I know you’re not telling us, but I’m sure you’re thinking “OMG, what happened to the best cooking blog I know?! It’s been too long since they updated and now I don’t know what to make for lunch!” :p

Well, so you don’t despair, here we are, back and with every intention of making sure this doesn’t happen again. After writing “I will not leave the blog without updating for more than 5 days” a hundred times on the blackboard, and to make the return to “work” easier, today we’re bringing you a simple recipe. Enjoy.

What do we need?

• Green beans

• Peas

• Carrots

• Minced meat

• Salt

How do we make it?

• Peel, wash, and cut the potatoes, then put them in a pot to boil with salt.

• After they’ve been boiling for 5 minutes — depending on how big or small you cut them — add the carrots, green beans, and peas.

• Let them cook until they’re done to your liking. I say it like this because I always prefer everything a touch overcooked so it’s softer.

• While we take them off the heat and drain them in a colander, we heat a frying pan with a splash of oil.

• Add the minced meat.

• Once the meat is cooked, add all the well-drained ingredients and sauté everything together.

• Serve and savor.

Tips:

• Depending on the size you cut the ingredients (potatoes and carrots), they’ll take a bit more or less time to cook. Keep that in mind.

• We use frozen green beans and peas. If they’re fresh, they may take a little longer to cook.

It’s not just that it seems like we haven’t published anything in ages — it’s actually true… almost three months without any blog action on PiC! The summer has been a bit hectic but here we are, back and loaded with new finger-licking recipes. Today I’m bringing you a recipe that could be considered the Nordic roscón de Reyes, and some say its shape is reminiscent of pretzels and the dough is brioche-style. In short, a sweet wonder we pulled from a Thermomix magazine but made without one to prove that any recipe is adaptable.

What do we need?

For the dough:

• 30 g (2 tbsp) sugar

• The peel of 1/2 lemon (yellow part only)

• 120 g (1/2 cup) milk

• 30 g (2 tbsp) butter

• 15 g fresh yeast

• 1 egg yolk

• 300 g (2.5 cups) bread flour

• **1 pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 50 g (3.5 tbsp) butter (room temperature)

• 60 g (1/4 cup) sugar

• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

• 50 g (1/2 cup) chopped walnuts

For the glaze:

• 20 g egg white

• 50 g (1/2 cup) confectioners’ sugar

How do we make it?

• If we have an electric coffee grinder or a food processor, we put the sugar with the lemon peel and grind it well until the lemon is incorporated into the sugar and we get a sort of paste. If we don’t have one, we can just grate the lemon peel and mix it with the sugar.

• We heat the milk a little in the microwave and add it to the bowl with the sugar and lemon peel.

• We add the butter and the yeast and stir until everything comes together nicely.

• We add the egg yolk and mix well again.

• Finally, we add the flour and the salt. We stir with a spoon or fork and then transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead by hand.

• We form a ball with the dough and let it rest in the bowl covered with cling film until it doubles in size.

• In the meantime, we prepare the filling. To do this, we mix the room-temperature butter with the sugar and the cinnamon.

• We preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).

• Once the dough has doubled in size, we place it on a floured surface and roll it out with a rolling pin until we have a rectangle of about 40 x 50 cm (16 x 20 in).

• We spread the filling cream over it and sprinkle the walnuts on top.

• We roll up the dough (starting from the wider side).

• Once we have a sort of thin Swiss roll, we cut the log lengthwise down the middle, leaving one of the ends joined. When we cut it, we should see the alternating layers of dough and filling.

• We cross each piece of dough to form a kind of braid (always keeping the layered side facing up).

• Once everything is ‘braided’, we form a wreath and place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

• We bake for about 20 minutes.

• While it’s baking, we prepare the glaze. To do this, we beat the egg whites a little with a fork and mix them with the confectioners’ sugar.

• When we take the kringle out of the oven, we brush it with this glaze.

Tips:

• The lemon peel is optional. You can skip it or swap it for orange peel — for sure it’ll be delicious too.

• If you want a whiter, thicker glaze, you can beat the egg whites with the sugar using an electric whisk. That’s how we made it, and that’s why the glaze looks like it does in the photo. If you beat it just with a fork, it’ll give the kringle a certain shine but it won’t be white and as thick.

