bake by the following morning.
10. Place the croissants on a baking sheet lightly dusted with flour. Loosely cover the croissants with lightly oiled clingfilm and allow to rise in a warm place until they have nearly doubled in size – about two hours.
11. About 15 minutes before you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200˚C/gas mark 6. Uncover the risen croissants and brush them lightly with the egg wash to glaze. Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

 

très bon vendredi à tous, Leeann x

French Food Friday....Summer Tomato Tart scented with basil

photo and recipe from here

Bonjour mes belles,

Yesterday there was an abundance of tomatoes on the market and I used a few to make ratatouille and am planning on using some to make this fabulous tart from my favourite French chef; Raymond Blanc.

Ingredients For the tart bases
125g  All-butter puff pastry (*1)
 
For the filling
½  Medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 tbsp  Extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
½ tsp  thyme leaves
2 pinches  sea salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
30 cherry tomatoes, halved
6  Baby mozzarella balls, thinly sliced
8  Black olives, stoned and cut into thirds
8  Basil leaves, roughly torn
Cooking Method

Planning ahead

The puff pastry rounds can be shaped in advance, placed on a baking sheet, covered and frozen or refrigerated.

To prepare the tart bases

Cut the puff pastry into two equal portions and shape into balls. Roll each one out on a lightly floured surface to an 18–20cm round, 2mm thick. Place the pastry rounds on a lightly floured tray and freeze for 5 minutes. Transfer the pastry rounds to a peel or flat tray lined with greaseproof paper. Trim to neat 16cm discs, using a sharp knife and a plate as a guide. Run the tip of a knife around the edge of the pastry about 1cm in from the edge, making a shallow indent, to create a border. Place in the fridge and leave to rest for 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

To prepare the onion

In a small pan over a low heat, soften the onion in the extra virgin olive oil with the thyme leaves, salt and pepper for about 8 minutes; do not allow the onion to colour. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then set aside to cool.

To prepare for baking

Preheat the oven to 230ºC/Gas 8. Place a baking stone or baking tray on the middle shelf to heat up.

To assemble the tarts

Take the puff pastry rounds out of the fridge. Spread with the onion mixture, within the border, and top with the tomato halves, packing them tightly together and overlapping them slightly (*5). Brush the tomatoes and the edges of the puff pastry with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

To bake the tomato tarts

Carefully slide the tomato-topped puff pastry rounds onto the preheated baking stone or tray in the oven  and bake for 12 minutes. Remove the tarts from the oven and distribute the sliced mozzarella and olives over the tomatoes. Bake for a further 2 minutes to melt the mozzarella, then remove and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

To finish and serve

Garnish the tomato tarts with torn basil and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Spoon over a little of the pistou, if serving, and hand the rest around separately.

...bon appetit à tous, Leeann x

French Food Friday...le gâteau magique

recipe and photo from here

Bonjour mes belles,

This weeks recipe is for le gâteau magique and the reason that it is called this is because it is a cake with three components, part cream, part flan and part génoise.

English version follows below....

Comment on fait ?Facile à préparer, la liste des ingrédients se résume à cinq composants de n’importe quel placard de base : beurre, sucre, farine, œufs et lait. Après avoir mélangé au batteur 4 jaunes d’œufs avec 150 g de sucre, on ajoute 125 g de beurre fondu, 115 g de farine, 1 c. à soupe d’eau, 50 cl de lait et les 4 blancs montés en neige en dernier. On obtient une pâte très liquide et très différente : une consistance de type pâte à flan, avec sur le dessus, une mousse à base des blancs en neige. Ensuite, il ne reste qu’à l’enfourner pendant 1h à 150 °C. Et abracadabra, la magie opère… à la sortie du four, trois couches distinctes apparaissent !

Let the magic begin...
Easy to prepare, the ingredients list consists of five components of any basic wardrobe: butter, sugar, flour, eggs and milk.

