Your Guardian Chef

Desserts

Beignet D’Acacia: Acacia Fritters Recipe

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Acacia fritters recipe is perfect for celebrating mother's day, the edible acacia flowers blossom right at the beginning of May. Just in time for the celebration.

Beignet D’Acacia Acacia Fritters Recipe

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The beignet d'Acacia is a typical recipe from the French Riviera where the Acacia tree are aboundant.

The flowers have a sweet scent similar to orange flowers.

 

 

We have an acacia tree growing at the edge of our garden, but I wouldn't consider us lucky.

In fact, Acacia trees are very invasive and spread all over the garden.

Its branches have needles, so be careful when you remove the flowers.

The Acacia fritters recipe is featured in episode 5 of the video series:

Spring Starters/Spring Started in the Cote d'Azur.

Find all the videos location and their links in the map.

Each Sunday I will publish a video featuring a place to visit, a restaurant and a recipe.

Don't miss it next week.

Sign up to my YouTube Channel: Your Guardian Chef YouTube

You can watch Saint Paul de Vence and Beignet d'Acacia video here below:

Beignet D’Acacia Acacia Fritters Recipe
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5 from 8 votes

Beignet D’Acacia: Acacia Fritters Recipe

Acacia fritters recipe is perfect for celebrating mother's day, the edible acacia flowers blossom right at the beginning of May. Just in time for the celebration.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time20 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Acacia flowers, edible flowers, French dessert
Servings: 20 frittes
Calories: 75kcal

Ingredients

  • 20 bunches flowers
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 egg
  • 100 ml milk
  • 100 ml beer can substitute with milk
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 lt oil for deep frying

Instructions

  • Swift flour and baking powder
    swift flour and baking powder
  • Gradually add the milk and the beer ( you can substitute the beer with milk)
    gradually add the milk
  • Add the egg and the orange flower water
    add the egg and the orange flower water
  • Dip the flowers in the batter
    dip the flowers in the batter
  • Fry them in hot oil
    fry them in hot oil
  • Lay the Acacia flower fritters over a kitchen paper to absorb the extra oil
  • Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve warm
    Beignet D’Acacia Acacia Fritters Recipe

Video

Notes

Acacia fritters recipe is perfect for celebrating mother's day, the edible acacia flowers blossom right at the beginning of May. Just in time for the celebration.

Pastiera Napolitana Ricotta Pie

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Pastiera Napoletana is a ricotta pie typically baked for Easter. The filling is made with wheat, ricotta and has a distinctive flavour of the flower orange water and lemon zest.

Pastiera ricotta pie vertical

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It is a traditional Eastern dessert for many Southern Italian regions, where ricotta is often used in pastries like in Cannoli Siciliani or Sfogliatelle Napoletane.

If you have Southern Italian descendants, I am sure you are familiar with Pastiera and you might be looking for the recipe.

So here is the recipe, just in time for Easter.

You can find different versions of Pastiera, this one it is my favourite one.

This recipe is from my Uncle's wife Pina, who makes the best desserts I have ever tasted.

She makes a wide variety of desserts, mostly typical from the South of Italy.

A fresh homemade flavour but never too sweet.

Often pastries from Southern Italian bakeries tend to be way too sweet for me, like for example the Sicilian Cassata or the Marzapane fruits.

Pastiera slice

This Pastiera recipe has the right balance of sweetness, and I even skip the fruit candies, which I like to replace with dark chocolate chips.

The wheat is specially prepared for this pie and gives the filling a texture similar to rice pudding.

To make this ricotta pie, you need 2 very specific ingredients that you will find only in specialized Italian food shop or on Amazon (affiliate links).

I was very pleased to found out that you can now find on Amazon many typical Italian cooking ingredients.

Even if I live just 1 hour away from the Italian border, it is always handy to have your food delivered to your door.

  1. Wheat for pastiera (Amazon affiliate link) specifically prepared for this pie which is sold in jars or cans
  2. Orange flowers water (Amazon affiliate link), which you can use in many other recipes.

Buy a good ricotta cheese and you will have your Southern Italy celebration wherever you are in the world.

wheat for pastiera and orange flower water

Pastiera Ricotta Pie

 

Pastiera ricotta pie
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5 from 3 votes

Pastiera Ricotta Pie

Pastiera is a ricotta pie with wheat, a classic Easter dessert from the South of Italy.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time1 hr 20 mins
Total Time1 hr 35 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 602kcal

Ingredients

Shortcrust pastry

  • 100 gr butter at room temperature
  • 200 gr flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp salt

For the filling

  • 500 gr ricotta
  • 180 gr sugar
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 can wheat for pastiera read the article above
  • 20 gr sugar
  • 100 ml milk
  • 30 gr butter
  • 1 lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp orange water
  • 1 tsp cinammon
  • candied fruits

