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recipe

Tarte provençale with tapenade, goat cheese, roasted tomatoes and peppers

Tarte provençale with tapenade, goat cheese, roasted tomatoes and peppers

Although we've had a rather chilli month of April, there are signs of better, warmer days ahead of us. As we get excited about those long summer evenings, that we can finally spend with family and friends, I may just have the perfect recipe for you to savour with a glass of wine or two. So here you have it, my "Tarte provençale with tapenade, goat cheese, roasted tomatoes and peppers".

image of a piece of pie with roasted tomatoes, pepper and cheese on top, you can learn how to make this at the baking school Gourmandises Academie

Ingredients:

400 g roasted cherry tomatoes

1 red pepper

280 g of tapenade

One roll of puff pastry (try to purchase puff pastry entirely made with butter and not palm oil).

100 g goat cheese

Method:

You will need to have roasted your pepper and tomatoes first, and let them cool down before you start. I roast my tomatoes separately from the pepper with a drizzle of olive oil (it usually takes 30 minutes), in a hot oven at 180 ° C fan.

Once that’s done, put a baking tray in a pre-heated 180 ° C oven. This process will prevent the “soggy bottom” scenario.

Then start assembling your tart.

Roll out your pastry. Tip: I leave my pastry on the baking parchment it comes with. Then, I spread the tapenade evenly on top (Tapenade is very easy to make yourself you can find the recipe here), add your tomatoes and pepper (I sliced it into strips) and finish by adding bits of goat cheese on top. It is as simple as that. Then I take out my tray that has nicely been warming up in the oven and lift my tart onto the tray. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Et voilà

P.S. If you are making your own tapenade, use good black olives, like kalamata. You can find these in the supermarket but also very good delis such as Burwash for example.

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x

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recipe

Roast chicken with orzo, chorizo and haricot verts

Roast chicken with orzo, chorizo and haricot verts

If you're looking for something simple and delicious to cook for either an evening meal "en famille" or even a little cosy dinner party with friends, when lockdown is over of course, then this Roast chicken with orzo, chorizo and haricots verts is most certainly a winner.

Ingredients:

For a family of four:

4 chicken legs

one onion roughly chopped

one punnet of cherry tomatoes

Fresh thyme

225 g of Spanish chorizo sliced

One glass of white wine

300 g of haricots verts (can be fresh or frozen)

400 g of Orzo

Pre-heat your oven at 180° C

Method:

Cook your orzo, using the same method for cooking pasta. Bring a pan of water to the boil and then add your orzo, let it cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Once cooked drain the water.

In an oven tray start by adding the thyme, onion, tomatoes, haricots verts and  chorizo, season your chicken with salt and pepper and place it on top. Then add one glass of white wine and one glass of water and place in the oven. Let it cook until the chicken starts getting brown but not completely brown. That should take 40 to 45 minutes depending on your oven. At that point, take your tray out of the oven, there should still be quite a bit of sauce , but that is fine. Take the chicken out of the tray, then add your orzo and mix in the sauce, put the chicken back on top and back in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, until your chicken is totally brown. Serve hot…

P.S if you don’t have orzo, you can use paella rice for this

Try to go for a very good quality chicken I get mine from either Burwash or Longhorn Farmshop

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x

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recipe

A mother’s day treat, vols au vent filled with a salmon mousse

A mother's day treat, vols au vent filled with a salmon mousse

March, my birthday month and also the one for Mother's day. So a big month of celebrations in my household. And that can only mean one thing "food glorious food!" The down side is that unfortunately, we will still be in lockdown and unable to get a trip to the pub or the restaurant. But, to be honest, a celebration, be it at home or elsewhere is still a celebration. So I have the perfect, little recipe for you to try. It's posh but so easy to do and definitely moreish. So here you have it "A mother's day treat, vols au vent filled with a salmon mousse"

A mother's day treat, vols au vent filled with a salmon mousse

Ingredients:

A roll of puff pastry

200 g of smoked salmon

Juice and zest of one lime

50 ml of double cream

One egg

Preparation:

Line a tray with baking paper. Pre-heat your oven at 180° C

Start by preparing your egg wash. Add 2 pinch of salt to your egg and mix. Leave to the side while you prepare your mousse.  This method will prevent your egg wash from being lumpy.