Ingredients

4 eggs 
150 g sugar
125g of melted butter,
115g flour,
1 soup spoon of water

1. Make the batter by mixing 4 egg yolks 150 g sugar, then add 125g of melted butter, 115g flour, 1 soup spoon of water and the egg whites beaten stiff last of all.
2. A very different and very liquid paste is obtained: a dough-like consistency to the bottom with the top, a foam based on egg whites.
3. Place in a round cake tin.
4. Bake for 1 hour at 150 ° C. And abracadabra, magic happens ... out of the oven, three distinct layers appear!

For a variation add cocoa powder or berries, anything that takes your fancy......

Wishing you all a magique vendredi, Leeann x

Foodie Friday....Vanilla Rum Plum Jam

Recipe and photo from here

Bonjour mes belles,

Inspired by the delicious plum jam served each morning at Chateau Lunac, I decided that I needed to find a decent recipe and this one appeals to both of us. In the process of searching for a recipe I found a very interesting food blog, what would we do without the internet?

The trouble with having rum in the house is that I need to hide my bottle of cooking rum as French Boyfriend loves to have an after dinner digestif and when I go to make his favourite apple tart recipe, I find in the cupboard a very sad and empty looking bottle.

 

Vanilla Rum Plum Jam

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo / 2 lb. plums, halved, pitted, and coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1/2 cup rum

Directions:
Put the plums, sugar, water and lemon juice in a heavy pot. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the inner seeds. Add bean and seeds to the pot. Bring the mixture to the boil. Then simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens up, about 30 minutes. Add rum and move a pot from heat. Remove the vanilla bean and discard.

Note: It is important to seal the jars as soon as you have filled them to ensure the jam remains sterile. However, you should then leave the jars to cool completely before labeling and storing them to avoid the risk of burns.


Spoon the jam into warmed, sterilized jars. Seal, label, and store in a cool, dark place.

Un très bon vendredi à toutes et tous !! Leeann x

French Food Friday...Individual plum tartes tatin

photo and recipe from here

Bonjour mes belles,

Apologies for the lack of posts this week, it has been another busy week.

I am happy that August is coming to a close as it is always a hectic month for us and I cannot wait for September when things return to normal.

It is the start of the harvest season here in SW France and it is a nice time to be here as there really is an abundance of fruit available locally.

I love plums and am always on the lookout for a new recipe and this is exactly the recipe that I was looking for. A simple but chic dessert.....

Individual Plum Tartes Tatin

Makes: 12
Preparation time:  25 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

You will need
100g sugar
50g tbsp butter
6 ripe plums
60g golden marzipan
Plain flour, for dusting
375g all-butter puff pastry (thawed if frozen)
Custard or whipped cream, to serve

 

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4. Put the sugar and butter in a small saucepan and warm over gentle heat, until the sugar dissolves and then allow it to caramelize and turn golden brown, taking care that it does not burn. Remove from the heat immediately and put a spoonful of caramel into each hole of a greased 12-hole muffin pan.

2. Cut the plums in half, and remove the stones. Place one plum half, cut-side up, in each hole of the pan. Break the marzipan into 12 pieces of equal size and roll them into balls. Place one ball into each plum, where the stone was.

3. On a flour-dusted surface, roll the pastry out to a thickness of three millimetres. Stamp out 12 rounds with a round nine-centimetre cutter. Cover each plum with a pastry round, pressing the pastry tightly into the holes. Bake the tarts in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and the plums are soft. Remove from the oven, leave to cool for a few minutes, then remove each tatin with a spoon and invert. Serve the tatins warm or cold with cream or custard.

 

...bon appetit à tous, Leeann x

French Food Friday...Hot chocolate soufflé

recipe and photo from here

Bonjour mes belles,

I am not sure about you but I am in the mood for some chocolate.
Here is the just the thing to kick off the weekend...

Hot chocolate soufflé

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

You will need
Unsalted butter, for greasing
125g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
2 tsp dark rum (optional)
2 tbsp crème fraîche
4 eggs, separated, plus 2 egg whites
Pinch of salt
Icing sugar, for dusting

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6 and grease six ramekin dishes. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the surface of the water does not touch the bowl. Stir in the rum, if using. Remove from the heat and add the crème fraîche, then the egg yolks.
2. In a large, clean, dry bowl, whisk all the egg whites and the salt to soft peaks. Fold one-quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining whites.
3. Fill the prepared ramekins to the top with the mixture, then clean the rims using your finger and thumb. Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until nicely risen. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.

