Mmmmm Muffins! These muffins are moist, flavorful and healthy too! I came up with this recipe when trying to find something healthy and filling to take for a breakfast on the go. There is no butter or oil added to these muffins, so they are very low in fat (don’t worry, you won't miss it!). Loaded witch carrots, zucchini and banana, these make a great healthy snack or breakfast. They freeze well too if you want to make a batch for later- just zap in the microwave and your muffin will taste out of the oven fresh.

Morning Muffins

ingredients

1 ½ cups flour

¾ cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ tablespoons honey

2 eggs separated

½ teaspoon orange zest

2 bananas mashed

¾ cup shredded carrots

½ cup shredded zucchini

1 teaspoon vanilla

directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare 12 muffin tins with liners. ( I find the silicone ones work really well, and I just set them up on a cookie sheet… the muffins just slide right out. These muffins contain no fat, so you will need to use liners of some sort.)

In a large bowl beat egg yolks until creamy, beat in orange zest and honey.

Sift or whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Slowly stir into egg yolks until moistened. Fold into mixture mashed bananas, carrots, zucchini and vanilla.

In another bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold egg whites into batter.

Fill muffin cups until ¾ of the way full. Bake in oven for 20-25 or until done. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before storing.

Enjoy! xo

I have been MIA again. I apologize. I have been very busy. I got engaged last month (YAY!), and have been planning the wedding for this summer! It’s truly amazing what goes into having a wedding. It has been a month of planning, and it is pretty much ready to go (whew!). The other exciting news is that I am going to make our wedding cake, so there will be plenty of cake experiments on here!

Here is a recipe I made recently for Chocolate Cupcakes with a Raspberry Bavarian cream filling. They were so good- and the filling doubles as icing! For the chocolate cupcakes, I used my regular chocolate cake recipe, which happens to be vegan. Why not make it healthier if you can? Unfortunately, the filling is not vegan, as it contains dairy and gelatin.

Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cupcakes

Vegan Chocolate Cake & Cupcake recipe

ingredients

1 cup white sugar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup sunflower oil

1 cup water

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12 cake-muffin pan with liners.

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, stir together all dry ingredients until well blended.

Pour in all wet ingredients in order listed above and until smooth. Do not over beat.

Divide batter into pan until each cup is about ¾ of the way full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until done.

Remove from oven and let cool completely before filling.

Raspberry Bavarian Cream

ingredients

1 tablespoon raspberry extract

¼ cup of boiling water

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons gelatin

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cups of whipped cream

directions

Dissolve gelatin in ¼ cup of boiling water. In large bowl, stir raspberry extract and lemon juice into sugar, mix in gelatin mixture. Let sit for 5 minutes, and whip your two cups of cream until peaks form. Fold raspberry mixture into whipped cream. Pour into a bowl and let cool. This can be enjoyed as is, or piped into cupcakes.

To fill cupcakes, cut a small scoop out of the top of the cupcake using a small serrated or steak knife. Fill a piping bag with cream mixture, and fill creating a rosette on the top of the cupcake.

Enjoy! xo

Crème Brûlée is the ultimate luxury of the dessert world. These perfectly packaged individual treats, comprised of a rich and creamy custard base, topped with carefully torched caramel makes it an unbeatable dessert.

Crème brûlée is simple to make once you have the right tools. For this recipe, you will need 4 ramekins, a 8x8 tin casserole, a damp cloth, tin foil, and an optional blow torch (you know you want it…. I picked mine up at Lee Valley) The ingredients are also very simple cream, egg yolks, vanilla, sugar, salt (Crème brûlée, translates to ‘burnt cream’ in English …aren’t you glad we stuck with the original on this one?!)

Crème Brûlée

ingredients
2 cups heavy cream (35%)
¼ cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 egg yolks
¼ cup white sugar (reserve for topping)

directions
Put a kettle of water on to boil, and line an 8x8 casserole dish with a damp dish cloth, and place 4 ramekins ontop of cloth. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, or stand mixer combine egg yolks and vanilla. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine cream, ¼ cup sugar and salt. Warm over medium heat for a few minutes or until steam begins to rise from cream mixture, do not boil.

