Pomme au Four/Oven baked Apples

Pommes au Four (Oven baked Apples) is very easy in cooking and one of the lightest desserts that you can make; delicious particularly during winter.  This can be an everyday family dessert which can be served hot.

Ingredients for (04) people:

Four (04) nos big sour apples

20 cl (07 fl oz) cider

10 gram ( 1 /3 oz ) (unsalted ) butter.

10 gram ( 1/3 oz) granulated sugar

Four (04) pinches cinnamon

Juice of half (1/2)  lemon

Recipe : Pre-heat oven to 200°C/ 400°F.

Wash the apples and un-score them; lay them in an oven oval dish. Decant the cider and the lemon juice on them.

In their central wholes put a bit of butter, and a pinch of cinnamon.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes approx; sprinkle the sugar on them.

Gratin de Fruits rouges (Red fruit Gratin) - Berries gratin

Gratin de Fruits rouges (Red fruit Gratin) - Berries gratin

Very delicious, berries gratin is always impressive, though very easy and quick to make within approx 10 minutes.

Ingredients / (for 04 people).

300 gr ( 10 oz ) Morello cherries (fresh / or / frozen)

300 gr ( 10 oz ) Raspberries (fresh or frozen)

70 g (2 1/2 oz ) Sugar

05 Tbspoons sour cream

02 eggs : yolk.

40 g ( 11/2 oz) granulated sugar

½ (half) teaspoon vanilla essence

1. Display the fruits equally into 4 ear-dishes, preheat oven on grill.
2. In a salad bowl, mix the egg yolks with sugar sharply so that the mixtures become clearer and foamy.  At this time add the sour cream and mix.
3. Pour the mixture evenly on the fruits, and then sprinkle evenly the granulated sugar on top.
4. Placed under the grill until it gets brown (estimated 10 minutes). 
5. Serve now right away.

TRICK: you can replace cherries and raspberries with others (blackberries, blueberries.  But try to constantly keep a balance between the sweet and the sour)

Terrine rustic (Country Terrine)

This is traditional, which is very simple to make. Another advantage: you can cook it the day before which may be serve with the French bread and cornichons (gherkins).

Ingredients (for 08 people).

- 450 g (1 lb) pork meat 

- 300 g (2/3 lb) veal meat

- 250 g (1/2 lb) smoked lardoons (bacon)

- 5 cl (2 fl oz) cognac

- 2 eggs

- 2 blades of thyme

- 2 bayleaves

- nutmeg, salt & pepper

1. Meat cut into the cube.
2. In an electric mixer, with a blade parts, the meat cubes, crushed them, but not too scattered. 
3. Put the meat in the salad bowl, pour the brandy, add thyme leaves, meat, nutmeg, salt (not too much because the bacon) and pepper; mixed everything, to 15 minutes. 
4. Add the two (02) eggs to the meat and mix to obtain an homogeneous mixture, place it into a paté terrine, smooth the surface and display the bay-leaves on. Cover up with the terrine lid.
5. Put the pan on the stove, you must always keep some water in the baking casserole (this is called "Tang Chi").
6. Bake in preheated oven 180°C - 350°F 1 hour 30 °F.
7. Let it cool down, and then kept for at least 12 hours, refrigerator, before serving.