This is certainly one of the most regressive desserts. Who can not remember his 4pm snack or breakfast from his childhood??!

Easy to do, fast to cook and much easier to eat. The crostata (pie or tarte) is a very common dessert here in Italy. You can always see it at some bar. It is just pasta and some marmelade or nutella. You can not miss it. Two simple ingredients but the best ones will make that dessert really good.

Yesterday I did some crostata with a leftover of some homemade kiwi marmelade lost since quite a time in the fridge. Huge success, 6 little boat shape tarts all gone within 5 minutes. Today I still had some pasta left but not enough kiwi marmelade, so I picked up in the nutella (after somebody else did it ). According to A. he prefered the kiwi one, but according from what I can still see that somebody likes this one too

Crostata di nutella

• Pate sucrée
• Nutella

1. Riscaldare il forno a 200°C.
2. Stendere la pasta su un piatto da torta con uno spessore di circa 4/5 mm.
3. Versare il nutella.
4. Infornare per circa 15-20 minuti.

Tarte au nutella

• Pate sucrée
• Nutella

1. Préchauffer les four à 200°C.
2. Abaisser la pate et l’étaler dans un moule.
3. Couvrir de nutella.
4. Enfouner pour 15-20 minutes.

Nutella tart

• Pate sucrée
• Nutella

1. Warm-up the oven at 200°C.
2. Roll out the pasta on 4 mm thickness and put it in a pie plate.
3. Cover it with some nutella.
4. Put in the oven for about 15-20 mns.

It’s quite a time I read in many blogs pastries, cookies…from Martha Stewart.  Initially I thought it was a new foodblog fashion and it would not last, so I did not pay more attention than the one to remember the name.

Enjoying a quiet sunday afternoon last week I googled Martha Stewart and found her website…it is just amazing and contains so many recipes, video… I spent at least one to two hours and copied LOT of recipes (mainly cupcakes ones). I cannot wait to try some!

It is the case of the following one, the banana walnut chocolate chunk cookies. I remember from my trips in the States that cookies over there are just so good and it is never easy to find the same taste and consistency here. From the original recipe I just changed flours (I chose a chesnut one), nuts instead of walnuts and adapted quantities.

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Banana nut and chocolate chunk cookies

Adpated from Martha Stewart

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chestnut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 bananas
• 1 cup oats
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into 1/4-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts (about 2 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Whisk together flours and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low.
4. Add eggs; mix until combined.
5. Mix in banana.
6. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chunks, and nuts.
7. Using a spoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart.
8. Bake cookies until golden brown and just set, 12 to 13 minutes.
9. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely.

Cookies banane, noix et chocolat

Adpaté de Martha Stewart

• 110 g de farine
• 60 g de farine de chataignes
• 2,5 g de bicarbonate de sodium
• 150 g de beurre demi-sel mou
• 115 g  de sucre
• 115 g de sucre brun ou cassonade
• 2 oeufs
• 2 bananes
• 60 g de céréales (type avoine)
• 230 g de chocolat noir haché grossièrement
• 120 g de noix hachées grossièrement

1. Préchauffer le four à 190°C.
2. Tamiser les farines et le bicarbonate de sodium. Réserver
3. Avec un fouet, mixer les sucres et beurre jusqu’à ce que le mélange blanchisse.
4. Ajouter les oeufs et mixer.
5. Ajouter les bananes. Mixer
6. Ajouter le mélange farines+bicarbonate. Mixer. Ajouter le reste des ingrédients. Mélanger.
7. Déposer à l’aide d’une cuillère à soupe de la pate sur du papier sulfurisé.
8. Enfourner et cuire 12 à 13 minutes jusqu’à ce que les cookies soient dorés.
9. Laisser refroidir sur une grille pendant 5 minutes avant de retirer les cookies.

Biscotti (cookies) con banana, noce e cioccolato

Ispirata da Martha Stewart

• 110 g farina
• 60 g farina di castagne
• 2,5 g bicarbonato di sodio
• 150 g burro salato morbido
• 115 g  zucchero
• 115 g zucchero di cana (o cassonade)
• 2 uova
• 2 banana
• 60 g cereale (avena)
• 230 g cioccolato nero tagliato a pezzi
• 120 g noce tagliate a pezzi

1. Riscaldate il forno a 190°C.
2. Setacciare le farine e bicarbonato di sodio. Tenere da parte.
3. Con una frusta, mischiare i zuccheri e burro finché il misto sia abbastanza chiaro.
4. Aggiungere le uova e mischiare.
5. Aggiungere le banane. Mischiare.
6. Aggiungere le farine e bicarbonato. Mischiare. Aggiungere gli altri ingredienti. Mescolare.
7. Con un cucchiaio lasciare un po’ di pasta sulla carta-forno.
8. Mettere nel forno e cuocere circa 12 a 13 minuti finché i biscotti siano dorati.
9. Lasciare raffreddare per 5 minuti prima di togliere i biscotti.

