Amaretti biscuits - Italy

Amarettis do not require a lot of ingredients and are so delicious that I recommend you to double to quantities. You can then keep the biscuits in a box for several days.

For about 30 biscuits
Preparation time: 20 mi
Cooking time: 10 min
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 2 egg whites
- 150g granulated sugar
- 175g powdered almonds 
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 50g powdered sugar  

1.   Preheat your oven at 200°C/400°C degrees.
2.   Beat the egg whites for 2 minutes and add the granulated sugar. Contniue beating for about 2 minutes until firm.
3.   With a spatula, slowly mix in the powdered almonds and almond extract.
4. With your hands, make irregular balls, looking like rocks, and roll them in the powdered sugar. Use about 1/2 table spoon of dough for each biscuits.
5. Lay the biscuits on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for about 10 min, until they are lightly brown. Let cool and serve.

How to make Pistachio Biscotti

This is a super easy recipe and these cookies are delicious with tea or coffee. You can replace the pistachios with almonds for your Biscotti. They can be kept several days in a box on your countertop, if they last this long...!

For about 30 cookies
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 300g (2 1/2 cups) of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 50g (1/3 cup) very finely ground almonds
- 150g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk + 1 egg white
- 100g (2/3 cup) coarsely chopped pistachios - or almonds


1. Preheat your oven at 180°C / 350°F.
2. Mix together the flour, baking powder, ground almonds, sugar, and salt.
3. In a bowl, beat the 2 eggs with the egg yolk. Stir this mixture into the flour preparation.
4. Add the pistachios.
5. Manually knead the dough until it forms a ball.
Note: if you notice that your dough is too dry, add water (very little at a time) until the dough holds itself to form a ball.
6. Cut this dough into 4 pieces. Shape them to form 4 cylinders which you will flatten a little (to make oval biscotti).
7. Place the 4 pieces on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Brush them with the egg white.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes.
9. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, wait until the dough pieces cool slightly (5/10 min) and cut them into slices.
10. Place the biscuits back on the baking sheet and continue baking for 10 minutes, until golden and crispy.

Let cool and enjoy!

How to make Toasted Pumkin seeds

When baking a pumpkin, make sure you keep the seeds to toast them. Toasted Pumpkin Seeds make a very healthy snack, full of fibers. It's preferable to use organic pumpkins or squash for this.
Try it, it's very easy!

Seeds of 1 pumpkin
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Baking time: 8 to 10 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- seeds of 1 pumpkin or squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- species: salt & pepper / paprika / dried herbs / chili powder...

1. Preheat your oven at 375°F / 280°C

2. Place the seeds in a bowl and toss with the olive oil and spices of your choice. It's good to always add a bit of salt if you don't go for the "salt & pepper only" seeds.

3. Spread the seeds evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once. Make sure the seeds brown very slightly but not too much because they would taste like burning.

Let the seeds cool and store them in an airtight container.

Super Easy Recipe for Lemon Soufflé

This recipe is super simple to make and you will be able to put on a show for your guests :) Light, fluffy, the Lemon Soufflé is the perfect dessert after a great family meal. The only trick is to prepare it right on time and serve it immediately because it can go down quickly.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 15 minutes

Difficulty: **

Ingredients:

- 80g granulated sugar (20g + 50g + 10g)

- 3 organic lemons

- 3 eggs

- pinch of salt

1. Place 4 ramekins in the fridge. After about 15-20 minutes, coat the ramekins with butter and sprinkle 20g of the granulated sugar all over the inside. All the sides should be covered.

2. Preheat your oven at 350°F/180°C.

3. Separate whites from egg yolks. Mix the egg yolks with 50g of granulated sugar. Add the zest of 2 lemons and mix well.

4. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until peaks form. Continue beating and slowly add 10g of sugar and the juice of 1 lemon.

5. Slowly fold in the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Pour it into the ramekins.

6. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the soufflés are fluffy and golden on top.

