Mocha Brownies

Oh my, I can't believe that May is passing by so quickly. Today is already Victoria Day where most Canadians are relaxing or planting flowers on a well deserved day off. It is beautiful and sunny where I am and to celebrate I made some Mocha Brownies.

I remember a time when I was terrible at making brownies. I would always overbake them and would be left with a chocolate brick. I always avoided making them for fear of failure. If you feel the same way, not to worry; these brownies are super simple to make and have a pleasing coffee flavour.

Most mocha-type desserts call for just a hint of coffee flavour but for these brownies I used freshly brewed espresso and coffee granules. They came out great - chewy on the inside and topped with a glossy, crackly crust. For a nice final presentation, I topped them with a dollop of whipped cream and a coffee bean.

Even if you're not on holiday today I hope you're having a great day wherever you are!

Recipe: Mocha Brownies

Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

You would think that finding a really good chocolate chip cookie recipe would be a simple task. I've tried many with varying degrees of success and I envy those of you who have had recipes handed down to you. I, however, do not have much of a baking legacy in my family so I rely on my books to help me out.

This recipe comes from Canadian Living and I have tried it many times before with lacklustre results which I why I'm only posting about them now. I never thought they were great, let alone best-ever, but yesterday I made some because I had all the ingredients. I had to refrigerate the dough because dinner was in the oven and this simple step made all the difference.

The cookies came out nicely rounded and definitely not like a flat frisbee. The chilling helped the cookies retain their shape so they were still rounded and nicely puffed. I was pleasantly surprised when I pulled then out of the oven and when I sent out two dozen to the kids in the backyard they were gone in 30 seconds. Really, they were. So I've learned not to give up on recipes that don't turn out perfectly the first time. Sometimes all it takes to wreck a batch of cookies is a bad mood and sometimes all it takes to make a good batch is a positive attitude.

Recipe: Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lemon Curd

When I was young, my mom always used to buy the packaged lemon tarts sold at grocery stores - the kind that were in a tray of six and were bright neon yellow. I always wanted the butter tart version (which we sometimes got) but more often than not, the lemon tarts would end up in our cart. I hated these tarts. I thought they were too tart (heh) and I was not a lemon lover at all. Boy, how times have changed.

After making the crepe cake last week, I was left with six egg yolks that I didn't want to waste. I decided to make curd because it was something I'd always wanted to try and, now that I'm older, I appreciate the tangy goodness of the lemon.

Well, the curd was beautiful to make. Slowly it became thicker and thicker until it was ready. I covered it with plastic wrap and chilled it overnight. The next day I tried it and it was rich, thick and tangy - exactly as you think curd would taste. I decided to be English and make scones to have with it. It made the perfect teatime snack though, if you are not fond of strong tart flavours, the curd may be too much for you. So I've learned that as we change, our tastes change with us and, for the most part, this is always a good thing.

Recipe: Lemon Curd

Daring Bakers April Challenge - Darkest Chocolate Crepe Cake

Well, I’m finally done. Those Daring Bakers are really putting me to the test and this month’s challenge was no walk in the park. Brilynn of Jumbo Empanadas decided to test our culinary skills by asking us to make a Darkest Chocolate Crepe Cake from Martha Stewart. As I looked at the four-page recipe, I had inkings that this was not going to be any ordinary cake. I thought the recipe looked a little wacky and perhaps that’s why I procrastinated and left it to the last few days in April.

The cake is made up of three components; chocolate crepes, hazelnut crème filling and chocolate ganache. The crepes were a breeze to make though I had to do a little trimming to make everything circular. They didn’t stick or rip which I am very thankful for. Out of the 36 I made, I only ended up using 18. The crème was a little labour intensive but not difficult. It is a meringue-type hazelnut crème for which I used hazelnut butter instead of hazelnut cream. It was light and airy like a mousse and tasted very yummy. The difficulty started when I began assembling the cake.

After the crepe/crème tower was complete, it started to lean which freaked me out. (Had the filling been more like an icing, this probably wouldn’t have happened.) Filling was spilling out everywhere so I propped it up with 4 straws and put it in the fridge, took a deep breath and made the ganache. I cleaned up the cake as best I could and covered it in the chocolate. The final result is not very even or flat on top. It’s more dome-like but I finished and I was relieved, though slightly frustrated.