To make the vols au vent, you will need two round cookie cutters, one bigger than the other. Start by cutting with the big one, then using the small cutter cut into the middle of the one you’ve cut before as per picture below. Make sure not to go too dip the second time. Make as many as you can with your pastry. Brush them with your egg wash and pop them in the oven for 10 minutes, until golden brown on top. Once cooked, pop them onto a cooling rack.

 Now pop all your salmon into a food processor and mix until totally smooth in texture, then add your cream. Now, this is where you have to be super careful, mix again, but only for 2 seconds, it’s more a quick whisk than anything else. If you mix too much you won’t have a smooth mousse but a split like butter texture and you don’t want that. Poor into a bowl, add your lime juice and zest and mix.

Cut the top of your vols au vent and spoon your lovely salmon mousse into them, I tend to use a pipping bag at that stage, but if you don’t have one, spooning your mousse is fine. Et voilà.

I like to enjoy these with a glass of bubbly

If you’re looking for a Mother’s day treat, head over to Gourmandises

Or you might also be interested in my pâtisserie box or a cookery voucher, these are valid for a year.

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x

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recipe

Financiers filled with chocolate and hazelnut

Financiers filled with chocolate and hazelnut

January is never a month I look forward to in general, lockdown has not helped and I'm sure many of you are dying to see the back of it. Plenty of tea or a good cup of cocoa always help, with a little treat or two preferably for me. So I have the perfect recipe to help you with the January blues, and it is super easy to make. So here you have it my "financiers filled with chocolate and hazelnut".

Financiers filled with chocolate and hazelnut

Ingredients:

I used a financier mould for mine, but no need to buy one, just use a muffin or cupcake tray, it will work just as well.

260 g of icing sugar

300 g butter

180 g egg whites (the equivalent of 6 eggs)

160 g ground almonds

100 g plain flour

2 TBSP of chopped hazelnuts

100 g of dark chocolate, no need for an expensive chocolate for this.

Pre-heat your oven to 180° C

Method:

Melt your butter in a pan until it becomes brown butter, it is important to get it brown as it will enhance the nutty flavour of the financiers. Let it cool.

In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients, sugar, almond, flour and hazelnut, then add the egg whites. Once the butter is cool add it to your dry mix. Pour your mix in your tray, not all the way to the top only half way, then add a square of chocolate on top and pop in your oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until brown on top. Et voilà, as simple as this!

Other suggestions: you could replace the chocolate with raspberry or even bits of bananas or even pineapple

If you enjoy baking do check out my latest online baking classes

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x

Categories
recipe

Petites frangipane tarts with a chocolate surprise

Petites frangipane tarts with a chocolate surprise

I know Christmas is most certainly going to be different this year, but I am determined more than ever to just enjoy it and not even think about "what it could have been without Covid". At Christmas, as you can imagine, cooking and baking really take centre stage in my house and that is not going to change this year. Sadly, it can also become overwhelming for some, my secret to overwhelm, has always been preparation and simple, quick recipes. So I think you are going to enjoy this one very much, especially if you're not a big lover of mince pies. So here you have it, my "petites frangipane tarts with a chocolate surprise".

Ingredients:

A cupcake tray

A set of pastry cutters including a little star shape  cutter

One block of sweet shortcrust

2 Tbsp of plain flour

240 g ground almonds

4 eggs

240 g of sugar (any type of sugar will work)

240 g butter

One tablet of chocolate (milk, white or dark)

This amount should allow you to make two cupcake trays

Pre-heat your oven to 170° C

Method:

The frangipane mix:

Mix the butter, flour, grounds almonds, sugar and eggs into a paste and set aside.

Take your pastry out of the fridge at least 15 minutes before use. Then, using your pastry cutters, cut out some circles and place them in your tray (you’ll want your circles to be bigger than the cases so there is enough space to fill them).  Prick the bottom of your cases with a fork. Use the leftover bits of pastry to cut some stars. Then, place a square of dark chocolate at the bottom of the cases, and add a teaspoon of frangipane mix on top and place the star on top of your frangipane.

