Tea time and Madeleine

Today is the third snow storm of the year, pffff... And Phil the Groundhog has predicted an early spring?, "humm I don't think so..."

I needed a nice cup of tea to warm me up. And I was craving to have a bite with my tea and I was thinking: "humm cookies??, humm... no". I made a lot of cookies lately so what about madeleine. It is one of my favorite comfort childhood snack. Madeleines are very small sponge cakes with a distinctive scallop shell-like shape, they are moist light and puffy. It is a traditional small cake from Commercy in Northeastern France, La Lorraine. 

You can find many different stories behind the name and the origin of the madeleine. Here is one : during the 18th century, Madeleine Paumier was a young lady working as a maid. One day the cook was sick (or quit and take all his recipes with him) so she improvised a cake recipe that was served to the Duke of Lorraine Stanislas Leszcynski. And later on his son in law Louis XV named them after her.

Even though you have never tried a madeleine, you heard of it. Who does not know Marcel Proust, a well known french author. He immortalized the madeleine in A la Recherche du Temps Perdu (In Search of Lost Time aka Remembrance of Things Past). While having a tea soaked cake, suddenly he experiences an involuntary memory involving the madeleine and remembering his childhood spent in the village of Combray. 

He wrote: "I raised to my lips a spoonful of the tea in which I had soaked a morsel of the cake. No sooner had the warm liquid mixed with the crumbs touch my palate than a shudder ran trough me and I sopped, intent upon the extraordinary thing that was happening to me. An exquisite pleasure invaded my senses..... And suddenly the memory revealed itself. The taste was a little piece of madeleine ....which my aunt Leonie used to give me, dipping it first in her cup of tea. The sight of the little madeleine had recalled nothing to my mind before I tasted it...All taking their proper shapes and growing solid, sprang into being, from my cup of tea."

There are so many recipes. The original is made with citrus but you can make them with chocolate, hazelnut, almond extract or matcha powder, glazed or even dipped in chocolate. My favorite is the one with lemon zest. For me it is the classic recipe.

Madeleines are better just out of the oven, still soft and warm. Because they tend to dry out very quickly. But you can freeze them directly out of the oven and reheat them at low heat for a few minutes. Or they can be kept a few days in a air proof metallic box.

You can find many and many recipes on internet but here is one that works for me and that I like.
Ingredients: (make 24 madeleines)
3 eggs
5.5 oz of flour (150g)
4 oz of sugar (130g) and you can add a tbsp of honey as well
4 oz of butter (130g)
1 tsp of baking powder
zest of lemon or orange

1. Preheat oven at 450F (230C)
2. Melt the butter 
3. Mix eggs and suger until the mixture whitens and add the zest
4. Add flour and baking soda
5. Add butter (cool down)
6. Grease the mold with butter and fill them 3/4 full, do not spread the batter
7. Cook for 5/6 min until the bump develop then for 4 more min at 350F (180C) or golden brown on the edges

If you can not get the little bump do not be disappointed, it is maybe the oven was not hot enough or you over mixed the batter.... It happens to me all the time, sometimes I get the bump sometimes not... But the taste and the texture are there!! Sometimes people say that you need to put the batter and even the mold in the fridge for a few hours. The temperature difference will help to develop the bump.

But when you crave for something you want it now, right?
Luckily this time, they turn out great, I got the bump, yes !! I was happy because it looks better for the pictures. And great taste too!!

Despite the snow storm, it was a wonferfull day after having a hot cup of tea and some freshly baked madeleines. Perfect !!

Charlotte Cake

The Charlotte is one of the favorite cake of my husband with the meringue lemon tart. Since we have been living in North America, I have not done any. Living here sometimes it is a challenge to find ingredients that I want or need. The only ones you can find are the ones with a harder texture and less wide. I like and need the soft ladyfinger cookies to do it but in Toronto there were impossible to find. In France I was just used to go to the grocery store, it was easy, even convenience stores had some. 

You are gonna tell me: "Why don't you bake some?" and you are right! 
It never occurs to me to do my own ladyfingers until last year when my mom bought me the book Le Sucrée from Ladurée. I tried once and they did not turn great, the taste was good but they were too flat and too dry to be used in a charlotte, I did not like the texture. A ladyfinger cookie is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a light dusting of confectioner's sugar. Like a sponge cake.

But a few weeks ago I found some at Trader Joes and my husband was like a kid in a candy store, so happy like "Yeahhh I'm gonna have my charlotte cake, yuhu !!!" 

