cannelés, y'all

last weekend, i actually, for once, had a bit of time on hand to just hang loose. as in: do a bit of house hold chores. like laundry, see to the plants, rearrange my pots (mini garden, y'all), neatly fold together all my striped, white and black tees... you get the picture. it can be so soothing to get your sh*** together. i wish i was perfect like that all the time (or even just half of the time). gee, and then again, i think: being perfect is for boring people. ain't nobody got time for that. let's live a little. on another note, i'm happy as a clam on the beach that there are actually four days of sweet doing nothing ahead of me. for real, guys! my dark, dark under eye circles will thank me.

now cannelés. i like them, like them a lot. they are dark brown and shiny and sticky and caramelly. oh, and anything with a good, good rum in it (i used kraken rum, because i can)? welcome in my book!

my recipe for these cannelés is actually really annoingly long, long, long. annoing. and since i'm lazy like that living a little (as promised, see above) i now just copy and paste (more or less*) a recipe from some random site that i found online. of course, i'm telling you that the recipe i used is similar. and that i actually sticked to it. which, of course, i did not. as in: you can also skip the hard work / waiting game* (just as i did, ahem), and just proceed to baking the cannelés in one go. they probably won't turn out as pretty as paris blah-di-blah's pastry chef's... but really? duh.

oh, also, for really sweet instructions, go to my blogger colleague's fabulous site 'eat little bird' (thank you, thanh!).

cannelés

recipe adapted from seriouseats

 
ingredients:

500 ml / 17 ounces whole milk
1 vanilla bean, with the seeds scraped
50 g / 1.8 ounces butter, melted and cooled
2 egg yolks
2 eggs
300 g / 10 ounces confectioner's sugar, sifted
120 g / 4.4 ounces all purpose flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
30 ml / 1 ounce dark rum (i used kraken rum)
more butter, melted, for coating the molds

directions:

3 days before baking: In a medium-sized saucepan set over medium heat, whisk together the milk and the vanilla bean pod and seeds. bring the milk just barely to a boil; turn the heat off when the edges begin to bubble. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and place in the fridge (pod, and all) to steep overnight.

2 days before baking: Place the eggs and yolks in a bowl and break the yolks with a fork, do not whisk them. Add the melted butter, stir gently with a fork just to incorporate, and set aside. In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Place a strainer over the bowl, and pour the steeped milk through the strainer; discard the pod from the vanilla bean. Press the egg mixture through the strainer with a rubber spatula, then add the rum to the bowl. Gently mix the batter with a spatula; avoid incorporating air. Wash and dry the strainer, then push the batter through the strainer with a rubber spatula. Cover the batter and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 48 hours.

shortly before baking, melt the additional butter and grease the molds, then put in the freezer to cool and firm. Once it's time to bake: Set a baking stone on the bottom rack of the oven and place a sheet tray on top. Preheat the oven to 260 c / 500 f. When the oven is ready, remove the molds from the freezer and fill them almost to the top, leaving a centimeter of space at the top of the molds. place the tray of molds in the oven, and bake on high heat for the first 30 minutesg. The cannelés will start to bubble, then rise up out of the molds (don't worry, they will fall back later). 

Once this has happened, drop the temperature of the oven to 200 c / 400 f, and allow the cannelés to finish baking, approximately 45 more minutes. Watch for the tops to completely turn a deep golden brown and bubble (this is the butter in the batter) around the edges and middle. When the desired color is achieved on the tops, remove one from the oven using the tongs to test. Allow it to cool for several minutes, then invert the mold onto the cooling rack. The cannelés should cool on the rack for 30 minutes before eating, and are best if consumed no more than 5 hours after baking.

bites in london

one of my oldest friends is getting married this june! yup, excitement! and i'm never against a hens' weekend - especially when it takes place in london. it was fabulous. i know, i know… i've featured london not once, not twice, not thrice… but miriad times. yet, this time, there are only a couple of bit(e)s and bobs. well, and a real pretty bourlesque dancer (in a shop window, in covent garden, no less), a cupcake, pretty coffee art, monmouth street (big like), burger & lobster, the modern pantry (it's like returning home, if this time only for brunch), my poached eggs there and the cutest stall where one could have a flower crown made. what's not to love about london. 

fougasse with rosemary & za'atar

i walked through this week, trapped in my own little bubble, filled with perfect, meaningless, everyday nonesense. in the meantime, a friend of mine had to go through a severe operation last week, pretty much out of the blue. she told me about it only later, when she was already back home and recovering. even though she's fine now, i was still shocked. mostly because i didn't even know about any of this. because, while i was living my meaningless everyday in mediocre content, she was suffering and worried. i know that things like illnesses and also loss, and the related grief, belong to life. yet, it hit me, how fleeting our time on earth is… and doesn't that put everything - our own tiny bubbles - into perspective? 

