Classic Madeleines of Commercy are small, iconic French cakes shaped like shells with a distinct little bump on the top. They are soft in the center and slightly crunchy on the edges. Though their shape is complex, they use simple ingredients including eggs, sugar, flour, melted butter, and some lemon or orange for flavor. I love these…
Dessert
French Apple Tart
For you, what is the best dessert to start the season of fall? For me, it is definitely the French Apple Tart filled with a homemade apple sauce and topped with thin slices of apples. It is simple, light, flavorful, and elegant. I brought this French Apple Tart to a Mom’s Night Out and got…
Galette des Rois (French King Cake) with Almond Cream
In France, it is a tradition to share the Galette des Rois (French King Cake) on Epiphany Day, which is on January 6th. It celebrates the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem. During the entire month of January, in most bakeries and pastry shops you will find the traditional Galette des Rois. But…
French Rhubarb Apple Tart
Rhubarb on a thin layer of apple with light pastry cream is the perfect combo of tartness and sweetness in this French Rhubarb Apple Tart! A simple family recipe that you will surely enjoy. This year, I was so happy to find fresh rhubarb at my Whole Foods Market twice in a row. I really…
Rhubarb Pie
Do you know rhubarb? Rhubarb is a vegetable, however, its culinary uses are those of a fruit: compote, pie, crumble, and jam of course. You only eat the rhubarb’s stalks, as the leaves are considered toxic because they are too loaded with oxalic acid. I always have a hard time finding fresh rhubarb in my grocery…
Kefir Olive Oil Cake with Apples and Raisins
I had an irresistible desire to make this Kefir Olive Oil Cake with Apples and Raisins with these beautiful autumn-colored apples. It is so comforting with a cup of coffee or tea during a rainy or cold day. I really love apples (organic) because they are so healthy for you. You know the old adage: “an apple…
Stollen (Christine Ferber)
This other recipe of Stollen comes from Christine Ferber, a Master Pastry Chef in Niedermorschwihr (Alsace, France). She is well known as a maker of the best French jams in her shop, Le Relais des Trois Epis. Her jams can be enjoyed in the most exclusive places on the planet. The texture of this Stollen…
Galette des Rois (French King Cake) with frangipane
January 6th is Epiphany Day in France and the tradition is to make a Galette des Rois (French King Cake) and share it with family or friends. Bakeries, pastry shops, and greedy people extend this day-long tradition to make more Galette des Rois during January. As a recipe, I usually make this Galette des Rois with…
Carrot Almond Cake
This morning, I suddenly wanted to make a carrot cake, maybe because spring and Easter are in the corner. I remember a recipe that I used to make when I lived in France. From time to time, I talked about this recipe to my husband, but never made it. In fact, my carrot cake recipe…
French Southwestern Apple Croustade
Being in the Fall season gave me the desire to make this French Southwestern Apple Croustade that my mother-in-law showed me how to make when she came to visit us in Atlanta. Croustade is a popular dessert in Southwestern France. Depending on the area, the recipe and the name (called Croustade, Pastis Gascon, or Tourtière)…
Kouglof (Christine Ferber)
Kouglof, Kougelhopf, or Kugelhopf is a brioche made with dry raisins and decorated with almonds, and it is a specialty from Alsace (France) that is traditionally cooked in a specific circular bundt cake mold made from enameled terracotta or copper. I have never made a Kouglof before and I was excited to attempt to follow…
Key Lime Pie
Key Lime Pie is a well-known dessert from Key West (Florida, USA) made of a graham cracker crust. The filling is a simple custard made of egg yolks, condensed milk, and key lime juice. This pie can be topped with whipped cream or meringue. For my oldest son’s birthday, I made this Key Lime Pie, one…
Key Lime Pie with Pie Crust
Last summer, I made this famous and traditional Key Lime Pie in which I used speculoos instead of graham crackers for the crust. This year, I wanted to add my “French touch”. So I made a Key Lime Pie with Pie Crust (called “pâte brisée”) and used a bigger pan for a thinner filling. My…
STRAWBERRY-RASPBERRY BALSAMIC BROWNIES
