Chestnut financiers

Chestnuts are so underrated, and they shouldn’t be because they are delicious! Boiled, roasted or candied, chestnuts taste amazing, with their soft, creamy and delicate texture. If you want to make me happy over the holidays (or any time, really), get me a box of candied chestnuts! They are to die for!

I’ve been wanting to make a dessert out of chestnut spreads for some time now, but never really got to it. Last year, I made all these plans for a homemade Mont-Blanc. Spent weeks researching for the perfect recipe, planning, buying all the right ingredients, and everything. In the end, I got lazy and my plans went nowhere…

This year, I stumbled on a few cans of chestnut spread while grocery shopping and took it as a sign that I should pull through, this time. Not with the Mont-Blanc, though. That’s way too time consuming. I wanted to bake something simple but tasty. My personnal favorite snacks are financiers, so I decided to give chestnut financiers a try, to see what they taste like. I must say, the result is more than satisfactory! It also helps that this cake is beyond easy to prepare!

Chestnut financiers

Makes approx. 15

ingredients

• 2 cups ground almonds

• 500gr chestnut spread (1 can)

• 4 eggs

• 6 tbsp butter

• salt

directions

1. Preheat oven at 320.

2. Prepare muffin pan with liners.

3. Melt the butter and set aside.

4. Separate eggs yolks from the egg whites.

5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form, and set aside.

6. Still with the electric mixer, mix the egg yolks with the chestnut spread until combined.

7. Add the butter, then the ground almond, mixing well after each addition.

8. Incorporate the egg whites to the mixture, and mix delicately with a spatula.

9. Fill the muffin cases 2/3 full and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

10. Let the cakes rest in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

And that’s it! How simple was that? The cakes are moist, slightly crumbly, with a sweet but delicate chestnut taste. I dusted the cakes with some icing sugar only to make them pretty, but that’s what I like about financiers (aside from being super easy to make) : they don’t need icing or frosting.

Enjoy!

Almond Pithivier

It’s been a while since I posted anything. I must admit that I’ve been stuck in a rut lately and felt greatly uninspired. I felt lazy and only wanted to stay in familiar and safe territory. But a week or two ago, I decided to give myself a big kick in the butt and start exploring new recipes. I still had a great deal of almond flour in my pantry, as well as puff pastry sheets in the fridge, so I decided to make my own pithivier.

Full disclosure, I am still being lazy here as I used store bought puff pastry sheets instead of making my own, but I know my limitations and puff pastry is one of them. Though I am all about exploring new territory, I am not into setting myself up for failure.

Anyhow. What’s a pithivier, you ask? It’s originally a French pastry made of puff pastry stuffed with a sweet filling, usually frangipane, but it later diversified, with different sweet and savory fillings. In my opinion, however, the almond pithivier is the only one that matters. It’s basically very simple to make but its appearance makes it look intimidating and we assume it’s a hassle to prepare. The key ingredient, really, is dexterity.

Almond pithivier

Makes 8 portions

Ingredients

• 2 sheets of puff pastry, thawed

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1 egg and 2 yolks, separated

• 1 1/3 cup almond flour

• 2 tbsp flour

• 2 tbsp rum

• powdered sugar, for dusting

directions

1. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.

2. Roll out the puff pastry sheets and cut out a disk in each one. One disk has to be larger than the other. Mine measured 20 and 15 cm. Place each disk on a tray and refrigerate for approximately 20 minutes.

3. While the disks chill in the fridge, prepare the almond cream.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

5. Beat in the egg and one yolk, until combined.

6. Add the rum, then than flour and almond flour. Mix until combined.

7. Remove the disks from the fridge.

8. Spoon a generous amount of almond filling at the center of the larger disk, leaving a 5 cm border around the edge. The filling must form a little mound at the center.

9. Beat the remaining egg yolk in a small bowl with a little bit of water, and brush it around the border.

10. Lay the smaller disk on top of the filling and press its borders down.

11. Lift the lower disk’s border up, and carefully fold it over the smaller disk. Make small folds, pinch them between your fingers and press them down, like you would a pie crust.

12. The filling has to be sealed inside the puff pastry sheets.

13. With a sharp knife, make a small hole in the center.

14. Put the pithivier in the fridge for approximately 20 minutes.

15. In the meantime, preheat the oven at 400°.

16. Remove the pithivier from the fridge and brush the egg yolk over its surface.

17. With the tip of a sharp knife, draw arcs in the top pastry sheet, starting at the center and going toward the outer edge. Make sure you’re not piercing through the sheets, though!

18. Make sure the filling is sealed under the puff pastry and then put it in the oven for 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden.

19. Turn the heat down to 350° and continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes.

20. Remove the pithivier from the oven, turn the heat back up to 400° and dust the pastry with powdered sugar. Bake for another few minutes (4-5 minutes, tops), until the sugar has caramelized and the pastry is glossy.

21. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.

For extra indulgence, I like to eat my pithivier with a few spoonfuls of good vanilla ice cream!