After Julie from Julie and Julia, the movie, I think I am on the really good way to redone it version chocolate after the book of PH (again??!! Yes!). 380 recipes, 19 salted and so 369 sweet…one recipe a day EASY! But no I think I just let my chocolate tag of my blog blow out the others.

Yesterday night after Jack has eaten while waiting for A. to come back from rugby, I was just in urgent need for chocolate, in a quick, fast easy recipe using cold butter and eatable ASAP (important details when you are in manque). And I found out that one, with all criterions required including a huge quantity of chocolate (give a glance at the recipe!). Verdict: good of course but Iway prefer the version the day after when you can feel the almonds and it might even be a little bit more digestible. The original tittle is « gateau moelleux au chocolat » which is also named mi cuit actually.

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Chocolate pudding cake

(after Pierre Hermé)

• 400 g chocolate
• 200 g butter
• 120 g sugar
• 100g flour
• 80 g almonds flour
• 4 eggs

1. Warm up the oven at 180°C
2. Melt the butter in a pot. In another one on a bain-marie melt the chocolate
3. In a salad bowl mix the flour, almonds flour with sugar and eggs.
4. Add the butter and chocolate. Mix for 3 minutes
5. Pour in a stamp and put in the oven for 15 minutes.

You can it warm or cold!

Mi cuit (ou moelleux) au chocolat

(selon Pierre Hermé)

• 400 g de chocolat
• 200 g de beurre
• 120 g de sucre
• 100g de farine
• 80 g d’amandes en poudre
• 4 oeufs

1. Préchauffer le four à 180°C
2. Faire fondre le beurre sur feu doux. Au bain marie faire fondre le chocolat
3. Dans un saladier mixer la farine, poudre d’amandes avec le sucre et les oeufs.
4. Ajouter le beurre et le chocolat. Mixer pendant 3 minutes
5. Verser le mélange dans un moule à manquer et enfourner pendant 15 minutes.

Manger tiède ou froid!

Moelleux al cioccolato

(Pierre Hermé)

• 400 g cioccolato
• 200 g burro
• 120 g zucchero
• 100g farina
• 80 g farina di mandorle
• 4 uova

1. Accendere il forno a 180°C
2. Fare sciogliere il burro su fuoco basso. Al bagnomaria fare sciogliere il cioccolato
3. Mischiare la farina, farina di mandorle,lo zucchero e le uova insieme.
4. Aggiungere il burro e il cioccolato.Mischiare per oltre 3 minuti.
5. Versare in uno stampo e infornare per 15 minuti.

Mangiare tiepido o freddo!

What else than being wake up with sweet flavours of warm freshly baked pain au chocolat… it is just remind me my years of student in Liège. I was living downtown, closed to a bakery (le pain quotidien) and I liked to go there in the morning (from time to time) before classes, enjoying fresh bread with some of their chocolate creams and marmelade, teas… sweet times.

Mornings here are definitely not the same, taking time is over, between the breast feeding, the cries, the biberon, diappers…and none of kids are going to school or kindergarden, yet! Every day has to be organized and re-organized according to these two little parts of me, which means that it is for the moment difficult to wake up and enjoy freshly warm pain au chocolat (or just before lunch time). Bah!

It is the second time I prepared these delicious pains au chocolat (from PH, who else ). The first time A. posted some picture on his FB account, which almost got a record of audience and tons of requests for the recipe. Enjoy!

Pain au chocolat

Adaptée du Larousse du chocolat de Pierre Hermé

Préparation (repos et réfrigération inclus): 9 h

pour environ une trentaine de petits pains:

• 12 g de levure de boulangerie fraiche
• 200 ml d’eau
• 100 ml de lait entier
• 600 g de farine
• 75 g de sucre
• 360 g de beurre demi sel mou
• une trentaine de barres au chocolat (environ 250 g)

Pour la dorure:

• 1 oeuf+1 jaune d’oeuf
• une pincée de sel

1. Diluer la levure dans l’eau.
2. Tamiser la farine. Ajouter le sucre, 35 g de beurre, la levure. Malaxer
3. Ajouter le lait si la pate manque de souplesse. Couvrir la pate et la laisser reposer à température ambiante (20-22°C) entre 1h et 1h30. Elle doit au moins doubler de volume.
4. Ecraser la pate du poing et la placer au frigo pour 1h environ.
5. Ecraser de nouveau la pate, la recouvrir d’un film alimentaire et la placer 30 minutes au congélateur.
6. Malaxer le reste de beurre en pommade. Retirer la pate du congélateur et l’étaler en forme de rectangle (3 fois plus long que large).
7. Poser la moitié du beurre sur le tiers inférieur et l’étaler avec la paume de la main sur les 2/3 supérieur. Rabattre le tiers inférieur sur la partie beurrée et refermer avec le tiers supérieur. L’emballer dans du film alimentaire et placer la pate au congélateur pour une demie heure, puis une heure au frigo.
8. Répéter l’opération 7.
9. Etaler la pate sur 2-3 mm d’épaisseur sur un plan de travail fariné. A l’aide d’un couteau y découper des rectangles de 10*4 cm. Y poser sur le coté le plus étroit une barre de chocolat et rouler la pate autour.
10. Poser les pains au chocolat sur des plaques à patisserie recouverte de papier sulfurisé. Laisser lever à température ambiante pendant 2 heures.
11. Préchauffer le four à 200°C.
12. Mélanger avec un pinceau l’oeuf, le jaune d’oeuf et le sel. En badigeonner les pains au chocolat. Enfourner immédiatement une plaque à patisserie à la fois et diminuer la température du four à 170°C. Laisser cuire une vingtaine de minutes.
13. Répéter la dernière opération avec les autres plaques à patisserie.
14. Laisser tiédir avant de manger.

Pain au chocolat

Chocolate bread

Adapted from Larousse du chocolat from Pierre Hermé

Preparation (time off and refrigeration included): 9 h

For about 30 small pain au chocolat:

• 12 g baker’s yeast
• 200 ml water
• 100 ml milk
• 600 g flour
• 75 g sugar
• 360 g salted butter
• 30 bars of chocolate (around 250 g)

For the brown:

• 1 egg+1 egg yolk
• 1 pinch of salt

1. Add and dilute the yeast into the water.
2. Sieve the flour. Add it the sugar, 35 g of soft salted butter and the yeast. Knead.
3. Add the milk if the pastry lack suppleness. Cover the pasta and let it rest between 1h and 1h30 (at a temperature of about 20-22°C). It should double in size.
4. Punch the pastry and put it in the fridge for one hour.
5. Punch it again, wrap it in cling film before putting it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
6. Cream the butter (325 g). Remove the pastry from the freezer and roll it out in a rectangulare form (3 times longer than larger).
7. Put half of the butter on the third below, and spread it to the 2/3 superior.  Fold up the 1/3 inferior on the butter part and fold up on it the 1/3 superior. Wrap it in cling film before putting it in the freezer for 30 minutes, and then 1h in the fridge.
8. Repeat step 7.
9. Roll out the pastry on 2-3 mm thickness. With a knife slice rectangulars of  10*4 cm. On the narrow part put a chocolate bar and roll the pastry around it.
10. Put the chocolate bread on baking paper. Let the pastry rise upfor about 2 hours at 20-22°C.
11. Warm up the oven at 200°C.
12. Mix the egg, egg yolk and salt together. Brush the chocolate bread with it and put in the oven. Decrease the temperature to 170°C and let it cook for 20 minutes (1 plate one by one in the oven).
13. Repeat the previous step if necessary.
14. Let it cool down before eating.

Pain au chocolat

ispirata dal libro « Larousse du chocolat » di Pierre Hermé

Preparazione (riposo e refrigerazione comprese): 9 h

per circa una trentina di panini:

• 12 g di lievito per dolci fresco
• 200 ml d’acqua
• 100 ml di latte intero
• 600 g di farina
• 75 g di zucchero
• 360 g di burro semi salato morbido
• una trentina di barrette di cioccolato (circa 250 g)

Per la doratura:

