Cantuccini

Cantuccini is just a fancy word for biscotti I think. Those who like biscotti thought the cookies were tasty. Those who don't (Andrew and I) didn't.

I made two different kinds. One is the recipe exactly from the book which was almond, except whole wheat flour instead of white. The second variety was chocolate and toffee.

We didn't mind the almond ones. Andrew said the chocolate ones tasted like burnt chocolate chip cookies.

I was sulking I didn't have anything interesting to write about the cookies, so I decided to try dipping them in my tea. Wow, what a difference. The tea immediately got soaked in and the taste and texture of the cookies instantly changed. I will definitely be polishing off the rest with cups of tea.

The sludge left in the tea is pretty gross though.

Chorizo & Spinach Quiche

I had made the French Apple Tart last week and had a left over pie crust. We love quiche so much I thought it would be fun to recreate one of my favourite restaurant treats. I can't resist Chorizo sausage quiche at Auberge du Petit Prince (I even asked them to serve it at my wedding). Since there would be only two of us eating an entire quiche, I added the spinach for the illusion of healthy.

Wow was it good.

The reason for the post is to comment on the crust. As part of the French Apple Tart the crust was fine. Nothing special. However it is the perfect crust for a savory quiche. The crust held up well through reheating, and both Andrew and I commented on just how much better it tasted all around. The quiche was loaded with cheese and salty goodness, so I think a more buttery crust would have just been too much.

French Apple Tart

I love having someone else decide what I will bake each week. Normally if I had crust and apples I would have pie. So I was really excited to make my first tart.


I love food, not just for eating, but the wonderful memories that are associated with food.

Just the thought of a tart brought me back... When I was in Paris I was excited to see beautiful tarts in bakery display cases. Other than just cheap little processed prepackaged cherry tarts, before Paris I really hadn't been exposed to tarts. In Paris tarts were everywhere, even the "fast" food outlets (my favourite Pomme de Pain... Funny, I just checked the website to ensure I spelled the name correct and this week's feature is Peach Tarts!) would have irresistible varieties available. For my own enjoyment I added a picture from breakfast in the park Buttes - Chaumont, enjoying a fresh baked grapefruit and pistachio tart from a local bakery.

So on to my own French Apple Tart...

I didn't have a tart pan, so instead I made it in a pie plate. Other than that, I followed the instructions word for word.

I was very happy with the crust recipe, and it was just the right amount of flaky.

I just wish I had read through it before so that I could have made and chilled it ahead of time. I am not patient enough for waiting times when I am ready to dig in and bake!

The filling is simple mashed roasted apple with just the right amount of sweet and subtle lemon.

The finished tart was a hit. And it was a nice treat as we ate the first pieces for breakfast.

Gingersnaps

These are a nice little treat. I can't wait to have one for breakfast tomorrow with a cup of tea. I really like soft gingerbread and that is exactly what I got. I added a little lemon frosting for some extra zing. Delicious.

However, these cookies were not the easy, quick treat I thought they would be. I started making them and realized that they needed to set in the fridge. Too bad I was on my way out of the house. So I packed everything up and took them with me. Baking in someone else’s kitchen is a fun adventure. You don't just know the oven and if there are hot spots like at home. Baking sheets were thicker than I am use to, and no parchment paper... eek! The cookies were always stuck to the counter, and then stuck to the baking sheet (I am lucky not to have blobs). They are called Gingersnaps so I assume they are supposed to be crispy. Mine are not. But I love them anyway.