TIP

For a delicious party trick, serve your soufflés with an ice-cream drop. Before you make the soufflés, scoop out six balls of good-quality vanilla ice cream and place on a freezer-proof plate.

Keep in the freezer until ready to serve. When serving the soufflés at the table, drop an ice-cream ball into each soufflé.

Recipe: Chocolat by Eric Lanlard for Taste of London

 

....bon appetit à tous, Leeann

French Fooid Friday...Crèmes brûlées aux nectarines blanches

recipe and photo from Figaro.fr

Bonjour mes belles,

It is nectarine season here in SW France and we have an abundance of fruit as per normal so this recipe is going to come in handy this weekend as I am in the mood to cook.

I think that French Boyfriend will be needing a sugar fix as he is having a stand today at our village brocante and it is always a long day, fingers crossed that it will not be a scorcher like last year.

Receipe appears in French and then in English...


Crèmes Brûlées aux Nectarines Blanches

Couverts : 4 personnes

Temps : Préparation : 15min / Cuisson : 40min / Repos : 4h

Difficulté : Très facile

Calories : 605 par personne

Saison : Été

Origine : Europe, France

 

Ingrédients

• 2   nectarines blanches
• 4 œufs
• 4 jaunes d'œufs
• 50 cl de lait
• 20 cl de crème liquide
• 130 g de sucre en poudre
• 40 g de cassonade
• 20 g de pignons de pin

 

Recette

Préchauffez le four à 150° (thermostat 5/6).

Faites chauffer le lait avec les pignons de pin puis ajoutez la crème.

Dans un saladier, fouettez les œufs entiers avec les jaunes d’œufs et le sucre en poudre. Versez le lait et la crème en mélangeant bien.

Épluchez les nectarines, ôtez le noyau puis coupez la chair en dés.

Versez la préparation dans des moules en porcelaine en ajoutant les dés de nectarines.

Posez les moules dans un plat creux rempli d’un fond d’eau chaude et enfournez 35 minutes environ en vérifiant la cuisson avec la pointe d’un couteau.

Sortez les crèmes du four, laissez-les refroidir 1 heure à température ambiante puis 3 heures au réfrigérateur.

Saupoudrez uniformément les crèmes de sucre cassonade et passez-les quelques minutes sous le grill du four. Servez aussitôt.

 

 

***************

White Nectarine Crème Brûlées 

 

Servings: 4 people
• Time: Preparation: 15 minutes / Cooking time: 40min / Waiting: 4h
• Difficulty: Very Easy
• Calories: 605 ​​per person

• Season: Summer
• Origin: Europe, France

 

Ingredients

• 2 white nectarines
• 4 eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 500 ml milk
• 200 ml of cream
• 130 g caster sugar
• 40g brown sugar
• 20g pine nuts


Recipe

Preheat oven to 150 ° (thermostat 6.5).

Heat the milk with the pine nuts and add the cream.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the egg yolks and sugar. Pour the milk and cream in the bowl and mix well.

Peel nectarines, remove the core and cut the flesh into cubes.

Pour the mixture into the porcelain moulds then add the diced nectarines.

Place the moulds  in a shallow dish filled with a layer of hot water covering the dish and bake about 35 minutes, use with the tip of a knife to check that they are cooked inside.

Remove from the oven, let cool for 1 hour at room temperature and then refrigerate 3 hours.

Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar cream and place for a few minutes under the grill. Serve immediately.

 

 

......bon appetit à tous, Leeann x

French Food Friday...

 photo from here

 

 



Bonjour mes belles,

I cannot believe that it is already Friday! It has been a busy but productive week and I am looking forward to the week-end as we have a medieval festival taking place in the village on Saturday and it is one of my favourite events of the year.

This week's recipe is one that I have posted before and I am posting again as it appears to be one that you all like.

Nothing beats a good baguette   apart from a good croissant, that is....