7. Sprinkle each soufflé with confectioner's sugar and serve immediately.

Amazingly light and delicious...!

Home to make Plum-Vanilla Jam

I am lucky to have a plum tree in my garden so it's easy to make Plum Jam in this season. But you can also buy the fruits of course and make this jam the exact same way. I use red plums, ripe and sweet. The good thing with jam is that you can prepare several jars and eat it all year long! And my secret to get natural pectin is... lemon pips!

For about 4 jars
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: about 2 hours
Difficulty: **

Special utensil: empty spice bag/tea bag or gauze for cooking

Ingredients
- a bit more than 2 pounds red plums (use 1kg)
- 1 pound (use 500g) caster sugar
- lemon pips (from one lemon)
- 1 whole vanilla bean

1. Pit the plums and weight the pitted fruits. You should have about 2 pounds.
2. The quantity of sugar should be twice less than the quantity of plums. So if you have 2 pounds of fruits, you should use 1 pound of sugar.
3. Slice your lemon to get all the pips from it. Put them into the spice bag and close the bag securely.
4. In a big stainless steel pan, mix the pitted plums and the sugar. Add the bag containing the lemon pips.
5. With a knife, halve the vanilla beans lengthwise. Scrape the seeds into the fruit mixture and add the whole bean (optional).
6. Heat your pan on medium heat until it starts boiling. Then lower the heat and let cool slowly for about 2 hours. Mix frequently to prevent sticking.
7. To test if the jam is ready, use the spoon test: Dip a spoon into the hot jam and let the liquid drip off on a cold plate. The drops should be thick and not liquid. That's when your jam is ready!
8. Pour your jam in the jars, and return each jar upside down. Let cool like this and only return the jar when the jam is completely cool.

Enjoy right away, if you are patient, in a few days!!

Shrimp Flambées à la Vodka Recipe

Vodka Shrimp Flambé: Yes, "Flambé" is French, it means in "in flames". This is how you can give a peculiar taste to your food and make a nice show for your guests at the same time :) I first tried this recipe with Mango Vodka and OMG, it was delicious! The shrimps really had a mango taste... My husband loved this dish!

Serves 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound (about 450 g) fresh tiger prawns, peeled (keep the tail, it's nicer) and deveined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons Mango Vodka
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.

2. When the oil is hot, add the chili pepper flakes and let brown for 1 minute.

3. Still on high, add the shrimp and cook them on both sides for about 1 minute.

4. Lower the heat and add the vodka.

5. With a long match, set the vodka on fire and shake the skillet until flames die down. BE VERY CAREFUL.

6. Add the chopped parsley on top, stir and serve immediately, either with rice or mashed potatoes

How to prepare a Chocolate-Raspberry Trifle

Here is my own version of the Trifle. I used leftovers of a chocolate cake and only needed a couple of additional ingredients to prepare this great and easy dessert. You can use leftovers of chocolate muffins and well, and replace the raspberries with raspberries, blueberries or any other berry you like. Yummmm!

Serves 2
Preparation time: 20 minutes + 1 hour in the fridge
No cooking time!
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound (about 450 g) raspberries
- milk
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) heavy whipping cream (very cold)
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- leftovers of chocolate cake/muffins (or chocolate cake bought already made)
***2 clear glasses to serve the trifles***

1. Cut the chocolate cake into small squares. You'll need about 5/6 pieces per person.

2. Clean the raspberries and prepare the raspberry sauce: in a blender, blend 3/4 of the raspberries with a bit of milk with one teaspoon of sugar. Add the milk slowly until the texture is smooth but not liquid. Reserve.

3. With a hand mixer, whip the cream, adding one teaspoon of sugar, little by little.

4. In each clear glass, layer the ingredients in this order:
- raspberry sauce
- whipping cream
- chocolate cake & raspberries
- whipping cream
- chocolate cake & raspberries

5. Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and serve cold.