• 1 uovo +1 tuorlo d’uovo
• un pizzico di sale

1. Diluire il lievito nell’acqua.
2. Setacciare la farina. Aggiungere lo zucchero, 35 g di burro ed il lievito. Mischiare il tutto.
3. Aggiungere del latte se la pasta non è abbastanza morbida. Coprire la pasta e lasciarla riposare a temperatura ambiente (20-22°C) un’ora o un’ora e mezza. Deve almeno raddoppiare il volume.
4. Schiacciare la pasta con i pugni e metterla in frigo per un’ora circa.
5. Schiacciare di nuovo la pasta, ricoprirla di pellicola alimentare e metterla nel congelatore per mezz’ora.
6. Mescolare il resto del burro come una pomata. Prendere la pasta dal congelatore e stenderla in forma di rettangolo (3 volte più lunga che larga).
7. Stendere la metà del burro sul terzo inferiore della pasta e stenderla col palmo della mano sui 2/3 superiori. Ribaltare il terzo inferiore sulla parte imburrata e richiuderla col terzo superiore (come si fa per imbustare le lettere). Richiudere la pasta nella pellicola alimentare e metterla nel freezer per mezz’ora e dopo per un’ora nel frigo.
8. Ripetere il punto 7.
9. Stendere la pasta fino a che raggiunge 2-3 mm di spessore su un piano ricoperto di farina. Con un coltello ritagliare dei rettangoli di pasta di circa 10×4 cm. Posare sul lato più stretto le barrette di cioccolata e rotolarci attorno la pasta.
10. Mettere i panini sulla piastra da forno ricoperta con della carta-forno. Lasciarli a temperatura ambiente per circa due ore.
11. Riscaldate il forno a 200°C.
12. Mescolate con un pennello l’uovo, il tuorlo d’uovo ed il sale. Spennellate i panini al cioccolato. Infornate immediatamente una piastra alla volta e diminuite la temperatura del forno a 170°C. Lasciate cuocere per una ventina di minuti.
13. Ripetere l’ultima operazione con le altre piastre da forno.
14. Lasciare intiepidire prima di mangiare.

Still a few days left (5 days from now that Iam writing these few lines) and there is one little girl that is still not decided to show up her face…just nothing at the monitoring a sleepy baby and a kind of tired mum. Hopefully A. and my mother are here to give an hand, most of all keep Jack busy.

It’s the 4th birthday within a month,the one of A. for this week end. His mother prepared some farrotto with pumpkin, same than a risotto but with farro instead of rice, parmesan, almonds and nuts. Good! I recommend it. It is a nice way to change from the classical risotto, and actually the farro gives a stronger taste with the pumpkin than the rice. As a dessert (actually two!) a chocolate mousse without eggs according to a recipe from Pierre Hermé and a meringue lemon pie based on a recipe from Christophe Felder in the last Elle à Table. This chocolate mousse is quite original as it does not contain any eggs but whipped cream, but also has crunchy pieces of caramel.

Chocolate mousse without eggs

4 to 6 servings

• 100 g dark chocolate
• 300 ml cream
• 90 g sugar
• 30 g salted butter

1. Chop the chocolate and put it in a bowl
2. Put another bowl in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. Then whipp in it the cream.
3. In a pot cook the sugar until it caramelized (light brown). Remove the pot from fire and add it the butter with 2 tablespoons of whipped cream. Mix.
4. Pour the sugar on the chocolate in 3 times. Mix in between.
5. Add the cream to the melted chocolate when it is tiepid and mix softly.
6. Pour the chocolate mousse in cups or glasses and keep in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Mousse au chocolat sans oeufs

4 à 6 personnes

• 100 g chocolat noir
• 300 ml crème fraiche liquide
• 90 g sucre
• 30 g beurre demi sel

1. Hacher finement le chocolat et le réserver dans un saladier
2. Placer un autre saladier au freezer pendant au moins 15 minutes. Y monter ensuite la crème en chantilly.
3. Dans une casserole caraméliser (brun clair) le sucre.  Retirer la casserole du feu et arreter la cuisson en ajoutant le beurre et 2 c. à  soupe de crème chantilly. Mélanger.
4. Verser le caramel sur le chocolat en 3 fois.
5. Lorsque le chocolat fondu est tiède, y incorporer la crème chantilly.
6. Verser dans des coupes individuelles et réserver au frais pendant au moins 2 heures.

Mousse al cioccolato senza uova

4 a 6 persone

• 100 g cioccolato nero
• 300 ml panna liquida
• 90 g zucchero
• 30 g burro salato

1. Tagliuzzare finemente il cioccolato e metterlo in una ciotola.
2. Mettere un’altra ciotola in freezer per almeno 15 minuti. Montatevi poi dentro la panna.
3. In un pentolino caramellate lo zucchero (non troppo scuro). Levate il pentolino dal fuoco ed arrestate la cottura aggiungendo il burro e due cucchiai di panna montata. Mescolare.
4. Versare il caramello nel cioccolato in 3 volte (mescolando ogni volta).
5. Quando la mescola di cioccolato e caramello è tiepida, aggiungetevi il resto della panna montata.
6. Versare in dei contenitori monoporzione e lasciarli in frigorifero per almeno 2 ore prima di servirli.