Well, the final result (including taste and appearance) turned out okay. The layers are not ultra distinct but you can see them. I also made the candied nuts to put on top. As you can see from the picture, I turned my back on the sugar for a second and it got very dark amber. I thought that since it was just for decoration I would use it. I don’t think I’ll ever make this cake again and I truly believe the parts are much better than the sum product. Everything tasted nice, but perhaps not all together. Overall, I’m glad I tried it. I’m also glad I have a neighbour with family over who I could share the cake with. If you’d like to see what the other Daring Bakers came up with, just click on the links in the sidebar. There are some truly spectacular cakes to behold!

Dutch Butter Bars

Spring has finally sprung in Ontario. Tulips are almost blooming and buds are appearing on my lilac bush. Along with the good weather comes busy times at work and less time to bake. I did, however, find time to make some bars which I will share with you.

Dutch Butter Bars (known in Dutch as boterkoek) are a simple satisfying bar. They're reminiscent of shortbread and have a chewy texture. The almond flavouring compliments the buttery bars very well and the scattered almonds on top add some crunch. Just remember, overbaking will make the bars too crispy. I didn't overbake, but my edges were still well done, almost like biscotti. Also, the consistency of the dough was more like cookie batter. It was not spreadable so I had to pat the dough into the pan.

Overall, the bars were tasty and I would make them again and bake them for a little less time. For some sparkle, sprinkle coarse sugar on top and enjoy with a nice hot drink.

Recipe: Dutch Butter Bars

Maple Nut Upside-Down Cake

This past weekend I found myself with enough free time to get engrossed in baking. The house was quiet and clean - ideal for trying something new. I had already picked out what I was going to tackle - Maple Nut Upside-Down Cake.

After looking through my cupboard earlier, I found about five different types of nuts waiting to be used; macadamia, pine nuts, walnuts, pecans and almonds. A perfect combination for a mix. After reading the recipe, I saw that it was assembled just like any other upside-down cake; by creating a syrup, sprinkling with nuts and topping with cake batter. An interesting thing about the cake was that it used no butter or oil. I couldn't remember the last time I made a cake with no butter but I had a feeling it would be just fine.

Well, the cake didn't disappoint. It looked pretty impressive with the glazed nut top and it was easy to lift off the pan. The syrup soaked into the cake making it moist and sweet. I found that it tasted even better the second day after all the flavours had time to settle. You can use any mixture of unsalted nuts you like and if you top it off with some whipped cream, you'll have a fabulous dessert to share with friends.

Recipe: Maple Nut Upside-Down Cake

Golden Vanilla Layer Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting

This is the third time I've made this cake. The first was for a birthday, the second for a dinner party and the third was also for a birthday which happens to be today. It is a classic layer cake - light, fluffy and golden with chocolate frosting.

The cake comes from Chocolate & Vanilla by Gale Gand and I really love it. The recipe seems a little finicky but you most definitely do not need a fancy mixer to whip it up. Just note that the frosting just covers the cake - you won't have any leftover. Add some ice cream and you have one of the best desserts ever.

So if you want to do something special for someone you know bake them a cake and if your birthday is today, Happy Birthday!


Recipe: Golden Vanilla Layer Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting

My Ambrosia

One of the desserts I remember eating when I was young was Ambrosia. It is a cool melange of chewy marshmallows and juicy fruit all held together by a white cream, most likely Cool Whip. I loved how the marshmallows would soften up and I have never been known to refuse a maraschino cherry. I wanted to recreate it so I went looking for a recipe.

Well, the Internet was very helpful, giving me multitudes of recipes. Some with nuts, some using sour cream or fruit cocktail. No two were alike except in their use of marshmallows so I took components from them and made my own.

After deciding on a mixture of pineapple, mandarin, cherries, coconut and marshmallows I got to work. Using sour cream to bind it all didn't appeal to me so I used vanilla yogurt and the result was like going down memory lane. The first bite was Ambrosia! It was so easy to prepare and everyone enjoyed it, though I did hear one grumble about the cherries. The recipe can be easily doubled or tripled and makes a great no bake summer dessert. Of course, you can change around the ingredients as you like - it is very forgiving. Give it a try!

Recipe: My Ambrosia

Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

I have never really explored baking with peanut butter much beyond making cookies. Many people I know are fond of the peanut butter and chocolate combination and I enjoy it somewhat. Every now and then, I will indulge in a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup but it is never my first choice.

I have had my eye on this no-bake Frozen Peanut Butter Pie for a while. I wanted to try it out because I don't have much luck with frozen desserts other than homemade popsicles. Everything comes out really hard and difficult to cut. I think this is just a mental block since I like to bake - of course everything is hard, its frozen! The second reason I wanted to try it was to see how it would turn out using natural peanut butter as opposed to regular Skippy or Kraft.