Variations

The rum definitely gives the pastry some personality, but if you don’t like the smell or taste of it, just leave it out, but use some almond extract instead (1/2 tsp), for extra flavor.

From then on, use whatever filling you like. Almond is a super versatile flavor that can be combined with any fruit. Pear, apple, peach are all winners.

Also, you cannot lose with chocolate chips!

Have fun and enjoy!

Frangipane

I am obsessed with almond flavors and that is why Frangipane is one of my favorite fillings in the world. What is frangipane? Simply put, it’s a creamy almond filling made with butter, sugar, almond flour and eggs that’s often used in pastries like croissant and tarts. And unlike marzipan, frangipane cannot be eaten raw and must be baked to be enjoyed, because there’s egg in it.

I always assumed something so delicious must be very difficult to make but I quickly realized how wrong I was. Frangipane is super easy to prepare and in no time, no less!

This is the sort of recipe that is always useful to have handy if you want to make a quick but flavorful dessert or just want to elevate your croissant experience.

Frangipane

Makes 1 cup

ingredients

• 3/4 cup almond flour

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 egg

• 1/8 tsp almond extract (optional)

• 1 tbsp flour

directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix almond flour, butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl if necessary.

2. Add the egg and mix until incorporated. Add the almond extract if using.

3. Add the flour and mix until just combined.

And that’s it! You now have frangipane! Scoop a spoonful on you puff pastry sheet or pour it in your pie crust, bake according to their respective recipes and there you go! A delicious almond flavored dessert! I know it doesn’t look appetizing in my picture but trust me, when baked, it’s amazing!

Variation

For something different, use ground pistachios instead of ground almonds. In this case, I highly recommend that you use the almond extract to enhance the flavors a bit.

Enjoy!

Pistachio/ almond cupcakes

I love pistachios. I love almonds. And it’s only a matter of time before I incorporated my two favorite nuts into a single cake and the result exceeded my expectations! Full of flavor, nutty, a bit crunchy, dense but moist… And instead of a regular frosting, I opted for icing in this case. A thick, almond-flavored icing. The simplicity of the cake only adds to its appeal. The cake is so pretty it can be served for special occasions and dazzle your guests, or it can be a quick snack and/or breakfast. I chose to bake cupcakes but you can easily bake the batter in a loaf pan if you prefer it that way. In that case, bake for up to 50 minutes.

What I like about this recipe is that the quantities for the dry ingredients can vary depending on what’s available in your pantry. Ideally, you need a total of 2 cups of flour mixture (3/4 cup ground almonds, 3/4 cup ground pistachios and 1/2 cup flour). But, as it turned out, I did not have enough pistachios at the time I wanted to bake the cakes, and I really didn’t feel like going to the grocery store just to purchase that single item. So, I compensated with more ground almonds. The recipe below is the one I made when I didn’t have enough pistachios.

Even though I used less pistachios than almonds, the pistachios’ flavor is strong enough for it to stand out. It also helped that I did not grind the pistachios into a fine flour. Since I like a little bit of crunch, I coarsely ground them so that chunks are in the mix.

Pistachio/ almond cupcakes

Makes approx. 16

ingredients

For the cake:

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1 cup ground almonds

• 1/2 cup coarsely ground pistachios

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• Zest from 1 lemon

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp almond extract

• 3 tbsp milk

For the icing

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

• 3 tbsp heavy cream

• 1 tsp almond extract

• toasted sliced almond for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven at 350 and put cupcake liners in a muffin pan.

2. In a bowl, sift in the flour and baking powder. Mix in ground almonds, pistachios and salt.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix sugar and butter at medium speed, until light and fluffy, 2 minutes.

4. Add eggs and lemon zest. Mix well until smooth.

5. Mix in vanilla and almond extracts and milk. If the mixture looks a bit curdled, don’t worry.

6. With a spatula, fold in the flour mixture until well incorporated.

7. Scoop batter equally into cupcake liners and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8. Let the cakes rest in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

9. While the cakes cool, prepare the icing.

10. In a bowl, mix together the sifted confectioners’ sugar, cream and almond extract until the mixture is smooth. The result should be thick but pourable.

11. Pour the icing on the cooled cakes with a spoon, until icing reaches the border of the liner, and decorate with sliced almonds on top.

And that’s it! The whole process did not take over an hour to prepare and that’s what I like about this recipe. You crave something, you make it in no time and then you eat it. Should not be any harder than that.

Little note : it goes without saying but you must wait until the cakes have cooled completely before pouring the icing on top. If the cakes are still warm, the sugar will melt and the icing will lose some of its texture.

Enjoy!

Easy brownies

Brownies are uncontestedly the best comfort food out there. And for that reason, they should not require much time not effort to prepare, because the comfort is needed NOW!

I have tried and tested numerous recipes over the years, and to be frank, almost most of them are great. This one is still my favorite because it requires only one egg, not much flour and can quickly be made in one bowl before being sent in the oven. If you like chewy and crunchy brownies, this recipe is for you.