• Starting from this base, you can fill the dough with other nuts or even jam.

[English version] ESTONIAN KRINGLE* *Ingredients: For the dough:

• 30 g sugar

• 1/2 lemon peel (only the yellow part)

• 120 g milk

• 30 g butter

• 15 g fresh yeast

• 1 egg yolk

• 300 g strength

• 1 pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 50 g de butter (room temperature)

• 60 g de sugar

• 2 tbsp cinnamon

• 50 g chopped walnuts

For the icing:

• 20 g egg white

• 50 g confectioners’ sugar

• If you have a coffee grinder or food processor, place the sugar and the lemon peel on it and grind it until getting a sort of paste. If you don’t have a grinder, just mix sugar with grated lemon peel.

• Heat the milk in the microwave and pour over the sugar.

• Add the butter and yeast and stir well.

• Add egg yolk and stir well again.

• Then, add flour and salt. Mix with a spoon and fork and then knead the dough on a floury surface.

• Make a dough ball and leave to rise into the bowl covered with cling film (until the dough has doubled in volume).

• In the meanwhile, prepare the filling. Mix butter (room temperature) with sugar and cinnamon.

• Preheat oven at 180º.

• When the dough has doubled in volume, place on a floury surface and roll it out with a rolling pin until getting a rectangle (40 x 50 cm aprox.)

• Spread the filling and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

• Roll up the dough (starting by the wider side).

• Cut the log in half length-wise leaving one edge uncut.

• Start braiding the two pieces, trying to keep the open layers exposed so the cut ends remain on top.

• Pinch the ends together and form a wreath.

• Bake for 20 minutes.

• Prepare the icing. Whisk white eggs with a fork and add confectioners’ sugar. Mix well.

• Out of the oven, brush the kringle with the sugar icing.

• *Tips: - Lemon peel is optional. You can leave it out or use orange peel. For sure, it will be delicious too. - If you want a thicker and whiter sugar icing you can use an electric mixer with whisk attachment. The result will be more similar to our kringle shown in the picture. If you whisk only with fork you will have a lighter and clearer icing. - You can change the filling and use any nuts or jam you like.

They say good things come to those who wait, and it seems that’s exactly what we’ve been trying to do with this new recipe. But anyway, we’re finally back to posting, and we’re bringing you an easy, quick, and delicious appetizer suggestion, once again borrowed from La Receta de la Felicidad, who recommends it as a Christmas gift. But hey, when it comes to enjoying a good cheese, who cares if it’s Christmas, Easter, or the middle of August, right?

What do we need?

• 1 Camembert cheese

• A handful of shelled walnuts

• 100 g (1/2 cup) sugar

• 2 tablespoons butter

How do we make it?

• Place the whole Camembert cheese on a plate and arrange the walnuts on top.

• In a small saucepan or skillet, heat the sugar over medium heat and let it melt slowly without stirring (even if you feel tempted to).

• Once the sugar has melted into a kind of thick, pale syrup, you can stir it and let it cook a little longer until it reaches a golden caramel color.

• Turn off the heat, add the two tablespoons of butter, and stir well.

• Immediately pour the caramel over the Camembert with walnuts, trying to make a thin layer or even caramel threads.

Tips:

• Be careful not to leave the caramel on the heat for too long, as it could burn and result in a very dark, bitter caramel.

• You can cut the cheese into portions right after pouring on the caramel. Otherwise, once it solidifies it can get tricky (that’s another reason why the caramel layer should be thin).

________________ [English version] CAMEMBERT CHEESE WITH NUTS AND CARAMEL* *Ingredients:

• 1 Camembert cheese

• Several nuts

• 100 g sugar

• 2 tbsp butter

• Place the cheese into a dish and put the nuts over it.

• Place the sugar into a sauce pan and cook over medium low heat. Let it melt slowly.

• When the sugar is totally melt you can use a spoon to stir.

• Keep cooking until golden brown. Add the butter and stir well.

• Pour immediately over the cheese with the nuts. Try to create a thin layer.

• Tips:- Do not overcook the sugar or you’ll get a dark and bitter caramel.* - Cut the cheese into portions right after pouring the caramel. Otherwise, when caramel is hard it could be very difficult (that’s why you have to try to make a thin layer).