Instructions

  • Mix all the ingredients for the short pastry  
  • Keep 1/4 of the pastry aside for the top and roll the rest of the pastry to make the base of the pie
    Roll the pastry
  • Lay the base of the pie on the pan, make some holes and leave in the fridge until the filling is ready
    Cover the base of the pan

For the filling

  • Boil for 10 minutes the wheat with the sugar, the butter and the milk
  • Add all the other ingredients to the filling
  • Beat the egg whites until firm
  • Gently add the egg whites to the filling mixture 
    Mix the egg white
  • Pour the filling over the pastry and cover with the crossed stripes of pastry 
  • Bake in a hot oven at 160C for 1 hour
    bake for 1 hour
  • Let it cool down completely before serving it
    Let it cool down completely before serving it

Notes

Calories 602 calories per serving
Fat 29 gr per serving
Carbohydrates 52 gr per serving
Proteins 32 gr per serving
Sugar 8 gr per serving
Sodium 497 mg per serving
Nutritional information is provided for general purpose only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely.
PIN IT FOR LATER
Pastiera Napoletana is a ricotta pie typically baked for Easter. The filling is made with wheat, ricotta and has a distinctive flavour of the flower orange water and lemon zest. The wheat is specially prepared for this pie and gives the filling a texture similar to rice pudding. #yourguardianchef #pastiera #italianfood

A Dark Chocolate Mousse Easy To Make

by 6 Comments

This is a dark chocolate mousse easy to make, no cream only eggs, butter and sugar if you like sweet. If you like dark chocolate like me, forget the sugar. Dark, smooth and chocolaty.

Chocolate mousse with mandarin

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This mousse is perfect for dinner parties as you can prepare ahead of time and keep it in the fridge ready to serve.

It uses raw eggs, and if you are concerned about Salmonella you can buy pasteurised ones.

I use raw eggs when a recipe requires them but always taking precautions.

I buy eggs in reliable supermarkets and I wash them with soap before using them.

It reduces the risk of infection by contamination.

You can find more information about using raw eggs in the recipes here:

Homemade Mayonnaise everybody can make

This chocolate mousse is easy to serve.

I often make this mousse when entertaining as it doesn't require a lot of work and can be arranged directly into the serving cups. 

Because it is very rich, you just need a small amount per person.

I use small digestive wine glasses.

Chocolate mousse for parties

It is perfect served with fruits as the sweetness of the fruits complements the bitterness of the dark chocolate.

I like to use fruits that are in season and since I am making it for Valentine I used mandarins.

It is great with any berries, kiwi or even tropical fruits like mangoes or papaya. 

To make this chocolate mousse I use my Braun hand mixer and this is my affiliate link.

If you want to read my review, you can check the post: Braun Blender

To make it even easier for you, I made a short video to show you all the steps.

I am sure you will be able to make this dark chocolate mousse easily, in no time.

A Dark Chocolate Mousse Easy To Make

For instructions on recipes template see post: Food Madness: Digital & Apps

For measurement conversions see post: How much is a Cup in grams and the most useful cooking conversions

A chocolate mousse easy to make
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5 from 3 votes

A Chocolate Mousse Easy To Make

This is a dark chocolate mousse easy to make, no cream only eggs, butter and sugar if you like. If you like dark chocolate like me, forget the sugar.
Prep Time10 mins
Total Time10 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Chocolate dessert, chocolate no cooking, French dessert
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 416kcal

Ingredients

  • 450 gr unsweetened dark chocolate 70%
  • 100 gr sugar optional
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 6 eggs separated to use raw, pasteurized eggs optional

Instructions

  • Melt the chocolate with butter in the microwave at medium power for 2 minutes
    Microwave chocolate and butter
  • Separate the egg yolks from the white
    Separate the eggs
  • Once the chocolate is melted and cooled down, add the sugar and the egg yolks. Do not add the egg yolks when the chocolate is still hot otherwise they will curdle. 
    Add the sugar and the egg yolks
  • Whip the egg whites until firm. They must be at room temperature and you can add a pinch of salt for better results.
    whisk the egg whites
  • Gently fold the egg whites with the chocolate. First, combine 2 tbsp spoon of egg whites and once the mix becomes softer and loose add the remaining.
    Mix egg whites with chocolate
  • Pour the mousse into a serving bowl or into small single portions cups. Keep the portions small as the mousse is very rich. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
  • Decorate with seasonal fruit and serve

Video

Notes

Calories 416 calories per serving
Fat 32 gr per serving
Carbohydrates 26 gr per serving
Proteins 9 gr per serving
Sugar 15 gr per serving
Sodium 74 mg per serving
Nutritional information is provided for general purpose only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely.
 