Fast & Delicious: Citrus Scallop Carpaccio

No cooking time, super simple and delicious, this recipe is for you! It is very stylish and tastes great. Try this Scallops Carpaccio, you'll love it. You can also prepare this carpaccio with other fish pieces like salmon, cod or rockfish.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes + 3 hours in the fridge
NO cooking time!
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 4 big sea scallops
- juice of a 1/2 lime
- 1 mandarin, preferably organic (or tangerine, or even a small orange)
- 4 tablespoons good quality olive oil
- salt and pepper/red pepper berries

1. Rinse the scallops and pat them dry.
2. Slice each scallop thinly horizontally.
3. Arrange on plates in layers.
4. Grate the mandarin zest and reserve.
5. In a bowl, mix the olive oil, the lime juice, the mandarin zest and a pinch of salt.
6. Drizzle the citrus olive oil over the scallops. You can use a pastry brush to make sure all the pieces are coated.
7. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Grind some pepper or red pepper berries on top, and serve with a sprouts salad and toasted bread.

How to make a delicious Carrot Soufflé....

... very easily! You'll love this simple recipe. A soufflé is a great side dish which you can make with a lot of different vegetables: potatoes, broccolis, zucchinis etc. I prepared one with carrots and it turned out great. Try it out and let me know if you liked it!

Serves 6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: **

Ingredients:
- 2 pounds carrots
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 to 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup grated cheese (parmesan or gruyère)
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 40 g (3 tablespoons) butter
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- salt & pepper

Wash, peel, cut the carrots and place them in your pressure cooker with the thyme and the bay leaf. Cover with water and cook for 10 minutes with the pressure regulator slowly rocking
Note: You can also cook the carrots in boiling water until they are tender (about 20 minutes)

Separate whites from egg yolks.
Drain the carrots, remove the thyme and bay leaf, and mash the carrots to obtain a smooth puree. Mix this puree with the sour cream, egg yolks and cumin seeds. Add salt and pepper.

Preheat your oven at 150°C / 305°F. Coat six small ramekins or individual baking dishes with butter.

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until peaks form. Slowly fold in the beaten egg whites into the puree with a wooden spoon. Pour the mixture into the 6 dishes until they are three-quarters full.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve hot with meat, poultry or a salad.

Guacamole: the king of dishes for your fiesta!

Guacamole is an avocado-based dip which originated in Mexico. It is quite easy to do and always appreciated as a dip in parties. The traditional recipe only includes ripe avocados and salt. To give it a twist, I like to add garlic, red chili, lemon juice and diced tomatoes. Try it and let me know!

Serves 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: none
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 2 ripe avocados
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 small tomato, diced
- 1/2 red chili, very finely minced or 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- juice of 1 lemon (or lime)
- salt

Dice the tomato, grate the garlic and mince the chili.
Note that the chili and the cayenne pepper are optional. The give a nice kick to the dish but you can exclude them if you want to.

In a bowl, place the scooped avocado pulp and add the lemon juice. Using a fork, start mixing and mashing the avocado pulp.

Fold in the garlic, diced tomato and chili or cayenne pepper (if you use it).

Mash more until you reach the consistency you like: you can leave some avocado chucks for a more authentic guacamole of mash it more (even using a potato masher) for a smoother texture.
Serve quickly with tortilla chips or pita bread. Yum!

Lemon-Ginger Steamed Chicken

The recipe I'm going to share today is very healthy and perfect if you are on a diet. If you are not, it's okay because steamed chicken is delicious and you'll want to have some anyways :-) Steaming is a great way to keep all the flavors and the nutrients of the ingredients. This recipe is an example of how you can use steaming for everyday cooking.

Serves 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 1 pound (about 450g) chicken breast
- 1.5 inch (3.5 cm) ginger root, cut into thin slices
- 1 organic lemon, cut into slices
- salt and pepper
- olive oil (optional)
- some mint leaves, chopped

You should use a tall pot with a steaming basket. At the bottom of the basket, place one sheet of parchment paper. Make some holes in it.

