Chocolate Crinkles

INGREDIENTS

200G of dark chocolate

80g of butter

2 eggs

100g of sugar

180g of flour

20g of coco powder

5g of baking powder

1 ts of instant coffee powder

icing sugar 

RECIPE

Melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwaves and let it cool to room temperature.

In a bowl   beat with a hand mixer the eggs and sugar until thick and it double volume then add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat until incorporated.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, the coco powder, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stirring just until incorporated. 

Cover the mix with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours  

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C°  and place rack in center of oven. Place the sifted icing sugar in a plate, form the chilled dough into small balls, and then roll each ball in the sugar till it is completely coated and white.  Place the balls on a baking sheet, and leave a space of 5 cm from each other.

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or just until the edges are firm but the centers are still soft. Then remove from oven and place them to cool over a wire rack

Pistachio and Raspberry cake with mascarpone cheese

Ingredients 

150g of of butter 
5 medium eggs 
260g of Sugar 
260g of flour 
3/4 tsp baking powder 
Pistachio paste 150g
200g of mascarpone cheese
200g of cream cheese (Philadelphia ) 
200g of raspberries 
100g of  icing sugar 

Recipe 

Beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture become white  and volume is doubled .Add the flour and the baking powder the pistachio paste and melted butter. Mix well and spread on a large plate  covered with parchment paper. the dougt should be  5 or 6mm hight . bake at 180 ° for 8 to 10 minutes.  verify that is cooked using a  toothpick if  it comes out dry, remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely.

Beat the cream cheese and mascarpone with the icing sugar. Add half of the Raspberry . This will give a pretty pink color your mix and make a slight hint of acidity.

Dressing the cake: Once completely cold cut the cake  into 4 equal parts (or three, depending on whether you want a cake rather large or rather hight). put the different layers of the cake and place t the cake Rasberry filling between them. Then cover the entire cake with the remaining cream. Garnish with fresh raspberries and refrigerate for 6 hours (better if  overnight so the cake become moist with the  cream)

Chocolat & praline flavored cake

INGREDIENTS 
cake 
50g of flour 
100g black chcooclat 
4 eggs 
50g of sugar 
Praline cream 
30cl crème fraiche ( or cream cheese) 
120g of  Sugar 
12g water 
200g of hazelnuts 
Chocolate praline topping 
200g of dark chocolate 


RECIPE 

Start by preparing the cake . Mix two whole eggs and two egg yolks with the sugar a few minutes then add the melted chocolate . Sift the flour and add to the mixture. beat two egg white with a pinch of salt  then incorporate them  into the cake mixture .Spread on a plate covered with a cooking paper and bake for 10 minutes at 180 °. Remove from oven and roll directly into the parchment paper to give it the right  shape.

 

In a saucepan, put the sugar and water and let it boil. then add the  toasted hazelnuts and mix well with a wooden spoon  . continue cooking until the  sugar is compleatly melted into caramel .Put the mixture over a  parchment paper and let it cool completely Break into small pieces and mix until your obtain a smooth mixture of the  praline. (It's also possible to use the praline paste that you can buy from a store). Whip the cream  and add half the praline. 

chocolate praline.Melt 200g black chococlat and add the rest of the praline. mix well. Unroll the cake, spread 3 / 4out praline cream and half the praline chocolate ways to make it to the center once the "bûche" is formed.

 

Roll the cake , cover with remaining cream and the chocolate praline  topping. decorate with  walnut, hazelnut amlond  ...) and place in the fridge for at least  4 hours.

 

Chocolate Mousse

INGREDIENTS: for about ten cups 

250g of chocolate 
100g of butter 
6 egg whites 
4 egg yolks 
40g of sugar 

RECIPE 

Cut the chocolate into small pieces and place in bain-marie to melt.  add the softened butter and stir a little bit

 

Continue stiring with a spatula until the mixture becomes smooth and shiny. take it from the bain-marie and add the egg yolks one at a time and continue to mix.

 

Beat the 6 egg whites with a pinch of salt, start at normal speed then switch to high speed.add 40 grams of sugar just before the end . Stir into the chocolate  mix gently with a spatula or Maryse making sure not to break the egg whites. place in cups and decorate with leaves menthe.placer refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving

 

Raspberry and lemon cheesecake

                              

INGREDIENTS

300g of ricotta cheese
250 g of cream cheese ( philadelphia)  or 550g of cream chesse if you dont have ricotta
10cl of milk
3 eggs
35g of flour
120g of sugar
60g of butter  

400g of fresh or frozen raspberry
250g biscuits with cinnamon)

lemon zests + lemon juice

RECIPE

Crush  the biscuits to obtain a powder.  Melt the butter and mix it with the biscuit.  Place the mixture into a mold with high sides and removable bottom  and place in the refrigerator

In a bowl place the ricotta and work in drummer for about 30 seconds just to soften.  Add the cream cheese and mix even for 30 seconds, then the flour, the eggs one at a time, mixing  30 seconds between each addition. add the lemon zest and juice .The mixture will become quite liquid, but it will  thicken during cooking.  Put the mixture over the cookies-dough. For cooking, you  should  follow exactly these steps: place the cheesecake in the oven (preheated) at 250 ° for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 90 ° and cook for one hour, then turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake  inside for another hour.

Pass the blade of a knife between the edge of the mold and the cheesecake  . if we do not this operation will crack in the middle when it will rest.Place in refrigerator for 24 hours then , garnish the top with fresh raspberry .  Serve chilled with raspberry sauce made with smached raspberry, lemon juice and sugar. decorate with mint leaves

Watermelon and feta cheese salad

INGREDIENTS 

1 quart of watermelon 
150g of feta cheese
mint leaves, parsley leaves 
one small onion 
1 lemon juice
olive oil 
salt and pepper 

RECIPE 

Cut the watermelon into small cubes. Remove the  seeds as much as possible. Cut the feta cheese into cubes as well. chop the onion and place it in the  lemon juice about ten minutes.. cut the parsley and the mint  leaves  into small strips. mix all the component  together and add the lemon juice with the oignon. Add salt , pepper and the olive oil to taste. Serve chilled as an entrée. 

