Within the Kitchen

Valentine Cakes - Princess Doll Cake and Gumball Heart Cake

2012-02-14T10:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!
Just wanted to share a couple cake's I made for the kid's cake raffle today! Both are super easy to make - you just need the right pan and a little imagination. Although I made the icing (vanilla buttercream), I used a couple of doctored up cake mixes. The heart cake is chocolate fudge with added orange flavouring and the Valentine Princess cake is a simple yellow cake with added pudding mix.

Brownie Cake Pops - Valentine Hearts

2012-02-11T19:43:00.000-08:00

Brownie Cake Pops - perfect for your special Valentine!

Cake pops are everywhere these days but let's face - they are sooo cute! I especially like brownie cake pops because the denser cake makes for a better taste and feel in your mouth. And my biggest tip is to go light on the icing - too much just turns it all to mush - you want it to taste more like a brownie!

Ingredients
1-1/2 c butter, unsalted
2-1/4 c sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 c flour
1 c cocoa
1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 c prepared icing
1 package candy melts or similar
30, 5 or 6 inch lollipop sticks

What to do

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
Over low heat, melt butter in a saucepan.
Add sugar and stir until well combined and some sugar dissolves. It will still be thick and 'sugary' looking.
Cool the mixture to room temperature.
Place in large mixing bowl.
Add eggs one at a time and beat until well combined- about 4 minutes.
In another bowl, sift together.
Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and stir until just combined.
Pour batter into pan and smooth with spatula.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Don't over bake!
Cool completely before moving on.

Once cool, crumble brownie into large chunks and place in food processor. You may want to do this in batches.
Pulse brownies until it has consistency of grainy sand.
Place in large bowl.
Add 3/4 c of icing and mix until well combined. You may have to add a bit more. You need the mixture to hold together when rolled into a ball. But try not to add too much or pops become too sweet.
Refrigerate mixture preferably overnight but at least 2 hours.
To make a heart shape I used one half of a boiled egg shaper for bento boxes. But you could also use a small cookie cutter or shape them by hand. They shouldn't be more than a couple of inches in size.
Place hearts on a cookie sheet and refrigerate again for a few hours or overnight.

Melt your candy melts according to directions.
Dip one end of lollipop stick into melted candy.
Place dipped stick into bottom of heart...about 2 cm deep.
Dip heart while holding onto stick into melted candy to cover heart completely.
Place cake pop stick end into styrofoam or place in a heavy glass so they can dry.
Once candy is dried, use a food writer pen or icing in a decorating bag with a thin tip to write your messages.
Dry as in previous method or place on cookie sheets until ready to eat.

Makes approximately 30 cakes pops.

Sugar Rimmed Sugar Cookies Recipe

2012-02-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

To me, these cookies are in between a sugar and a shortbread cookie - very buttery but a bit chewier than a regular shortbread.

I love this recipe because:

few ingredients are needed
can make the dough and then refrigerate overnight so time commitment is minimal
the decoration is quick and easy
no rolling of the dough!
taste amazing
flavour gets even better if you can let them sit a day or two
sanding sugar easily goes with any theme - orange and black for Halloween, red and green for Christmas, pastels for Easter, blue and green for the Canucks!

Adapted from a recipe by the beyond talented Regan Daley

Ingredients
1/2 c unsalted butter
1 c sugar
2 c flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg yolk for adhering sprinkles
various sanding sugars - 1/3 c per colour

What to do

Cream butter and sugar for 4 minutes until light, and creamy.
Add vanilla.
Gently mix in flour. Less is more here - you don't want tough cookies.
Divide the dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap so they form a long cylinder of dough (like a soup can shape) that is about 2 inches in diameter.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.Work quickly with one portion of dough at a time, leaving the other in the refrigerator.
Brush the first cylinder with the lightly beaten egg yolk.
Roll the dough into rainbow sprinkles. If you want many coloured sprinkles then cut dough in smaller pieces and then roll in chosen colours. Rotate the log every few slices to avoid flattening the roll on any one side.
With a sharp knife slice the dough into 3/8-inch wide slices.
Place on baking sheets about 3/4 inch apart.
Repeat the procedure with second log.
Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, or until the bottoms begin to colour. Watch carefully every oven is different!
Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.
Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Super Foods 2012 #2 - Chickpeas and Hummus Recipe

2012-02-06T12:51:00.003-08:00

Another superfood of 2012!

I think most people in North America have at least tried a chickpea - hummus, roasted chickpeas, falafels, salads...the nutty and buttery tasting legume is everywhere!

Major chickpea producers include India, Pakistan, Mexico, Turkey, Canada, and Australia. Currently, the United States imports more than 80 percent of its domestic chickpea needs.

Chickpea Facts

chickpea seeds contain 20% protein, 5% fat and 55% carbohydrate
chickpeas contains complex carbohydrates and fiber
they are a good source of vitamin B6, C and zinc
they have a low glycemic index value (42 – canned)
they are very versatile as they can be stored dry and reconstituted later with liquid; canned in liquid; blended into a spread (as with hummus); roasted and eaten as a snack; or ground into flour.
According to the Vancouver Sun one cup of chickpeas provide 270 calories; 71 per cent of an adult’s daily needs for folate; 26 per cent for iron; 20 per cent of magnesium; 17 per cent zinc; 28 per cent phosphorus and 14 per cent potassium.

Classic Hummus
Makes 1-1/2 cups
Ingredients
1 can (540ml) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4c tahini
2 lemons juiced
1/2 lime juiced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

What to do
1. Add everything into a food processor or blender.
2. Puree until very smooth.
Enjoy.

Click here for Super food #1 - Hemp hearts!

Chipotle Chocolate Oat Cake

2012-02-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

You can see the oaty goodness in every bite. And a hint of chipotle heat sneaks up on your taste buds too.

I love oats. I love chocolate. I love chipotle. I love this cake! It combines all of these things into one delicious, not too sweet dessert that leaves a little heat in your mouth that makes you go back for more.

It's great on its own or with frosting and sprinkles. You can up the chipotle to 1/2 tsp if you can take the heat!

My 7 year old (& future food blogger) getting in on the action! So cute.

Ingredients
1/2 c butter
1 c boiling water
1 c large flake oats

1-1/4 c brown sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla

1/4 c cocoa powder
1 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chipotle powder

What to do

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
In large bowl, combine oats, butter and boiling water.
Let stand 10 minutes, stirring a few times
Stir in eggs, sugar and vanilla.
In small bowl, sift flour, cocoa, chipotle, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
Add to oat mixture and mix to combine.
Pour into a greased 8x8 pan.
Bake 30-35 minutes until wooden tooth pick comes out clean.
Cool completely.
Frost anyway you like!

Sprinkles add a dash of happiness to any cake!

Super Foods - Hemp Hearts - Miso Meatballs with Hemp Hearts

2012-01-29T10:41:00.000-08:00

Have you given up on your New Year’s resolution to lose weight, or eat healthier foods? Sadly, the stats say that most of us have. If you haven’t: CONGRATULATIONS! KEEP GOING! If you have jump back on what ever wagon you fell off of and begin again!

To help, over the coming weeks I am going to share some new and healthy (or fairly healthy) recipes. In January, I read an article in the Vancouver Sun about 2012’s “super foods”. While I think there are many good and healthy foods, I don’t really believe any one of them can leap a building in a single bound. That said, trying new foods is one way to stay motivated in our quest for better health.

In my personal quest for healthier eating I have decided to try most of the foods on the list and share my recipes with you. (It also gives me ammo when I ask my kids to try new foods - lead by example!) Here is the list:

1. Pomegranate
2. Quinoa
3. Chia
4. Kale
5. Farro
6. Kangaroo
7. Hemp hearts
8. Spirulina
9. Black garlic
10. Avocado
11. Chick peas
12. Dates and Figs

I won’t be trying spirulina since I can only find it in powdered form and honestly it just doesn’t sound appealing.

I have already tried pomegranate, quinoa, avocado, chick peas, and dates and figs but I will offer facts and recipes for each. That leaves: chia, kale, faro, kangaroo, hemp hearts, and black garlic as foods that have never crossed my lips.

Shelled Hemp Seeds aka Hemp Hearts

Shelled Hemp Seeds

This week I tried hemp hearts. Hemps hearts are shelled hemp seeds. Whether you inhaled or not during high school or university, you do not need to worry about getting a buzz from these seeds - there is no active "buzz" generating ingredients! In fact, according to nutritionist Leslie Beck, Canada legalized industrial hemp farming back in the late 1990s. Canadian law ensures that no more than 0.3 % THC is present in harvested hemp products (sorry, not sure about the U.S.) This low level of the active "buzz" generating ingredient means it's pretty much impossible to "get high" off hemp.

According to Wikipedia, hempseed is usually very safe for those unable to tolerate nuts, gluten, lactose, and sugar. Hempseeds are a great way to get an ideal ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3‘s.

Nutritional Info from Manitoba Harvest

Ok, so you know they are healthy and good for you. But how do they taste? I think they taste like soft sunflower seeds. They have an almost creamy consistency which varies depending on the brand. So far I have tasted Mum's and Bob's Red Mill (sorry Manitoba Harvest - I haven't tried yours yet!). Both are very good. Mum's have an organic and non-organic version as well as a "regular" variety and one that is slow roasted and Bob's is non-organic. I prefer Bob's because of the creamier taste but Mum's have been on sale lately and price often will win out.

I have been putting a couple of tablespoons of hemp hearts in my morning yogourt. They really do keep me from feeling hungry longer than say cereal, oatmeal or toast. I'd say I go about 5 hours before I need a snack.

As for other ideas, I think you could:

use as a coating for fish
add to hummus recipe
throw in muffins, cakes, cookies
meatballs

In fact, I made these meatballs for dinner recently. They are fantastic! Full of flavour and the hemp hearts add a definite nutrition boost! When you first mix the ingredients, you might think it looks a bit wet. Don't worry the hemp hearts will suck up the excess moisture.

If you have any other ideas for recipes let me know!

Miso Meatballs with Hemp Hearts Recipe
Ingredients

3/4 lb lean ground beef
2 tbsp honey garlic sauce
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
1 tbsp red miso
3 tbsp hemp hearts
1 egg, slightly beaten

vegetable oil for sauteeing.

What to do

Mix all ingredients together.
Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or more.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Add 1 - 2 tbsp oil and heat saute pan over medium heat.
Working in batches, make and brown 1-1/2 inch meatballs.
Saute for about 15 minutes (internal temperature of 160 degrees F must be reached to avoid food bourne illnesses!!)
Place batches in oven to keep warm.
If desired, thread on small skewers with pineapple and green onions.

Daring Bakers Challenge

2012-01-27T09:48:00.000-08:00

Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens!

Baking powder biscuits require few ingredients and not much time but many home cooks say they are hard to perfect. Tough biscuits, biscuits that don't rise properly, not flaky enough, not tender enough...oh the problems can be endless with these little gems.

But this month's Daring Baker's Challenge explained the science behind the baking powder biscuit. Taking to heart even a few of the tips will take your biscuits to new heights. Most important tips in my opinion are:

use frozen butter
let dough rest in fridge after initial mixing and before putting cut biscuits in the oven

Frozen butter is the secret..shhh...don't tell anyone!

Here is the recipe and tips so you can try it yourself!

Spicy Miso Grilled Chicken

2012-01-23T19:22:00.000-08:00

I love spicy foods, especially dishes that have more than just that hot, make you sweat kind of heat. The really great spicy dishes have a depth of flavour and heat levels that change as you enjoy them. I think this miso grilled chicken qualifies.

This marinade would also be amazing with pork.

Adapted from a Men's Health recipe

Ingredients
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2 chicken breasts
3 tbsp sirachi sauce (hot sauce)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 c white grape juice (apple juice works too)
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp red miso
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 c water
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
6 green onions, chopped

What to do

In a bowl, combine all ingredients EXCEPT chicken, and both kinds of onions.
Mix well (the miso usually requires a bit of extra attention to make sure it mixes completely).
Pour half the mixture into a large ziploc.
Add half of regular and green onions to the bowl and the other half into the bag.
Cover and place the bowl in the fridge.
Place the chicken in the ziploc with the marinade mixture.
Seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.
When ready to grill chicken, remove marinade in the bowl and place in a small pan.
Simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes. If desired, use a hand blender to blend in onions and make sauce thicker.
Meanwhile, oil BBQ grill and heat to medium high.
Grill chicken until nice grill marks have formed and chicken releases easily. (5 minutes for thighs; 8 minutes for breasts). Throw away marinade in bag.
Flip chicken and cook 5-10 minutes more. Make sure chicken is cooked to internal temp of 170 degrees F.
Remove from grill and rest for 3-5 minutes so juices redistribute within chicken.
Use cooked sauce for dipping or drizzle over chicken.
Makes 4-6 servings.

