All you always wanted to know about the madeleines secrets with Delices and Gourmandises

The madeleines are one of the most known French pastries. It comes from the Lorraine region and its form reminds us a shell. Delices and Gourmandises presents you the history of this delicious little cake.

Discover the madeleine with Delices and Gourmandises

The madeleine has gained his fame with the Marcel Proust book À la recherche du temps perdu, which is the first part of his novel Du côté de chez Swann. Even if the madeleine origins are quite vague, specialists of history said that it has been probably invented in Commercy city, in the Lorraine region in the 18th century. The tradition also said that it has been served first to Stanislaw Lezczynski, duke of Lorraine, that gave them the name Madeleine, referring to the young woman who prepared them.

Generally served at tea time or for breakfast, the madeleine has also been in practically all French schoolbag. This shell formed traditional little cake that is smooth and dome shaped on the top and ribbed on the sides is really sweet in the inside. That is why it is best to serve it when it is hot. You can also sprinkle them with some powdered sugar before serving. Nevertheless, at Delices and Gourmandises, we opt for a lemon aromatized icing, slightly acid.

Sweet and soft madeleines at Delices and Gourmandises

As for the classic sponge cake, the madeleine is made from pounded dough, which means that the eggs and the sugar are beaten together before adding the sifted flour. But unlike the sponge cake, melted butter is added to the mix, or slightly heated butter. This ingredient makes the madeleine dough very light and tender, with a delicious butter aroma and taste.

At Delices and Gourmandises, you can find the classic soft golden madeleines prepared according to the traditional recipe. For tea time or for snack, they will satisfy the little and bigger children.

Russian cigarettes presented to you by Delices and Gourmandises

Russian cigarettes are best to enjoy with coffee, tea, and hot milk. They can also be consumed with ice cream. One should not be mistaken by the name though. Although its name has the word Russian, the pastry was not created by Russians. Where does it come from then? Delices and Gourmandises will give you a brief explanation.

A pastry “made in Belgium” you can easily find at Delices and Gourmandises

It was invented in 1945 by a Belgian company called Delacre. The name is actually an antonomasia which means that the title Russian cigarettes or cigarettes Russes in French was originally a registered trademark but its success designated it to be used in everyday language. It is called as such due to its cigarette looking design but also because Russians are used to wrapping their cigarettes diagonally.

The Delacre company has been in the trade industry since 1891. Charles Delacre, its creator, was a French national living in Brussels. He was originally a pharmacist and in 1870, he decided to create a chocolate factory because chocolate was widely prescribed by pharmacists during that time period due to its toning and invigorating property.

He started producing pastries in 1891 in order to add a touch of diversity in his activity and also to reinforce his already successful company, marking the beginning of his company's spectacular journey.

You will easily find this kind of pastry in Delices and Gourmandises Catalogue.

Other fine products are also available at Delices and Gourmandises for your convenience.

If you would like to experience one of Delices and Gourmandises trick to please yourself, try to enjoy some Russian cigarettes with hot milk in front of your TV. Other fine products are also available at Delices and Gourmandises for you to enjoy. Our catalogue will help you discover pastries such as: Rum Babas, fruit cakes, apple and grape biscuits and, caramel waffles.

Shortbread recipe by Delices and Gourmandises

Delices and Gourmandises shortbread butter is a snack you can enjoy anytime during the day. Here is an easy to follow recipe of this pastry to help you prepare your own.

Ingredients for 20 shortbreads

- 1 egg

- 60gr sugar

- Vanilla flavored sugar

- 125gr flour

- 60gr butter

 

Preparation

Beat the egg in a pan and split it in two. Add a pinch of salt, sugar, and vanilla flavored sugar in one half and mix everything well until you get a white and homogenous mixture. Pour flour then work on your paste with your hand until you have a sandy texture. Add butter and crush your paste before you make a ball with it. Add some more flour if you feel that your newly formed ball is not firm enough and greasy. Wrap it with a plastic foil and put it in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

You can vary the flavor by adding shredded lemon zest, vanilla or rum just like those you find at Delices and Gourmandises

Delices and Gourmandises : How to cook and serve your biscuits?

Unwrap the paste out of the plastic foil and use a rolling pin to flatten it so that it would be about half centimeter thick. Use a knife to carve your biscuits. Put them on top of a baking sheet covered by another baking paper. Then, put them inside the oven for 20 minutes. Temperature should be 180°C.

Delices and Gourmandises’ shortbreads can be served with either hot or cold drink. Keep your shortbreads inside an airtight box so that they do not lose their firm texture

Delices and Gourmandises presents you the revisited chocolate rocks recipe

If you are a great fan of Ferrero Rocher chocolates, Delices and Gourmandises offers you the possibility of making your own chocolate rocks at home.

