Yummyaourt

My new project

2011-12-01T20:34:00.003Z

Hi there,

Time for some news.

I am currently working on a project that I hope to launch some time in the new year (and which will replace yummyaourt). Something more like a food magazine than a blog with an emphasise on food styling and photographs. For the rest, you'll just have to wait until its launch :)

To know when it will be up and running, keep visiting yummyaourt.

In the meantime, enjoy the mince pies, mulled wine and everything about Christmas. Indulge!

HLM ou gateau aux petits beurre

2011-05-08T18:51:00.007+01:00

Here we are, 9 months since my last post. I should be ashamed of even mentioning how long it has been. But I have some pretty good reasons to explain my behaviour.
So what happened in those 9 months.....

.... a baby has joined our little family of two just a week before Christmas. I think this was the most amazing Christmas present I could have ever thought of. Not to mention how busy have been since his arrival.
.... a Masters in Culinary Arts. Not quite finished but I am getting there.
.... a cake or I should say my mamie's (nan's) cake from my childhood. We called it a HLM with my sisters. I am not sure it even has a name.

A HLM is not what you could call your typical cake. It doesn't require baking, doesn't even require a cake tin. It's closer to Delia's philosophy than Nigel's I guess. And yet it tastes really nice. The taste of my childhood.

My mamie is a great cook but she has never been as keen on cooking cakes as she was on making (yes, making and from scratch) foie gras or confit de canard. So there were only a handful of desserts she used to make : merveilles, iles flottantes, pastis landais and the HLM.
Her HLM consists of petit beurre soaked in coffee then layered with a moka butter cream. It's really simple to make but requires being chilled for a few hours for the butter cream to set.

I have overdecorated my last one as this cake always reminds me of the 80's.

It may not be the most decadent, exuberant and trendy cake but it is terribly moreish.

Have a little thought for your nan; bake a cake in her memory.

Bleu, bleu le ciel de Provence

2011-05-04T13:36:00.013+01:00

The sun always shines while holiday. And it seems to be brighter and warmer in the South of France. It may be due to the food there or the smells or ce je ne sais quoi which is what makes France.... well France. Anyway, our week in Provence was sweet and charming. It was nice to take some time doing nothing or not much and take the day as it comes.

Of course, by "doing nothing" I obviously don't mean nothing at all. I still managed to make a cake with what was on offer in the apartment we rented. No flour, no blender, no yeast, some sugar cubes, a little butter and some rather nice dark chocolate and bananas and ground almonds. And yet, I couldn't resist the urge of experimenting with was I had available. It may not have been my best shot but it tasted nice enough.... or was it the taste of the holiday that made it edible?

The fruits of my labour. Dan Lepard's simple milk loaf

2010-08-30T17:16:00.013+01:00

I am in preparation mode.

With (only) 3 1/2 months before the arrival of our baby, I have decided to get ready while I still have time. Bank holiday weekends, and weekends in general have also meant baking. Ever heard of Sunday afternoon cake making? Nothing unusual really. Except that this weekend I thought that it would be a good time to start filling up my cupboards with lots of yummy homemade food stuff. Preserves was what came first to my mind. I just needed to order the right equipment.So Saturday morning was all about tomato sauce. 3kg of tomatoes (to be accurate) following my lovely mamie's (nan's) recipe. As I am not especially good at following recipes to the letter, I had to add a few extra ingredients: one them being herbs. And a lot of them.
5 pots are now in my larder stored and waiting for me to be baby-busy.
Sunday morning was jam making morning. With a little pre-preparation the day before (my mum also says that the fruits should marinade with the sugar overnight) I kept myself and the bump busy for a couple of hours.
I decided to make a seasonal jam. A Plum jam using 2 different types of plums: Victoria plum and Golden plum (also called yellowgage) flavoured with vanilla pods. Nothing too fancy but being a jam novice, I better stick to simple recipes.
After a little bit of skimming, stirring, tasting and canning, here I am now ready for winter with my 6 jars of "end of summer" sunshine.

Bank holiday Mondays often feel like Sundays. That's maybe why I had to bake something that would scent the whole house with cosy feel. Bread is best for that. It's comforting, delicious and so satisfying especially when it evolves a lot of kneading. I absolutely love this.
I have been reading Dan Lepard's columns for quite a while now and I usual go for his cake recipes. With the exception of today. Simple milk loaf is what I fell for.

What you need to make Dan Lepard's Simple milk loaf.
For one big loaf

250f of plain flour
250g of wholemeal bread flour
20g of golden syrup
1 1/2 tsp of fresh yeast (or 1 sachet of fast action yeast)
350ml of whole milk
1 1/4 tsp of sea salt

In a bowl mix together all the ingredients apart from the sea salt. Moving onto a clean floured surface, knead the dough slightly. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Add the salt to the dough and knead once more for 10 to 15 seconds. Dan Lepard's technique is simple but effective: knead the dough briefly for 10-15 seconds then leave to rest for 10 minutes and repeat the same action twice more.

Leave the dough to rest for about 30 minutes. It should rise slightly.

Knead once again for a good 8-10 minutes on a floured surface.

Leave to proof in a greased bowl for at least 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Now you want to knock the air out of the bread. Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes without being afraid of being brutal. Divide into 2 equal balls. Flour and butter a loaf dish and put both doughs inside. Leave them to proof until almost doubled (30 minutes should do).

Preheat the oven to 210ºC (gas mark 6-7). Brush the doughs with a little milk and bake at this temperature for 30 minutes then lower the oven to 180ºC (gas mark 5) for another 25 to 30 minutes.

If you are like me and are impatient to taste the fruit of your labour, cut yourself a nice thick slice while still warm. Spread with a good knob of unsalted butter- butter helps bring out the milky flavour of the bread- and add some jam. Plum jam for me. Perfect way to end a long weekend.
x

Coming soon! Craving ≠1: English pounder cake

2010-06-13T18:57:00.001+01:00

Good Spring everyone!

Soon to come on Yummyaourt is my English Pounder Cake served with creme fraiche and berry sauce.

After reading this article on the Guardian website, I couldn't help myself but think about how nice baking a rich, buttery cake would make the packing of our flat. Moving in is great. Moving out is, well, not as great. Living between boxes is not what I call a relaxing environment to live in. But thanks to Andy Connelly and his magical words on the science behind the making of a cake, I have found packing less stressful today.

So please bare with me a few days. I first need to taste the cake to make sure it is suitable to be posted.... . Once that's done and the packing almost coming to an end, I promise to tell you all about it.

xx

Hello sun! Ginger and chocolate spring cake

2010-04-18T17:47:00.032+01:00

Ginger or not ginger is the question I have been asking myself all this morning. My tastebuds are craving for something a little sharp, a little sweet, a little fresh and very tasty. But the local shops said "no" to my desire. No ginger said the man. So here I am, leaving the shops empty handed and disappointed. Catastrophe!

I really fancied that cake. "So what amI going to bake now?" I asked myself until... eureka, here appears a little pot of glacé ginger at the back of my larder.

Ginger cake, te voila.
So to welcome Spring, the sun and anything that I like, I am thinking of marrying Mr Ginger to Miss Chocolate. Odd marriage? Maybe until you've tried this cake.
Hello sun!
What you need to make this Hello sun! Ginger and chocolate spring cake.
Serves 6

100g of black treacle
50g of fairtrade light brown sugar
85g of unsalted butter
75g of cubed glacé ginger
1 free range egg, beaten
100ml of semi skimmed milk
225g of sift plain flour
1tsp of bicarbonate of soda
1 pinch of salt
100g of dark chocolate

Preheat your oven to 180ºC/ gas mark 4.

In a saucepan large enough to contain all the ingredients, put the black treacle, sugar, butter and ginger. Heat on a low heat until completely melted. Stir well to combine.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and leave to cool for a couple of minutes.

Add the milk. Stir well.