BLT stands for Bacon Lettuce Tomato, which translates to a spectacular combo. Especially if you make the bacon the way we did. Want to know the secret? Keep reading.

What do we need?

• 4 slices of bacon

• 4 slices of bread

• 2 tomatoes

• A couple of lettuce leaves

• 2 tablespoons of sugar

• Cayenne pepper

• Mayonnaise

How do we make it?

• Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).

• Meanwhile, wash the lettuce and tomato.

• On a baking tray, lay out the bacon in a single layer on parchment paper. Grind the cayenne and sprinkle it over the bacon. Sprinkle the sugar on top too, and put it in the oven once it reaches temperature.

• Let it cook for about 15 minutes, until crispy and quite dark.

• While the bacon is cooking, slice the tomatoes into rounds and leave the lettuce in big leaves.

• Toast the bread. Once it’s done to your liking, spread a bit of mayonnaise on it and assemble the sandwich.

Tips:

• You can add lots of things, even switch up the sauce. The base is the BLT trio. We added onion, but avocado works really well too.

• You can make it with regular sandwich bread, but we recommend “long-life” bread (long live the king!!!!!). I think you can usually find it in supermarkets labeled as rustic bread (already sliced).

[English version] BLT* *Ingredients:

• 4 bacon slices

• 4 bread slices

• 2 tomatoes

• 2 lettuce leaves

• 2 tbsp sugar

• *Chili powder *

• Mayonnaise

• Preheat oven at 200º C.

• *Wash lettuce and tomato. *

• *In a baking tray, place some baking paper and the bacon (in one layer). Sprinkle with sugar and chili powder. *

• *Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and crispy. *

• *In the meanwhile, cut tomato into slices. *

• *Toast bread, spread some mayonnaise in each slice and make your sandwich with all the ingredients (tomato, lettuce and bacon). *

• Tips:- You can add any other ingredient or sauce that you like. The essentials are Bacon Lettuce and Tomato. We added some fresh onion but avocado is also a perfect choice. **- You can prepare the sandwich with any kind of white sandwich bread but we like to prepare it with sliced bread. *

After a crushing victory by four votes, against the two for the Crispy Chicken (irony mode on), today we bring you a delicious recipe we’ve been making for a long time and that we’ve been in love with ever since we first tried it.

What do we need?

• One chicken breast

• One cup of rice

• Half an onion

• 200 ml (3/4 cup) heavy cream

• Curry powder to taste

• Salt

• 2 garlic cloves

How do we make it?

• Pour a bit of oil into a small pot. Chop a garlic clove and add it. When the garlic is slightly golden, add the rice.

• Stir-fry the rice for a moment and add twice as much water as rice. Add salt.

• When it starts to boil, lower the heat to medium-low and cover. It’ll be ready in 15-20 minutes.

• While the rice cooks, slice the onion into thin strips.

• Place a frying pan with a splash of oil over the heat and add the onion.

• Cut the chicken into strips and toss it into the pan.

• When the chicken is partly cooked, add a couple of tablespoons of curry powder.

• Let everything cook together for a bit and stir in the cream.

• Bring to a boil and add more curry and salt to taste. You’ll have to keep tasting as you go.

Tips:

• If you want a nice presentation, you can fill half a glass with the cooked rice. Press it down a bit with a spoon so it packs together. Flip it onto the plate and you’ll have a little rice tower.

• The first time Pastelera tried it, it was served with grilled peaches in syrup. Give it a try.

[English version] CURRY CHICKEN WITH RICE* *Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast

• 1 cup of rice

• 1/2 onion

• 200 ml cream

• *Curry *

• Salt

• 2 garlic cloves

• *First prepare the rice. In a cooking pot, pour a bit of olive. Peel and chop the garlic cloves and stir fry. When it’s slightly golden brown, add the rice. *

• *Stir fry the rice and add 2 cups of water. Add some salt. *

• When the water boils, turn the heat down and cover with the lid. It will be ready in 15-20 minutes.

• *Now, slice the onion. *

• *Pour some olive into a frying pan and add the onion. *

• *Cut chicken breast into strips and add to the frying pan. *

• *After a few minutes, add a couple of tsp of curry. *

• Stir fry again and add the cream.