The actual pie assembly was a cinch. Each component was made and then frozen until it was finished. One thing I would do differently is add one more square of chocolate to the chocolate glaze for better pie coverage. Overall, my family liked the pie. It wasn't too sweet and I didn't add extra sugar to compensate for the natural peanut butter (which was very smooth) and it was still tasty. Just let it warm up at room temperature before cutting to soften it up. Impatient cutting leads to broken crust!

Recipe: Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

Daring Bakers March Challenge - Red Velvet Cake

After a year of blogging, I have come to know some really great bakers. One of the very first blogs I read was Cream Puffs in Venice, written by the inimitable Ivonne. When I saw that she was part of a monthly baking challenge I quickly emailed her and asked to join. It looked like fun and I hoped would compel me to make new and interesting treats.

For the March challenge, the group, now named Daring Bakers, decided to tackle Red Velvet Cake. I have never made a Red Velvet cake but have heard about them here and there. It is a pretty simple cake to make requiring a standard creaming method. There was some debate on which recipe to use as some members did not want to use oil. It was decided we would all use our own recipe. I used a recipe initially posted by Peabody which contains oil. I don’t mind using oil and like to make a recipe to the letter when first trying it out before making changes.

When I made my cake, the batter was almost fuchsia. I only have two pans so I measured the batter out evenly; baked two and then the remaining batter when they were finished. Baked, the cakes were darker brown, like a chocolate cake, and I wondered if I put enough food colouring in the batter. Next I made the icing by melting butter and cream cheese. To me, this made no discernable difference than had I creamed them.

After assembling the cake it was time to try it out. I was nervous about this because I had no idea what to expect. After cutting it, the red layers were very noticeable and most people liked it. The cake was moist and the icing was yummy. The cake didn’t have a specific flavour – it just tasted like cake that happened to be red. After putting it in the fridge overnight I found the flavour improved the next day.

The best part of this challenge is not so much the cake, but the great women I’ve met this past month. I would also like to thank Ximena from Lobstersquad for making our fantastic logo. If you’d like to check out the other Daring Bakers’ Red Velvet adventures, just follow the links below.

All Things Edible – Quellia

Alpineberry – Mary

Cream Puffs in Vemice – Ivonne

Culinary Concoctions – Peabody

Feeding My Enthusiasms – Elle

Food Art and Random Thoughts – Morven

Hester in Geneva – Hester

Jumbo Empanadas – Brilynn

La Mia Cucina – Lisa

My Kitchen in Half Cups – Tanna

Tartelette – Helene

The Sour Dough – Breadchick

Trembon in English – Valentina

Veronica’s Test Kitchen – Veronica

Writing at the Kitchen Table - Freya

Kamishbrot

Here is what is written about Kamishbrot in the latest issue of Canadian Living:

"These crunchy, not-too-sweet, double baked cookies, also known as mandelbrot and kamish, are a Jewish version of Italian biscotti."

Kamishbrot is prepared the same way as biscotti and this particular version is sprinkled liberally with cinnamon sugar. The dough is made with vegetable oil, not butter, and they taste delicious. I know some people have oil aversion when it comes to baking but in these cookies it works fantastically.

Sometimes I find that biscotti recipes call for overly long baking times resulting in burnt or ultra hard cookies. This recipe (for me, at least) was dead on. The cookies came out golden and crisp - perfect for dunking in a latte or hot tea. The chocolate chips, nuts and coconut taste great together with no dominating flavour asserting itself. If you've never made a double-baked cookie, this is a good place to start. The recipe is straightforward though, you will have to do some shaping and rolling. Just give yourself enough time to chill the dough and bake the cookies. A little patience goes a long way.

Recipe: Kamishbrot

Almond Ricotta Napoleons

Last weekend my family and a bunch of good friends trekked out to Mountsberg for their annual Maple Syrup Days. I went last year and it is always a good time - pancakes, maple candy and wagon rides. I left with a bottle of local maple syrup already having something in mind for it.

Almond Ricotta Napoleons are a quick impressive little dessert. Using frozen puff pastry you make the shells which are simply brushed with maple syrup and almonds. While they're baking, you prepare a ricotta/whipped cream filling. There is very little sugar in the filling and I wanted it sweeter so I added some maple syrup. Yum! The ricotta folded in nicely with the whipped cream though the final result was not 100% smooth. This didn't detract from the overall dessert though, if you want a really light filling, you can always just use the whipped cream and omit the ricotta.

