Austrian Linzer Torte

For ➑ portions

75 g blanched almonds 

75 g blanched hazelnuts 

250 g plain flour 

225 g butter 

130 g light brown sugar 

1 egg 1 tsp cinnamon 

⅛ ts cloves 

¼ ts salt 

zest of 1 lemon 

280 g redcurrant jam* 

1 egg yolk 

almond flakes for decoration 

 

Grind the almonds and hazelnuts and place in a bowl. Add the flour, salt, cloves, cinnamon, lemon zest, light brown sugar and butter. Use a pastry cutter/blender or two knives to cut the butter into the remaining ingredients until crumbly. Then add the egg. 

Knead into a dough with your hands. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 m. 

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Take ⅔ of the dough and press it into a 26 cm baking tin. Make sure the bottom is completely covered with dough with a thick edge of 1 cm thick. Add the jam, make sure the entire bottom of the tart is covered with jam. 

Cut the rest of the dough into strips. Place the strips on the tart and make a nice lattice pattern on it. Brush the dough with egg yolk. Decorate the Linzer Torte with some almond shavings and bake it in the oven for 45-60 m. 

* (or raspberry jam)

♥︎Fat-free apple cake

For ➑

3 eggs

1 tbs cold water

150 g granulated sugar

1 sachet vanilla sugar

3 apples

dash of lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 175°C hot air. Separate the eggs and first beat the egg whites until stiff together with a spoonful of cold water and the vanilla and granulated sugar (I only added these when the egg whites were almost stiff). Then add the three egg yolks and continue mixing for a while. Then sift the flour and fold it into your batter.

Peel 2 apples, cut them into small pieces and mix them with the lemon juice. Fold them into your batter as well. Place baking paper on the bottom of a springform pan. Lightly grease the edges. Pour the dough into the baking pan. Peel the third apple. Cut into slices and arrange on top of the cake. Bake until the cake skewer comes out dry, about 45-50 m.

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Irish carrot cake

For +/- ➓ servings
250 g self-raising flour, sieved
250 g sugar or substitute e.g. zusto
1 pack vanilla sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
400 g finely grated carrots
4 eggs, separated
15 cl cooking oil

Beat egg whites with vanilla sugar to foam. Add sugar/zusto and mix until creamy.
Add egg yolks, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, oil and baking powder.
Mix in the flour and the carrots.
Grease a spring or cake tin with oil. Bake 60 m at 180 ° C.
Decorate with icing sugar or coat the cooled cake with a cream frosting: mix 1 box of Philadelphia cheese, 50 g butter, 100 g icing sugar, 1 pack vanilla sugar.

Poulet Père Lathuille (Paris sautéed chicken fricassé with artichokes)

For ➏
1 Gâtinais chicken
3 flat parsley sprigs
20 g butter
crust:
300 g (or 3) Agria potatoes
3 globe artichokes
50 cl groundnut oil
30 g clarified butter
garnish:
50 g butter
1 bulb young garlic
1 bundle scallions
25 cl milk
100 g T55 flour

Remove the legs and breasts from the chicken, cut them into small pieces. Make a chicken stock with the carcass. Chop the parsley. In a sauté pan, brown the chicken pieces in butter. Drain, deglaze with a little chicken stock and add the parsley. Set aside.
Wash and peel the potatoes. Prepare the artichokes. Cut the potatoes and artichokes with a mandolin into 3 mm thick slices, and shape into 3 cm-diameter circles with a pastry cutter. Blanch the artichokes in boiling salted water and cool immediately. Brown the potatoes in a deep-fat fryer at 140°C and drain them on a clean cloth.
Line a 18 x 6 cm (copper) mould with overlapping alternate slices of potato and artichoke, and add the chicken pieces.
Fill up the mould with clarified butter and leave to stand for 5 m in the fridge.
Immerse the mould in an oil bath, and leave to cook for 10 m at 180°C until it turns a beautiful blonde colour.
In a pan, confit the garlic gloves in butter. Cut the scallions into 3 mm thick slices with a mandolin.
Plunge the scalllion slices in milk, drain, coat with flour and fry them at 140°C.
Place the chicken dish in the middle of the plate and decorate with scallion rings and garlic cloves. Pour over the chicken stock.

