Ingredient: Plain Flour

Banana Punch Cake
Banana punch cake! Punch because of the Caribbean flavors of rum, vanilla and orange that are incorporated into the banana cake, an American classic. Bananas need to be over ripped; this is when they give their strongest flavors.
Banana bread became popular in the US during the 1930s, in the middle of the Great Depression. People were trying to waste as little as possible and started to make bread using over ripped bananas and baking powder, which was readily available.
A little fun fact but bananas were introduced into the US in the 1870s becoming an instant hit. Even to this day, it is the most consumed fruits in the US! You can only imagine how many of those end up in banana bread recipes!
Best eaten at room temperature and can be kept in cling film up to 3 days in the fridge.
14/03/2019
Pineapple Tarts
Pineapple tarts are small pastries filled with pineapple jam. They are commonly eaten in different parts of Asia: Malaysia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
They are made with a crumbly pastry base and a paste made with pineapple cooked and caramelized in sugar and spices.
Considered a must-have ‘festive cookie’, pineapple tarts are usually eaten during Chinese New Year, Hari Raya (Eid el Fitr) and Deepavali and are offered to the guest and family.
There are several shapes of these biscuits depending on the country: roll, dumpling, tart…But the recipe for these biscuits does not change so feel free to be creative on the shapes!
14/02/2019
Tiramisu
Did you know Tiramisu means “Cheer me up” in Italian? The name might come from the fact that the sugar, egg yolks and alcohol are supposed to be fortifiant and gives you energy. Or perhaps it could be how every bite of it makes you happier!
This tiramisu is a very fresh and a light dessert even after a hearty meal. Its lightness comes from all the whisked ingredients in the cream and the easy light baking, which makes it enjoyable during the summer.
Alcohol is not mandatory in the recipe.
06/02/2019
Paris-Brest
Paris-Brest, is a pastry that comes in a shape of a circle filled with hazelnut cream with toppings. As of today different versions exist with various kind of cream and nuts like pistachios and almonds…
Unfortunately for the many English speakers out there, despite how it’s pronounced the dessert itself has no resemblance to a woman’s bosom. Yes, it’s a common misconception assumed among English speakers in that the origin of the pastry is sexual or that the dessert comes in a particular dome shape.
In fact the origin itself might not be the first thing to come to mind.
The supposed origin is of a newspaper editor wanting bicycle use to become popular in the town of Brest and decides to launch a bicycle race from Paris to Brest. He wanted to promote the race and asked a pastry chef by the name of Louis Durand who eventually created this famous dessert in 1910.
The Paris-brest is shaped like a bicycle wheel to celebrate the cycling race and can be found in nearly every bakery in France; it is one of the classics. Furthermore, it has recently been popping onto numerous menus in the US. It’s one of those desserts that people in the states might not be know much about but only look over other tables and tell the server, “I want that!”
Note: 2 big Paris-Brest were made which serves for 30 people but ingredients can be adjusted based on the number of people.
23/01/2019
Humpy Madeleine
The madeleine, traditionally eaten without any additional flavors, is typically enjoyed with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Easy and quick to make, this childhood favorite is baked into soft shell-shaped cake and can also be made with chocolate chips, chocolate coated, lemon peel, orange or orange blossom!
There are many legends and stories to how madelines have originated. One of the stories around this iconic cake is that it has been created in 1755 in the castle of Commercy. Duke Stanislaus of Poland organised a reception, but his chef and cook had an argument and left Madeleine, a young cook, alone in the kitchen. She used her grandmother’s recipe and made shell-shaped cakes with it. It was such a success that the duke named the cakes after her and Commercy became the world capital of the Madeleine.
27/10/2018
Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart
The salted caramel chocolate tart in my opinion is one of the best desserts I can eat. The chocolate ganache and the salted caramel go perfectly together and it is so easy and quick to make.
This cake is literally the bomb… a calorie bomb but it’s totally worth it. It melts in your mouth and you only crave it even more!
The ingredients for the caramel are listed on here but the recipe for it can be found on here.
06/09/2018
Vanilla Chocolate Marble Cake
A vanilla chocolate marble cake is a cake with layers of different colours a bit like the crystalline rock of the same name.
The different coloured layers are obtained by mixing different dark and light batters. These batters can contain different ingredients such as vanilla, chocolate, coffee, fruit or spices so you are not limited to just 2 colours.
This cake is quite popular in France as an after school snack; children will have a slice … or two when walking on their way home.
30/08/2018
Carrot Cake
Carrot cake recipes were found in the 19th-century cookbook in Switzerland. According to the Culinary Heritage of Switzerland, it is one of the most popular cakes in Switzerland, especially for children’s birthdays.
Carrot cake became prevalent in the UK during the Second World War because sugar was rationed in the army. The sweetness from the carrots substituted for the sweetness of the sugar.
One of the best parts about carrot cake is that it gets better over the hours, even after a day or two. The flavors have a chance to mingle and the icing helps keep it moist.
04/08/2018
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Sticky toffee pudding is made from a classic cake batter with boiled dates added in. This dough is then traditionally baked in a pudding mould (bowl), not in an oven but in a saucepan, just like the Christmas pudding and many other puddings. It is served hot and topped with a caramel sauce.
In this recipe I’ll be making it in the oven, to add a touch of practicality and to not lose too much of the authenticity of the dessert.
03/07/2018
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies are small, dry, round biscuits with chocolate chips and originated from the United States.
These fluffy chocolate chip cookies are secret weapons when you do not know what to bring to a social event. They are also a classic favorite to give to children. Once baked, these soft biscuits are crispy on sides and the middle melts in your mouth.
This traditional recipe combines dough composed of butter, both brown and white sugar, semi-sweet chocolate chips and vanilla. There are many variations of this recipe and are not limited to the use of just chocolate. You can use with other types of chocolate as well as swap some ingredients for peanut butter, banana or oatmeal.
06/06/2018