This tart is one of my family’s favorite recipes. A sweet pastry crust, a scrumptious pastry cream  and fresh fruit are the needed components.

It looks  amazing whether you use a single fruit (in my case Mango) or a cocktail of fruits (Berries, Kiwifruit, Bananas, Plums, Pineapple, Melon…)

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This is a chocolate shortbread covered with a chocolate glaze and pieces of crunchy roasted hazelnuts on top.

[SAH-blay]
Sablé is a classic French cookie. The word Sablé means “sand”, and the cookies are so named because of their delicate, crumbly texture.

If you are a chocolate lover, then you should definitely try this recipe.

Few tips:

1- This recipe is about chocolate, buy the best Unsweetened Cocoa powder you can find and the best semi-sweet chocolate for the glaze. You will not regret the outcome!

2- Butter is also a main ingredient in this recipe, after all it’s a shortbread. Use unsalted butter if available

3- Use “pure” vanilla extract if it’s possible.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup  unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick)  unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
1 egg yolk

Chocolate Glaze:

90 grams of semisweet chocolate
2 tbsp unsalted butter cut into pieces
1/3 cup roasted hazelnuts coarsly chopped (you can substitute with pistachios, walnuts, pecans or almonds)

These chocolate chip muffins are simply delicious,  moist,  buttery and full of chocolate!

This recipe Makes 12 regular sized muffins.

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup (113 grams)  butter, melted and cooled
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup  milk or cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cups  granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup  milk chocolate chips

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C and  position rack in center of oven.
Butter, or line with paper liners your muffin tins.

Whisk  the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and the chocolate chips.
Then using a rubber spatula, or wooden spoon,  fold the wet ingredients and the melted butter, into the dry ingredients. It is very Important to stir only until the ingredients are combined.

Fill the muffin cups with the batter, using two spoons. Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Let the muffins cool for a while before removing them from pan.

Optional: You can sprinkle each muffin with a mixture of granulated sugar and cinnamon before baking.

This is really not the way to eat mjaddara (mdardara to be exact). But if you’re in Italy and that’s the only way to get some bread around your food… well, beggars can’t be choosers. Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s a compilation of some awesome pictures we shot at Cinque Terre, Genova. Read the rest of this entry »