This recipe of chicken with potatoes and artichokes reminds us that Paris and its surroundings were once full of artichokes. It was created in 1765, by a cook named Lathuille, who ran a Parisian guinguette. This establishment, located near the barrier of Clichy, was known for its sautéed chicken, but also for its tripes in the fashion of Caen and a cellar with excellent wines. On March 30, 1814, during the fall of the Empire, Marshal Moncey installed his command post there, in a show of honour against the coalition armies. Père Lathuille distributed all his provisions and bottles to the French soldiers, so that the enemy could not take them. This 'patriotic' act contributed to the success of his restaurant once peace returned. In 1906, the guinguette became a café-concert. These days, number 7 avenue de Clichy, the former grande rue des Batignolles, houses a movie theatre, le Cinéma des Cinéastes.
Use the easier variation recipe with mushrooms.

Japanese fluffy pancakes

For ➌-➍ pancakes
2 eggs
18 cl buttermilk
½ ts vanilla
¼ ts salt
60 g flour
1 ts of yeast
¼ ts baking soda (or baking powder)
2 tbs vegetable oil
maple syrup

Put the eggs, buttermilk, sugar, vanilla and salt in a blender and mix at low speed for a few s.
Add flour, yeast and baking soda. Continue mixing for 15/20 s.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and spread the vegetable oil inside a crown mold*.
Pour the remaining oil into the pan and place the pan in the center.
Heat for a few m before pouring the pancake dough halfway up the pan.
Cook until bubbles form at the top of the pancake.
Use a spatula to gently flip it over and cook for another 3 m.**
Serve (with maple syrup if wanted. Or ice cream. Or put some butter on top before dripping the syrup].

*Make the form yourself: cut a thin sheet of cardboard into two long strips about 4 cm wide and 31 cm long. Do the same with parchment paper. Then staple the parchment paper onto the cardboard, form it into a circle shape, and staple it closed (with the parchment paper on the inside).
**Another method suggests cooking over really low heat, covering the pan with a lid, and slowly cooking for 20 m. When bubbles appear, flip over, put the lid on aigain and cook for 20 m more m.

Read about the Japanese cotton soft cheesecake.

Twin Peaks cherry pie

For ➑
crust:
125 g flour
125 g butter
10 cl ice water
filling:
75 cl pitted sour cherries
25 cl water
250 g sugar
4 tbs cornstarch
¼ ts salt

Mix flour and butter with fork. Add ice water. Mix with your hands. When blended, roll into ball and refrigerate overnight. To roll out: flour both rolling pin and flat surface, split ball in two, roll out ½ to fit a 32 cm pan and ½ for lattice.

Strain cherries (yields 50 cl juice). Taste for sweetness, more/less sugar may be needed.

Add 25 cl water to make 75 cl juice.

Dissolve cornstarch in 25 cl juice, stir with whip.

Combine 50 cl of juice, 200 g of sugar, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil.

Add cornstarch mix, cook until clear, about 5 m. Remove from heat, stir in rest of sugar (blend thoroughly). Pour mixture over cherries, fold with wooden spoon, cool (stir mix while cooling to prevent scum from forming on top).

Pour mix in pie shell. Top completed pie with lattice crust.

Bake at 220°C for 35-40 m.

Serve with a mug of strong black coffee.

Cherry pie was the recurring comfort food in David Lynch's cult television series Twin Peaks' cafe.

