http://schneiderchen.de | © 2014 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2014 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

These buttery sponge cakes are traditionally baked in scallop-shaped Madeleine moulds. Like all the delicate sponge cakes, they have a moist and tender crumb that are best eaten the day they're baked. Classic madeleines are made with sugar, flour, melted butter and eggs, often flavoured with vanilla or lemon. I gave these classic French tea cakes a twist by adding matcha tea powder and dipping them in melted chocolate.

1. Whisk together the eggs, sugar and agave powder in a bowl until light and frothy, about 5 minutes. In another bowl, whisk together the spelt flour, matcha powder and baking powder together.
2. Sift flour mixture into the egg mixture, then pour melted butter around edge of batter. Quickly but gently fold butter into batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
3. Brush the madeleine tray with melted butter then shake in a little flour to coat, tapping out the excess. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the mixture has risen a little in the middle and is fully cooked through. Transfer the madeleines to a wire rack and leave them to cool.
5. Place chocolate in small microwave-safe cup. Microwave on medium for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate has almost melted. Dip each madeleine into melted chocolate, coating bottom third part of the cookie. Shake off excess chocolate and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Dust with a bit of matcha powder if desired. Madeleines are best eaten the day they're baked.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2014 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2014 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2014 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2014 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

A friand is a French term for a bite-sized almond cake typically made in an oval shape, but suitable for a muffin pan too. They are a great way of using up leftover egg whites and other than almonds, you can also use hazelnut or pistachio meal.
This recipe uses a mix of confectioners' sugar and powdered agave (I ordered mine from Amazon), a natural sweetener made from dried organic agave syrup. Its consistency is very similar to confectioners' sugar, but much sweeter and contains 25% less calories than sugar. If you plan to use only confectioners' sugar, increase the amount of sugar to 100 grams.

1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Grease eight non-stick standard-size muffin or friand holes. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
2. Sift the powdered agave, confectioners' sugar and flour into a bowl. Stir in ground hazelnut. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until just frothy. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Gradually add egg whites, stirring with a spoon until combined. Stir in melted butter to form a soft batter.
3. Divide the batter among the muffin holes and sprinkle a few of blueberries over each cake. Bake for 15-20 minutes until just firm to the touch and golden brown.
4. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out and cool on a wire rack. To serve, dust lightly with icing sugar.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2014 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2014 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2014 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Pastry Cream, a very versatile cream used to fill cakes, pastry shells or as a filling for those cute chocolate cups. It is quite simple to make at home, and can be easily flavoured many different ways including chocolate, coffee, with liqueurs, lemon or any extracts, although vanilla remains the most common.

1. In a saucepan, heat the whole milk, vanilla bean and seeds over medium heat until simmering.
2. Combine the cornstarch, stevia extract powder, salt and egg yolks. Once the milk has come to a simmer, remove the vanilla bean and add 1/3 of the milk into the egg mixture and whisk until combined and smooth.
3. Now return it to the saucepan and cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Whisk it constantly for 3-5 minutes until thick. Remove from the heat and add in orange liqueur if using and white chocolate chunks. Whisk until smooth. Press a plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until well chilled. Fill the chocolate cups with the pastry cream and garnish with berries and lemon balm leaves.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2014 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2014 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Pommes Duchesse, also known as Duchess potatoes, are basically some puréed potatoes that includ egg yolk, butter and seasonings. They can be simply shaped into a mound with a spoon or piped through a pastry bag into various shapes. The edges of the piped potatoes are crisp after baking, while the interior remains soft and creamy. Serve duchess potatoes as a side along with a good portion of meat.