Easy brownies

Makes 16 2” squares

ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, melted

• 3/4 to 1 cup packed brown sugar (the quantity depends on how much of a sweet tooth you are)

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 egg

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)

• 3/4 cup flour

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

directions

1. Preheat oven at 350.

2. Line a 8” x 8” baking pan with parchment paper.

3. In a bowl, mix butter, brown sugar and salt until combined.

4. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts. Mix well.

5. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder. Stir until incorporated. If not using an electric mixer, use a spatula for this step, it’ll be easier to mix.

6. Fold in the chocolate chunks and pecan.

7. Pour batter in the pan, spread it evenly into an even layer.

8. Bake for 18 minutes.

Let cool a bit on a rack, slice and enjoy!

The cake should be soft and chewy. I prefer by far chocolate chunks to chips because they add some crunch to the dessert but you don’t have any or prefer melted chocolate, use chips. I also use dark chocolate but semi sweet will also do but personally, I find them too sweet. The pecans are there for more crunch and to add some nutty flavor as well.

The resulting brownies are a bit thin but I like that!

It took less than half an hour from beginning to end, to make these brownies, and that’s perfect.

Enjoy!

Raspberry spread

I love raspberries. They are beautiful to look at and they taste amazing. In desserts, they play the crucial role of adding some tanginess and freshness, thus preventing the sweetness from being overwhelming. So when ever I make a rich dessert, I tend to try to incorporate raspberries if flavor combos permit it, usually as a spread or coulis.

Since the raspberries are not supposed to be the highlight of the dessert, I never want to waste too much time preparing the spread. This recipe is my favorite because it requires very little effort and time to make. I just prepare it first and set it aside until it’s needed. And, if you have some left over, use it over breakfast, on toast. With peanut butter or salted butter, it is absolutely heavenly.

Raspberry spread

ingredients

• 400g raspberries (thawed if you only have frozen ones)

• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 1/3 cup sugar

directions

1. Puree the raspberries in a food processor. I like to keep the seeds because I enjoy their crunchiness but if that’s not your cup of tea, pour the puree in a sieve, over a bowl, and press down on the raspberries with the back of a spoon.

2. In a saucepan, add raspberry puree, cornstarch, sugar and lemon juice. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture has thickened.

3. Transfer in a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

That’s it!

Now use it over peanut butter or butter and toast, a cheese cake, panna cotta… it’s there to make what ever you eating pop!

I recently received an order for chocolate cupcakes but with a fruity twist. I immediately thought of raspberries. I baked my usual chocolate cakes, scooped out a tiny hole on top, inserted some of the raspberry spread and piped dark chocolate frosting on top. The cupcakes were dense, moist and rich, which balances well with the raspberries.

Strawberry ice cream

Summer’s quickly coming and that can only mean on thing : ice cream! Ice cream is the only thing that really makes summer tolerable for me; can’t stand the heat and the humidity. I normally start summer by making my ice cream parlor tour around town, coming back to old favorites and discovering new ones, but with the current confinement measures, I’ll have to resort to making more of my own ice cream!

Strawberry has never been my favorite flavor but I made a batch recently upon request and I must admit that it was pretty tasty! I’m writing down this recipe to share it to who ever is interested in making it at home but also so I don’t forget it, because I’ll most definitely whip up another batch soon!

Ideally, make this recipe with fresh strawberries but since they are not accessible for the moment, I used frozen ones and it worked perfectly fine.

ingredients

• 3 cups strawberries (fresh or frozen, thawed)

• 4 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 1 1/4 cups whole milk

• 2 3/4 cups heavy cream

• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 3 tbsp vodka (optional)

directions

1. Chop the strawberries into chunks.

2. In a bowl, combine the strawberries, lemon juice and 1/2 cup of sugar. Stir gently to mix everything. Cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

3. Strain the strawberries and reserve the juice.

4. Separate the strawberries into 2 bowls. Take one bowl and slightly mash the berries. Put the other bowl aside.

5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment., add the milk and the remaining cup of sugar. Whisk at low speed until the sugar has dissolved.

6. Add heavy cream and continue mixing, at low speed.

7. Add the reserved juice, mashed strawberries and vanilla extract.

8. Add the vodka (optional). * see note below.

9. While the mixture is still mixing at low speed, prepare your ice cream machine.

10. Pour the mixture in the ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

11. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and add the remaining strawberries. Mix delicately with a spoon. The ice cream’s texture should be soft and creamy.

12. Cover and freeze until firm.

* The vodka’s purpose is to prevent the ice cream from becoming too firm in the freezer. Since alcohol doesn’t freeze, it allows your ice cream to retain some of its creamy texture. I like to use vodka because it’s flavorless and will not affect the overall taste of the final product, but every now and then, I play around, mixing different ice cream flavor with different alcohol. My favorite combo by far is vanilla ice cream with rum or Grand Marnier. They’re also great with chocolate.

If alcohol is not your thing, then another trick is to add more sugar. Sugar is also a great stabilizer, so don’t skimp on it. Granulated sugar or corn syrup will do the trick. I read that you can also use gelatin but I will not dwell on it because I’ve never tested it.