Naked** lemon & olive oil layer cake

For ➊➏ cm cake
350 g all-purpose flour*
1½ ts baking powder*
1 ts baking soda*
1 ts salt*
3 large eggs*
300 g granulated sugar*
37 cl extra-virgin olive oil*
37 cl buttermilk*
2 tbs lemon zest*
¼ ts lemon extract (optional)*
2 ts vanilla extract*
frosting:
250 g unsalted butter, at room temperature*
900 g sugar*
zest of 1 lemon*
1 ts pure vanilla extract*
12 cl whole milk*
lemon zest, as needed for garnish
blueberries, as needed for garnish

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Grease and flour two 16 cmh cake pans.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt to combine.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and thick, 2 to 3 m.
Add the olive oil, buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon extract (if using) and vanilla extract to the egg mixture and mix well to combine, 1 m more.
Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined, 45 s to 1 m.
Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 m.
Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes and then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.
-
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter while gradually adding the confectioners’ sugar gradually. Mix until light and fluffy.
Beat in the lemon zest, vanilla extract and milk. Mix well to combine.
-
When the cakes are cool, use a serrated knife to cut the domed top off of each cake and then cut each cake into two layers. (You’ll have four layers total.)
Place one cake layer on a platter or cake stand and scoop 1 heaping of frosting on top of it. Using the spatula, spread the frosting into an even layer, all the way to the edge. Place another cake layer on top. Repeat until you’ve used all four cake layers.
Spread the remaining frosting in a thin coat on the top ( and side of the cake*). Run your spatula around the edge of the cake to scrape away any excess frosting. (You should be able to clearly see the cake through the thin layer of frosting.)
Sprinkle with lemon zest and garnish with berries. Slice and serve the cake at room temperature.

*Use half the quantities to bake a 2 layer cake for 4-6 people.
**Naked as in not overfrosted layers. You can eliminatie all outer frosting except the top.

Moules de bouchot de la baie du Mont Saint-Michel au cidre (French mussels Mont Saint-Michel way)

For ➍
2 kg moules de bouchot*
6 dl Normandy cider (or white wine)
3 red onions, finely chopped (or shallots)
3 cups finely chopped parsley
60 g flour
60 g unsalted butter
3 dl cream
pepper

Clean the mussels. Remove the threads between the mussels, then wash in 2 baths of cold salted water. Keep them cold.
Pour ½ of the cider into the pot, add the mussels and pepper, then cook over high heat. When the mussels are open, remove them from the pot and strain the mussel juice.
Reserve the juice and keep the mussels warm. Place the butter in a pan, then add the chopped onions, cook until they become golden. Add flour, stirring with a wooden spoon to avoid lumps, then gradually pour in the cooking juices, cider and reduce to ⅓.
Stir in the cream, stirring, parsley, make a broth and remove from heat.
Serve and top the mussels with the cream sauce.

*The 'moules de bouchot' are cultivated on wooden stakes planted in the sea to avoid predators. It produces small, delicious mussels. A shipwrecked Irish or Scott seems to have invented the poles to hunt birds in the 13th century, but when mollusks attached themselves to the wood, it became a better trade. It was widely spread along the French Atlantic coast, and was regulated in the late 17th century. After WWII, the production was reactivated in Vivier-sur-mer, and has become a main succes in Normandy, followed by new mussel fields on the Atlantic shores.

Microwave cake with ganache frosting

For ➍-➏
10 cl sunflower oil, plus extra for pan
175 g caster sugar
140 g plain flour
3 tbs cocoa
3 ts baking powder
2 large eggs
1 ts vanilla essence
chocolate sprinkles, to serve
for microwave ganache:
100 g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
5 tbs double cream