• *Simmer for a while and add more curry and salt if needed. *

Tips:

- You can have an easy and nice presentation just using a cup to create a rice tower. Fill a cup with cooked rice, press with a spoon and turn the cup upside down over the dish.

- You can serve it with some canned peaches. Just grill them a bit and serve them as a garnish.

Even though putting the words ‘caramel’ and ‘salted’ together in the same phrase sounds weird, it’s a delicious combination that I tried for the first time thanks to French delicatessens. So as soon as I saw this recipe on La receta de la felicidad I couldn’t resist giving it a go, and I knew it’d be a guaranteed success. Even those weird beings who aren’t crazy about chocolate end up liking it, thanks to the crunchy bite of the crust and the creaminess of the filling. So what are you waiting for to try it?

What do we need?

For the special shortcrust pastry:

• 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour

• 30 g (1/4 cup) ground almonds

• 150 g (2/3 cup) butter

• 80 g (1/3 cup) sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 pinch of salt

• 1 pinch of powdered vanilla

For the salted caramel sauce:

• 70 g (1/3 cup) sugar

• 70 ml (1/3 cup) heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon butter

• a pinch of salt

For the chocolate cream:

• 500 ml (2 cups) heavy cream

• 350 g (12 oz) dark chocolate

For the whipped cream:

• 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) heavy whipping cream, very cold (at least 35% fat)

• 2 heaping tablespoons of powdered sugar

• Optional: cocoa powder for dusting on top

How do we make it?

• We start by preparing the crust. Mix the very cold butter, cut into small cubes, with the rest of the ingredients. You can use the dough attachment on your mixer or use a spoon and finish kneading by hand. It’ll come out crumbly and you’ll have to keep squeezing the butter with your hands to incorporate everything well, but don’t despair. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for half an hour.

• Meanwhile, prepare a 24 to 26 cm (9.5 to 10 in) springform tin by lightly greasing it and placing a sheet of baking paper on the bottom.

• Roll out the dough on a floured surface or between two sheets of baking paper or plastic wrap (so it doesn’t stick) until it’s about 3 mm (1/8 in) thick.

• Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll it over the tin. Press it well into the tin, patching any gaps with bits of dough. Trim the edges by running the rolling pin over the top of the tin and pressing down.

• Put the tin with the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).

• Cover the bottom of the tart with baking paper and fill with dried chickpeas (just like when making quiches — this keeps the dough from rising in the oven). Bake the crust for about 25 minutes.

• Take it out and once it’s cooled, unmold and place on a plate or tray.

• Now we’ll prepare the salted caramel sauce. Have the cream and butter ready beforehand. Put the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and wait without stirring until it turns into caramel (2 or 3 minutes). Once you have a golden caramel, lower the heat to minimum and add the butter, salt, and cream, stirring constantly until you get a smooth sauce. If any caramel lumps form, keep stirring vigorously over low-medium heat until they fully dissolve.

• Once it’s cooled a bit, pour the caramel over the tart base and put it in the fridge for half an hour.

• Next we make the chocolate cream. Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan while you chop the chocolate. When it boils, remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for a few minutes and stir until you get a smooth cream. Once the chocolate cream has cooled a bit, pour it over the tart that you had reserved in the fridge and let it chill overnight.

• Finally, whip the cream. Beat the very cold cream with the sugar using a whisk until it reaches the desired consistency (be careful not to overdo it or it’ll turn into butter).

• Put the whipped cream into a piping bag with a round tip and pipe little mounds of cream over the tart. Using a sieve, dust with cocoa powder and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

Tips:

• When whipping the cream you can use regular sugar, but store-bought powdered sugar will help keep the consistency longer since it usually contains a small amount of starch.

• If you don’t want to even turn on the oven, you can swap the shortcrust base for a cookie base. Crush digestive-type cookies, for example, and mix with melted butter. Cover the tin pressing down well so it’s nice and compact, let it chill before pouring the caramel and you’re done.

• If you don’t have a piping bag or tip, you can use a plastic bag (like a freezer bag) and snip a small hole in the corner.