Baby Shower Cupcakes & Chocolate Sour Cream Ganache Recipe

2012-01-16T14:12:00.000-08:00

I made these for a friend's baby shower many moons ago...I found the instructions here on Wilton's website. I think they turned out well....and they were fun to make. Of course, if I had to make 40 of them, I wouldn't think so...they definitely take time and really who could eat that much fondant??!! Instead, I made plain cupcakes and placed a baby themed candy on each one.

To be honest I don't remember what recipe I used for the cupcakes but I do remember the incredibly easy chocolate ganache frosting recipe.

Chocolate Sour Cream Ganache

from The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

(Make about 2-1/2 c)

Ingredients
12 oz dark chocolate (I use Lindt)
400g sourcream , at room temperature!
What to do
Break the chocolate into small pieces and carefully melt in sauce pan over low heat or in the microwave.

Gently stir to incorporate the sourcream.

NB: Stores 3 days at room temperature.

Tuna Salad in an Avocado Ring Recipe

2012-01-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

Have you ever used a ring mold? I hadn't as it seemed too complicated and time consuming...I was wrong! I was reading other blogs one day when I came across a blog called Apples and Butter. Among many great posts she had one for a gazpacho garnish that was increbibly cute. Although I hate gazpacho, I loved the avocado ring idea. I used it as part of my tuna salad dinner that night. Luckily, I had bought a couple ring molds a few months ago but had never opened the package!

I placed the ring on top of a bed of spinach and placed the avocado slices around the ring. Then, I filled it with the salad and voila, a delcious and fun dinner was ready!

If you don't like tuna or gazpacho, fill the ring with something else - chicken salad, rice and nori, greek salad are just a few ideas.

Makes two salads. A ring mold is required - I used a 4 inch ring.

Ingredients
2 avocados
1/4 c grapes, halved
handful of chives, chopped
1 can tuna
6 sweet gherkins or other pickle, diced
3 tbsp mayo or salad dressing
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cups spinach leaves, washed and dried
1 celery stalk, chopped
dash of pepper and garlic powder

What to do

Mix the tuna, pepper and garlic, mayo, gherkins, onion and celery in a medium sized bowl.
Set aside.
Place a thin bed of spinach leaves on plate.
Set aside.
Cut avocado in half lengthwise.
Remove pit.
Remove skin.
Slice avocado length wise into thin strips.
Spray the ring mold with non-stick spray.
Place the avocado (cut side down) against the mold.
Continue to overlap the avocado slices until the mold in completely lined.
Press the avocado against the sides of the mold to ensure it is placed securely.
Spoon tuna salad into the mold ensuring it is well packed.
Place halved grapes and chives on top of salad.
Carefully remove the ring!
Repeat everything to make another serving.
Enjoy :)

Halibut and Spinach Curry

2012-01-06T09:16:00.000-08:00

NB: I had planned on posting this in September! Not sure what happened....life I guess! Luckily, this recipe is still perfect for wintery nights. It also is a great dish for those of us with healthy eating resolutions! Enjoy.....

I know summer is barely over but my mind has already turned to crisp fall days and leaves of many colours. And for me, when fall arrives so do big, warm bowls of chowders, soups and currys. Pair these with crispy, buttery garlic bread and you have an easy, yet satisfying meal for yourself and guests.

This is a hearty curry meal that can also be served atop rice instead of bread. If you don't like halibut any other firm white fish will work wonderfully. It is not overly spicy and the left over sauce begs for extra bread to sop up every last bit!

Adapted from Canadian Living.
Serves 4.

Ingredients
1-1/2 lbs halibut
1 tbsp oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp mild curry paste (I use Patak's)
1 tbsp gingerroot, minced (about 2 inch piece)
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
4 cups baby spinach
3/4 c crushed tomatoes from can
1 can light coconut milk

What to do

De-skin fish if required and cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes.
Heat oil over medium temperature in large sautee pan. Add onion, garlic, curry paste, ginger, coriander, tumeric and salt. Sautee until onion are translucent and soft. About 5 minutes.
Add spinach and cook until just wilted.
Add tomatoes and coconut milk.
Bring to boil.
Add the fish and immediately reduce heat to simmer fish until cooked. Fish will be done when it can flake apart easily (about 8 minutes).
Serve.

Chocolate oatmeal flax cookie recipe

2012-01-04T14:39:00.000-08:00

If I put flax and oatmeal in a cookie along with some dark chocolate that makes them a health food, right?.....right??? Come on work with me here, people!

Ok, ok maybe they are not a health food but they are delicious!

Makes 20 large or 48 small cookies

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milled flax
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups large flake rolled oats
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (or the whole bag...whichever ever is easier!)
1/2 c toffee bits
1/2 c premade icing, totally optional

What to do

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy...about 4 minutes.
Add egg one at a time, mixing in the first before adding the second.
Add the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, flax and salt.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter bowl until just incorporated - don't over mix.
Add the oats and chocolate chips. Stir until just mixed in.
For large cookies drop dough in 1/4 c mounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or silpat.
Bake for 14 -16minutes or until just starting to turn golden brown around the edges. For small cookies, use a tbsp or 1-1/2 inch cookie scooper and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Cool for five minutes on cookie sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
If desired, drizzle a little premade icing on them!

Quinoa with black beans and mushrooms

2011-12-31T14:08:00.000-08:00

It's almost a new year so that means new resolutions about eating healthier and exercising more. I can't help you with the exercise part but here's an easy recipe featuring quinoa and beans which will increase your fibre intake and if you use it as an entree you can skip a red meat serving!

Ingredients
3/4 c quinoa
1 can black beans
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup corn kernels
4 cloves garlic, chopped small
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tsp cumin
1 c water
1/2 c white wine
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground chipotle pepper
2 tsp oil
2 tsp butter

What to do
1. In a large pot, add oil and butter to sauté onions and mushrooms over medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic, ginger,cumin,chipotle and salt and pepper. Sauté for 1 minute.
3. Add quinoa, water and wine.
4. Bring to boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add beans and corn and heat for additional 5 minutes.
7. Serve.

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

2011-12-28T09:48:00.000-08:00

How was your Christmas? Merry, I hope!

I know many of us will have a tonne of leftovers. For me, the best part of Christmas leftovers are turkey sandwiches and turkey pot pie! Here is an easy recipe for pot pie. I like a thick and hearty filling so I use leftover gravy and pretty much any other leftover veggies. The crust uses frozen butter to create the flakiest crust that you will ever taste.

Crust
2-1/2 c flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup frozen butter
12 tbsp ice cold water

Filling
2 c turkey, chopped
1/2 c carmelized onions
1 c cooked yams, diced
1/2 c carrots
1/2 c peas
any other veggies you have left from dinner could also be added
1-1/2 c gravy

What to do

Crust

In a large bowl, stir or whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
Using a box grater, grate the frozen butter into the flour bowl. (this is not fun, but well worth it)
Toss the butter and flour mixture together.
Add the ice water by the tbsp so evenly spread over butter-flour mixture.
Using your hands (take off your rings!), mix and knead the mixture until it comes together in a smooth ball.
Divide the dough in two, wrap each in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate at least an hour, perferably overnight.

Pie

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, gebtly mix all of your left overs together. Season as required.
Take dough out of fridge and let warm up slightly so you can more easily work with it (15 minutes).
Flour your working surface and your rolling pin.
Roll out the first wrapped dough so it fits into the bottom of the 9 inch glass or ceramic pie plate.
Add the turkey mixture.
Roll out the second half of the dough and place on top of pie.
Tightly crimp the edges of the two layers of dough together so they form a tight seal.
Slice four vent holes in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape.
Bake for 60 minutes.
If you find the crust browning too much wrap edges in foil.
Let sit 10-15 minutes before serving.

Note: Any leftovers should be reheated in the oven as microwaving it will make the crust soggy.

Thumb Print Cookie Recipe

2011-12-16T13:14:00.000-08:00

Thumbprint cookies are so simple and easy to make. They are also the perfect recipe when the kids want to help in the kitchen. Their little thumbs are the perfect size for making the needed jam holder!

Makes about 20 delicious cookies.

Ingredients
1-1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs yolks
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
3/4 cup jam (any flavor)

What to do

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
Beat in egg yolks, vanilla and salt.
In another bowl whisk flour and salt.
Gently combine flour and salt into creamed ingredient bowl.
Form dough into 1-inch diameter balls.
Place 2 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.
Press down center of each with your thumb or back of spoon.
Fill centers with about 1 teaspoon of your jam.
Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.
Cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Reindeer Kit Kat and M&M Cake

2011-12-13T09:21:00.000-08:00

I saw this cake on Pinterest last year and put it in my mental recipe box for this Christmas. I didn't save the recipe but, to be honest, you don't need one. It's all about the decorating! I have had a tonne of compliments on this cake but anyone can do it. I used a 2 layer, 10 inch round chocolate cake that I made from scratch but you can use a cake mix, a smaller diameter cake, or any flavour you desire. Again, I used homemade chocolate frosting but store bought would save time (and let's face it, who isn't time crunched this month???)

It took about 8 kit kats to cover the outside of the cake (you'll have to break the bars into "2s" to easily shape to the outside of the cake). I used about 3 cups of mint M&Ms to top the cake. I found the "pooping" reindeer at a local grocery store and I am not sure if itis available outside of Canada??? But any cute toy or bigger chocolate would work (I also bought a 4 or 5 inch chocolate bear from Lindt that will be gracing the top of my next kit kat cake.) I tied it with cute ribbon and voila a super festive cake was completed!

Reindeer Cake Pops

2011-12-11T11:09:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
1 9-inch round or square cake, I used chocolate
3/4 c icing, I used store bought vanilla
24, 6-inch lollipop sticks
1 package chocolate melting candy
30 or more pretzels, I used chocolate covered ones
red smarties
edible ink pen
small candies for eyes
patience
Styrofoam to stick pops into so they stand up

I'd be totally lying if I said these were easy! They are not. The crumbling of the cake and forming the little balls of cake mush is easy and the melting of the candy coating isn't too hard either. Coating the deer heads takes a little finesse and a few practice runs. BUT those damn antlers put me on Santa's naughty list for sure -thanks to the expletives that came out of my mouth while trying to find a way to easily attach them to the heads!! Hopefully, Santa will forgive me!

(The Christmas tree cake pops that I made last year were waaaaay easier to make so I recommend that recipe if you are nervous or a cake pop virgin.)

These are adapted from Bakerella's beautiful reindeer cake pops.

What to do

1. Crumble cake by hand into a sand like consistency (if you have a few hard end pieces that don't want to crumble, eat them - or use a food processor).

2. For me the key to cake pops is adding the right amount of icing - too much and you end up with a sickly, sweet ball of mush. But add the right amount and they will be loved by kids and adults! I start with 1/2 cup of icing and mix it in with a silicone spatula. Often I will end up adding another 1/4 cup of icing so that the mixture is just "wet" enough to just stick together when formed into a ball.

3. Using a 1 inch cookie scooper, I form the cake mixture into 20-24 balls (I also use kitchen latex gloves so it isn't so messy) and place them on a cookie sheet.

4. Refrigerate the balls for at least 20 minutes but preferably an hour so that they harden up a bit.

5. Melt candy coating according to directions. (gotta be honest and say that I melt them over very low direct heat.)

6. Add 2 tbsp of vegtable shortening - this will thin the candy coating a little. If it is still too thick add a bit more shortening.

7. Get your lollipop sticks out. Take one stick and dip one end in the candy coating (1cm or 1/2 inch) and then poke it into the cake ball. Push it in so it is at least 3/4 of the way into the ball. Place back on cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining balls.

8. Place all of the balls back in fridge for 15 minutes.

9. Get a piece of styrofoam ready.

10.Remove from fridge and, one-at-a-time, dip the cake pops into the candy coating. Make sure the whole ball is covered. Gently tap off any extra coating.

11. Place the coated cake pop into the styrofoam so it stands up and can dry. Repeat with all of the remaining balls.

12. The candy should dry rather quickly or you can place them back in the fridge until you are ready to finish them.

13. Here is where you will learn from my frustration. To affix the antlers, cut pretzels in half (or not - I did both ways - half and full). Now, using some melted candy coating, place some of it on a spoon or in a little bowl. You want it to start to firm up a little - this way it will dry rather quickly and you won't be stuck holding the antlers on those cute little heads for an eternity while it dries. I tried sticking the antlers through the chocolate with limited success - sometimes the pressure cracks the coating. So, once the coating starts to firm up, dip the end of an antler into the coating and using it as "glue" stick it to the cake ball head.

14. For the eyes, I used some small white round sprinkles I had on hand. To add the pupil I used a black colored edible ink pen.