Grease a 22 cm silicone microwaveable cake pan with a little oil and place a circle of baking parchment in the bottom.
Mix sugar, flour, cocoa and baking powder in a bowl. In a jug, whisk the oil, eggs, vanilla and 10 cl hot water until combined.
Add liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until you have a lump-free batter. Pour mixture into the cake pan and gently tap to pop any air bubbles. Cover with cling film.
Microwave on full power (800 watts) for 7 m. Remove and check if the cake is cooked by poking a skewer into the middle: if it comes out clean it is ready. Allow cake to stand for 5 m, then remove cling film and turn out onto a cooling rack.
For the ganache, melt the chocolate on half power (600 watts) for approximately 2 m, stirring every 30 s until melted. Add the cream and mix thoroughly until smooth and glossy.
Once the cake is cool, spread over the ganache and scatter with the sprinkles.
Serve. The cake will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Torta alle nocciole (Piedmontese hazelnut cake)

For ➑
200 g shelled hazelnuts, toasted*
150 g flour
3 eggs
200 g sugar
125 g butter
8.5 tbs strong coffee (12.5 cl)
8.5 tbs whole milk (12.5 cl)
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs rum or Marsala (optional)
1½ tbs baking powder

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Pulverise the toasted hazelnuts until very fine. Combine with the flour and baking powder.
In a food processor or with beaters, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one by one until well combined. Incorporate with the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the milk, coffee, olive oil and rum and mix until just combined.
Pour into a greased and floured  26 cm cake tin with a removable bottom.**
Bake for about 35 m or until golden brown and springy.
Allow to cool and serve as desired.
Serve with a simple drizzle of honey, a ganache of melted chocolate*** and cream or a simple espresso icing. Or dust with powder sugar.

*To toast hazelnuts, put them in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 180°C oven for about 10-15 m or until lightly browned and the skins look cracked. Watch them carefully as hazelnuts can turn bitter if toasted too long. Remove from the oven and wrap the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel to let steam for a couple of m. Then rub them together to loosen and remove as much of the skin as possible. Cool completely.
**The cake should be 2-2.5 cm thick. A good way is to wrap the mixture in oven aluminum foil completely, then gently press it with your hands into the mold to make it into a nice even round shape.
***To cover the cake in chocolate glaze: gently heat 15 cl heavy cream just to the boiling point and pour over finely chopped 150 g bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (or a combination of the two). Stir slowly until combined. Pour evenly over cake.

Focaccia

For ➋ loaves
500 g strong white bread flour
2 ts salt
2 sachets dried easy blend yeast
2 tbs olive oil
4 dl cold water
olive oil, for drizzling
fine sea salt

Place the flour, salt, yeast, olive oil and 3 dl of the water into a large bowl. Gently stir with your hand or a wooden spoon to form a dough then knead the dough in the bowl for 5 m, gradually adding the remaining water.

Sprinkle your fingers with olive oil.

Stretch the dough by hand in the bowl, tuck the sides into the centre, turn the bowl 80 degrees and repeat the process for about 5 m.

Tip the dough onto an oiled work surface and continue kneading for 5 more m. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled in size.

Line two large baking sheets with greaseproof paper. Tip the dough out of the bowl and divide into 2 portions. Flatten each portion onto a baking sheet, pushing to the corners, then leave to prove for 1 h.

Preheat the oven to 220°C.

Drizzle the loaves with oil, put the oil down with your fingertips, sprinkle with fine sea salt.

Bake in the oven for 20 m.

When cooked, drizzle with a little more olive oil.

Serve hot or warm. With your favourite food or soup. Or covered with fresh tomatoes & basil.

*Add herbs such as rosemary or thyme, or perhaps some chopped chili pepper.

Pâte levée

For ➊ tart
200 g flour
1 egg yolk
1 pinch of salt
1 tbs sugar
15 g yeast
10 cl milk
30 g butter, all at room temperature

Mix all ingredients into a large ball. Cover, and let the yeast do its work for 20-30 m at room temperature.

Roll out and line a buttered pan with the dough. Prick some holes with a fork. Leave to work for 10 m before adding filling.

A light dough using yeast to leaven the pastry for a lighter crust. It is used in the North of France for pies.
Use f.i. in Belgian rice tart.

