French Apple Cake

Ingredients

1½ pounds Granny Smith apples (about 4 large apples), peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges, and sliced ⅛ inch thick crosswise
1 tablespoon Calvados, apple brandy or white rum
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Powdered sugar, for dusting

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place the prepared pan on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

2. Place the apple slices into pie plate, cover with an inverted plate, and microwave until the apples are pliable and slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Toss the apple slices with Calvados and lemon juice and let cool for 15 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the flour, 1 cup of the granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the whole egg, oil, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Transfer 1 cup of the batter to a separate small bowl and set aside.

5. Add the egg yolks to the remaining batter in the large bowl and whisk to combine. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the cooled apples. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan; using an offset spatula, spread the batter evenly to the pan edges, gently pressing on the apples to create even, compact layer, and smooth surface.

6. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour into the reserved batter. Pour over the batter in the pan and spread evenly to the pan edges and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar evenly over the cake.

7. Bake until the center of the cake is set, a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Run a paring knife around the sides of the pan and cool completely, 2 to 3 hours. Dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving.

Recipe from The Brown Eyed Baker

Tres' Bon!

Almond & Plum French Financiers

Financiers are delicate little almond cakes found in pastry shops all over Paris. They have a crunchy, firm exterior and a rich, moist center.  You can make them with or without fruit.  I added course sugar to the outside of mine in order to put my own spin on them.  If you love almond, watch out. These little cakes are addictive!


Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 T course, decorator’s sugar

1 cup finely ground almonds or almond flour

1 2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

5 egg whites from large eggs, whisked for 3-4 minutes by hand until foamy

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 tsp. pure almond extract

1 small plum cut into 10 1” pieces (you can substitute peaches or berries)

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

With your finger rub 2 tablespoons softened butter to around the inside of 10 muffin cups.  Sprinkle with course sugar; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the almonds, sugar, flour, and salt. Mix to blend. Add the egg whites and mix until thoroughly blended. Add the 3/4 cup butter and almond extract. Mix until thoroughly blended.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling them almost to the rim. Place the pan in the center of the oven. Bake until the financiers just being to rise, about 7 minutes.  Remove from oven and place a plum piece in top of each. Reduce the heat to 400°F. Bake until the financiers are a light, delicate brown and begin to firm up, about another 7 minutes. Turn off the oven heat and let the financiers rest in the oven until firm, about another 7 minutes.

Remove from oven and let sit on cooling rack for 10 minutes. Run butter knife around the outside edge and remove from pan directly onto the cooling rack. Let cool.

Recipe adapted from Epicurious.

Jouir!

French Macarons, Take I

I have always been enticed by the beautiful colors and dainty appearance of French Macarons. When I was visiting my sister in Charlotte last summer, she took me to Amelie's French Cafe/Bakery where I got to taste one for the first time.  It was instant love.  Soon after I bought a book on Macarons and have been reading it and staring at it, and reading it and staring at it since then.  I was definitely intimidated because of all the things it said can go wrong for the amateur Macaron baker (that's me!).  They refer to Macarons as "troublesome" and that didn't do a lot for my confidence. The weather can't be too humid or too dry, all ovens bake differently, stacking baking sheets is recommended but you don't know if 2 are good or if you need 3.  Parchment or Silpat?  Aged egg whites. Don't fold too much, but make sure you fold enough.  Confidence & the courage to get started are a must.

Well it took me 7 months but I finally got up the courage to try. All seemed to go quite well.  The only area I was really concerned about was folding in the food coloring.  It instructed me to fold the egg whites and dry mixture 90%, then add the coloring and then finish with 1-2 more strokes.  No way can you fold anything thoroughly in 1-2 strokes.  I tried to use as few as possible, but it took me more like 6-8 strokes and at that I left the batter marbled.

Now it's time to pipe them out onto the parchment paper.  While I attempted to make each one uniform in shape and size, it was a bit difficult without any prior practice.  Not bad though.  I was not very successful in releasing the pressure without leaving a "tail".  I dropped the baking sheet on the counter several times and was able to lessen the tails, but unable to make them vanish altogether. (I later read that my mixture was not folded enough, surprisingly.)