Add the bicarbonate of soda, salt and sift flour (little by little). Mix well until the flour is completely incorporated.

Add the chocolate, broken into pieces and leave to melt, stirring occasionally.

Put the mixture into a buttered 450g loaf tin and place in the oven.

Leave to bake for about 45 minutes. The cake will be ready when a skewer comes clean from the center of the cake.

Leave to cool.

Best enjoyed when the sun is out.
x

En attendant les cloches. Mini Easter surprises

2010-03-26T17:54:00.013Z

Easter is at our doorstep.

I really love this time of the year not only because I can hear the birds while cycling back home after a day of work. No, this is not the only reason why I love Easter. I also like it because it means my birthday is coming- and I absolutely love birthdays (mine or not). And it is also a sign of the trees about to blossom, the smell of mimosa and lily of the valley and the arrival of that tickling, warm sun. A fresh, warm start.
To celebrate this time of the year and the people I love most or really like, I am about to make them some little treats. I have found them while browsing some of my favourite blogs and fell for them straight away. I hope you will feel the same.

En attendant les cloches.

To make these mini Easter surprises you'll need: (I am going large as I want to make 10 little bags to give to friends. You can easily half the measures).

300g of almonds, skin on
300g of sugar
300g of plain dark chocolate (please use a fairtrade chocolate: it tastes better when it is ethically sourced)
150g of white chocolate (add a little milk if the chocolate doesn't melt properly)
Some icing sugar (optional) and cocoa powder to sprinkle

1 tsp of cinnamon
2/3 tsp of cardamom
2/3 tsp of nutmeg
1/2 tsp of aniseed (green aniseed if prefered but here I am using normal star aniseed)

In 2 separate bowls, melt the dark and white chocolate. Leave to cool.

Place 200g of sugar with 4 tsp of water in a saucepan and heat until the syrup starts bubbling (do not let it caramelised).
Remove from the heat and add the almonds. Stir well with a wooden spoon until the almonds are fully coated with the sugary syrup. The syrup will solidify to a white consistency.

Remove the almonds from the pan leaving the syrup inside. Add the remaining sugar with another 4tsp of water to the syrup and leave to cook until the caramel takes a light shade of brown.

Once the caramel has reached the right colour, remove from the hob and put the almonds back in the saucepan. Stir with the wooden spoon until perfectly coated. Remove them from the pan and leave to cool on a flat baking tray (I have used baking paper here instead of a baking tray).

Place the coated almonds in a large bowl.

Check the melted chocolates. They should be about 25ºC. The chocolates should be cool enough to prevent the almonds from sticking to each other.

Start with the dark chocolate.
Spoon one tablespoon of chocolate at a time over the almonds. Stir until all the chocolate has completely covered the almonds. Repeat the process until you've used all the dark chocolate.
Add half of the spice mix and stir well.
Repeat with the white chocolate.

Once the chocolate has been fully absorbed, carry on stirring until the almonds take a nice round shape.

In a separate bowl, mix the cocoa powder with the remaining half of the spices. Add the almonds to the mix and stir well until totally covered in cocoa powder. If you decide to use icing sugar, take a few almonds out of the cocoa/spices mix and place them in the sugar. Stir well as before. You will now end up with a mix of black and white almonds.

Leave to set for at least an hour.

Remove the excess cocoa powder and icing sugar and place the almonds in your little bags.

Offer them to those you cherish or just really like. They will put a smile on their face.

Joyeuses Pacques!
x

En attendant les cloches. Mini Easter surprises

2010-03-26T17:37:00.004Z

Easter is at our doorstep. So, to please the ones I love most or even just really like, I am planning to make some little Easter surprises this weekend. It will involve a pinch of sugar, a handful of almonds, a drop of chocolate and a good measure of love.

Be patient, it is coming soon to Yummyaourt. While you want, how about making some little cotton bags to put our mini lovely Easter surprises in?

x

1,2,3 mix, bake, eat or Nigella's super easy bread loaf

2010-02-13T19:19:00.011Z

I am not going to go by "quatre chemins" (literally straight to the point): this bread is one of the easiest to make. I must thank Nigella Lawson for it.

Because it is so easy and quick to make, so should be the recipe.
A vos marques!

To make this 1, 2, 3 mix, bake and eat bread loaf you'll need:

200g of sugar free muesli (I use Alpen Muesli)
325g of wholemeal bread flour
1 x 7g sachet of fast action bread yeast
1 tsp of sea salt
250ml of semi-skimmed milk
250ml of water

1. MIX
In a large bowl mix together the muesli with the flour, the yeast and the salt.
Add the milk and water and stir. The mixture should be the same consistency as thick porridge.
Pour the mixture to a greased bread loaf tin and place in a cold oven.

2. BAKE
Turn the oven on to 110ºC/ gas mark 1/4 and leave to cook for 45minutes.
Once these first 45 minutes are up, turn up the heat to 180ºC/ gas mark 4 leave to cook for 1 hour.
Remove the cake out of the tin (being careful not to burn your hands) and give it a little knock underneath: it should sound hollow. If it doesn't, put back in the oven for a few extra minutes.

3. EAT
I love this bread for breakfast with a good dollop of butter and some jam (marmalade or raspberry especially). Nutella also works well.

The End.

This one is for Victoria. So easy you don't have any excuse not to make it. x

Little bee and sweet melody: gluten-free orange and lemon polenta cake

2010-01-28T15:15:00.011Z

They are several reasons why I love cooking.

It relaxes me- as long as I don't have to cook for a whole regiment too often- and it makes me happy. I love homemade food maybe more than food served in restaurants. Actually, a recent visit to the absolutely amazing Claridge's in London could prove me wrong ( if I was a rich girl, I would dine there every week).

So I was saying, homemade cook food is (to rare exceptions) the best.
Another reason why I love cooking is for the compliments. There is nothing better than being complimented when serving a made from scratch 3 course meal to an audience of hungry friends. And I don't tell you about the joy of seeing their faces when comes dessert. This really makes me happy.

But satisfying everyone is not always easy and requires preparation.

About 2 weeks ago, I was faced with the challenge to cook a gluten- free meal when 2 of our lovely friends came for dinner. Dessert was the tricky part. After a good week of research, I came up with the desire to bake a Gluten-free Orange and Honey Polenta Cake. A mix of different recipes using ingredients I love: honey and orange blossom water. I served this sweet treat with a homemade yogurt perfumed with northern African flavours.

The result put a smile on our faces: there wasn't much left of the cake at the end of the evening.

To make this Little Bee and Sweet Melody polenta cake you'll need:
Serves 6 to 8

220g of butter
220g of unrefined caster sugar
120g of almonds
3 large free range eggs
200g of polenta (organic is preferred)
1 lightly heaped tsp of baking powder
A zest + juice of a finely grated orange
A splash of orange blossom water

For the syrup
The juice of an orange
4 tbs of honey
The juice of 1 lemon
(2 tsp of sugar: optional)

Line the base of a nonstick, loose-bottomed cake tin (about 20cm in diameter) with a piece of baking parchment. Heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.

In a food mixer, beat the butter with the sugar until combined and light.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs lightly and add them to the butter and sugar mixture.
Add in the polenta and the baking powder; mix gently. Now add the orange zest, orange blossom water and the orange juice. Mix well until combined.

Transfer the cake mixture to the lines tin then smooth the surface.

Bake for about 30minutes or until the blade of a knife comes up clean from the cake. The cake should be of a nice golden colour.

In the meantime, make the syrup.
In a stainless-steel saucepan on a low heat, put the orange and lemon juices. Bring to the boil and add the honey. Keep boiling until the liquid has formed a thin syrup. If this doesn't happen after 5 minutes, add some caster sugar.

Now, the cake should be ready and still warm (in its tin). Spikes holes in it with a skewer and spoon over the hot syrup. Let it cool before taking it out of its tin.

Serve with greek yogurt.