Makes: 4
Preparation time: 45 minutes plus rising time
Cooking time: 15 minutes

You will need:
600g all-purpose white wheat flour
400g water
1 ½ tsp instant yeast, 2 tsp dry yeast, or ¾ cake fresh yeast
1 tbsp salt

Method:
1. Make a pre-dough on the first day. In a bowl, mix 200g of the flour, 200g of the water and half a teaspoon of the instant yeast (or ¾ teaspoon of the dry yeast or ¼ cake of the fresh yeast). Cover with a clingfilm and allow to rest for 12 to 24 hours.
2. If you are using instant or fresh yeast, put the remaining 400g flour, the remaining 200g water, the remaining 1 teaspoon instant or ½ teaspoon cake fresh yeast and all the salt in a big bowl. Add the pre-dough. Mix the ingredients together, then scrape them onto the counter.
3. If you are using dry yeast, put the remaining 400g flour in a big bowl and make a well. Sprinkle the remaining one and a quarter teaspoons dry yeast in the well and add 100g of the water. Allow to rest for 15 minutes. You may or may not get a beige sludge on the top of the water, but don’t worry – what is important is to dissolve the yeast. Add the remaining water, all the salt, and the pre-dough. Mix the ingredients together, then scrape them onto the counter.
4. Knead well for 10-15 minutes adding water by hand to keep the dough soft and pillowy. Pop the kneaded dough back into the bowl and cover with a dry tea towel. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
5. With the dough still in the bowl, pretend the blob of dough is a clock. Starting at noon, gently pinch about one centimetre of the edge of the dough and pull it up and out, stretching it as far as you can without breaking it. Don’t worry if you do, just try not to. Fold that pinched bit over the blob of dough and gently lay it down. Repeat this action all round the blob of dough.
6. Cover again and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Stretch and fold the dough this way once more in the bowl. Cover again and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Pull the dough out onto an unfloured surface. Stretch and fold it once as you did in the bowl. Roll it into a loose sausage. Cover with a dry tea towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
7. Divide the dough into four equal portions. Stretch and fold each portion and shape them all into loose balls. Cover with a dry tea towel and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
8. Stretch and fold each portion again and roll up into tight sausages. Cover and allow to rest for five minutes. Meanwhile, either grease baguette proofing pans, or heavily flour a tea towel and place it in a roasting pan with deep sides. Please make sure the tea towel comes well up the sides of the pan.
9. Pick up one sausage and move it away from you. Roll it toward you as follows:  start with your hands together in the middle of each sausage, thumbs completely touching; roll toward you as you move your wrists – not your hands – apart – so that the fingertips of the index finger of each hand meet and then the fingertips of the middle finger of each hand meet. As you do that, the palms of your hands travel effortlessly over the surface of the dough, stretching it out without applying any downward pressure. Once that has happened, you can move your hands apart as you roll; pick up the dough, move it away from you and roll again as above. Do this as many times as you need to get the length you would like.
10. Be aware that long baguettes are harder to handle than short ones, so if you are a novice, you may want to opt for shorter ones at first. Don’t use any downward pressure, just gentle outward pressure. A true baguette is the same diameter from end to end and is not pointy. Repeat with the rest of the sausages of dough.
11. Lay the baguettes one by one in the prepared proofing pan(s) or on the towel in the roasting pan, making sure there is a deep fold in the towel between each baguette so that they do not stick together as they rise. Remember, they will double in size. You may need to use a second towel as you go and that is fine. If you do not have enough baguettes to fill the roasting pan, wedge them together with something like an upturned loaf pan or a book so they rise up and not out.
12. Flour the tops of the baguettes, cover with a dry tea towel and allow to rest for 30–45 minutes or until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 230˚C/gas mark 8.
13. If you are using proofing pan(s), make slashes in the tops of the baguettes with a sharp knife or scissors and spray with fresh water from a plant sprayer to help achieve a crispy crust. Transfer the pan(s) to the oven. If you proofed the dough on tea towels, gently pick up each baguette and lay it down on the prepared baking sheet. Make slashes in the tops of the baguettes with a sharp knife or scissors and spray with fresh water from a plant sprayer to help achieve a crispy crust. Transfer the sheet to the oven.

14. Bake the baguettes for about 15 minutes until golden brown. To check whether they are done, tap the bottoms of the baguettes. If they sound hollow, they are done. If not, pop them back for another three to four minutes or so. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.