 

Jam Shortbread or Jam "Sablés "

INGREDIENTS 

100g of butter 
100g of Sugar 
1 egg 
250g of  flour
50g of almond powder
1/2 tsp of baking powder  
Jam for filling 
Icing sugar for decoration 

RECIPE 

Mix the softened butter and sugar with a fork. Add the egg a and mix well to incorporate all together. Stir in flour, almond powder and baking powder always using the fork . with  your hands  put  the dough together anf form a ball . 

 

Put an hour in the fridge and then lower the dough with a roll to a thickness of 3 mm. cut into small shapes and make a  hole in the half of the shapes. Place on a sheet of baking paper. bake for 8 to 10 minutes in a preheated 150 ° oven. cooking time may change depending on the ovens and depending on the thickness of the biscuits.

Remove the cookies and cool on a wire rack. spread of the  jam over  the full shortbread on the side which was in contact with the baking paper. Sprinkle the shortbread  with a hole pattern  with icing sugar and place on the ones that are covered  with jam.

 

Leek veloute

INGREDIENTS 

A bunch of leeks 
1 potato 
1 carrot 
Aromatic ( parsely, basil etc) 
1 liter of chicken broth 
salt pepper nutmeg 
2 tsp  of cream cheese
2 tsp of  sour cream 

RECIPE 

Cut the leeks into pieces (root but also the green stem) and the potato into cubes Saute them in 1 cs of olive oil without coloration. Add the aromatics and the chicken broth. Bring to boil.

Cook for  20 to 30 minutes, then put in the blender , add the two portions of cheese and mix until you obtain a creamy texture. Filter the soup through a sieve . Replace the soup into the pan and place over  heat, add the salt, the pepper, sour cream and the nutmeg. serve hot and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and some pitachios.

Zucchini and parsley velouté

INGREDIENTS

5 zucchini
Half a bunch of parsley (leaves only)
1 potato
1 medium onion
Aromatic herbs
1 liter of chicken broth
salt pepper nutmeg
2 ts of cream cheese
2 ts of sour cream

RECIPE

Cut the onion into strips and potato in cubes and saute them with 1 ts of olive oil  without coloration. Add the zucchini, the aromatic herbs and the  parsley. let it cook for 3 minutes then add the  chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Cook about 20 to 30 minutes, then put in the blender, add the cream cheese and mix until you obtain  creamy texture. Put the velouté in  a  saucepan over low heat, add the salt, pepper, sour cream and the nutmeg. stir for some minutes,  serve hot and garnish with parsley or mint or basil leaves. 

Vietnamese beef spring rolls

INGREDIENTS (for 12-15 spring rolls)

400g ground beef
1 medium onion
3 dried black mushrooms
1 handful of soy bean sprouts
2 carrots rapped
1 green pepper
2 cloves of garlic
Rice Vermicelli
Fresh coriander
10 Rice Cakes
Soy sauce
Fish sauce (nuoc mam)

RECIPE

Start by soaking in warm water the black mushrooms and rice noodles for about 30 minutes.Chop the onion, the garlic and  the green pepper and place in a large bowl, add the meat and the chopped cilantro, the  carrots, the soy bean sprouts, rice noodles drained and cut  and sliced ​​mushrooms . add salt and pepper, put 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1tbsp fish sauce and mix well  with your hand .

Making spring rolls: take a rice cake, soak in warm water for a few seconds, then place it on a damp cloth and cut into two pieces. Place the stuffing on the rounded side of the rhalf rice cake, fold the edges and roll up tightly  to prevent stuffing from going out  during frying. Brush the edge with egg white to seal the spring roll.  Fry the rolls for 8 to 10 minutes, the oil should not be  very hot. Serve with sweet and sour sauce and some salad.

Italian Gnocchi with pistachio pesto and mushrooms

INGREDIENTS
Gnocchi
2 large potatoes
1 egg yolk
150g flour (more or less depending on consistency)
chopped basil  or parsley leaves
Salt / pepper
A bunch of fresh basil
Pistachio Pesto
100g of pistachio
50g of  parmesan
Olive oil (about 10cl)
2 cloves of garlic
Sauce
20 cl of creme fraiche
200g of fresh mushrooms
A pinch of nutmeg

RECIPE

Start by cutting potatoes into thick slices without removing the skin. Make steam until they become soft. Remove the skin and mash the potatoes with a fork . Add the egg yolk, the basil or parsley, 3/4 of the flour, salt and pepper. Mix together and add flour if necessary to get a soft dough that does not stick to your fingers.

Cut the dough in several portions. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a very thin sausage shape  , then with a knife cut 2cm pieces . press the top of each piece  with the back of a fork . Do the same till you finish all the  dough.

Pistachio pesto: in a robot put the basil, the garlic, the Parmesan cheese , the olive oil, half the pistachios and mix well to obtain  a paste. add the remaining pistachios and mix again making sure to keep whole pieces for crunchy texture . Add more olive oil if necessary.

Cook the gnocchi in a large pan with boiling water ,   they are ready when they rise to the surface of the water. take them out of the pan with a slotted spoon and put on a plate.

Sauce: In a pan, put the sliced mushrooms  to fry for 3 minutes with some  butter, add the cream, 3 tablespoons of pesto and a pinch of nutmeg. transfer the gnocchi to the pan and stir well . serve immediately with additional tablespoon of pesto in the center.