Take a look at your guests' faces. They should be smiling at this point.

Inspired from Nigel Slater's Honey and polenta cake with elderflower and gooseberries.

9th January is detox!

2010-01-09T18:25:00.000Z

Christmas is always a fantastic time which seems to make people happier and cheerful. I like that!
Eating lots of cheese with a glass of port, drinking mulled wine after a cold pre-winter day. But what I especially like about December is that it is the month for mince pies. We usually have our first on the 1st December and the last one, whenever we get sick of them. I guess we are now starting to feel this way!

It is now January and it's cold, snowy and the only thing I feel like eating at the moment is comfy food. Warm stews, porridge and lots of piping hot herbals and teas. I am definitely not a winter girl!

So really, what I should be making today is a nice indulgent cake. Warm oven, satisfying piece of sweetness and comfort. A cake should be what I need. But I think I'll leave this to tomorrow.
Why?

Don't forget it is January and that I've been indulging for the past weeks. So 9th January is detox! Fruit lassi is the cure. A mix of yogurt, mango, passion fruit and some vanilla pod should give me enough vitamins to fight any undesirable cold. Detox and prevention, all in one drink.

10th January is back to the normal life: Sunday baking!
x

The quiet before the storm or Shortbreads in 2 ways.

2010-01-08T15:41:00.000Z

The past two and a half years have been a kind of break between studying History of Art and working out what I really want to do with my life. This may sound like an existential question a lot of us have been asking ourselves at some point in our life. The good news is that I have found my way. The bad - not as bad as it sounds- is that it is going to be a little more difficult than expected. Not surprising really.

The question I have been asking myself so many times was: "what do you really like and want to do"(in fact I was more like, think, think think!!!). And finally, I found the answer "Food, eating, cooking and running my own business". The greatest news is that I can combine some, if not all of them into one project. The idea is yet a secret and will be revealed later on (once I am sure it is possible). "Don't try to run before knowing how to walk" said my maman. I guess she was right.

So to get where I want to be I have to go back to "school". And you know what, I am really excited about it; a Master in Culinary Arts. Yep, sounds exactly like what I need. It promises to be hard and rewarding and in two years my project should come to life. I am positive.

In the meantime, before things become to hectic I can't resist the call of my new kitchen. Afternoon baking is a real therapy.
The quiet before the storm or Shortbreads in 2 ways: vanilla and hazelnut.
(Note you will have to leave the dough to rest for 1 hour or overnight)

What you'll need to make the shortbread:
Makes 25 to 28 shortbreads
100g of caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
200g of unsalted butter, softened
300g of plain flour, sifted
1 pinch of salt
50 of ground hazelnuts
1/2 vanilla pod, halved lengthways

In a bowl or food processor, mix together the butter and sugar until lightly creamed. Once done, add the sieved flour and salt and mix until the preparation crumbles.

Now divide the mix in two equal portions.

In the first one, add the ground hazelnuts. Mix everything to a soft long dough (your shortbreads once cut will take the shape of a circle). Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for a minimun of an hour.

To de-seed the vanilla pod, use a sharp knife and scrap the vanilla pod lengthways. Add the seeds to the second half of the mixture and as above mix everything to a soft dough. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for a minimum of an hour.

After an hour or more, take both dough out of the fridge and cut them lengthway. You should get around 25 to 28 circles each roughly 1cm thick. Place them on a greased baking tray 2 to 3cm apart from each other.

Preheat the oven to 160ºC or gas mark 3.

Sprinkle with some sugar and leave to stand for 10 minutes.

The final step: bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Once cooked, leave them to stand for an other 10 minutes and then ENJOY with a nice cup of tea or coffee.

Inspired by Delicious. Magazine, Vanilla Shortbreads.

Christmas is in the air!

2009-12-17T14:40:00.004Z

Ho, ho, ho!

I can't tell you how much I love Christmas. English Christmas, French Noël I love them both.

This is one of the reasons why I haven't fed Yummyaourt in a long time with new recipes. I have been far too busy with my course and planning what to cook on the big day. This will have to remain a secret until the 25th December.

I can only reveal the dessert: mince pies à l'anglaise and canelés à la Bordelaise. To be seen soon at Yummyaourt.com.

I can't say more but believe me it should be worth the wait.

Joyeux Noël and see you in a few days.

x

Apple and Spices Chutney

2009-11-01T13:19:00.012Z

Autumn has finally arrived!

Now that days are getting shorter and trees are rapidly changing into their winter outfit (I should say naked really), it's time for comfy food.

What we love to do when we feel lazy but indulgent is to get lots of cheese (Paxton and Whitfield or Neal's Yard Dairy are my favourite in London), some great wine and a jar of chutney. I know this combination doesn't really fit into the "Cakes, yogurts and anything sweet" category that describes Yummyaourt. Yet, chutney is one of those foods that brings a wonderful sweet and savoury note to any cheese. And since I had a lot of cooking apples left in my fruit bowl I fancied a variation to the usual apple pie that I made just a few days earlier.

What you will need to make an Apple and Spices Chutney:
Makes 2 to 3 jars
1kg of cooking apples, cored and chopped
1 medium to large red onion (225g), chopped
1 small cinnamon stick
1 cardamom, open
1 nutmeg mace
1 pinch of Cayenne pepper
1 good pinch of sea salt
200g of muscovado sugar
140g of brown sugar
700ml of cider vinegar
110g of sultanas (optional)

A small piece of muslin cloth

Place the opened cardamom, the cinnamon stick and the nutmeg mace in the muslin. Tie it with a knot.

In a non-stick pan, place all the ingredients (including the muslin) and bring very gently to a boil. Make sure that the sugars dissolve properly.

Simmer for 1½-2 hours until the chutney has thickened, stirring from time to time.
It is ready when drawing a spoon across the surface leaves a definite track mark.

Turn into sterilised jars, seal and leave to cool.

Delicious with a mature cheddar.

Inspired from the BBC Food, Spiced Apple Chutney.

In the meantime.....

2009-10-15T17:51:00.004+01:00

A short update on what is going on is the life of Yummyaourt.

2 weeks ago was the start of my MA in Culinary Arts which, as I was warned, would be hard work. I don't remember who told me that, but it's true!

I mean, it is good "hard work". I am learning a lot of stuff about how to create, innovate and launch a food product. So much to take on board but it is definitely worth the effort.

Because days are only 24 hours (nothing new about that!) I haven't had much time to cook/ photograph/ photoshop/ post any recipe. Soooooorry!

Ok, ok I'll make something sweet this weekend. There is a Sugar High Friday round up this month about toasted dessert. May be worth a try. I keep you posted.

xx

The second best chocolate cake in my world

2009-09-16T16:54:00.006+01:00

They are so many chocolate cakes I love that I couldn't choose which one to be my number one. I still have so many to taste and discover! So declaring the cake I am about to share with you as best would be like giving up on my quest!

The reason why it took me so long to talk about that "second best chocolate cake in my world" is that we've been super busy here redecorating our flat (DIY is hard work). Days have been split between the flat, work and getting ready to start my MA in Culinary Arts (I'll talk about that an other day). So because every effort deserves reward, mine is going to be a big one! A brand new, bigger, wonderful kitchen is just about to be installed in our lovely refurbished flat. I can't wait! It also means I am finally going to be able to display my brand new food processor: the Kenwood Kmix52. A real piece of genius!

To inaugurate it I thought of making a cake. Fondant au chocolat? That was the idea until I discovered a "strange"chocolate cake recipe. Yep, strange! About 2 months ago while doing my daily reading of the Guardian I came across an article about cakes and vegetables. It mentioned a "healthy" chocolate cake using honey instead of sugar - healthier it said- and aubergine. At that point, I was really interested in knowing more about it and its health benefits. Impossible you may say. You are wrong! Apparently this cake can contribute to our of your 5 a day (not bad) and has far less calories (216 per slice) than my almost number one chocolate cake.