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This is a dark chocolate mousse easy to make, no cream only eggs, butter and sugar if you like. #yourguardianchef #chocolate #mousse

Traditional Struffoli Recipe With Cognac

by 10 Comments

Here is the authentic Struffoli Recipe, an Italian dessert mostly known as a Christmas tradition from Naples, but in many other Italian regions are traditional during Carnival and called Pignolata.

Struffoli PignolataWhatever the tradition, I am happy to eat them anytime: fried dough coated with caramelized honey.

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This Struffoli recipe is from my Aunt Ada, she made them with cognac.

To have a good supply during the festive seasons I make a large quantity and freeze them before coating them with honey.

If you have unexpected guests or you run out of dessert, they will be done in minutes.

I fry a large batch of Struffoli and freeze them in a plastic bag.

When  I need them, I take out the necessary amount and put them straight into the pan with the honey.

They are done in a flash.

As a reserve for desserts, I also freeze butter biscuit dough and you can find my other tips for surviving Christmas in this articles:

10 Tips for Surviving Christmas Cooking

If you don't have a deep fryer, I would suggest  Magimix Pro 350 °F - Fryer (3 L, 1.1 kg, 3 L, Single, Stainless Steel, stand-alone). It was recommended on a cooking course at Rick Stein’s in Padstow, and it is on my wish list. (affiliate link)

You can find out more about it and more fried recipe here: Deep Fryer

For instructions on recipes template see post: Food Madness: Digital & Apps

For measurement conversions see post: How much is a Cup in grams and the most useful cooking conversions

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5 from 5 votes

Traditional Struffoli Recipe With Cognac

In keeping with the Italian tradition, Struffoli shaped like Gnocchi, flavoured with Cognac and fried.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time3 hrs
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 666kcal

Ingredients

Struffoli (Pignolata)

  • 3 cup flour 450 gr
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup cognac
  • 1 cup honey
  • Vegetable oil for deep frying

Instructions

  • Mix all the ingredients together for the Struffoli and let the dough rest for 1.5 hrs.
    Chiacchiere Strufoli mix the ingredients
  • Place the Struffoli dough over a floured surface, take a small piece of dough and roll it into a long thin shape.
  • Cut them into small pieces and continue with the rest of the dough. Keep them well floured so they don’t stick to each other.
  • In the meantime prepare the frying pan and heat up the oil. Start frying the Struffoli until they are golden. Turn them so they cook evenly.
  • Place them on layers of kitchen paper to absorb the oil.
  • At this point you can freeze the Struffoli if you want to use them at a later time. You do not need to defrost them and bring them to room temperature, before continuing to the next step. They will defrost with the heat of the honey.
  • Pour the Struffoli into a large frying pan and add 1 cup of honey. Stir well over a medium heat until the honey caramelizes, then completely coat the Struffoli.
    Struffoli in a pan with honey
  • Pour over a serving dish, and make them into the shape of a mountain.
    Traditional Struffoli Recipe With Cognac
  • Add some coloured sprinkles and let it cool completely before serving them.
  • They are now ready to eat. Enjoy!

Notes

Calories 666 calories per serving
Fat 5 gr per serving
Carbohydrates 75 gr per serving
Sodium 93 mg per serving
*Assuming 70% increase in calories for fried food
Nutritional information is provided for general purpose only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely.
PIN FOR LATER:
Struffoli is an Italian dessert mostly known as a Christmas tradition from Naples, but in many other Italian regions are traditional during Carnival. #yourguardianchef #dessert #Christmas

Homemade Cinnamon Buns

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Soft and buttery inside, crunchy and gooey outside, they are our special Christmas Cinnamon Buns morning treat.

Homemade Cinnamon Buns served with hot chocolate and marshmallows

To have them fresh in the morning, I prepare the buns the night before and let them rise overnight.

Bake them at dawn, and the lovely fragrances of cinnamon and caramel will spread throughout the house, welcoming in the new day.

Can be prepared the night before and baked in the morning.

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I know many of my friends and their children have been waiting for this recipe.

When Liam was in lower school, all his school friends were looking forward to his birthday. 

In the morning he would arrive in class with freshly baked Cinnamon Buns. 

Even older brothers and sisters would remember to stop by to wish him happy birthday!

I always made sure one was put aside for Mrs Tindle, the Lower school Headmaster. 

There wouldn’t be any left otherwise!

One homemade cinnamon bun

Cover with brown sugar and butter caramel and sprinkle with nuts

Do you want to know why these cinnamon buns are so special?

They are cooked over a base of brown sugar and butter caramel sprinkled with grated walnuts.

 

As soon as they are out of the oven, I turn them upside down on the serving dish.

The brown sugar butter caramel, which is still melting hot, percolates inside the buns making them gooey and crunchy at the same time.

 

turn the cinnamon buns upside down

make the dough in the bread machine

I make the dough in the bread machine, so it is very easy to prepare them.