While whisking at a high speed slowly add cream mixture to egg mixture until incorporated. Do not add cream too quickly or eggs will cook and curdle. (yuck!)

Pour crème mixture into ramekins, and then pour boiling water into casserole dish until it reaches half way up the side of the ramekins. Cover pan with tin foil and carefully move to oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until custard is firm.

Remove from oven and water bath, and let crème brûlée’s rest on counter for half an hour or until at room temperature, to prevent condensation and sogginess while in fridge. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator. Let cool for 4-5 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to serve, sprinkle with a layer of remaining white sugar and using your kitchen torch carefully brown the tops until a beautiful caramel colour. We usually do ‘torch your own’ so everyone gets a chance to play with fire. If you do not have a torch, broil in oven for 2-3 minutes (and keep a close eye!).

Enjoy! xo

We are going on a mini-vacation this week, and I couldn’t be more excited! It’s been a very busy month so far, so it will be nice to take a few days to relax and do some serious skiing (especially mid week- YAY!).  We are staying in a condo at the base of the hill, which will be wonderful because we can dodge the standard clubhouse fare, in exchange for some healthier homemade goodies. One treat we just can’t resist is hot chocolate…. and why would we?!?

Après-ski Hot Cocoa

ingredients

4 cups milk

¼ cup sugar

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I use cocoa-camino)

a wee pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

marshmallows (optional)

directions

In a medium saucepan combine all ingredients except for marshmallows. Whisk over medium/low heat until all sugar is dissolved, and mixture is very hot, but not boiling.

Ladle into two mugs and top with marshmallows. Enjoy with good company… fire-side preferable, but optional.

Enjoy! xo

Mmmmm bread! Nothing smells or tastes like it. We’ve been eating lots of it these days, because it is so simple to make. Why not treat your family, friends, roommates, pets (Charlie is still hopeful…) or yourself with homemade bread. It really is much easier than you think, and doesn’t require many ingredients. This rustic looking bread is a great everyday recipe that can be integrated into so many meals. Imagine dipping it in a hearty soup, or making garlic fingers with it?! Its fabulously tasty with eggs or jam for breakfast, or for sandwiches as we are having for supper tonight…. or of course just with a dollop of butter.

Rustic ‘No-Kneed’ Bread

ingredients

1 2/3 cups warm water (100 degrees Fahrenheit)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon yeast

3 ½ cups flour

directions

Pour water, yeast and salt into a very large bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes. Pour in flour and mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated. If it gets tough go ahead and use your hands… but don’t kneed.

Leave dough in bowl, and cover loosely with a tea towel. Let sit on counter, or in another non-drafty area (microwaves work really well, just remember not to turn it on). Let sit for 3 hours.

Sprinkle a generous coating of flour onto a cookie sheet, pizza stone or silpat. Coat your hands in flour and lift your dough out of the bowl. Pat more flour onto the dough until it is not sticky. Do not kneed. Quickly and carefully, form dough into a ball shape, and place on cookie sheet. Let rise for 45 minutes.

Once you are halfway through your rise time, preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

After dough has risen for 45 minutes, cover dough with a thick coating of flour, and with a serrated knife cut a tic-tac-toe pattern in the top…. or strips, or whatever you fancy.

Pop bread in hot oven and bake for half an hour. Remove from oven, and let rest for at least half an hour before serving.

Enjoy! xo

The Baketress is going back to school!!! I am excited to report that I have signed up for an evening Baking Arts course at George Brown College. I hope to pick up some new tips and tricks along the way, and have fun baking in a ‘professional kitchen’! The best part is at the end of each class I leave with a delicious baked good, for us to devour late Tuesday evenings… please stop by to share! The best part is I get an adorable and very professional chef outfit, complete with chapeau!