So I couldn't be happier this afternoon while making a "healthy"chocolate cake using my (I repeat) genius food processor.

To make "the second best chocolate cake in my world", you'll need:
400g of aubergines, cut in half
300g of plain chocolate (70% cocoa is best)
200g of clear honey
3 eggs
60g of ground almond
2 tbs of baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1tbs of brandy (I didn't have any so I substituted it with Amaretto)
a pinch of salt
50g of good quality cocoa powder+ extra for dusting

Steam the aubergines until really soft (it will take about 20minutes). Alternatively, place them in the microwave and cook on high for about 8 minutes. Once ready, discard any excess water and remove the skin. Mash the aubergines using a blender.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180ºC/ gas mark 4. Line a baking tin with greaseproof paper.

Once the aubergines are mashed, add the chocolate broken into pieces. The mash should be warm enough to melt the chocolate. Cover them with a lid or cling film until the chocolate has completely melted. Combine the two ingredients.

In a separate bowl, mix all the remaining ingredients together. Whisk up for a good minute until bubbly. Add the chocolate+ aubergine mixture and once again mix well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Once cooked, remove that lovely cake from its tin and place it on a rack or a plate to cool. Don't be tempted to its smell too soon, wait a little longer before tasting it (it gets better as it sets).
Sprinkle with some cocoa powder.

I now keep searching for the number one. If you have any idea where to find it, let me know.
Thank you!

Coming soon: the second best chocolate cake in my world

2009-09-14T20:44:00.005+01:00

Sorry for not posting anything in ages. We've been pretty busy here. I promise that the wait is worth a fantastic recipe discovered about a month ago.

My soon to come cake includes chocolate (hummmm), honey (hummm) and aubergine (oh!). Sounds strange, tastes out of this world!

See you in a few days.
xx

Sunday walk in the forest: Berry Clafoutis

2009-07-12T17:01:00.026+01:00

It's been a " good but can do better" summer so far here. Between the odd hot days and those where even the roads can't cope with the rain, I am not too sure what season we are in. It's Mister the oven who is happy! I am not forgetting it and today I am going to make good use of its abilities.

Berries and strawberries in particular are in season at the moment. The great things about them is that they taste at the best right now and are locally produced. Great low carbon footprint food!
This is one of the reasons why I thought of using them in a recipe that French people are usually fond of. A Clafoutis ("Un Clafoutis Aux Fraises Et Fruits Rouges" en français).

To make this Clafoutis for 4 to 6 people, you'll need:

a little butter
300g of strawberries, cleaned
400g of berries mix, cleaned (raspberries, blueberries, redcurrant, blackberries, etc...)
1 tbs of Amaretto (facultative)
3 free-range eggs
100g of plain flour
60g of caster sugar
1 sachet of vanilla sugar (alternatively, use some vanilla extract)
200ml of milk
1 tbs of double cream (facultative)
A good handful of flaked almonds

Preheat your oven to 180ºC.
Greaseproof a 20cm dish with butter and a little flour (to prevent the pudding from sticking).

Now, prepare your fruits.
They are 2 ways to do that.
The first is the easiest and the quickest: simply place the fruits heavenly on the bottom of the dish.
Sprinkle with half the vanilla sugar and half the flaked almonds. Et voila!

The second way takes a little longer but is worth it!
In a small frying pan, melt a knob of butter. When warm add the fruits, half the vanilla sugar sachet and the Amaretto if you feel like it. Leave to cook and bubble, as if you were on your way to make a jam.
Once the fruits are soft, place them in the dish. Sprinkle with half the flaked almonds
(...... Your fruits may have made a lot of syrup. Reserve for when you'll serve the Clafoutis or use to sweeten yogurts.)

Now the batter!
Your fruits are nice and ready to be gently covered with what will make our Clafoutis

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and the rest of the vanilla sugar. Make a well and add the eggs, one by one.
Finally add the milk, slowly. Stir well to allow all the ingredients to combine. If you've decided to add a touch of cream, now is time to add it.
What you get now is a crepe/ pancake-ish type of preparation.

Pour it over the fruits.
Sprinkle with the remaining flaked almonds.
Place in the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden.

Summer on a plate!

Afternoon tea on the Island of Gods

2009-06-13T14:45:00.015+01:00

First of all, my apology for not feeding Yummyaourt with any new recipe for the past, well 3 months!! Sounds like a long time but not too long to me since I have been extremely busy. Yes, I do have a good enough excuse for my lack of communication.

You see, I got married a month ago (ah, I wish I could travel back in time) which is why I didn't post anything for a while. On top of that, I got married in Bali where we spent the most amazing 3 weeks of our lives. My friends, if you are looking for lots of sun (and sweat), beautiful and chaleourous people,amazing landscapes and great snorkel and of course FANTASTIC FOOD you are only 18 hours away from there. It's definitely worth the journey.

So to share a slice of my wonderful holiday I would like to introduce you to this lovely sweet treat Balinese people call Klepon. This little snack is made from sticky (also called glutinous) rice flour, water and a natural green colouring made from soaked padan leaves.

Once shaped into a well (see photo), these little green dumplings are stuffed with palm sugar syrup then closed and thrown for a few minutes into boiling water.

Klepon are usually served warm topped with grated coconut.

The hotel were we stayed for our honeymoon served Klepon with an apple and raisin spring roll and custard. A real treat!

SHF ≠53 The taste of time: Madeleines

2009-03-15T21:39:00.028Z

This month Sugar High Friday takes us to our culinary history and heritage.

I've decided to choose one of our French national sweet treats, Madeleines. They are little pieces of pleasure to which pretty much every French person has been introduced from a very early age. Here is how it started.

Once upon a time, the story of Madeleines.
Madeleine came originally from Commercy, a little town in the North East of France.

The story says that in 1755, King Stanislas of Poland invited for dinner the philosopher Voltaire and Madame de Chatelet to his chateau de Commercy. In order to impress his guests, he asked his lady chef Madeleine to make a dessert never made before. She served them delicious little cakes in the shape of a little dome. The King loved them so much he sent a box to his daughter the Queen Marie (Louis XV's wife) at the chateau de Versailles. The little cakes were enormously appreciated by the Queen who decided to call them Madeleine, in respect to the modest lady who created them.

Makes between 22 and 25 madeleines
(Please note you are advised to leave the mixture to rest for about 2hours. It's just an advice so you don't need to follow it but if you do, you'll get a much nicer texture. Good things take time and love).

So you'll need:
3 eggs
250g of plain flour
200g of caster sugar
125g of butter, melted
1 tablespoon of plain yogurt (you can also use 5cl of milk instead)
1 sachet of vanilla sugar
2 teaspoons of raising powder
Some natural flavours (orange blossom water, vanilla extract, earl grey tea, etc)

In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt (or milk), sugar, eggs, flour, raising powder and the vanilla sugar. Stir till smooth.

Now add the melted butter and mix for a good minute until you get a smooth texture.

Add your flavours if you've decided to have some. 2 tablespoons should be enough but feel free to adjust according to your taste. Personally, I love a dominant flavour of orange blossom water.

Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave to stand in a warm room for about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 220ºC.

Half fill your madeleine tray (I found mine at John Lewis, UK). You can also use mini muffin tins; the shape will be different but the taste will be the same.

Bake each tray for about 6 minutes or until lightly brown.

You can either enjoy warm or cold. Madeleines are also great served with custard or ice cream.

I love Friday treats!

Please check The Domestic Goddess where Sugar High Fridays started and In My Box where it continues.

Homemade cream yogurt cheesecake

2009-03-01T16:31:00.017Z

Homemade cream yogurt cheesecak
Serves 6 to 8
10 Digestives biscuits ( any butter biscuits will do)
50g of melted butter
About 600g of cream cheese (I have used some homemade cream yogurt)
170g of sugar
2 eggs
2 tbs of plain flour
1 pot (142ml) of soured cream (you can also use some double cream or mascarpone+ a touch of milk)
Some vanilla extract
Some fruits (blueberries, raspberries....) to serve with .