Overall I liked this dessert since there was a great contrast of textures. It was different from anything I've ever made and can be reinvented by adding some fruit, changing the filling or making a different topping. One thing I learned was not to put overly generous amounts of topping on the puff pastry. It made the pastry heavy so the Napoleons didn't rise. This made slicing tricky but not impossible. Napoleons make a good plated dessert so impress someone today. :)

Recipe: Almond Ricotta Napoleons

Farmland Flax Cookies

For those of you who love oatmeal cookies, here is another variation that is worth a try. I've been making Farmland Flax Cookies for a while now and they are popular in my house. This batch was requested by my friend who had a surplus of flaxseeds sitting in her cupboard so I helped her use them up.

The recipe is a snap to make and what you end up with is a golden, scoopable drop cookie batter. The flax seeds are added in whole, but for extra nutrition, try adding ground seeds as well. If you want, you can make them more 'seedy' by adding sesame seeds and sunflower seeds.

You can make the cookies soft and chewy or a little more crispier depending on your cookie texture preference. Just don't bake them too long because they do brown quickly. I baked these cookies for 11 minutes and they were crispy around the edges and soft in the centre.

Recipe: Farmland Flax Cookies

Easy Chocolate Snacking Cake

Lately, my boys have suddenly been very keen to bake with me. "Can I break the egg?" and "Let me stir!" are constant phrases that I hear in the kitchen. I'm happy that they want to take part in something I enjoy so we work together even if it means that some flour gets spilled on the floor or the counters get splattered with batter.

Today after school the request was for chocolate mousse cake. Unfortunately, I did not have the required ingredients for it so we settled on plain ol' chocolate snacking cake. We read the ingredients, gathered them all and started. I find that by giving my children individual jobs, they feel like they're contributing and creating at the same time. First, grease the pan. Second, measure the buttermilk and so forth. After pouring our chocolatey batter into the pan, we waited patiently for it to finish. When I pulled the cake out of the oven, my son was beaming and I said to him, "Wow! Your first cake! We'll call it H's Special Chocolate Cake." A priceless moment.

So hopefully, they've got the baking bug now. Trust me when I say that the recipe is child- friendly. The cake is very good and is super moist. It is made in a 9 x 13-inch pan so there's plenty for sharing. I dusted the cake with icing sugar but you can ice it if you like and don't forget to add some sprinkles too!

Recipe: Easy Chocolate Snacking Cake

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake - easy to make and eat. Not so easy to photograph. Imagine fudgy chocolate cake topped with a thick chocolate pudding all whipped up in the same pan. How is this possible you ask? It is very simple and I will tell you now how to make this magical dessert.

First, make the cake batter. Secondly, top the batter with dry ingredients that will sweeten the pudding. Lastly, pour hot water over the whole thing and do not stir. The magic will be lost if you do.

Set your timer and load the dishwasher. Turn on the oven light and see how your concoction has suddenly turned into a cake with bubbling pudding underneath it. Amazing!

This version of pudding cake is very simple. All you need is a bowl for mixing and a kettle (or a pot) to boil water. I have made pudding cake before and was undecided on whether I liked it a lot or just a bit. I have to say that I am still undecided though the cake was very tasty and moist. I just find that the pudding tastes flat, not very flavourful like real pudding. Can you make this cake with hot milk instead of water? If so, it may make the pudding more yummy. Nevertheless, try it out if you've never made one before. It is still a nice dessert and would go very well with whipped or ice cream.

Recipe: Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Best-Ever Banana Muffins

I think most bakers out there have a standard banana bread/muffin/cookie recipe they turn to when their bananas turn black. I usually make banana cookies which only requires one banana but, more often than not, I have about 4 leftover by Friday. A friend was coming over for tea so I needed something to serve, as tea without eats is incomplete.

Criteria 1: Recipe must use more than one banana.

Criteria 2: Must be quick to make! (Less than 15 minutes not including baking time)

Out came Robin Hood Best Baking and I flipped to the index scrolling 'banana' and found muffins. Not too exciting but, it fit my two criteria and I got to work.

The thing I really like about these muffins is their flavour. There are three bananas in the batter so you get real flavour, not just essence of banana. The riper the bananas the better. After baking for 25 minutes, they cooled for 5, and were almost all eaten by two hungry boys. I did manage to save some for tea, and they were much appreciated. As always, you can add stuff to make them yours (chips, dried fruit or nuts) but I really enjoyed them plain. They're easy easy easy, perfect for packing in lunches and fun to make with little kids.

