Tomato, olive and mozzarella pizza buns (savoury Chelsea buns)

Ask French expats what they miss the most about France and you'll probably hear in length about camembert, baguette and saucisson (cured sausage). 

I do share their sorrow (I go on a smelly cheese-baguette therapy every time I go back to France), but what makes me miss France even more in my London life is the lack of proper blinds on windows.

After all these years, I still don't understand how British people can sleep without blinds to block the light, even more when you take into account that it's day light at 4.30am these days.
Why, oh why don't your houses have blinds?

"Light makes you strong" tells me The Man.
Yeah yeah, call me a tree fern.

Until I can buy a place of my own and build proper blinds to my windows, I'll go back to bed with my mask on. Good night!

Tomato, olive and mozzarella pizza buns

Like most breads, these buns take a bit of time to make (because of the two rising stages), but there are very easy to make, and are well worth the time.

Adapted from their famous sweet equivalent, the Chelsea Buns (which recipe you'll find on my blog here), they are as delicious as they look impressive (and you can change the filling with pretty much whatever you like), and will make the perfect accompaniment to a very simple soup for dessert, or an impressive addition to a picnic or a dinner party.

Ingredients 

500g/1lb 2oz strong white flour, plus extra for dusting 

50g/2oz caster sugar 
10g/¼oz salt 
40g/1½oz unsalted butter cut into small pieces, plus extra for greasing the tin 
2 free-range eggs 
2 x 7g sachets fast-acting dried yeast 
150ml/5fl oz lukewarm milk 

90ml/6 tbsp lukewarm water
3/4 of a pot olive and sundried tomato pesto (or any other pesto) 
1 ball of mozzarella, very finely sliced

a handful of lovely black olives in water, sliced

some parmesan, grated (optional)

Method to make the pizza buns: 

1/ Place the flour, caster sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter, eggs, yeast, milk and warm water.

2/ Mix the ingredients with your hands until a rough dough is formed. 

3/ Tip the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead well for ten minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. 

4/ Place the dough into a clean, oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for one hour in a warm place (or in front of an heating over)

5/ Tip the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 50x28cm. Turn the dough so that the longer edge is closest to you and “tack” the dough to the work surface by pressing it down firmly with your finger.

6/ Spread the pesto onto the surface of the dough with the back of a spoon. Spread the mozzarella slices and olive slices on top of the pesto (it doesn't matter if the whole surface is not covered). Grate a little parmesan on top, if desired. 

7/ Roll the long side of the dough towards you quite tightly, forming a spiral inside. When rolled up, release the tacked edge and place it onto a floured part of the surface. With a sharp knife cut the sausage shape into 5cm rounds.

8/ Place all spiral rounds, swirly side up, into a large, deep roasting tin or baking tray (I used a round cake tin with removable botton) greased thoroughly with butter, leaving a 1cm space between each one. You want them to be close enough so that they will bake with their sides touching.

9/ Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm place to rise for an hour. They should have expanded and be touching each other.

10/ Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. When the buns are ready, put them in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. 

11/ After removing the buns from the oven, let them cool slightly before removing them from the tin and placing on a cooling rack, before pulling them apart.

Recipe inspired by Paul Hollywood's savoury chelsea buns
The olives I used in the recipe are Spanish olives kindly offered by Olive it!

Cornwall #1: A little guide to Cornish food specialities

Most people prepare their holidays by setting up a list of the places they want to see and the things they want to do for their holidays. 
The main list that I prepare before any holidays is my "To Eat List".
When the average Jane would be upset to have visited NYC and missed the Empire State Building, Ze Pauline would be devastated to have not tried a culinary speciality the places she visits
Yes, I am that obsessed with food. 

My holidays in Cornwall being no exception, I had done my research and I had a plan. 
I am proud to declare that I ticked most of the items on my Cornish To Eat List, and God, what a satisfying experience that was.

Cornish food is amazing. 
Full stop.