I am scared of pies! Ok, pie crusts, but not any more!!! Week one of my baking course we tackle baking a mile high apple pie, a la Martha Stewart style. I am happy to report it worked, and I may also have discovered where I was going wrong. BUTTER. I love butter. In the past, it has been the only fat I have used in piecrusts for three reasons. ONE: I love butter it just tastes so good, why would I use anything else?! TWO: I don’t cook with lard because I don’t eat meat products THREE: I don’t cook with vegetable shortening because I have NEVER found one that does not contain soy.

Well, unfortunately butter doesn’t yield a very flaky pastry. Don’t get me wrong; it’s still tasty, but not flaky. Surprise! First day in my class I begin reading labels, figuring I won’t be able taste anything we produce… and to my surprise the shortening did not contain soy! It’s made by Monarch, and is a blend of palm oil and canola oil. I have emailed the company that sells it and I can buy it by the 20kg box. This would probably hopefully take a lifetime for us to go through. Moving on, I have found that Spectrum Organics sells a shortening that is 100% Organic Expeller Pressed Palm Oil. 

As I go through the course I will post what I bake, and also what I learn. This recipe is from the George Brown Baking Arts Course Book, and measures ingredients by weight. This recipe makes enough for three 7 inch double crusted pies.

Apple Pie

Flaky Pie Crust

ingredients

750 grams Pastry Flour

500 grams vegetable shortening

250 milliliters cold water

15 grams salt

30 grams brown sugar

extra flour for dusting

1 egg + 1 teaspoon water for egg wash (before baking)

directions

In a large bowl, mix and rub shortening into flour with your hands until you are left with pea sized crumbs. Combine salt, brown sugar and water and mix to dissolve. Add water mixture to dough and mix in a circular motion until incorporated. Do not over mix; you want wee little pieces of shortening to remain in tact. Shape into a ball, and place in a clean bowl to store in refrigerator for at least half an hour for gluten to develop. If you choose to leave overnight, wrap in plastic.

When ready to use, divide into six portions. Dust working surface with flour to prevent sticking. Roll three of the portions out to the size of your pie plate. Fold in half to move to plate, and then pick it up and drop it on the counter from an inch or two high to get it to fall into place. Fill with desired filling (apple filling recipe to follow) and paint egg wash around outside rim of shell.

Roll out three remaining pieces to the size of pie plates to top your pies. Use a fork, knife or small cookie cutter to make a vent in the center of the top for the pie to steam. Place dough on top of pies and press down onto sides securing with egg wash. Crimp edges of pie with your fingers or a fork. If desired, cut out shapes with leftover dough and use egg wash to attach to top of pie for decoration. Paint entire top of pie with egg wash before baking to get a nice golden brown colour.

Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, until filling is soft and crust is a flaky golden brown.

Apple Filling

2000 grams (approx 12 large) apples

2 teaspoons lemon juice

500 grams sugar

50 grams corn starch

2 teaspoons cinnamon

directions

Cut and core apples into slices. Place in bowl, and stir in lemon juice to prevent browning. Mix together Sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon and pour over apples, and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use in your pie.

Enjoy! xo

There’s nothing quite like a Peanut Butter and Jam sandwich. It’s a classic taste brings us back to our lunchbox days. Unfortunately due to rising allergies amongst school age children peanuts are no longer allowed in schools. This PB&J cookie features the classic sandwich taste, and is super cute too. Kids love them, and adults will adore them. To make these lunchroom friendly, or for those with peanut allergies almond butter, or for nut free ‘pea’ butter can be substituted. I use smooth organic, unsweetened/unsalted peanut butter. Using a sweetened peanut butter will work, but will result in a sweeter cookie.

PB&J Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

ingredients

1 1/4 cup peanut butter at room temperature

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon molasses

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl cream together peanut butter, butter, sugar and molasses. To keep molasses from sticking to measuring spoon simply sprits spoon with oil first and it will slide right out. Mix until well blended. Beat in egg and vanilla.

In another bowl whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Slowly combine into peanut butter mixture.

Roll dough into walnut sized balls and place on cookie sheet prepared with parchment paper or a silpat. Place cookies 2 ½ inches apart, and press each ball down lightly with the tongs of a fork both vertically and horizontally.