15. The nose is a red smartie. Both are added using a little bit of candy coating glue, just like the antlers.

Daring Bakers' Challenge - Filopino Desserts - Sans Rival

2011-11-28T12:50:00.000-08:00

Catherine of Munchie Musings was our November Daring Bakers’ host and she challenged us to make a traditional Filipino dessert – the delicious Sans Rival cake! And for those of us who wanted to try an additional Filipino dessert, Catherine also gave us a bonus recipe for Bibingka which comes from her friend Jun of Jun-blog. (I didn't do this bonus recipe but it looks great.)

This Filipino dessert is amazing and is a decadent dessert ...definitely something I will be making on special occasions. It's a very rich combination of dacquoise and buttercream that is relatively simple to make. Simple as it may be to create, it will also impress your guests with its beautiful layers. In my version there were four layers of chocolate dacquoise separated by three layers of raspberry buttercream. I enrobed all of these layers in a coffee buttercream and added some fresh raspberries for extra visual appeal.

If you decide to make your own Sans Rival I recommend picking a buttercream recipe that is not to sweet. I used neoclassical buttercream created by Rose Levy Beranbaum...the plus to this recipe is that it doesn't require a candy thermometer!
You can check out the recipe here.

Maple Oat Scones with Ginger

2011-11-15T06:02:00.000-08:00

These scones are simply amazing! Even more amazing is the aroma of these delicious treats during and after baking. I bet you could sell tickets to people to just come and take a deep breath in your kitchen. The scones have a slight crunch when you bite into them but they are soft and delicate inside. The maple flavor is subtle and the bits of ginger perfectly complement the nutty oat flavour and texture.

Notes:

This makes a BIG bowl of dough - a small bowl will not do for mixing.
The first batched I baked was put into the oven right after the dough was mixed and cut. The second batch I put in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking. The first batch came out about an inch or so thick but the 2nd colder batch came out at least double that size. Both tasted delicious and baked for about the same time.
I find powdered sugar can have a bit of a strange taste so I add a squeeze of lemon to brighten it up.
Makes approx 22ish scones.

Adapted from a recipe by Ina Garten.

Ingredients
3-1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 c oats, quick cooking
2 c butter, cold and diced
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c crystallized ginger
2 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
5 large eggs
1/2 c maple syrup
1/2 c buttermilk

Glaze
1-1/2 c powdered sugar
1/2 maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
squeeze of lemon

Sanding sugar and extra oats (optional)

What to do

1.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flours, oats, baking powder, sugar and salt.

3. Mix in the cold butter in at the lowest speed and combine until the butter is mixed in and the size of peas.

4. Combine the buttermilk, maple syrup and eggs and add to the flour-and-butter mixture. Mix until just blended or your scones will be tough. The dough will and should be sticky.

5. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Flour your hands and knead 4 times (again to avoid toughness). Using a floured rolling pin flatten the dough to 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Pieces of butter will be visiblem (mmm butter). Cut into 3-inch rounds with a circular cookie cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

6. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are crisp and bottoms are golden.

7. To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, maple syrup and vanilla. When the scones are removed from the oven, cool for about 5 minutes and drizzle each scone with some of the glaze (I put it in a squeeze bottle so I have more control over it).

8. Sprinkle tops of scones with some raw oats and sanding sugar if desired.

Cranberry Sauce with Dried Cherries

2011-11-06T14:54:00.000-08:00

I love cranberry sauce. I have a confession though....until adulthood I didn't know it could be made from scratch...I thought the canned jelly variety was the ONLY variety! Now I make my own because it is soooo simple to whip up a batch and it tastes soooo much better than the canned sauce. In this version, I add dried cherries for extra zing but you can leave them out if you don't have them on hand. If you don't want to use alcohol, substitute orange juice for the cointreau.

Ingredients
1 bag fresh cranberries
1 cinnamon stick
1 c water
1/2 c dried cherries
1/4 c cointreau
1 c brown sugar

What to do

In medium sized pot, combine all ingredients over medium heat.
Bring to simmer and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and let sit for an hour.
Remove cinnamon stick.
If desired, mash with potatoe masher or use an immersion blender to puree slightly.
Refrigerate over night.

Sugar & Spice Cookies

2011-10-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

These are one of my favorite Christmas cookies. In fact, I like them so much I couldn't wait for Christmas! These skeleton cookies are made with a Wilton cookie cutter and premade icing for super easy cookie making. My advice is to follow the pictures and let each colour set for 10 minutes or so before adding another colour.

Ingredients
1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 teaspooon nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

What to do

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In large bowl, beat butter and sugars together until smooth about 3 minutes.
Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat for an additional 2 minutes.
In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
Stir in dry ingredients into butter mixture in 2 additions.
Flatten dough into a disk shape.
Wrap disc in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least an hour.
Roll out each disc into 1/8 inch thickness.
Using 3 inch cookie cutters, cut out shapes and place on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, until edges are browned.
Immediately move to cooling racks.
Makes about 30 cookies.

Crunchy Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

These are similar to the flourless peanut butter cookies I posted previously but they have less sugar and no baking powder. In fact, you could even leave out the chocolate if you didn't have any on hand. But only if you have to because I think chocolate and peanut butter is one of the world's best flavour combinations! By grinding the chocolate, the chocolate and peanut butter flavours truly mix into a great little cookie.

Ingredients
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar (brown or white)
1 large egg
300 g dark chocolate

What to do

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a food processor, pulse chocolate until coursely ground.
In a large bowl, add all ingreidients and stir until well combined (or mix on low with electric beaters).
Roll into 24 balls.
Equally distribute and place on two cookie sheets.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Do not over bake.
Cool for 5 minutes on pans and then move to cooling racks.

Halloween Links

2011-10-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

Hi All! I just wanted to post the links to other Halloween inspired recipes on the site. This weekend I'll be making skeleton sugar cookies and some new marshmallow zombies and frankensteins so check back early next week for those posts!

Alien Donuts

Zombie Marshmallow Sticks

Halloween Cookies

My "Mummies" Favorite Gingerbread Cookies

2011-10-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

Halloween is almost here! The kids and I sat down and decorated a bunch of gingerbread cookies last weekend. I didn't want to make royal icing so instead I used some premade Wilton icing that I had on hand. Since I only had white and red, we were limited in design options but the kids didn't seem to mind as they piled Halloween coloured sprinkles on top of everything!

The mummy and ghost and skeleton cookies are easy to create and don't take a lot of time or precision! My kind of cookie....especially when you have 60 cookies to decorate. The recipe below is simple and delicious. If you roll them thinner you will get a crispy gingerbread cookie but I like them softer so rolled them out to 6mm instead.

Happy Halloween!

Ingredients
1/2 c shortening
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 c fancy molasses
2-3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

What to do

In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening and sugar together for 4 minutes until light and creamy.
Add and beat in egg and molasses.
In another bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.
With a wooden spoon and in 3 additions, add the flour mixture to the shortening bowl.
If dough is stiff, use your hands!
Divide the the dough in two.
Flatten dough into discs between pieces of wax paper and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness (6mm).
Using 3 inch cookie cutters, cut out shapes.
Place on cookie sheets lined with silpats or parchment paper.
Freeze for 20 minutes.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Let cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely before decorating.
Makes about 30 cookies.

Carrot and Ginger Soup

2011-10-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

This soup tastes great AND is healthy, lowfat and low calorie. The recipe was on an Oprah episode many years ago and it has been on my "go to" soup list ever since.

Learn from my mistakes! The second time I made this soup, we were staying at my future in-laws for the weekend (thankfully they were away). When it was time to blend the soup, I forgot to a) do it in smaller batches and b) to leave off the little lid in the middle of the top of the machine....as soon as I pressed the "puree" button the soup exploded from the container...the walls, the ceiling, the floor, the counters were covered in carrots! I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few orange spots still there! So please, blend in small batches and remove the center vent in the blender lid (cover it with a folded dish cloth and keep it in place with your hand).

PS You can also strain the soup after blending is you want, I prefer the texture without straining it.

Ingredients:
• Cooking oil spray or 2 tsp oil
• 1 thinly sliced large spanish onion
• 1 rib celery, thinly sliced
• 3⁄4 pound carrots, very thinly sliced
• 3 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 1⁄2 c orange juice or 2 freshly squeezed oranges
• 1⁄2 tsp salt
• pepper to taste

What to do:
• Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Coat with cooking oil spray or oil.
• Add onion and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add carrots and continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes.
• Add broth and ginger; bring to a boil.
• Add orange juice and salt.
• Reduce heat; cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer mixture in batches to a blender or use an immersion hand held blender.
• Puree until smooth.
• Strain if desired.
• Reheat, if necessary; ladle into bowls or espresso cups.

Skeleton Cupcakes Recipe

2011-10-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

My Mom told the kids this joke a couple of years ago and it remains one of their favorites:

Question: What did the skeleton say to his guests before dinner?

Answer: Bone Appetite!

Funny, right?! Anyways, Halloween is quickly coming up and we are almost prepared - costumes layed out (Green Lantern and a Witch), candy is bought, and the decorations are ready to go. I also have a few Halloween recipes to make. The first one is this beyond cute skeleton cupcake - in the interest of time I used a prepared cake mix but feel free to do it from scratch with your favorite cupcake recipe. A couple more Halloween inspired recipes should be creeping up soon so check back next week!

Adapted from Women's Day

Makes 16-18 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 box (18.25 oz) cake mix
2 eggs
1-1/4 cup water
2⁄3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 tubs (16 oz each) cream cheese frosting (you'll have some left over frosting)
18 marshmallows
5 or 6-in. lollipop sticks
Black food-safe writing marker
72 yogurt-covered mini-pretzels plus extra to allow for breakage
1/2 c white candy melts

What to do
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 18 medium sized muffin cups with liners.

2. Beat cake mix, eggs, water, vanilla and oil in large bowl on low speed for 1 minute until blended; increase speed to medium and continue to beat for an additional 2 minutes until batter is smooth.

3. Immediately pour batter amongst muffin cups, filling each 2⁄3 full.

4. Bake 20 to 22 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted into the centres comes out clean.

5. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes before removing cupcakes to rack to cool completely.

6. Frost cupcakes with frosting (I used a large tip and decorating bag).

7. Insert a lollipop stick into the long side of a marshmallow. With the black food-safe decorating pen, draw the skeleton face.

8. Melt white candy per directions on bag.

9. Carefully thread the lollipop stick through the smallest hole of the pretzel. Secure with some melted candy (use another lollipop stick to smear the candy - especially under the pretzel so it doesn't fall down.)

10. Repeat with two more pretzels so you now have the skeleton ribs. Make sure you leave enough room at bottom of the stick to insert fully into cupcake. (BUT don't insert them yet!)

11. Lay down carefully on cookie sheet to set (about 5 minutes).

12. Repeat with remaining lollipop sticks until you have enough skeletons.

13. Once set, insert into cupcakes.

14. Cut two more pretzels in half legthwise to use as arms (see picture as a guide). Again use melted candy to adhere them to the rib cage.

Croissants - Daring Bakers Challenge

2011-09-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Daring Bakers go retro this month! Thanks to one of our very talented non-blogging members, Sarah, the Daring Bakers were challenged to make Croissants using a recipe from the Queen of French Cooking, none other than Julia Child!

I love freshly baked bread...the taste, the smell, the feel of it in your mouth. Mmmm. I have made homemade bread before but never croissants. I must say it was a long process. In fact, it took three days from the day I started until the final baking! Was it worth it? Well, yes in the sense that I can cross it off my baking to do list. But to be honest, next time I'd rather fly to Paris and enjoy an authentic croissant in a small, romantic French cafe!

I used a recipe from Fine Cooking (so, I guess, I technically failed the challenge) and not Julia's, because Fine Cooking's was super easy to follow and well laid out. I also kept it simple and chose not to add chocolate or anything else to fancy it up...sometimes simple is best!

Nut Free Pumpkin Seed Granola

2011-09-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

Fall is here and Halloween is just around the corner so, of course, I have pumpkin on the brain. When I came across pumpkin seeds at the grocery store, I knew a big batch of granola was in order. This version is nut free so the kids can take it to school for a healthy and energy filled snack. I also had a bag of dried blueberries so I threw those in too. That's the great thing about granola - pretty much anything goes! Note: The dried fruit goes in after baking so it doesn't burn.

Ingredients
3/4 c canola oil
1 c maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp chocolate extract (optional)
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
7 cups rolled oats
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup wheat bran
1 cup milled flax
1 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots
1 cup raw pumpkins seeds

What to do

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In medium sized pot combine oil, maple syrup,vanilla, chocolate essence, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
Stir over medium heat until just simmering and remove from heat. Watch carefully and be careful not to burn yourself.
Combine oats, wheat germ, bran and flax with salt and pumpkin seeds.
Pour oil mixture over oats and stir until well combined.
Spread granola on two large cookie sheets.
Bake for 40-50 minutes until golden. While baking stir granola every ten minutes to ensure even baking.
Remove from oven and cool completely.
Place in large bowl.
Add dried fruits and combine.
Store in air tight containers.