All things considered, I am quite pleased with the results, and after reading the Troubleshooting section of the book, am prepared for a Take II.  I aspire to be an expert by Take III, well at least by Take IV. :)

As you can see by the photo, I made pink, green & lavender shells.  Since they are made with almond flour, they have a very delicate almond flavor.  I filled the pink ones with strained raspberry seedless jam, the green ones have crunchy chocolate ganache w/cacao nibs and the lavender with a blackberry butter cream.

I am not providing the recipe this go-around as I need to understand more of the science and the whys and wherefores of the structure of the macaron shell.  When I build more confidence and can make them without trembling hands and heart palpitations, I will then publish the recipe I used. Look for Take II followed by Take III, and hoping to end with the trilogy.

C'est bon!

Cereal Encrusted French Toast w/Sauteed Bananas

Ingredients:

1 loaf Challah or Brioche, cut into 1" slices
4 large eggs
1/3 c whole milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 c crushed cereal flakes, any type (I used Barbara's High Fiber w/Cranberries)
12 T butter, divided
3 medium ripe bananas, sliced
1/2 c maple syrup
Powdered Sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 200*.
In a shallow bowl beat eggs with milk, vanilla & salt.  In another bowl add the crust cereal. Add 6 T butter to a cast iron or heavy duty skillet and melt over medium heat.  Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture then coat each side with the crushed cereal.  Place in skillet and cook on each side until a dark golden brown.  Remove from skillet and put in oven proof dish and keep warm in the oven while making the topping.

In a large skillet melt remaining 6 T butter and add sliced bananas.  Saute for 2 minutes then add the maple syrup.  Continue cooking until the bananas are softened.

Warm serving plates in microwave for 1-2 minutes.  Place french toast slices on each plate and spoon banana mixture over top.  Dust w/powdered sugar if desired and serve.





Bon Appetit!

Thrift Store Chair Turned French Country with AS Chalk Paint

Before

After

I bought this chair for $5.00 from a local thrift shop.  I needed a small chair to add to my French Country Bedroom and with a little TLC I knew this would be perfect.  I popped off the original seat cushion, which was thin and deteriorating and covered with a cheap torn vinyl.  I then painted the entire chair with AS Chalk Paint in Paris Grey.  I originally wanted to do a dry brush of Old White over it, but alas, what small amount was left in the can was not usable.  My first alternative was a dry brush of Duck Egg Blue and I loved it.  But then thought that I really should have used Paloma instead for a subtle lavender look since that is the main color in the room.  Hey, why not add that color as well, but instead of dry brushing it on, I thinned it quite a bit and splattered it all over with a 1" brush.  LOVE!

While that was drying I got to working on the cushion.  I bought a dense foam replacement from Jo-Ann's and used the same fabric (old tabbed muslin curtains) I used for the closet door panels in the bedroom.  I wanted to do a French image transfer and remembered I had just the thing.  I previously downloaded a French Wreath and Bee from The Graphics Fairy and ran it thru my inkjet printer onto Iron On Transfer Paper.  First I ironed the fabric, then I cut out the image and centered it on the fabric and transferred the image using a hot, dry iron.  Once the image was successfully transferred and set, I stapled the fabric over the foam onto the back of the original wooden seat template.  I laid it upon the newly made-over chair and was very happy with the results.

Not being one to leave well enough alone, I sat staring at the chair feeling very pleased with myself and at the same time noticing my nail polish.  Hey, the chair looks almost like my polish minus the black.  I could add some flecks of black paint with an old toothbrush and then the black graphic on the cushion would tie in nicely!  So that's exactly what I did.  I added just enough water to a puddle of black acrylic paint to make it the consistency of ink.  Got my toothbrush (well I actually used my husband's!  haha - not really) and flicked the fleck out of it.  It just keeps getting better!  All that is left to do is apply some clear wax, screw on the cushion and place it in the bedroom.  Voila! as the French say.

A Perfect Match!

Avoir un siège!