If you share my obsession (or if you're just interested in knowing a bit more about Cornish food specialities) here are a few things you should try and eat if you ever visit Cornwall: 

- Saffron buns
You'll find them in most bakeries. 
Whereas good artisan bakeries are getting scarce in London these days, you'll find a bakery for every 2 inhabitants throughout Cornwall (call it Pauline Wonderland).
I'll try and make saffron buns myself soon. I'll share the recipe!

- Cornish Pasties. 
Traditionally made with beef, swede and potato, I've tried several vegetarian alternatives (vegetables and cheese, onions chive and cheese) to the traditional Cornish pasty during our trip and all were absolutely succulent.
I love Cornish pasties, and you can find the recipe on my blog here. 
In St Ives, the best are at Pengenna Pasties.
In every town, you'll find at least one bakery making Cornish Pasties. I would advise you stick to artisan pasties rather than chain-made pasties, and I doubt you will ever be disappointed.

Vegetable and Cheese Pasty

Traditional beef Cornish pasty from Pengenna Pasties in St Ives

- Cornish Clotted Cream
Savour clotted cream on a scone for a traditional Cornish Cream Tea, or in the shape of a Cornish ice-cream. 
One of the most famous local brands of clotted cream is Roddas, which also makes a lovely Cornish butter (although a bit too salty to my taste).
For absolutely fabulous scones and a delicious, yet very affordable cream tea, head for The Tea Room in St Ives. 
For delicious ice-creams, go to any shop that sells homemade clotted-cream ice-creams, like Jessie's Dairy in Mousehole.

Blueberry and clotted cream ice-Cream from Jessie's Dairy in Mousehole

The Cream Tea from The Tea Room in St Ives

- Cornish Yarg 
A lovely slightly crumbly semi-hard cheese wrapped in nettle leaves. 
And of course Cornish Blue, and Cornish brie. Available in all good supermarkets and cheese shops.

- Cornish crab, fish, lobster, mussels 
And all seafood for that matter. Extra fresh, seafood is on all good pub and restaurant menus and locals certainly know how to cook it to perfection in traditional as well as unsual ways. 
For the best crab cakes in the universe and delicious mussels and fish pies, don't miss The Ship Inn in Portheleven.
For a delicious Fish and Chips in Falmouth, go to The Harbour Lights and for yummy fish and crab soup, try the Seafood Bar.
 

Porthleven

- Stargazy pie
A pastry crusted fish pie. (That's the one thing I didn't get to try though, for lack of time)

- Local fruits and vegetables.


- Cornish cider: in all good pubs!

+ the little bonus: if you are in Falmouth at tea time, take a break in the beautiful old styled  De Wynns Tea and Coffee Shop and savour a slice of their sublime bread and butter pudding, which recipe is said to be more than 100 years old!

French bite : Little Praline Tarts

These days I work, I work, I work, and I work. 
But it's time for a break. I'm going on holidays!
The Man is taking me to Cornwall, a place I've been dreaming to visit for a long time. 
I will bring you back lots of pictures and I hope some nice recipes!

In the meantime, a short pause for a French recipe!

Prink Praline Tart

and sweet pastry

Sweet pastry doesn't have to be difficult to make. this one isn't, and it's delicious!
For the praline filling, you can choose to add more or less cream to it. Mine was quite creamy and therefor not as sticky as a usual praline tart. 
If I do it again, I think I might put a little less cream, just because I like sticky tarts. But if you're a creamy type of person, the recipe as it is a perfect for you!
(PS: as the filling sets, the creamy colour appears, which is why the tarts look a bit different from picture to picture). 
Pink praline are a speciality from Lyon (France). In the UK, it can be bought online from Melbury and Appleton

Ingredients

For the sweet pastry: 
250 g flour
100g butter, cubed and slightly softened
100g confectioners' sugar, sifted
pinch of salt
2 medium eggs, at room temperature

For the praline filling:
1 cup praline, crushed
1/4cup double cream

Instructions

Make the pastry:

1/ Put the flour in a mound on a counter (ideally marble) and make a well. Put in the butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt and mix together with your finger tips.

2/ Gradually draw in the flour into the center and mix with your finger tips until the dough becomes slightly grainy.