[English version] CHOCOLATE AND SALTED CARAMEL TART* *

For the crust:

• *250 g all purpose flour *

• *30 g powdered almonds *

• *150 g butter, cold, cut into cubes *

• *80 g sugar *

• 1 egg

• 1 pinch of salt

• 1 pinch powdered vanilla

For the salted caramel sauce:

• *70 g sugar *

• *70 ml heavy cream *

• 1 teaspoon butter

• pinch of salt

For the chocolate cream:

• *500 ml heavy cream *

• *350 g dark chocolate *

For the whipped cream:

• 300 ml heavy cream, very cold (1 cup aprox)

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• Optional: unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

* *

• Prepare the crust. Whizz all the ingredients in a food processor to a dough and finish by hand until getting a homogeneous dough. Wrap the dough and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out the pastry and line a deep 24-26 cm tart tin with it; patch any holes if crumbly. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.

• Preheat oven to 180 ºC. Prick the tart shell all over with a fork or use baking beans and bake about 25 minutes.

• Transfer to a rack and let cool.

• Prepare the caramel sauce. Place sugar a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Look for the caramel to turn a rich amber colour, then lower the heat and whisk in butter and cream (the mixture will bubble up, so be careful!). Pour caramel into cooled tart shell and let cool slightly; refrigerate 1/2 hour.

• Prepare the chocolate cream. Chop the chocolate. Bring heavy cream to boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Put chocolate into a medium bowl and pour in the hot cream. Let sit for a few minutes, then stir until smooth. Pour ganache evenly over tart and refrigerate 24 hours .

• Before serving, prepare the whipped cream. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream with the sugar until firm. Pipe the whipped cream on top of the pie and dust with some cocoa powdered if desired.

Tips:**- If you use confectioners’ sugar when whipping the cream, you’ll get a firmer cream.

- If you don’t want even to switch on the oven you can prepare the crust with biscuits. Just smash the biscuits and mix with melted butter. Cover the tart mold with it, pressing well with your fingers.Refrigerate before pouring the caramel sauce.

- If you don’t have piping bag, you can use a plastic bag instead.

As part of the campaign “No newly-independent young adult shall go hungry, even if they don’t like cooking,” here’s another easy recipe — one of those that almost everyone knows, but just in case, I don’t want to hear that you’re not eating well just because you couldn’t be bothered to do a couple of little things in the kitchen.

What do we need?

For the shortcrust pastry:

• 200 g (1 ⅔ cups) flour

• 100 g (7 tbsp) cold butter

• 1 egg

• A pinch of salt

• A pinch of sugar

For the filling:

• 200 g (7 oz) bacon

• 100 g (3.5 oz) emmental cheese

• 50 g (1.75 oz) mushrooms

• 200 ml (¾ cup) heavy cream

• 4 medium eggs

• Half an onion

• Salt and pepper.

How do we make it?

• As you know, for the shortcrust pastry you can check here.

• While we’re making the dough, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

• Once the dough is ready, place it in a baking pan and pop it in the oven for about fifteen minutes. Before putting it in the oven, prick it with a fork so it doesn’t puff up.

• With the pastry in the oven, heat a frying pan with a splash of oil. When it’s hot, add the onion and mushrooms, all sliced beforehand. Once they’ve softened a bit, add the bacon cut into strips and cook to your liking. Set aside.

• Beat the eggs in a large bowl and mix them with the cream. Season with salt and pepper.

• Add the sautéed ingredients to the bowl.

• When the pastry is partially cooked, take it out of the oven and pour in the mixture. Spread it evenly across the surface and sprinkle the cheese on top.

• Put it back in the oven and bake for around half an hour.

Tips:

• Just like we mentioned here, you can pick any kind of cheese you like or whatever you have at home.

• Shortcrust pastry isn’t hard to make, but if you’d rather, you can buy it pre-made at any supermarket. That way we make sure “No newly-independent young adult goes hungry, even if they don’t like cooking.”

[English version] QUICHE LORRAINE* Ingredients: *Shortbread pastry:

• 200 g flour

• 1oo g cold butter

• 1 egg

• A pinch of salt

• A pinch of sugar

Filling:

• 200 g bacon

• 100 g emmental cheese

• 50 g mushrooms

• 200 ml cream

• 4 eggs

• 1/2 onion

• Salt and pepper

• *Prepare the shortbread pastry. You can see here our recipe. *

• Preheat oven at 180º C.