Charlotte are usually made in spring with fresh berries, it is a cake with layers of fruits, cream and ladyfingers. But there are so many variations, with mousse, custard or bavarian cream or yogurt. It can look complicated but it is not, it is quite simple to do.

The dessert Charlotte russe was invented in the 19th century by Marie Antoine Carême, a renowned French Chef who named it in honor of his Russian employer Czar Alexander I. He was inpired by an old english dessert made of slice of bread and custard. But as usual there are so many stories behind the origin and the name.

Because it is a cold dessert, for those who are afraid of baking, this is the perfect dessert for you, no baking!! Just need to prepare it in advance and keep it  in the fridge. 

I bought a fresh pineapple last week end and I did not know what to do with it.  A pineapple upside down cake? Yes why not... I then when I opened my cupboard, I saw the ladyfingers and this was it. A Pineapple Charlotte.

I am just going to do a simple yogurt cream without gelatine, it will not hold very well but this is the way we do it in my family, more rustic. I remember my grandma used to make one with pears and yogurt and covered with chocolate.

The first step was to poached to pineapple to get a softer texture. I poached it in a simple syrup with vanilla bean. I kept the syrup to soak the ladyfingers in it. For a more adult version you can soak the ladyfingers in a syrup with rhum or any liquor that goes well with the fruit filling.

Ingredients:
One can of fruit of your choice or fresh fruit
Around 40 ladyfingers
35 oz of greek yogurt (1kg)
1 cup of sugar (130g)

1. Drain the fruit and keep the syrup
2. Mix the yogurt with sugar
3. Dip the ladyfingers quickly in the syrup
4. Line the mold with the ladyfingers and place them at the bottom, round face in
5. Pour half of the yogurt in the mold, add the fruits and a layer of ladyfingers
6. Layer again yogurt, fruits and finish with ladyfingers
7. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and place a weight on top of it
8. Place in the fridge overnight
9. To unmold the charlotte, run the blade around the edge, invert the charlotte on a serving place. It should slide right out.

You can serve the Charlotte with berries coulis, whipped cream or just like that.
It is a perfect dessert after an heavy meal, it is light and refreshing.
But I think next time I think I will try to make my own ladyfingers. And do a more classy version with fresh berries. Looking forward to spring!!

Valentine's Day: Chocolate & Berries

Today is Valentine's Day !!
My husband and I we are not really into celebrating Valentine's Day by exchanging gift or going to a nice restaurant, it is so crowded and so expensive that day. But it is an other excuse to have a nice meal and open a very good bottle of wine.
So usually we stay home and have an "apéritif dinatoire", meaning finger foods with drinks. Like crostinni, deli meat with cracker, cheese, ham and olives loaf, quiche. And for dessert of course a chocolate dessert, my favorite Lava Cake.
It is Valentine's day so it is Chocolate day and chocolate is the color of Love.

Here is the recipe:
Ingredients (serve 4)
3.5oz (100g) of dark chocolate 
5 tbsp (70g) of butter 
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
3 tbsp of sugar
3 tbsp of flour
2 tsp of cocoa powder

1. Melt the butter and chocolate over a double boiler. Whisk together the eggs and sugar until the mixture whitens.
2. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and whisk until combined. Sift in the flour, cocoa and a pinch of salt.
3. Spoon into 4 buttered ramekins.
4. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Bake for about 12/15 minutes. 

It is really easy and quick to do but the key is to use good quality of chocolate.
You can prepare your lava cakes ahead of time, put them in the fridge and then just bake before serving. Serve it hot right out of the oven garnished with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, berries, caramel sauce or just a dust of powdered sugar. Whatever you like.

Moreover this year we have some chocolate candy shaped like strawberry that our nice neighbors have made. Thanks to the girls.

And if you are not really into chocolate, a great dessert for Valentine's Day is a cake with berries. Something pink and red.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone !!

Best B&B in Provence

When my parents told me "We are going to open a B&B", it was an evidence!
My mom is the best hostess, she knows what french hospitality means. 
In addition of being a good hostess, she is a great decorator and also a very good cook. She has handled each part of the house, from the bedroom to the garden and the kitchen with meticulous attention to detail.

The B&B is called "La Bastide d'Eyragues en Provence". The B&B is a traditional house from Provence with an amazing view to the Alpilles (a small range of mountains). The B&B is located in Eyragues, 5min drive to Saint Rémy de Provence and 15min to Avignon. The garden showcases a swimming pool and a beautiful landscape with olive trees, lavender, rosemary, oak, cypress and white bay trees. All the scents of Provence.