First preheat the oven to 180ºC (gas mark 4).

In a bowl, crush the biscuits to a rough powder. Add the melted butter and mix well. Place the preparation into a 20cm cake tin or in 6 individual cake rings. Press the biscuits crumbs well onto the bottom of the dish.

Bake quickly for 5 minutes. Once this is done, leave to cool for a few minutes.

In the meantime, place all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well until you get a smooth, light and fluffy mixture.

Poor it onto the prebake biscuit base and bake for about 40 minutes or until brown. The middle should be a little unstable.

Leave to cool for a little while.

This cake is delicious served with a berry coolis.

*Homemade cream yogurt: I usually try to make a lot of yogurt at the same time and strain about half of it for 2 days. What you get is very similar to cream cheese. The difference being that you know what exactly goes into your cream yogurt( not added salt or whatever they put in it) and it tastes great!

Adapted from the BBC Good Food baked cheesecake recipe.

How I fell in love with food: my first yogurt cake for SHF

2009-01-18T18:41:00.030Z

Before talking about the "history" of my cake, I would like to thank Rachel from Vampituity for choosing the theme of "Childhood Delights" for this month's Sugar High Friday. There was no way I would have missed this chance to talk about one of my favourite cakes. So thank you Rachel and also Jennifer from The Domestic Goddess (founder of Sugar High Friday).

Why I am so keen to talk about this cake is because it is the first cake I have learnt to make at the age of 5. The recipe has stayed engraved in my mind and I have never forgotten it. It must be thanks to this cake that I completely fell in love with food and cakes in particular.

The great thing about my "Gateau au yaourt" (yogurt cake) is that it can take lots of different shapes. It can be made in a square tin using chocolate and vanilla and be made as a marble cake. It can be cut in half and spread with either jam or melted chocolate (like a sandwich) or simply flavoured with vanilla and served with custard. It's the kind of versatile cake that can be adapted to any mood. Oh, before I forget it also TASTES GREAT!

My gateau au yaourt must be one of the simplest and quickest cakes to make in the world. So if you find a lonely pot of plain yogurt in your fridge, give it chance to be part of something exciting! For the record, I used a homemade plain whole milk yogurt I made the day before making this cake*.

So here we are now! Time to go back to my first encounter with baking. Sweet memories!

Gateau au yaourt (yogurt cake)
Serves 6 to 8
1 small pot (125g) of good quality yogurt (I have used a homemade one)
3 pots of plain flour
2 pots of sugar
3 eggs
About 2 teaspoons of baking powder
Some vanilla essence (or almond, lemon or anything you like)
1/2 pot of vegetable oil (alternatively you can use a good knob of butter)
Lots of good memories from your childhood

This is a rather quick cake to prepare and to cook which may be why it was the first cake I learnt to make while at primary school.

First, preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease a 20-21 cm round cake tin with butter.

In a large bowl, pour the yogurt and give it a little stir until smooth.

Add the sugar, stir once again and add the eggs one at a time. Whisk until you get a smooth consistency again.

Gently add the flour and baking power. Make sure to remove any lumps by whisking vigorously.

Once your cake preparation is nicely smooth add the vanilla essence (or the any other essence you like). Stir well before pouring your preparation in the cake dish.

Place in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until a the tip of a knife comes out clean.

Serve with some chocolate sauce or custard. Alternatively (my favourite version), cut the cake horizontally in the middle (as if you were making a sandwich). Pour some melted chocolate or some raspberry jam on the bottom half and close with its top half. Serve as is.

*I went on a day course on how to make yogurts ( I told you I love them!) in a farm in Somerset (check it out here) and brought more pots of delicious yogurts than you can imagine. I will tell you about that very special day in a later post.

Yummyaourt on a Christmas break.....back soon.

2008-12-21T16:49:00.004Z

Joyeux Noël everyone!

Sorry for not having posted any recipe for a little while but I haven't had much time to bake+eat (actually that's not really true) + take pictures (this on the contrary is true) of my creations. So here is one of my 2009 resolutions: make as many yogurts and cakes as one can possibly eat and (try) to put everything on Yummyaourt.

I also want to thank the few people who have visited my blog since its (recent) creation. I promise to make your future visits worth the detour.

Voilà, have a yummy and wonderful Christmas holiday and see you in the new year.

La nouvelle vague: ethical yogurts

2008-11-30T13:09:00.008Z

I love food and cakes especially. In fact, anything sweet or with chocolate makes me as happy as a child being asked to write his Christmas gifts list to the Père Noël. I just can't get enough of cakes!
On the other hand, I like being healthy too. Well, I'm a girl and like many of us I have to moderate my sweet tooth. My philosophy is eat yogurts to stay healthy, have some cakes to feel happy and get down to the gym if you are filling guilty. And it works! (for me, at least).

Yogurts are an essential part of my life. People sometimes find it strange but I think this is only because they don't know all the benefits yogurts can give them. And also because what's on the British market is not as exciting as what I'm used to finding in France (where I am from). So my solution to this is to make my own yogurts at home.

At the moment, I am searching for forgotten English fruits. Enough of raspberries and strawberries, I need to find new flavours! If you know about English forgotten fruits, please let me know. Here is your chance to make a French yogurt and cake lover happy!
You may wonder why not just make yogurts with exciting exotic fruits like passion fruits or kiwi. This is because:
. First, I am trying to use local products so as to support our farmers and producers here is England.
. Second, I am a little concerned, so are we all, about the environment and the impact humans have on it. I am not trying to be controversial; that wouldn't be me at all. I am just trying to make yogurts using ingredients that have a small impact on the environment.
That's how I want my homemade yogurts to be: good for us, good for the environment!
Well, it's not easy but I will get there. So if you have any suggestions, feel free to post them here.

I think I have said enough about yogurts. After all, today is Sunday and it's time to feel guilty so I am going to bake a cake! The recipe will be here soon.

Pretty in pink

2008-11-16T16:36:00.020Z

November is here with all its autumnal trimmings and seasonal fruits and vegetables. When it's cold and rainy outside, I always feel like staying warm at home and enjoying some homemade food. The smells of a casserole slowly cooking on the hob and a cake being baked are those little things that make November a bit more enjoyable.

This weekend I wanted to treat ourselves with a chocolate cake and also use one of November's favourite and most colourful vegetables: beetroot. Once combined they make a lovely, rich but delicate brownie.
You may wonder why use such a vegetable in a cake recipe! Why not, I mean carrot cake has successfully made its way onto our list of favourite British cakes. Chocolate and beetroot could become one of them. Beetroot brings a lovely pinkish colour and subtle sweet note to the cake and as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall "there's no tastier way to get your five a day than enrobing your veg in chocolate".

Chocolate and beetroot brownie
Serves 6 to 8

170g of good, dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
170g of unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus more for greasing
170g of caster sugar
2 free-range eggs
100g of sieved self-raising flour
170g of beetroot, boiled until tender, peeled and grated

First, preheat the oven to 180ºC (Gas mark 4). Grease a baking tin with a little butter or use baking paper instead.

Now place the chocolate broken into pieces and the butter in a heatproof dish and leave them to melt for a few minutes in the oven. Give them an occasional stir to make sure they both melt nicely.
In an other separate bowl, mix the whole eggs and the sugar until combined. Add the melted butter+ chocolate and stir gently but not for too long. Add the sieved flour and the grated beetroots. Once again mix all the ingredients together but don't over mix them or the brownie will toughen.

Finally, pour the preparation into the baking tin and bake for around 20 minutes. Be careful not to over cook the brownie. Once the cake is about to be cooked, push a knife in the middle of it. The blade should still be moist and covered with a little bit of mixture.
Leave to cool outside the oven before cutting it into squares.