Evenly layer the lemon slices in the basket and then layer on top the ginger slices like this:


Cut your chicken breasts in slices (not too thin) and layer them on top of the lemon and ginger. Season with salt and pepper and, if desired, sprinkle a little of olive oil.

Start steaming for about 15 minutes.
When it's cooked through, serve the chicken immediately with slices of lemon and ginger. Top with freshly chopped mint leaves. You can serve with rice or vegetables.

Skewers: Thai Satay Prawns

If you like Asian-inspired recipes, this one is for you. Satay is a dish of marinated, skewered and grilled meat or seafood, served with a sauce. Peanut is quite popular in Asian cuisine and it gives this recipe its special taste.
It's very easy to prepare but you need already prepared (peeled and deveined) shrimps and some time for marinating. Enjoy!

For 6 skewers
Preparation time: 30 minutes + 2 hours marinating
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: **

Ingredients:
- 12 king prawns, peeled and deveined, with tails intact
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1/2 cup (80g peanut butter)
- 1 onion, grated
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2/3 coconut milk

You can serve with a Satay sauce:
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
- 1 stalk lemongrass (white part only, finely chopped)
- 1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons roasted unsalted peanuts, finely chopped

Soak six wooden skewers in water for a couple of hours to prevent them from burning.
Prepare the shrimp if they are.

Using a blender, prepare the marinade by mixing the garlic, peanut butter, onion, fish sauce, chili flakes, turmeric powder, ground coriander and 2 tablespoons of coconut milk, until smooth.
Stir in the rest of the coconut milk.

Plunge the prawns in the marinade, keeping the tails out if possible. Cover and place in refrigerator for 2 hours minimum.

Thread 2 prawns onto each skewer. Keep the marinade for the sauce and to brush the prawns during cooking.

Prepare the satay sauce: heat oil in a pan. Add the curry paste and lemongrass. Cook for 1 minute on high heat. Add the coconut milk, peanut butter and sugar. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to let simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes.
Stir in the rest of the marinade and boil until thickened (2 minutes).

Barbecue the prawns until cooked through, brushing with the marinade and turning once.

Serve with the satay sauce sprinkled with chopped peanuts.

On the side, you can prepare saffron rice (basmati and wild rice): start with the wild rice which cooks twice longer than the regular rice. At half-time, add the regular rice to the sauce and some saffron strands. Drain the rice and serve.

Very easy recipe for Chocolate-Blueberry Muffins

This recipe is my own combination of 2 other recipes: Chocolate muffins and Blueberry muffins :) Muffins are easy to make and are great with afternoon tea. The cooking time is not too long so your kids won't wait too long before tasting your chocolate-blueberry muffins! You can also use raspberries in this recipe.

For about 12 muffins
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups (270g) flour
- 1/2 cup (60g) semi-sweet cocoa powder
- 5/8 cups (110g) softened butter - at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
- 2/3 cup (160g) milk
- 3 eggs- 2 rounded teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup (100g) fresh or frozen blueberries (you can use any other berries, like raspberries for instance)

Preheat your oven at 180°C / 350°F and place 1 paper cup inside each mold. If you are using silicone molds, butter them and sprinkle some flour in each mold.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, the cocoa powder, the baking powder and a pinch of salt.

In a big bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one by one, stirring well before adding the next egg.

Slowly add the dry ingredients, alternating with milk. We all the ingredients are mixed together, add the blueberries and incorporate them carefully.

Pour the batter into the molds and bake for 25 minutes. To test if the muffins are done, insert a metal skewer or sharp knife into the centre of a muffin. It should come out dry.

Grilled Lime-Ginger Marinated Scallops

Tired of traditional BBQs? This summer, try grilling scallops for a change! They cook very fast and are delicious on the grill. Big and juicy scallops are preferred because they are much easier to handle and they will not break up during cooking. I did not do it this time but you can thread the scallops onto skewers, it will be even easier.