so many things can happen to us. and all those moments that we are given are precious. it doesn't matter what kind of a dress we wear for a special occasion, or what our flat looks like, or what car we drive. it superficial things are a nice thing, and sure, i like to indulge in beauty, a lot. yet, it's not what matters. what matters is the people around us and how we can be of use to them. how we can make their lives prettier, easier, more bearable. how we can make a contribution with kindness, with a gift from our hearts. 

i think those rather melancholic thoughts (for which i'm sorry, but then again, i'm not) were brought on because realised that to me it didn't feel right to go on with my nonesense everyday, while my dear friend was suffering. i don't want to be oblivious to real pain around me. and i most certainly do not want to have a good time while someone else i care about isn't. i don't want to be lost in superficiality, while there are more important, real life things to think about. the thing is: i don't only want to share my friends' good times, i want to share their pain, as well. because when you're together, you can bear more. so i'm hoping i will be less trapped in my own tiny bubble, and instead be more aware. and to be there for people i love. life is for sharing. it's for sharing the good times, sure. like weddings, and birthdays, and a baby's welcome to the world, and maybe a new career step, and maybe even a simple summer night. but it's not only for sharing the good times, but most importantly also the bad. because we can make a difference in our friends' lives. so why don't we?

a note on fougasse: it looks impressive, right? yet it's basically just a simple focaccia (to be completely blunt, ahem) that's dressed up for sunday. the fougasse shape is this leaf-like shape with cuts in it. it will forever remind me of our innumerable holidays in provence, france, where you get fougasse in each little bakery. i made mine with just some herbs on top - one with fresh rosemary and one with za'atar - but you could use whatever your heart desires to make it a rustic bread experience. i'm sure black chopped olives would taste great, or even dried tomatoes or some grated cheese… go wild!

fougasse with rosemary & za'atar
(makes 1 fougasse)
ingredients: 500 g flour
1 tbsp. salt
25 g yeast
3 dl (about 1 cup) warm water
5 tbs. olive oil

for the topping:2 tbsp. finely chopped rosemary or za'atar (or whatever your heart desires)
maldon sea salt
olive oil

directions:mix the flour with the salt and create a little hole in the middle of it. mix the yeast with a bit of the warm water, pour it into the flour-hole. cover the yeast-water mix with a little of the flour and let stand for ten minutes. in the meantime, add olive oil to the rest of the water. after the ten minutes, pour the water-oil-mix into the flour and mix the dough either with a mixer or by hand in the bowl for at least 8 to 10 minutes. cover the dough and let rise for at least 45 minutes or longer in a dry, warm place.

preheat the oven to 200 c / 380 f. sprinkle a baking sheet with olive oil, liberally. 'slap' or depuff dough together. to shape your fougasse, use some olive oil on your work surface. with your hands, flatten the dough to an oval, long-ish shape. then make the cuts with a dough knife, in a leaf-like manner, or maybe like a rising sun's rays (i'm such a poet). you can't really go wrong. the only important thing is to now lift (!) the fougasse from the surface, grabbing it from the tip of the oval, and to let it hang (!) for a couple of seconds. this will make the fougasse's cuts spread apart. put the stretched fougasse onto the oiled baking sheet. sprinkle with herbs or whatever toppings you have in mind. sprinkle with maldon sea salt and drizzle with olive oil (quite generously). let sit for 20 minutes to rise again. then bake for 15 to 18 minutes (depending on size).

i served mine with home made tapenade. quite the thing.

chocolate still life

when rummaging through my food photo archives (yes, i occasionally do that, when i'm hungry bored), i found these beauties here, left out, unloved, unnoticed. agreed, it's not a proper finished product / dish (quite obviously). but when i made this cake and was totally smitten with it and christine (she certainly likes to play around with my cakes) took pictures of me being smitten with my cake, i totally forgot to feature the process shots, really. i know, such a waste? i just love how her pictures let real life shine through. imperfect - yet intriguing.

so here are the leftovers. or cake assembly process parrts, if you want. in the spotlight. no recipe to back them up.

oh, by the way, those pictures of me being smitten with cake? currently to be seen in, oh, only the most important lifestyle magazine in switzerland...? (to be officially revealed tomorrow, ahem) it's kind of a big deal. and i guess it's worth the extra calories sticking on hips, then, this food blogging thingie. oh, well. gotta love it.