Recipe: Best-Ever Banana Muffins

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

If you're looking for a great cookie that combines two popular cookie flavours, look no further - these Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies will fit the bill.

I wanted to make an oatmeal cookie this past weekend and when I found this recipe with a twist I decided to try them out. After making a peanut butter batter, oats were added along with raisins and Brazil nuts left over from the muffins. At first I thought raisins wouldn't go with peanut butter but they do, and very nicely I might add. The Brazil nuts added great crunch.

I used natural peanut butter for this cookie which worked great and the cookies baked up beautifully. The flavour of the cookie really is a cross between peanut butter and oatmeal so its like you get 2 in 1. You can also add-in dried cranberries, different nuts and different chips to personalize your cookie. Anything goes!

Recipe: Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Pear Streusel Muffins

Mmmmm muffins. I love making muffins. They can be healthy (or not), are quick to make and perfect for giving away or packing in lunches. What first caught my eye about these Pear Streusel muffins was that I thought they'd be great for using up ripe pears but, upon further reading, I realized the recipe called for dried pears. I thought that was really interesting as I've never used them before. Another bonus was that the recipe called for Brazil nuts which I've eaten but not baked with.

The nuts I bought were whole so I had to slice/chop them the best I could. The pears were chewy and have the texture similar to a dried apricot. After grinding fresh cardamom, I made the beautifully creamy batter, sprinkled with a brown sugar streusel and popped them in the oven.

The muffins turned out great and made the house smell amazing. If you love cardamom you'll love these muffins because its flavour takes centre stage. With a cakey crumb, chewy fruit and crunchy nuts, these muffins are anything but boring. They are assertive and great with hot tea. Try them if you're looking to experiment with new ingredients or different spices. They're very lively.

Update: I've submitted this muffin for Muffin Monday hosted by Elena at Experiments. The deadline for submissions is today (March 2, 2007) so you still have some time to participate! Thanks to Elena for hosting a fun and creative event.

Recipe: Pear Streusel Muffins

Chocolate Macadamia-Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

I really enjoy the luxury of baking with nuts. I've used many types in cookies and cakes but one nut that has never seen my kitchen is the macadamia. This valuable nut does not come cheap or low in monosaturated fat. I bought some and found their taste to be similar to a water chestnut - very crunchy and clean. I decided to try out a recipe using these opaque white orbs because sometimes when I'm at Subway (and no one is looking) I pick up one of their white chocolate macadamia cookies. Something had to be done.

The recipe I used came from The Good Cookie and was created by Andrew Garrison Shotts, a former pastry chef of the Russian Tea Room. The dough is rich and creamy and just when you think you're done, macadamia nuts, peanut butter chips and chopped bittersweet chocolate are added to the mix. What you end up with is a satisfying chunky batter that turns into lovely flavourful cookies.

One thing about these cookies that is a little different is that they're bigger. You have to use a 1/4 cup measure or cookie scoop to dish out the dough. This makes each cookie very substantial so having a glass of milk nearby is a good idea. One suggestion that came from my son was to make them 'regular' cookie size next time. Also, the macadamia nuts were not a hit with the kids. I kept finding discarded nuts on the table so I ate them making a note to use walnuts or pecans next time. Overall the cookies were yummy and I'd bake them again making the mentioned changes though I'm glad I used the macadamia nuts this time. They're easy to work with and tasty too!

Recipe: Chocolate Macadamia-Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Orange Pound Cake

When its cold outside nothing makes a home feel warmer than turning on the oven and baking up something yummy. This was my situation on Saturday night. The winds were howling and the snow was blowing and all I had on hand were your basic baking ingredients - butter, eggs, flour and milk. What could I make with such a limited cupboard? Pound cake you say? Well, that's exactly what I did.

Pound cake seems to be a favourite of many people. It's firm texture and little crumb make it ideal for making into trifles or parfaits. It holds its own with a cup of tea even if it is plain and without adornment. It slices lovely and I hear is great eaten straight out of the freezer. Of course, it is an extremely accepting cake so add-ins such as chocolate chips or poppy seeds are most welcome.

I added orange zest to the cake I made and the flavour was light but detectable. It turned out moist and tasted exactly as pound cake should - golden and buttery. It may not be the fanciest recipe but is a keeper in my home and perfect for the novice baker.

Recipe: Orange Pound Cake