Satisfying "healthier" brownie!

Adapted from the River Cottage Autumn.

Hackney Chelsea Bun for SHF

2008-10-25T19:56:00.059+01:00

We have this thing at work when Friday comes when we treat ourselves to something sweet. It's frequently me who brings the cakes or biscuits (no offense to my colleagues), or who just reminds everyone that it's their turn to do this. I call it the "Friday Treat".

So last month when I discovered SHF on the amazing Foodbeam blog, I wanted to know more. Once i discovered what it was, i thought why not contribute to it?

This month's subject is Spices. Just the sound of it reminds me of my last holiday in India with my sweet boyfriend (who, for the story, became my fiancé during that trip). So many memories and smells that I now associate with spices. An other place I have visited which has become my home 4 years ago is England. This country also has its own heritage when it comes to Spices. As such it didn't take me long to find a recipe for using spices. I thought Chelsea buns could do the trick!

Just to warn you, this recipe takes a little bit of time (about 3 to 4 hours from start to finish) so you have to love England and cakes (and English men!) to find the patience it. Although they may not be perfect the first time, the more you make them the better they'll become.

Makes 12 buns

For the ferment:
1 egg
215ml of warm water
25g of fresh yeast (as default, use dried fast action yeast)
125g of white flour
15g of sugar
For the dough:
400g of white flour
1 pinch of salt
75g of caster sugar
50g of softened butter
Some melted butter for brushing over
Some granulated sugar for sprinkling
Some ground cinnamon and nutmeg
75g of Sultanas (and or currants)

First you have to work on the ferment which is quick and easy.
Mix together the beaten egg with the warm water. Take out about 3 tablespoons of this liquid and mix them to the yeast to create a smooth paste.
Add the remaining liquid and slowly add the flour and the sugar. Stir everything well until you get a smooth batter.
Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Now your ferment is ready to be used, you have to work on the dough. This is, I think, the best part as you'll have to work on the dough using your hands.
In a mixing bowl, sieve the flour and create a well in the middle.
Pour into the well the sugar and slowly the ferment (who should have at least doubled in size).
Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved in the ferment.
Now, little by little draw in the flour and mix vigorously to make a soft dough.
Now it's time to dirty your hands!
Knead in the dough the softened butter (cut into cubes). You want to end up with a smooth, silky dough so you'll have to knead it for a few minutes. Even if this step is rather hard on the arms, I find it therapeutic!
Once you reach the desire consistency, leave the dough to rise for a good 45 minutes.

The final stage.
Knead the dough for few seconds in order to knock out any air bubbles trapped in it.
Roll it out on a flour surface to a rectangle of about 30 x 25cm (these measurements are just given to help you. No need to get your ruler out! Just do as you feel like).
Brush over the dough with the melted butter leaving a little line of about 2 cm on one of the narrowest side. This thin strip must be brushed with water.
Sprinkle some granulated sugar and the spices over the buttered rectangle (you can be generous with the amount of spices you'll sprinkle).
Disperse the sultanas (and/ or currants) over the dough. Same as above, be generous with the sultanas. If you feel 75g is not enough (or too much) adjust at your convenience.
Now is a delicate step.
Roll the dough tightly on itself starting from the opposite end of the water strip (this one will be used to seal the dough at the end).
Press the water strip onto the rolled dough.
Cut the rolled dough in about 12 pieces (2 to 3 cm thick).
Arrange them in a baking dish, cut side uppermost (sultanas facing you) with a little gap between each one (this will give them enough space to rise even more while cooking).
Leave to rise for an other 40 minutes (I told you these little buns take a long time to make).

Preheat the oven (220ºC/ gas mark 7).
Bake the buns for about 15 minutes or until brown.
As soon as they are cooked, sprinkle them with sugar.
Leave to cool down and separate them once they are almost cold.

Yummyaourt questionnaire

2008-10-19T14:21:00.002+01:00

Are you looking for my yogurt questionnaire? Don't worry it is still here.
While you're here, feel free to go around my recipes and leave a comment. I'd like to know what you think about Yummyaourt.

Merci!

What's in yogurt?

2008-10-19T12:06:00.013+01:00

Have I already talked about my love for yogurts? I am not too sure.

One of the great things about France are supermarkets. I know it may sound strange and doesn't really match my love for local, small shops but supermarkets are great for the yogurt lovers. You know how much French people like their food and how food is almost a "religion" for us. I remember when I was young, one of the highlights of my week was to go to the supermarket with my mum to do the weekly courses (shopping). It always bored her (it still does) but for me it was a great moment especially since I didn't have to pay for anything!

Now when I go back to a French supermarket I have to make my way to their yogurt shelves. Absolutely amazing! For the yogurt lovers, this is heaven! So many choices, types and brands to choose from... mousses, thick, creamy, low fat, flan, fruity, chocolate.......; this page wouldn't fit all of them.

One of the reasons why I love yogurts is simple: they are good for you.
First, they are a great source of Calcium and therefore essential to both children and adults, especially those with Osteoporosis problems. Then, they can be eaten by most lactose-intolerant people. This is because the fermentation process and the cultures used to set the milk into yogurt make the yogurt more digestible than milk.

Natural plain yogurts often have a dominant taste; you know, the one that gives you a strange face, "une grimace" as we would say in French. Without going into to much detail (Wikipedia will explain it better than me), the slight sour taste comes from the fermentation process. Without this step, milk on its own cannot make yogurt. What it needs is the addition of bacteria (cultures) which are usually a minimum of 2 (Streptococcus salivarius and Lactobacillus delbrueckii) (I know they look out if this world so don't bother remembering them! ) Once these funny named cultures are added, the milk is left to ferment under a constant temperature for about 10 hours. During this time the bacteria will release lactic acid which will cause the milk to set and become yogurt. By transforming lactose into lactic acid, the bacteria make yogurt more digestible to those who are lactose-intolerant.

In conclusion, don't be scared of eating yogurt. If you like them plain but you're not a big fan of its sour taste, mix it with jam or honey. If you really love them but are easily bored with what is on the British market, you've got 2 choices:
1. Go to a French supermarket, fill a big refrigerated van with yogurts and bring everything home.
2. Be patient while I experiment and post new yogurt recipes on my blog. Once posted you can have a go at making them.

Save the bees!

2008-10-19T10:00:00.001+01:00

More or less everyone knows that honey comes from honeybees but are we all aware that this rich nectar is getting rarer?

The amount of honey produce in the UK (and in the rest of the world) is directly linked to the weather during our Spring and Summer months. So no surprise that this year honey production is pretty small!

The reason why I want to make a small point about honey is first because I love it (on toast, in yogurt or just on my finger!) and because it is so important to the environment.
A few weeks ago I went to the Food and Drink Festival in Ludlow, Shropshire (if you love food, go there next year!). There I learnt a few things about honey which I didn't know before.
To keep it short, we need to love our honey and protect our bees. They are the ones who help pollination between plants and without them who knows what is going to happen to our natural environment?

Unfortunately, on top of scaring some of us they are the victims of several diseases, one of which is raising particular awareness - the Colony Collaspe Disorder (CCD). No one really knows what this is exactly and where it comes from. It is thought it could either come from a mite called Varroa destructor or be due to stress caused by the environment and weather. What is certain is that this years' production of honey is small.

What I want to say is please save our bees! If by any chance you speak to a beekeeper who asks you to sign a petition, do it. Most of them will be about asking DEFRA to put more money into researching this issue. But for the moment, try to find artisanal British honey (or French, if you happen to be in France). And believe me it is much, much nicer than its industrial cousin.

So please, help save our honey!

Old Style Apple Pie

2008-09-21T16:24:00.047+01:00

I am usually attracted to complicated and time consuming cake recipes. I love spending hours making them. But this weekend is a bit different. Not that I feel lazy and don't feel like making anything special (oh no, baking a cake is always a very special moment). Just that today I feel like making something hearty and simple (not too simple though) to try to impress the northern in-laws staying at home this weekend..