I use (affiliate link to Amazon shop) and here you can read my review and all the recipes I make with it.

If you do not have the bread machine follow the instruction on the recipe brioche dough without the bread machine.

For instructions on recipes template see post: Food Madness: Digital & Apps

For measurement conversions see post: How much is a Cup in grams and the most useful cooking conversions

One homemade cinnamon bun
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5 from 5 votes

Homemade Cinnamon Buns

Soft and buttery inside, crunchy and gooey outside, they are our special Christmas morning treat. To have them fresh in the morning, I prepare the buns the night before and let them rise overnight.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time3 hrs
Course: Breakfast, Desserts
Cuisine: American, British
Servings: 20 buns
Calories: 293kcal

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 1/2 cup water 100 ml
  • 1/2 cup milk 100 ml
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup melted butter 55 gr
  • 1/4 cup sugar 55 gr
  • 4 cup flour 500 gr
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 package of yeast I prefer dry

Cinnamon Mix:

  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans 100 gr
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar 110 gr
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

For the caramel:

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar 110 gr
  • 3/4 cup butter 170 gr
  • 2 tbsp chopped pecans 10 gr

For brushing

  • 1/4 cup melted butter 55 gr

Instructions

Dough:

  • Load the ingredients into the machine and set the program for fresh dough (number 10 in the Kenwood). The dough will be ready in 1.5 hours.
  • IMPORTANT: the ingredients should be placed in the bread machine in the exact order as listed above, liquids first.
  • While the dough is getting ready in the bread machine prepare the ingredients for the filing
    make the dough in the bread machine

Prepare the ingredients for the filling

  • Melt the 55 gr of butter and grate the walnuts
    prepare the melted butter and walnuts

For the caramel:

  • Prepare the caramel by melting the brown sugar and the butter.
    Prepare the caramel
  • When the sugar and the butter form a foamy caramel take it out of the stove, pour it on the baking tin and sprinkle with the chopped pecans.
    Cover with brown sugar and butter caramel and sprinkle with nuts

Assembling the buns

  • Roll the dough over a well floured parchment paper and brush it with 55 grams of melted butter.
    Roll the dough and brush with butter
  • Cover it with the cinnamon mix made with walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon
    Cover it with the cinnamon mix
  • Roll it and butter the outside with a pastry brush.
    Roll the dough
  • Cut the dough into slices and put them around the baking tin. Space them out as they need room to raise.
    Cut the dough into slices
  • The size of the tin will depend if you want to have less but large cinnamons buns or many and smaller ones.
  • If you use a large tin you will have to make a longer and thinner roll with the dough.
  • Let it rest for 1 hour, or overnight
    Let it rest for 1 hour
  • Bake in 180 C oven for 30 minutes.
    turn the cinnamon buns upside down
  • As soon as they are ready take them out of the oven and turn them upside down on the serving dish.
  • This will allow the caramel and the butter to penetrate inside the buns making them nicely soft and gooey.

Notes

Calories 293 calories per serving Fat 17 gr per serving Carbohydrates 34 gr per serving Cholesterol 52 mg Proteins 4 gr per serving Sugar 14 gr per serving Sodium 131 mg per serving
Nutritional information is provided for general purpose only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely.
 
Soft and buttery inside, crunchy and gooey outside, our special Christmas Cinnamon Buns morning treat. Prepared the night before and baked in the morning #yourguardianchef #breakfast #cinnamon

Simply Apple Cupcakes Recipe

by 12 Comments

This Apple Cupcakes Recipe is simply made with plenty of apples to fully enjoy their taste: 1 kilos (2 pounds) of apples and no other spices added. The juices from the apples make each cupcake moist and soft.

Simply Apple Cupcakes RecipeMost of the apple cakes recipes use cinnamon and just enough apples to barely taste them.

This recipe is purely an apple celebration, an easy way to enjoy cooked apples on a picnic or for lunch at the office.

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The original recipe is an old Italian apple cake from the '50s.

It was my mom's favorite recipe when growing up.

Back then, fruits and vegetables were locally grown under the Mediterranean sun, they were sweet and full of flavors.

The Mediterranean cuisine was a celebration of those natural ingredients. 

 

Simply apple cake

old agenda page in a frame titled torta di mele

My mom has framed the page of the agenda where my grandmother found the recipe.

Next to the recipe my grandmother handwriting "Buona".

For each day the agenda had different menu ideas and one recipe.

Would you like to know what was on the menu that day? 

  • Country style risotto: probably with garden vegetables
  • Tongue and ham in jelly: that wouldn't be my favourite
  • Tagliatelle soup: interesting
  • Boiled beef and calf head: calf head is actually the calf cheeks, which you can still buy today (if you want to buy them!?!)

For dessert the Apple cake

I have very vague memories of my grandmother Gilda Bosurgi Zerbi.

