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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
Butternut Squash Pie
Think of food in the autumn and anything with pumpkin seems to be the star of attention, but for me it is the Butternut squash! The Butternut squash pie has a very smooth and creamy consistency and the mix of spices make it really nice with a hint of almondy taste.
Originally from North America, a farmer in the Massachusetts created it by crossing two types of squashes. It is named Butternut because it is “smooth like butter, sweet as nut.”
Traditionally it is made as a soup or is roasted during Halloween and Thanksgiving. Although it is usually pumpkin pie with whipped cream that is served during thanksgiving, I personally find the Butternut squash a more flavorful filling for the pie.
Squashes can sometimes be one of the least favourite vegetables but with this recipe even children will ask for another slice!
20/11/2018
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
Vanilla Chocolate Flan Patissier
Couldn’t decide if I wanted a flan patissier with vanilla or chocolate. So I made both in one, creating this nice two-layered vanilla chocolate flan patissier.
Flan has so many different variations with each country having its own flan, egg tart, pasteis de nata and so on… It initially is based on British custard cake than have spread across Europe first and then the world throughout the time of colonisation.
25/09/2018
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
Cherry Pistachio Tart
The cherry pistachio tart recipe came into my mind when I was reminiscing about what I ate every summer holiday in the south of France at La Salvetat from pastry chef Flipo.
The nutty pistachio taste goes very well with the tartness and sweetness of the cherries
The types of cherries usually used are morello cherries, which are slightly more sour and aren’t as sweet. But I had to use the more traditional cherries because it was easier to find in London and I discovered that it does not impact the taste too much. In fact my colleagues absolutely loved it!
22/08/2018