I personally like to add alcohol. I’ve found that they work best at stabilizing my home made ice creams and they don’t make them too sweet, which is a big turn off. They can be flavorless (like vodka) or add more depth (rum, Grand Marnier, Amaretto, etc).

Enjoy!

Banana bread muffins : the easiest cake in the world

Times are weird and stressful. I’m currently working from home but at the same time I’m trying to keep myself sane and busy with baking, my personal form of therapy. We had a few overripe bananas on our kitchen counter, and since we didn’t want to waste any food, I decided to make banana bread muffins.

This is the sort of recipe that can really be whipped up in no time, requires very little ingredients and is pretty healthy! Whenever I’m tired of eating bananas but don’t want to waste them, I immediately turn them into a cake. They’re naturally sweet and are the perfect breakfast, snack or late night indulgence! No effort whatsoever was put into these muffins, everything was mixed into one bowl, no electric mixer was required, and in a matter of a few minutes, everything was in the over, baking. That, as well as how delicious the cakes are, is what I like about them. So here it is, the recipe for the easiest cake in the world!

Banana bread muffins

Makes 12 cakes

ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas

• 1 1/2 cup flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup sugar (optional)

• 1 egg

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

directions

1. Preheat oven at 350 and put cupcake liners in the muffin pan.

2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until they reach the desired consistency (I like chunks).

3. Mix in the vegetable oil and vanilla.

4. Add the egg and whisk until well blended.

5. Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well with a spatula.

6. Optional : the cake should be naturally sweet thank to the bananas, but if you have an especially sweet tooth, you could add 1/4 cup of sugar and mix well.

7. With an ice cream scoop, fill the liners equally.

8. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

9. Let the cakes rest in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

That’s it! In less than half an hour, I was already snacking on delicious, super moist banana muffins! This recipe is the most basic one, but of course, you could add anything to it that you like, such as chocolate chips, dried fruits or nuts! Do you like cinnamon? Add some! Love, love, love chocolate? Sure, replace 1/2 cup of flour with good cocoa powder! This is what’s so great about this recipe : you could let go and create or customize as you wish!

Look how yummy the cake looks!

So next time, don’t throw your bananas away; turn them into a super nutritious snack or breakfast or dessert!

Enjoy!

Pistachio frosting

As I have very often mentioned, I love, love, love pistachios! If I want a fancy dessert, chances are that I will resort to using pistachios because not only do they taste amazing, but they also provide a beautiful dash of green color. This works particularly well if I want to make something special for Christmas. Add cranberries or raspberries, and you are set!

I have looked long and hard for a frosting recipe that will not diminish in any way the color nor the taste of this amazing nut, and I think I’ve found it! It requires some pistachio paste, so I recommend that you make it before hand to save some time. For how to prepare pistachio paste, click here.

Pistachio frosting

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (more if needed)

• 3/4 cup pistachio paste

• Pinch of salt

directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and powdered sugar at medium/high speed, until the mixture is pale and fluffy. About 2 or 3 minutes.

2. Add the pistachio paste and a pinch of salt, and continue mixing at medium speed. Add more powdered sugar if the mixture is not as sweet as you would have liked or if it doesn’t have the consistence that you desire.

3. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula if needed, and mix at high speed for a minute or two.

And that’s it! Your pistachio frosting is done and it should have kept its green color! If you don’t need right away, you can store it in an air-tight container, in the fridge, for up to a week. What’s great with this frosting is that it’s not too sweet, and you don’t lose any of the pistachio’s flavor.

Enjoy!

Pistachio paste

I’m going to quickly go over pistachio paste here because it serves an integral part of several desserts, including ice creams and frosting.

Pistachios are my favorite nuts. They are beautiful and super tasty! But sooo expensive! Anyways, as mentioned above, pistachio paste acts as a base for pistachio ice cream but also for frosting. So before I write about either one of them, I’ll share a recipe for making the paste. You could purchase ready-made pistachio paste but if you need it right away, you can make it yourself in no time at all, and really, it’s really not that hard. By the way, this recipe works for other nuts as well. If you want hazelnut paste, just follow the recipe below and, of course, substitute the pistachios for hazelnut! The paste could also be used as a spread if you are tired of the good old peanut butter!

Pistachio paste

Makes about 2 cups

ingredients

• 2 cups pistachios (preferably blanched and peeled, for a brighter, greener color)

• 3 tbsp water

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• 1/2 cup finely ground almonds

• Pinch of salt

• 1/8 tsp almond extract

directions

1. In a food processor, grind the blanched and peeled pistachios until you obtain an oily and pasty substance. This step may require a few minutes.

2. Add the powdered sugar, ground almonds and pinch of salt, and continue processing.

3. Add the water and almond extract, and continue running the food processor until the mixture is creamy and soft.

And that’s it! You’ve got pistachio paste! If you don’t need it right away, you can store it in an air-tight container, in the fridge for up to 2 or 3 weeks, but seriously, it never lasts that long!

