This are simple heart shaped ‘sablés’, they are very easy to make. For a fancy recipe I added food colouring and almond ground. I also used nuts that I grated. It can be served with milk for tea time with your friends. It will be the opportunity to remember your deepest and vivid childhood memories!
Usually when I make Tiramisu I’m using sponge fingers but a Belgian friend of mine made it with speculos instead. It tastes very different, though I prefer the Italian classical version it’s nice to try different way of doing things. Speculos commonly used in Belgium or in the Netherlands and you would find it in many traditional dishes. Speculos is a mix of different spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon, cloves, ginger and white pepper
Even Though I’m not a massive fan of the Speculos Tiramisu, Speculos is very good in cheesecakes (instead of using digestive biscuits for the base). The speculos flavoured ice-creams are also very tasty. If you have the chance to try any of this treat don’t hesitate one moment!
Valentine’s Day is almost there. Though nowadays it is more a commercial celebration it stayed as a common practice to make something special for this day. I’m sorry to post the recipe only now but things have been a bit hectic with the workload I have do deal with. Despite the amount of work I have for uni I had time to make this cake yesterday evening, so If I’ve done it anybody can do it! There’s no excuses 😉
Basically what I have done is that I have baked a simple sponge cake and then filled it with a mix of cream and mascarpone. I added strawberries and raspberries to it and to give a little taste of dark fruits I have made a ‘coulis’ of it (fruit purée) . You don’t have to make the ‘coulis’ but it enhances the taste.
For the sponge cake you will need :
For the filling you will need :
If you want to make a coulis, you will need :
Equipment needed:
Pre-heat your oven at 180 degrees ( Gas 6)
Firstly separate the whites from the yolks. Whisk the whites egg until they forms peaks ( you can add a pinch of salt so it would make it easier). Use the robot to do it, if you don’t have one you can also use a whisk but it’ll take a little bit longer.
The secret to nail this recipe is the rapidity of the execution, so make sure that all your ingredients are ready.
Once that your whites are forming peaks add the sugar. Slow down the robot and add the yolks then the flour mixed with the baking powder.
Have your tin ready, then put the dough in the oven and bake it for 20 minutes .
Second step : the filling
Use to robot to mix the double cream with the sugar until you obtain a creamy texture, then add the mascarpone. When you’re done, add the strawberries and the raspberries. (Keep some raspberries for the decoration) . If you wanna add the fruit puree, just put some strawberries, some raspberries with icing sugar and some lime juice and put everything in a food processor until you obtain a puree. Add this puree to the previous mixture.
Third step: the decoration
Let the cake cook for a little while and then cut it in the width sense. If you have pastry cutters you can use them to make any shape you want. For mine I have used heart shaped pastry cutters.
Then lay down the filling you made on it and put the back the top of the cake as you would close an hamburger bun. On the top you make an icing by mixing the icing sugar and the lime juice.
Finally cut the strawberries you saved into rounds and put them all around the cake 
You can add little glitters on the top, but don’t abuse too much on it because you want something sober and smart not something fancy.
You’re now done and ready to enjoy your dessert. No matter with whom you’re gonna share it, your boyfriend, your husband, your best friend, your mother or even your bunny you’ll have a good moment eating something you set your all your heart on.
Let me know about the recipe, one again sorry for having posted it only now but love is a daily action it’s not a one day celebration 😉
I took this picture during my trip in South Africa when I was in Cape Town two years ago, in a street market.
I taste it and it was … surprising, unusual. It was like having jam, something really soft but very lovely to eat.
To be honest couldn’t remember the name of this fruit but thanks to SuitcasesandLattes that left a comment on the post I was able to get it. That’s what I like about blogging, to help each other in order to reinforce the community feeling 🙂 so thanks again to them!
What I miss the most from home is probably my parents dishes. When I make this dish I have the feeling to be with them again, so I hope that you will have this feeling too when you’ll cook it ! I’m about to give you the recipe that will make you feel like home even though you’re in your halls already booking your next ticket to go back home 😉
For this recipe you will need :
You can either buy a ready to cook tomato sauce or make it yourself ( it takes a little bit longer but the result is so much better!)
For the tomato sauce you will need :
For the sauce, slice the onions and place them in the saucepan with a little bit of olive oil. Add the tomatoes puree and then mix the chopped tomatoes, the fresh tomatoes (sliced in 4 parts) the salt, the pepper and the provence herbs. Cook on a gentle heat for 20 minutes, you can add a little water if you find that the sauce is too thick in order to light it.
While the sauce is cooking cut the aubergines in middle slices, lay them down on some baking tray then put salt generously on it. (it’s a way to remove the water from the aubergines). After 20 minutes, put them in a dish in the oven, bake them for approximatively 15 minutes at gas 7.
Then remove them from the oven, make a first layer of aubergine and then a second of tomato sauce. Repeat the operation another time. Finish with a last layer of grated cheese.
Put it back in the oven for 15 more minutes until the cheese is melted on the top.
My advice: If you want to be fancy, you can add meat in it. Just add minced meat to the tomato sauce until the meat is cooked. But don’t worry if you don’t know if the meet is enough cooked because you’ll put it back on the oven so it will cook eventually 🙂
And if you want to be even more fancy you can still add ‘creme fraiche’ or ‘ricotta'( it’s an italian and soft cheese)!
Enjoy, let me know your thoughts and don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any request!
I took this picture during my trip in Martinique last summer. This fruit is called star fruit in English because of its shape. When eating this fruit it is advised to remove the seeds as it can leads to kidneys problems. However it’s very good to make juice with it or to eat it as salad.
Exams are frighteningly coming, and after having stayed at the library all day long …or not ; you want anything but a nice dish cooked on the table. Though the recipe can be a little bit long to make, you won’t regret the 40 minutes passed to cook it I swear!
For this recipe you will need :
Firstly, bake the pastry dough in a dish for 30 minutes at gas 6.
While the though is in the oven, boil the broccoli for 12 minutes. Lay it down on the pastry dough . Add the tuna chunks all over the dish.
Mix the single cream, the milk, the eggs, the salt, the pepper and the olive oil together and put them above the tuna and the broccoli. It’s very simple to make.
If you like cheese you can make cheese above, mozzarella is the best but I know british people are keen on cheddar so you can choose the cheese that will make you melt 😉
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes at gas 7.
While it’s baking you can either carry on your revision or just chill. Listen to a little bit of music, I should probably stick to cooking on these blog but i’d like to share with you my music of the week that I keep listening while i’m cooking : it’s called ‘The Mother we Share’and it’s by Chvrches . You can watch it here.
Enjoy the recipe and the piece of music, Let me know your thoughts about them!
Cook By The Book 