Born in 1893, she was already quite old when I was little.

She had 8 children and my mom was among the youngest ones.

I remember her sitting in an armchair joking with us children.

She had a great sense of humor and very knowledgeable about cooking and quality of ingredients.

I still use her definition of a bad olive oil:

"An oil made with buttons and umbrella handles!"

Which back then were made out of bones.

Yuck !

Gilda Bosurgi Zerbi e Clementina

1 kilo of apple rennet

For this recipe, I like to use Golden Reinette apples which are sweet and crunchy.

You can also use Golden or your favorite local apples.

Remember that this cupcake is all about the flavor of the apples, so choose a tasty variety.

To make the cupcakes I use the cupcake silicon molds, they are so easy to use and to clean.

You don't need to mess with butter and flour. (Amazon affiliate link)

Here you can find out more about my baking tools or my kitchen checklist

Pour the mix in the cupcakes shape and cover with the apples

For instructions on recipes template see post: Food Madness: Digital & Apps

For measurement conversions see post: How much is a Cup in grams and the most useful cooking conversions

Simply Apple Cupcakes Recipe
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5 from 5 votes

Simply Apple Cupcakes Recipe

This recipe is purely an apple celebration, an easy way to enjoy cooked apples on a picnic or for lunch at the office.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 10 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 233kcal

Ingredients

  • 5 apples (1 kg)
  • 2 cup flour (250 gr)
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup butter (100 gr) at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar (100 gr)
  • 2 eggs

Topping

  • 1/4 cup butter (50 gr)
  • 1/4 cup sugar (50 gr)

Instructions

  • If you are making the cupcakes cut the apples into small chunks
    Cut the apples in small chunks
  • If you are making the cake cut the apples into large chunks
    Cut the apples in large chunks
  • Prepare the cake mix, first whisking the butter at room temperature with the sugar, then adding the eggs and finally the flour mixed with the baking powder. The mix should be soft and creamy
  • Melt the 50 gr of sugar and 50 gr of butter in the microwave for the topping

Cupcakes

  • Pour 1 tbsp of the mix in each cupcake, top it with the apples and add a tsp of melted sugar and butter. 
    Pour the mix in the cupcakes shape and cover with the apples
  • Bake at 180 C for 30 minutes
    Bake for 30 minutes

Cake

  • Cover the bottom of a round baking tin with parchment paper, butter and coat with flour 
    Cover a baking tin with parchment paper
  • Pour the cake mix into the baking tin and spread evenly
    Pour the mix in the bottom of the baking tin
  • Cover with the apples, pushing the apples down into the mix
    Place the apples on top
  • Pour over the butter and sugar mix
    Pour the butter and the sugar
  • Bake in the oven at 180 C for 1 hour
    Simply apple cake

Notes

Calories 233 calories per serving Fat 11 gr per serving Carbohydrates 35 gr per serving Cholesterol 0 mg Proteins 2 gr per serving Sugar 13 gr per serving Sodium 16 mg per serving
Nutritional information is provided for general purpose only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely.
PIN FOR LATER:
This Apple Cupcakes Recipe is simply made with plenty of apples to fully enjoy their taste: 1 kilos (2 pounds) of apples and no other spices added.

Carrot Cake with Walnuts Recipe

by 12 Comments

This carrot cake with walnuts is perfect for picnics, it is easy to carry and mess free!

Carrot Cake with Walnuts

This recipe combines the crunchiness of the carrots and the walnuts with a moist batter.

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No, there is no frosting on my carrot cake.

Frankly I found the frosting too sweet and carrots are so sweet already.

This cake has a nice crunchy, buttery, nutty crust, why covering it with mushy frosting?

 

let the carrot cake cool down

To bake the carrot cake I use a rectangular   Loaf Tin aluminium 28 cm

If you are interested in my favourite baking kitchen items you can visit the page :

My Baking Tools And Utensils

For instructions on recipes template see post: Food Madness: Digital & Apps

For measurement conversions see post: How much is a Cup in grams and the most useful cooking conversions

Carrot Cake with Walnuts
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5 from 6 votes

Carrot Cake Recipe

Carrot cake is perfect for picnics, it is easy to carry and mess free! This recipe combines the crunchiness of the carrots and the walnuts with a moist batter.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 30 mins
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American, British
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 396kcal

Ingredients

  • 185 gr good quality butter at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups grated carrots about 3 large carrots
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 package Baking Powder or yeast for cakes
  • 1 1/2 tsp mixed spices (alternative 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp minced cloves and 1/4 of nutmeg))

