I still have brick sheets that I brought back from France last May and need to use them, the expiration date is coming close, so here is a delightful fruity dessert that lightened up my Sunday. I treat myself as often as I can and today was one of those days.

Peaches in my opinion are a perfect match with apricots and mangoes. I remember my favorite chewing gum flavor when I was a child was “pêche-abricot“, since then they remained my favorite fruits.

I served this warm fruity brick with coconut ice cream, it’s a non dairy ice cream made with just coconut milk and no added sugar that is absolutely delicious, it’s low in calories and is a lovely addition to any fruit based dessert. Usually, I do not advertise for any brand, but this time, I decided to mention it, since I haven’t found anything similar in terms of flavor/calories ratio. I poured some coconut milk with rum, on top with toasted coconut chips and that made twice my day. I am not a calorie counting freak, but I like to keep dishes light without “killing” the flavor, which is a tough task, because everyone knows that fat is a flavor enhancer.

When I find my ice cream maker, I will make coconut ice cream until then, I will gladly eat this one. A warm crunchy brick filled with fruits and combined with a little cup of coconut ice cream is a real treat.

Ingredients for 4

For the bricks

• 8 brick sheets
• 1 mango, peeled, and sliced
• 2 peaches, peeled and sliced
• zest of one Meyer lemon
• 2 tsp coconut sugar
• a few pinches of lavender
• olive oil or melted butter for brushing

For the ice cream cup

• 4 scoops of coconut ice cream
• 1/2 pint light coconut milk
• stevia (to taste)
• 1-2 tsp rum (to taste)
• toasted coconut chips
• raw pistachios

Preparation

For the bricks

Mix cut mango and peaches together in a bowl. Add coconut milk, lemon zest and lavender. Let infuse for 15 min in the refrigerator.

In a large wooden board, lay flat one brick and place about 2-3 tbs of fruit mixture in the middle. Then fold over the sides as if you are wrapping a present. Proceed the same way using a second brick sheet but this time, doing it on the other side (turning the brick on the other side with the folded sides being underneath). Brush bricks with butter or oil (to your preference)

Proceed the same way with the other sheets until all mixture is used.

Preheat oven at 390F and place in a non stick tray brick. When top is golden brown, turn bricks the other side until golden and crunchy.

Serve warm.

For the ice cream cup

Mix coconut milk with rum and stevia.

Place one scoop of ice cream in a small cup. Pour some coconut milk on top. Sprinkle with pistachios and toasted coconut chips.

Lavender simply evokes Provence. Wherever I go, if I see lavender, that makes me think about the South of France but particularly about Provence, its wonderful lavender fields and cicadas singing. I adore Provence, its picturesque medieval villages, its natural light, wonderful cuisine and friendliness of its inhabitants…but most of all, the delicious sensation of the Provencal sun caressing your skin with a light breeze, making it pure heaven. I think that’s one thing I really miss about Mediterranean climate, being able to dress lightly until midnight without wearing any sweater sipping a Pastis…that is true happiness.

Does anyone know where the last picture has been shot? It’s a famous city in the South of France…

So to celebrate Provence, I wanted to make something combining summer and Southern fruits like peaches, apricots and lavender flavor; and this delightful yogurt has all of it in one bite.

Homemade yogurt can be made in many different ways, in a pressure cooker, in the oven, and of course in a yogurt maker, like I do. Well, it’s the easiest way to make them and the only way I know not to fail them, so why take the complicated route when you can take the easy one? There is definitely nothing better than homemade yogurts, nothing to compare with store bought yogurts, they can be creamy, thicker, depending on the time you leave them to incubate, and the amount of powdered milk you use. I have been substituting powder milk with evaporated milk and it works quite well.

Ingredients for 8 yogurts

- 4 cups milk
- 1 plain yogurt or 1 bag of lactic ferments
- 6 tbs evaporated milk
- 2 tbs unsweetened condensed milk
- 3 yellow well ripe peaches, peeled and cut in pieces
- 2 apricots, cut in pieces
- 2 tbs sugar + 2 for the milk
- 2 tbs lavender

Preparation

In a pan combine peaches, apricots and sugar and cook to obtain a thick mixture. Remove from heat and let it cool.

Boil milk with lavender, then remove from heat and let it cool to less than 45C. Drain to remove lavender flowers.

In a mixing container, mix yogurt with condensed milk, evaporated milk and sugar. Add gradually milk.

Divide the fruit compote in each jar, then pour carefully milk mixture. Place yogurt in yogurt maker and let it incubate for about 8 hours. Remove from yogurt maker, place lids on and place in the refrigerator for about 3 hours.

So did you find out where this is?

I made a pizza a few nights ago, something I don’t do as much as I used to, and I had leftover dough I didn’t want to through away. I just hate to throw away food and more so doughs that can be used in so many different ways. I have been thinking to combine goat cheese and lavender on some sort of a tart or small bites, voilà, c’est fait en un tour de main (it’s done in a hand twist if you have dough of course). Those canapés are tiny, about 2 inches in diameter, even though they seem a lot bigger by looking at the picture.

As much as I dislike lavender as a scent, I would never buy lavender soaps or fragrances, but I adore lavender in food, it feels like Provence with its warm and sunny days, vibrant colors and flower fragrances. Lavender is like vanilla for me, the smell in fragrances makes me cringe but I love cooking with it.

The particularity of pizza dough, is that it needs to cook fast at high temperature, to get a crisp bottom and not chewy. Usually I bake it in a very hot oven, at high temperature and the dough is always perfect. Well, it’s perfect for me, since I like it crunchy and not soft and chewy.

I used large oyster mushrooms, but any mushrooms such as cremini, would work fine. You could also use eggplants, that makes a great combination with goat cheese.

Never throw away leftover dough of any kind, you can always use it, it makes beautiful bites so when unexpected guest show up, they come in handy.

For about 12 canapés

• pizza dough or pate brisée
• 1/3 lb mushrooms
• 12 slices goat cheese
• honey
• lavender salt
• 1 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Sauté mushrooms, in olive oil, add salt and pepper and let cook until the water evaporates.

Roll dough very thinly, about 2 mm thick. Cut 2 inches circles with a cookie ring. Place some mushrooms, top it with goat cheese. Sprinkle with lavender salt and honey.

Bake in pre-heated oven at 400F for about 10 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and cheese has melted.

Serve hot.