French Fridays With Dorie - Nutella Tartine

Chocolate, thick and oh so sweet

From a spoon, it's you I eat,

You look so good, taste so nice

I'd even eat you on fried rice...

~ Nutella poem, Ninja Girl

January was a write-off as far as blogging is concerned. Here I am thinking February will be much, much better but I've already missed last week's French Fridays recipe, Gorgonzola-Apple Quiche, something I had so wanted to bake as well! Already, I'm running out of excuses as to why I've gone MIA lately...let's just say life has taken over and left me with very little time and energy to focus on my culinary activities and writing. To quote E.B. White, "I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day". Yes, too right, my friend!

Anyway, back to today....I couldn't possibly pass up the chance to make this week's FFWD recipe, Nutella Tartine. Well, it isn't even a recipe per se but an assemblage of several beautiful ingredients we all have in our pantries (and if you don't, you should start questioning if you're really living, you know).

Nutella Tartine is a favorite French after-school treat and apparently - because I hardly drink coffee - it also goes quite well with a hot cup of espresso. All you have to do to make it is warm up several spoonsfuls of Nutella, then drizzle it over buttered, toasted brioche slices. In Pierre Hermé's version as recounted by Dorie in Around My French Table, the toasted bread is slathered with bitter orange marmalade, Nutella and sprinkled on top with chopped hazelnuts and fleur de sel. 

Of course, in my version of Nutella Tartine, that would be wholemeal toast spread with a layer of butter, a layer of peach jam (I had run out of marmalade, sadly) and frivolously decorated with thin orange slices, warmed-up Nutella, toasted almonds and pink river salt. These deviations from the original Tartine didn't affect its deliciousness one bit, that much I can assure you. 

So Voilà...this week's recipe has been accomplished! Next week's will be a savory one - Mussels and Chorizo with or without Pasta. Oh, that will be a challenge for me as I'm really not that good with all things seafood, or let me rephrase that, all things savory. If you're keen though, come back next week to this same spot to see how I've done. No sorry, don't come back....just come and cook with us in French Fridays with Dorie :). 

I've really missed you, Doristahs (my Dorista sistahs and brothahs). Here's wishing all of you a weekend crammed with heaven!

Jammin' in my Kitchen

This morning, I put an end to all our excess fruits (for today) before they all turn south and rot. What a waste and crime that would be, hey? So I tried to extend their shelf life a bit longer and performed some sort of kitchen magic on them, a bit like me trying to extend my youth a little by visiting a beautician to undergo various extraordinary skin-lifting facials now and then. Haha... well, we try what we can, don't we?

Ok, back to the kitchen. The extra apples and mangoes have now all been turned into jams and stored in jars in my fridge. The cooking process was not without some pain, especially when bits of  boiling hot jam spurted out of the pot and onto my arms.... ouch! Plus, the slow-cooking process took so L-O-N-G, I think I actually fell asleep in the middle of all that stirring. Yes, making jam is real boring, in case you want to try it someday.

Take one last look at these because they will all be turned into mush soon..

I thought this was a lovely shot of the jams, until I realised that the fruits on top were the wrong way round!

 

Ok, this is correct. Apple jam on left, mango jam on right.

Yummy, I can't wait to have these on my toast for brekkie tomorrow!