Enjoy!

DIY Fruit Leather

2011-09-19T16:12:00.000-07:00

I'm not a big fruit leather fan, but my kids love it! So, when I made a big batch of apple-pear sauce, I put some aside for this recipe. After the sauce was made, all I had to do was pour it in a thin layer and dry it out. The drying process is a bit long as its done at a low temperature but what else is there to do on a rainy fall afternoon?

My daugther says the store bought variety is sweeter but she liked the cinnamon flavour in this version so in her opinion it's better than the prepackaged variety.

Ingredients

3 cups apple sauce (homemade or store bought)

If store bought add:

1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla

What to do

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees F - if your oven doesn't go that low 200 degrees F is fine.
Cover a baking sheet with a silpat.
If using commercially prepared sauce, combine it wiht spices and vanilla in a large bowl.
Spread evenly over silpat (up to 1/4 inch thick). Place the pan in middle rack of oven.
Bake for 5 to 7 hours. Fruit is dry when the surface is no longer tacky, it's smooth.
Cool completely.
Remove fruit leather from pan and silpat.
Cut into strips or shapes with cookie cutters.
Roll the pieces with plastic wrap or parchment.
Store in an airtight jar.

Apple-Pear Sauce

2011-09-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

Have you ever made your own apple sauce? If not, put it on your to do list and DO IT! Homemade sauce is infinitely better than anything you buy at the grocery store. Even better, you can make it anyway you like - with sugar, without sugar, smooth, chunky, flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla ...or not! It really doesn't take long and it goes with so many things. Try your own sauce on top of oatmeal, ice cream, in smoothies, on its own, with pork or with french fries (sounds crazy, I know).

I made a big batch of apple and pear sauce the night before last and it's almost gone. The kids have had it for dessert and with their breakfast! I also made extra so I could make some fruit leather which I will post soon.

Side story: My son started kindergarten last week at a school where he didn't know anyone in his grade. I was a little worried about him making friends as he can be a little shy. I'm happy to report that last night he told me he found a new buddy. We had been coaching him to go up to kids he wanted to befriend and ask them to play at recess. When he was telling me about his new friend, he exclaimed with delight that he didn't have to go up to him because the boy came up and asked if he wanted to be friends! So cute. Even cuter ...when I asked him his new friend's name his response was "I don't know, I forgot to ask ...but we're still friends!!" Don't you just love kids and how they think?!

Apple Pear Sauce

Ingredients
4 medium to large apples
5 Bartlett pears
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c water
1/8c - 1/4 c brown sugar (depending on sweetness of your fruit)
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg

What to do

Peel, core and chopped apples and pears into large chunks.
Place in large pot or dutch oven.
Add sugar, water, vanilla and spices.
Bring to boil over medium heat.
Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
For chunky sauce, mash with a hand held masher.
For a smooth sauce puree in a blender AFTER if has cooled or use an immersion blender.
Refrigerate and use within 5-7 days.

Butterfly Birthday Cake and Vanilla Frosting Recipe

2011-09-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

My daughter turned 7 a few weeks ago. I swear we just brought her home from the hospital yesterday! I'm not sure where time goes but my daugther has certainly made the most of it. I don't think a minute goes by without her posing a question about something she's seen, heard or imagined! But her curiosity

has helped her grow.

I love this time of her life - over the past year she's learned to read chapter books, to write and create stories, learned to ride a bike, almost "mastered" water skiing, tells terrible knock-knock jokes, tries to be nice to her little brother ("tries" is the key word), and has accomplished so much more that it would take pages to list. Of course, she's still my little girl and I don't want her to grow up too fast but I am very proud of her (well...except maybe the time she spilled nail polish all over her bed trying to paint her nails).

For her birthday, she wanted a butterfly theme...butterfly cake, butterfly decorations, butterfly shaped sandwiches etc. And homemade strawberry lemonade, tea sandwiches and watermelon - she leaves nothing to chance! She also wanted outdoor fun - bobbing for apples, the limbo, potato sack races, three-legged contest and more!

This is the cake. It's a 9-inch layer cake and a 6-inch layer cake stacked and iced with buttercream. I forgot to take a picture of the inside of the cake which was coloured in pink and purple swirls. I searched high and low for edible rice paper butterflys and finally found great ones on ETSY. They arrived in time even though a postal strike had just ended and I LOVE them. Take a look at her site as she also offers other shapes. The kids adored them and couldn't believe they could actually eat them!

This recipe has been used in my family for a long time but I also found a similar recipe on Martha's site recently! Although basically just butter and sugar, it doesn't taste too sweet or heavy. You can also add colour gels if you want to colour your frosting.

Easy Vanilla Frosting for 2 dozen cupcakes

3-1/2 c - 4 c powdered sugar, sifted

2 c unsalted butter, room temperature
pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla
1/8c - 1/4 c milk

Edible butterflys, candy flowers and pastel icing
make a seven year old VERY happy.

What to do

In a large bowl (preferably a stand alone mixer) beat butter until light and creamy.
In half cup increments add sugar and beat until combined.
Add extract and beat until combined.
Depending on the brand of butter I use, the amount of milk I need varies. Start with 1/8 c and add more if needed. Beat the mixture at medium speed until the frosting is perfectly smooth and creamy. I usually beat it for about 5 minutes or so.
Add colour, if required and beat until colour is even.
Use imediately or refrigerate (if refrigerating bring back to room temperature before using).

Irish Cream Frozen Coffee

2011-09-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost over but that's no reason to bring out the hot chocolate just yet! This blended frozen drink is great to sip while you remember the lazy, hazy days of the past few months. You can also skip the irish cream if you want.

Ingredients

1-1/2 c ice
2 oz of espresso
3/4 c non-fat milk
1/4 c irish cream (I use Bailey's)
optional - whipped cream and chocolate sauce

What to do

Blend all the ingredients a blender until ice is crushed and a milk shake consistency is reached.
Pour into a tall glass and add whipped cream and chocolate sauce, if desired.
Add a straw.
Enjoy!

Kids Peanut Free Lunch Ideas

2011-08-31T22:04:00.000-07:00

There is a strange cloud hanging over my house...and I can see a few more grey clouds over some neighbour's houses too. Yet, the weather man is promising sun shine today... is he wrong again?? No... it's just the kids counting down the last days of summer and freedom before school starts.

Of course, my 7-year old daughter is also looking forward to seeing her friends and nervously excited about who her teacher will be and whether she and her best friend will be in the same class again. And my 5-year son is just beginning kindergarten this year so he is also excited but apprehensive about starting "real" school in a few days. New to our area is full-day kindergarten. Until this year, 5 year olds only attended school for half a day. This means both children need a packed lunch and recess snacks...5 x a week (thus my grey cloud:)!

Coming up with a variety of lunches that they will actually eat and are healthy can be difficult! On top of that, I keep their lunches peanut free (even though they are thankfully allergy-free) because of the prevalence of this allergy which limits many products and "go-to" lunches like PB and J! Of course, the inconvenience is worth it given the alternative of causing an accidental, life-threatening allergy reaction in another child!

I'd thought I'd share my list of ideas just in case anyone else is dreading the "what's for lunch" question. Of course, read every package to ensure it does not contain or come into contact with peanuts.

Peanut free lunch and snack ideas:

carrot and cream cheese sandwich or wrap
cucumber and cream cheese sandwich or wrap
cold homemade pizza (cheese or vegetarian are healthy options)
BBQ chicken salad
pasta salad
celery stuffed with cream cheese or humous
crackers and cheese
yogourt and fruit parfait
tuna salad
cream cheese and jam sandwich
cream cheese and strawberry sandwich
rice salad
couscous salad
cereal and milk
pita and hummous
nut-free granola
bagel and deli meat
cold grilled cheese
cheddar scones
homemade fruit leather - recipe coming soon!
mac and cheese
asian noodle salad
hard boiled eggs
cold macaroni salad
meat ball stuffed pitas
leftover pancakes and waffles with a side of syrup or jam
baked beans
cottage cheese and fruit

Great substitution ideas for regular bread:

Bagels or rolls
Naan
English muffins
Bread sticks
Flat bread
Pita bread
Rice cakes
Buttermilk biscuits
Melba toast
Homemade muffins
Crackers

Bonus idea: To keep food cold, use an ice pack, frozen juice box or frozen yogurt tube in an insulated lunch bag. Use frozen bread for sandwiches (they will thaw by lunch time).

And remember there are other names for peanuts:

Arachide
Ground nuts
Arachis oil
Kernels
Beer nuts
Mandelonas, Nu-Nuts
Cacahouète/cacahouette/cacahuète
Nut meats
Goober nuts, goober peas
Valencias

Daring Bakers Challenge - Candylicious!

2011-08-27T06:25:00.000-07:00

The August 2011 Daring Bakers’ Challenge was hosted by Lisa of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drive and Mandy of What the Fruitcake?!. These two sugar mavens challenged us to make sinfully delicious candies! This was a special challenge for the Daring Bakers because the good folks at http://www.chocoley.com/ offered an amazing prize for the winner of the most creative and delicious candy!

This challenge was definitely challenging! It taught me I am not a master of candy making or tempering chocolate! I made sponge candy from Wilde in the Kitchen and burnt the first batch. The second tasted great as I also added orange extract but I enrobed it in chocolate that was not tempered correctly as you will see in the photos! I highly recommend the sponge recipe though - it's fun to make and tastes like a Crunchie bar (Canadian readers will know what I'm talking about!).

For chocolates, I made some with caramel in the centre, some with caramel and salted pecans (mmmm) and finally some with a center of fig butter (from Trader Joe's)! The flavours of the fig butter and chocolate melded well together to form a sophisticated and delicious taste. However, I don't think the chocolate tempered perfectly on any of these as they weren't as shiny as I had hoped nor did they have the right "snap". Read this article to find out how to temper chocolate - it certainly brought out my "temper"!!

It was an interesting experience though!

Tempering gone wrong!

Salted Pecan and Caramel Chocolates

Tempering Chocolate is tricky but even when it fails it tastes good!

Edible rice paper butterfly makes everything look pretty.

Fig Butter Chocolates - yum!

The Stoked Smoked Burger

2011-08-19T15:24:00.000-07:00

This recipe is based on one I found in Gourmet Grilling. The mayo is fantastic and makes enough that you should have leftovers for sandwiches or fries! The burger is nicely spiced but not too hot. The avocado MAKES this burger - warm avocado adds such a nice and creamy texture and flavour that you will never go back to ordinary avocados on your burgers!

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip Dressing
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons minced chipotle in adobo, including some sauce, divided
1/4 cup real bacon bits
2 pounds ground beef - not extra lean - fat adds flavour to burgers!
1 tbsp + 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 firm-ripe avocado, quartered lengthwise, peeled, and cut lengthwise into 1/3-inch thick slices
6-8 slices applewood smoked cheddar (or other fave cheese)
Olive oil for brushing on avocado
1 tsp salt
6-8 hamburger buns, grilled

What to do:

In a food processor or blender, purée mayonnaise, mustard, and 2 tablespoons chipotle, 2 tsp smoked paprika; transfer to a bowl and refrigerate.
Mix beef (using gloved hands always works best for me) with 1 tablespoon chipotle, 1 tbsp paprika, garlic, bacon bits and 1 teaspoon salt until combined. Form into 6 - 8 patties. Make a small indentation in the center of the burger with your thumb. This will keep them round and help to prevent them from puffing up while cooking. Most importantly, it prevents uneven cooking. Refrigerate if not cooking right away.
Prepare a medium hot gas BBQ.
Meanwhile, brush both sides of avocado slices with olive oil.
Grill patties until they reach 160°F on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 6 to 8 minutes on each side. Add cheese and melt.
Grill avocado slices, turning once, until grill marks appear, about 60 seconds on each side.
Slather sauce on buns and stack burgers with avocado and any other of your favorite condiments.
Enjoy!

Mango-Nectarine Shrimp Noodle Salad

2011-08-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's just waaaay to hot to cook or even eat something hot! On those days this is a perfect recipe that uses fresh fruit, shrimp and a bright vinegary dressing that will satisfy your taste buds and keep you cool!

