the hungry expats

Yes, you read it right: zucchini in a dessert. Since I just got fresh blueberries from the produce market in Ventimiglia, I just had to try. And I couldn't be more pleased with the result! The cake comes out incredibly moist, with a good balance between the tartness of the blueberries and the sweetness of the frosting.  CAKE 3 large eggs 1 cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 cups sugar 2 cups shredded zucchini (1 medium-sized zucchini) 3 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda   2 cups blueberries (tossed in 1 tbsp flour) FROSTING 1/2 cup butter, unsalted, at room temperature 11 oz. (300 grams) of cream cheese 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups confectioner's sugar Set oven to 350...

There is this bakery where my parents live that makes delicious breads and viennoiseries . I'm not so crazy about their desserts, but they've created this unique brioche, made of homemade puff pastry rolls, laced with a sugary syrup, which we just have to have whenever we visit. I've looked up their recipe everywhere online for a very long time, without success, until someone posted the following recipe by Philippe Conticini on their blog and instagram profile. It turns out to be extremely similar to what I was looking for. It is a little bit time-consuming to make but the result is worth every effort you put into this! It does taste as good as it looks, so why not give it a try!     DOUGH 510 grams (about 4 cups) all-purpose flour  1 teaspoon salt 40 grams sugar 15 cl. milk (about 2/3 cup) 20 grams fresh baker's yeast 3 eggs 50 grams butter, room temperature (3 and 1/2 tablespoons) 300 grams butter for layering (2 and 2/3 sticks) SYRUP 50...

I discovered Thanksgiving when I spent my first year in Louisiana. There is nothing more reminiscent of Thanksgiving to me than a pecan pie. One bite into the buttery crust, the gooey custard, and the crunchy nuts, and I'm transported back in time, around a table filled with mashed sweet potatoes, sausage and oyster stuffing, and home-baked sourdough bread. 2019 Update: I now use Mary Berry's rough puff pastry recipe as my go-to crust for most pies I make, and it works especially well with this filling! PASTRY DOUGH (MARY BERRY's ROUGH PUFF) 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt cold water (between 1/2 and 2/3 cup) 50 grams of unsalted butter, chilled (about 3 tablespoons) 120 grams of unsalted butter, frozen (about 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon) F ILLING 5 tablespoons butter 1 cup light brown sugar 3/4 cup corn syrup 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups pecan halves 2 teaspoons vanilla 3 eggs DIRECTIONS Make the crust. Don't forget to freeze 120 gram...

The following recipe makes 2 bundt cakes, or one large round cake. I only made half the recipe today and used a loaf pan. This is definitely not your average pound cake, but its texture is both dense and moist. The apple is completely optional. I dice it very finely so that the pieces almost melt into the batter. The crumble on top (streusel) is also optional. I just love the crunchy layer it adds this dessert.  CAKE 1 cup butter, softened 3 cups white sugar 1 cup plain yogurt 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 large eggs 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 lemon, zest and juice 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 apple, peeled, cored and finely diced (optional) STREUSEL 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup butter 1 teaspoon cinnamon Preheat oven at 325°F. Butter and flour two loaf or bundt cake pans. For the cake batter, cream together sugar and butter. Then add yogurt (I used a Greek yogurt) and oil. Sift flour, b...

Here's my take on the classic Black Forest cake. Instead of the typical chocolate sponge though, I used my dark chocolate cake recipe as a base, because it always comes out so moist and flavorful. I didn't have any cherry liquor (Kirsch) in my pantry, but I did have a jar of my mom's delicious dark cherries in syrup. And I made the chantilly cream a bit denser, as I usually do, by adding cream cheese to the mix. So, like I said, not the purest form of Black Forest out there, but my own version, and it seems to please others as well! DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups granulated sugar 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 cup strong black coffee 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract FILLING AND TOPPING 1 jar of dark cherries (preferably stoned) in syrup ...

This one's for the dark chocolate lovers out there who really want to indulge. It doesn't get better than this. CRUST   1 stick unsalted butter, melted   1/4 cup sugar   1 teaspoon fine sea salt   1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour FILLING   2 1/4 cups whole milk, divided   5 large egg yolks   2/3 cup white sugar   1 teaspoon vanilla extract   6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 4 teaspoons cornstarch   4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 55% cocoa), chopped   3 tablespoons unsalted butter TOPPING   2/3 cup heavy cream 5 oz. cream cheese 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract      Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Mix melted butter, sugar, and salt in ...

This is a classic French recipe, usually made with canned pear halves in syrup. Since I found some beautiful poires Williams at the market yesterday, I decided to poach them in a simple homemade syrup instead. CRUST 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1/3 cup vegetable oil or butter, softened 1/3 cup  warm water PEARS POACHED IN SYRUP (optional) 5 firm pears 3/4 cup white sugar 2 cups water 1 teaspoon vanilla Zest of 1 lemon FILLING  2 eggs 1/3 cup almond meal 1/3 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup sugar (I used half white sugar and half dark brown sugar) 1 tablespoon of rhum DIRECTIONS Make the crust. In a bowl, mix all ingredients together and knead just long enough to combine them well. Shape dough into a ball, wrap in cling film and let rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Poach the pears in syrup (skip this step if you are using canned pear halves in syrup). In a saucepan, mix together sugar, water, van...