I am not very good at making pastries. The few times I tried I could never find the right consistency: too buttery, too crumbly or too chewy. In conclusion, not perfect at all.
So after many disastrous, so so experiments, I've finally managed to find The Recipe.

Serves 6 to 8
For the pastry:
2 x 200g of plain sieved flour
2 x 1 pinch of salt
2 x 150gof butter, softened
2 x 100g of caster sugar
2 x 1 sachet of vanilla sugar
2 x 1 whole egg
1 egg yolk for glazing
For the filling:
3 to 4 big cooking apples
Some sultanas, soaked and drained
good pinch of cinnamon
About 30g of ground almond

You can make the pastry by hand if you have a little more time than I have. I usually do but not this time. Today I am using a food mixer which is much quicker.

Have all the ingredients handy but DO NOT PEEL THE APPLES yet. Leave this step to the end otherwise your apples will darken.

First, make the pastry.
The reason why the ingredients are doubled is simple: we are making a pie so we need some pastry for the bottom and some for the top. I normally make one at a time as I am not too confident in making huge quantities at once.
So mix together on a medium speed the softened butter with the sugar and vanilla sugar. Once the mix starts to crumble, add the sieved flour and the pinch of salt. Mix once again without over doing it. After about 15 seconds, while still mixing, add the whole egg. Stop the machine as soon as all the ingredients have nicely bound together and formed a ball.

Place the dough of pastry in cling film in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour (2 hours are better).

After 1 hour (or 2 ), pre-heat the oven to 180ºC. Take one dough of pastry and roll it on a floured surface. Fill a deep 25cm pastry tin with the rolled pastry and baking paper filled with dried beans or rice. Pre-bake it for 40 minutes or until it starts to golden.

Then comes step 2. Dealing with the filling: easy peasy!
Soak the sultanas with some boiling water and a little dash of rum for about 30 minutes.

Now that one part of the pastry is almost ready, peel your apples. One way to prevent apples (along with other vegetables*) from darkening is to cover them with some lemon juice. This will keep them "fresh " for a few minutes.
Cut your peeled apples in little cubes and mix them with the cinnamon, ground almonds and the drained sultanas.

Take the first batch of pastry out of the oven and remove the baking paper and the beans. Leave to stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the base with a little bit of semolina (it will prevent it from being soggy) and fill it with the apples.
Roll the second piece of pastry, place it on top of the apples and pierce it with some holes. Brush it all over with the egg yolk and place in the oven for about 45 minutes to one hour.

Leave to stand for a little while and enjoy slightly warm with custard.
Pie sweet pie... comfort food.

* Avocados also darken once cut.

Nutella like yogurt

2008-08-31T16:09:00.018+01:00

Should yogurt be always plain or strawberry/ raspberry flavored? I say no! I mean I still love these famous and "traditional" yogurts (especially Rachel's organic or River Cottage yogurts... delicious) but why should yogurts always be the same?
They are so many different combinations that I feel I have the duty to experiment!

(Almost) every French person likes Nutella that's why today's recipe is based on this so special and yummy ingredient.

Makes about 4 pots

1/2l organic semi-skimmed milk (UHT whole also gives a great result)
1/2 pot of nice bio-live plain yogurt
about 1tsp of Nutella per pot

Heat the milk in a saucepan until it is just about to boil.
Leave to stand for about 15 minutes (until it reaches a temperature of about 37º-40ºC).
Once the milk has cooled down, add your lovely live yogurt.
Give the mix a little whisk.
Had 4 to 5 teaspoons of Nutella to the milk+ yogurt. Stir and pour the preparation in your yogurt pots by filtering it (you'll get a better texture by filtering the mix).

Place the pots in the yogurt maker for about 8 to 9 hours. Once again, be patient because the result is worth it!

Once your yogurts have nicely set, leave them to stand and cool down for 15 minutes before refrigerating.
Leave in the fridge for a minimum of 4hours to a max of 1 week.

I don't think at this point you need any more instructions. Enjoy!

Orange and almond polenta cake

2008-08-25T19:20:00.030+01:00

It's already the end of the weekend (mais non!) and I wish I could have one extra little day at home with mon amoureux. But no, this is real, tomorrow we've got to go back to work. So what can make us feel better and finish our weekend together on a happy note: answer?
A CAKE!
A lovely orange and almond polenta cake I discovered no sooner than on Saturday afternoon while looking at cookery books at my local bookshop.

Serves 6 to 8

For the caramel, you'll need:
90g of caster sugar
2tbs of water
20g of butter
2 oranges, skinless
For the cake, you'll need:
200g of unsalted butter, softened
200g of muscovado sugar ( or caster sugar if you want a less rich taste)
3 free range eggs
3tbs of orange blossom water
220g of ground almonds ( why not try with hazelnuts instead?)
1 small pinch of salt
1tbs of baking powder
120g of polenta
the zest of the 2 oranges
50g of sifted flour

Ready?

First, put some baking paper at the bottom of your cake dish (diameter about 25cm).
Once this is done, grate the oranges in order to extract their lovely zest. Peel them delicately then cut them in slices and again in quarters.

Now the caramel. In a saucepan melt together the caster sugar and water. Be careful as this mix is EXTREMELY hot. Just for the story, my gorgeous and adorable young sister once put her finger in some hot bubbly caramel ("just to taste") and guess the result.... yep, she did burn her finger quite badly. The moral is that she will never ever do this again and if you want my advice, don't even think of trying.
Right, back to the subject. Once your caramel starts to turn brown, remove it from the hob and add the butter (be careful, once again).
Pour your caramel in the already prepared dish. Place the orange quarters on top of it.
Turn your oven to 180ºC.

In an electric mixer, mix together the butter and sugar until you get a nice and lovely smooth texture (don't over do it though!). Add delicately the eggs, 1 by 1 and keep mixing on a slowish speed. Next add the orange zest, orange blossom water..... mix.... then the almond, polenta, baking powder, salt and flour. Once again, don't over mix the batter. Stop as soon as all the ingredients are nicely combined.
You are now almost done!

Pour the mixture on top of the caramel/ orange filled dish.
Place in the oven for about 45min. Use the blade of a knife to check if your cake is cooked inside: it should come out clean and dry.

Tip: We tried this cake on the night I made it and again the day after. If you think you can resist the call of sugar and the smell of a freshly baked cake, try to eat it the day after. It's much nicer.

Adapted from the Ottolenghi cook book http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/blog/

Chocolate and fruit cake

2008-08-25T18:30:00.022+01:00

In one week, my man is going to do a pretty amazing thing: he's going to do an Iron-man (3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42km run everything in a row). Crazy but I am so proud of him!

So because every champion needs a little bit of comfort and energy, I've baked him (not just him) a chocolate and fruit tea cake. It is a simple recipe full of nutritious and delicious ingredients that always works on a rainy day like today.

Got a couple of hours and a lovely cup of tea?

Serves 6 or 4 hungry people:

135g of butter, softened

70g of muscovado sugar (dark muscovado gives the cake a slight liquorice taste)

3 eggs, beaten

180g of dark chocolate, broken into pieces

75g of raisins/ sultanas or currants

30g of walnuts

the rind of one orange

170g of self-raising flour

1 good tablespoon of clear honey

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until you get a lovely light texture.

Add to this preparation one egg at a time. Mix well.

If you've managed to get your hands out of the chocolate (I always try the chocolate prior to making a cake. You never know, it may not taste good and it is good for my daily magnesium intake!!) it is about time to use it. Add it to the preparation along with the raisins, honey, walnuts and the sieved flour.

Mix well but delicately until your preparation becomes smooth and tasty (go on have a little try).

Pour it into a loaf tin and bake it in a preheated oven (about 170ºC/ Gas Mark 3/ 325ºF) for about one hour.