Bake in preheated oven for approximately 10-12 minutes or until edges turn a golden brown.

Allow cookies to cool on wire racks before frosting.

Jelly Filling

ingredients

1 tablespoons softened butter

½ cup jam (I used strawberry, but raspberry or grape would be delicious too)

1 – 1 ½ cup icing sugar

directions

Cream together butter and jam. Mix in icing sugar by ¼ cup until desired consistency is met (like a butter cream icing).

After cookies have cooled, sandwich 1 teaspoon of filling between two of the cookies. Serve with a tall glass of milk.

Enjoy! xo

Toys, toys, toys!  Santa was very good to me this year, and over Christmas I recieved some fabulous new baking gadgets!  One that I absolutely adore, and that produces very tasty results is a ceramic shortbread pan from Lee Valley.  It is incredibly easy to use.  All you do is prepare the batter, put it into the pan, bake, cool, then flip upside down, and you are left with nice adorable snowflake shortbread cookies.  How much easier could it get?  Certainly one of the easiest and prettiest cookies I made all Christmas.  If you love shortbread, I highly recommend this pan. This for shortbread can be used in a pan like this one, or to make individual shortbreads.

Snowflake Shortbread

ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup icing sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour

directions

Prehead oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a large bowl, cream butter for one minute until soft and creamy.  Mix icing sugar and vanilla into putter.  Cream for 2 minutes at a medium/high speed.  Slowly stir flour, incorporating it 1/4 cup at a time.  Continue to mix until dough is smooth and uniform.

Prepare a shortbread pan,  or cookie sheets for baking by lightly greasing (and flour on cookie sheet).  Firmly pat dough into pan, or drop by tablespoon sized balls onto cookie sheet.  Prick top of dough with the prongs of a fork before baking.  Bake for 30 minutes for shortbread pan, and 8-10 minutes for individual cookies or until sides begin turning a very light golden colour.

Remove from oven, and cool for 10 minutes in pan before flipping onto to a cutting board and slicing into squares with a sharp knife.  Cool individual cookies on wire baking rack.

Enjoy! xo

Loads of Christmas baking, shopping and traveling kept me from blogging about all the goodies I made over the holidays.   Time to play catch up! Here is a recipe for a tasty cut out shortbread cookie topped with butter icing.

Cut-Out Shortbreads

ingredients
1 cup butter at room temperature
½ cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

directions
In a large bowl, whip together butter, vanilla and sugar for 2-3 minutes or until silky smooth.  Whisk together flour and salt.  Add into butter mixture by ½ cup,  mixing well after each incorporation. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Roll out dough until ¼ of an inch thick, and use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes.  For ease of moving the cookies, roll out and cut out directly on parchment paper or on a silpat.

Bake until done, time will vary depending on size of cutouts (5-12 minutes), and cool on wire racks.

Butter Cookie Icing

ingredients
1 ½ cups icing sugar
3 tablespoons of butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract (use clear for white icing)
1 ½  tablespoons milk
Food colour (optional)

directions
Beat together all ingredients for 2 minutes at high speed.  Add additional milk or icing sugar if it is to thick or thin.  Beat in food colouring if desired.  Spread over fully cooled cookies and top with candies.  Let dry for 4-5 hours before stacking.

Enjoy! xo

Happy New Year!!!  I cannot believe it is already 2010!  I do not usually make resolutions, as I am usually continuously making (and breaking) goals throughout the year.  Resolutions seem the hype this year, and I am a sucker for trends so I have decided to make a resolution myself.  Its not to run a marathon, eat healthier, organize the garage (ewww), take Charlie out for more walks, or give up coffee (all things I do plan on doing, except for the latter), but it is to make 2010 a positively fabulous year, and it will be. 

Why not welcome in the New Year, and stick to those healthy eating resolutions by making this healthy vegan zucchini/banana bread.