Place your tray in the oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown on top. Eat warm or cold, once cool pop them in an airtight container, they will last for a good week. You can also freeze them.

P.S. for more Chritmassy recipes head over here. If you enjoy pastry, how about booking yourself onto one of my pastry workshops.

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x

Categories
recipe

Butternut squash and cinnamon bundt cake

Butternut squash and cinnamon Bundt cake

I've had such an amazing crop of butternut squash this year, that I had to come-up with some new recipes. And this one is a really good one to try and dare I say perfect for Christmas. It is super easy to make a one pan job, kind of cake, and the result is delicious and stunning for a Christmas table. So here you have it my Butternut squash and cinnamon Bundt cake.

Butternut squash and cinnamon Bundt cake

Ingredients:

You will need a Bundt tin, buttered generously (you can use a 9″ tin if not, but you won’t have the wow factor).

400 g of squash

300 g melted unsalted butter

4 eggs (beaten)

200g muscavado sugar

200g granulated or caster sugar

pinch of salt

2 tsp of cinnamon

2 tsp of baking powder

400g self raising flour

2 tbsp of milk

For the icing:

100g of icing sugar and juice of one lemon

Method:

Start by roasting your butternut squash in a 180° C oven, with a little bit of vegetable oil and sprinkle a bit of sugar on top of your squash. Once your squash is cooked and cooled, blend it in a food processor until completely mashed. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a potato masher.

In a bowl, mix your melted butter, squash and sugar, then add your beaten eggs and mix. Sieve your flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt over your mixture and mix until nice and smooth, then add your milk and mix again. Pour your mixture into your tin, and let it cook for a good 45 minutes, test it by sticking a knife into it, if your knife comes out clean, it’s cooked. Mix your icing sugar and lemon and drizzle over the cooled cake. (Note, if your icing is too runny just add a bit more icing sugar, one tbsp at a time, as it needs to be thick enough).

I added some pomegranate for a more Christmassy effect. If you are looking for other easy Christmassy recipes head over here

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x

Categories
recipe

Home made mince meat

Home made mince meat

Mince meat is something I had never heard of until I came to the UK. Pudding and mince pies are just not part of the French Christmas at all. But now it's the kind of stuff I have to have at Christmas. Although nowadays, you can find good mince meat in delis, there is nothing like making your own. It is actually super easy to make and it's a great recipe if you have lots of apples in your garden. This is something that you want to start making end of September, beginning of October, it will allow the flavours to mingle and develop. So here you have it, my home made mince meat.

Ingredients:

1 kg of apples (cored and finely chopped, but no need to peel them)

1 packet of shredded suet

350 g of raisins, sultanas or currants, whatever you prefer, it doesn’t matter

200 g of mixed peel

Juice and zest of 2 oranges and 2 lemons

400 g of dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp of nutmeg

1 tsp of cinnamon

4 tsp of all spice

4 tsp of chinese five spice

You can also add nuts if you fancy

Brandy or any other tipple, I use rum (half a tea cup)

Method:

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together including the suet. Cover with cling film and let them rest over night in a cool place.

The next day, pre-heat your oven to 140 ° C, place your mince in an oven dish covered with foil and let your mince slow cook for 3 hours. After 3 hours of cooking, your mince will be floating in suet, that’s normal, that’s what will preserve it. Let it cool completely then mix in your favourite tipple. Transfer your mince in sterilised jars and keep in a cool place. Mince lasts forever really, my last batch was 3 years old

 This is also the time of year where I start preparing my Christmas cake, so if you fancy making your own, click here for the recipe.

Also classes have been uploaded until summer 2021, go and have a look.

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x

Categories
recipe

Courgettes and chorizo muffins

Courgettes and chorizo muffins

The courgette season is coming to an end. Because the weather has been so warm lately, mine are still giving a little bit. So here is another recipe that is super easy and always a family pleaser in my house, Courgettes and chorizo muffins. It is especially nice on a Sunday morning as part of a brunch.

