Tag Archives: ヴェジェテーリアン

Edamame: Japanese Green Soybeans

December 12, 2009 dragonlife 8 Comments

I’ve always been somewhat puzzled to find the word “edamame” in my U.S. (and European) friends’ blogs. This conspicuous vegetable seems to conjure grand images of Japanese gastronomy in spite of its almost base status in this country.

After all, “edamame” (枝豆/branch bean in Japanese) is nothing but green soybeans, a food mass-produced and heavily exported by North American farmers.
Or, is it that the soybean’s image has fallen so low on the other side of the Pacific because some people grow it for bio-ethanol that restaurateurs feel more comfortable with a grand-sounding Japanese name?

Alright, before I get collared for indulging into a cheap rant, let me introduce my own recipe for preparing the “delicacy”:
One does not have to boil it, cool it and serve it sprinkled with salt. This is probably the worst and least healthy way to consume it!
If you can, choose them fresh on the branch(es). This will guarantee they haven’t lost any of their nutrient qualities.
Cut out all the pods and throw away the branches (or re-process them inside your fertilizer box!).
Clean the pods under running water.
Drain water, but do not wipe them dry.
Drop them in an appropriate-sized non-stick pan and hand-rub them in a little coarse salt. The less salt, the better, but enough to season all pods. Experience and personal preferences will tell you how much you need.
Cover pan with a glass lid and switch on fire to medium-low. Cook until water seeps out of the pods. Switch off fire and keep inside covered pan (do not take the lid off!) for a good 5 minutes. By then, they should be sufficiently cooked.
Serve immediately.

In Japan there exists another variety called Kuro Edamame/黒枝豆-Black Edamame.
Actually they are a light brown-green soybean grown in Shizuoka Prefecture and elsewhere. They are definitely tastier and deserve the title of “delicacy”.
The beans out of their pods also make for great addition to salads, artful presentation with meat dishes, and are great mixed inside “nigiri”!

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Vegan Tofu Cuisine: Agedashidofu

November 28, 2009 dragonlife 6 Comments

“Agedashidofu” or (Tofu first deep-fried, then served with dashi soup” is a very popular Japanese dish that can easily be adapted to fit vegetarian and vegan priorities!
Moreover, whatever dashi/soup is left can be poured onto a bowl of freshly staemed rice for a fillingand healthy suppelementary dish!

Veagn Agedashidofu!

INGREDIENTS: For 2 people

-Tofu (momen tofu) 1/2 a large piece (can of course be increased!)
-flour: 1 tablespoon (whatever flour as this could add an interesting variation!)
-Cornstarch: 1 tablespoon
-Oil for deep-frying
-Freshly grated daikon (to taste)
-Thinly chopped leek (to taste)

-Dashi (konbu/seawed dashi): 100 ml
-Soy sauce: 2 tablespoons
-Mirin/sweet sake:2 tablepoons

-You may add spices of your choice, especially grated ginger and hot chili powder!

RECIPE:

1. Pressas much water out the tofu as possible.
Cut the tofu into large pieces. Take as much as humidity off their surface by wrapping inside a clean cloth for a while.
Mix the flour and cornstarch.
Roll the tofu pieces into the flour and cornstarch so as to cover all sides.
If you don’t have enough flour/cornstarch, prepare more.

Drop in deep-frying oil at 170 degrees.

2. Prepare the dashi soup by heating the konbu dashi with the soy sauce and mirin (and extra spices if wanted).

3. Pour the dashi in individaul dishes.
Place fried tofu in the middle.
Top tofu with freshly grated daikon and chopped leek.

SUGGESTION:

Boil some cut mushrooms in the dashi before serving them together with the tofu!

Easy and healthy, isn’t it?

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Real Potato Chips

November 25, 2009 dragonlife 10 Comments

Now, what are real potato chips?

Not the French fries, which are actually Belgian fries.

And not the poor imitations you wolf down with untold amounts of salt and preservatives!

Real potato chips, as known in Great Britain or France (!) are made with potatoes, real ones I mean, and they are easy to make and much, much healthier!

Now, what do you need?
Potatoes, of course, a (very) little salt and good oil.

How do you prepare them?

Your potatoes, being old or not, can be used with a simple technique.