• Roll out the pastry and place into a baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. If we bake directly with the filling on it, the pastry will be underdone. To avoid the pastry to ‘grow’ in the oven, you can place a baking paper and fill up with baking beans. You can also pierce the pastry with a fork.

• While the pastry is baking in the oven, heat a bit of olive oil in a frying pan. Chop onion and mushrooms and place them into the hot frying pan. After a few minutes, add the bacon cut into strips and keep stir frying for a few extra minutes. Take it out from heat and set aside.

• In a large bowl, beat eggs and cream together. Add salt and pepper.

• Add the stir fried ingredients and mix well.

• The pastry will be already slightly cooked, so take it out from oven and pour evenly the cream mix inside. Sprinkle with some cheese on the top.

• Bake into the oven for around 30 minutes.

Tips:

*- As we said before here you can choose any kind of cheese you like. *

- Shortbread pastry is not a difficult task but you can also buy it in any supermarket.

Comments

yolanda del pozo (2013-04-19 09:44:08):

All the recipes on this site are easy, cheap, quick and tasty — what more could you ask for? And the photos are amazing too, just looking at them makes you want to make the dish and, above all, eat it. Congrats, great work!

silvia (2015-01-14 20:34:14):

The other day I bought shortcrust pastry by mistake… so checking out this great website, I’m bookmarking this recipe.

Just one question: what’s that about pricking the pastry before baking… do you have to pierce it? And what kind of pan works best? Like a non-stick one?

Kisses

As strange as it sounds, this recipe could pass as an express one, even though we have to make a custard cream. And the secret of today’s recipe lies precisely in making that cream fast, easy, delicious, and in just 10 minutes. The trick: the microwave, that great forgotten appliance we only ever bother with to heat up the morning milk.

What do we need?

For the cream:

• 100 g (1/2 cup) sugar

• 40 g (1/3 cup) cornstarch

• 3 egg yolks

• 1/2 liter (2 cups) milk

• 1 tablespoon butter

For the tartlet:

• 1 sheet of puff pastry

• Sugar

• Cinnamon

How do we make it?

• First we prepare the custard cream. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together in one bowl, and the egg yolks with the milk in another.

• Then mix everything together and pop it in the microwave for 8 minutes at max power, stopping every 2 minutes to stir.

• Once the 8 minutes are up, add the butter, stir, and you’re done.

• Next, roll the puff pastry sheet out a bit with a rolling pin and sprinkle it with sugar and cinnamon.

• Roll the dough into a log, pressing it with your fingers so it doesn’t end up too uniform.

• Cut it into several pieces and flatten each one to form a sort of mini-pizza.

• Use a muffin tin (the kind with several holes, like little flan molds). Place each circle into one of the cavities and press it in to form a tartlet.

• Pop it in the oven, preheated to 180°C (350°F), for about 12 minutes.

• Keep an eye on it and press the dough down every now and then to keep the hollow where the cream will go.

• Once baked, fill them with the cream, sprinkle with sugar, and brown them in the oven or with a blowtorch.

Tips:

• Microwaves come in different wattages so the cooking time may vary. As you heat the cream, you’ll see it thicken until it reaches the consistency you want.

• If you want to use the custard cream for another recipe that calls for a thinner cream, just cut down on the amount of cornstarch.

We’re back with a simple recipe, one of those everyone knows how to make, but that we wanted to share with you for two simple reasons: first and most important, it’s a really easy dish that you usually eat when you’re out for drinks but not at home (this is our way of encouraging you to make it yourself), and second because we’ve got a little tip about how to fry the potatoes. Want to know what it is? You’ll have to read the rest of the recipe.

What do we need?

• Good quality cured ham

• 3 large potatoes

• 2 farm-fresh eggs

• Olive oil

• Salt

How do we make it?

• While we heat the oil in a pan (preferably a deep one), we separate or cut up the ham.

• Peel the potatoes and cut them into irregular bite-sized pieces.

• Once the oil is nice and hot, lower it to medium heat and add the potatoes. Let them cook more than fry.

• When they’re soft, take them out and set aside on a plate. Turn the heat back up.

• Fry the eggs and set them aside.

• Now with the heat high, put the potatoes back in to brown them. This way they’ll be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

• After draining them on a paper towel, arrange them on a plate or platter, add the ham and eggs, and enjoy.

