MVRDV’s recently announced ‘Cloud’, which has been described as possibly the first instance of a Minecraft aesthetic in contemporary architecture. It reminds me of a floating version of a preveiously posted minecraft this.
Sunday Brunch
When you go out to breakfast you have to choose between Eggs Florentine and Eggs Benedict. If you make it at home you can have both.
This is sorta decadent, but if you focus on the fact that you’re eating spinach at breakfast time, you can pretend that you’re being super healthy.
In one pot, start some boiling water for the poached eggs and the blanched spinach.
In a saucepan melt 1 tblsp butter. Whisk one or two eggs with the juice of 1/2 lemon and 2 tblsp water. Add to the saucepan of melted butter and whisk as it cooks on low heat. It’ll thicken up and become a light version of hollandaise sauce. Season with salt, pepper a pinch of tarragon and cayenne. Taste it. if it’s too lemony add 1/4 tsp honey. If you want it richer, add a little more butter.
In a skillet heat some leftover holiday ham or Canadian Bacon. Toast an English muffin.
Add a handful of baby spinach to the pot of boiling water and let it cook for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cold water.
Add 1 capful of vinegar to the hot water pot and swirl it around. Crack 2 eggs into the simmering water. Cook for a minute or two and remove with a slotted spoon. I usually hold the spoon over some paper towels or a napkin to remove the excess water. Do the same with the spinach.
Layer the English muffin with the ham, spinach, egg and top with the Hollandaise. Sprinkle with some cayenne or paprika. Yummy!
Yesterday I posted up a sneak peek picture and today, I’m posting up a small slice picture of my French pastry, Napoleon.
Originating in France, the Napoleon is traditionally made up of three layers of puff pastry, with layers of creme patissiere in between. It is then glazed with a white icing with chocolate combed through. This is then what you call the ‘ancestor of the vanilla slice’.
The recipe I used was for a Gateau Napoleon, so rather than a slice, it built up into a large cake formation. I changed it into it’s traditional slice with the proper layers, but if you want to make it for a large amount of people, I suggest sticking to the recipe. Emmanuel Mollois does a great job going step by step in the process of creating this beautiful dessert, so I suggest you watch the video. I finished my Napoleon with a white chocolate glaze, which is not provided in the original recipe, so I will add that. Also note that this dessert should be made in advance as the custard needs to be fully set.
Napoleon (adapted from Poh’s Kitchen, recipe originally by Emmanuel Mollois)
Ingredients
The Biscuit
The Cream
- 400g plain flour
- 200g butter softened
- 150g crème fraiche
- 1 egg
- 1 pinch of salt
- 500ml full cream milk
- 120g cassonade sugar or brown sugar
- 5 eggs yolks
- 50g of plain flour
- 100g of butter
- 1 vanilla pod cut in half and grated
Chocolate Glaze
Method
- 100g white chocolate, roughly chopped
- 100g creme fraiche
- 50g icing sugar
- 50g dark chocolate (for decoration)
- To make the biscuit: In a large bowl mix together the flour and the butter, then add the crème fraiche, egg and salt and mix until it becomes smooth. Divide the dough into six or seven little balls; keep in the fridge for two hours. Roll the little balls individually, into a disk shape. Cook in the oven at 230°C for approximately ten minutes.
- To make the cream: In a sauce pan add vanilla pod into milk and bring to the boil. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until it ribbons. Combine plain flour into mix. Pour the vanilla pod and hot milk mix into bowl and combine. Put the whole mixture through a sieve to discard vanilla pod and cook for eight minutes using the whisk all the time. When it’s cooked, put into a bowl and add butter, combine mixture then set aside to cool.
- To make the glaze: Place white chocolate, cream fraiche, icing sugar and 80ml water in a small pan. Stir over medium heat until the mixture is smooth and comes to the boil, then cook for 3 minutes or until thickened. Transfer to a stainless-steel bowl, then place bowl over a second bowl filled with iced water. Stir occasionally for 10 minutes or until cool and the consistency of double cream.
- To build the cake: On the first disk put some cream mixture and then another disk on top, then cream mixture and alternate the layers until you have used all biscuits. Place cake on a wire rack over a tray. Pour glaze over cake, easing it over the side to coat. Pipe melted dark chocolate on top of cake creating straight lines, then run a knife through chocolate to comb. Refrigerate overnight until set.
ENJOY! :D
ps. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH to those who sent me messages about my missing ‘follow button’ on my blog! I had no idea it wasn’t there anymore. As a result, I had to change my theme, which I was disappointed in, but I found out I can change my banner! So take a look at the new KatCakes theme!