Leave it to cool for a little while before removing it from the tin.

Bon app'!

Adapted from What's Cooking chocolate by Jacqueline Bellefontaine

Little pots of Heaven

2008-08-25T12:40:00.016+01:00

Those choco-addict may understand how I feel when someone says the word "chocolate" or when some great food programs about chocolate are on TV. Ever watch Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory on More 4? It is like watching how paradise may be like on TV. Amazing and so so tasty!

So to celebrate my man's amazing achievement (his done an Ironman last weekend) and because I coudn't stop thinking of this TV program, I've made for dessert 2 little pots of heaven. ( I didn't get a chance to take a picture of it but I'll promise to post one very soon).

Try to use a good quality chocolate and as dark as possible (if you like dark chocolate of course!).

Serves 2

You'll need about 80 to 100g of plain dark chocolate

3 good tbs of crème fraiche

About 50 to 60g of white chocolate (cooking chocolate is prefered)

An other tbs of crème fraiche

Some raspberries to serve (or any other fruits you like)

Melt your dark chocolate in a bain-marie style (over simmering water).

Once the chocolate is about melted add some cream (double or crème fraiche will do). Pour the mixture into 2 little ramequins.

Repeat the same process but with the white chocolate this time. Pour it on top of the dark chocolate mix.

Leave to stand in your fridge for a good hour.

Once everything has nicely set, enjoy with some fresh raspberries (or strawberries).

Yummy, quick fix and so satisfying! Vive Willie Wonka and co!

Almond yogurt

2008-08-25T11:21:00.026+01:00

Saturday, first day of a long weekend. I've been waiting for it for a long time.

So on today's program I've planned to make one batch of Almond yogurts. I love almonds for their richness, sweetness and this little something that makes them go with so many desserts.
I've tried a few times to make almond yogurts but I could never get the taste right. Sweet enough but not "almondie" enough.

So let's think hard about a new recipe.
I've decided to marinade my crushed almonds in milk for about 24hours and see if it makes a big difference.

A few hours later (....... almost a day later in fact) comes the result......... . My yogurts definitely taste of almonds, youpie! Fancy experimenting?

Makes about 6 big (quarter filled) pots

1/2 litre of very nice organic whole milk
3 full tbs of bio live organic yogurt (the better the yogurt the better the result)
About 30g of whole almonds, crushed
1tbs of almond syrup
And if you really want a strong flavor of almond add a little dash of almond essence
Finally, lots of patience and love

The day before making your yogurts, marinade the almonds in the milk and leave to stand in the fridge for about 24h.

Then comes The Day.
Heat the milk+almonds in a saucepan until it is just about to boil.
Leave to stand for about 15 minutes (until it reaches a temperature of about 37º-40ºC).
Add your lovely live yogurt, give the mix a little whisk.
Now add your almond syrup and essence (if you've chosen to go for it). Stir a bit more.
Drain your almond milk in your yogurt pots and "cook" your yogurts for about 8 hours in the yogurt machine.
Now patience.

Done? Leave your yogurts to cool down before refrigerating them for a minimum of 4hours.
Voilà! Homemade yogurts.

Yummyaourt Questionnaire

2008-08-13T19:53:00.000+01:00

My bibliothèque

2008-08-12T14:42:00.007+01:00

I love the idea of being surrounded with lots of cookery books.

Even though I don't always find the time to cook using them as often as I would like to, they are a great source of inspiration for a quick after work meal. I mean, the Silver Spoon for instance is a great encyclopedia full of great recipes and so many different ingredients. And when I don't have the right ingredients at the right moment, flicking through it helps me find a mid-week meal inspiration.

But what I love most is when the weekend comes (or evening dinner parties). Then it becomes interesting! First deciding on the main course: fish, meat or vegetarian? Let's have a look at my books... hum nice picture, my favorite ingredient, sold!

Then, to complement the main dish, a starter or a fairly consistent aperitif.

And la crème de la crème is Le Dessert. This is what I love most! Spending days beforehand finding the best dessert for the occasion and once again going through all my cakey-biscuity-sweety books and magazines. Miam, this once looks good, oh no that one is better... Steve (mon chéri) what do you think???? Ok, let's go for the chocolate mousse (I will post the recipe later on)!

So here is an idea of what is on my cookery bibliothèque shelves:

Chef la recette! by Cyril Lignac

C'est moi qui cuisine, oui chef! Cyril Lignac

Cuisine du Sud-Ouest by Jean Coussau.... where I am from.

British food by Mark Hix

Favoured British recipes by Brian Turner

Food and Cooking Encyclopedia by Harold McGee... A bit of a food geek book but absolutely genius. Great if you want to understand your ingredients and every little steps of the cooking process.

La Bonne Cuisine Française by Succés du livre

Farmhouse Cookery, Recipes from the kitchen by Reader's Digest

The River Cafe Cook Book by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

Colour Cookbook by Allegra McEvedy.... great for seasonal meal ideas and such a nice and inspiring person.

Leon. Ingredients and Recipes by Allegra McEvedy. This one is my newest cookery book. Full of recipes, tips and facts about ingredients. Essential! Allegra you are a star!

Happy Days with the Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver

Yummyaourt

My new project

HLM ou gateau aux petits beurre

Bleu, bleu le ciel de Provence

The fruits of my labour. Dan Lepard's simple milk loaf

Coming soon! Craving ≠1: English pounder cake

Hello sun! Ginger and chocolate spring cake

En attendant les cloches. Mini Easter surprises

En attendant les cloches. Mini Easter surprises

1,2,3 mix, bake, eat or Nigella's super easy bread loaf

Little bee and sweet melody: gluten-free orange and lemon polenta cake

9th January is detox!

The quiet before the storm or Shortbreads in 2 ways.

Christmas is in the air!

Apple and Spices Chutney

In the meantime.....

The second best chocolate cake in my world

Coming soon: the second best chocolate cake in my world

Sunday walk in the forest: Berry Clafoutis

Afternoon tea on the Island of Gods

SHF ≠53 The taste of time: Madeleines

Homemade cream yogurt cheesecake

How I fell in love with food: my first yogurt cake for SHF

Yummyaourt on a Christmas break.....back soon.

La nouvelle vague: ethical yogurts

Pretty in pink

Hackney Chelsea Bun for SHF

Yummyaourt questionnaire

What's in yogurt?

Save the bees!

Old Style Apple Pie

Nutella like yogurt

Orange and almond polenta cake

Chocolate and fruit cake

Adapted from What's Cooking chocolate by Jacqueline Bellefontaine

Little pots of Heaven

Almond yogurt

Yummyaourt Questionnaire

My bibliothèque

Chef la recette! by Cyril Lignac

C'est moi qui cuisine, oui chef! Cyril Lignac

Cuisine du Sud-Ouest by Jean Coussau.... where I am from.

British food by Mark Hix

Favoured British recipes by Brian Turner

Food and Cooking Encyclopedia by Harold McGee... A bit of a food geek book but absolutely genius. Great if you want to understand your ingredients and every little steps of the cooking process.

La Bonne Cuisine Française by Succés du livre

Farmhouse Cookery, Recipes from the kitchen by Reader's Digest

The River Cafe Cook Book by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

Colour Cookbook by Allegra McEvedy.... great for seasonal meal ideas and such a nice and inspiring person.

The Silver Spoon by Phaidon..... a must have!

Mushrooms by Johnny Acton and Nick Sandler

Herbs, pocket Encyclopedia by Lesley Bremness

The Cheese Room by Patricia Michelson

Pies and Tarts by Valerie Ferguson

Accro au choco by Cyril Lignac............ by far one of my favorites. Just its title makes me hungry!

Cookies, Biscuits and Biscoti by Linda Collister

What's Cooking chocolate by Jacqueline Bellefontaine

Wine List

French Wines by Robert Joseph

Wine 101 Essential tips by Tom Stevenson