Lemon curd

I love lemons. To me, they are synonym to brightness and freshness. They alleviate any meal and/or desserts they are added to. So, when I want to make a light and not too sweet dessert, I always turn to lemons. And lemon custards are my favorite things to prepare because they can be eaten alone, with a simple cookie or wafer on the side, or they can be added to tarts, creams, cakes, and the list goes on and on! Lemon curd is super easy to whip up and is a life-saver!

My favorite recipe comes from Patrice Demers, one of the best pastry chefs around, and certainly the best one in Montreal. If you speak French, I highly recommend that you check out his books, La Carte des Desserts, Les Desserts de Patrice and Parcours Sucré. The recipes look intimidating at first but don’t let appearances discourage you! Individually, each recipe is surprisingly easy to prepare and the chef makes clear and concise instructions as to how to assemble the desserts so they look original professionally made. His books, among others, have become my baking bible.

Back to the topic at hand, lemon curd. The important thing to know here, is that it must be prepared at least one day before. So plan ahead and accordingly!

Lemon curd

ingredients

• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 cup sugar

• 4 eggs

• lemon zest (2 or 3 lemons)

• 1 cup non-salted butter, cubed

directions

1. In a medium saucepan, heat lemon juice, zest and 1/2 sugar until boiling.

2. In a bowl, whip the remaining sugar with the 4 eggs until well combined.

3. While whisking constantly, pour the hot lemon mixture into the sugar/egg mixture.

4. Pour everything back into the pan and heat at medium/high heat. Continually whisk the mixture.

5. Put the cubed butter in the bowl on an electric mixer.

6. When bubbles start appearing in the lemon mixture, take it off the heat and pour it on top of the butter.

7. Turn the electric mixer on at medium speed and whip until the butter has melted and is fully incorporated into the lemon mixture.

8. Press a plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate over night.

And that’s it! The next day, you have a delicious, creamy lemon curd that can be used for any dessert! Seriously, I could just sit and eat spoonfuls of this stuff.

Lemons and Poppy Seeds

So I woke up this morning craving something sweet and lemony. Of course, the first thought that crossed my mind was poppy seeds. Why? Because lemons and poppy seeds, for some reason, make one hell of a team. I honestly cannot explain why I love this pairing so much. Is it the added texture that the poppy provides, or its subtle nutty flavor? I don’t know and I don’t plan on dwelling too much on the matter. Bottom line is, these two ingredients work together and help elevate each other.

Fortunately, I had everything I needed in my pantry so no need to change and go out. What is great here is that this recipe is really simple and doesn’t require too many ingredients (or too much effort for that matter!). I chose to make mini cakes because I love everything bite-size, and because baking time is reduced to only 15 minutes!

So is it a muffin or a cake that I’m making? Personally, I find that the only difference between cake and muffin is the presence of icing or frosting, or their lack thereof. If there’s icing or frosting, it’s a cupcake or a cake, depending on the size of your dessert. No icing or frosting means that it’s a muffin so you can eat it for breakfast without feeling judged. In this case, I used a thick lemony glaze. My point here is that you could use this recipe to make muffins or cakes, which is why I omitted mentioning either one of them in the title.

Lemon/ poppy seed cakes

Makes 24 mini cakes or 6 muffin size cakes

ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 1/3 cup whole milk

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 tbsp poppy seeds

• Lemon zest (2 lemons)

• 1/2 sour cream

glaze (optional)

• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• 1 1/2 tbsp whole milk

• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp poppy seeds

directions

1. Preheat oven at 375 degrees.

2. Place liners in muffin tin.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix sugar, egg, milk, oil and vanilla until well combined, about 2 minutes.

4. Add poppy seeds and lemon zest. Continue mixing for a minute.

5. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

6. Incorporate flour mixture into wet ingredients and fold with a spatula until everything is well combined.

7. Add the sour cream and stir until incorporated.

8. Spoon the batter evenly in the muffin tin.

9. Bake for 15 minutes for mini cake, and 22 minutes for muffin size cakes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

10. Let the cakes rest in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

11. While the cakes cool, prepare the glaze (optional).

12. Mix all 4 ingredients (powdered sugar, poppy seeds, milk and lemon juice) in a bowl. Mix well until the mixture is no longer lumpy. Add more powdered sugar or liquid (lemon juice or milk) for the desired consistency.

13. Pour a dollop of lemon glaze on cooled cakes.

The cakes are super moist, with a crunchy top which is the best! The lemon zest came through and each bite is full of flavor, while the poppy provides some added crunch. And, because I made mini cakes, they are bite=size and can be eaten like pop corn!!!

Variations

Instead of the glaze, you could also insert some lemon custard into the cakes. I opted for a glaze because I was feeling lazy, but the custard is definitely my preferred option.

If you’re not a fan of poppy seeds, you could make the same recipe with ground almonds. I personally find that lemon cakes taste better when there’s a contrasting nutty flavor that’s added. So mix together 1 cup of flour with 5 tbsp of ground almonds, and add 1/4 almond extract in the wet ingredients.