Adapted from a recipe at http://www.epicurious.com/

Ingredients

8 ounces very thin cellophane noodles
1 pound cooked, peeled, and deveined medium or large shrimp
1 medium mango, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 large nectarines, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 green onions or scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1 chopped fresh jalapeño chile, including seeds, or to taste
2/3 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt

What to do

Cover noodles with boiling-hot water in a large bowl and let stand 8 minutes.
Drain noodles in a colander and rinse with cold running water. Drain again.
Place back in bowl and add shrimp, mango, nectarines, green onions, basil, and jalapeno.
In a small bowl, stir together vinegar, sugar, and salt until sugar is dissolved.
Toss with noodles and shrimp.
Enjoy!

Egg Frittata-Pizza

2011-08-11T07:55:00.000-07:00

I like my frittatas thin like a thin-crust pizza. Of course, if you prefer yours thicker you could add more eggs. Broiling the cheese adds a nice crunch and burst of flavour.

Ingredients

1 cup egg whites
2 tbsp water or milk
3 tbsp half and half
1 tsp butter or oil
1 medium leek, finely chopped
5 baby tomatoes, quartered
1 tbsp capers
2 cups spinach
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp or few dashes chipotle tabasco sauce
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
salt
pepper

What to do

Ensure oven rack is about 4 inches from top broil element. Turn oven to broil.
In mixing bowl, lightly whisk eggs, water (or milk), garlic, tabasco sauce, salt and peppper. Set aside.
Using a 10-12 inch sautee pan on medium heat, melt butter and add leek, tomato, capers, and spinach. Sautee for 2-4 minutes.
Add egg mixture.
Cook for another 2 or 3 minutes, stirring from bottom and sides a few times. Eggs will still be wet on top but set on the bottom.
Sprinkle parmesan on top of eggs. Put pan in oven. You must watch your eggs to prevent burning! Idealy, the cheese will melt and start to brown. This may take 3 or 4 minutes.
Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes.
Cut in wedges like a pizza and serve!

Good Morning Muffins

2011-08-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

These muffins are small, subtley sweet and satisfying. They are not mammoth muffins we find so often now-a-days. They are great for a quick breakfast, a kid's snack on-the-run, or with a cup of tea or coffee. Remember to only fill the cups half full or you might not have enough batter.

Yield: 12 small (not mini) muffins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten, room temperature
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
Extra cinnamon and sugar for tops of muffins

What to do

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.
Make a well in the center of the mixture.
Stir together egg, milk and 1/3 cup melted butter. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until just moistened to avoid tough muffins.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. These are meant to be smaller sized muffins so fill cups about 1/2 full.
Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture on top of batter.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Optional: If desired, mix 1 cup icing sugar with a tsp of water and tsp lemon juice. Drizzle over muffins.

Strawberry-Vanilla Yogurt Pops

2011-07-26T04:15:00.000-07:00

Such an easy and quick way to make kids and adults happy on a hot summer day! All you need are strawberries and vanilla yogurt...and a freezer! If your strawberries are very tart you can add a couple of teaspoons of sugar.

Of course, this will work with a variety of other fruits and berries! Be creative ... kiwis, mangos, blueberries, melons would all be delicious.

Ingredients
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup vanilla yogurt

What to do
- Puree the strawberries.
- Spoon a tablespoon of yogourt into your popsicle moulds.
- Spoon a tablespoon of strawberry puree on top of the yogourt.
- Continue layering until there is about a centimeter/half-inch or so of space left.
- Cover with mould lids.
- Freeze for 6 hours or longer.
Enjoy!

Homemade Lemonade and Simple Syrup

2011-07-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

Lemonade
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice - about 6-8 lemons
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup simple syrup
- 1 cup strawberries (optional - see below)
- ice

Simple Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar

Simple syrup is handy to have around as it's an easy way to add sweetness to cold drinks. Often if you add plain sugar to a cold drink the sugar does not properly dissolve but premaking this syrup will avoid this.

An easy way to make simple syrup is to simply put equal parts water and sugar in a blender and mix until all the sugar is dissolved.

Lemonade:

What to do

1. In a litre container, mix juice, syrup and water.

2. Add ice and serve!

Optional - Strawberry Lemonade

Puree 1 cup of strawberries and add to lemonade. This is absolutely delicious. Adults might also like to add a bit of vodka for a grown up version of this thirst quencher!

Fresh Strawberry Coffee Cake

2011-07-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

Spring 2011, in Vancouver, was cold...I swear the sun went on vacation for 4 months. As a result, many crops are behind about 3 weeks or so including strawberries. But they are finally starting to appear at our local markets. Is there anything better than local strawberries?! Sweet, ruby red little bites of goodness vs the often large and bland ones we import during the fall and winter months. My 5 yr old son didn't quite know what to make of the local berries when he first saw them - smaller and often in a slightly less than perfect "strawberry shape" he thought there was something wrong with them! lol. Of course, once he popped one in his mouth all misgivings were gone.

Ingredients
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
3 tbsp melted butter, cooled a bit
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sliced strawberries

Topping
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter

What to do
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease an 8x8 pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In another bowl mix milk, eggs, and melted butter.
Add wet to dry ingredients and beat until well mixed.
Pour into prepared pan.
Place strawberries on top of batter.
In another bowl, combine topping ingredients until it looks like coarse crumbs.
Spread evenly over strawberries.
Bake for 45 minutes.

Wacky Woo Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes

2011-07-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

For his 5th birthday, my son chose a tower of cupcakes as his cake of choice. And as a way to fill some time during the party I thought it would be great if the kids decorated the own cupcakes with sprinkles. It was a great hit - though there may have been just as many sprinkles on the floor as on the cupcakes!

This recipe is based on a "wacky woo" cake recipe - no eggs, lots of flavour, very moist and honestly the flavour only gets better after a day or two (if they last that long).

The recipe for the icing is based on a Marth Stewart recipe that I coloured with Wilton colour gels.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
3 tbsp Dutch process cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tsp white vinegar
5 tbsp shortening, melted
1 cup warm water

What to do
Preheat 325 degrees F.
Place the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined.
Make 3 medium sized holes in the dry mixture.
Pour the vanilla in one hole. Do not mix.
Pour the vinegar in another hole. Do not mix.
Pour the shortening in the third. Do not mix.
Pour water over the top.
Now mix.

Prepare cupcake pans and fill 2/3 of each cup.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Icing Ingredients
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
3 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c milk
pinch of salt

What to do
Beat butter until very smooth and creamy.
Slowly add icing sugar and beat until smooth.
Incorporate vanilla and salt.
Slowly add milk and slowly beat until beautifully smooth. (5 minutes)
If colouring, separate out into bowls and add desired colours.

Makes approx. 12 cupcakes.

Jerk Chicken

2011-07-06T19:58:00.001-07:00

Jerk chicken is not a dish I have cooked before but since I do like food with heat and spice, it seemed like a great idea when I came across a recipe for it in a Men’s Health magazine.

I love the depth of flavour and well-rounded heat this jerk marinade provides. It is definitely hot but not tear jerking hot. Instead, it coats your taste buds with a warm, full-bodied heat that allows you to also taste the nutmeg and other spices. I served it with whole wheat couscous with black beans and grilled pineapple. Just in case the heat was too much for some, I also added raw pepper slices and tzatziki on the side.

Adapted from a Men’s Health recipe.

Ingredients

6 half-breasts of chicken (or 3 full breasts cut in half)

Jerk Marinade
10 green onions, roughly chopped
4 habaneras, roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic
½ cup vinegar
3-1/2 tbsp kosher salt
¼ cup vegetable oil
4 tsp allspice
4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger root
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp ground pepper

What to Do:
Throw everything but the chicken into a blender and puree until smooth. You will have made about two cups of jerk mix. If making less than half a dozen chicken breast, pour 1 cup of it into a container and refrigerate or freeze for future use.

Place chicken into a zip-loc bag. Pour one cup of sauce over chicken. Close bag and squish mixture around chicken until well coated. Place in fridge overnight or for 12 hours.

When ready to cook, preheat grill to med high heat. Grill breasts until cooked and when pierced all juices run clear. It will take approximately 15 minutes but use a meat thermometer to ensure proper cooked temperature. Do not overcook though or chicken will be tough.

Remove from grill, cover with foil and let sit for 5 minutes.

Serve.

Pineapple-Blackbean Couscous

2011-07-06T19:58:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat couscous
1 can black beans (about 1 - 2 cups)
1/4 pineapple, diced
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp rice vinegar (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

What to do
Boil 1 cup water in medium sauce pan.
Add couscous and give a quick stir.
Cover and remove from heat.
Let sit covered for 5 minutes.
Add garlic powder.
Add beans.

Over medium heat, melt the butter.
Add the pineapple and saute until carmelized (about 10 minutes). Stir frequently to avoid burning.
Remove and place in couscous along with any extra sauce in pan.
Gently mix and season with salt and pepper.
Let sit for an hour before serving or put in fridge for later use.
Delicious cold or at room temperature.

Goes well with Jerk Chicken!

Spicy Quinoa Salad

2011-06-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
3 cups water
Salt to taste
2 cups diced cucumber
1/2 small red onion, finely minced
3 medium tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
handful of cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 avocado, sliced, for garnish

What to do
Put the diced cucumber in a colander, and sprinkle with salt to draw some of the cucumbers moisture out. Gently mix the cukes and salt and allow to sit for 15 minutes or longer. To remove the salt, rinse the cucumber with cold water, and drain on paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.

Place diced onions in a bowl of cold water. By soaking them before adding them to the salad you will remove the stinging bite of the onions and it mellows out the taste a bit. Let them sit for five minutes, before draining and then drying tehm off on paper towels.

Soak the quinoa for 5 min in the cooking pot. (Soaking it will help the quinoa cook evenly, and loosens up any residue of saponin (usually removed in processing), which can give it a bitter taste.)

Stir the quinoa with your hand, and carefully pour off the water using a fine mesh strainer.

Dump the quinoa back into cooking pot, add 1 1/2 cups water & 1/2 tsp salt if desired.

Bring to a boil, and then cover with a tight fitting lid. Immediately turn the heat down to simmer.

Cook for 15 minutes.

Remove quinoa from heat and allow to sit five minutes with the lid on. You will know the quinoa is done when it is tender and translucent; on each grain you will see a little "tail" that is now visible.

Combine and stir the vinegar, lime juice, mustard and olive oil in a bowl. Add the tomatoes, chiles, cucumber and onion, season to taste with salt.

Add the quinoa and cilantro. Toss together, add salt and pepper if needed.

Dish and add a few slices of avocado and extra cilantro, if desired.

Serves six.

Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa

2011-05-29T18:04:00.000-07:00

By the end of the week I had what seemed like a bushel of tomatoes on my counter. I didn't feel like making tomato sauce but some fresh salsa with home-baked tortillas sounded like the perfect Friday night treat!

The great thing about salsa is that pretty much anything goes. In this recipe, I used tomatoes, canned black beans and roasted corn as the main ingredients with cilantro, lime and a bit of chipotle sauce to finish it off.

The sweetness of the roasted corn really makes this salsa! I actually broiled it because we were out of propane. I shucked it and stuck it right under the heat until the kernels darkened (rotate it so it broils evenly).

Don't get too caught up in the quantities - just throw in whatever feels right or is on your counter!

Ingredients
2 large tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime
1 small can of black beans
1/2 red onion, diced
1 medium jalepeno, diced
1 ear of corn, roasted or broiled
dash of cumin
couples dashed of chipotle hot sauce
dash of salt

What to do:
Cut niblets off ear of corn.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until needed.

Brown-Eyed Susan Cookie Recipe

2011-05-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

I must confess that I am much better at baking "flowers" than growing them. As I type, my husband is replanting our garden. It seems this year that mid-April on the westcoast was too early to plant veggies! April and most of May has been colder than usual and we even had frost. The frost destroyed all of our little veggies but this weekend, the weather seems to have turned the corner and we're replanting. I've also bought herbs to grow inside - mint (orange and chocolate), thyme, cilantro, 3 types of basil, and chives (regular and garlic) - so far I haven't killed thouse but there is still time :)

I recommend baking these cookies the day before you need them as they taste much better after resting for a day. The recipe is simple, and egg free (bonus for anyone with an allergy). The icing is simple too.

So remember...stop to smell the flowers...and eat a couple too!

Adapted from Marie Nightingale's Favorite Recipes

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt

Icing:

1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
2 tbsp hot water
1 tsp vanilla

What to do:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add almond extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour and salt.
Add flour mixture to butter and sugar.
Mix until combined and dough comes together.
Using sall cookie scooper or tablespoon, form into balls.
Place on cookie sheet and flatten slightly.
Bake for 10 - 12 minutes and golden around the edges.
Cool completely.
Once cooled, sift the icing sugar and cocoa into medium bowl.
Add the vanilla and water and stir.
Frost each cookies with about 1/2 tsp of icing.

