How to keep eggs?

Eggs are delicious and healthy. When properly stored, eggs keep all their freshness and flavor. Should we keep the eggs in the fridge? Many of us are wandering. Delices and Gourmandises gives you very useful tips for keeping eggs.

Always keep the eggs in their original box

Back home, most people get rid of the supermarket’s egg holder and transfer them in the fridge or in another container. The eggs are aesthetically arranged, however we recommend that you keep them in their holder.

First, this latter plays a protective role. In addition, the eggshell having thousands of small pores, thus, the holder limits the absorption of strong aromas and smells released by other foods kept in the fridge.

Furthermore, if you do not discard the original packaging, you can always check the expiration date to ensure the freshness of your eggs. Finally, make sure that your eggs are kept with the smallest end down, as this position will keep the yolk centered and the inner tube, on the rounded side, is not compressed.

More tips for keeping cooked and raw eggs

– If you still want to put the eggs in the refrigerator shelves, place them in the center shelves and not on the door shelves. It is essential that the eggs are kept at a constant and cool temperature.

– Avoid washing the eggs otherwise you may remove the protective layer, allowing the penetration of bacteria.

– If an egg is broken when you are back from the grocery store, it becomes vulnerable. Thus, it is better to completely crack it and avoid keeping it for more than 2 days in the fridge in an airtight box.

– The remaining raw egg whites and egg yolks should be quickly placed in the refrigerator in airtight boxes. Simply cover the yolks with a little cold water and drain them before use to prevent drying out.

– It is likely that a gassy smell will come out in the fridge when you keep a hard-boiled egg as cooked eggs produce hydrogen sulphide. This is not dangerous and usually disappears after a few hours.

Apricot gratin with almond cream and amaretti recipe

The apricot is a summer must-eat. Delices and Gourmandises offers you a recipe based on this sun-drenched, fragrant and well-fleshed fruit: apricot gratin with almond cream and amaretti. It is easy to make and it makes a delicious dessert that will surely delight your guests!

The necessary ingredients for 6 persons

– 100 gr of butter
– 1 kg of apricots (frozen)
– 100 gr of almond powder
– 100 gr of sugar
– 8 small dry Italian macaroons (amaretti type)
– 1 egg

Preparation in a few steps

– Start by preheating the oven to 180° (th 6).
– In a pan, heat a knob of butter. Add the frozen apricots.
– Take 2 tablespoons of sugar and sprinkle the apricots. Until they stop releasing water, stir constantly over high heat.
– Pour the apricots in a baking dish that you have previously buttered.
– In a small saucepan, melt the remaining butter and set aside, allowing it cool.
– Mix the almond powder, the melted butter and the remaining sugar in a salad bowl. To obtain a homogeneous cream, add the whole egg.
– Use this almond cream to coat the apricots. For the cream to get colored, put your preparation in the oven for 20 minutes.
– Now, take the amaretti and crush them roughly. Then take your dish out from the oven and sprinkle its top with the amaretti.
– Then put the dish in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes to finish cooking.
Before serving your dessert, let it cool.

Delicious homemade pear wine recipe

A classic dessert, yet always appreciated! When talking about pears, we cannot help but think about pear wine. Cook the pears with wine and spices and let marinate during several hours, then serve them with custard. Delices and Gourmandises offers you an easy-to-make recipe.

Ingredients for 6 persons

– 6 pears (comice, conference or passe-crassane)
– 125 gr of sugar
– 1 organic lemon
– 75 cl of Burgundy wine
– 1 cinnamon stick
– 1 ribbon of orange peel
– 4 peppercorns
– 1 vanilla pod

The steps to follow to succeed the pears to the winemaker

– Take 3 cm of lemon zest ribbon without losing the white skin. Squeeze the lemon and mix the juice with water in a bowl.
– Wash the pears before peeling (do not discard the skin), leaving the tail attached to the fruits. Dip them little by little in the lemon water.
– Put the pears skins into a casserole. Add sugar, cinnamon, red wine, vanilla bean split in half, pear, orange zest and lemon. Bring everything to a boil.
– Drain the pears and plunge them into the wine, then cover after reducing the heat. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes depending on the size of the pears and let cool in the cooking juice.
– In a salad bowl, place the pears and filter the juice over them. Leave in the fridge for 12 hours to macerate.
You can serve the pears in a cup, accompanied with custard flavored with pear brandy.