If they are old, no problem.
If you brush them (with a real hard brush) under clear water, you will be able to reduce their outer layer to a very thin skin that is edible (actually most of the really beneficient matters are contained in their skin!).

Cut them as thin as possible (with their skin!).

Important: slices of different thickness should not be fried together.
Try to separate them as shown on above pic and fry them separately.
Great fun if you have the kids around!

Clean potato slices in cold running water. This is an important step unless you want them to stick together, turn black and make a mess!
Dry them thoroughly inside a large clean cloth (or the water will fly upon frying!).

Heat frying oil to 170 degrees Celsius.

This is how your chips should look just before frying!

Use long wooden chopsticks to prevent chips from sticking to each other.

Your chips will change colour and if the oil is at proper temperature swell nicely!

Once you are satisfied with their colour, take them out of the oil and let them rest for a very short while over a fine mesh to get rid of excess oil. Sprinkle a (very) little salt for taste. I personally like some parmegiano and pepper instead of the salt!

Don’t forget the “wrong shapes”! They make for great chips, too, especially with the kids!

I susally serve the round chips with oven-baked chicken or guinea fowl!

Did I mention vegans can eat these?

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Vegan Smoked Tofu

November 24, 2009 dragonlife 14 Comments

It is sometimes a hard world for vegans when it comes to find new ideas and recipes, even you love tofu!
Here is a simple way to prepare and enjoy tofu as it was a big piece of cheese!

Vegan Smoked Tofu!

INGREDIENTS: for ? People

-Tofu: a large piece 300~400g or more
-Miso of your liking, as much as you wish
-Soy sauce, not too much (beware the salt)
-Sake or mirin, a little just for the taste
-Spices, if you wish!

RECIPE:

-As the tofu shouldn’t be too soft, choose “momendofu”, or slightly solid.

-Place the tofu on a clean cloth.
-Top it with a clean plate or board.
-Put a heavy weight on top.
-Leave it like this for half a day. The tofu will reduce to half.

-Smear the whole tofu on every face with plenty of a mixture of miso, soy sauce and other ingredients of your choice. The more, the better.

-Wrap it carefully in cellophane paper and leave it in the fridge overnight.

-Take it out of the fridge and take off the cellophane paper.
-Let it dry for 2 hours at room temperature over a piece of kitchen paper.

-Smoke inside a Chinese smoking set for 1 hour.

-Very practical for smoking small quantities!

-Here you are! Enjoy!

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Vegan Rice Cupcakes

November 9, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

VEGAN-RICE-CUPCAKES1

Just discovered this cupcake recipe for my vegan (I’m not) friends with the extra bonus of possible variations!

Japanese style vegan rice cupaakes!

INGREDIENTS: For 1 mug cup (arrange quantities accordingly for a greater number)

-Rice powder (Ris Blanc): 4 tablespoons
-Cornstarch: 1 tablespoon
-Sugar (of your choice, honey might be feasible): 1 tablespoon
-Baking Powder: Half a teaspoon
-Olive oil: 1 tablespoon
-Soy milk: 4 tablespoons

RECIPE:

– VEGAN-RICE-CUPCAKES2

-In an oven ramequin or mug cup first pour rice powder, cornstarch, sugar and baking powder and mix well.
Next add olive oil and soy milk and mix well.

VEGAN-RICE-CUPCAKES3

-Depending on the kind of rce powder and soy milk you use, you may have to increase the amount of one or both for a smoother mixture. Experiment!

VEGAN-RICE-CUPCAKES4

-Cook insid emicrowave for 2 minutes or more. Check by pushing a thin wooden or meddle stick. It should come out clean. The taste is light. You may add sugar.

-Have a good look at the cake while it cooks. It should not be more than 2 minutes 30 seconds.
If you use kabocha powder, you will need 1 small teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon of water.

VEGAN-RICE-CUPCAKES5

-The above green cupcake was made by adding 1 teaspoon of spinach powder and 1 teaspoon of soy milk!

VEGAN-RICE-CUPCAKES6

-Add 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon of soy milk for a cocoa cupcake!

VEGAN-RICE-CUPCAKES7

-Add 1 tablespoon of carrot powder and 1 teaspoon of soy milk for a carrot cupcake.

VEGAN-RICE-CUPCAKES8

-Add crushed apple for the above!

