Italy here I come!

I just wanted to let you all know that tomorrow I'll be off to Italy for a couple weeks to attend a wedding. I'm not sure what kind of Internet access I'll have but I promise pictures of fabulous Italian desserts when I get back.

Have a great few last weeks of summer and if there any suggestions of what I should look for and try to bring back, by all means, please leave a comment. :)

Ciao for now!

Fruit Filled Oatmeal Bars

When I was looking through my pantry the other day, I saw a big bag of raisins that were just asking to be made into something yummy. I looked at the oats and they were whispering the same thing so I grabbed the Christmas Cookies magazine I've had since 2000 and immediately flipped to the Fruit-Filled Oatmeal Bars recipe. This is the type of recipe where there are 4 different filling variations and one happened to be raisin so I got to work.

The recipe itself if not hard to prepare. First you make a oat crumble and the filling is made on the stove. Two changes that I made was to use orange juice instead of water in the filling and I added a dash of cinnamon to the oat mixture. This added some extra flavour to the finished bar that was very pleasing. The bar was just sweet enough with a good balance of oats to raisins. This is a recipe I'll always have on standby - It's perfect when you want something quick without having to spend a lot of time in the kitchen to prepare it.

Update: The other recipe variations have been added. Just click the recipe link below.

Recipe: Fruit-Filled Oatmeal Bars

Lemon Coconut Crisps

Looking for a simple little tea cookie? Lemon coconut crisps would be welcome on any cookie tray - they're unassuming and simple with the light flavour of lemon. The texture is crispier than most cookies but they are not hard, just flaky. Most adults would like this cookie unless they absolutely abhor lemon and coconut but kids are a toss-up - some liked these cookies and some didn't. You just never know.

One ingredient in these cookies that is not always present is cream of tartar which acts as a stabilizer and adds volume to baked goods. (At least I think so.) It is easily obtained at bulk food stores so you need not buy a lot. It is also used to make icing for cakes and occurs naturally during the fermentation of grape juice into wine and crystallizes in the wine casks.

So with the cooler weather this morning here in Ontario, I think I'll make a cup of tea, grab a cookie and watch as my backyard transforms from a big dirt pile into a green grassy oasis.

Recipe: Lemon Coconut Crisps

Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

After the last week of hot hot heat, it has cooled down enough to actually think of turning on the oven. Today is absolutely beautiful - blue skies, light breeze and sunshine. I had a request for peanut butter cookies and I wanted to try a recipe that was completely new. The ones I've tried before are good enough but not great enough to not have a look around.

Out came Great Canadian Cookies and I flipped and flipped until I ended up at Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies. It was submitted from Kanata, Ontario and the little blurb said, "These are the best cookies anyone has ever tasted." Well that's high praise indeed, so I set out to see if it was true or not.

About an hour later they were done and delicious. I'm not joking - the cookies were substantial and did not flatten out at all. The batter was a dream to work with and they kept their shape and tasted great even though I left out some sugar and used natural peanut butter. MiltonMama said these were probably the best peanut butter cookies ever and she would know, Cookie Queen that she is.

Have a great long weekend!

Recipe: Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

Not all banana cakes are made equal. This version from Canadian Living is moist, delicious and could be used for any special occasion. The secret is adding orange rind into the batter. This infuses the cake but does not take away from the banana flavour - it enhances it. Add some chocolate chips to the mix and wow! A great cake for snacking and sharing.

You can add the icing as it says in the recipe or just leave it plain with a light dusting of icing sugar. Of course, you can leave out the rind if you wish or add nuts - most add-ins will work in this cake. The recipe makes a lot of cake and it travels well so why not try it for your next picnic or potluck?

Recipe: Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these cookies for a get together last week with sour cream leftover from an earlier batch of cookies. They're a take on regular chocolate chip cookies with the addition of raisins and walnuts. I opted to leave out the raisins since the no one likes them but I would have liked to leave them in because I think the chewiness would have added another texture dimension that would have complemented the smooth chocolate and crunchy nuts.