Delices and Gourmandises: What to give your kids for breakfast?

It is the morning and the alarm in your kid’s room goes off. Instead of waking up and getting ready for the day, he thinks he can catch some more sleeping time so he goes back to bed. However, when the alarm goes off again, he has very little time left to be ready. He finally wakes up, puts on his clothes, brushes his teeth, and leaves without eating anything. That is pretty much what happens every day. We all know that it is important to have something to eat in the morning. Kids should not skip breakfast. Why is it then such a bad idea to miss your morning meal? What would be the ideal breakfast to prevent you from skipping breakfast? Delices and Gourmandises will give you the answers.

Delices and Gourmandises explains to you why skipping your breakfast is not a good idea

Nutritionists never stop insisting on the fact that breakfast is necessary to start your day on the right foot. As a matter of fact, the type of meals you are going to have for the rest of the day will depend on what kind of breakfast you had. When you miss your morning meal, you will be tempted to eat more than you should at lunch and dinner which is a really bad idea.

Furthermore if you tend to eat too rapidly sweet breakfast you might not get the required calories you need to get through the day. Quick breakfasts fail to provide you the energy you need, which will lead to a decrease in your performance for the day.

What should you eat then?

There is no ideal formula but nutritionists suggest that you should have glucides in the morning. A well balanced breakfast should, therefore, be composed of fruits, a dairy product, and bread.

How about kids?

For kids, you can serve them:
– Dairy products: cheese, yoghurt, milk…
– Foods made with cereals: bread, oatmeal, puffed rice…if possible avoid corn flakes and other type of cereals you find in grocery stores because of their high sugar content.
– Fruits: Smoothies, orange juice, apple, pineapple…

You can also always complement your kids’ breakfast with the cookies you can easily find at Delices and Gourmandises. Not only those will bring smile to their faces but also provide them with the energy they need to get through the day. Delices and Gourmandises also proposes to you other healthy and delicious foods to make your breakfast time a quality family time.

Delices and Gourmandises helps you to choose your wines for Valentine’s Day

If you want to make sure that your meal for Saint Valentine’s Day will be a success, you can follow these Delices and Gourmandises good advices to help you to choose the wines you will serve to your valentine.

The basics by Delices and Gourmandises

Before the recommendation for choosing the best wines that would fit your meals, one of the best advices that can be given to you by Delices and Gourmandises is that anticipating is the best way to avoid a catastrophe during the meal.

As it is easier to heat a wine than to chill it, think about the best serving temperature for each wine you will propose : champagne is best between 7°C and 11°C, a fine wine between 9°C and 12°, a red wine between 14°C and 17°C abd white wine between 8°C and 13°C.

Keep also in mind that as the meal goes on, the palate and the rain are less sensible. So you’d better serve the best ones at the beginning of the meal and keep the simple ones for the end.

Delices and Gourmandises wine suggestions

It is not very easy to suggest wine when you do not know what the meal is made of. The Delices and Gourmandises catalog bets on the wines produced by the little vineyards that smells the passion of winery and the French terroir.

For the opening if the meals, nothing is better than the fruity taste of aperitifs as the Pêche et Abricot or the Figue et Noix that would perfectly accompany a dish of foie gras.

With red meats, you can choose within the range of red wines as the Côtes du Rhône like the Domaine de Lascamp, or, for those who prefer Bordeaux wines, the Château La Vinata that is perfect for holyday meals.

And for the best meal end, opt for the brut sparkling wine Mon bijou.

The history of Pretzel presented to you by Delices and Gourmandises

Delices and Gourmandises presents to you the history that led to the discovery of this knot looking pastry called pretzel.