Instructions

  • With an electrical blender, whip the butter (room temperature) with the sugar until it becomes creamy.
    whip the butter with the sugar
  • Add the 3 eggs, one at the time
    Add the 3 eggs, one at the time
  • Mix the grated carrots with the chopped walnuts
  • Add to the mixture.
    Add the grated carrots with the chopped walnuts
  • Add the flour sifted with the yeast and the spices.
    Add the flour sifted with the yeast and the spices
  • Butter and flower a rectangular baking tin. Pour in the cake batter and cook for 1 hr at 180C.
    Pour in the cake batter in a baking tin
  • Once the cake is ready, let it cool down for 10 minutes before turning it over on to a rack – then let it cool completely.
    let the carrot cake cool down
  • It will keep nice and moist for 3 days.
    Carrot Cake with Walnuts

Notes

Calories 396  calories per serving
Fat 23 gr per serving
Carbohydrates 49 gr per serving
Cholesterol 95 mg
Proteins 6 gr per serving
Sugar 32 gr per serving
Sodium  39 mg per serving
Nutritional information is provided for general purpose only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely.
PIN FOR LATER:
This carrot cake combines the crunchiness of the carrots and the walnuts with a moist batter. It is perfect for picnics, easy to carry and mess free! #yourguardianchef #dessert #carrotcake
 

Roasted Chestnuts Recipe

by 4 Comments

While most bloggers are talking about pumpkins and cinnamon, I like to celebrate Autumn with a Roasted Chestnuts Recipe as they have been my Autumn delight since I was young.

Roasted Chestnuts Recipe     Jump to Recipe :  Print Recipe

Walking around Rome, and most European cities, you find on the street corners vendors roasting chestnuts in a kiln.

They offer their hot roasted chestnuts wrapped in a newspaper cone, and just by holding that cone your freezing hands find immediate comfort.

The scent of the roasted chestnuts immediately hit your nose and you can hardly wait to eat them.

Hot, soft and with a nutty biscuit flavour they are delicious.

That is when you find a good one to eat, in fact, most have worms.

Out of 10 chestnuts, you are lucky to eat 3 or 4.

But what an experience, still worth every penny!

For many of us, chestnuts are part of our lives and we very well know how to roast them.

As this blog is for an international audience, I appreciate that not everybody around the world is familiar with them.

 

Fresh chestnuts

Types of Chestnuts

When I was young, we used to pick up our chestnuts in a woodland near the Roman Castles.

They were the real Marroni chestnuts, which are bigger than regular ones.

They are more expensive but so much chunkier.

Be aware, do not confuse them with wild chestnuts also called horse chestnuts.

They do not have the heart shape and they are not edible.

However, if you feed a pig with those horse chestnuts, its meat will be delicious.

Cutting chestnuts to roast them

How to cook them at home

Chestnuts can be boiled or roasted.

I prefer them roasted over a barbecue, otherwise in a very hot oven.

If you are roasting the chestnuts you need to make a small indent in the shell and halfway to the pulp otherwise, they will explode when they cook.

Boiled Chestnuts

However, to boil the chestnuts you just put them in boiling water as they are, they don't need to be cut.

Boil them for 30 minutes, drain them and they are ready.

You can peel them with a knife but it is a tedious job.

If you want to eat them, just cut them in half and squeeze the pulp out.

If you need to cook with them, you will be better off to buy them in a jar already boiled and peeled.

 

Boiled chestnuts

Sausagemeat and Chestnut Stuffing Wrapped in Bacon

Cooking with Chestnuts

I love cooking with chestnuts, my favourite is Sausagemeat and Chestnut Stuffing Wrapped in Bacon.

I roll my stuffing into small bites so I can freeze them and use as many as I need during the holiday seasons.

I like to combine the chestnuts with pork and cranberries, I also make Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Chestnuts and Cranberries.

If I have some leftover in the jar I use them in the Pork Stew with Pineapple or Whatever.

 

If you feel like taking on a weekend cooking project, I would suggest you try to make homemade gnocchi with chestnuts.

Serve it as a side dish with butter, sage and parmesan cheese.

Such a delightful way to celebrate Autumn with a comfort meal. 

 

chestnuts homemade gnocchi

roasted chestnuts on BBQ

Roasted Chestnuts

Let's go back to our roasted chestnuts.

Make sure you have a nice hot barbecue going.

If you don't have a barbecue, you can cook them in the oven but make sure it is very hot.

Around 220 C 

 

For best results, the chestnuts should be cooked in a pan with large holes at the bottom.

The heat should almost burn their wooden shell.

Keep turning them until the cuts you made opens and you can see the chestnut changing color from white to a dark yellow.

 

Chestnuts on the fire

You can find the pan on Amazon following my affiliate link. 

I have a pan as well a barbecue tray.

If you are interested in more of my favourtie kitchen tools and items you can go to the page:

Handpicked: My Kitchen Checklist

You might find some interesting gift ideas, Black Friday is this week ! 

The roasted chestnuts should be eaten as soon as they are ready.

They will be very hot, so wait few minutes.

If properly cooked, you should be able to peel them very easily.