....bon appetit à tous, Leeann

French Food Friday...Lemon Madeleines

recipe and photo from here

Bonjour mes belles,

Just when you thought it was safe to put the madeleine tins away, here is another yummy madeleine recipe courtesy of my favourite New Zealand decorating magazine, NZ House & Garden.

Lemon Madeleines

1 egg
1/4 cup caster sugar
65g self-raising flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
65g butter, melted and cooled Heat oven to 220°C.

Grease madeleine pans with butter then dust them with a little flour.
Beat egg and caster sugar together until mixture is thick and pale. Sift over half the flour and the baking powder then fold in with lemon zest and juice. Drizzle over half the butter and fold in gently.
Repeat with remaining flour and melted butter. Spoon mixture into prepared pans, filling to the top.
Bake 8-10 minutes until golden.

Leave to cool for a few minutes then turn madeleines out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve dusted with icing sugar, with a dollop of cream on the side. Makes about 8 (recipe can be doubled).

....bon appetit à tous, Leeann

French Food Friday...Croissant Croque Monsieur

recipe and photo from here

Bonjour mes belles,


Excusez-moi for the lateness of the post but it has been a very busy morning as I have been busy with my upholstery lessons. As soon as it is finished I will share a photo with you and it is not far off, I am happy to say.


This week's recipe comes from my favourite food blog owned by a fellow kiwi and is a great way to use up left over croissants.

Croissant Croque Monsieur

4 croissants

8 slices good quality ham

2/3 cup grated gruyere cheese

Béchamel Sauce:

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp plain flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

You can make the Béchamel Sauce either on the stove top, or in the microwave. The method is very similar. On the stove top, heat the butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat until just melted. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Add  the milk in three lots, stirring continuously, until well incorporated. Keep stirring while cooking over the heat until the sauce is thickened and smooth. If it misbehaves, just whisk it with a wire whisk until smooth - it should finish thick and silky. Add the Parmesan, nutmeg and dijon and stir to combine. Yum. Leave to cool. (Left over Béchamel Sauce can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days). Preheat oven to 200˚C (400˚F) and get out an oven tray.

Slice the croissants in half and spread each bottom half with 2 tablespoons of Béchamel Sauce and 2 pieces of ham. Top with croissant 'lid', and spread with 1-2 more tablespoons of Béchamel Sauce on each. Sprinkle with gruyere cheese and pop in the oven until golden and bubbling, about 15 minutes. Great with strong hot coffee in the morning, or a glass of red and salad for lunch and dinner - the ultimate comfort food!

 

bon appetit à tous, Leeann x

French Food Friday...Strawberry Rhubarb & Tarragon Tarte Tartin

recipe and photo from here

Bonjour mes belles,

I cannot believe how useful pinterest is, not only is it great for sharing ideas re travelling, decorating, clothing etc. it is also a great place to find new recipes.

I am not sure about you, but I for one, would be lost without it and do not know how I managed before I started using it.

Merci to the lovely Eva, a girl from Oregon, for this fabulous recipe which French Boyfriend simply adores. You can find more of her fabulous recipes here.

Strawberry  Rhubarb  &  Tarragon  Tarte  Tartin

 

Crust

2 and 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoons sugar

1 cup butter, cold and hard

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

5-8 tablespoons water, cold

Strawberry Rhubarb & Tarragon Filling

3 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon water

12 large strawberries, halved with caps removed

1 and 1/3 generous cups rhubarb cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons sugar

pinch cinnamon

1 and 1/4 teaspoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped

Begin by preparing the crust. In a large bowl combine all of the dry ingredients. Grate the butter on the largest hole setting of your grater over the bowl, mixing to coat the butter shards in the flour mixture every 10 seconds or so. Add the cider vinegar and 5 tablespoons of water and mix the dough. If it stays in a clump when you squeeze it in your hand, it has enough water, if it falls apart, add more water until it stays together. Shape the dough into a ball and roll it out into a 1/2 inch thick disc. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. To make the filling, heat the sugar, butter, and water in a roughly 8-inch skillet over medium heat for 8 minutes, or until the sugar has caramelized and the mixture is bubbling. Add the strawberries and rhubarb and sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top. Simmer for 20-30 minutes over medium-low heat. Remove from the stovetop and stir in 1 teaspoon of the tarragon, then sprinkle with the cinnamon. Place the crust over the skillet, quickly tucking it down into the pan around the edges of the filling. Cut three 1-inch slits in the top to allow heat to escape before placing it in the oven.