[English version] HUEVOS ROTOS (FRENCH FRIES WITH EGGS AND SPANISH HAM)* *Ingredients:

• Spanish cured ham

• 3 potatoes

• 2 free-range eggs

• Olive oil

• Salt

• Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan. In the meanwhile, cut the ham into medium size pieces and the potatoes in irregular pieces the size of a mouthful.

• *When olive oil is very hot, reduce heat into medium and put the potatoes. Let them simmer. *

• *When the potatoes are cooked (soft but white), take them out of the pan. Increase heat again. *

• Fry the eggs and set aside.

• When the heat is high again, fry again the potatoes until golden brown. They will be soft in the inside and crusty in the outside.

• *Take them out into a plate with kitchen paper to remove the extra oil. Place the potatoes into a large plate, the eggs and ham over them and enjoy! *

Maybe they don’t look exactly like a store-bought Oreo, but the flavor is, simply, incredible. In this case, I’d almost dare to say it’s even better than the original. It might seem a little laborious, but I promise neither the dough nor the cream is hard to make, so I’d encourage you to get started right away.

What do we need?

For the cookies:

• 230 g (1 cup) butter

• 150 g (3/4 cup) sugar

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 200 g (7 oz) couverture chocolate

• 1 egg

• 210 g (1 2/3 cups) flour

• 90 g (3/4 cup) cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder

For the cream:

• 110 g (1/2 cup) butter

• 200 g (1 2/3 cups) powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon milk

• 1 pinch of salt

How do we make it?

• Beat the butter with the sugar until you get a creamy mixture.

• Add the melted chocolate and the vanilla extract. Add the egg and stir well.

• In a separate bowl, mix the cocoa with the flour, the baking powder, and the salt.

• Pour the flour mixture over the previous chocolate mixture and combine well. Use your hands if necessary.

• Shape the dough into a cylinder and wrap it in plastic wrap.

• Let it rest in the fridge for a couple of hours.

• Take it out, remove the plastic wrap, and slice it into pieces about half a centimeter (1/4 inch) thick.

• Bake on a tray lined with parchment paper for 12 minutes at 180°C (355°F).

• Let cool and set aside.

• For the cream, beat the butter with the sugar.

• Then add the milk, the vanilla, and the pinch of salt.

• Beat well until you have a smooth cream.

• Assemble your Oreo cookies using two cookies and a little cream in the middle to stick them together. Take one cookie, add a bit of filling, and press down with the other so the filling spreads nicely.

Tips:

• For the chocolate, you can also use a mix of couverture chocolate and 70% dark chocolate. It’s a matter of taste, since some people don’t like such a bitter flavor.

• If you cut the cookies this way, they’ll come out a bit “rustic” — meaning slightly uneven and more handmade-looking. If you prefer, you can roll out the dough with a rolling pin (placing it between two plastic sheets or two pieces of parchment paper), let it cool that way in the fridge, and then cut it with cookie cutters like when making butter cookies. They’ll come out more uniform and “perfect”.

• When baking these cookies, you have to be careful not to burn them, because since they’re almost black, the color won’t help you tell when they’re done. So there’s nothing to do but keep a close eye on them.

I got the recipe from these two amazing blogs: El Monstruo de las Galletas and Seasaltwithfood. [English version] HOMEMADE OREO COOKIES* *Ingredients: For the cookies:

• 230 g butter,

• 150g granulated Sugar

• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

• *200g semisweet Chocolate *

• 1 egg

• 210g Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

• 90g Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

For the cream filling:

• 110 g unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 200 g Confectioners’ Sugar

• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

• 1 Tbsp Milk

• Pinch Salt

• • In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter and granulated sugar until well combined. Whisk in the vanilla and chocolate. Add the egg and whisk until thoroughly incorporated.*

• In another medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda until well mixed. Using a wooden spoon or a fork, stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture. You may find it easier to switch to mixing it with your hands until the dough comes together.

• *Transfer the dough to a 15-inch square sheet of parchment or waxed paper. Using your hands, shape the dough into a log about 10 inches long and 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Place the log at the edge of the paper and roll the paper around the log. With the log fully encased in paper, roll it into a smoother log no more than 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm. *

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.