Open them up before you eat them as you might find someone inside who was eating them already.

 

Chestnuts

Roasted chestnuts verticals

Roasted chestnuts for me are like cherries, once you eat one you cannot stop.

I love to eat them in front of the television.

I find comfort even just by opening them, and I am often the official "chestnuts opener".

Eating roasted chestnuts is a comforting and reassuring routine.

You can rest assured, the last chestnuts is always a bad one. 

Chestnuts jams and glace

If you cannot find fresh chestnuts, you might be able to find the chestnut spread in a jar or can.

In French is called Crème de marrons and you should be able to find it with the jams and marmalades.

 

chestnuts jam puree

Delicious are also Marron Glace which are chestnuts caramelized in sugar.

I wouldn't recommend to make them at home as the recipe is very complicated.

You will find them in artisanal bakeries or sold in boxes.

I like to buy the bags with the broken pieces and use them in my cakes or ice cream as fillings.

They are the broken pieces of the Marron Glace that cannot be sold in boxes.

They are cheaper and taste exactly the same. 

So I will end this article with my favourite chestnut dessert:

Pavlova with Chestnut Mousse

My revisited version of the more famouse Mont Blanc.

The ingredients are the same, I just combined the chestnut mousse with the cream to create a semifreddo dessert with meringue. 

Hope chestnuts will bring you joy as much as pumpkins and cinnamon.

 

Pavloval with chestnut mousse

Roasted Chestnuts Recipe
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Roasted Chestnuts Recipe

For best results use Marroni chestnuts which are larger in size
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time20 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French, Italian, Spanish
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 176kcal

Ingredients

  • 400 gr fresh chestnuts preferably Marron

Instructions

  • Make an intend in the chestnuts shell, the chestnuts will expand when roasted
    Cutting chestnuts to roast them
  • cook them on an open fire, barbecue or hot oven 200C
  • When the chestnuts turn into a dark yellow colour they are ready
    Roasted Chestnuts Recipe
  • Best to eat them warm, but let them rest for few minutes before trying to open them

Notes

Calories 176 calories per serving Fat 18 gr per serving Carbohydrates 39 gr per serving Cholesterol 0 mg Proteins 4 gr per serving Sugar 11 gr per serving Sodium 0 mg per serving
Nutritional information is provided for general purpose only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely.
PIN FOR LATER:
I like to celebrate Autumn with a Roasted Chestnuts Recipe as they have been my Autumn delight since I was young: roasted, boiled, savory and desserts

Pavlova Recipe with Chestnut Mousse

by 14 Comments

This pavlova recipe is my version of Mont Blanc with Chestnut Mousse, made with 2 large round shapes of meringue covering them with chestnut mousse.

Pavlova Recipe with Chestnut Mousse Jump to Recipe :  Print Recipe

To make a thick crunchy meringue that doesn’t stick to your teeth I have a secret:

“wine vinegar and cornflour

I know, I was also sceptical at first but I tried it once and never made a meringue again without adding these two ingredients.

Brittle and crunchy it melts in your mouth.

Mont Blanc is a French Italian dessert usually sold around Christmas time made with meringue, chestnuts cream and whipped cream.

For this recipe, I use chestnut jam , you can buy it on amazon and this is my affilialte link.

chestnuts jam puree

To whisk my egg whites I use the KitchenAid K45SS Classic Stand Mixer - White Amazon affiliate link.

With so many useful attachments, there are so many things you can use it for. You can find my review  KitchenAid Mixer

For instructions on recipes template see post: Food Madness: Digital & Apps

For measurement conversions see post: How much is a Cup in grams and the most useful cooking conversions

Pavloval with chestnut mousse
Print Recipe
5 from 7 votes

Pavlova Recipe with Chestnut Mousse

This pavlova recipe is my version of Mont Blanc with Chestnut Mousse, made with 2 large round shapes of meringue covering them with chestnut mousse.To make a thick crunchy meringue that doesn’t stick to your teeth I have a secret: “wine vinegar and corn flour” This is my version of Mont Blanc!
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time4 hrs 30 mins
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: French
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 179kcal

Ingredients

For the meringues

  • 3 eggs white
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp corn flour Maizena

For theChestnut Mousse

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 cup chestnuts puree 300 gr puree de marrons
  • 1 cup liquid cream 2 dl
  • 1/4 cup Marron Glacés Pieces 30 gr
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

For the meringues

  • Whisk the egg whites until they become firm, then gently add half of the sugar.
    Whisk the egg whites
  • Combine the vinegar and the corn flour to the rest of the sugar and gently add to the mix.
    Add the sugar and mix until smooth consistency
  • Pipe the mixture into 2 round shapes.
    Pipe the meringues into 2 round shapes
  • Bake at 150C for 1 hour
    Bake meringues for 1 hour