The B&B offers several rooms. The rooms are welcoming, comfortable and offering a lovely view to the garden and the swimming pool. The cosy and quiet rooms come with a queen bed, complimentary breakfast, wifi internet access, and a private bathroom.

Every morning the breakfast is served on the terrace or in the living room with the view to the Alpilles. You will be able to taste some Mariage Frères tea, organic coffee, homemade jams and cakes, fresh fruits and squeezed jus and of course some fresh baguette. The food is from seasonal, local organic products.

The B&B offers a "Table d'hôtes", meaning an homemade dinner served at the table with my parents and of course cooked from scratch by my mom.
For 35€ you can enjoy a 3 course meal with drinks (water/soft/wine) and coffee/tea. 

Here are some examples of the dinner "Saveurs de Provence" served with wine from Baux de Provence or Côte de Provence or Côte du Rhône.

Pre-appetizer (finger foods): 
Olive spread with bread or caramelized onions tart 

Appetizer:
Eggplant Loaf with Fresh Tomato Sauce or Zucchini or Asparagus Soup or Green Salad

Entree:
Fresh vegetables risotto or cep mushrooms risotto or Lamb with Garlic and Sage or Poultry with Thyme and Rosemary or Fresh Fish with Herbes de Provence

Dessert:
Strawberry Tiramisu or Seasonal Fruit Tart or Figs Cake or Berries Crumble

La Bastide d'Eyragues en Provence is a great place for a relaxing getaway.
Check out their website  and plan your visit there.  You will not be disappointed.

Crêpe Day Celebration

Today is La Chandeleur (Candlemas), it is the tradition of making crêpes to celebrate the first signs of springs. 
Here is a French proverb: "À la Chandeleur, l'hiver s'en va ou prend vigueur", meaning "On Candlemas, winter ends or strengthens".

It is celebrated on Feb 2nd, same day as the Groundhog Day in North America. 

The trick is that if you could catch the crêpe with a frying pan after tossing it in the air with your right hand and holding a gold coin in your left hand, it will give you happiness and properity throughout the coming year.

But we do not only eat crêpes on Feb 2nd, we do not need that opportunity to eat crêpes. Crêpes are enthusiastically made any time for breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea or dinner.

You can garnish them with whatever you like. There are so many toppings to put on your crêpes: sugar, sugar and salted butter, jam, nutella, compote, whipped cream and fresh fruits... You can even flambé them with orange liquor, it will be a Crêpe Suzette.

In Brittany, West part of France, savory crêpes are made with buckwheat flour and are called "galettes".
Personaly I use the same recipe for both savory and sweet crêpes, I found it easier and quicker if I cook both with the same batter .
My favorite savory crêpe is Ham/Gruyere cheese/Sunny side up egg.
My favorite sweet crêpe is sugar and lemon jus. My husband does not have a favorite, he likes all of them.

It is very simple and quick to do and you just need a single bowl of batter made from just eggs, milk, flour, and butter. Who doesn't have these ingredients in their fridge all the time?

Ingredients (make about 15 crêpes):
2 cups of flour 
2 1/2 cups of milk 
1/2 cup of water
4 eggs
2 tbsp of melted butter
pinch of salt
vegetable oil for the pan

1. In a large mixing bowl , whisk together the flour , the salt and the eggs.
2. Slowly pour in the milk while stirring, then add butter.
3. Place the batter, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crêpes will be less likely to tear during cooking.  

4. Pour the batter (approximately 1/2 cup for each crêpe) into a lightly oiled frying pan (I use a 10-inch pan) over medium high heat, turning and tilting it in a slow, circular motion to spread the batter evenly. 

5. Wait until the edges start to turn golden brown, and pockets of air lift the center, and then run a spatula around the edge of the crêpe.

6. Slip the spatula underneath, and in one swift gesture, lift and flip the crêpe back into the pan.

7. Cook until the other side is golden brown, about 20s. 

Do not be disappointed if the first attempt is a dud. It happens even if you are a crêpes expert. Usually it is because you were impatient and the pan was not quite hot enough.

The batter will keep for up to 48 hours in the fridge. Or the crêpes can be made hours ahead of time and kept, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature. Crêpes can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Now is time to eat. So add the filling you like and fold them the way you want. You can roll them (the way I like sweet crêpes), fold them in quarters (the way my husband eats them), or fold them like a purse, we call that "aumonière de crêpe".

The traditionnal way for a savory crêpe is to fold the four sides in and make a square crêpe and serve it with a green salad and a glass of apple cider from Brittany.

Enjoy !!!