Yummy Vegan Zucchini Banana Bread

ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola or sunflower oil
1 very ripe banana (mashed)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/4 cups shredded zucchini
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tablespoons ground flax seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

directions
Preheat your oven to 335 degrees Fahrenheit.  Prepare one loaf pan for baking by lightly greasing and then dusting with flour. This will help prevent the loaf from sticking, and will allow it to come out easily.  

In a large bowl beat together sugar, oil, mashed banana and vanilla until combined.  In another bowl whisk together flour, flax seeds, slat, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda until you have an evenly blended mixture.   

Fold flour mixture into banana mixture.  After combined, fold in shredded zucchini. 

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, and bake for  1 hour or until done (when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean- high tech- yes.) Let loaf cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing to rack to cool completely.  Loaf must be removed from pan otherwise the underside will get soggy.  Serve warm with butter, jam or your favorite topping.

Enjoy! xo

Run, run, as fast as you can!
You can't catch me!
I'm the Gingerbread Man!

Gingerbread Men

ingredients

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup softened butter

2/3 cupos molasses

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

directions

In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar.  Cream in molasses and egg.

In another bowl combine dry ingredients and sift or whisk together.  Slowly mix flour mixture into wet mixture by half cups.  Refrigerate dough for 3 hours or until ready to bake.  

Roll out dough until it reaches a thickness of 1/4 inch, and use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes.  Bake at 350 degrees until done, time will vary depending on size. 

Gingerbread Frosting

ingredients 

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

3 tablespoons softened butter

1/2-2 tablespoon milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions

Combine icing sugar, vanilla and butter in bowl, and beat until combined.  Add slowly and beat until desired consistency is reached.   Use to decorate cookies, and let harden for a few hours before stacking/storing. 

Enjoy! xo

Chocolate and Mint go together like Santa and his reindeer,  kisses and mistletoe, or a partridge and a pear tree, and are one of those flavor combos that are just oh so Christmassy! Think peppermint patties crossed with girl guide cookies. YUM! Make these chewy minty treats as an fun addition to your Christmas cookie collection.  

Peppermint Chocolate Fudge Cookies

ingredients

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup sunflower oil
2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar for dusting 

green food colouring (optional)

directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine 1 cup sugar, cocoa powder, sunflower oil, peppermint and eggs in a bowl, and beat until combined. In to the same bowl, add flour, salt and baking powder and mix thoroughly.  Chill dough in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

In a zip-lock baggie mix together remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and a few drops of green food colouring, use as much as you wish depending on the shade of green you would like.  Squish it around in the bag until you have some pretty green sugar.  Put your  sugar into a shallow bowl in perpetration for rolling. Take pieces of dough and roll them into walnut sized balls, then roll them through the green sugar coating them evenly.

Pop the cookies onto sheets lined with parchment or onto a silpat mat. Bake approximately 10 minutes, or until sufficiently crinkled. Take out a bit early for an especially chewy, fudgy cookie.  Cool on wire racks and store in tins until you are ready serve.

Enjoy! xo

Happy Holidays marblemedia!

Over the summer I prepared some cookies for my friends at marblemedia, featuring their gorgeous swirly marble blue logo.  I was recently honored when I had a request to prepare these sugar cookies again to be featured on their holiday card with the man in red himself sneaking a taste. The card looks beautiful, with photography by Simone Maurice and card design by Kate Hall.  Make these delicious cut-out cookies to share with your friends, co-workers and family this holiday season.

Roll Out Sugar Cookies

ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar (put in blender and process until fine)
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract (you can use dark, but colour of cookies is affected)
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

directions
Combine butter and blended sugar and cream until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla.

In a seperate bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder until combined.

Stir flour mixture into butter mixture until dough comes together. Form into 4 balls and chill in fridge for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheight, and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.... (if you don't have one yet, get one you will LOVE!) Roll out one portion of dough between two pieces of waxed paper, or on a lighlty floured surface until dough is 1/4 of an inch thick, or thinner if you want crispier cookies.

Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters, or use things from around the house (clean ones obviously) to come up with interesting shapes. For these ones I used the rim of a wine glass to get the marblemedia circle shape and size I wanted.