An easy to make recipe

What you will need for this Delices and Gourmandises chocolate rocks recipe are:
-    100gr grilled hazelnuts
-    5 spoon Nutella
-    1 spoon of coconut extract
-    2 teaspoon vanilla extract
-    2 teaspoon cocoa powder
-    1 spoon grounded linseeds
-    1 spoon maple syrup
-    ¼ cup of dark chocolate chip
-    1 spoon cocoa butter
-    A pinch salt
Grind ½ cup of hazelnuts and cut the rest in small pieces.

In a big bowl, mix well the grinded hazelnuts, the Nutella, all fruit extracts, the cocoa powder, the grounded linseeds, the maple syrup and the salt.

Make small balls with the dough; roll them in the rest if hazelnuts you cut in pieces. Let chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Melt the chocolate chip with the cocoa butter at mild heat then roll the chocolate balls into it, one by one. Lay a parchment paper on a baking sheet and let your chocolate rocks chill until the chocolate are hard enough.

Delices and Gourmandises offers you a great tips for peeling easily your hazelnuts. Just grill them in the oven at 180°C, then when the skis cracks, just peel it off

Find other chocolates on Delices and Gourmandises

Delices and Gourmandises proposes lots of fine chocolates. Aromatized with fruits, decorated with almonds, filled with delicious alcoholic beverage, our chocolates are made for the whole family. Everyone would find some the fit their need in the wide range of products presented in our catalog. We also offer different cakes and pastries for tea time, breakfast or snacks, and many sweets and delicacies for whole day.

Delices and Gourmandises' recipe for orange aromatized mulled wine

Spiced or aromatized mulled wine is used as the beverage for keeping all family warm in winter. Delices and Gourmandises offers the recipe of one of the most popular mulled wines: the one aromatized with orange.

Mulled wine is used for ages as medicine and for warming the family in winter

Known since the roman antiquity, spied and mulled wine rapidly conquers European aristocracy before being adopted by people. The phenomenon was incredible after the authorities authorized each family to produce their own alcoholic drinks. Most appreciated for its ability to warm, the beverage is widely used in Scandinavian and German countries, but also in some east European countries.

White wine is sometimes used but the red wines are the stars of mulled wines recipes. You can find some very good ones at Delices and Gourmandises. Their natural components mixed with spices help the body to fight against tiredness and infections. It is very efficient to prevent and fight cold and many winter diseases.

Orange aromatized mulled wine by Delices and Gourmandises

For a beverage for 6 persons, you will need:

-    1,5l of red wine
-    1 orange
-    1 lemon
-    100gr honey or 200gr brown sugar
-    2 cinnamon stocks
-    2 cloves
-    2 star anise
-    1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Peel the orange and slice it; do not throw away the zests. Put the fruits and the wine into a pan. Cook at middle heat and add the honey or the brown sugar, the worn orange zest. Do not let the mixture boil and add the sliced lemon and the anise. Let the beverage infuse for all night. At morning, your beverage will be ready. Do not forget to warm it before serving it.

Many great red wines are proposed by Delices and Gourmandises: Domaine de Lascamp, Les amis de la Beaume, or Château le Vinata.

Discover the pleasure of Vermouth with Delices and Gourmandises’s wine selection

Known since the eighteenth century, Vermouth is a wine-based aperitif still very fashionable nowadays. Should you want to prepare this drink yourself, Delices and Gourmandises offers a large catalog of white and red wines, dry or sweet.

All you need to know about Vermouth with Delices and Gourmandises’s experts

Derived from the German word Wermut – which literally translates as absinthe – the name Vermouth refers to an alcoholic preparation made of wine, absinthe, and various spices herbs. Its creation is attributed to an Italian clerk in Turin. Having quickly conquered other cities in Italy and Europe, this drink is now one of the most popular in the world, be it a bottle of a major brand such as the famous Martini or a homemade preparation made from scratch to enjoy with family and friends.

Wrapped in a very nice mellow flavor, Vermouth owes its success to the many aromas conferred by the herb and spice mixture whose recipes are jealously guarded by manufacturers. Similarly, there are several types of Vermouth depending on the type of wine used. You will find at Delices and Gourmandises everything you need to make your own drink according to your taste.

Delices and Gourmandises advice for preparing and serving the best Vermouth

To prepare a vermouth, the first and fundamental step is to choose the wine, which will give the "tone" of your drink from the driest white to the softer red. To this base you will add the aromatic mixture and sugar to sweeten your drink. No matter what you are looking for, Delices and Gourmandises has a catalog of wines that will satisfy you.

Vermouth is preferably enjoyed chilled and is sometimes served with ice. If you don’t want to dilute the flavor of your drink, you can also leave your preparation in the refrigerator a few hours before serving.