Friday

Almond cigar pastries








Ingredients :

500g flour
1/2 glass white wine
1/2 glass oil
1 pinch salt
Oil for frying
200g almonds
4 bitter almonds
200g sugar
1 teaspoon orange blossom water
1 egg white
250g honey

Recipe :
To make the pastry:
Pour the oil and wine in a bowl, then beat together. Add flour and a pinch of salt and mix well.
Leave to rest for 15 minutes.

To make the almond paste:
Blanche the almonds, then grate into a bowl and mix with sugar. Add egg white and orange blossom water.
Roll the pastry out onto a floured surface.
Sprinkle with flour, then cut into circles with a pastry cutter of upturned wine glass.
Roll each pastry circle, stretching slightly.
Put a spoonful of almond paste in the middle of each pastry circle, then roll up into a cigar-shape.
Lightly fry 4 or 5 cigars at a time in a large pan of hot oil. Put to one side on a plate of kitchen roll,; to soak up any excess oil.
Gently heat the honey in another pan, remove from heat once it is warm.
Soak cigars in warm honey, leave for 15 minutes to allow honey to penetrate.
Arrange on a serving plate.


Advice :
Great with mint tea!




Artichoke & almond salad






Ingredients :

6 good-sized artichokes
1 lettuce
75g split almonds
200g creme fraiche
50ml cider vinegar
1 bunch mixed herbs, preferably fresh
50g flour
2 lemons
Salt & pepper

Recipe :

Remove the hard outer leaves of the artichokes with a knife. Peel the head as you would a potato.
Sprinkle leaves with lemon juice.
Put a big pan of salt water on to boil.
Sieve flour into a small amount of water, and add to pot.
Add artichokes and bring to boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Strain and remove chokes.
Leave to cool and slice leaves.
Arrange on serving plate, on bed of washed lettuce. Arrange leaves on top of chokes and sprinkle with almonds.
Beat creme fraiche, until thick and frothy.
Add cider vinegar and chopped herbs.
Drizzle over artichokes.



Advice :
Great with a rosé on a summer's day!