LilliPop Girl

Tag: Festives

  • Chocolate hazelnut biscotti

    Chocolate hazelnut biscotti

    In the holiday season, I love to make cookies to offer as a gift or to eat after cross-country skiing. I wanted to make biscotti for a long time and I found the inspiration of the recipe on the new yorker site smittenkitchen, adapted from a recipe from the New York Time. These biscotti are very rich in cocoa,  crisp and do not contain added fat!

    Makes about 50-60 biscotti

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups unbleached flour
    • 1/2 cup hazelnuts
    • 1/2 cup Dutch-style cocoa powder
    • Pinch of salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 4 eggs
    • 3/4 cups sugar

    Directions: 

    1. Preheat oven to 350 ° F
    2. If your hazelnuts are raw, toast them in the oven on baking sheet about 10-15 minutes, stay closely to avoid burning them.
    3. In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
    4. In another bowl, beat the eggs lightly, then remove 2 tablespoons and keep for later. With the electric mixer, beat the remaining eggs with the sugar and vanilla until they are mixed. Stir in flour mixture with a spoon.
    5. Divide the dough in half and place one portion on a well-floured work surface. With hands, spread the dough into a rectangle shape. Spread half the hazelnuts on the dough and squeeze them into the surface. Fold the dough in half and squeeze well. Spread over a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining dough. Brush the tops with reserved egg.
    6. Put in the oven and cook about 20 minutes, until firm to the touch. Let cool for five minutes and cut into half-inch (1-2 cm) thick slices. Turn the biscotti on their cut sides and put them back in the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes, until they are crisp and dry. Allow to cool completely before serving.
  • Chocolate Covered Cashews

    Chocolate Covered Cashews

    J’aurais voulu faire une meilleure photo, car c’est tellement bon des cajous enrobées de chocolat…en plus d’être très rapide à faire!

    Ingrédients:

    • 1 1/4 tasse de noix de cajou cru non salées (sac 1 kg Bassé au Costco)
    • 1/3 de tasse de pépites de chocolat mi-amer
    • un peu de noix de coco non sucrée (facultatif)

    Directions:

    1. Dans une poêle, faire chauffer à feux doux-moyen les cajous pour les rôtir (avec un peu de noix ce coco si désiré), environ 10 minutes, en remuant de temps en temps. Attention de ne pas les brûler. Vous pouvez aussi les mettre sur une plaque au four à 350 F.
    2. Dans un bain-marie, faire fondre le chocolat et retirer le bol du bain-marie.
    3. Ajouter les cajous dans le bol de chocolat fondu et bien mélanger.
    4. Verser et étendre sur une assiette recouverte de papier parchemin ou ciré. Vous pouvez saupoudrer un peu de sel de mer au goût. Mettre au réfrigérateur pour quelques heures. Briser en morceaux et déguster!
  • Shrimp and Mango Salad

    Shrimp and Mango Salad

    Perfect recipe to serve as a starter or as an aperitif.

    • 1/4 cup red bell pepper diced
    • Mango 1/4 cup diced
    • 1 1/4 cup of cold water shrimp, drained and chopped
    • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
    • 4 tablespoons white Vermouth
    • 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
    • Juice of 1/2 lime or a little orange juice
    • pepper
    1. Mix all ingredients and season to taste.
    2. Divide into small ramekins or on endive.
  • Dark Chocolate Crack Cookies

    Dark Chocolate Crack Cookies

    Yield: 24-30 cookies

    Ingredients: 

    • 3/4 cup (100g) all-purpose Flour
    • 1/2 teaspoon (3g) Baking Powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon (1g) Sea Salt
    • 8 ounces (225g) Dark Chocolate, chopped
    • 3 Tablespoons (45g) unsalted Butter
    • 2 Tablespoons Bourbon or Amaretto
    • 2 large Eggs, room temp.
    • 1/3 cup (65g) Sugar (+ extra for coating cookies)
    • Confectioners Sugar (for coating cookies)

    Directions:

    1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well combined. Set aside.
    2. Combine the dark chocolate, butter, and Amaretto in a medium bowl over a pot of simmering water. Gently melt the chocolate and butter, stirring frequently. Remove the bowl from the simmering water.
    3. Whisk together the eggs and sugar on high until the mixture forms a well-defined ribbon when the whisk attachment is lifted out, about 5 minutes. By hand, gently stir in the melted chocolate mixture until combined.
    4. Again by hand, stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Cover and refrigerate until firm (about 2 hours).
    5. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a couple baking pans with parchment paper.
    6. Pour the granulated sugar and confectioners sugar into two separate small bowls. Form the chocolate cookies into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll the balls in the regular sugar, and then roll in the confectioners sugar to coat. Place on the baking sheets spaced about 1-inch apart.
    7. Bake for 8 minutes then rotate the cookies sheets and bake for another 6-8 minutes. Cookies should still be slightly firm on the edges and fairly soft in the centers. Don’t overbake them.
    8. Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan until firm enough to handle then transfer to a cooling rack.

    Source: White on Rice Couple

  • Crème anglaise Sauce

    Crème anglaise Sauce

    Creme anglaise sauce is used with many cakes, floating island or brownie. It is also the base of the ice cream. Here is my first attempt that was successful, even if I did only with 1% milk. I then flavored with three tablespoons Grand Marnier.