At this point if you dont want to frost cookies, you can make very pretty & glittery ones by sprinkling with white granulated, or cloured sugar (mash white sugar in a zip-lock with a few drops food colouring... too easy!) and sprinkle on top. Who dosn't love sparkley things?!

Bake for 10-12 minutes on middle rack of oven. Remove from oven and let cool completely on wire racks before decorating.

Enjoy! xo

Happy Birthday Charlie!! How quickly they grow up...this weekend our 'puppy' turns four.  We are headed to the ranch to celebrate with lots of games of ball, squirrel chasing, and of course some yummy treats to celebrate her big day. Try baking these treats for your  furry friend, or to give to dog lovers this holiday season. 

Charlotte's Peanut Butter Cookies

 ingredients

1 cup flour

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup natural smooth peanut butter (100% peanuts, no salt/sugar)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 

1 egg yolk

directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl mix together water, peanut butter, vegetable oil and egg yolk.  Stir in flour and cornmeal.  Mix until a smooth dough forms.  

Roll out with a rolling pin, until 1/2 a cm thick and use cookie cutters to cut out different shapes and sizes depending on pet size.  I sometimes use a small lid to make bite sized round cookies.  you could also roll into small balls, and press with a fork like you would regular peanut butter cookies.  Bake for 5-12 minutes  depending on size of cookie.  

Remove and let cool on drying racks until fully cooled.  Store cookies for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.  If have some extra you would like to save, these freeze well.  Serve with a good belly rub and water.  

Enjoy! xo

 

One month until Christmas Eve, and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Not really in Toronto with our above zero weather...but in the home of the Baketress it certainly is. The carols are playing, the decorations made their way out of the garage and are now decking our halls, the bar is stocked (mmm baileys!),  and just this weekend we trimmed the tree!   Now the Christmas baking can begin!

 

 I made a 'grown-up mac-n'-cheese' to enjoy after all the were lights hung and each ornament had found it's place.  Hope you can enjoy this simple dinner recipe sometime over the holidays.  You could double or quadruple for a bigger group.

Grown-Up Mac-n'-Cheese (for when kd just won't cut it)

ingredients 

1/4 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup flour

1/3 cup dry white wine

2 cups milk  

2 cups grated sharp/old cheddar cheese

1/4 cup grated cheese for topping 

4 cups dry pasta (Fusilli, Rotini, Macaroni, Penne)

Pick some toppings! some ideas...  broccoli, onions, ham, bacon, sundried tomatoes, shrimp,  bell peppers, asparagus.... (in this one I just used broccoli.) 

directions

Boil pasta until cooked al dente, drizzle with a light oil to prevent sticking. when its done  While pasta is cooking choose your toppings... ideas above, but be creative!  Sauté toppings in a light oil until done. Set pasta and toppings aside.  

 In a medium sized saucepan, melt butter on low heat.  Add spices and flour to melted butter and whisk until smooth.  Add milk and wine.  Whisk constantly until it thickens.  Once thickened add cheese and stir until melted.  

Pour cheese sauce and toppings over pasta.  Pour it all into small casserole dish or pie plate, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Broil in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese on the top is melted.  Sit back and enjoy with the rest of the wine.

Enjoy! xo

Over the weekend there were lots of reasons to celebrate... birthdays, engagements, and of course the beginning of the Christmas season with the Santa Claus Parade.  To celebrate my mums birthday I made a pound cake filled and topped with lemon curd (which deserves a much nicer name the curd) and topped it off with a cream cheese frosting.


Because it Only Happen Once a Year Pound Cake (or a few times!)

ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups white sugar 
6 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk (Make your own! Combine 1 tbsp vinegar/lemon juice, with milk to total 1 cup. Let sit for 5 min)

directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl beat together butter and sugar until smooth.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Stir in vanilla extract.  
In another bowl whisk or sift together flour, baking soda and salt.  
Carefully and gently mix in flour mixture to the butter/egg mixture alternating with additions of buttermilk.  Be careful not to over mix.  Pour batter into a floured and oiled 8x8 inch spring form or 9 inch tube pan.  
Bake for 90 minutes in preheated oven... do not open oven door during this time!  After 90 minutes remove from oven and let cool in pan for 1/2 an hour before moving to wire racks to cool completely.