Serves 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes + 2 hours marinating
Cooking time: 8-10 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 10 big scallops, fresh or thawed
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 0.5 inch grated fresh ginger (about 1.3 cm)
- juice of 1/2 lime
- zest of 1 lime
- 3-4 basil leaves, chopped
- salt and pepper

Start with the marinade: grate the ginger root, zest the lime (keep some zest strands aside to top your dish before serving) and mix with all the other marinade ingredients. Check the seasoning.

Pat dry the scallops to absorb all the liquids.

Pour the marinade in a plastic freezer bag (like Ziploc®) and add the scallops. Close the bag and gently shake it to coat the scallops with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
If you chose to make skewers, place them in a large flat pan and turn the skewers from time to time to make sure the marinade coats each side of the scallops.

Heat the grill; grease it with vegetable oil to prevent sticking. When hot, start grilling the scallops. It will be pretty fast. Make sure the scallops don't stick to the grill and turn them after 4-5 minutes. Continue grilling on the other side for about 4 more minutes.

Just before serving, top with the remaining zest strands and/or chopped basil. Enjoy with a fresh salad.

Chocolate Vanilla Marble Cake

Great for kids and adults as well, the Chocolate Vanilla Marble Cake is an easy recipe. This cake can be eaten for breakfast, brunch, tea time or anytime during the day! You can even make it with you children since the steps are not very complex.

Serves 6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 45-60 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 150g butter (about 1 1/4 stick)
- 250g granulated sugar (1 1/4 cup)
- 8 tablespoons milk
- 300g all-purpose flour (3 cups)
- 4 eggs, whites and yolks separated
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 30g unsweetened cacao powder (5 tablespoons)

Add the butter and the sugar in a large bowl. Warm quickly in the microwave to soften.

Whisk vigorously until the preparation becomes light and creamy.

Add the egg yolks, the milk, the flour and the baking powder. Mix well all the ingredients.

Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat until stiff. Slowly add to the preparation above. Tip: it's better to use a metal spoon than a wooden spoon!

Divide this preparation into two bowls: add the vanilla extract to one and add the cacao powder to the other one.

Preheat your oven at 180°C / 350°C.
Grease a cake mould with a bit of butter and sprinkle flour all over the interior of the mould.

Pour half of the vanilla batter in the mould first, then half of the cacao batter and then the rest of the two batters. Alternate so that the white batter and the cacao batter are intertwined.

Bake for 45 minutes and check use a skewer to check if the cake is ready. If not, continue baking for about 5 to 15 minutes.

Really Easy Salt and Pepper Tofu

Want to make a vegetarian dish which everybody will love? Try this easy recipe with Tofu. Tofu is not a very tasteful ingredient but the texture is pretty nice. So we'll give it a little kick with pepper and a little crispiness by pan-frying it.
Great served with bock choy.

Serves 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Baking time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 1 block of firm or extra firm tofu
- salt
- pepper
- mix 1 teaspoon vegetable oil + 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Slice the block of tofu. Then cut each slice diagonally to form triangles. Pat dry each tofu piece with kitchen paper.

Season well both sides of each tofu triangle with salt and pepper.

Heat the 2 teaspoons of oil in a large frying pan and add the tofu triangle. If your pan is not big enough, heat only half the oil and proceed in batches.

Let cook the tofu on the first side until it's light brown and crispy, about 5 minutes.
Turn the tofu triangles and let cook on the other side, until brown and crispy, like for the first side.

Once it's ready, transfer the tofu to a plate covered with kitchen paper.
Just before serving, you can transfer the tofu back to the hot frying pan and reheat for 1 minute.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve hot, with bock choy (quickly pan-fried with soy sauce) and/or brown rice.

Mini Herb and Hazelnut Goat Cheese Balls

This fresh appetizer is great if you have a party with a lot of people. You can prepare the Goat Cheese Balls in advance and create a lot of variations, depending on the likings of your guests.
For this recipe, I used hazelnuts but at the end of this post, I'm sharing more ideas to garnish your cheese balls.