Also, the cakes are also packed with flavor so technically, they don’t really need anything else to improve their taste. You could eat them as they are and be completely satisfied. The up-side here is that if you choose to exclude any form of icing, frosting or custard, you could eat the cakes straight out of the oven!

Enjoy!

Easy and versatile chocolate cake

Chocolate cake is the ultimate comfort food, next to ice cream. Feeling down? There’s nothing better to drown your sorrows in than one of those two desserts. Even better, eat a chocolate cake with a scoop of ice cream on top! But I digress.

I have 2 chocolate cake recipes in my arsenal and they are both awesome and super easy to prepare, which is perfect because they allow me to rapidly whip up a dessert in no time, in case of emergency (surprise guests, a birthday I forgot about, or simply because I want to eat something chocolaty). The first recipe is Ina Garten’s Beatty chocolate cake, and like all of Ina Garten’s recipes, it’s strait forward, no-fail and fabulous! My other recipe is coconut milk-based. Though I adore Ina Garten’s chocolate cake, the coconut milk recipe is the one I go back to the most. It depends on what you feel like. If you prefer fluffy and moist chocolate cakes, go for Beatty’s. If you crave something a bit more dense, go for that coconut milk cake. Since I have a preference for denser cakes, I tend to lean towards the second recipe. It’s also very versatile so it allows me to make lots of variations of chocolaty desserts.

Easy and versatile chocolate cake

Makes approx. 12-16 muffin-size cakes or lots of mini cakes

ingredients

• 2 oz dark or semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 3/4 cup boiling water

• 6 tbsp butter, melted

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup coconut milk

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp almond extract

• Optional: 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, chocolate chips and/or nuts

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter muffin pan or line with paper liners.

3. Put chocolate and cocoa powder in a bowl and pour boiling water on top. Let the mixture stand a while, only stirring occasionally. Continue stirring every now and then until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.

4. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

5. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment on, beat butter and sugar until combined, about 2-3 minutes.

6. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

7. Add chocolate mixture and mix well, about 2 minutes.

8. Add the flour and the coconut milk to the mixture in alternative steps, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.

9. If you want to add coconut flakes, chocolates chips and/or nuts, fold them in.

10. Pour batter into prepared pan.

11. Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

12. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool down. Then, carefully remove the cakes from the pan and transfer them on a wire rack so they cool completely.

For the frosting, I almost always opt for chocolate mousse. I have a great recipe that I always use and you can find it here. I find the airy dark chocolate mousse pairs very well with the fudgy and coconutty chocolate cake.

Variations

This chocolate cake is the base for a lot of my other chocolaty desserts: I use it for muffins, loaf cakes and more! It’s so versatile, that you get a whole different dessert with one or two minor changes! How awesome is that?

Chocolate banana bran muffin: I used the coconut milk chocolate cake recipe, added nuts, ripe bananas, 1 cup of rolled oats. Dusted sugar on top of the mixture before putting it in the oven, for a caramelized crunch.

Chocolate loaf cake: basically the above recipe but baked in a loaf pan, with chocolate chips inside and on top.

The “Bounty” cake: the above recipe but with a coconut macaroon center, just like the chocolate bar. Simple chocolate glaze on top to make it more decadent!

I sometimes like to put vanilla frosting on my chocolate cake. My favorite vanilla frosting recipe is made with cream cheese and I find its tartness fits extremely well with the chocolate flavor.

You can simply add ingredients to the chocolate cake mixture and you can get a whole different dessert. So mix it up and have fun!

Enjoy!

My go-to chocolate frosting that's actually chocolate mousse

I tried to find a good alternative to buttercream frosting. For vanilla cakes, I have a fantastic cream cheese frosting that I can always depend on because it’s pretty much foolproof. But for chocolate cakes, I searched long and hard to find a great yet easy frosting recipe that is not buttercream or even worse, meringue buttercream. Don’t get me wrong, buttercream or meringue buttercream taste amazing and are a dream to pipe. That being said, they are way too sweet for my taste and my kitchen’s room temperature is just too unstable for a proper result. You see, if the room is too cold, the butter will harden and there will be no cream in your buttercream; just sweet, thick butter. If it’s too hot, the butter will melt too fast and the buttercream will curdle. My kitchen constantly fluctuates between too hot and too cold, which means that I always have to MacGyver my buttercream. When the kitchen’s too cold, I have to mix with a hair dryer aimed directly at the bowl. When it’s too hot, I have to mix, refrigerate, and mix again. Meringue buttercream requires a candy thermometer and I just refuse to go there. Candy thermometer requires a level of attention and precision that I’m just not willing to provide.

Then one day it dawned on me that frosting can be what ever we choose it to be. I have a great chocolate mousse recipe so why not use it as frosting? From that day on, whenever I make a chocolate cake, I use chocolate mousse as my go-to frosting. So far, it’s been a huge hit! And why shouldn’t it be? It’s chocolaty, light, not too sweet, airy yet thick enough to be very easily piped. Oh, and did I mention how easy it is to prepare this mousse frosting?

