Orange Apricot Biscotti with Pistachios & Hazelnuts - Perfect Cookies for the Mothers Day

My new Still live with flowers and butterflies - prints are available for sale!

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.

— SOPHIA LOREN

Happy Mothers Day!!!



Great to have these tasty crispy cookies on hand when guests stop by during the Mothers day, these biscotti also make lovely gifts. You can substitute dried apricots for the cherries, if you like.

Luxury Chocolate Fruit Cake with Rum - Best wishes for a Happy Holiday Season!

ChristmasEve may be the most enchanted evening of all. So much legend, myth, and mystery, both religious and secular, are part of the night of December 24. And for those who celebrate Christmas, there are more personal and family traditions attached to this night than to any other night of the year.

Beet Tower Salad with Goat Cheese

I just love tower salads, I think they even taste better because of their unique presentation. I already have two tower salad recipes with fresh spring ingredients on my blog (Tomato Salad with Mozzarella & Avocado,  Pear Arugula Salad with Walnuts & Blue Cheese), and now I am happy to add one more to my collection. Simple but yet elegant and sophisticated, great for any occasions, from luncheon with a girlfriend to spring/summer appetizer for dinner with friends and family.

French Hazelnut Meringue Cake

"According to legend, the recipe for this delicious pastry came from a fifteenth-century parchment found among the fallen stones and rubble of a monastery in area of Crocq, in the Creuse - one of the 83 departments created during the Revolution, when so many monasteries were destroyed. The monks cooked this creusois cake in ceramic tiles that were themselves creuses - hollow, concave, or curved…

Apple, Lemon Cake with Hazelnuts

This is a simple cake: moist, lemony and delicious for breakfast.

Chocolate Hazelnut Torte with Honey Glaze

A good, quick dessert cake for a family supper. Hazelnuts add an unusual nutty texture to this moist and delicious cake. Honey makes sweet and smooth glaze. Can you resist the temptation?

Gluten-Free Seeded Honey Bread

This gluten-free bread is full of earthy flours and healthy seeds. Hearty yet surprisingly light, it make delicious toast for breakfast or croutons for soups and salads.

Whole Wheat Banana-Carrot Bread with Raisins

This is a good banana carrot bread, you can sprinkle it with a streusel for even more flavor and texture. This recipe uses a vegetable oil, not butter, and if you omit the streusel, it is dairy free.

Coffee Cake with Hazelnut Streusel Topping

These individual coffee cakes are richly flavored but light, so they almost melt in your mouth. There's a crunch on the outside from hazelnut streusel topping and soft interior crumb. The cakes are finished with a dusting of cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and cinnamon, just a hint, so there are all kinds of flavors here. The coffee cakes are best the day they are baked, but they can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap and frozen. Defrost frozen cakes at room temperature, and rewarm if desired.

Panforte, a Nougat-like Cake Dessert, have a Sweet Weekend!

Panforte is a nougat - like cake, rich in nuts and fruit. It is a speciality of Siena in Italy. Visit this beautiful country and you’ll find hundreds of variations of this Christmas-feeling sweet treat.

Usha’s Hazelnut Roll from Cooking with Italian Grandmothers Cookbook

Bay Area chef and teacher, Jessica Theroux spent a year traveling throughout Italy, cooking and talking with Italian grandmothers from whom she learned the true art of food, family, and love. Her cookbook, Cooking with Italian Grandmothers, features over 100 delicious recipes, stunning photography, and the poignant stories of 12 grandmothers from nine regions, each of whom welcomed Theroux into her kitchen to share their wisdom and a soulful meal. Along the way, she meets Armida in Lunigiana and her Pasta di Farro with walnut-parsley sauce; Maria in Sicily and her homemade Ricotta; and Usha’s dense, flaky hazelnut roll in Le Marche.

Usha’s Hazelnut Roll

From: Cooking with Italian Grandmothers

"This hazelnut roll changed my life. Upon first bite, it revealed itself to be the nuttiest, flakiest, most comforting baked good I have ever eaten….It marked the beginning of my learning about how love can transform food and cooking, and it remains one of my favorite things to eat. I find a slice of this roll to be quite perfect for breakfast, with tea or coffee mid-afternoon, or as an after-dinner dessert. The roll is rich and dense, and will easily feed many, making it an ideal treat for a large group."



Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 10 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 10 Tbsp. (1 1/4 sticks) frozen unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp. milk, water, or cream (I used almond milk)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the hazelnut filling:

• 2 egg whites
• 1 egg yolk
• 6 Tbsp. water (I did not put water, the filing would be too runny)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4-5 drops bitter almost extract, or 3 bitter almonds (optional)
• 2 cups toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped or ground into rough pieces

For the glaze:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 385 F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To prepare the pastry dough, mix together the flour and baking powder, and place them in a mound on a clean surface. Cut the frozen butter first into thin slabs, then long rectangles, and finally into very small cubes, about 5 to 10 millimeters. It is easiest to do this if you coat the butter and knife with some of the flour; this prevents the knife from sticking too much. Spread the butter cubes around the periphery of the flour mound. Make a well in the center of the flour. Add the sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla extract to the well. Scramble these together using a fork, then slowly incorporate the surrounding flour, using the fork to stir it in. When the mixture becomes too thick for the fork, use a large knife to cut in the rest of the flour and butter. Continue cutting the dough together, remembering to scrape under and turn over the dough during this process. Do this for a couple of minutes, until the dough is in the form of large, crumbly lumps. Wash and flour your hands. Briefly knead the dough until it is no longer sticking strongly to the board. If the dough is wet, feel free to sprinkle on a little extra flour. Do not over-knead. You still want to see the little pieces of butter in the dough; this will produce a flaky crust. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.



