the hungry expats

  In the traditional French lemon pie recipe, the crust is baked empty and the lemon curd layer is spread on top. In this recipe, the lemon curd is baked in the oven. The result is a very smooth, silky lemon filling. The original recipe had a crust I wasn't very fond of, so I replaced it with the pâte sablée recipe I use for the chocolate silk pie. CRUST   1 stick unsalted butter (110 grams), melted   1/4 cup confectioner's sugar   1 teaspoon salt   1 teaspoon vanilla powder 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour LEMON FILLING  Zest of 3 lemons 300 grams of caster sugar 450 grams of eggs (approximately 8 large eggs) 240 grams of lemon juice (it took 7 medium-size lemons for me) 240 grams of 35% fat thick cream (crème fraîche épaisse)   SWISS MERINGUE 120 grams egg whites (3 to 4 egg whites) 120 grams of caster sugar 120 grams of confectioner's sugar Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Make the crust. Mix melted butt...

 The Bûche de Noël is a traditional dessert served at Christmas in France. As far as I can remember, my mother always made a variation of the usual chocolate/chestnut cream bûche , and it's not Christmas without it. I doubled the recipe this year, so that I could make a traditional bûche and individual ones as well. The directions below are for one single bûche . I also decided to create my own decorative mushrooms (best to start with these, you can even make them the day before!) MERINGUE MUSHROOMS 60 grams egg whites 1 pinch of salt 60 grams caster sugar 60 grams confectioner's sugar 50 grams dark chocolate cocoa powder  Prepare a double boiler by placing a bowl on top of a pan filled with one inch of water. In the bowl, place the egg whites and salt and beat with electric beaters until mixture turns white and foamy. Turn the heat on underneath the pan, and continue beating while gently pouring the sugars into the egg whites. When sugar has dissolved completely and meringue...

After experimenting for years, trying to create the ultimate pineapple/coconut cake (Mark's favorite), with light and fluffy layers, separated by a rich, thick, creamy filling, I finally came up with something that ticks all the boxes! Ask Mark, he'll agree. CAKE 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1  teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 large eggs 2 cups caster sugar 3/4 cup vegetable oil 3/4 cup buttermilk zest of one lime 1 (8-ounce) can of crushed/sliced pineapple, drained (keep the juice), and pureed FILLING 1 1/2 (8-ounce) packs mascarpone (I used 375 grams) 2 cups heavy cream (at least 30% fat) 1/2 cup caster sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut TOPPING 1 1/2 cups coconut flakes, toasted Preheat oven at 350°F/180°C. Line 3 (9-inch) round cakepans with parchment paper; butter and flour sides and set aside. Mix dry ingredients tog...

This recipe is a mash-up of 2 classics: the French-style tarte au citron with the topping of the chocolate silk pie. SHORTCRUST 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams) 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (150 grams), softened and diced 1/4 cup caster sugar (50 grams) 1/2 cup confectioner's/icing sugar (50 grams) 1 egg 1 pinch of salt LEMON CURD  3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon lemon juice from 3/4 lemons (200 ml) zest of one lemon 3/4 cup caster sugar (150 grams) 3 large eggs 1 tablespoon cornstarch 3/4 stick unsalted butter (75 grams), softened  CREAM TOPPING 10 oz PHILADELPHIA cream cheese, chilled 1 cup heavy cream (at least 30% fat), chilled 1/4 cup caster sugar (50 grams) 1 teaspoon almond extract 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted To make the crust, beat the egg with sugars and salt. Add flour all at once, kneading it with your fingers. Add softened butter, knead quickly until incorporated and form a ball with the dough. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for ...

Soooo I had a craving for spinach and spanakopita is something I've always wanted to tackle. Mine is a little bit unorthodox because I substituted mint for dill which is normally used to flavor this delicious greek pastry. I loved the result, mint worked really well with the saltiness of the feta cheese. FILLING 16 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained 1 bunch of flat parsley, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablesoons extra virgin olive oil 4 eggs 10.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled Freshly-ground black pepper CRUST 1 16 oz package of phyllo pastry (I used a package of 470 grams of fresh phyllo pastry) 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, more if needed Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Before you begin mixing the filling, make sure the spinach is very well drained, and squeeze out any excess liquid by hand. Make the filling: In a mixing bowl, add the spinach and the remaining fi...

Ever since we discovered Mary Berry's quick rough puff pastry dough, this is the only way we make apple pie. The flaky crispy crust with the apples cooked in cinnamon and brown sugar syrup is a match made in heaven! Enjoyed as is or with a big dollop of fresh whipped cream or gelato on top. CRUST 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 50 grams (approx. a half stick) unsalted butter, refrigerated 120 grams (approx. 1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen 1 teaspoon salt 4 or 6 tablespoons of cold water (not ice cold) FILLING 3 apples of your choosing (I use Jonagold or Red Delicious), peeled, cored and sliced (thick slices) 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 cup dark or light brown sugar 1/2 cup pecan nuts, chopped  1/4 cup raisins 1 tablespoon cinnamon 2 Tablespoons white sugar for sprinkling Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. Rub in the chilled butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Gradually add enough water to...

There is nothing like the comfort of a delicious cinnamon roll. The original recipe has been slightly amended (I added orange zest to the dough and chopped pecan nuts to the filling) to please our palate even more. Makes 9-10 rolls (I placed 9 in a round baking pan and one in a single cupcake pan as an experiment). Dough   ¾ cup warm 2%-fat or whole milk 2 ¼ teaspoons active yeast (I used 20 grams of fresh yeast)   ¼ cup granulated sugar   1 egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature   ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted   3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting   3/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon orange zest (optional) Filling   2/3 cup dark or light brown sugar 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon   ¼ cup ...