• *Slice the dough log into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place the slices about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.Bake for 12 minutes, or until the cookies are firm to the touch. *

• • Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer or even a wooden spoon, beat the butter on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until completely smooth and soft.*

• *Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and beat until the mixture is perfectly smooth. Add the milk and salt and beat until smooth. *

• To assemble the sandwich cookies: Scoop about 1 rounded tablespoon of the filling onto the flat side of 1 cookie. Top with a second cookie, flat side down, then press the cookies together to spread the filling toward the edges. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Tips: - You can use a mixture of different chocolates. I like using dark chocolate for desserts and bitter chocolate (70% cocoa). - You can use another method to shape your cookies. You can roll out the dough with the rolling pin. Place the dough between two plastic sheets or oven paper, roll it out and place in the fridge. Then use the cookie cutter to cut the shapes of your cookies. - When baking, be careful, because you can’t judge by colour given that the dough is almost black. So you’ll have to pay attention and avoid them to get burnt.

Comments

zordor (2013-03-12 01:25:14):

What do you mean you’d “dare to say” the flavor is better than the original? It’s infinitely better than the originals, no question whatsoever. I’ve been lucky enough to try this recipe and I have to say without a doubt these are among the best cookies I’ve ever eaten in my life! They’re absolutely amazing!

Esther (2013-03-16 15:46:02):

Hi Pics&Cakes,

I want to make the cookies but I have an existential question: how do I make or where do I get the couverture chocolate? I have Valor drinking chocolate at home, not sure if that works.

Thanks so much!

EPS

Palstelera (2013-03-16 16:14:26):

The important thing is that it’s dark chocolate, not milk. It can be the so-called fondant chocolate, dessert chocolate, or couverture. Almost any of those would work. I don’t really like drinking chocolate for these recipes because the flavor isn’t as intense, in my opinion. Hope that helped.

Esther (2013-03-16 18:29:22):

It helped a ton, yes! In a little bit I’m getting to work… Thanks so much

Palstelera (2013-06-29 13:22:37):

We’re so glad you made them and especially that you liked them. Answering your questions: if they came out a bit soft, it’s true that a little more time in the oven would have made them harder. That said, you did the right thing because since it’s a dark dough it’s hard to tell when they’re at their perfect point and when they’re starting to burn, and I think it’s better to enjoy a soft cookie than a scorched one. :-) In any case, I’m sure they’ll come out perfect the second time. As for the vanilla in the dough… Oops! I forgot to include it so I have to fix the recipe (thanks!). In principle, it goes in along with the chocolate. Lastly, your question about the mixer. Mine is a regular mixer, the kind with detachable beaters. You could even mix it by hand, but with the mixer you save time and effort and you also get a smoother, fluffier mixture.

Hugs and thanks for following us. :-D

setitapili (2013-06-29 09:09:40):

Hi!!! I wanted to write to you to tell you how the cookies turned out… Simply delicious! I took them to work and everyone was blown away… But I had a couple of problems. The cookie part came out a bit soft, maybe a little more time in the oven would have helped, but I didn’t want to leave them too long because they harden a bit more when they cool. Another problem was that I didn’t know they grew in the oven, so they came out a bit big. And one question: the vanilla for the cookie, when do you add it? I didn’t see it in the recipe so I added it in the last step. Another question: I beat the cream with a whisk, but the dough with a regular mixer. Did I do it right? Conclusion: the cookies are amazing!! They’re my first cookies and everyone asked me for the recipe!!! You can be sure I’ll be making them again!!! Spectacular!!!

Palstelera (2013-06-23 01:15:59):

I think I’m late with the answer… but cocoa powder is also easy to find, in any supermarket. I usually use the Valor brand, which is unsweetened. And as for the milk, any kind works. I used semi-skimmed because that’s what I had, and it came out perfect. Let us know how it goes. :-)

setitapili (2013-06-22 09:52:57):

Hi!!! I’m going to get started in the cookie world and this afternoon I want to make this recipe, but I have a couple of questions:

• what cocoa powder could I use for the dough? The couverture is easier because they sell it as is, but powder, no idea… Another question, for the cream you use a tablespoon of milk, what type of milk? Sure they’re silly questions, but I hope you’ll let me know… I’ll let you know how it went!! Thanks!!!