Oat Bars

2011-04-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

I love oats. I love coconut. I love butter. I love this recipe. It is adapted from a Best of Bridge recipe. This recipe results in a very buttery oat flavour with a subtle coconut flavour. Melted chocolate or bit of softened store bought icing can be drizzled over them for some added flare.

The oat bars around the edges are crispy but the ones cut from the middle are relatively soft. Also, when you spread the mixture onto your cookie sheet it will only take up half of the pan. While it bakes it will spread to fill the rest of it. I also think you could add a bit of cinnamon for added flavour too.

Ingredients

1 cup of unsalted butter
3-1/2 cups oats
2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

What to do

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In large pot, melt butter and corn syrup.
Add brown sugar and stir.
Stir in oats, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and coconut until well combined.
Place on large cookie sheet and flatten until mixture is about 1cm thick.
Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Cool 10 minutes and cut into squares or rectangles.
If desired, drizzle with melted chocolate.

Asparagus Dip

2011-04-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

This recipe is sometimes called "asparagus guacamole". It's called this because it's green and has lime. But I gotta be honest and tell you even if you substitute cilantro for the basil, it does not taste like guacamole. It is, however, a bright tasting, delicious, low-cal dip that is great in it's own right. It deserves to be thought of not as a sad guacamole substitute but a unique, original dip of its own.

A cup of chopped avocado has approximately 250 calories and 22 grams of fat. Of course, the avocado also has fibre, potassium and vitamin C which makes it a nutritional star. But when calories count, the mere 40 calories in a cup of cooked asparagus makes me stand up and cheer for this skinny little veggie.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pound(s) asparagus, trimmed
2 Tbsp reduced-calorie mayonnaise
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup basil, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 medium jalapeno pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp chipotle pepper sauce
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
salt, or to taste
black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Bring large pot of water to boil. Add asparagus and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.

2. Place asparagus into food processor and purée until smooth. Blend in remaining ingredients.

3. Refreigerate until cool.

4. Serve with assortment of veggies and tortilla chips.

Yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake - March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge

2011-03-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.

This is was a great Daring Baker's Challenge. I usually leave bread making to my bread machine so it was definitely a new experience for me to make a yeast bread from scratch.

Although the recipe looks tough, it is really straight forward and not all that difficult. Feel free to change up the filling - flavours, spices, fruit etc. Lots of Daring Bakers did a more savoury take on this recipe too ...think pizza flavours etc. Go wild!

My coffee cake was sweet and the bread itself is very moist thanks to the meringue. It got rave reviews from the office and kids. Enjoy.

The recipe below is from James and Ria.

FILLED MERINGUE COFFEE CAKE

Makes 2 round coffee cakes, each approximately 10 inches in diameter. The recipe can easily be halved to make one round coffee cake.

Ingredients

For the yeast coffee cake dough:

4 cups (600 g / 1.5 lbs.) flour
¼ cup (55 g / 2 oz.) sugar
¾ teaspoon (5 g / ¼ oz.) salt
1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons / 7 g / less than an ounce) active dried yeast
¾ cup (180 ml / 6 fl. oz.) whole milk
¼ cup (60 ml / 2 fl. oz. water (doesn’t matter what temperature)
½ cup (135 g / 4.75 oz.) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 large eggs at room temperature

For the meringue:

3 large egg whites at room temperature
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup (110 g / 4 oz.) sugar

For the filling:

1 cup (110 g / 4 oz.) chopped walnuts
1/3 cup Tablespoons (30 g / 1 oz.) brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (170 g / 6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup toffee bits

Prepare the dough:

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cups (230 g) of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast.

In a saucepan, combine the milk, water and butter and heat over medium heat until warm and the butter is just melted.

With an electric mixer on low speed, gradually add the warm liquid to the flour/yeast mixture, beating until well blended. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. Add the eggs and 1 cup (150 g) flour and beat for 2 more minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that holds together. Turn out onto a floured surface (use any of the 1 ½ cups of flour remaining) and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, sexy and elastic, keeping the work surface floured and adding extra flour as needed.

Place the dough in a lightly greased (I used vegetable oil) bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise until double in bulk, 45 – 60 minutes. The rising time will depend on the type of yeast you use.

Prepare your filling. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar for the filling if using. You can add the chopped nuts to this if you like, but I find it easier to sprinkle on both the nuts and the chocolate, chips and toffee bits separately.

Once the dough has doubled, make the meringue: In a clean mixing bowl – ideally a plastic or metal bowl so the egg whites adhere to the side (they slip on glass) and you don’t end up with liquid remaining in the bottom – beat the egg whites with the salt, first on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high and continue beating until foamy and opaque. Add the vanilla then start adding the ½ cup sugar, a tablespoon at a time as you beat, until very stiff, glossy peaks form.

Assemble the Coffee Cakes:

Line 2 baking/cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Punch down the dough and divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, working one piece of the dough at a time (keep the other half of the dough wrapped in plastic), roll out the dough into a 20 x 10-inch (about 51 x 25 ½ cm) rectangle. Spread half of the meringue evenly over the rectangle up to about 1/2-inch (3/4 cm) from the edges. Sprinkle half of your filling evenly over the meringue (ex: half of the cinnamon-sugar followed by half the chopped nuts and half of the chocolate chips/chopped chocolate).

Now, roll up the dough jellyroll style, from the long side. Pinch the seam closed to seal. Very carefully transfer the filled log to one of the lined cookie sheets, seam side down. Bring the ends of the log around and seal the ends together, forming a ring, tucking one end into the other and pinching to seal.

Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife (although scissors are easier), make cuts along the outside edge at 1-inch (2 ½ cm) intervals. Make them as shallow or as deep as desired but don’t be afraid to cut deep into the ring.

Repeat with the remaining dough, meringue and fillings. Cover the 2 coffee cakes with plastic wrap and allow them to rise again for 45 to 60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Brush the tops of the coffee cakes with the egg wash. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and golden brown. The dough should sound hollow when tapped.

Mango-Berry Crisp

2011-03-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

My kids LOVE LOVE LOVE this dessert - "delicious", "the best ever", "mmmm" were all used in describing it and they each ate two servings. My 4 year old son plans on having it for breakfast :) Note: They did have it for breakfast (with yogourt) and begged me to make another.
Some tips: I prefer to use a shallow longer dish rather than a deep casserole dish that way you get to enjoy more crispy topping per serving!

Also, any fruit pretty much works and the quantities are just guide lines. Just don't over pack the dish or you may experience juice overflow and make a mess of your oven!
I coated the blueberries in flour so they wouldn't become too juicy.
Coarse sugar sprinkled on top before baking adds a great touch to this dish!

Ingredients

2 mangos
2 apples
1-1/2 cups strawberries, chopped
1 cup blueberries
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger

What to do

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Chop up mango, apples, and strawberries.
Place chopped fruit in medium baking dish.
Place blue berries in bowl and throw in a table spoon of flour. Coat berries.
Place berries with other fruit.
In another bowl, whisk flour, spices, and sugar.
Add oats.
Pour butter over flour mixture and stir until combined.
Drop in small amounts over fruit base until fruit is well covered.
If you have any course sugar, sprinkle over topping along with an extra shake of cinnamon.
Place in oven and bake for 1 hour or until golden brown.

Oatmeal Fudge Bars

2011-03-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

This recipe makes enough to feed a large crowd! They are delicious but not too sweet. They are also known as Mrs. Larson Bars and very similar to the oat fudge bars found at Starbucks.

Side Story:
My 4 year-old son loves to help out in the kitchen. As soon as he hears me rummaging through my pans he is running into the kitchen and grabbing our little step ladder so he has a good view of whatever recipe is about to come to life.

Most weekends we bake something up - cookies, bars, muffins etc and he loves stirring, beating, picking flavours, measuring ingredients ...pretty much everything except cleaning up :)

Anyways, last week his preschool teacher told my husband that when my son was asked what his Mom did...he replied "she's a chef!" And while I really work in the non-profit sector, in his eyes I'm a chef...and, according to him, a pretty good one at that. And isn't it great that not only am I chef, I happily share my "office" with him where we bake up special treats and create memories that will hopefully last forever.

Ingredients
Base:
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups oats
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
Combine the butter mixture and the dry ingredients.
Mix in oats.

Topping:

12 ounces chocolate chips (this is 1 pack plus about 3 oz).

1 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk (I use Eagle Brand)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup peanut butter (optional)

Melt butter in large sauce pan over low heat.
Add rest of ingredients.
Stir constantly until melted.

Putting it all together:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spread and press 3/4 of oat mixture into a jelly roll pan (or two 9 x 13 pans)
Spread chocolate mixture on top and spread until even.
Sprinkle remaining oat mixture on top of chocolate.
Bake for approximately 22 minutes until oats are golden brown.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Blast Mint Brownies

2011-03-10T19:10:00.000-08:00

Brownies have been around since the late 1800s although the exact moment of creation of these chocolatey treats is surrounded in a bit of mystery (read this for more info on its history).

Although there are cakey brownie recipes and fudgey brownie recipes, I prefer the dense, chewy, fudgey type. This recipe is adapted from Michael Smith recipe. I've added more chocolate and added mint chips for some fun.

Ingredients:

350 grams of good quality dark chocolate
1 cup butter
1 cup flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract (preferably pure)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet, dark, milk, or white)
1/2 cup mint flavoured chocolate chips

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan. Note: I use extra cocoa instead of flour so there is no white flour color on the brownies when baked.
Melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Stir until smooth and remove from heat to cool.
Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
Once melted chocolate mixture has a cooled a bit, add sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir well.
Add the chocolate mixture to the flour bowl and mix until incorporated.
Add both types of chocolate chips.
Spread batter into the pan.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

2011-02-21T15:09:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season for colds, flus and germs in general! So there is no better time than now to share my recipe for chicken noodle soup. I promise it tastes better than anything you can get out of a can...and even when you are sick and your taste buds are seeminly on vacation, you will love this soup.

Ingredients
6 cups chicken stock (I prefer homemade but store bought will do)
500 grams broad egg noodles (more or less depending on how noodly you like it)
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced
2 tsp oil
1 tsp medium strength curry powder
2-3 large carrots, chopped
1 leek, chopped (green and white parts only)
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 cups cooked chicken, pulled apart (save time and use a freshly precooked chicken from grocery store)

What to do

In a large stock pot or pan, heat oil.
Sautee onion, carrots, jalapeno and celery for about 4 minutes, until onions are translucent.
Add curry powder and stir for 30 seconds.
Add stock and bring to boil.
Add pasta.
Cook according to time on pasta package for al dente. Al dente is important as pasta will cook more when reheated.
Add chicken and heat through.
Serve.

If desired separate into individual containers and freeze. I find the egg noodles have a better consistency and less texture change when defrosted than other pastas.

Butternut Squash & Sage Soup

2011-02-13T11:47:00.000-08:00

Not your ordinary cup-a-soup!

I'm on a soup kick. Black bean, pumpkin, and chicken noodle soups...all made from scratch recently. This one is butternut squash and sage. The two flavours work really well together to make a creamy and hearty soup. But don't mistake the creaminess for calories...there is no cream in the recipe. In fact, the calorie count for a cup and a half is about 200.

You also have the option of steaming or roasting the squash. I prefer the roasting method as it brings out more flavour and natural sweetness of the squash. If you choose to steam it peel and chop the squash into 2 inch chunks before steaming. If you roast it, I recommend 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Just cut the squash lengthwise in half and rub with a little olive oil and salt. Place on a pan cut side down. Once roasted and cool enough to touch, scrape out squash and you're ready to go.

Ingredients
3 medium size butternut squash
1 large sweet vidalia onion, chopped
1 medium leek, chopped (white and light green parts only)
1 apple, peeled and cored, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable)
2 tsp oil
1-1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp pepper
salt to taste

What to do

Steam or roast squash as discussed above.
Add oil to frying pan and saute onion, leek and apple over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add pepper, garlic and sage. Saute for another minute.
Add stalk and squash.
Bring to boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
Using immersion blender, puree soup. If using a regular blender, puree in batches.
Salt to taste.
Enjoy now or freeze for later!

Pumpkin-Apple Soup

2011-02-01T20:31:00.000-08:00

Normally, I wouldn't be jumping back on the pumpkin band wagon so soon after the holidays but this soup is just too good to resist. And it is a great option for anyone who is hanging on to their New Year Resolution of eating in a healthy, low-fat and high fibre kind-of-way! It has less than 100 calories in a cup (makes 8 cups), 5 grams of fibre and 4 grams of protein.

I often make a batch and freeze this soup in individual servings. During the week I just pull them out for lunches as needed.