My go-to chocolate frosting that’s actually chocolate mousse

ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

• 4 large eggs, room temperature

• 2 tbsp powdered sugar

• 12 oz good dark chocolate

• 1/4 unsalted butter, cubed

directions

1. Whip the cream until firm and forms peaks. Set aside in the refrigerator.

2. Whip eggs and sugar at medium/high speed until fluffy and thick, about 10 minutes.

3. Melt the chocolate in the microwave (heat 30 seconds at a time, mix and heat again, to prevent the chocolate from burning).

4. Mix butter in the chocolate until it’s all melted and the mixture is smooth.

5. Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and stir the whole thing by hand with a rubber spatula until fully incorporated.

6. Fold in the chilled whipped cream. Continue folding until fully incorporated.

7. Pipe on cake.

And voilà! How easy was that? Needless to say that for a better chocolate mousse, you must use the best possible chocolate. That being said, I regularly use the dark chocolate bars from the baking section of my supermarket and the result was just as great.

Enjoy!

Apple crumble cake

Fall is, hopefully, just around the corner! It’s my favorite season: not too cold outside but just cool enough to wear warm cozy clothes, the air feels fresher and the tree leaves change color into a beautiful fiery red. And, most importantly, we can finally go outside and have fun without feeling like we are melting from under the scorching sun. You might have guessed that summer is probably not my favorite time of the year. The heat is too extreme and the sun is way too strong!

I digress. With fall comes apples. Because I hate apple sauce and don’t particularly enjoy most apple pies or apple turnovers, people tend to think that I do not like apples. That is not true. I eat one every day after lunch. It’s crunchy, sweet and tart at the same time. It’s awesome! What I do not enjoy with some apple based dessert is that they take away what makes the apple so great: its crunchiness. I want my apples to still have a bite! Also, there is something with apples that make people go crazy with the cinnamon. Personally, I find the taste of cinnamon to be overwhelming. If you use too much, you will not taste anything else but the cinnamon. Cinnamon is like bananas. If you put too much of it in a recipe, that’s all you’re going to taste afterwards. Then, what’s the point?

But, I digress again… My favorite dessert to bake during fall is the apple crumble cake. That cake is great because you can eat it guilt-free anytime during the day, from breakfast to late-night snack. Like most of my desserts, I prefer to make small individual portions rather than a big one. It’s a question of aesthetics and practicality. Big cakes are only pretty before you cut them. Afterward, they turn into a crumbling mess. Also, they take forever to bake. Smaller, individual portions not only stay pretty but also guaranty that everybody get an equal amount. So no jealousy.

It took a while to find the perfect recipe for my taste; I had to mix a few recipes together and, after a few trials and error, this one is my favorite so far.

Apple crumble cake

Makes 8 rectangular mini cakes or 14 to 16 muffin-size cakes

INGREDIENTS

Crumble

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar

• 1 tbsp granulated sugar

• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Cake

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream) room temperature

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature

• 1/2 cup roasted pecans, chopped

• 2 green apples, peeled and cubed

• 1/2 a lemon

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.

2. Grease the tin of your choice (mine makes 8 individual 9 x 6 x 3.5 cm rectangular cakes) and coat it with granulated sugar.

3. Start by making the crumble: in a bowl, combine the sugars, cinnamon and melted butter. Then stir in the flour, using a fork. Mix until all the ingredient are incorporated. The crumble will be dry and thick, and if big chunks are forming, good! They’re the best! Set the bowl aside.

4. Peel the apples and chop them into cubes. Most recipes will ask you to make sure that all the cubes are the same size. That allows you to make sure that all the apple pieces will bake equally. However, I don’t care for that. I just peel and cut the apples up. If the cubes are not the same size, what you will get is more texture! Some apple pieces will be softer while others will keep their crunch. Drizzle the juice of half a lemon over the apples and mix thoroughly so they don’t turn brown while you prepare the rest of the cake. Set aside.

5. Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars with a stand mixer, at medium-high speed until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.

6. Scrape down the sides and add the eggs one at the time. Beat well after each addition.

7. Add the vanilla extract and yogurt. Beat at medium-high speed until incorporated, 2 minutes.

8. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

9. Add the flour and the milk to the mixture in alternative steps, starting with the flour. Mix until just combined.

10. Gently fold in the apples and the pecans.

11. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

12. Spoon the crumble on top of the batter and slightly press it down into the batter with your hands. This step is important because it prevents the crumble from falling out of the cake while it bakes.

13. Bake until golden brown, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

14. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool down. Then, carefully remove the cakes from the pan and transfer them on a wire rack so they cool completely.

Look at that crumble on top! Doesn’t it look delicious? The big chunks are the best!

VARIATIONS

If you enjoy the taste of cinnamon, you could add more to the crumble and add a teaspoon into the batter mixture (or more to taste). What you could also do is, in step 2, mix some cinnamon with the granulated sugar and use that mixture to coat the pan!

If you want to add a little something to your cake, caramel sauce or a simple vanilla glaze (confectioners' sugar mixed with cream and vanilla extract) will do the trick. But if you’re tired or feel lazy, go for a generous scoop of good vanilla ice cream!

Enjoy!

