Soft and buttery inside, crunchy and gooey outside, they are our special Christmas Cinnamon Buns morning treat. 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…
dessert
Carrot Cake with Walnuts Recipe
This carrot cake with walnuts 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. No, there is no frosting on my carrot cake. Frankly I found the frosting too sweet and carrots are so sweet already. This…
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 cornflour I know, I was also sceptical at first but I…
Apricot Jam Cake with Marshmallow Frosting and Pistachio
This apricot jam cake with marshmallow frosting is a perfect cake to serve with coffee or tea. It is from a little cake book I bought in London in 1994 while browsing in Notting hill after my admission interview for London Business School. Every time I bake a cake from this book it reminds me…
A Violets Festival in Your Own Garden
What is a violets festival? On the French Riviera, Spring is announced in March when violets start blossoming all over the gardens. At the renowned Violets Festival in Tourettes-sur-Loup you can eat them in different ways: ice cream, jam, jelly, candy. Jump to Recipe Save Tourettes-sur-Loup is just across the valley from our garden and…
Classic American Brownies
These brownies are devilishly delicious, and unhealthy. They are so chocolaty, gooey and there is so much butter in them. So don’t indulge, if you can resist them!
Toasted Butter Wild Berry Muffins
Those toasted butter wild berry muffins are moist inside with a crunchy crust, and have a nice toasted butter taste sharpened by the fruits’ acidity. Toasted Butter (in french called beurre noisette) To toast the butter you need to clarify it first, which mean spooning away all the white components of the melted butter. They are…
Peach Tarte Tatin with Calvados and Pistachios
Tarte Tatin is a typical French recipe usually made with apples. Though I love this version with peaches and since the season is almost over, I make it quite often this time of the year. The peaches add a nice summer freshness to the caramel and the smooth pulp a delightful contrast to the crunchy…
Ile Flottante Recipe
Ile flottante recipe can be challenging. It means floating island and consists in a foaming meringue floating in a crème anglaise (custard) sprinkled with caramel and pralines. It seems difficult to make, but I have a secret shortcut. If you want to make it at home, here are step by step instructions, easy to follow…
Step by Step Homemade Floating Island Dessert
Meaning the floating island dessert, it is a foaming meringue floating in a crème anglaise (custard) and sprinkled with caramel and pralines. All photos by Paul Oatway Ile Flottante is one of my favourite French desserts, the first French dessert I discovered in Paris. I decided to master this recipe when my son Francesco told…