You are browsing the Blog for ffwd.

← Previous Entries

French Fridays with Dorie – Double Chocolate and Banana Tart

May 18, 2012 in ffwd

Wanna know something about family? Sure you do.

We go through a lot of bananas each week. I’m talking 5 or 6 bananas a day. And that’s when my husband is gone! They are just so versatile – pancakes, muffins, smoothies, waffles, bread, anything and everything you could possibly bake up is better with bananas!

So of course I was pretty excited about this week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe: Double Chocolate and Banana Tart.

Don’t get confused though, it’s double chocolate and double banana. The crust is a chocolate shortbread crust, topped with caramelized bananas that are then covered in chocolate ganache, and finally it’s finished with raw banana slices.

(The caramelized banana slices looked like little scallops!)

I thought this recipe was simple, so impressive, and delicious! I didn’t love the raw bananas on top – for some reason, the contrast between the super rich chocolate and the raw bananas just didn’t do it for me – but those were easily picked off. I really really really loved the caramelized bananas. It gave just a little crunch to the tart.

I halved the crust recipe, got 2 small tarts (maybe 5 or 6 inches?) and then dropped a tart shell in the sink. So I quartered the rest of the recipe and it was perfect for my one tart. HOWEVER, one tart was not enough for this lady and I wish I had another one right now.

(The members of French Fridays with Dorie don’t share Dorie’s recipes because we want to encourage you to check out Around My French Table.)

One year ago: Caramel Pecan Monkey Bread
Two years ago: Gummy Candy
Four years ago: Strawberry Scones

 

 

 

Submit to StumbleUpon

Tags: , , ,
28 Comments »

French Fridays with Dorie – Provencal Olive Fougasse

May 11, 2012 in ffwd

May is turning into such a great month for French Fridays with Dorie! First there was almond-coated fish and now bread! My favorite! And something I haven’t been making a whole lot of lately.

This is a Fougasse which is one of those breads that had always intimidated me. For starters, it just looks complicated. It’s also one of those breads that needs to sit overnight before being shaped and baked. The overnight sitters are always tough for me because I very rarely plan that far ahead. And it also means that I’m thinking about bread all night long. Torture!

The Fougasse is not nearly as difficult as I thought it was going to be. Like I said, it sits overnight before being rolled out, marked, and then only has to rest for about 15 minutes before going in the oven. Probably one of the easier “fancy” breads I’ve attempted since it really doesn’t have to be a specific shape.

This Fougasse is studded with olives, rosemary (I used dried), and lemon zest. The olives, even though they are so strong, don’t really add the typical olive flavor, just more of a saltiness. My 2 year old can’t stand olives but he loved the bread!

Fougasse is a cousin of focaccia so it had that crisp exterior with a nice, fluffy interior. Mine didn’t rise in the oven as much as I’d hoped it would but it was likely an issue with my oven and not the recipe. I’m looking forward to trying other Fougasse recipes now that I know how simple they are.

(The members of French Fridays with Dorie aren’t sharing all the recipes because we want to encourage you to check out Around My French Table.)

Submit to StumbleUpon

Tags: , , , ,
29 Comments »

French Fridays with Dorie – Almond Flounder Meuniere

May 4, 2012 in fish

So the reason Frozen Friday happened a day early this week is because I wanted to participate in French Fridays with Dorie. I actually want to participate every week but then… sardines and lamb and other things I don’t like/can’t afford make their way onto the schedule.

This week’s I was especially excited about because it’s fish coated with ground almonds – and I love anything coated in almonds. Seriously, you could cover cardboard in ground almonds and I’d tell you it was the greatest thing you’d ever cooked.

This was ridiculously simple. You just brush one side of the fish with egg yolk, coat it in an almond meal and flour mixture and then fry it in brown butter. That’s it. It took less than 10 minutes and I felt like I was having such a fancy lunch!

If you can’t tell, I loved this and plan on making it again with the rest of the fish I bought. I squeezed a ton of lemon juice over the top and it was absolute perfection!

(I used tilapia because there is no water in Colorado and therefore no fish besides tilapia. Unless, of course, you want to pay $20/pound. And I don’t. I’d rather buy nailpolish.)

The members of French Fridays with Dorie don’t share the recipes because want to encourage you to check out Around My French Table but a quick google search may just bring up the recipe for you. Hint hint, wink wink.

Submit to StumbleUpon

Tags: , ,
17 Comments »

French Fridays with Dorie – Cocoa Sables

March 23, 2012 in cookie

Yup, it’s time for my monthly “I’m going to cook every single recipe from Around My French Table!” proclamation.  I mean it this time! I swear. Unless it’s another recipe for mussels. Because mussels don’t exist in Colorado.

This week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe is not mussels thankfully – it was cookies! Chocolate ones! With extra chocolate!

These are Dorie’s Cocoa Sables. I really love her Sables recipe from Baking so I had high hopes for these. Unfortunately, my dough was ridiculously dry.

It crumbled when I sliced it and I ended up having to piece it back together on the baking sheet.  I really don’t think it was the recipe’s fault though - I think just I need to learn to compensate for how dry the air is here.

But how did they taste you ask?

A-mazing. Best cookies I’ve ever tasted.

And that could very well be because I haven’t had anything sweet in a week but you guys, I loved these! I don’t think I’ve ever had a chocolate cookie that I felt this strongly about but I cannot wait to make these again.

Two years ago:  BBA: Pizza Napoletana
Three years ago: Patty Melts with Grilled Onions

Submit to StumbleUpon

Tags: , ,
17 Comments »

French Fridays with Dorie – Broth-Braised Potatoes

January 27, 2012 in ffwd, sides

One of the great things about French Fridays with Dorie is that we get to nominate and then vote on what we want to cook each month. I was particularly excited when I saw these Broth-Braised Potatoes showed up on the monthly ballot. I mean, what’s wrong with potatoes that are braised in broth? Absolutely nothing.

This was a very simple and quick dish. The potatoes are just sliced in half and then braised in broth with thyme (or rosemary) and some garlic. It took less than 20 minutes and was such a fun way to serve potatoes!

I wasn’t sure that my boys would appreciate this one – and actually briefly considered mashing some of the potatoes for them – but they all ended up eating some, even if they did cover them in ketchup! I thought they were delicious and was happy to eat them for breakfast the next day. I especially loved that my broth turned purple overnight thanks to my purple potatoes!

(The members of French Fridays with Dorie do not post the recipes we make so be sure to check out Around My French Table.)

Submit to StumbleUpon

Tags: , ,
24 Comments »

← Previous Entries

Switch to our mobile site