Vietnamese coffee ice cream

My childhood memories are mostly food related. Tastes and smells often trigger something deep in my mind, taking me back in time. My fondest memory revolved around my father and his ice coffees. Every day during summertime, he would make himself one and, if I'm good, he'd make one for me too. Didn't matter how young I was, didn't matter that I wasn't even old enough to go to school yet, I was already drinking coffee! These sort of things never bothered my parents, and or that, I'm grateful! 

My father usually made a simple instant coffee with ice cubes. He'd make his black and he would put some sugar in mine. But, when he's in a good mood or when he feels fancier, he'd go to the store and buy a can of condensed milk. I loved these cans! Still do! What is he doing with the condensed milk? Well, Vietnamese ice coffee, of course! Also known as cà phê đá (cà phê = coffee and đá = ice), Vietnamese ice coffee, along with staples such as the Banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) are the perfect result of the effect of French colonialism on Vietnamese culture. 

There are different variations but typically, you make a Vietnamese coffee by pouring some condensed milk at the bottom of your glass, then pour freshly brewed coffee on top. Add ice cubes, mix the whole thing together and enjoy! On very hot days, my father would substitute the condensed milk for vanilla ice cream, and I'm in heaven! 

My father would make these coffees out of nostalgia. He was homesick and sipping this refreshing cold drink reminded him of home. The other day I was myself also feeling nostalgic and decided to revisit one of my childhood favorites. Anyone who knows me well would tell you that although I love baking, my absolute all-time dessert of choice is ice cream. I worship ice cream! Can't have enough and I would eat them at any time of the year. Who said they were just for summer? Anyways, it was a hot summer day and I realized that I hadn't had a Vietnamese coffee in decades. Even though I started drinking coffee at a very young age, I did not grow up to be a coffee maniac. One cup a day in the morning is enough for me. Since I just bought myself an ice cream machine, I decided to combine my favorite childhood treat with my favorite dessert, and behold, the Vietnamese coffee ice cream!

The result was extremely satisfying! It tasted like my early childhood, it was refreshing and the coffee still had a kick (I was concerned all the ice would have diminished its effect).

So, if you're looking to make something different this summer, why don't you give this one a try? Plus, it's super easy to prepare!

Vietnamese coffee ice cream

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cup of good freshly brewed coffee
• 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 2/3 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, mix together the coffee, condensed milk, and cream until combined. Cover and chill the mixture overnight.
2. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover and freeze until firm.

That's it! How easy was that? I like to sprinkle some ground coffee in the mixture in step 3 because I enjoy the little crunch. If that's not your cup of tea, leave it like that or add a few dark chocolate chips if you like. Even better, melt the chocolate and pour it in the ice cream machine, when the ice cream is almost ready. If your machine does not allow that, pour it in the mixture in step 3 and delicately mix a little bit. The melted chocolate will freeze into fine and delicate strands. The end result would be more refined than just chocolate chips.

Note: If the coffee is too strong for you, use 1 cup of brewed coffee instead of 1 1/2. 

Enjoy!

Coconut macaroon nests

This is probably the easiest and most fun dessert to make! And, it only requires very few ingredients, so how great is that? 

These coconut macaroon nests can be made all year round but I like to make them around Easter so I can use those tiny Cadbury chocolate eggs as decorations! The nests are perfect for family gatherings and/ or activities. Grownups and kids alike just love preparing them as much as they enjoy eating them! 

The macaroon nests are crunchy with a chewy center, and the coconut pairs perfectly with the chocolate ganache in the middle. Coconut and chocolate are among the best food pairings there are! Alone they are great but together? They are just awesome! 

Coconut macaroon nests

Makes 12 nests

INGREDIENTS

Crust

• 2 cups of shredded unsweetened coconut
• 3 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

Ganache

• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1/8 tsp salt

Optional

• Mini Cadbury chocolate eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease the muffin tin cups.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together egg whites, sugar, vanilla and salt until the mixture is frothy or foamy, 2 minutes.
4. Add the coconut to the egg white mixture and mix until the coconut is evenly moistened. 
5. Drop 2 tbsp of the mixture into each prepared liners or into each muffin tin cups.
6. Delicately press the mixture down and up the sides of each cups, so it looks like a nest.
7. Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
8. Let the coconut nests cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. While the nests are cooling, prepare the ganache.
10. In a microwave safe bowl, add the semisweet chocolate and the cream and heat for 1 minute. 
11. Whisk together until completely combined.
12. Add the salt and whisk.
13. If there a still a few chunks of chocolate left, heat for 30 seconds. Then, whisk some more until smooth.
14. Once the nests are completely cool, fill each of them with the ganache. 
15. Decorate each coconut nest with a few chocolate eggs.

And voilà! The cutest little coconut nests ever! 

Variations

Instead of the ganache, you can also save time and use Nutella but personally, I find Nutella a bit too sweet. If you are not a fan of the chocolate ganache, you can just serve the coconut nests with only the chocolate eggs inside. Or, replace the ganache with jam!

Enjoy and have a very happy Easter!