Homemade Nutella – the real thing, just better

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I think I cracked the secret recipe this time! I am now on an all homemade frenzy, and breakfast at home is all made from scratch: jams, peanut butter,spreads, bread…The Nutella was a tough nut to crack but I think I finally got it, thanks to a secret ingredient that brings out the hazelnut taste even more.

I have started my Nutella experiment with this easy 3 ingredient chocolate-hazelnut spread. That was delicious, but not exactly the same as Nutella in terms of texture, and the taste was a bit different too.

I also wanted to tackle a big issue with Nutella: it becomes tough as a brick when you leave it in the fridge..which is not a problem for a product full of preservatives, but my version would need to be stored in the fridge at least once open.

So here it is, my version of Nutella, with no palm oil (and actually not much oil at all) and a secret ingredient!

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Lemon & poppy seed butter biscuits

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Lemon poppyseed butter biscuits

You know how sometimes biscuits and sweets can scream “Eat Me Now”? They call you from inside the cookie jar, and there is nothing you can do to ignore them. Even with the music full blast and all doors between you and the kitchen closed and locked, you know will end up freeing them from the darkness and offer them a nicer place to stay: in your tummy. (And eventually on your hips, but that is another story. )

Not that this will help me get in shape for the holidays, but thanks to my sister and her great birthday present idea, I can now make cookies that say “Eat Me” in style. This way I am sure I am not the only one hallucinating talking cookies…and I have a better chance that someone else will get to the biscuit box first, and eat them before I do.

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Chocolate and vanilla layered custard pots

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Pots de creme bicolores

Are you familiar with Danette? It is a French milk based pudding made by Danone and it is so popular in France that I bet you can find it in every French family’s fridge. And I dare you to find anyone that cannot sing their slogan “On se leve tous pour Danette” (Everybody rises for Danette). Click on the link to find an ad that dates back to the 80′s for a bit of history!

When I was a kid, I think there were 2 flavours only, vanilla and chocolate, and I already had a hard time choosing. Now if you go to a French supermarket, you will find between 15 and 20 different flavours. No way I could make a choice there ever!

I don’t run that risk here as I haven’t found any Danette on the shelves yet… nevermind, I thought I’d just make some myself. And because I still could not decide whether I wanted to have chocolate or vanilla, and was feeling playful, I just made a “2 in 1 Danette”. I have to say the vanilla custard was the best, the chocolate was a bit overcooked and thus too thick..such a shame, I will have to try again to make it perfect ;-)

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Strawberry risotto – no it is not a dessert

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Strawberry risotto

Are you feeling adventurous? Then this recipe might just be the thing for you!

I have been wanting to post the recipe on this blog for a while now, but I could never take a satisfying picture of it. Like many risottos it is delicious but not particularly photogenic. In the end I chose to photograph it “in the making”.

Though it has been almost a classic at our house for years, it is becoming a bit of a social gimmick now: we made it for half-curious, half-dubious friends two weeks in a row. And demand is growing,which is nice for me as,I have to be honest, it is not me but my other half who cooks it.

For those who are afraid this strawberry risotto might taste like a sort of warm rice pudding,let me reassure you.The strawberries lose some of their sweetness in the process and a faint tartness takes over, you are left with a very nice combination of flavours, and definitely the ones of a savory dish.

Perfect with a bubbly glass of prosecco!

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Crostata con la ricotta – ricotta tart

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Another amazing 3mn video from the Man’s visit to Italy. This one is starring his grandmother, making the most amazing pie I have ever seen. It is just beautiful to watch her make it, with no fancy robot or even a bowl to mix the ingredients. Just two hands, fresh ingredients and years of experience. My favorite part is how she makes the dough..so beautiful!And it comes out perfect too…it is almost magic!

The video and music are a courtesy of the man of the house, I am lucky I can make use of his artistic talents for my little blog! I would love to hear your thoughts on the recipe, and the video itself! And if you are a little interested in music, go and visit his website.

This time, we took a different approach compared to the Polenta video : no one talking, just music and subtitles, which makes this video very relaxing for anyone who enjoys cooking and captures only the key moments.

Orange cream pie – chocolate crust

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Orange curd pie

I have been living in London for 2 months now, and experimenting on a few typical English recipes ever since, with and without Thermomix. So how come you still haven’t seen any of it? Quite simply because I have always been a bit disappointed with the results. My scones were too flat, my curd too liquid and my shortbreads too plain. But I keep trying, and all these failed attempts enable me to show you one thing I am really good at: recycling food.

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Camelia’s tea room

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Just discovered a lovely hidden tea room,right in the center of London, and had the greatest girly Sunday afternoon there.

The place is called Camelia’s and is divided in two parts: the tea salon and the tea shop were you can by many of their award winning leaf teas and infusions.

Camelia’s Tea House
2.12 Kingly Court,Carnaby Street
W1B 5PW London
Open every day 12pm-7pm

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Goat cheese & spinach quiche – sesame crust

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Quiche Spinach 1.1

I know it might sound a bit sad, but quiches are my ultimate weapon of seduction. I am aware it is not exactly a weapon of mass seduction but it works on a very specific target, and the only one that really counts: the gorilla of the house. It is the first thing I cooked for him.. and I pull it up every time I can sense a crisis coming.

Yesterday my car got towed away,and by the time I got out of the car pound with it, my wallet was 300£ lighter. That hurt, especially since no one could explain to me why it had been towed away. I don’t think I will be driving into London anytime soon if parking rules are so arbitrary… Anyway, I came out of there alive (and I was not sure I would as the car pound was located in a very dodgy area), and decided to take it with philosophy. But my boyfriend was beside himself when I called him to tell my story. When I hung up, I thought it was the kind of situation when the quiche was much needed!

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