Where does the pretzel come from?

Historians claim that pretzel comes from Germany. It was invented in 1477 by a baker sentenced to death at the time. To be free, he had to create a bread through which the sun would shine three times.

Through the years, pretzel has become a very popular pastry in Europe, giving birth to other original recipes using bacon, onions, and cheese. However, the bretzel we all know has well defined characteristics. It has a twisted form and could be either salted or sweet. It pairs perfectly with hot or cold drinks. How is a pretzel prepared though? Here is the recipe presented to you by Delices and Gourmandises.

Pretzel recipe by Delices and Gourmandises

The recipes can differ depending on how you like your pretzels. As a matter of fact, pretzels can be hard or soft, salted or sweet. As far as ingredients, you will need flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter, milk, baking soda and egg yolks. Of course, you can always use almonds, chocolate, or any other condiment in order to boost the taste of your pretzel.

Use the palms of your hands to design the twisted form of pretzels. The paste should be about 55 to 60 cm long. Also, it should take about 15 minute to cook a pretzel.

You have the need to get some bretzels now? You can browse through Delices and Gourmandises’ catalog to see the products we have.

Butter pistachio cake recipe by Delices and Gourmandises

Here is an easy and fast to prepare Butter pistachio cake recipe presented to you by Delices and Gourmandises.

The story behind butter cakes

Butter cakes have become a classic snack since the recipe was invented in the region of Lorraine. We at Delices and Gourmandises believe that sometime in XVIII century, The Marquise Perrotin De Baumont’s cook was ordered to prepare small cakes intended to be served at a cocktail party. She decided to use a recipe she learnt from her grand-mother by molding the cakes inside scallops. The success of this shell looking cake led it to bear the name of Madeleine Paulmier, who invented it.

Some advices from Delices and Gourmandises when you prepare your Butter Pistchio cakes

To prepare cakes to serve at least 4 people, you will need:

– 4 eggs
– 50gr butter
– 110gr flour
– 85gr sugar
– 1/2 bag of baking powder
– 1 spoon of pistachio paste
– 1 spoon of honey or 1 lemon

Preheat your oven to 240C. Then, mix the eggs, sugar, honey, and the lemon zest directly in a big bowl. After that, add flour and baking powder to the mixture. Soften the butter before you add it to the mixture. End the paste preparation by adding pistachio paste to it. Once you get a homogenous mixture, you should have a slightly green color.

In order to get a crispy texture, you can crush some pistachio and add them to the paste. Next, all you need to do is fill the butter cake baking pans or scallops and put them in the oven for about 10 minutes. If you want your butter cakes to have a nice volume, Delices and Gourmandises suggests you leave your paste in the baking pans for 5 minutes before you put them in the oven. Wait a couple minutes after you take them out of the oven before trying the cakes if you want the best taste.

Remember, you will only need about 20 minutes to prepare pistachio butter cakes. For some reason, if you are not able to prepare your own butter cakes, you can always order at Delices and Gourmandises.

Delices and Gourmandises’ apple tartlets

You are fond of Delices and Gourmandises’ apple tartlets and always need to have some for dessert or tea time? You can order them anytime on our website and we will ensure door delivery with great pleasure. However, when you have unexpected guests, schedule might be very tight. The solution: bake them yourself following this very simple recipe!

A fine, golden pastry, garnished with generous chunks of apple and sprinkled with a few grains of sugar.

Find the authentic taste of apple tartlets

Like all Delices and Gourmandises’ products, its apple tartlets are elaborated following the traditional recipe and using fresh, healthy ingredients to delight your taste buds with no risk for your health or your weight!