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Vegan Tofu Lemon Cupcakes

November 7, 2009 dragonlife 12 Comments

VEGAN-TOFU-LEMON-CUPCAKE

This is a slightly different version of the Japanese style vegan tofu cupcake I introduced a couple of days ago. It will give you an idea of how to play on that idea!

INGREDIENTS: For about 16 cakes

-Tofu (kinu tofu): 180 g
-Sugar (of your choice): 80 g
-Soy milk: 3 tablespoons
-Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon
-Olive oil: 2 tablespoons

-Flour (use chestnut flour if you are wheat allergic): 160 g
-Baking powder: 2 teaspoons

-Grated lemon skin: 1 whole lemon
-Dried English tea leaves, finely chopped ( the contents of 1 tea bag is adequate)

RECIPE:

-Mix flour and baking powder well.
Mix soy milk and lemon juice separately and and set apart.

-In a large bowl drop in the tofu and sugar. Mix well until you obtain a smooth paste. Add the soy milk, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix the lot thoroughly with a whisker.

-Add the all flour and baking powder mixture and mix in with a spatula until floury lumps have disappeared, but don’t mix too much!

-Pour mixture into cups and sprinkle them with grated lemon skin and dried tea.

-Bake inside oven for 16 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius.
If you make mini cupcakes, 12 minutes should sufficient.
keep looking at the colour of your cupcakes!

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Matcha Tofu Muffins

November 7, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

MATCHA-TOFU-MUFFIN

Tofu and Matcha tea are considered for good reasons as health food here in Japan.
They can also be combinedinto a very European/American style cake: Muffins!

INGREDIENTS: For about 6 muffins

-Tofu (kinu tofu): 150 g (no need to press waterout)
-Egg: 1
-Wheat (use one of your preference): 4 tablespoons
-Cornstarch: 2 tablespoons
-Cream powder: 2 tablespoons
-Sugar: 3 tablespoons
-Matcha tea powder: one and a half tablespoons
-Butter: 15 g
-Baking powder: 1 teaspoon

RECIPE:

-Melt butter inside microwave oven.
Take out and pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

-Drop all ingredients inside a food processor and process until you obtain a smooth mixture.

-Fill muffin cups with mixture up to nine tenths height.
(Pouring the whole lot in an oiled/buttered pound cake mold is fine, too)

-Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes (Check colour as all ovens have their own “character”)

-Let them cool completely.
If you don’t eat them at once, wrap them in cellophane paper and leave inside refrigerator or in a very dry box.

Best enjoyed with tea? LOL

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Baked Tofu Cheese Cake

November 6, 2009 dragonlife 8 Comments

BAKED-TOFU-CHEESE-CAKE

One way to lighten your cheese cake and invest into a new taste is to introduce tofu!

Here is a simple recipe that will please anyone woorying about unwanted calories:
Baked Tofu Cheese Cake!

INGREDIENTS:

-Cream Cheese (Philadelphia): 230 g
-Tofu (kinu tofu): 200g (before pressing water out)
-Sugar: 70g (of your choice)
-Eggs: 2
-Vanilla bean pod: 1 (small) (if not available use vanilla essence)
-Soy milk: a little
-Flour: 2 tablespoons (flour of any kind is fine)
-Cornstarch: 1 tablespoon
-Biscuits (crushed to form a solid base under the cheese cake/optional)

RECIPE:

-Line the bottom of a oven cake mold with a layer of crushed biscuit.
You may do without it but it will help absorb excess water from tofu.

-Soften cream cheese to room temperature (you may warm it a bit inside a microwave oven) and mix with sugar.

-Once the cheese and sugar misture has become smooth, add the tofu by crushing it between your palms, addd the whole eggs and mix well with an eletric whisker until you obtain a smooth mixture.

-Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise and extract the inside (or use vanilla essence), mix it with some soy milk and add to the mixture. Mix well.

-The last three steps may be done with a food processor, but mixing all ingredients one by one give you a “right feel”!

-Pour the mixture inside the mold over the biscuit layer and flatten the surface with a spatula.

-Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Bake for 50 minutes r until you have obtained the right colour and a raising mound in the middle.

-If the colour even then is too white, raise temperature to 200 degrees Celsius and bake for 10 more minutes.

-Let cake completely cool down.
Only then may you take it out of its mold and leave it inside the refrigerator overnight before eating it.