Ingredients:

225 g self raising flour

one egg

half teaspoon of baking powder

100 g grated cheddar

50 g diced chorizo

50 g black olives

one spring onion

1 grated courgette

175 ml milk

25 ml of olive oil

Greased muffin tray

Pre-heat oven to 180 º C

Method:

In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, cheese, courgettes, onion and olives. Mix milk, egg and olive oil together, then pour over your dry mix. Quickly mix but don’t over do it otherwise your muffins will be very heavy. For a light fluffy muffin, you quickly mix the ingredients together. And that is more or less it. Fill your muffin tin half way to the top, leaving a bit of space for your muffin to rise. Pop them in the oven for 20 minutes or so, until nice and golden on top. Serve them hot as part of a brunch or even with a soup. If you are vegetarian, the chorizo is not necessary. The olives and spring onions add plenty of flavour anyway.

You can also find other courgettes recipes here 

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x

Categories
recipe

Beignets de courgettes

Beignets de courgettes

Every year, I ask myself, why did I plant so many courgettes? And every year somehow, I do. But a garden without a bounty of courgettes wouldn't look right, would it? So here is a recipe for you to try "beignets de courgettes". Easy, extremely moreish and perfect if you have plenty of courgettes in your garden.

Ingredients:

Note: this recipe is based on one normal size courgette (if you use 2 double the amount, 3 triple etc… as simple as that).

One courgette grated

100 g of self raising flour

1 tsp of baking powder

50 g of blue cheese (cheddar works too)

One spring onion finely chopped

One egg (medium size)

Vegetable oil to dip fry

Method:

Start by sifting baking powder and flour. Then add your grated courgette, cheese, spring onion and egg and mix to a batter consistency.

If you have a dip fat fryer use it for this recipe. I don’t, so I use a wok and do my dip fry in that.

Also, make sure to have a tray lined with tissue paper to soak the excess oil.

I always start by dropping a little bit of my batter in the oil to see if it’s hot enough. You’ll know it is if it floats on the surface and starts browning. At that stage, turn the temperature right down otherwise your fritters will turn dark brown but will not necessarily be cooked inside.

Now that your oil is at the right temperature, you can start cooking your courgettes fritters. Use a tsp if you want small bites and a tbsp for bigger morsels. Dip 4 to six spoons at a time so your oil doesn’t drop in temperature. Your beignets de courgettes will be cooked when they start browning on the outside. That is all!

Serve hot with some dips of your choice. I like mine wrapped in a salad leaf and dipped in sweet chilli sauce.

If you’re after a sweet recipe with courgettes you may want to try my “gateau de courgettes au chocolat“

Bon appétit!⠀

Corinne x

Categories
recipe

A healthy lockdown recipe, creole stir fry

A healthy lockdown recipe, creole stir fry

I hope you're all doing OK, locked in your homes. I can't really complain as I am one of the lucky ones with a big garden. To help you cope with isolation, some of you may have seen some of my cooking videos on social media. I've always tried to cook healthy and comforting meals, but at this moment in time, I think it's even more crucial that we try to do so. So here you have it "a healthy lockdown recipe, creole stir fry"

A healthy lockdown recipe, creole stir fry

Ingredients

(Don’t worry if you don’t have all the veggies listed here, whatever is in your fridge, if you have only one kind of veg, it’s fine to use just that).

2 carrots, finely sliced (use a potatoe peeler for this, easier)

150 g mange tout

150 g green beans

4 cabbage leaves finely chopped

2 spring onions

A bit of fresh ginger grated

Garlic (as much or as little as you like)

Soya sauce (3 TBSP)  and fish sauce (1TBSP)

500 g of chopped pork (can be chicken or beef also)

2 Tbsp of vegetable oil

A wok or a non stick frying pan

One chopped onion

One spring onion and one chilli finely chopped

Method:

Start by frying the meat first. Once it is nice and brown add the onions, once these are soft add the garlic and ginger, then add the carrots and the green beans, stir continuously for a minute or two. Then add the cabbage and mange tout. Mix in your soy and fish sauce, stir for another minute or two. At the end add the spring onions and chilli. Serve with plain rice.

Et voilà

You can also see a video here

P.S: if you are vegetarian or vegan, you can do this recipe too, just start by frying the onions first and follow the rest of the steps.

Bon appétit!⠀

Corrine x