For 6 people, you will need:

For the pastry:
– 300 g flour
– 125 g butter
– 1 tablespoon oil soup (to fill molds without greasing and make the dough crispier)
– 5 or 6 apples
– 1 dl water
– salt
– sugar

Start with the dough
– Mix the flour, butter, oil and water in a bowl.
– Knead.
– Roll out the pastry and line 6 tart pans.
– Prick the dough with fork and place the molds in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

For the filling:
– Peel the apples and cut them into strips.
– Arrange them in tight rosettes on the dough. If you prefer, you can make them melt by cooking them quickly in a pan with a tablespoon of water and some sugar.
– Finish by sprinkling granulated sugar.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200 ° C, thermostat 6-7.

It’s time to get cooking. In your hot oven, bake your pies for 15 to 25 minutes until they turn to a nice blond color. If the top browns too quickly while baking, cover with an aluminum foil.

In forty-five short minutes in total, you will have delicious tartlets, as golden and crispy as Delices and Gourmandises’. Whether eaten hot or cold, they are ideal for dessert or to accompany a cup of tea.

Eveything you need to know about “langues de chat” presented by Delices and Gourmandises

“Langues de chat” are great for snack and dessert. They are even better if paired with soft drinks or some tea. Here is a brief explanation of how to prepare and enjoy this special kind of pastry that is offered at Delices and Gourmandises.

“Langues de chat” presented to you by Delices and Gourmandises

This pastry got its name from the fact that it reminds you of a cat’s tongue due to its thin design and curved edges. It is great when paired with coffee or ice cream. It can also be enjoyed with sparkling wines or particular liquor. These cookies can last for days if properly preserved in a steel box. If you want a more original snack, “langues de chat” can be used to prepare a charlotte cake.

Vanilla is the most used aroma to prepare “langues de chat”. However, if you want to try different flavors, Delices and Gourmandises propose you use orange, lemon, strawberry, or apricot. Coffee and chocolate are also well known aromas used to prepare “langues de chat”.

An easy to prepare recipe thanks to Delices and Gourmandises

“Langues de chat” are really easy to prepare and the ingredients are not hard to find. All you need are flour, sugar, butter, and egg whites.

Furthermore, it does not take long to prepare this kind of cookie and you are guaranteed that your family will not resist the sight of the cookies coming out of the oven. For any reason, if you are unable to make your own “langues de chat”, you can always order at Delices and Gourmandises and we will deliver the cookies to you in a heartbeat.

Delices and Gourmandises’s all-butter palmier biscuit

Did you ever try Delices and Gourmandises’ all-butter palmier biscuits? If not, we strongly recommend you to order them anytime on our website for dessert or tea time, we will ensure door delivery with great pleasure. However, if you have unexpected guests, schedule might be very tight to get your parcel on time. The solution: bake them yourself following this very simple, but tasty recipe!

The secret of traditional all-butter palmier biscuit

Like all Delices and Gourmandises’ pastries, its all-butter palmier biscuits are elaborated according to the traditional recipe and using exclusively fresh, healthy ingredients to delight your taste buds with no risk for your health or your weight! Just follow the instructions written by our confectioners and artisans.

2 ingredients are all that you need:
– Puff pastry completely defrosted
– Lots of granulated sugar

Preparation:
– Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of sugar over your workstation.
– Roll out the puff pastry to about 15×12 inches.
– Using a pastry brush or spoon, spread the sugar to evenly coat the surface of the dough.
– Starting at the long ends of the rectangle, gently roll each side inward until they meet in the middle.
– Let the dough chill in the fridge for 30 min at least.

– After the chilling, preheat oven to 400°F.
– Starting at one end, cut off pieces of the log, in slices about 1/2 inch in thickness.
– Press gently the two sides together to make sure that they don’t unroll during baking.
– Dip each side of each biscuit into sugar, shaking off the excess.
– Place the biscuits on a parchment paper lined sheet pan, at least 2 inches apart as they will increase size dramatically.
– Place the biscuits in hot oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
– Remove them from the baking sheet and serve them warm or let cool for 10 minutes.

It’s that easy to get these delicious all-butter palmier biscuits, as golden and crispy as Delices and Gourmandises’. To end a meal or with after dinner espresso, coffee or tea, these delightful soft pastries will treat both young and old.