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Vegan Tofu Cupcakes

November 5, 2009 dragonlife 8 Comments

VEGAN-TOFU-CUPCAKE-1

Cupcakes are the norm all over the world when it comes to bakery and tofu is a must for vegans.
Now, it is possible to make very simple cupcakes for vegans!
Wheat flour allergics can replace the wheat flour with chestnut flour like the Corsicans and Portguese do in their traditional food!
This is only the basic recipe to which you can add fruits and vegetables!

Vegan Tofu Cupcakes!

INGREDIENTS: For 5~6 cupcakes

-Tofu (kinu toufu): 300 g
-All-purpose flour (for substitutes, read above): 100 g
-Sugar (white, cane, or even honey): 30 g

RECIPE:

VEGAN-TOFU-CUPCAKE-2

-Get ingrediens ready and pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

VEGAN-TOFU-CUPCAKE-3

-Mix tofu and sugar. Mix well.

VEGAN-TOFU-CUPCAKE-4

-Sprinkle flour over tofu and mix roughly so as to leave a little flour on the surface.

VEGAN-TOFU-CUPCAKE-5

-Bake for 25~30 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius or until desired colour.

VEGAN-TOFU-CUPCAKE-6

-Dead simple, aren’t they?
Now your skills will reside in what you add!

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Vegan Tea Buckwheat Noodles: “Tya-soba”

October 28, 2009 dragonlife 2 Comments

Shizuoka Prefecture is celebrated for its green tea all the World.
I had the pleasure to taste something of value for many recently.
Vegeterians (and vegans!), rejoice! A company called Ikejima Foods in Hamakita Ku, Hamamatsu City has come up with Tea Buckwheat Noodles/Tya-soba!.
Tea comes from the Kawane area which produces some of the best tea in the Prefecture.
The noodles contain no preservatives and neither the noodles, nor the tsuyu/soup contains any animal extracts whatsoever (no milk or egg products).
One pack contains enough for 4 small or 2 medium portions.

As for cooking, here are simple instructions:
Cold Noodles style:
Dilute tsuyu/soup in 100 ml of clean water.
In one big pan heat 2 litres of water. Bring to boiling point. Drop in noodles. Lower fire to samll. Stir with long chopsticks. The noodles are ready when they readily come to the surface. Wash them rapidly under running cold water inside a “zaru”/small basket or inside a bowl full of cold water until noodles are cool enough. Drain water and place on a flat dish over a bamboo net if possible. Eat noodles by dipping them in tsuyu/soup to which you can add freshly cut raw leeks and wasabi (or any spices you fancy!)

Hot noodles style:
Dilute tsuyu/soup into 230 ml of hot water.
Cook noodles as for cold style. Drain and drop into bowl full of tsuyu/soup. Add vegetables, freshly cut raw leeks and spices to taste.

“Meicha Soba”
Ikejima Foods
Hamamatsu City, Hamakita Ku, Terajima, 2351
Tel.: 053-587-1025

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French Dessert: Tourtelettes a la Creme d’Orange/Small Orange Cream Pies

August 5, 2009 dragonlife 2 Comments

ORANGE-CREAM

I continue with the series of desserts found in my old notes!
Oranges are coming thick and fast on the markets.
Toutelettes in French mean small covered tarts/pies
French Dessert: Toutrtelettes a la Creme d’Orange/Small Orange Cream Pies!

INGREDIENTS: For 4 persons

-Pastry:
Flour: 400 g
Softened butter: 200 g
Sugar: 2 tablespoons
Grated orange skin: 1 whole (organic if possible)
egg: 1 + 1 yolk
Salt: a pinch

-Orange Cream:
Organic oranges: 4
Hazlenuts: 10
Orange, Citrus and Grapefruit Jam (in unavailable, orange jam is fine): 1 tablespoon
Sugar: 1 tablespoon
Eggs: 3
Fresh cream: 2 tablespoons
Thickening agent (arrow root is best. If unavailable high quality cornstarch): 1 tablespoon

RECIPE:

-The evening before, prepare the pastry:
Mix flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, salt and grated orange skin. Add butter and mix. Beat the egg and add, kneading it in as quickly as possible. If needed add a little water. Make a bowl, wrap it in cellophane paper and leave inside refrigerator.

