Peanut Butter Nutella Cookies

I'm not a big fan of peanut butter .... Have never been able to acquire a taste for it. My kids love it ... specially, peanut butter cookies. I use this recipe but I add a little Nutella to the batter. I do enjoy these cookies once in a while.... but my kids love them! 

Adapted from Saveur

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup nutella
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Sift flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl - set aside
In a bowl of a standing mixer, beat on medium speed butter, sugar, brown sugar until smooth and creamy.
Add peanut butter, nutella, egg and vanilla. Beat until until just smooth.
Stir in flour mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated.
Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
With a small ice cream scooper, place dough on baking sheets - 2 inches apart.
Use a fork to flatten dough and make a grid pattern on top.
Bake until golden brown - 11 minutes.
Store cookies up to 2 weeks in an air tight container.

Chocolate Truffles

I usually have a box of my favorite chocolate and truffles (Leonidas) in the refrigerator ... but to my surprise and profound sadness, I found an empty box of Leonidas!  I guess I must have finished it all couple of days ago! 

Well, since I was in desperate need of a little happiness .... I decided to make my own chocolate truffles. I followed Pierre Hermé's recipe .... and they came out perfect! 

I enjoyed couple of them .... and they brought me pure joy!  

Ingredients:

9 ounces chocolate - I used Valrhona 61% - finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

3 1/2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature, cut into 4 pieces

Dutch-processed cocoa powder  for dusting - I used Valrhona

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl that can hold all ingredients.

In a small saucepan, bring cream to a full boil.

Pour cream on the chocolate

With a spatula, gently stir the cream into the chocolate until the ganache is smooth.

Allow ganache to rest for couple of minutes.

Add butter 2 pieces at a time, stirring gently.

Pour ganache into a bowl.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Pour cocoa powder on a plate.

Dust your hands with some cocoa powder.

Scoop out a teaspoon of the ganache and with your hands shape it into a ball.

Drop the ganache ball in the cocoa powder and coat it with powder.

Shake off excess powder.

Can be served immediately or stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Chicken with Parsnips, Shallots and Baby Potatoes

For dinner tonight, I made this chicken recipe from the October issue of "Food & Wine" and It was an absolute hit!. It was so delicious that kids asked for seconds. I made slight changes to the original recipe. I recommend having some baguette slices for the most wonderful leftover juice.

Recipe adapted from
"Food & Wine" October 2012 issue

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 chicken thighs with skin
Salt/Pepper
1/4 cup flour
5 shallots, peeled and quartered
3 Parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch batons
1 1/2 cup baby potatoes
Few rosemary sprigs
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
In large oven proof pan (I used my beloved Le Creuset), melt butter in the oil.
Dust chicken with flour on both sides.
Add chicken to pan with skin side down.
Cook over high heat turning once, until browned - about 3 minutes on each side.
Transfer chicken to a plate.
In the same pan, add shallots, parsnips, potatoes and rosemary.
Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add wine and cook further until liquid has reduced by half - 3 minutes.
Add broth and bring to a boil.
Add chicken to the pan, skin side up.
Transfer the pan (covered) to the oven and cook for about 40 minutes.
Cook 20 minutes longer uncovered.

Strawberry, Blueberry and Raspberry Tart

 I absolutely love a nice strawberry tart. I came across these beautiful strawberries at the market and since I already had some raspberries and blueberries, I decided to make a berry tart. The filling is so delicious ..... it's a mix of crème pâtissière and crème chantilly. 

Michel Roux Recipe
Crème Pâtissière:

6 egg yolks
1/2 plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup flower
2 cups milk - I used 1%
2 tablespoons vanilla


Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl to a light ribbon consistency.
Whisk in the flour.
In a pan, heat milk and vanilla.
As soon as it comes to a boil, pour it onto the egg yolk mixture, stirring as you go.
Mix well, return to the same pan.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring non stop with a whisk.
After few minutes, you should have a thick consistency.
Pour it in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.
Once cooled, store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Note: If you desire a chocolate crème pâtissière, add 3 oz melted semisweet chocolate to the crème pâtissière before cooling.

