Today is about the story of two slices which we made recently. If I post about them it is also because we liked them! Both recipes are easy to make. Give them a go!
The roasted almond and chocolate slice
I was looking on the internet for a quick recipe for dessert and I opened a french Facebook group on cooking. There was a post on quick dessert fixes and I found this recipe in the comments. By placing the slice to cool and set with its chocolate topping in the freezer (must be horizontal!), you can have this for dessert! What really makes this recipe work is roasting the almond meal. It brings in so much flavour!
This is a caramel slice with a more complex toping. The recipe is adapted from one in the Magazine Delicious. The toping is dark chocolate with roasted walnuts (that makes them extra-crunchy) and small flakes of salt here and there which explode in your mouth when you don’t expect it! The recipe is HERE.
And while I was preparing those pages today I almost forgot my Gateau Battu which rose and rose and is now baked and cooling down!
“Le Cake” is a cake, yes, but the fun bit is that in French that cake is called “un cake”. It is close to what it referred to as a butter cake I guess. It is firm, yet not dry, has crunchy edges, is simple in taste and delicious.
Le Cake allows for different flavours: lemon, sultanas (soaked in tea or rum) or candied fruits. My favourite us the lemon version.
Preparation: 15 minutes, cooking: about 45 minutes
Ingredients
200 g of soft butter
250 g of caster sugar
pinch of salt
lemon zest (about 1 teaspoon) – if you prefer sultans or candied fruits, use 100 g of them
3 eggs
300 g flour
1/2 tsp of baking powder
Method
Butter and flour a log tin. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
Cream the butter (use the flat beater of your kitchenAid or a spatula and elbow oil).
Add the sugar progressively while mixing.
At this stage, it is probably better to mix manually or some of the mix wil remain on the side of the bowl. Add the egg one after the other one mixing in between. Then, add the lemon zest and salt (if adding sultanas or candied fruits, add them with the flour to ensure they do not sink at the bottom).
Add the flour and baking powder (and sultanas /candied fruits if doing that version). Mix well starting from the middle of the bowl and extending to the outer edge.
Transfer to the prepared tin
Bake for about 45 min until cracked on top and golden. A baking needle inserted through the crack should come out dry.
Remove from the oven and turn over a wire rack, allow to cool down before serving.
This cake keeps for a few days easily. It makes a great treat for lunch boxes.
I posted this recipe some time ago. I recently did this cake with a lemon icing. To make the icing mix about 1 cup of icing sugar with a little lemon juice, adjust lemon juice or icing sugar (use a whisk) until you get a slightly runny paste. Then pour on the top of the cake.
A classic dish from northern France. I make onion tarts for our family dinner, a light lunch, parties and picnics. It is very versatile as it can be eaten hot out of the oven or cold. Although if cold, I find it is better at room temperature than cold out of the fridge.
The difference with a pissalardiere is in the seasonning.
The preparation is easy. You will need to prepare ahead a shortcrust pastry (or purchase a good quality one, then this tart is even easier to make).
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
For the shortcrust pastry:
75 g of soft butter (I like to use salted butter)
150 g of flour
Some icy cold water
The above quantity is enough for a 22 cm diameter tart dish. There is additonal instruction on this shortcrust pastry page.
For the filling:
4 large onions
20 g butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of four
salt, pepper
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup of milk or cream
Method
Place the flour and soft butter in a large bowl. With your finger tips rub the butter into the flour. You will obtain a coarse granular texture.
Add a little water at the time and mix lightly until the pastry comes together as a ball. Do not work more than the getting of a nice ball. Cover or wrap in cell wrap and rest for at least half an hour (1 few hours is better) at room temperature.
In the meanwhile, peel and cut the onions. Heat up the butter in a thick base frypan (use one with a lid) and place the onions. Stir. After 30 seconds, reduce the heat to half.
After a couple of minutes, stir with a wooden spoon and cover with the lid. You may need to reduce further the heat, we are looking here fro a slow je=heat to reduce the onions. They must not brown. The onions will turn golden and start to “melt”. This will take 15-20 minutes.
Once melted, add salt, pepper, nutmeg and leave at room temperature.
Preheat your oven at 180°C. Using a rolling-pin and a little flour to prevent sticking, roll the shortcrust pastry and transfer to the tart tin. Trim the edges.
In a bowl, mix the onions with the flour, eggs, milk or cream and transfer to the tart. I like adding fresh thyme is I have some handy at this stage.
Bake for 20-30 minutes until the pastry is light brown. Remove from the oven. Serve with a mix green salad.
Note: you can use the excess to make tartlets either sweet or savoury. A number of sweet tarts (for e.g. apple, apricots, peaches, pears) use the same pastry.
This is a caramel slice with a more complex toping. The recipe is adapted from one in the Magazine Delicious. The toping is dark chocolate with roasted walnuts (that makes them extra-crunchy) and small flakes of salt here and there which explode in your mouth when you don’t expect it! The recipe is HERE.