While the dough chills, make the hazelnut filling; Whisk together the egg whites, yolk, sugar, and bitter almond. Stir in the chopped toasted hazelnuts. After the dough has chilled, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour onto your work surface, to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll the dough out to form a large rectangle, about 2 feet long and 1 foot wide. Remember to scrape underneath  the dough, and flip it over a few times; sprinkle a little flour on the surface each time you do this, again to keep the dough from sticking. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, to about 1/2 inch from the edges. Roll the long side of the dough over itself, using a knife to scrape under the dough if it is sticking. Roll all of the dough to form a long log. Carefully transfer the log to the baking sheet, forming it into a half circle. Fold each end of the dough over itself, pressing it together to close. Using a knife, cut a zigzag along the top of the roll. Whisk together the egg yolk and teaspoon of milk; lightly brush this over the top of the roll. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the roll is crispy and dark golden brown on top. Serve warm or cooled to room temperature.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple Soup with Nutmeg, Homemade Crispy Baked Beet Chips, and Dry Apricot-Hazelnut Bread

This picture-perfect, crusty loaf will satisfy both the novice and the experienced baker. Use it for breakfast toast or sandwiches.

Ingredients for apricot-hazelnut bread: 

• 300 ml mineral water
• 1 tbsp dry yeast
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 cup shelled and roasted hazelnuts
• 1 cup dry apricots, cut into small pieces
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 cups bread flour (min 12% protein)
• 1/2 cup rye flour

Direction for apricot-hazelnut bread:
Mix the yeast with the brown sugar, add a bit of water and two tablespoons of flour, stir thoroughly, leave for 10 min. Add in the rest of the water and mix well. Adding gradually the flour make a dough, add the salt, dry apricots and roasted hazelnuts at the end. Knead the dough for 5 min, shape into a ball, dust thoroughly with the flour and leave to rise covered in a container for 1 hour. Shape the bread into a loaf of any form, generously sprinkle with the flour and transfer the loaf onto a baking paper. Cover with the kitchen towel and leave for 30 min.

Preheat the oven together with the baking tray to 420F. Score the loaf, using a sharp knife at a 45° angle. Bake for 5 min, reduce the heat to 400F, and bake for 35 min. Switch off the oven, transfer the bread on a grid and keep it in the oven for 10-15 min, leaving the oven door ajar.
Take the bread out of the oven and cool down completely on a wire rack.



As colorful as it is good to eat, soup is sure winner, whether for midweek family supper or a dinner - party first course. A delicious soup that makes the most of freshly picked apples.
Ingredients for roasted sweet potato and apple soup:

• 1 tbsp. butter
• 2 leeks, sliced thinly
• 1 large carrot, sliced thinly
• 1 lb 5 oz/600 g sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 2 large apples, peeled and diced
• 5 cups broth
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup light cream
• salt and pepper
• fresh chives or cilantro, to garnish

Directions for soup:
Preheat an oven to 400ºF.
In a bowl, combine the carrots, sweet potatoes, apples, olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until the carrots are tender and golden around the edges, 35 to 40 minutes.



In a soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks and sauté, stirring, until tender 5 to 10 minutes. Add the roasted vegetables, broth, nutmeg and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to medium- low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Using a blender, food processor or stick blender, puree the soup, then pass it through a chinois. Return the soup to the pot add cream and season with salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish each serving with a cilantro sprig and the beet chips.
Serve immediately.



Ingredients for beet chips:

• 1-2 beets, large, scrubbed clean
• nonstick cooking spray
• salt, to taste

Directions for beet chips:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Using the slicing blade of your food processor, a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice beets thinly. You want them to be the size of a potato chip.
Spread evenly on a cookie sheet, spray with nonstick spray and season with salt.
Roast about 2 hours, turning halfway through, until crisp. Check often to make sure they don't burn. you may need to roast for a shorter or longer period of time depending on your oven and how crisp you want them - so keep an eye on them -)

Chocolate and Hazelnut Meringue Cake Happy Birthday to Me!

Adapted from Martha Stewart.

Now is not the time to use the cheap-o chocolate. Get the best quality bittersweet chocolate you can find as it is the star of the recipe (Guittard, Callebaut, Valrhona, El Rey, Scharffen Berger, etc...).

To toast the hazelnuts, preheat oven to 350F and spread the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
To skin the nuts without driving yourself crazy, place them in a mesh bag (like a recycled orange or lemon bag) and rub the nuts between your hand over the sink. The skins will fall and only the "naked" nuts will remain in your bag.

Ingredients for the cake:

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
• 6 large whole eggs, separated
• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 tablespoons espresso (or vanilla)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rum (optional)(not with us!)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the meringue:

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped (1 cup)
• 1 cup hazelnuts (about 4 ounces), toasted and skinned (see notes) and roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 4 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup sugar

Prepare the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-3-inch springform pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Butter parchment and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter and brown sugar until pale and smooth at medium speed, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bottom and sides of your bowl if necessary. Add the melted chocolate, espresso (or vanilla), rum, if using, and salt. Beat until combined. Transfer to a clean bowl and wash your mixing bowl thoroughly.
In a clean mixer bowl fitted the whisk attachment, beat the 6 egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold one-third of the egg whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites and pour batter into prepared pan, and bake 25 minutes.
Prepare the meringue:
Combine the chopped chocolate, nuts and cornstarch in a small bowl, and set aside. Place remaining 4 egg whites in a clean mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until frothy. With the mixer running, slowly add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Fold in hazelnut mixture.
Assemble and Finish:
Remove cake from oven. Using a large offset spatula, spread meringue mixture on top of cake using as little strokes as possible not to deflate the meringue, and return to oven. Bake until meringue is lightly browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let stand 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen, and release sides of pan. Let cool, about 30 minutes, before slicing and serving.