la tarte au riz - Belgian rice tart

I don't know if it's the cold weather or what, but I'm really craving for Belgian dishes these days. Sweet in particular. Of course. La "tarte au riz" is a traditional Belgian tart with a yeasted crust and a rice custard filling. Not particularly "light". Of course. But delicious.

persimmon galette

Everybody gives me persimmons these days. Great! Thanks! I love persimmons. I usually eat them raw, as they are, or in salads. It's the first time I bake them. I followed my favorite fruit galette recipe [this one]. I divided the dough by 4 to make 4 mini galettes. I added 2 medium persimmons thinly sliced/galette, topped with cinnamon & agave syrup. Simple and delicious.

angel food cake

A classic American cake. My favorite.

chocolate and plum almond cake

Chocolate + plums: an unusual combination. By Beatrice Peltre. La Tartine Gourmande.

yogurt fig cake

This is again a surprising recipe. It calls for ingredients such as eggs, sugar, Greek yogurt, lemon zest&juice, orange blossom water, and figs. Only 3 tbs of flour are necessary and there is no need for butter or oil. The recipe attracted me and the ending result totally convinced me. To give you an idea, this cake stands somewhere between the Japanese cheesecake and the flan breton. If you're happy enough to still find some fresh figs, you should give this recipe a try. Right away. Do not wait.

moelleux vanilles au (poti)marron

Last time, i wrote about making a dessert with the chestnut puree leftovers. Ta daaaa! Here it is. I don't know how to translate "moelleux vanilles au (poti)marron" in English. The main reason is that the word "potimarron" (kabosha squash in English) contains the word "marron" (chesnut) which makes it easier in French to name a dessert made with kabosha squash AND chestnut. That being said, I don't know how to translate "moelleux" either.... Anyway, this recipe is great, not only because it's quick&easy, not only because it's delicate&surprising, but also because it's 100%  healthy. And my daughters loved it!

healthier banana bread

Healthier. Not healthy. Because it's still a dessert, isn't it? But this banana bread is partially made of whole wheat flour, olive oil, yogurt, and dark brown sugar which make it .... healthier, right? 

peaches with chocolate/amaretti filling

It has been a while.... Sorry. But here I am again. As usual after a summer vacation in Europe, I come up with a truly Italian recipe. So simple, delicious, and addicting. I can't stop making it. Peach season is almost over. So hurry up!

baked rhubarb/raspberry bliss

It's not pouring anymore. But the sky is grey... (... comme dans la chanson). I need something sweet and spring(ish).

cocoa/hazelnut/banana muffins

It's pouring. I need chocolate. 

riz-au-lait {golden rice custard}

Believe it or not, it's actually the first time I succeed in the making of riz au lait. I'm not kidding. In the past, I tried several recipes, but the final result was either undercooked or burned. The cooking process was also very painful: infinite minutes stuck to the stove, milk all over the place, burned pans good for the trash... The following recipe is simply miraculous!

ciambellone al limone di Luciana

My in-laws know that I am a lemony-ish person. So they thought of me when a friend offered them this "ciambellone al limone". They asked her the recipe and sent it to me. How cute! The term "ciambellone" refers to the shape of the cake (a big donut). Its texture is somewhere in between a cake and an angel cake. Anyway, the "ciambellone di Luciana" was well appreciated by the lemony-ish person and by all the other members of her family.

Thanks beloved in-laws for being so thoughtful & Thanks Luciana for sharing your  awesome recipe. (Grazie Cesare&Luciana per essere cosi' gentili & Grazie Luciana per la tua ottima ricetta)

apples+pumpkin+walnuts cake

A fall cake loaded with good stuff:

(pumpkin+apples+walnuts) + (eggs+sugar+soy milk+olive oil) + (flour+baking powder+cinnamon).

You'd better try it!

Claire's rhubarb pie

Here is one of my favorite pies. I usually eat this "tarte a' la rhubarbe" at Claire's house. My friend Claire bakes it because -1) it's her recipe, and -2) she is a wonderful baker. All her pies are always delicious. But Claire is on vacation... She has been on vacation for almost 2 months now... And I'm really craving for that pie... So I did not have any other choice than baking her pie all on my own. Good thing that Claire gave me her "secret recipe" a few years ago and that I did not lose it. Precious papers do not get lost! 

stonefruit yogurt cake (+cornmeal/walnut streusel)

It has been a while since I posted a dessert recipe. Not that I don't bake desserts anymore, or that I don't eat them (event if I shouldn't). It's rather because I keep on baking the same desserts over and over. But this is a new recipe. So here I come again! This cake is wonderful. And so are all the recipes I tried so far from the book DIY Delicious, by Vanessa Barrington*, a must have cookbook if you are in a "do-it-yourself" or "do-it-from scratch" mood.

strawberries+lemon+basil clafoutis

I was inspired by a clafoutis recipe because of its unusual basil "touch". The day I baked it I didn't have any basil leaves on hand, but I decided to go for it anyway.

crustoli

Let's celebrate Mardi Gras / Fat Tuesday by making - and especially by eating! - some "crustoli" (typical carnival-ish Italian sweets). Alike all carnival-ish treats around the world, the crustoli are..... fried! But they are not too sweet. They are not too greasy. They are not too filling. They are crispy. They are tasty. They are gooooood!!!!!!!

lemon poppy seeds muffins

It's here in California that I discovered the combination of lemon + poppy seeds in baked goods. And I loved it. Right away. And still do. A lot. Hmmmmm. So good. Yummy. Irresistible. Heaven. 

happy valentine's day

Nothing really new here. Just the pleasure to post for Valentine's day. These hearts are cut in this bread. Except it's the winter version: with dried cranberries and Californian walnuts instead of fresh blueberries. Happy Valentine's day!

les macarons de marion

This time you will not get the recipe. If these macaroons are truly homemade, they aren't homemade by me! I would have not been able to obtain this perfection! They look perfect. They taste perfect. They are perfect. Congratulations Marion!