for all of you lacking a distinct fear of calories (hey, i like ya!), the recipe for the final product, i.e. assembled chocolate calorie killer aka you won't be able to move for a week layer cake, can be found here.

brown butter buns

my relationship with bread is biased… on one side, there are few things i like as much as bread… it's a common scenario: coming home from work, a freshly baked (by the local supermarket or baker) bread under my arm and a huge appetite for carbs. it's not a very glamorous scenario, but i mean, some of the best things in life aren't, right? so, yes: bread is a pleasure i often indulge in - but, admittedly, it also doesn't go without a bit of guilt each time (because the amounts i devour aren't really decent, rest assured - and i mean, i'm not even beginning to mentiion the amounts of nutella that are involved (purely because someone has to use the leftovers from baking, duh). but… i'm also pretty thankful to bread. because it's one of the most rewarding, fulfilling and nurturing foods, that's obvious. but also, because it connects people. this one here in particular, it has provided me great services.

and with this mysterious exclamation, i'm letting you be and say goodnight. hehe. i can be sooo mean, i know. but then again, my bread recipes are enough of a trade - these buns, in particular, are so worth the effort, the carbs and the potential guilt of overindulgence involved.

brown butter buns

ingredients:

400 g all purpose flour

100 g whole wheat flour

20 g fresh yeast

1 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. salt

30 g butter, browned - then cooled until only warm not hot

1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

200 - 300 ml water

oats for sprinkling

directions:

put the flour in a bowl, add salt and pepper, make a well. dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water (use a bit of the 200 ml indicated), add sugar. let stand for a while, then pour into the well. cover with some flour and let rest for 15 minutes until first bubbles form. add the remaining water and butter, then begin to knead (in the bowl) until the dough comes together into a ball. remove from the bowl and knead thoroughly on a floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes. put the dough back into the bowl, cover with cling film and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size in a warm place. knock together, then shape into equally sized, round buns. put the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment. with a pair of scissors, make two crosslike cuts on top of the bun. brush with water. then sprinkle with oats. bake for 15 to 20 minutes (depending on size) until golden. remove and let cool. 

vegan almond milk pannacotta with woodruff marinated strawberries

a friend of mine - i guess he know me rather well… ahem - recently posted a nice little quote on my wall. here goes: "dessert must be spectacular, since when it arrives, there's no more hunger." (grimod de la reynière)

fact: there's rarely a need for dessert. yet, a good meal wouldn't be complete with a sweet touch at the end. and yup, i always have room for sweets. so i told my friend: "you know, i'm not a racist when it comes to dessert. i love all sweets equally". and that was that. sweets are the world's spice. 

now pannacotta… i think it's wonderful. but it's often on the heavy side indeed. so, beacause i like the light, silky texture of almond milk, i thought why not make this vegan instead? a good finale to a lavish menu - or simply a nice treat inbetweet. almost refreshing (as far as desserts go).

almond milk pannacotta

ingredients:

400 g almonds (peeled)

1 liter water

4 tbsp. sugar

1 vanilla bean, scraped out

1 tsp. tonka bean, grated

2 tbsp. agar agar

500 g strawberries

2 tbsp. woodruff (or other) syrup

1/2 lemon, juice

directions: 

start ahead by making the almond milk: soak the almonds in the water and refridgerate overnight. the next day, put the almonds and water in a blender or food processor and pulse until the almonds are very smooth. strain through a fine meshed sieve or through a cheese cloth. collect the milk. 

now for the pannacotta, heat the almond milk together with the sugar, vanilla bean and tonka bean. bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. dissolve the agar agar with some water, then pour it into the hot but not boiling almond milk. pour into custard ramekins. let cool in the fridge for at least 4 hours. 

in the meantime, dice the strawberries and marinate them with the syrup and lemon juice. let sit for a while. 

when the pannacotta is cool and firm. run a knife along the ramekin's borders, then turn over. place the pannacotta on a plate, then garnish with the strawberry salad. 

strawberry bundt & mom's home

happy morther's day to all moms out there! i don't know a lot about motherhood (none to nothing, really). because, unlike many of my friends, i haven't had this urge to have a baby of my own. but i'm starting to think that it would definitely be wonderful to have a daughter, one day, to teach her things, care for her infinitely, and to make sure this incredible bond that i have with my mom lives on with my own daughter one day, if i'm lucky. the relationship i have with my mom is so special to me. my mom's this constant source of inspiration, comfort and fun. thank you mom for a lifetime of all of this, for always being there for me, no matter what, and for being my best friend and confidante. you are the best, and i love you. also, it's my nonna's (grandma's) birthday party today. so let's eat this cake.