Chestnut Mousse

  • Separate the egg yolks from the white, and whip the yolk with castor sugar.
    Separate yolk from white
  • Once it becomes white-ish and little bubbles starts to appear
    Whip yolk sugar until bubbling
  • add the chestnut puree.
    Add chestnut puree to yolk mix
  • Separately whip the egg whites and the cream,
  • Once ready add them both to the chestnuts mousse.
    Add cream and whites to the mix
  • Spread ¼ of the mousse over the first meringue ring and add some pieces of marrons glace.
    Spread the filling on the first layer
  • Overlay the second meringue ring and cover completely with the mousse.
    cover the pavlova with the chestnut mousse
  • Let it rest in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.
    Pavloval with chestnut mousse

Notes

Calories 179 calories per serving Fat 9 gr per serving Carbohydrates 64 gr per serving Cholesterol 104 mg Proteins 3 gr per serving Sugar 16 gr per serving Sodium 35 mg per serving
Nutritional information is provided for general purpose only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely.
PIN FOR LATER:
This pavlova recipe is my version of Mont Blanc with Chestnut Mousse, made with 2 large round shapes of meringue covering them with chestnut mousse. #yourguardianche #dessert #Italianfood

Classic Italian Ricotta Cake No Butter

by 16 Comments

This is an old Italian ricotta cake no butter recipe from the wartime when butter was scarce.

Classic Italian Ricotta Cake No Butter

It is not a creamy cake similar to the American cheesecake, but a soft spongy cake you can serve with tea.

You can add any flavour you like, vanilla, lemon zest, orange zest.

Jump to Recipe :  Print Recipe

Here I added orange blossom water which you can easily find in Italy as it is the base for a very popular Easter cake, Pastiera Napoletana.

Pastiera is also made with ricotta and I had some orange blossom water recipe leftover from Easter, so I decided to use it and the result was fantastic.

I thought it was a good time to post this recipe since France is facing a butter shortage.

Yes, it is real !

Described as the worst since the end of World War Two, the Supermarket shelves are empty.

There have been several causes for this shortage of supply, a reduced European support to farmers and an increasing demand of croissant in Asia and the Middle East.

Price of butter has gone up and restaurants owners and bakers have been stocking butter from the supermarkets.

 

Carrefour empty selves no butter in France

Carrefour note Why there is No Butter in France

When is butter coming back to our supermarket shelves?

Who knows, but guess what?

Even if there is no butter for us, consumers, to buy, all those processed prepared meals that use butter are still available.

No way, I wouldn't buy any those processed cakes.

I much rather make cakes without butter, and this one is my favourite one.

I always bake my cakes in a Cake Pan with Loose Base.  
This is my affiliate link if you want to find it on Amazon.

If you are interested you can find more of my favorite useful kitchen items here.

bake the cake in a Pan with Loose Base at 180C for 40 minutes

For instructions on recipes template see post: Food Madness: Digital & Apps

For measurement conversions see post: How much is a Cup in grams and the most useful cooking conversions

Classic Italian Ricotta Cake No Butter
Print Recipe
5 from 7 votes

Classic Italian Ricotta Cake No Butter

It is not a creamy cake similar to the American cheesecake, but a soft spongy cake you can serve with tea. You can add any flavour you like, vanilla, lemon zest, orange zest. Ingredients are easy to remember, everything is 3
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time50 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 207kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup ricotta (300 gr)
  • 2 cup sugar (300 gr)
  • 2 cup flour all-purpose (300 gr)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 small package baking powder (3tsp)

Either one of those ingredients for flavouring

  • 1 tsp orange blossom water or
  • 1 tsp lemon zest or
  • 1 tsp orange zest or
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  • First mix the ricotta with the sugar
    No butter cake mix the ricotta with the sugar
  • until it becomes fluffy
    No butter cake stir until fluffy
  • Add one egg at the time until combined
    No butter cake add one egg at the time
  • Combine the flour with the baking powder, add to the mix the dry ingredients and the flavour of your choice 
    No butter cake add the flour mixed with baking powder
  • Cover a baking tin (25 cm 10 " diameter) with parchment paper and use margarine to butter the tin if no butter is available
  • Bake the cake in a hot oven at 180C for 40 minutes
    bake the cake in a Pan with Loose Base at 180C for 40 minutes
  • Let it cook down for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan
    Classic Italian Ricotta Cake No Butter slice

Notes

Calories 207 calories per serving Fat 6 gr per serving Carbohydrates 29gr per serving Cholesterol 70 mg Proteins 10 gr per serving Sugar 3 gr per serving Sodium 27 mg per serving
Nutritional information is provided for general purpose only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely.
This is an old Italian ricotta cake no butter recipe from the wartime when butter was scarce. It is not a creamy cake similar to the American cheesecake. #yourguardianchef #cake #ricotta