• 400 g Potatoes, peeled, roughly chopped
• 1 Egg yolk
• 50 g butter, melted
• A pinch of nutmeg
• Salt and white pepper to taste

1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring it to the boil. Boil for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Transfer to a bowl. Mash with a potato ricer or using a large metal spoon, press potato through a fine sieve into a bowl. Add egg yolk and half the butter. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
2. Preheat oven to 220C/428F. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Spoon the potato mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe swirled rosettes onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle remaining butter over potato. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2011 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

These easy-to-prepare juicy tomatoes are stuffed with a spicy mix of chilli peppers, finely chopped garlic, herbs and then a layer of grated Parmesan. They are delicious as a side dish or served on a bed of salad as a light lunch.
Recipe adapted from Essen und Trinken

• 3 Fleshy beefsteak tomatoes
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Small red chilli pepper
  ©angiesrecipes, cut into rings
• 1 Small green chilli pepper, cut into rings
• 3 Thyme sprigs
• 1 Rosemary sprig
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 25 g Fresh grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 tbsp Balsamic bianco
• 50 g Arugula
• 50 g Radicchio, sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Thinly slice the chilli peppers into rings. Remove leaves from thyme and rosemary sprigs. Discard stem, and chop the leaves.
2. Cut the cores from the tomatoes, and cut them in half crosswise. Place the tomato halves in a baking dish. Sprinkle generously with salt and freshly mulled black pepper.
3. Place the chilli pepper rings, minced garlic, and chopped herbs on the tomato halves. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan over and bake for 15 minutes or until they are tender.
4. Whisk together the Balsamic bianco, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. In a large salad bowl, add in arugula and sliced radicchio. Drizzle in the prepared dressing. Toss gently until combined.
5. Remove the baked tomatoes from the oven, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Serve on a bed of prepared salad.

Those mini fresh fruit tartlets have a sweet pastry crust that is filled with a rich hazelnut cream and topped with fresh fruit. Dust the fruit with powdered sugar before serving or glaze with apricot glaze to give the fruit a bright shiny finish.

1. Heap the flour on a work surface and make a well. Put in butter, salt, sugar, and egg yolk. Using your fingertips, mix all the ingredients together. Add in cold water and work until the dough begins to hold together. Shape each into a ball and wrap with a plastic film and chill for half an hour.
2. Cream the butter and sugar with a hand mixer in the bowl. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the ground hazelnut and beat until it forms a smooth paste. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease four 12cm tartlet tins with butter and sprinkle them lightly with flour. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and divide into four equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of pastry into a 16cm circle. Line the tins with pastry and prick several times with a fork.
4. Divide the hazelnut mixture into 4 pastry cases and smooth the top. Put the tart tins on the hot baking tray and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Lift the tart and base from the tin and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Spread two tablespoons of chantilly cream on top of each tartlet. Arrange the fruit on top. If desired, dust with powdered sugar before serving.

This is the dessert traditionally served in France for Epiphany, on the 6th day of January, but is welcome at any time of year. It's also known as the "Galette des rois", or "King Cake". One "feve", "bean" in French, or a tiny ceramic figurine is hidden somewhere in the galette as a "prize" and the finder is crowned the king or queen.

1. Cream the butter and sugar with a hand mixer in the bowl. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract and salt until smooth. Add the almond meal and beat until it forms a smooth paste. Set aside.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the pastry out until it’s about 3mm thick. Cut out two 4-inch rounds and two 6-inch rounds or two 11-inch rounds.
3. Place one sheet of pastry on the baking sheet. Spread a circle of filling on the pastry, leaving 1-inch border around the frangipane. Brush the border with some of the beaten egg. Top with the second sheet of pastry over the filling and press the borders firmly to seal it.
4. With the back edge of a paring knife, make 6 or 8 of tucks along the border. Make a small hole with a skewer in the center, so the steam can escape during cooking. Glaze the top with beaten egg. Cut a decorative pattern on the top with the tip of a knife.
5. Refrigerate for one hour. Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Put in the center of the hot oven for 25-30 minutes until they are nicely brown and crisp. Remove and cool the galette on the wire rack. Slice and serve!