Adapted from the New Complete Cookbook
Ingredients
2 teaspoons cumin
1 large spanish onion, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp smoked paprika or cayenne pepper
4-5 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
2 cans (15 ounces) real pumpkin (NOT pie fillling)
1/2 cup apple sauce, unsweetened
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsp lime juice, optional
thyme sprigs for garnish

What to do

Heat oil in a large pot and cook onions until translucent - about five minutes.
Add cinnamon, paprika, and cumin. Stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant (do not burn!).
Add all remainng ingredients.
Using a hand blender, carefully puree soup.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
If using lime juice add just before serving.
Garnish dishes with thyme sprigs.

Enjoy!

Note: If you don't have a hand blender, add onions mixture to blender and add 1 cup of stock. Puree. Pour back into pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Continue as directed.

Lamington Curse #2 - Mt Lamington

2011-01-29T21:08:00.000-08:00

I apologize now for the following incredibly bad story of how Super K saved Mt. Lamington from the big scary T-Rex in the Land of P.

To be honest, the blame is totally on the shoulders of Mr. P of Delicious, Delicious, Delicious. Please send all complaint letters to him. This is the second year of his Lamington Challenge. You can read my entry from last year here.

This year my 4 year old wanted in on this challenge. We used our Christmas Tree Pop recipe to make this volcano but we added about 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut to the cake (short version of recipe is: bake a cake and pulse it up in a food processor; add a tub of icing; mould it into desired shape; freeze it; cover it in candy). It was his idea to use the dinosaur and thankfully, an Aussie friend gave me Super K just yesterday to bring it all together.

The volcano is simply covered in melted chocolate candy buttons and sprinkles were added before it dried. We also melted red candy for the "lava" shooting out of Mt Lamington.

Finally, please note no dinosaurs or koalas were hurt in the making of this story. My 4 yr old, on the other hand, tripped over a phone wire and bruised his chin...poor little guy. Luckily, a big piece of Mt Lamington will make him all better.

Without further ado, the story of how Super K saved the day!

Daring Baker Challenge - Biscuit Joconde Imprime

2011-01-27T08:29:00.000-08:00

The January 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Astheroshe of the blog accro. She chose to challenge everyone to make a Biscuit Joconde Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert.

The Daring Baker's Challenge was fantastic! I had never attempted to create a Biscuit Joconde Imprime before so it was truly a challenge and also lots of fun.

The kids chose the colours of the circles and the type of filling. Butterscotch pudding with whipped cream folded in was the choice and it worked perfectly. We kept it in the freezer and it was delicious each time we pulled it out for a taste.

I'll definitely be making this again and already have a few designs in mind.

Below you'll find the recipe we were given just in case you'd like to give it a try!

Joconde Sponge

YIELD: Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan

Ingredients:

¾ cup/ 180 ml/ 3oz/ 85g almond flour/meal - *You can also use hazelnut flour, just omit the butter
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons/ 150 ml/ 2⅔ oz/ 75g confectioners' (icing) sugar
¼ cup/ 60 ml/ 1 oz/ 25g cake flour *See note below
3 large eggs - about 5⅓ oz/ 150g
3 large egg whites - about 3 oz/ 90g
2½ teaspoons/ 12½ ml/ ⅓ oz/ 10g white granulated sugar or superfine (caster) sugar
2 tablespoons/ 30 ml/ 1oz / 30g unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. In a clean mixing bowl whip the egg whites and white granulated sugar to firm, glossy peeks. Reserve in a separate clean bowl to use later.

2. Sift almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, cake flour. (This can be done into your dirty egg white bowl)

3. On medium speed, add the eggs a little at a time. Mix well after each addition. Mix until smooth and light. (If using a stand mixer use blade attachment. If hand held a whisk attachment is fine, or by hand. )

4. Fold in one third reserved whipped egg whites to almond mixture to lighten the batter. Fold in remaining whipped egg whites. Do not over mix.

5. Fold in melted butter.

6. Reserve batter to be used later.

Patterned Joconde-Décor Paste

YIELD: Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan

Ingredients

14 tablespoons/ 210ml/ 7oz/ 200g unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups plus1½ tablespoons/ 385ml/ 7oz/ 200g Confectioners' (icing) sugar
7 large egg whites - about 7 oz / 200g
1¾ cup/ 420ml/ 7¾ oz/ 220g cake flour
Food coloring gel, paste or liquid

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (use stand mixer with blade, hand held mixer, or by hand)

2. Gradually add egg whites. Beat continuously.

3. Fold in sifted flour.

4. Tint batter with coloring to desired color, if not making cocoa variation.

Preparing the Joconde- How to make the pattern:

1. Spread a thin even layer of décor paste approximately 1/4 inch (5 millimeter) thick onto silicone baking mat with a spatula, or flat knife. Place mat on an upside down baking sheet. The upside down sheet makes spreading easier with no lip from the pan.

2. Pattern the décor paste – Here is where you can be creative. Make horizontal /vertical lines (you can use a knife, spatula, cake/pastry comb). Squiggles with your fingers, zig zags, wood grains. Be creative whatever you have at home to make a design can be used. OR use a piping bag. Pipe letters, or polka dots, or a piped design. If you do not have a piping bag. Fill a ziplock bag and snip off corner for a homemade version of one.

3. Slide the baking sheet with paste into the freezer. Freeze hard. Approx 15 minutes.

4. Remove from freezer. Quickly pour the Joconde batter over the design. Spread evenly to completely cover the pattern of the Décor paste.

5. Bake at 475ºF /250ºC until the joconde bounces back when slightly pressed, approx. 15 minutes. You can bake it as is on the upside down pan. Yes, it is a very quick bake, so watch carefully.

6. Cool. Do not leave too long, or you will have difficulty removing it from mat.

7. Flip cooled cake on to a powdered sugared parchment paper. Remove silpat. Cake should be right side up, and pattern showing! (The powdered sugar helps the cake from sticking when cutting.)

Preparing the MOLD for entremets

You can use any type of mold. I would suggest:

1. Start with a large piece of parchment paper laid on a very flat baking sheet. Then a large piece of cling wrap over the parchment paper. Place a spring form pan ring, with the base removed, over the cling wrap and pull the cling wrap tightly up on the outside of the mold. Line the inside of the ring with a curled piece of parchment paper overlapping top edge by ½ inch. CUT the parchment paper to the TOP OF THE MOLD. It will be easier to smooth the top of the cake.

Preparing the Jaconde for Molding:

1. Trim the cake of any dark crispy edges. You should have a nice rectangle shape.

2. Decide how thick you want your “Joconde wrapper”. Traditionally, it is ½ the height of your mold. This is done so more layers of the plated dessert can be shown. However, you can make it the full height.

3. Once your height is measured, then you can cut the cake into equal strips, of height and length. (Use a very sharp paring knife and ruler.)

4. Make sure your strips are cut cleanly and ends are cut perfectly straight. Press the cake strips inside of the mold, decorative side facing out. Once wrapped inside the mold, overlap your ends slightly. You want your Joconde to fit very tightly pressed up to the sides of the mold. Then gently push and press the ends to meet together to make a seamless cake. The cake is very flexible so you can push it into place. You can use more than one piece to “wrap “your mold, if one cut piece is not long enough.

5. The mold is done, and ready to fill.

*Note: If not ready to use. Lay cake kept whole or already cut into strips, on a flat surface, wrap in parchment and several layers of cling wrap and freeze.

Entremet- Filling Options:

It is nice to have a completed dessert so you can unmold and see the Joconde working. Fill with anything you desire. Layers of different flavors and textures! However, it needs to be something cold that will not fall apart when unmolded.

Suggestions:

Mousses, pastry creams, Bavarian creams, cheesecakes, puddings, curds, jams, cookie bases, more cake (bake off the remaining sponge and cut to layer inside), nuts, Dacquoise, fresh fruit, chocolates, gelee.

Chocolate Almond Bites

2011-01-24T21:19:00.000-08:00

I love chocolate covered almonds...anytime any kid is selling them for school fundraising projects I am more than happy to help them out by buying a box or two.

Left over from a previous cooking project, I had a bag of almond flour (ground almonds) that I wanted to make use of ...but how? The answer struck when I was browsing other food blogs. Carolyn over at All Day I dream about Food created a great gluten free recipe for Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles that look delicious. And her recipe inspired me to try my own version. Instead of peanut butter, I used almond flour or meal and low fat cream cheese in place of the butter.

I loved the result. The mixture stays fairly soft and their small size means they can be popped in your mouth and sinfully enjoyed. The mix of almonds and chocolate simply can't be beat!

Inside:

5 tbsp low fat cream cheese
6 tbsp almond butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar (icing sugar)
1 cup almond flour/meal

Outside:
1-1/2 cups chocolate, melted
2 tsp vegetable shortening (optional)

What to do:
Line a baking sheet with a silpat or wax paper. Place a cooling rack on top.
Heat cream cheese and almond butter in microwave until creamy when stirred together (30 seconds - 1 minute).

Transfer to larger mixing bowl and add sugar and almond flour. Mix until well combined (by hand or with mixer).

Using a small 1-inch dough scoop (or a teaspoon) place balls on rack. Your mixture should yield 18- 22 balls depending on their size.

Place chocolate in heat prood bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Continue to repeat but for 20 seconds until chocolate is melted.

Carefully dip bottom of a ball (if using scoop they will be half a ball shaped) in chocolate and put back on rack. With a spoon pour chocolate over top of ball and coat completely. Repeat until all balls are coated. If desired, add a sprinkling of salt or drizzle contrasting coloured chocolate on dipped balls.

Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use (at least an hour).

Enjoy.

Notes:
I think they taste best when consumed within a day.
The vegetable shortening will add a nice sheen to the chocolate but I prefer it without.
If you spoon too much chocolate over balls they might form a thick layer of chocolate over the cooling rack wires - a pain to remove but still delicious!

Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Scones

2011-01-20T08:19:00.000-08:00

Yet another scone recipe!!! What can I say except "I love scones!" This one is loaded with mini-chocolate chips. Great out of the oven but these make a great grab-and-go snack for kids and adults alike. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/4 cup berry or castor sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, cold
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup aguave syrup

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup mini-chocolate chips

What to do:

Yield is between 18-24 scones depending on size.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Whisk together.
Add butter to flour bowl and using a pastry blender (or two knives) mix together until it resembles course crumbs.
In another bowl, add egg, syrup, and buttermilk.
Add chips to DRY ingredients.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and add liquid bowl in one go.
Combine gently with a fork until dough starts to come together.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead 10 times.
Roll or pat dough into a square that is approximately 1 cm thick.
Cut into squares about 3 cm or so wide. Cut these squares in half to form triangles. (A pizza cutter works well.)
Place triangles on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden
Cool and enjoy!

How to Make Ricotta Cheese

2011-01-16T21:50:00.000-08:00

I love ricotta cheese - on bread, mixed with chocolate, sprinkled with herbs, in lasagna, in a lemon tart...ricotta is so versatile and delicious. But for most of us ricotta comes from a tub that we buy in our local grocery store. Some of us are lucky enough to buy fresh ricotta from specialty stores. But have you ever thought to make your own fresh ricotta at home? Why not? It's easy, fast and your taste buds will thank you.

You will need cheesecloth and colander.

Ingredients
4 cups 1% milk (or 2% or whole)
2 cups whipping or heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp white wine vinegar

What to do

Dampen cheesecloth and line a colander with it.
Place colander over a large bowl.
In a large sauce pan, bring the milk, cream and salt to a boil over medium heat. Stirring often to prevent burning.
Take off heat and add vinegar.
Let rest 2 minutes while mixture separates.
Pour mixture into colander.
Wait 30 minutes while liquid drains into bowl. You may want to run a spoon through it a couple of times to let the liquid escape.
Use immediately or place in air tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Oatmeal Kiss Cookies

2011-01-11T05:17:00.000-08:00

About 10 years ago, I found the best oatmeal cookie recipe ever! They were soft and chewy and a little bit spicy. The first, and only, time I made them were as treats for a weekend boat trip to Nanaimo where we were watching the sinking of H.M.C.S. Saskatchewan - Nanaimo's first artificial reef. The weekend and the cookies were fantastic! But I lost the recipe. Like many underwater treasures, it has remained lost ever since.

Being the optimist that I am, I continue to create original and test others oatmeal cookie recipes in the hopes of finding something as good as those lost cookies. This recipe isn't as spicy as the elusive one but it is still delicious! For me, chocolate and oats are one of those perfect flavour combinations and the addition of cinnamon makes it even better. I used "mini-kisses" by Chipits. They are 1/3 the size of original chocolate "kisses" and perfect for these small cookies.

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1-1/4 large flake rolled oats
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 package baking "kisses" or large chocolate chips

What to do

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in large bowl.
Stir in oats.
In another mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.
Blend in water.
Stir dry ingredients into butter mixture.
Shape into small balls and place a "kiss" or chip in the centre.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Enjoy!

