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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Mustache Cake

I saw this cake on Pinterest last Movember November and since the I so wanted to try it. First I thought that April is not the best time to make it but then I realized, you use any occasion. You just never ever know when a mustache cake might come in handy.  I think it could be used really at any occasion because it’s really hysterical and people laugh when they see one and when people laugh they are happy and who doesn’t love a happy party?!

It is actually less complicated than its look. All you need to do is a mud cake (any flavor) in a circle cake pan and then cut a 'yin & yang' shape. Don't worry, it's easy! Then cover it and make it looks like hair on the top.




Ingredients
  • Your favorite mud cake recipe.
  • 200g dark baking chocolate
  • 2 tbs butter
  • 2 tbs icing sugar

Directions
  1. Bake the mud cake and let it cool down
  2. Level the top of the cake to make it eaven. Take it out and cut the cake in a YING YANG shape.  First make a small cut with a paring knife. When you get your ying yang just right then take a very sharp knife (not a bread knife) and cut it to the bottom of the cake.
  3. Then, do not do like me, do the covering on a cookie tray and then move the cake into it's show board. I did  not planed on bringing this cake somewhere, it was just a try at home!
  4. We are now getting to icing. If you have a crumb brush it’s a great idea to run that over the crumb parts of the cake so when you are icing you don’t get all clumped up. Melt the baking chocolate with the butter and then add the icing sugar. Like I always tell you, you can add more icing sugar, get it with the consistncy that You like.
  5. Apply the icing with an icing tool or a butter knife and at the end draw thin stripes on the top to make it looks like hairs. VOILA! Mustache cake!

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Double chocolate pear tart

This recipe is a keeper! Tart, pear and chocolate, what else to make a perfect desert? It is delicious and so easy to make.

 I love that you can make it anytime in the year, first because pears are available all over the year and second, you can still use can fruits in this one, it will still be good. Another thing is that you can make it in a big tart pan for the hole family or as individual deserts. You could make it without the almond extract, but it does really add the right touch. It is as well possible to add sliced almonds or to make it with apples.




 Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  •  2 firm, ripe pears

 Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a tart pan with butter, set aside.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and cocoa powder. Add butter (melted or just soft, the easiest way for you), eggs, vanilla, salt, and almond extract, until combined. Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan.
  3. Peel, halve, and core pears; cut lengthwise into thin slices, (rubbing them with lemon as you work to prevent discoloration). Arrange slices on chocolate mixture, slightly overlapping, without pressing in.
  4. Place pan on a baking sheet; bake until top is puffed and a toothpick inserted in center of chocolate mixture comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
  5. Let set, at least 20 minutes. Remove tart from pan, and serve.


Saturday, April 20, 2013

My favorite of all

I've been talking about myself, baking, cooking or DIY but never about where do I get my inspiration. Here is a list of my Top 10 cooking blog. Trust me you  will find something you love in each of them!

When I decide to start following a new blog it is because first I like their pictures. I am obsessed about great food pictures and ameliorate my shooting skills. I also look at the kind of food, if the recipe are likely to work, the general ingredients use, if there is enough baking recipe, a little of junk food... I am very fancy to select a blog so it is maybe a good thing there is so many!

I will give you more links soon because 10 is definitely not enough, there is so many great cooking blogs.

chocolate-hazelnut macaroon torte
the smitten kitchen



  1. Smitten Kitchen
  2. Love from the oven
  3. Sally's baking addiction
  4. What should I eat for breakfast today
  5. Table for two
  6. Sprouted Kitchen
  7. Sips and Spoonfuls
  8. Hungry rabbit
  9. Daisy's world
  10. Chef in training

Happy reading!

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Cookies Cups

Lately I've decided that I am not affraid of using my hands to mix dough. Because I don't have electric mixer, that opened many possibilities! So here I am making pizza dough, cookies, crumbles... I've been wanted to try more cookies recipe for a long time now, but I am only starting now. Every time I make cookies they come out the oven in terrible shapes!

So I tryed this basic 'choc chips' one one my cookie tray. I used only half of the dough. They came out good looking but that wasn't the taste that I am looking for. I remembered this pin saying to put the muffin pan upside down and place the cookie dough on it. Guess what? It's working very well! Those little cups/ baskets are so cute and you can use them in so many ways: ice cream, fruit salad, whipped cream, decoration....

I've tried it with the chocolate ice cream from Cadbury: that was delicious! You can also add more ingredients in the dough, like macadamia nuts, coco powder...




 Ingredients
  • 2 Eggs
  • 250g butter at room temperature (Salted butter can be used)
  • 200g Raw or white sugar (Raw is better)
  • 480g flour
  • 1 pinch of salt if you are using unsalted butter
  • 1 tbs of baking powder
  • Vanilla extract
  • Chocolate chips (150 to 200g)

Directions
1.Turn the oven on: 190° fan
2.Mix butter and sugar, on low or with your hands until there is no more pieces of butter. Be carreful, it's very fat!
3.Add eggs and vanilla. Mix properly. Then salt and baking powder.
4.Start to add the flour slowly. At the end it's become easier to use your hands.
5.Add the chocolate chips and everything you want: macadamia nuts...
6.At this stage it's good to keep the dough as a ball in the fridge for half an hour.
7.Turn your muffin pan up side down and display the cookie dough every two spaces. Do not go all the way down, the cookie dough melt a lot and use 1/4 to 1/3 of a handful of dough for each cup.
8.Cook 8 to 10 minutes. Let it cool down and store it in the fridge or you can freez it.

I also used this dough to make cookies
Enjoy!

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Nectarines Tart

Summer is almost over here but it is still time to enjoy some nectarines. There is something adictive about the smell of theses fruits: the gorgeous aroma makes you unable to resist when you see them on display at the market.

I haven't really been in a baking mood lately.  It's been so hot and humid during the day, it just zaps my energy to even be in the kitchen. I have to say: turn the oven on when it is 30° it is impossible!

In the full summer you can't go wrong with nectarines, but since the weather has cooled down a little bit, i prefere to bake them. Even if they are not ready to eat, bake them will give them this perfect taste that we love.

I'd forgotten that I had a packet of puff pastry in the freezer so when I found it, I thought well, maybe I can make something with nectarines and puff pastry it must be a winning combination.  So I cut the puff pastry into rectangles, laid the peaches in the middle, add the topping and popped them in the oven.  I could already tell they were gonna be delicious from the sweet aroma that filled my kitchen.  MMMM... So good!
 






Ingredients
  • 2 puff pastry sheets
  • 3 to 4 nectarines
  • 3 Tbs. dark brown or white sugar (which ever you prefer)
  • 2 tbs of unsalted butter
  • 1 Tbs. lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp. milk
  • pinch of salt
  • Honey or mapple syrup (optional)

Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. Slice nectarines very thin. In a pan mix sugar and butter until they melt together. Add lemon juice, ground cinnamon and salt and the milk. Stir until everything is well combined (2 minutes). It is the moment when you can add a spoon of honey or mapple syrup.
  3. Let the puff pastry sheets thaw at almost room temperature (about 10 minutes). Cut each puff pastry sheet into a rectangle (you can shape it differently). Layer the sliced nectarines in the center of each rectangle and lift up the side pastry as high as the nectarines are. Pour the mixture on it and place in the oven.
  4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool then serve with vanilla bean ice cream.

Enjoy!