A Friand, originally from France, is traditionally made mainly with ground almond, melted butter and only a small amount of flour. In this recipe, the ground poppy seeds together with blood orange zest were added to enhance the flavour and aroma of those truly wonderful friands. Orange syrup is not a necessity, actually I find it too sweet.

• 160 g Butter
• 3 Blood oranges
• 50 g Plain flour
• 180 g Icing sugar
• 150 g Almond meal
• 50 g Poppy seeds, ground
• 5 Egg whites
• 100 g Caster sugar

1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Grease 7-8 rectangle friand pans. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, then simmer for 5 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly.
2. Finely grate the rind of two blood oranges. Combine the flour, icing sugar, almond meal, ground poppy seeds and grated orange rind.
3. Whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add to the dry ingredients together with the butter. Stir until just combined. Divide the batter into the pans. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
4. Zest rind from remaining orange then juice the oranges. Place zest, juice and sugar into a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, for 5 minutes or until mixture comes to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Allow to cool. Place friands onto serving plates. Drizzle with orange syrup and serve.

Who doesn't love buttery and flaky croissants? They are rich, decadent and irresistible! According to Jeffrey Hamelman, when you know it's a good croissant after you take a bite and look at your shirt: if it’s covered with flakes of golden pastry that shatter from each bite, then it's a good one. It took me two days to make 16 croissants, and my husband finished 4 at one go in 20 minutes. So I strongly suggest you double the recipe!

• 250 ml Whole milk
• 30 g Fresh yeast
• 40 g Brown sugar
• 300 g Spelt #630 flour
• 100 g Whole spelt flour
• 2 tsp Salt
• 300 g Cold and unsalted butter
• 1 Egg, lightly beaten

1. Stir together warm milk, brown sugar, and fresh yeast in bowl of standing mixer and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add spelt flours, and salt and mix with dough hook at low speed until dough is smooth and soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead by hand 2 minutes, adding more flour as necessary, a little at a time, to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Wrap the dough with a cling film and chill for 1 hour.
3. Place butter between two sheets of cling film and roll with a rolling pin to form 8x5 inch/20x12 cm rectangle. Chill until firm. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface into a 16x10 inch/40x25 cm rectangle.
4. Arrange dough with a short side nearest you. Put butter in center of dough so that long sides of butter are parallel to short sides of dough. Fold the bottom up over the butter, brushing off any excess flour, and then fold the top down over the butter to seal the butter.
5. With a heavy rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle, approximately 15x10 inch/38x25 cm. Fold the length of dough into thirds, as for a letter. Turn so that the open ends are at twelve and six o'clock. The first simple “fold” is completed. Wrap well in plastic and chill overnight.
6. Repeat the simple fold one more time. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic and chill 1 hour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on the floured work surface. Unwrap and roll out to a rectangle, about 15x10 inch/38x25 cm. This time fold the top and bottom in so that they meet in the middle of the dough, then fold the dough in half again so that there are four layers of dough. Chill the dough, wrapped with plastic, in the fridge for 2 hours. Repeat the double fold once more. This is the final fold before rolled out and cut into croissants.
7. To shape the croissants, roll the dough into a 25x15 inch/64x38 cm rectangle on a lightly floured work surface. It should be about 1/4 inch/6mm thick. From the long side, fold the dough into half and using a yardstick as a guide mark the folded strip into 8 triangles and the scrapings of dough at each end. Cut each double triangle into two. So you’ll have 16 triangles.
8. Make a small slit in the base of each triangle, place a piece of dough trimming at the base. Starting at the base of the triangle, roll the dough up into a log. Tuck the tip the triangle under the body of the croissant. Bend in two corners to form the crescent shape.
9. Place the croissants on a baking sheet and allow them to rise for 1 to 2 hours until almost doubled in size. Half an hour before finishing the proofing, brush the croissants with the lightly beaten egg. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F with a shallow dish filled with water at the bottom of oven. Bake the croissants for 20-25 minutes. Allow them to cool on a rack before serving.