Bake for 20-25 minutes of until the top of the crust is golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before attempting to flip the pan over onto the serving plate. Once flipped, gently remove the pan to display the filling inside. Sprinkle with the remaining tarragon and allow the tart tartin to continue to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

...bon appetit à tous, Leeann x

French Food Friday...Summer Berry Brioche Pud

recipe and photo from here

Bonjour mes belles,

It is that time of the year when we have an over supply of fruit so I am always on the lookout for recipes that call for a lot of fruit as I hate throwing it away....

Summer Berry Brioche Pud

Serves 6

• 4 thick slices brioche loaf
• 300g (11oz) redcurrants de-stemmed
• 125g (4½ oz) golden caster sugar
• 400g (14oz) raspberries
• 300g (11oz) strawberries hulled and quartered
• icing sugar for dusting optional
• clotted cream to serve

♥ Have ready a 20cm (8in) square serving dish or one that will hold the brioche in a single layer. Arrange the brioche slices in the base of the dish, trimming as necessary.
♥ Place the redcurrants in a small pan with the sugar and heat together for 4-5 minutes over a medium heat until the fruit is soft and sitting in a pool of syrup but still retains its shape. Place half the redcurrants in a sieve and press the juice into a large bowl. Stir in the remaining redcurrant mixture, followed by two thirds of the raspberries and the same of strawberries (reserving a third of each for the top).
♥ Spoon the redcurrant and berry mixture, including the juices, over the brioche and then scatter over the reserved raspberries and strawberries. Cover and chill for a couple of hours or overnight.
♥ Dust with icing sugar just before serving, if wished, and serve with cream.

 

...bon appetit à tous, Leeann x

French Food Friday...Délices D'Endives

recipe and photo from here

Bonjour mes belles,

As I am writing this, there is a breeze wafting through the window and I am just about to start cooking this.

It is a favourite of mine and is a great supper type dish when you do not feel like normal dinner....

Délices D'Endives

Ingredients

This is deliciously rich and old-fashioned. Be careful not to overcook the egg - there's an optimum point at which it is just set. 

• 50g butter, plus an extra 15g for putting on top of the eggs
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 large endives
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 100g smoked ham
• 200ml double cream
• 6 medium eggs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Melt 25g of the butter in a deep fying pan and cook the onion over a medium/low heat until soft. 
2. Cut the endives in sixths lengthways. Put them into a saucepan of boiling water with the lemon juice. Turn down the heat to simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Drain really well - you don't want excess water in the leaves. 
3. Set the oven to 180°C/fan over 160°C/mark 4 and put 2 baking sheets into it. 
4. Add the endives, the remaining 25g butter and a light grating of nutmeg to the onion and cook gently for about 10 mintues. If the mixture is a little watery then turn up the heat for a few minutes to drive the water off. 
5. Pull or cut the ham into shreds and stir it in along with the cream. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into 6 small gratin dishes, curling the endive round the edge. Crack an egg into the centre of each. Dot the eggs with the rest of the butter, season and put the gratin dishes on the baking sheets in the oven. Check the eggs after 12 minutes: the white should be just set and the yolk slightly runny. They may need up to 5 minutes more. Serve immediately. 

 

bon appetite à tous, Leeann x

French food Friday...French Fruit Tarts

recipe and photo from here

Bonjour mes belles,

I hope that you are having a fabulous week. This week''s  recipe is a sure to please one and everyone loves French tarts especially the French....