This pound cake is wonderful on its own.  For the cake pictured above, I cut the pound cake down the middle and filled with Lemon filling, and also topped with lemon filling.  The sides were frosted with Cream Cheese Frosting to keep the lemon filling in place. 


Tangy Lemon Curd Filling

ingredients
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter (not too hot, or the eggs with curdle)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (yes.. the other will work too) 

directions
In a microwave safe bowl or large glass measuring cup whisk together sugar and egg yolks until smooth.  Stir in lemon juice and butter .

Cook in microwave on medium heat at one minute intervals, stirring with a whisk after each minute.  Keep heating until mixture thickens... amount minutes depends on the microwave. It takes me a total of about 6 minutes.  

Refrigerate until cool and ready for use.  

Cream Cheese Frosting

ingredients
1/4 cup softened butter
1 (8 ounce package) softened cream cheese
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions
In a medium sized bowl or stand mixer, cream together the soft butter and cream cheese until combined and creamy. Mix in vanilla, and then gradually add in icing sugar until desired consistency is reached.

 
Tip:  Put a higher ring of Cream Cheese frosting around the middle and top layers to keep the gooey lemon filling from spilling out the sides. 


Enjoy! xo

 (Toronto Santa Claus Parade, 1918, from the Archives of Ontario)

Making bread is actually really really easy, and not time consuming at all.  Many people shy away from making bread because of the time consuming process. I promise this will only take 20 minutes of your time, then you can leave and let the yeast do the rest of the work.  Give it a shot! All you need is a good recipe, and some good ol'fashioned arm strength... or a mixer with a dough hook. 

Basic White Bread
ingredients
1 package dry active yeast (or 2 1/4 tespoons)
1 cup warm water (100 degrees)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg
3 1/4 cups flour

directions
Dissolve yeast in warm water with sugar.  Let sit and bloom for 5-10 minutes. 

In a large bowl mix together salt, and 1 1/2 cups flour, butter and egg.  Once ready stir in yeast mixture.  Mix until well fully combined.  Gradually stir in remaining flour until it forms a soft dough ball.  


Remove dough from bowl, and knead on a lightly floured counter top for 8 minutes.  If you have a mixer, use dough hook and lowest speed setting instead.  


Grease a large bowl with oil (you can use the same one you did before to cut down on dishes), and place kneaded dough in bowl.  Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm spot on your counter for and hour or so.....Go for a walk, make some soup to go with your bread, or come read the Baketress :)


After an hour, your dough should have doubled in size... isn't baking such a cool science!  Punch down your dough- go ahead take out your aggressions if you didn't get them out in your kneading.  Shape dough into a flattened rectangle shape, and fold up like you would a letter.  Seal edges, and place into a greased loaf pan.  Cover and let rise another hour, or until doubled in size.  


Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.  Once done remove from pan and cool on wire rack to prevent sogginess.    Spread with butter or jam and enjoy!  Homemade bread does not last long around here, but leftovers can be stored in a sealed container for up to a week.  


Enjoy! xo

Soups on!! I know winter is on its way when every week I seem to be cooking up multiple batches of soup, chili and stew... and salads have fallen by the wayside. Anything you can make it big batches then heat up when you come in from a chilly walk is perfect for this time of year. I've made this soup two weeks in a row now... its healthy and delicious! Broccoli has to help in preventing colds & flu right?!

Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup

ingredients
1 large head of broccoli
1 carrot
1 medium onion
3 medium peeled potatoes
3 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups vegetable broth
1-2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon finely ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional... if you like it a touch spicy)
1 teaspoon paprika (optional garnish)

directions
Roughly chop onion, garlic, carrot and potato. You can leave things fairly large because you will be pureeing it all later. Heat olive oil in a big stock pot, and dump in chopped vegetables.