Matefaim (French potato pancake)

For ➍
700 g potatoes
60 g flour
3 eggs
2 egg whites, beaten stiff

Bake the potatoes in their skins on a bed of salt.

Collect the pulp. Add the flour, cream, whole eggs and 2 stiff egg whites.

Put about 2 tbs of the preparation in a buttered skillet and cook 2 m on each side.

Repeat 4 times.

The matefaim (meaning: stop the hunger), sometimes written as 'matefin', is an Eastern French thick pancake, normally made with apples as a dessert. It can also be made with vegetables and be served as a side dish or as a light meal with a green salad.
Try it with Lyonnaise poulet à la crème.
More recipes from the Lyon region: goat cheese spread, salade lyonnaise.

Gentse perentaart (Ghent pear cake)

For ➓
125 g butter
150 g sugar
2 eggs
½ beaten egg
210 g flour
salt
1 tbs grated lemon peel
30 g ground almonds
± 8 half pears (can)*
1.25 dl cream
ground vanilla or vanilla essence
apricot glaze**
shaved almonds

Mix 100 g butter, 100 g sugar, 1 egg, 200 g, salt, flour into a smooth dough. Cover and put in fridge for 1 h.

Prepare a loose-based cake tin of 20 cm.

Roll out the dough, put in the form and return to fridge for 30 m.

Heat the oven to 180 °C.

Mix the rest of the flour with 30 g sugar and ground almonds. Add beaten egg and 25 g butter to the mixture. Whip until creamy.

Spread over the dough. Put the pears in a circle on the mixture.

Mix 1 egg, vanilla and cream.

Pour over the pears.

Bake for 30 m in the centre of the oven.

Remove and let cool on rack.

Glaze with (warm) apricot and shaved almonds.

Add a dot of whipped cream, if you feel like it. Serve with a fruit-based drink like cider, a medium dry white wine like Vouvray, or an old Flemish jenever (gin). Or a dark brown sweet beer. Or tea (without sugar or milk), definitely not coffee.

*When using fresh pears, poach them for 15 m in water and sugar.
**Prepare by mixing 1 tbs of water through 1 tbs of apricot jam.

A savoury cake with ham, mustard & lager

For ➏
3 eggs
150 g flour with yeast (or self-raising flour)
10 cl sunflower oil
12,5 cl milk
100 g grated Gruyère
150 g boiled or baked white ham
50 g Cheddar*
1 ts mustard**
5 cl lager beer**
salt & freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Get eggs out of the fridge.

Cut ham and Cheddar in chunks.

Add mustard, beer, salt and pepper. Leave for 30 m.

Heat milk. Let cool a bit.

In a salad bowl, whip the eggs. Incorporate flour. Gradually add oil, then the milk.

Add the Gruyère. Mix in the ham and Cheddar* mix.

Pour in a non-greased cake mould. Put in the oven for 45 m.

Serve warm or cold with a green salad. Drink a cold lager** with it. Or present small slices as appetizers.

*Use a semi-firm Belgian cheese, like Chimay instead.
**Use a good Belgian blond beer, and tasty Belgian mustard.

Green tea cake

For ➏
175 g soft butter
125 g sugar
3 eggs
250 g flour with yeast
100 g ground almonds
5 cl milk
2 ts matcha green tea powder

Preheat oven to 180°C. In a salad bowl, mix soft butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix. Add the flour and mix. Add the almond powder and mix. Heat milk without boiling, infuse the green tea for 3 m. Add this mixture to the paste and mix. Pour in a cake mould, smooth surface and put in oven. Bake for 15 m at 180°C. Bake for 40 m at 160°C.

American cocoa & Pepsi cake

For ➑
250 g flour
125 g sugar
250 g butter
2 tbs cocoa
25 cl Pepsi *
10 cl buttermilk
2 beaten eggs
1 ts baking soda
1 ts vanilla extract
200 g marshmallows
icing:
6 tbs butter
125 g brown sugar
100 g peanut butter
10 cl milk
100 g chopped peanuts

Preheat oven to 180°C . Grease and flour cake form.