Beet it: How to roast your own beets

2011-01-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

I've met a few people recently who have never had the pleasure of eating roasted beets at home. Roasted beets, well any roasted root veggie really, is a simple and healthy side dish. And let's not they are DELICIOUS.

If beets aren't a frequent ingredient in your pantry you may not know what flavours compliment this veggie.

My favorite flavor pairings include:

blue cheese
chives
orange juice
tarragon
walnuts
honey
garlic
ginger
pepper
apples
cilantro

These are just a few of the great things you can think to add any beet recipe.

Nutrition
50 calories are in one cup (250 mL) of cooked diced beets.
Beets are a good source of potassium, folacin and Vitamin C.

History
Beets have been cultivated since pre-historic times in the Mediterranean area and were originally grown only for their leaves. In wasn't until the times of the Roman empire that people began to eat the roots as well.
Roast Your Own
To roast yor own beets follow these simple steps:
Note: You may want to wear gloves so as not to stain your hands.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Wash beets.
Chop off both ends of your beets.
Cut each beet in quarters.
Place in a large bowl and add a few teaspoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix.
Spread beets on large cookie sheet.
Roast for 40-50 minutes depending on size of beets.
When fork can easily pierce the beets they are done.
Cool slightly and then peel off skins (again gloves might be useful here).
Eat like this or add to a salad or other recipe.
Enjoy!

Buttery Cinnamon Buns

2011-01-04T06:13:00.000-08:00

Cinnamon buns - what's not to love? Ooey, gooey goodness of cinnamon and butter all wrapped up in a warm, soft sweet bread roll. And when you are lucky enough to wake up to their aroma slowly making its way from the kitchen to your bedroom...well, you are lucky indeed.

These ones are especially delicious and believe it or not, you don't need cream cheese icing. I know, I know some of you have already flipped to another blog at that comment! But really, the butter that is placed in the bottom of the pan before baking give these little "sin"amon buns a buttery, caramel flavour that needs to be enjoyed on its own. If you don't believe me ask my family who managed to devour a pan of these in less than 24 hours!

Bun Ingredients

1 cup milk
3 tbsp water, room temperature
1 large egg
2 tbsp butter, room temperature
3/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
3-1/4 cups flour
2 tsp bread machine yeast

Filling
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon (note: I love cinnamon - if you don't reduce the amount)
1/3 cup melted butter, divided

What to do:

1. In order of what is recommended by your bread machine maker, add milk. water, egg, salt, sugar, flour and yeast into bread maker.
2. Select dough cycle.
3. When finished, remove dough and put on lightly foured surface.
4. It is a soft dough but if necessary knead in enough flour to make it easy to handle.
5. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
6. Combine cinnamon and sugars in bowl.
7. Roll dough into 12 x 9 rectangle.
8. Generously brush with 1/2 of the melted butter.
9. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
10. Roll dough tightly like a jelly roll starting on the long side.
11. Pinch the seam tight.
12. Shape back into 12 inch roll, if needed.
13.With a sharp knife cut into 1-inch slices.
14. Pour rest of melted butter in a 9 x 13 inch pan.
15. Arrange cut slices in pan in butter.
16. Cover loosely with waxed paper or kitchen towel and let rest for 20 - 30 minutes until doubled in size (resting place should be warm and free of drafts).
17. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
18. Enjoy!

Eggnog-Cranberry Bran Muffins

2010-12-31T19:21:00.000-08:00

I'm still full from Christmas dinner, how about you?

This recipe may help you use up two of your Christmas dinner leftovers...cranberry sauce and eggnog! And in an effort to put a healthy twist on it, I wrapped it all up in a bran muffin :)

Based on a classic recipe, I replaced the original buttermilk with light eggnog and added a small spoonful of sauce in the middle of each muffin.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups flour
2 cups bran
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup light eggnog
1/2 cup cranberry sauce

What to do

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line 12 muffin cups with liners.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
Stir in bran.
In another nowl, cream shortening for 2 minutes.
Add sugar and beat till light and fluffy.
Add egg and beat to combine.
Add molasses and beat to combine.
Add dry ingredients to wet altenately with eggnog.
Stir until just combined after each addition.
Fill muffin cups 1/2 way with batter.
Add 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce to centre of each of muffin.

Cover with additional bran mixture.
Cups will be at least 3/4 full.
Bake for 15-18 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins.

Smokin' Turkey Chili

2010-12-27T16:27:00.000-08:00

Those of us with left over turkey, please raise your hand!!!

We roasted a 19lb gobbler and I was worried it might not be enough for our table of 12. In the end, there was no need to worry as there was enough for 2nds and a few 3rds. There was also more than enough for leftovers.

To make sure none of the turkey went to waste, I decided to make turkey chili and freeze it for lunches in the New Year. And although gluttony is a definite Christmas tradition, the New Year will bring renewed thoughts of a healthy eating so little added fat and lots of added fibre make this a delicious and healthy left over dish!

This recipe also reminds me of the thanksgiving back in university that I made a big pot of turkey chili for a group of friends....it wasn't until we were almost done eating that I realized I forgot to put turkey in it!!!! Lol.

Ingredients:

2-3 cups of diced, cooked turkey
2 large cans of diced tomatoes
1 can (14 oz) white beans, rinsed
1-2 cans (14oz) black beans, rinsed
1 jalepeno, diced (keep seeds in if you like it on the hot side)
1-1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon hot sauce (I like chipotle sauce)
2 tablespoons honey
2 large onions, chopped
1 large red sweet pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 teaspoon liquid hickory smoke

What to do:

Until transparent, saute over medium heat onions, red pepper, and jalepeno in pan lightly coated with cooking spray. (about 5 minutes).
In large pot, add all ingredients including sauteed vegetables.
Simmer over medium heat until heated through and bubbling.
Serve or place into smaller containers and freeze for future use.

Double Chocolate Candy Cane Bark

2010-12-20T19:53:00.000-08:00

Need an easy, delicious sweet treat for dessert or a hostess gift? Try this! Any bag of chocolate chips will do and in any flavour. A few crushed candy canes and maybe a few extra sprinkles and you're done!

Ingredients

3 bags of milk chocolate chips
3 bags of white chocolate chips
1 bag skor bits
5 candy canes, crushed
various sprinkles or other candies (smarties) or crushed cookies

What to do

Melt chips in separate bowls or sauce pans (careful not to burn them).
Spread melted white chocolate on a cookie sheet that has been lined with a silpat.
Sprinkle 1/2 of skor bits over white choclate.
Spread melted milk chocolate over white and spread with a light hand.
Sprinkle with more skor bits, candy sprinkles and crushed candy canes.
Place in fridge until set.
Break or cut into pieces.
Enjoy!

Christmas Tree Cake Pops

2010-12-17T09:15:00.000-08:00

Cake Pops have certainly been one of 2010's trendy sweets! And why not! They are sweet, delicious, super easy to make and most of all fun to look at and make! Check out Bakerella's site for great ideas and different versions of cake pops.

As part of my 6 year old's school Christmas Market, I made Christmas Tree Cake Pops. I made about 40 of them and I'm pretty sure they were gone in 60 seconds once the Market opened.

I think Tree Pops are the best cake pops to start with because you don't have to get a smooth coating of candy on the tree - the more bumpier it is the more it looks like a real tree!

Ingredients:

1 cake mix
1 tub of frosting
lots of sprinkles
1 package of green candy melts
40 lollipop sticks - 6 inch

What to do:

Bake and cool a 9 x 13 cake mix - any flavour.
Break up in food processor and pulse until only small crumbs remain.
Pour into large bowl.
Add one regular size container of cream cheese frosting (less sweet than other flavours).
Using fork, wooden spoon etc, mix with crumbs until well combined.
Using your hands (gloves are good option for this), mould into cone shapes approximately 2 inches tall and 1 or 1-1/2 inch wide at base.
Freeze for 15 minutes.
Melt a package of green candy melties as per package directions.
Pour sprinkles into another small bowl.
Using lollipop sticks, dip one end into candy and insert into base of cake pop.
Dip cake into melted candy. I found it easier to use a small offset spatula to help evenly coat the trees.
Quickly dip into sprinkles (candy dries quite qucikly and then sprinkles wont stick!).
Place completed cake pop into styrofoam or florist base.
Enjoy!

Mom's Christmas Shortbread!

2010-12-11T21:18:00.000-08:00

I think there are as many recipes for shortbread as there are Moms. This is my Mom's recipe. Christmas is not Christmas without these cookies. My Mom sent them 4,000 miles each year while I was in university. Many would end up in crumbs, but trust me, they tasted just as good that way as they did whole! They are amazing, simple and forever THE Christmas cookie in my house.

Ingredients
3 cups flour
2 cups butter
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup corn starch

What to do

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and corn starch.
Beat butter until fluffy.
In three additions, add flour mixture to butter and mix after each addition.
Using small cookie scoop, drop cookies on to cookie sheet and press lightly with a fork.
If desired, dust with sanding sugar or other sprinkles.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until slightly golden at edges.
Cool for 5 minutes and remove to cooling rack.

These cookies can be frozen and, in fact, taste great straight from the freezer.
Crumbs also taste great sprinkled over ice cream!

3D Decorated Christmas House Cake

2010-12-07T22:41:00.000-08:00

I made this cake for my daughter's cake walk at her school. A cake walk, in case you are not familiar, is a musical chairs type game. There are numbers written on paper that are placed on the floor, then the same number of kids as numbers walk around the paper as music plays. When the music stops the kids step on a number. All the numbers are then put in a hat and one is pulled out. The child that stood on that number wins the cake. There were over 30 great cakes this year and the kids had a great time.

This cake is a double layer 13x9 double layer cake on the bottom and the house (looks like a smurf house, doesn't it?!) is made from a giant cupcake pan with the bottom of the cupcake inverted.

The decorations including the door, window, and fence are made from candy moulds and the 2 trees are stickless cake pops.

It was such fun to make, hopefully the boy who won it thought it was just as much fun to eat it!

2010 Canadian Weblogs Awards - A good week!

2010-12-01T22:42:00.000-08:00

This week has been pretty dang good! I had a good hair day on Monday, Tuesday I found out "Within the Kitchen" has been been named the one of the top five finalists in the 2010 Canadian Weblogs Awards (Food & Drink), and Wednesday I spent making fabulous cake pops for my daughter's school bake sale (pics later this week... of the cake pops, not the good hair).

Oh wait, did I mention I was named a TOP 5 FINALIST in the 2010 Canadian Weblogs Awards!!!!!!!!!!! Woohoo!

"The Canadian Weblog Awards are intended to promote good weblogs of all genres from across Canada year round through regular interviews, articles, and the nomination, judging, and award process that culminates with the announcement of the top three weblogs in each category on January 1st...1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in each category will be determined by a (fabulous) jury.

I am honoured to be in such good company! I started this blog just over a year ago to share my recipes and love of life in my kitchen but it has turned into much more. I have come to know so many great bloggers and food lovers, received positive feedback on my efforts and have absolutely loved every minute of this blogging journey.

This nomination is simply icing on the cake.... a 10-layer, double fudge chocolate cake with decadent, dreamy cream cheese icing!

Orange Cranberry Loaf

2010-11-26T08:41:00.000-08:00

Before this recipe, I thought I didn't like cranberry loaf. The cranberries were always too tart and often bakers would try to cover up this tartness with glazes that were too sweet. Then I tried this recipe! It was a eureka moment in my cranberry loaf life. You see, the cranberries are put into the blender (or processor) before you add them to the batter. The little pieces mean no big cranberries to make my taste buds cringe. There is also no need to add a glaze. The orange juice in the batter adds a layer of subtle sweetness. Try this recipe if you like cranberry loaf and especially if you don't. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 cup cranberries
1-3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
3/4 orange juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil

What to do

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease 8-1/2x4-1/2x3-inch loaf pan.
In a blender coarsely chop cranberries.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In another bowl, beat together egg, orange juice and oil.
Add the oil mixture to the dry ingredients and beat for 30 seconds.
Stir in berries.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 60-65 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Creamy Caramel Dip with Fruit Skewers

2010-11-24T08:32:00.000-08:00

I have been making this fruit dip for quite a few years and it always gets rave reviews from adults and kids alike. It's quick and easy to prepare and when you're in a rush, just buy a Costco size fruit platter to go along with the dip and you're ready for your holiday potluck!

Ingredients
1 8oz package of cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup milk
1 package (3.4 oz) vanilla (or butterscotch or chocolate) pudding

What to do:
In large bowl, beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
Beating well after each addition, add sour creadding. m, vanilla, lemon juice, milk and pudding.
Cover dip and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes.

Makes about 3.5 cups.

Great with fruit salad or skewers of fruit...or for older kids offer tooth picks to dip larger chunks of fruit and pound cake.