Essential oil of Bitter almond

• 80 ml white lily macerate

• 50 ml verbena hydrosol

• 16 ml plant-based lanolin substitute

• 6 g mimosa wax

• 3 g soya lecithin

• 30 drops organic bitter almond essential oil or extract

• 20 drops grapefruit seed extract

• 7 drops of natural vitamin E

Directions: Melt the wax in the macerate in a bain-marie while stirring. When the wax has melted, remove from the heat and add the hydrosol in small quantities, while emulsifying. Add the lecithin and continue to emulsify. Add the rest of the ingredients while continuing to stir.

Makes about fifty crunchies

• 200 g flour

• 50 g almond powder

• 125 g whole almonds with skin

• 5 g baking powder

• 1 pinch salt

• 50 g soft butter

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 drop bitter almond essential oil

• 150 g caster sugar

• 100g icing sugar

• 2 eggs

Method: Turn the oven on to 220°C.

1. Mix the flour, almond powder, whole almonds, baking powder and salt and set aside. In another bowl, beat the butter with a spatula until fluffy. Flavour it with the vanilla extract and bitter almond essence, then stir in the sugars. Note that when adding flavour to a cake batter, always add it to the fat, as fat is the ultimate flavour carrier. Add the eggs and mix. Then add the almond flour that you have reserved, and work the dough until it is smooth.

2. Using floured hands, shape the dough into 3 elongated pieces and place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Take care to space the dough pieces apart as they will swell during baking. Place in the oven for 15 minutes. When they are golden and puffed up, take them out of the oven and immediately lower the thermostat to 130°C. (120 if you have fan assisted heat).

3. Using a serrated knife, cut the dough into 1 cm thick slices and place them back on the baking tray. It's better to have two baking trays, as the spaced slices take up more space.

Put them back in the oven and leave to dry for 30 minutes. If you have two trays, put them both in the oven at the same time with the heat turned on. If you don't have fan-assisted heat in your oven, you'll need to swap the trays halfway through cooking.

Then leave to cool. They will be incredibly crunchy. They keep for a long time in an airtight tin. But in general, storage is not a problem.

For one galette

• two rounds of puff pastry

• 100 g almond powder

• 80 g organic unrefined sugar

• 2 eggs, 100 g pumpkin

• 1/2 glass almond lotion

• 2 drops of bitter almond essential oil (optional)

• 1/2 cup hazelnuts pre-soaked overnight (optional)… a bean and a small charm!

Method:

Prepare the frangipane:

• mix the sugar and the two egg yolks to obtain a frothy mixture.

• Add the powdered almonds, pumpkin (peeled and grated beforehand) and almond lotion.

• Note: if you have bitter almond essential oil, you can add 2 drops to the almond lotion beforehand, to be diluted in the lotion. Do not use flavourings (bitter almond, coffee or other) obtained by chemical synthesis!

• Add the hazelnuts

• Whisk the egg whites until stiff and add them gently to the filling.

Spread the frangipane on the first puff pastry round, don't forget to add the bean and the little charm, moisten the edges of the pastry round and place the second pastry round on top. Join the edges of the two rounds together, then roll them slightly inwards. If you have an egg yolk to hand, dilute it with a little water and run it over the top of the galette so it browns. In this recipe, I simply used almond lotion.

Slightly score the top of the cake to decorate it in diamond shapes, score the edges with a knife and bake at 175°C (gas mark 8) for 25 minutes. Keep an eye on the galette; when it smells nice and is golden brown all over, it's cooked.

Ingredients:

• ½ litre plant lotion,

• 4 egg yolks

• 100 g sugar

• 40 g rice or wheat flour

• 3 drops of bitter almond essential oil

Directions:

Bring the plant lotion to the boil. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Add the flour and mix. Pour this mixture into the pan of boiling plant lotion. Whisk quickly. Bring to the boil and cook for no more than 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Leave to cool and set aside in a cool place. After cooking, add 3 drops of bitter almond essential oil.

When the mixture is cold, place it in the fridge until it is chilled. Half an hour before serving, pour the mixture into the blender bowl through the transparent lid. Run the blender for 20 minutes for a smooth, soft ice cream or 30 minutes for a harder ice cream.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 2 eggs

• 110 g black treacle

• 110 g rice flour

• 1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

• 110 g almond purée

• 220 g almond lotion

• 80 g almond paste

• 2 drops of bitter almond essential oil

• 4 pears (600 g)

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the eggs with the treacle until the mixture is frothy. Add the flour and bicarbonate. Mix again. Add the almond purée, almond lotion and crumbled almond paste. Mix well. Add the bitter almond essential oil. Mix well. Cut the pears into small cubes and fold into the mixture. Pour into a silicone or pre-oiled and floured mould (here I used two small moulds, one square and one heart-shaped, which are handy to take with you on a picnic). Bake for 45 minutes at 160°C without preheating.

For 8 muffins

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites

• 50 g light cane sugar

• 50 g almond purée

• 35 g rice flour

• 25 g potato starch

• 1 pinch of bicarbonate of soda

• 70 g almond lotion

• 1 to 2 drops of bitter almond essential oil (optional)

• 120 g unpitted cherries

• 1 tbsp. flaked almonds

Preparation time:

Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a bowl, mix the sugar with the rice flour, cornflour and a pinch of bicarbonate of soda. Stir in the almond purée and almond lotion. Add the bitter almond essential oil. Stir until smooth. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold gently into the mixture. Pour the batter into 8 silicone muffin tins. Rinse and pit the cherries. Divide between the moulds. Sprinkle the tops of the cakes with the flaked almonds. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Leave to cool before unmoulding.