Combine flour and sugar in large bowl. Melt butter, add cocoa and Pepsi. Pour over flour and sugar mixture, and stir until well blended. Add buttermilk, beaten eggs, soda, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in marshmallows.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 40 m.

Remove cake from oven and frost while still warm.

Cream butter, sugar, and peanut butter. Add milk and stir well. Add nuts. Spread over warm cake. Place frosted cake under broiler. Broil just a few s, or until topping starts to bubble.

Let cool at least 30 m before serving.

*Coke connaisseurs insist on using an unopened can or bottle of Pepsi-Cola for this recipe, as it is believed to have a richer sparkle than Coke. Never ever use diet coke.

Darjeeling tea cake

For ➍
120 g salted butter*
100 g sugar
2 eggs
150 g flour**
1 packet of yeast**
5 cl milk
1 bag/1½ ts of Darjeeling tea***

Take eggs and butter out of the fridge 1 h before preparation.

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Beat butter and sugar until white. Add eggs. Mix. Add flour, yeast, milk and broken tea leaves. Stir until smooth.

Pour into cake mold. Bake for 40-50 m.

Serve at room temperature with a cup of tea.

*Mix some ½ ts salt through the butter .
**Use self-rasing flour instead of yeast. Heat milk and let tea brew for 5 m. Pour in milk and broken leaves.
***Use (bergamot perfumed) Earl Grey black tea for a more citrus like aroma. Always use a good quality black tea.

Pâte feuilleté (puff pastry)

For ➊ pie
225 g plain flour
pinch of salt
30 g lard
15 cl cold water
150 g butter

Sift together the flour and the salt and rub in the lard. Stir in enough of the water to make a soft dough, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 20 m. Put the butter between 2 pieces of greaseproof paper and flatten out with a rolling pin until it is a rectangle 10 x 7.5 cm. Roll out the dough to another rectangle of 12.5 x 25 cm.
Take the butter out of the paper and put on the dough rectangle. Bring the corners of the dough together to make an envelope. Chill for 10 m.
Roll out the envelope on a floured surface to make a rectangle that is 3 times longer than it is wide. Fold one third into the middle and then the other third on top. Seal the edges lightly with a rolling pin and turn the pastry 90 degrees.
Repeat stage 5 and chill for 30 m.
Repeat this rolling and folding twice more and then chill for another 30 m and then do 2 more.
Now roll out and use as required.

This pâte feuilleté is quite elaborate and time-consuming to make. Adapt the taste to sweet or salty uses.
Most of the times, ready-made puff pastry will do.

Overijsese plattekaastaart (Belgian cheesecake)

For ➑
20 g yeast
15 cl milk
1 egg, beaten
250 g flour, sifted
50 g butter, softened or melted
4 sweet apples, peeled & sliced*
100 g sugar
250 g cream cheese**
2 egg yolks
vanilla sugar
50 g speculaas***
25 g almonds, shaved
3 tbs cream
salt

Mix yeast with milk. Knead with flour, butter, egg and butter into dough. Cover with a wet towel and let rise for 1 h.

Put sliced apples in a skillet, add a few spoons of water and cook. Add 25 g sugar and let cool.*

Mix cheese**, 75 g sugar, egg yolks, vanilla sugar, almonds, speculaas***, cream and a pinch of salt until creamy.

Butter a cake tin, and cover with the dough. Let rise for 45 m.

Preheat oven to 225°C.

Cover the bottom of the dough with apples*. Pour in the mixture. Bake for 30 m or until golden brown. Let it cool.

Serve with a white beer or a half-sweet white wine.

*A variation can be made with rhubarb.

**Use a low-fat cheese instead.
***Speculaas are Belgian candy cookies. Subsitute with bitter-tasting cookies.

This recipe for plattekaastaart comes from a small village near Brussels, Overijse.