Simmer on low heat until onions are transparent, and other veggies are getting a bit golden on the edges. While simmering, roughly chop up broccoli, including stems.

Add broccoli to other vegetables, and add 2 cups of vegetable stock. Top pot up with water until all of vegetables are submerged. Add 1 teaspoon of salt.

Bring water to a boil, then reduce to a low heat and let simmer for 25 minutes or until vegetables are soft.

Remove soup from heat, and let cool. Leave it on the counter, or if you are in a hurry pop it in the fridge for a bit. The next step is to puree the soup. If you put the soup into a blender while it is hot, it has a tendency to explode on you... and cooked broccoli is not what you want to be smelling like for the rest of the day. Once it has cooled to luke warm, puree in a blender in small batches (1 1/2 cups at a time).

Once soup is pureed, add the black pepper and cayenne pepper. Give it a taste, and if you like add some more salt. Serve hot and garnish with paprika or grated mozzarella.... and great baguette.

Enjoy! xo

Fall one of my favorite seasons. As the leaves turn beautiful shades of red and orange, and it cools down so much you just want to curl up with a nice cup of tea and a good book. It also happens to be one of my favorite times for cooking, with yummy squash, apples and root vegetables in abundance in my kitchen. Thanksgiving was this past weekend, and it was a tough decision between pies... pumpkin or apple? Why not have both!


Caramel Apple Pie

ingredients
5 cups thinly sliced apples (granny smith or golden delicious are good for baking)
3/4 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup caramel (recipe to come, but you could also use the kraft type)
1 pie crust (or tart shells)


directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. In a large bowl toss apples in lemon juice, then toss apples in dry ingredient mixture until all apples are coated.

Arrange apples in pie crust and top with caramel. If you are using the store bought variety you may want to cut the caramels in half then sprinkle them on top. If you are using homemade caramel, warm at room temperature or under warm water and spoon on top of apples.

Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes. If crust is browning too quickly you can cover with foil.
Serve hot with ice cream.

Enjoy! xo

Hello! First of all, I have to apologize... the 'baketress' in me has been MIA lately. I've got no excuse. Well, now I'm back in the kitchen and ready to make lots of fall treats.

I recently made these sugarific cookies; nice and crispy on the outside and just the right amount of chewy on the inside. The also crack on top while baking and expanding, making them ever so pretty. Will definitely be making these again at Christmas time.

Sugar Sugar Cookies

ingredients
1 cup of softened butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (clear if you want these to be snowy white)
2 3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspon baking soda
1/4 teaspon salt
1 cup sugar (for rolling)

directions
In a large bowl, cream together soft butter and sugar (make sure butter is completely soft... room temp, not melted). Once combined mix in egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Slowly combine dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Cover dough and place in refrigerator for half an hour to chill.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll dough into walnut sized balls, and toss in white sugar. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment or silpat and bake for 7-8 minutes or until they crinkle on top. Allow cookies to cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to wire racks to finish cooling.

Enjoy! xo

Here's to a classic. Nothing beats chocolate chunk cookies- gooey and chewy in the middle and a little crispy around the edges. These cookies are great right out of the oven and stay spectacular for days after. Pair with a cold glass of milk.

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

ingredients
3/4 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
100-120 gram pure chocolate bar (or 1 1/2 cups choc chips) I use the toll house bar-dark variety

directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Cream together melted butter, molasses and sugar in a stand mixer or large bowl with hand mixer until light and creamy. Beat in egg, egg yolk and vanilla.

In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt until combined. Stir into wet mixture just until combined, do not over-mix or blend. Cut chocolate bar into chunks of various sizes with a sharp knife and carefully fold into mixture.

Drop cookie dough by large walnut sized balls onto cookie sheets lined with silpats or parchment paper. Leave 2 inches between each cookie because they spread. Flatten cookies slightly with the palm of your hand and bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for a few minutes on baking sheets before moving to cooling racks... if they last that long ;)

Enjoy! xo