Serves 8
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: none
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 1 log of herb & garlic goat cheese (or use a regular goat cheese and mix with 2 crushed garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon of herbes de provence - or savory)
- 10/15 hazelnuts

Prepare your herb and garlic cheese if you did not find one ready: mix the cheese, the herbs and the crushed garlic with a fork, until smooth.
Crash the hazelnuts and chop finely. Spread the hazelnut pieces on a flat baking sheet or plate.

For each cheese ball, take 1 big teaspoon of goat cheese. Form a ball with your hands and coat it in the hazelnut pieces. Proceed in batches and place the cheese balls on a plate.

Other ingredients to coat the cheese:
- freshly ground pepper
- spices: paprika, ground cinammon, ground cumin, ground coriander...
- any type of nuts, finely chopped: walnuts, brazilian nuts, pecan nuts...
- dried fruits, finely chopped: apricots, prunes, raisins, peaches, cranberries...
- seeds: flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds (white and black)...
and more!

Pineapple Cocktail

Special drink for a special occasion... or not! If you have friends coming over or if you feel like trying the taste of the carribean, right in your sofa, prepare this exotic cocktail in only 5 minutes. Of course, it's better to buy fresh pineapples in season (summer) to preserve the natural cycle. In winter, you can use canned fruits if you can't wait!

Brioche made with bread machine - Try it!

I've had my bread machine for about a year and I only made bread with it until 3 month ago. Then I started making jam (peach, strawberry etc.) and once, I tried to make a brioche. What a nice surprise! It's not only quick and easy; it's also delicious, fluffy and flavorful, like you would expect it from a brioche bought from a bakery. Find some time on a Saturday to try this recipe and enjoy your brioche for breakfast on Sunday morning.... yummm!

Serves 8-10
Preparation time: about 1h30 (with my machine) + 45 minutes to let rise
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup water (at room temperature)
- 1/3 milk
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup (1 stick / 50 grams) butter, softened and cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 bread machine yeast (dry active yeast)
- egg wash

To garnish/flavor your brioche:
- Orange cinnamon brioche: add the grated zest of 1 orange + replace water with orange juice + add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- Dried fruit brioche: add 1/2 cup of dried fruits to the flour + add the zest of 1 lemon
- Chocolate chips brioche: add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to the flour
- Create your own!

Place the ingredients in the bread pan in the following order: water, milk, eggs, butter, zest or spices (if applicable), sugar, flour, chocolate chips or dried fruits (if applicable).

With a finger, make a small indentation on one side of the flour and add yeast. Make sure the yeast does not come in contact with the liquid ingredients.

Follow the instructions of your machine for the "Dough" program. When the cycle is complete, remove the dough from the bread pan to a clean, lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. With your hands, roll each piece into a 20-inch rope.

Lightly grease and flour a large baking sheet. Place the dough ropes on the baking sheet, twist them loosely and form a circle. Cover the ring with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place, until doubled in size (about 30/45 minutes). Preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C.

When the ring has doubled in size, lightly brush it with egg wash, using a pastry brush.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the brioche is golden brown. Let cool before slicing.

Cantaloupe with Port

This appetizer is one of the simplest you'll ever make. There is no cooking time and it's ready in 5 minutes. The condition is to have a well-ripened cantaloupe and a good-quality port. The combinaison of both ingredients makes a sweet and original appetizer which your guests will remember.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: none
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 2 cantaloupes, well-ripened
- 3/4 teaspoons port for each serving
- salt and pepper

Cut the cantaloupe in half and remove the seeds using a spoon.
Scoop round balls of cantaloupe out of each half with a melon baller or a small round spoon. You can also cut the cantaloupe into squares (simpler).
If you like, you can reserve the halves and use them as serving bowls. Otherwise, fill 4 regular bowls with the cantaloupe balls/pieces.
Drizzle 3 to 4 teaspoons of port on each bowl. You can add more if you like :-)
Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour since this appetizer is better served chilled.

Season with salt and freshly ground pepper just before serving.
Let me know how you like it, it's a wonderful summer dish.