French fruit tarts

Makes: 8
Preparation time:  45 minutes, plus chilling time
Cooking time: 25 minutes

You will need

For the sweet pastry:
250g plain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
Pinch of salt
100g unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
85g caster sugar
1 egg, plus 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

For the crème pâtissière:
4 egg yolks
90g caster sugar
50g plain flour
350ml whole milk
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways and seeds scraped out

For the topping:
400g mixed fruit, such as raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, red and white currants, hulled and halved, if necessary
6 tbsp redcurrant jelly 

 

Method                                                                                               

1. To make the sweet pastry, in a mixing bowl rub together the flour, salt and butter using your fingertips. Stir in the sugar and add the whole egg and two egg yolks. Mix with a fork and then your fingers until the dough holds together, but don’t overwork it or the pastry will be tough (this can also be done in a food processor). Wrap in cling film, flatten into a round and chill for at least one hour.

2. To make the crème pâtissière, put the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk for about two minutes until pale, thickened and creamy. Gradually fold in the flour. Heat the milk and vanilla seeds to just below boiling point. Slowly pour into the egg mixture, whisking well. Return the mixture to the cleaned pan and bring to the boil, stirring to prevent lumps forming. Turn the heat down and simmer for three minutes, stirring until it reaches the consistency of thick custard. Spoon into a bowl and cover the surface with buttered baking paper to stop a skin forming. Chill once cooled.

3. Lightly grease eight nine centimetre loose-bottomed tart tins (or use a large 23 centimetre tart tin with butter). Divide the pastry into eight pieces and roll out, one piece at a time, on a lightly floured work surface to 12 centimetre rounds. Line the tins with the pastry, trimming any excess. Chill for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Line each pastry case with baking paper and baking beans and put the tins on a baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes (if you are baking a large tart bake for 25 minutes). Remove the paper and beans and bake for another five to eight minutes until the pastry is golden and cooked. Leave to cool, then remove the pastry cases from the tins.

5. Fill the pastry cases with the crème pâtissière and arrange the fruit on top. Gently heat the redcurrant jelly with one tablespoon water, stirring until it melts. Leave to cool slightly, then brush the glaze over the fruit.

 

....bon appetit à tous, Leeann x

French Food Friday...Country Apple Galette

recipe and photo from here

 

 

Bonjour mes belles,

 

 

This week's recipe is one that I am particularly fond of it as the pastry is free form which means you do not need a tin and you can make a round or rectangular version depending on your mood.

 

Country Apple Galette



 

Pastry

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (113 grams) plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup ice water

Topping

4 Golden Delicious apples
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey, preferably wildflower
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces


Method

1. In a food processor, combine the flour with the sugar, salt and butter and process for about 5 seconds. Sprinkle the ice water over the flour mixture and process until the pastry just begins to come together, about 10 seconds; you should still be able to see small pieces of butter in it. Transfer the pastry to a work surface, gather it together and pat into a disk. Wrap the pastry in plastic or wax paper and refrigerate until chilled. (You can also roll out the pastry and use it right away.)
2. Peel, halve and core the apples and slice them crosswise 1/4 inch thick. Set aside the larger centre slices and coarsely chop the end slices and any broken ones; about half of the slices should be chopped. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to a 12-by-14-inch rectangle and transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread the chopped apples over the pastry to within 1 inch of the edge. Drizzle the honey over the chopped apples. Decoratively arrange the apple slices on top in concentric circles or in slightly overlapping rows. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the apples and dot with the pieces of butter. Fold the pastry edge up and over the apples to create a 1-inch border.
4. Bake the galette for about 1 hour, until the pastry is nicely browned and crisp and all of the apples are tender. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the galette cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

....bon appetit à tous, Leeann x

new arrival...madeleine tins

 

photo from here



 

Bonjour mes amies,

 

It is a grey day here in SW France, so I have the perfect excuse to stay in the kitchen and I plan on making some madeleines and hope that they look as good as in the photo you see above.

 

 

Should you want to make some for yourself, I have two tins that have just arrived, in our online shop.

Unlike other madeleine tins that we have had in the past, these are in "as new" condition so not only will they look great in your kitchen, you can use them to make some lovely madeleines.
You can find them here, the listing is for one and we have two available.

Note the tip to getting the famous hump that appears on one side of them is to put the mixture in the fridge for an hour or so before placing in the oven.

You can a recipe for making them here which I found on this fabulous food blog called The Red Bistro.

très bonne seamine à tous, Leeann x