-Next day:
Take wedges out of the oranges. Take off thin skins and discard. Drain. Chop the hazlenuts finely.
In a bowl, mix eggs and thickening agent, sugar, fresh cream, jam and hazlenuts. Carefully add the the orange wedges. Leave inside refrigerator.

Divide the pastry into two parts, one made up of two thirds, the other one of one third.
Let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Make 4 circles with the first two thirds about 5 mm thick and spread them inside tart molds leaving the pastry coming over the brim.
Stab pastry with a fork.
Keep inside refrigerator for 30 more minutes.
Take out of refrigerator. Fill tarts with the orange cream up to two thirds of its depth.
Make 4 circles with other third of pastry wide enough to be slightly wider than the molds. Place one circle on top of each tart/pie and secure it by pinching both pastries together.
Make a small hole in the middle and insert a small cone of baking paper inside.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Take out of oven.
Beat the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of water and brush the whole top of the pie. Sprinkle with a little sugar and bake again for 10 minutes.

Serve lukewarm.

To be enjoyed with a sparkling white wine or lemonade!

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French Dessert: Creme Brulee aux Myrtilles/Blueberries Creme Brulee

August 5, 2009 dragonlife 6 Comments

BLUEBERRY-BRULEE

I found a whole series of desserts in my old notes!
Blueberries are still in season.
Here is an easy and very tasty variation of a classice French dessert:
French Dessert: Creme brulee aux Myrtilles/Blueberries Creme Brulee!

INGREDIENTS: For 4 persons

-Egg yolks: 8
-Blueberries: 350 g
-Unskimmed milk: 300 ml
-Thick fresh ceam: 700 ml
-White sugar: 200 g
-Vanilla: 1 whole pod
-Sucre cassonade/brown sugar: 2 tablespoons

RECIPE:

-Pre-heat oven to 150 dgrees Celsius with a large deep oven plate filled with water up to a third of its depth.

-Make a cut along the vanilla pod and mix the inside with the milk in a deep pan. Bring slowly to boil.

-Beat the egg yolk and white sugar together in a separate bowl.

-Add the fresh cream. Mix. Add the vanilla milk and mix.

-Place the blueberries inside dessert dishes. Cover with the hot cream. Place the dishes in the bain-marie and cook for 20 minutes inside oven.

-Last and just before eating, sprinkle each dish with brown sugar and caramelize the cream under the grill.

-Serve lukewarm or cold.

If you wish to taste it with wine, a sparkling white wine would be great!

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Greek Dessert: Fig & Pistachio Tarts!

August 3, 2009 dragonlife 8 Comments

GREEK-CAKE

When I found this Greek dessert in my old notes I immediately thought of Dorian at Foodbuzz!
The fact I’m French does not mean I’m averse to other countries’ gastronomy. On the very contrary, as proven by my love for Japanese food! In any case, in these ages of fusion one might be considered slightly backward if not open to all gastronomies! LOL

Here is a recipe than can be enjoyed when figs are in season (very soon!)
Figs and Pistachio tarts!

INGREDIENTS: For 6 small tarts (tartelettes)

-Pastry:
Flour: 250 g
Almond powder: 50 g
Sugar: 4 tablespoons
Egg yolk: 1
Butter: 160 g + a little for the molds
Salt: 1 pinch

-Filling:
Fresh figs: 12
Cinnamon: 1 teaspoon
Butter: 50 g
Unsalted pisachio out of teir shells: 250 g
Honey: 100 g

RECIPE:

-Preparing the pastry:
Pour the flour and almond powder into a large bowl. Add the salt and sugar. Mix. dig a well in the middle and drop the egg yolk in. Mix with the tips of your fingers. Add the butter brokeninto small pieces and 1 or 2 tablespoons of iced water. Knead until you obtain an homogeneous paste. Let rest for 30 minutes.

-Spread the pastry. Cut out six discs (you may divide the pastry into 6 equal parts and spread them into circles individually). Butter the inside of 6 small tart molds. Place pastry inside molds. Put aside.

-Filling:
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Wash the figs and cut in slices. Put them inside the tarts. Add some pieces of butter on them. Sprinkle them with the cinnamon first and then with half of of the honey.

-Bake tarts inside oven for 20 minutes.
Cover them with the pistachio and cook for 5 minutes.