ps no. 1: i know, others would probably share a cake that they made for their mom on mothers day? it's kind of the other way round for me. mom baked - i took pictures (like so many times before). it's one hell of a partnership, indeed. duo infernal, hehe. best part? we don't accept anyone who wants to grab a piece before the shots are perfect, no-no.

ps no. 2: what an amazing night yesterday! private supper for friends and their friends. a birthday party, even. so good to know the house is filled with beautiful people and lots of laughter, time and again. it's so rewarding and fulfilling. i can't be thankful enough and find it hard to put things right at the moment, but i'm just really happy.  so, thank you.

strawberry & blueberry bundt cake

ingredients: 

250 g butter, at room temperature

225 g sugar

1 pinch salt

4 eggs

450 g flour

1 tbsp. lemon zest

2 tsp. baking soda

120 ml milk

300 g fresh, ripe strawberries (we mixed in a couple of blueberries, too)

for the glaze:

160 g confectioners' sugar

3 tbsp. blood orange juice

berries and flowers for decorating

directions:

preheat the oven to 180 c / 320 f top and and bottom heat. combine 225 g of the butter with the sugar and salt and mix until creamy. add the eggs one by one. combine the flour, zest and baking powder and add to the mix, alternating with the flour and the milk. gently fold everything in. clean the strawberries and dice them. dust the strawberries with a little flour and fold into the dough. fill the dough in a buttered and floured bundt pan, even out the top and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. in the meantime, make the glaze: combine the confectioners' sugar and blood orange juice. remove the cake from the oven, let cool, then turn the bundt over and remove it form the pan. let cool on a wirerack, then brush the glaze on and decorate with the remaining berries and flowers. let dry, then dust with a little more confectioners' sugar all over (admittedly, we were too early with this step, so that's why the glaze looks a little wrinkly… ahem). 

blackberry & black plum muddlers

growing up, i used to be responsible for bad weather garden situations. as in: i actually volunteered to run out into the garden in any given (bad) weather condition to save the plants from a storm and possibly hail. no matter what time of the day, i would jump into my bathing suit (classic), leave my pyjamas neglectfully on the bathroom floor and dart out into the garden to pull in pots and plants. i don't really know if i was ever 'summoned' to so by my parents? i don't think so. the explanation is probably just that i've always been a little crazy, in love with plants, and, well, a sucker for a good thunderstorm... plus, i don't mind the sensation of summer rain on skin. it's exhilarating. 

nowadays, i only have a balcony, so they don't need protection from what's coming from above. however, i still like to watch a storm roll in. heavy, dark clouds, the smell of rain on asphalt that begins to penetrate the air, the moist breeze, the drizzle's plop-plopping sound, the curtain of water and fog, and potentially a good lightning strike. all this never seizes to fascinate me. and even though today, it doesn't come with an imminent task like saving plants, a thunderstorm still has the potential to make me feel obliged, in a way. if only to watch it, transfixedly, and enjoy it while it lasts. so, with a drink in hand, we did just that: watch a storm roll in, sit on my (covered) balcony and enjoy the night. before the storm is after the storm. let go of old things and make room for new feelings. 

thank you to my handsome chef de cocktail for making this an extraordinary storm watching that i will likely never forget.

blackberry & black plum muddlers

recipe adapted from somewhere, but really, just our magical own creation (still, trust me on this one: it's divine). note: you might expect something to be amiss, like maybe a squeeze of lime? or some tonic? we found that it doesn't. just be generous with the crushed is.

ingredients (per drink):

4 blackberries

1/2 black plum, finely chopped

30 ml chivas regal whiskey

15 ml sugar syrup

15 ml cointreau

2 mint leaves plus more for decoration

crushed ice

directions:

put the blackberries and plum in a blender together with a sugar syrup and two mint leaves. pulse until smooth. pour the chivas regal and cointreau in a glass. add the blackberry plum puree and fill up with crushed ice. stir to combine (or put everything in a shaker first and shake-shake-shake excessively). serve with mint and maybe a straw (because it's pretty).

expert tip for making the drinks even more slurptastic and margaritas-ish: blend the ice in the blender, as well. i'm not really sure how my handsome partner in cocktail crime went about that one, but he sure did succeed in making these little devils even more awesome (i mean by the serving, which, i'm aware, kind of implies there were several cocktails, plural. yup, guilty as charged. and non, je ne regrette rien..).