Crème Chantilly:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Whip cream and sugar until you get a thick consistency.
Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Pâte sucrée:

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup (100 grams) butter, cubed and softened
1 cup confectioners' cugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
2 eggs, at room temperature

Put flour on your counter and make a well.
Put butter, confectioners' sugar and salt.
Mix together.
Gradually draw the flour into the center and mix with your fingertips until dough becomes slightly grainy.
again, make a well and add the eggs.
Work them into the flour mixture, until the dough begins to hold together.
Knead the dough few times with palm of your hand until smooth.
Roll the dough into a ball.
Store it in a large ziplock bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Have a 10 inch tart pan ready.
Cut out a 10 inch parchment paper.
Unwrap dough and roll out to a large circle, on a lightly floured counter.
Line the tart pan with the dough.
Cut out the edges.
Prick the pastry base few times with a fork gently-you don't want to make holes in the dough
Line the tart shell with the round parchment paper.
Fill with a layer of pie weights.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove pie weight and parchment paper.
Bake for another 10 - 12 minutes.
Remove form oven and let it completely cool on a wire rack.


To assemble:

Fold in 1/2 of your crème pâtissière with the crème chantilly.
Fill the tart shell with the mixed crème.
Arrange berries as you wish over the crème.
Sprinkle some toasted almonds.
and enjoy!

Tarte Tatin

This morning it felt cooler than usual. There was a breeze in the air and I had to grab my jacket on my way out the door..... I really can feel the change of season. Fall is very fast approaching.

This delicious Tarte Tatin is my way of welcoming the Fall season.... My all-time favorite season and my all-time favorite apple recipe!  

The apple sauce for this Tarte Tatin can be made 1 day ahead and kept in the refrigerator. 

The apple recipe is adapted from Christophe Michalak's recipe.

The pâte Sablée is adapted from Michele Roux recipe. 

Apple Recipe

4 Golden delicious apples, peeled and finely diced

50 grams honey

30 grams butter

100 grams sugar

45 grams whipping cream

2 gelatin sheets

Have a muffin pan ready to use.

In a small pot, melt butter and honey.

Add diced apples.

Cook on medium heat until apples are translucent-  5 minutes.  

In a small bowl, mix some cold water with gelatin sheets.

In a medium, melt half of the sugar. Once melted, add the other half. It should turn a nice brown color.

Add whipping cream and gelatin sheets (make sure water has been squeezed out of them) 

Add apples and cook for about 2 minutes - mix well

Equally divide between your muffin or cupcake pans.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

Pâte Sablée

1 3/4 cups flour

1 cup butter, cut into small pieces and softened

1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

2 egg yolks

pinch of salt

Egg wash - 1 egg beaten mixed with 1 tablespoon milk

Place flour on your counter and make a well. 

Place butter, sugar and salt in the middle of the well.

With your fingers, mix the butter, sugar and salt.

Add the egg yolks and mix further with your fingers.

Carefully bring the flour into the center and mix further until you have a smooth dough.

Using the palm of your hand, push the dough away from you 4 times, until completely smooth.

Roll into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll out the dough on your counter.

Cut circles out with a round cookie cutter - just make sure the diameter of the cookie cutter is the same as the muffin pan circles.

Brush egg wash mixture on each cookie.

Place on baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes at 340 degrees.

To assemble:

Place a cookie on a plate.

With a sharp knife,  unmold the apples.

Place on top of the cookie... and enjoy!

Gratin Dauphinois

Looking for an easy side dish to accompany your chicken, meat or fish dishes? Le gratin Dauphinois is an excellent choice ... soft and creamy on the inside .... crunchy on the outside .... and did I say delicious!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs potatoes - peeled, washed, dried and sliced
1 lb Gruyere cheese - grated
1 cup half and half
3 tablespoons crème fraîche
1 garlic clove - peeled and cut in half
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon butter
Salt and pepper

Rub butter all over the inside and sides of an 8 inch cast iron skillet or baking dish
Rub the cut side of the garlic all over the inside and sides of the skillet.
In a medium bowl, mix cheese, half & half, crème fraîche, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Arrange potatoes in a single layer on the skillet.
Top with cheese mixture.
Repeat this process 2 more times.
Top with remaining cheese mixture.
Sprinkle some nutmeg.
Cover skillet with foil.
Bake for about 1 hour or until potatoes are soft.
Remove foil and let bake for another 20 minutes.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

I've been eyeing the 3 ripe bananas on my kitchen counter for couple of days. So finally today I decided to use them and make a yummy banana chocolate chip bread. Beside, this is the only way my kids will ever eat bananas.

Adapted from BBC

Ingredients:
285g flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
110g butter, softened
225g sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
85 ml buttermilk
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chip
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter and flour a loaf pan - set aside.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
Add eggs, mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix well.
Fold in the flour mixture.
Add chocolate chip, mix well.
Pour the mixture in the loaf pan.
Bake for about an hour or until well-risen and golden brown.
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.