-Heat the remaining honey to liquefy it.
Pour honey over tarts.
Let cool completely.

For Greek wine lovers try a mellow wine called Mavrodaphne from Patras with it!

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French Dessert: Orange & Lemon Meringue Tart

July 25, 2009 dragonlife 2 Comments

ORANGE-LEMON-MERINGUE

Meringue, especially with tarts is almost a must in French patisserie.
It is not as diificult as it sounds. A little method is all you need.
Here is a typical recipe:

Orange & Lemon Meringue Tart!

INGREDIENTS: For persons

-Pate Sable/Sable Pastry: 300g (look at basic recipe below!)
-Eggs: 4
-Butter: 180 g + 40 g for the tart molds
-Orange juice: 150 ml
-Lemons: 3 (organic if possible)
-Flour: a little for the molds
-Ice sugar for the finishing

-For the meringue:
Egg whites: 2
Sugar: 30 g

RECIPE:

-Prepare the pate sable as indicated below. If you make a lot, you can freeze whatever is left. In France it can be bought at cake shops.

-Lightly butter and flour the tart molds.

-Spread the pastry and lay in the molds. Make a few holes with a fork and let rest 1 hour inside the fridge.

-Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Wash the lemons with clean cold water. Finely grate their skins onto a small plate.

-in a pan bring the orange juice, grated lemon skins, sugar and butter to a boil.

-Take off fire, and mix in the eggs, one at a time, energically beating them all the time. When all eggs are completely mixed, put back on fire and heat until it starts boiling. Take off fire and let cool completely.

-Lay a piece of cooking paper over the pastry in the molds. Fill it with dry beans (or cooking beads). Bake for 5 minutes. Take out beans and paper and cook again until you are satisfied with the colour of the pastry. Let cool.

-Beat the egg whitesadding the sugar progressively until they “stand”.

-Pour orange and lemon custard into tarts. Then decorate top with a good part of meringue.

-Sprinkle with ice sugar and bake for 3 minutes at 210 degrees Celsius.

NOTE:
Whereas pastry and custard can be prepared the evening before, the meringue must be prepared and baked at the last second (just before the meal starts)

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Pate sable/sable Pastry basic recipe

Flour: 200 g
Butter: 150 g (not too cold, please!) + a little for the mold
Milk: 1 large tablespoon
Egg yolk: 1 small
Sugar: 30 g
Vanilla sugar: to taste
Cinnamon: a large pinch
Salt: a little pinch

-Prepare the pastry ( a little in advance if possible):
In a large bowl, mix the flour with the sugar, vanilla sugar, cinnamon and salt.
Add the butter in small pieces and knead with your finger tips until you obtain an homogeneous sable pastry.
Beat the egg yolk with the milk and mix quickly to the pastry to “link” it.

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French Cake: Brioche aux amandes/Almonds Brioche

July 24, 2009 dragonlife 2 Comments

ALMOND-BRIOCHE

The French are so fond of their brioches that almosteach region has its own special one!
This recipe originates from the French Alps:
Brioche aux amandes/Almonds Brioche!

INGREDIENTS: for 6 persons

-For the Brioche:
Flour: 300 g
Sugar: 50 g
Fast leavening baking powder: 2 small regular packs
Milk: Half a cup/100 ml
Eggs: 4 medium-sized
Melted butter: 90 g
Salt: a pinch

-For the cream:
Soft butter: 60 g
Sugar: 90 g
Thick fresh cream: 60 g
Almond powder: 80 g
1 lemon peel/finely chopped

RECIPE:

-4 hours and 30minutes before baking, prepare the brioche pastry.

-Mix flour, salt, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl. Then add eggs, melted butter and milk. Mix vigourously for 5 minutes.

-Cover bowl with a cloth and let the pastry rise in a warm place for 3 hours.

-After all that time, prepare the almond cream by mixing i a bowl, soft butter, sugar, fresh cream, almond powder and the lemon peel.

-Knead the brioche pastry again and shape small “bars”, 10 cm long and 3 cm diameter..

-Lay a large piece of cooking paper over the oven plaque.
Place the brioche bars 1 cm apart in a pattern of your choice. Pour the almond cream between them.

-Let the briche rise again in a warm place for 1 hour.
Bake for 30 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.

Best enjoyed with a hot chocolate!

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