These Strawberry-Raspberry Balsamic Brownies are simply irresistible. My family and I have given in! They are moist, chewy, and gooey inside. The mix of strawberry raspberry balsamic definitely adds a delicious flavor and combines so nicely with the chocolate. A pleasure that will delight your taste buds! One bite of these Strawberry-Raspberry Balsamic Brownies will take you…
French Prune Plum Tart
I really like fruit tart desserts, and this simple French Prune Plum Tart is a memory from my childhood… All these beautiful purple prune plums we found at the market remind me of the time I went to pick them up in my grandparents’ garden or my aunt’s orchard in the Eastern part of France. In my…
Coconut Lime Ginger Bread 🥥🌴
With this capricious weather, I needed a comforting bread that would take me right away to the tropics 😀! The kitchen is the perfect place to travel in an instant right? In my closet, I found a coconut package that I left unused during the last holiday season. This idea of Coconut Lime Ginger Bread came up. At…
French Cherry Clafoutis
Cherry Clafoutis is a classic French recipe made with fruit, traditionally black cherries, covered with a crêpe-like batter. It is really easy to make. This is my favorite recipe of Cherry Clafoutis, because it is light, yet flavorful. It holds a special place in my heart because I used to make it during my childhood…
Stollen
Stollen or Christollen is a traditional German sweet yeast bread with dried nuts and fruits and can be stuffed with almond paste that you eat during the Christmas season. Stollen is also known in Alsace and Lorraine where I am from. But even after Christmas in my household, we enjoyed this little treat, especially when…
French Christmas Sablés – Sablés de Noël
With Christmas around the corner, it was time to start my batch of French Christmas Sablés. It is a childhood tradition that I absolutely did not want to miss. I wish that my teens will feel this same enjoyment, and have these same wonderful memories as I did during the holiday season. In my family,…
Aunt Janine’s Apple Cake
Aunt Janine’s Apple Cake is one of my childhood memories. It is a cake that my aunt Janine made us sometimes for the “goûter” (afternoon snack) when we visited her. If you read my blog, you know that I love any dessert with apples. The addition of raisins and walnuts in this cake give a little…
Mandarin Pumpkin Bread
The trees don’t have their fall colors yet, but with Halloween decorations popping up in stores or across the street, I am feeling an irresistible craving for a pumpkin treat. Mandarin Pumpkin Bread is a delicious easily-made bread, spicy, and not too sweet. The mandarin juice keeps this bread really moist and pairs very well with the pumpkin…
Classic American Banana Bread
In my kitchen, I had ripe bananas with dark spots that no one wanted to eat. It was the perfect excuse to make this Classic American Banana Bread! If you cannot eat the entire bread in one day, don’t worry. It gets even tastier the following day. I must confess that I ate three thin slices in…
French Almond Financiers
Financiers are a small classic French almond cake served with tea or coffee. It is a delicious treat made of white eggs, ground almond, icing sugar, flour, and brown butter. But why it is called Financiers? They originate from sisters of the Visitandine Order, who made small oval cakes with almonds, flour, sugar, butter, and…
Cranberry Pumpkin Bread
Cranberry Pumpkin Bread has become one of our favorite fall treats. It is a little sweet with a tangy taste and smells delicious in the kitchen with its pumpkin spices. It is perfect anytime for breakfast, the kids’ lunch box, snacks… With this recipe, you can make one big loaf or even two small pumpkin…
Chocolate Pudding
This Chocolate Pudding is delicious and simple to make. It is creamy and perfect in chocolate flavor. It reminds me one well known pudding in France “Danette” that you can find easily in most of store but this version of pudding is lighter because you have no heavy cream.
Mixed Berry Crumble
Crumble is a quick and delicious British dessert that you can make any time of year with different combination of fruit. I love the buttery crunch of the crumble with the fruit and the lemon zest gives a little freshness. This dessert can be eaten alone, but crumble becomes irresistible with a scoop of vanilla ice cream…
Apple Yogurt Cake
I really have a fondness for any kind of apple-based desserts and this Apple Yogurt Cake is really easy to make. It contains three ingredients that I love to use (apples, yogurt, and olive oil) which make a healthy and delicious moist cake fit for any time of day.