3/ Again, make a well and add the eggs. Work them into the flour mixture, using your fingertips, until the dough begins to hold together.

4/ When the dough is well amalgamated, knead it a few times with the palm of your hand until smooth. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and rest in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours before using.

Preheat the oven at 180deg C.

5/ When the dough is rested and you are ready to use it, unwrap and roll out on a lightly floured counter to a 2 - 3 mm thickness. Line small tart moulds or rings with the pastry, cut out the pieces hanging over, cover the pastry with baking parchment and dried beans or baking beans, and bake blind for 15min until golden.

Make the filling: 

1/ In a small pan, slowly melt the pralines until completely melted, adding the cream as you go along.

2/ Pour the praline filling over the pastry case and leave to cool for at least a couple of hours until set and hard. 

Pastry recipe adapted from Michel Roux's pâte sucrée by The Messy Baker
Praline tart recipe adapted from the Book Recette d'Antan, editions Stephane Baches 

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Nigella's Guinness and Chocolate Cake

"Celebrity Chef" is a strange concept I discovered in the UK (Since I left France, this has also massively taken off in France). Over here, chefs are (almost) as much super stars as singers or actors. 
The press follows their private lives as much (if not more) as their cooking. 
Jamie Oliver shares photos of his kids and his private life everyday on Instagram, and we feel almost close to him for that. It's part of being a Celebrity Chef.
And it's not for her cooking skills that poor Nigella Lawson recently got even more famous.
Let me tell you; British people have a thing for their chefs, and I think I might be becoming like them.

One of my big dreams of the moment is to (finally) get a table at Le Gavroche and meet Michel Roux Jr. (I did get a chance to meet him briefly at a foodie festival last summer but I was so shy and impressed that I didn't even speak to him, when I'd normally have a million questions for the man!)

In the meantime, we should gossip less, and bake more!

Nigella's Guinness and Chocolate Cake

No, this cake doesn't taste of Guinness. It tastes of marvelous and deep dark chocolate, and it's moist and light.

And it's beautiful and delicious. 

And I find it so cool to bake a cake with Guinness in it.

Ingredients: 

for the cake

250 ml Guinness

250 grams unsalted butter

75 grams cocoa powder

400 grams caster sugar

142 ml sour cream

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

275 grams plain flour

2 ½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

for the topping

300 grams cream cheese

150 grams icing sugar

125 ml double cream (or whipping cream)

Method to make the Guinness and chocolate cake: 

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C/350ºF, and butter and line a 23cm / 9 inch springform tin.
2. Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter - in spoons or slices - and heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and bicarb.
3. Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.
4. When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and then beat them both together. Or do this in a processor, putting the unsifted icing sugar in first and blitz to remove lumps before adding the cheese.
5. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.

 Recipe by Nigella Lawson

Discovery of the Suffolk coast, home to Great British Seafood

In our quest to make the most the British countryside and driven by our common passion for food, the Man and I recently spent a long week end on the Suffolk Coast, which perfectly mixes seaside, countryside, tranquility and gastronomy.

Relatively easy to reach from London (we traveled a big hour on the train to Ipswich and then hired a car), the area is small but diverse enough to keep you busy for 3 or 4 days without having to travel too much once there.

Staying at the lovely Ship at Dunwich (the Inn offers comfortable rooms, delicious crafts beers and very good gastropub food, including the best sticky toffee pudding I've eaten so far, and god knows my standards are high!), we discovered the area by foot, doing 1-day walks along the seaside and in the nearby countryside. 
On our way there, we stopped at the Orford Ness national park, and paid a visit to the lovely Orford Castle. 
We also spend half a day in Aldeburgh, famous for its seafood restaurants and one of the best Fish and Chips shops in the country according to Nigel Slater (facing an hour queuing in the street, we finally gave up).


The area offers seafood lovers wonders to enjoy indeed, from chippies and dressed crabs to hot-smoked salmon and lobsters that you can buy fresh and ready to eat directly from the fishing boats on the beach.
A great corner of England no-so far from busy London.