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups of milk or half milk and half cream
    • 5 egg yolks
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 1 vanilla bean, cut in half or vanilla extract

    Directions:

    1. In a saucepan, bring the milk, vanilla and half the sugar to a boil and remove from heat.
    2. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar with a whisk until light and creamy.
    3. Slowly pour the milk into the eggs, stirring constantly.
    4. Pour into the pan and cook over low heat, stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon until the cream makes tape or coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat immediately. The cream should never boil.
    5. Cool and cover with plastic wrap to refrigerate or serve warm. It keeps up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
  • Cannele of Bordeaux

    Cannele of Bordeaux

    The cannelé is a small cake native to the Bordeaux region of France. It is flavored with rum and vanilla and can be served at lunch, snack and dessert. Formats include  mini or regular and silicone molds are much easier to remove than the original copper mold.

    Serving Size: Approximately 14 regular size cannelé

    Ingredients:

    • 500 ml whole milk
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 2 eggs + 2 egg yolks
    • 180 g sugar
    • 100 g of unbleached flour
    • 25g butter
    • 1 pinch of salt
    • 3  tablespoons of dark rum
    • 1  tablespoons Grand Marnier (optional)

    Directions:

    1. In a saucepan, boil the milk and vanilla extract. Remove from the heat once the first bouillions.
    2. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar, then add the eggs, mix and add the flour. Mix well.
    3. Gradually pour the milk into the egg mixture to avoid lumps.
    4. Add butter, stir and when melted, add the rum, Grand Marnier and a pinch of salt.
    5. Let stand at least 1 hour if you want to cook them immediately, but the ideal is to let the mixture in the refrigerator for 24 hr, then pour the mixture to 3/4 in cannelé silicone molds .
    6. Preheat oven to 400F, bake for 20 minutes, then bake at 350F for about 45-50 minutes. Cannelé should be crispy outside and tender inside.
  • Hot Cross Buns

    Hot Cross Buns

    My first buns’ recipe I made on Easter morning and they quickly disappeared! I found the recipe on the site thepioneerwoman.com, you can find step by step photos.

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups milk
    • 1/2 cup vegetable oil or olive oil
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1 package (2¼ Teaspoons) Active Dry Yeast
    • 4 cups unbleached flour
    • 1/2 cup unbleached flour
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 1  teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1/2 teaspoon allspice (ginger, nutmeg, allspice)
    • 1/2 cup raisins, dried cranberries, candied orange peel to taste
    • 1 egg
    • A few drops of milk

    Frosting

    • 3-4  tablespoons of icing sugar
    • 1  teaspoon of  milk

    Directions:

    1. Combine 2 cups milk, oil, and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan. Stir and heat until very warm but not boiling. Turn off the heat and allow to cool until mixture is still warm, but not hot, for about 30 minutes.
    2. Sprinkle yeast over mixture. Add 4 cups of flour and stir to combine. Cover with a towel and set aside for 1 hour.
    3. Add 1/2 cup flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt, mix well. Now you can refrigerate the dough in an airtight container if you want to finish the buns later.
    4. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup sugar and spices.
    5. On a lightly floured clean surface, press to slightly flatten dough. Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Sprinkle on about a third of the raisins. Then fold the dough over on itself and flatten again so the dough is “plain” again. Repeat the sugar/raisin process, then fold the dough again. Repeat a third time until all the raisins are used. (You won’t use all the sugar/cinnamon mixture.)
    6. Rub your hands with flour and remove pieces of dough the size of a golf ball and form a small bun, flattening the top slightly.
    7. Place the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise for about 1 hour, ideally under a heat source (light).
    8. In a small bowl, separate the egg to keep the white, add a few drops of milk and mix.
    9. With a pastry brush, brush onto each buns.
    10. Bake in the center of a preheated oven at 400 F for about 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden. Cool on a wire rack.
    11. In a small bowl, mix the icing sugar with milk, maybe 1 drop of vanilla to taste and form cross on the cooled buns. You can use a plastic bag with the cut corner or just with a butter knife as I did.
  • Cranberry Vodka Granita

    Cranberry Vodka Granita

    A delicate granite which can be served as a dessert or before your main dish. The addition of apple juice cuts the bitterness of cranberry and makes a delicious granita. You do not need an ice cream maker for this recipe. You can also prepare it the day before or the same day (at least 5 hours before serving).

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/2 cups cranberry juice
    • 1/2 cup apple juice
    • 1/3 cup sugar
    • 1/2 cup of vodka GREY GOOSE L’Orange (or add a few drops of lime juice if desired)
    • Mint leaves for garnish

    Directions:

    1. Whisk the cranberry juice and sugar in a  medium saucepan over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves.
    2. Let cool completely and then add the vodka GREY GOOSE L’Orange (and/or lime juice).
    3. Pour the liquid into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch high glass baking dish.
    4. Put in the freezer for about 2 hours.
    5. For a nice grainy texture, scrape the surface with a fork to create crystals, put in the freezer 1 hour and repeat a few times after that for the last two hours of freezing.
    6. Serve in cocktail glasses and decorate with fresh mint leaves.