Mushroom Hard Boiled Egg

I have vivid memories about Easter time in my family. My mother used to make hard boiled eggs and decorate them as mushrooms for lunch. I was always so impressed because they looked like real mushrooms. She would make them while we were playing outside, so when we would come back for lunch, a beautiful plate with « mushrooms» decorating the center of the table was awaiting for us.

Ingredients

For 6:
6 hard boiled eggs
6 Italian tomatoes
Mayonnaise

Directions

1. Peel the eggs and cut a slice at the large end to enable them to stand up. This is what your egg will sit on so it doesn't roll away.
2. Cut tomatoes around 3/4 from bottom stem. Use the last 1/4 to make hats for the eggs. You may need to core those hats slightly to make them fit.
3. Use mayonnaise to make dots on the tomatoes to simulate mushrooms.

Tips 
Use toothpicks if necessary to stick the tomatoes to the eggs. Be careful to advise your guest.

Apple Chocolate Cake

Every now and then I tried to "clean-up" my fridge and pantry. It's like Ali Baba's cave. I always find something buried that I completely forgot about and should be used or else thrown away soon. So yesterday I ended up doing something completely different from what I had planned. I found 5 Red Delicious apples that weren't that delicious and this is why they were still in the fridge after 3 weeks. I also had 5 squares Baker’s style dark chocolate, left over from the 2 pounds bought at Christmas time. I knew I had to use them up! As you can see, the chocolate and layer of apples ended up in the bottom tier of the cake rather than in the middle. Nevertheless, the result was this simple and unpretentious cake to enjoy any time.

Ingredients
For the apples:
5 apples
3 tablespoons brown sugar

For the cake:
4 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup corn starch
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons rum
4+1 tablespoons orange juice
5 squares Baker’s style dark chocolate

9 inch round pan

Directions

Cooking the apples
Peel, core and cut the apples around 1 inch long x 1/3 inch thick. Place in a saucepan with the brown sugar. Mix gently and cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until the apples start to soften.

Making the cake

1. Heat your oven at 375 degrees F
2. Butter your mold and dust evenly with flour
3. Separate the egg whites and yolks
4. In a large bowl beat the egg yolks and sugar with an electric mixer. You should obtain a pale yellow color
5. Gradually add the oil, then the rum and juice, while still beating
6. Whisk the flour, corn starch and baking powder together and add to the sugar and egg mixture, mixing until well blended
7. Fold in half of the cooked apples into the batter
8. Beat the egg whites until firm and fold in delicately
9. Melt the chocolate with one tablespoon of orange juice in the microwave
10. Pour half of the batter in the mold
11. Spread the remaining apples evenly, then the melted chocolate
12. Cover with remaining batter
13. Bake at 375 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 30-35 minutes
14. Let the cake cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Run a thin spatula or knife around the edge of the cake to loosen the sides from pan and shake to unmold. Invert the cake over on a plate and let it cool completely.
Decorate with icing sugar.

Quick and Light Brioches with Chocolate

Brioche is definitely my favorite breakfast. At least once a month I would make one type or another. These ones are quick, easy to make. This time I had leftover truffles from Christmas in the fridge, so I thought why not use them? At the second rise I had to go out for a small errand. When I came back the brioches were overflowing from the pan! The result was very tasty.

Ingredients
1.5 tablespoon instant dry yeast (or regular dry yeast)
3- 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup milk
¾ cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened, plus more for the bowl and molds
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Orange zest
Your favorite chocolate: Nutella, Baker style chocolate or chocolate chips
I used left over truffles from Christmas.

Directions

1. If you are using regular dry yeast: dissolve the yeast in 4 tablespoons warm milk in a small bowl and let it sit for several minutes to start to bubble.
2. Put the remaining milk, sugar and butter in a bowl and heat in microwave just enough to dissolve the butter.
3. Add the eggs and mix well.
4. Put the flour and salt in the bowl of the food processor, and run the machine for a few seconds to blend.
5. With the food processor running, add the instant dry yeast or the dissolved regular yeast.
6. Add all the liquid and process for 30 seconds or so. The dough should be very soft.
7.  Cover and let it rise until it doubles (around 1 hour).
8.  Butter the muffin pan.
9. Deflate the dough, and cut it into 24 equal pieces.
10. Roll each piece into a round, and place it in the mold. Add a piece of chocolate in the center. Cover with another piece of dough to fill the mold up to two-third. Try to seal the 2 pieces together.
11. Let the brioches rise again 30 minutes or more.
12. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
13. Mix the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of milk to make an egg wash. Lightly brush the brioches with this mixture and sprinkle with sugar.
14. Bake the brioche for 20 minutes, or until they have a nice golden color on the top.