the hungry expats

This is a creation of mine, combining two recipes that I thought would work well together. Pretty happy with the result. DACQUOISE 90 grams ground hazelnuts 100 grams whole hazelnuts (I used walnuts instead) 100 grams confectioner's (icing) sugar 3 large egg whites 35 grams white sugar PRALINÉ FEUILLETÉ 200 grams of pralinoise (55% hazelnut content) 100 grams of crêpes dentelles (I used "Gavottes") CHESTNUT BUTTERCREAM 370 grams (whole jar) of chestnut cream 150 grams PHILADELPHIA cream cheese 125 grams unsalted butter, softened Preheat oven at 180°C (about 350°F). For the dacquoise, coarsely chop the whole hazelnuts and toast them in a pan, stirring from time to time to avoid burning. When toasted, set aside. In a bowl, beat egg whites with handheld mixer adding white sugar in small amounts, until fully incorporated and mixture thickens and forms glossy peaks. In a separate bowl, mix ground hazelnut and confectioner's sugar together. Fold del...

We love cheesecake! I've wanted to try one of these for so long, because they're supposed to have this incredibly light texture, soft as cotton, unlike their rich and dense American cousin. I've flavored this one with almond extract and added some toasted almond slices for a little bit of crunch. Just amazing! INGREDIENTS 5 oz. (140 grams) granulated sugar 6 egg whites 6 egg yolks 2 oz. (50 grams) unsalted butter 9 oz. (250 grams) PHILADELPHIA cream cheese 3 fl oz. (100 ml) fresh milk 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 oz. (60 grams) all-purpose flour 1 oz. (20 grams) cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted DIRECTIONS   Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. Fold in the flour, the cornflour, salt, egg yolks, lemon juice and mix well.   Make the meringue by whisking egg whites with a handheld mixer until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form. Fold 1/3 meringue int...

My partner and I absolutely love almonds. I recently came upon this recipe (thank you Pinterest) that promised to deliver a cake both moist inside, and with a delicious crunchy layer on top. The result was amazing. CARAMELIZED CRUST 10 grams unsalted butter, softened 50 grams sliced almonds (I used about 1/2 cup) 2 tablespoons white sugar BATTER 115 grams almond meal (ground almond) 150 grams white sugar 1 pinch of salt 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (I used a bit more because I didn't have any Amaretto) 3 large eggs 115 grams unsalted butter, room temperature 1 tablespoon Amaretto (optional) 45 grams all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon baking powder Preheat oven at 350°F/180°C. Generously butter bottom and sides of a 8x8 inch cake pan. Spread sliced almonds evenly over bottom and sides (1 inch high) and sprinkle with sugar. Set aside. In a a mixing bowl, mix together almond meal, sugar, salt and almond extract. Add the eggs, one at a time...

Mark just found what turned out to be the best brownies recipe we ever tried. Definitely our go-to recipe from now on. INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2/3 cup canola (or sunflower) oil, divided 1/2 cup b oiling water 2 cups granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup of walnuts or pecans (here I used unsalted pistachios and salted cashews), chopped Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Butter or lightly spray a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with non-stick spray and place a sheet of parchment paper that covers bottom and sides of the pan.  In a medium sized bowl, stir together the cocoa and baking soda. Blend 1/3 cup of the canola oil into the cocoa until well mixed and shiny. Add the boiling water and stir until the mixture thickens. Add the sugar and stir in the remaining 1/3 cup of oil and the eggs, mixing until smooth. Add the flour, vanilla and salt, blending completely. Add n...

It's strawberry season, and it was time to try and make something new with this most delicious fruit. We found this recipe on a blog aptly named The hungry dog , and decided to share it here. The cake came out incredibly moist, with a nice layer of crunchy almond slices on top. I might adapt this recipe and try it with a different combination of fruits and nuts.   CAKE 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon baking powder 4 oz. unsalted butter, at room temperature (I used 110 g.) 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk 1 cup strawberries,  trimmed and either halved or quartered ALMOND TOPPING 2 T. unsalted butter, melted 1T. all-purpose flour 1 T. heavy cream (half and half worked fine) 1/2 c. granulated sugar 1/2 c. natural or blanched sliced almonds Preheat oven to 350 degrees (170°C). Butter a 9-inch spr...

My partner found this recipe on a blog. So easy to make it is literally like doing nothing. I tweaked the original recipe a little because it seemed a bit too sweet to my taste. The result was just amazing: a cake incredibly moist with just the right amount of frosting on top. My frosting came out browner than the original recipe because I used light brown sugar instead of white sugar.  CAKE 2 cups all-purpose flour   2 tsp baking soda   1 and 1/2 cups sugar   2 eggs   1/2 tsp vanilla extract   2 1/2 cups (20 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained   FROSTING 1 stick butter, 113 g 3/4 cup evaporated milk   1 cup sugar   1 cup chopped nuts   1 cup coconut shredded   Mix all cake ingredients with a spoon. Pour into oiled 9x13 inch (23x33 cm) pan and bake in 350 F (175 C) oven for 30 - 40 minutes or until center of the cake is done. Cook butter, evaporated milk and sugar ...

Here in Menton, la Fête du Citron (Lemon Festival) is almost upon us. This year's theme is Broadway Musicals. A couple of years ago, the citrus structures were inspired by a famous Jules Verne novel, Les tribulations d'un Chinois en Chine (Tribulations of a Chinaman in China). And when life gives you lemons, you make... lemon desserts! My partner found this amazing lemon mousse recipe online, which I tweaked slightly to match the ingredients I find here. The original recipe can be found here: http://www.cookingclassy.com/lemon-cheesecake-mousse/ For my version of it (less sweet, but same silky smooth texture), keep reading. LEMON CHEESECAKE MOUSSE Yields 6 to 10 servings. CRUST   1 cup crushed Speculoos cookies (brown sugar cinnamon cookies)   1/2 teaspoon salt   3 tablespoon (42g) butter, melted MOUSSE  2 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice   1 1/2 tablespoon water   3 sheets unflavored gelatin (or 1 and 1/2 teaspoons powder...