These cookies are quite tasty and you get a really nice cookie dough that holds it shape in a scooper. I found that if you flatten them a bit before baking they are more circular but if you leave it as a mound, it stays that way. Either way is fine, it just depends on your preferences. The cookies brown nicely and are a little cakey but not dry. They were all gone by the end of the night so I guess everyone liked them as well. They really are a great Canadian cookie.

Recipe: Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

Key Lime Pie

This isn't a Key lime pie in the truest sense - I made it with Persian limes, the ones most commonly found in the average grocery store. I have never tried a real Key lime but, it seems that you don't really need it to make a nice lime pie.

The recipe comes from Wanda's Pie in the Sky and is very easy to make. It is the first pie I've made that uses uncooked egg yolks. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but it was great. It didn't taste eggy and the filling firmed up nicely and was sliceable. The filling was sweet-tart and the coconut in the crust complemented the lime, making it taste more tropical. Overall, I was happy witht the results and would not hesitate to make it again.

Recipe: Key Lime Pie

Spicy Ginger Crinkle Cookies

After reading about the Cocoa Cappuccino Cookies at Tea and Cookies and seeing their lovely sparkle, I decided to make a favourite cookie that is also rolled in coarse sugar - Spicy Ginger Crinkles.

I've made these cookies for years and they are yummy. They consist of a molasses/ginger dough that is rolled onto balls, rolled in sugar and then baked. The result is a crackled, spicy cookie that is perfect with milk and tea. Kids who like strong flavours will like them too. The longer you bake then the crispier they become.

Another reason that I made these is that my little neighbour, The Princess, asked me to and, as the obedient baker that I am, I quickly set out to to make her happy. Time to make a delivery!

Recipe: Spicy Ginger Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate Lollipops

Make someone happy!

1. Get chocolate, molds, sticks, sprinkles and candy bags. (optional - for wrapping.)
2. Melt chocolate and pour into molds. Add sticks. Decorate if desired.
3. Place in refrigerator until chilled and solid.
4. Pop out and enjoy!

No baking required!

Sour Cream Cookies

First off, I'd like to apologize for the poor picture quality. It was dark and gloomy all day and this was the best I could do before the cookies all got eaten. I wouldn't have even bothered to post them but they were so tasty I just had to.

These Sour Cream Cookies are amazing. They are fluffy and cakey with the subtle tang of sour cream. If you have eaten a snickerdoodle, these taste very similar except that they are not rolled in cinnamon sugar - it is just sprinkled on top. The dough is very soft and not easily shaped into a ball for rolling as a snickerdoodle is.

The recipe comes from Great Canadian Cookies by Pamela Steel which is full of cookie and bar recipes sent in from all over Canada. This particular one come from Sherwood Park, Alberta and I'm glad it made it in. They are easy to prepare even for the novice baker and use all the basic baking ingredients. You could even throw in some chocolate chips if you wanted to. The recipe uses a whole cup of sour cream so they're indulgent but worth it if you like this type of cookie texture. Don't be fooled by the picture - yesterday I was told that "These are the best cookies ever!" What could be more satisfying than that? :)

Recipe: Sour Cream Cookies

Hot Chocolate Pudding

Sixty four percent of moms say JELL-O Pudding is a favorite snack for kids. Jello Website

That's a lot of pudding! I can see the appeal (or repulsion) of pudding - smooth creamy custard that just slides down the throat. No chewing required. A healthy alternative to buying premade pudding or powder from the store is to make your own. By doing this, you can avoid the added chemicals and that strange aftertaste that lingers in the mouth.

This hot chocolate pudding is very easy to assemble and uses ingredients found in most kitchens - milk, sugar, cocoa powder, flour and milk. It only takes about 10 minutes to whisk everything together and pour into dishes. The pudding is smooth and chocolately and is best enjoyed thoroughly chilled. Just remember to stay vigilant - if you leave it unattended it will burn quickly.

If you like, throw in a strip of orange rind for flavouring and fish it out before you pour out the pudding. Add a dollop of whipped cream and/or a few fresh berries and you have a quick and yummy dessert that everyone will enjoy.

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating." Miguel de Cervantes

Recipe: Hot Chocolate Pudding

Blueberry Cheese Coffeecake

I love cheesecake coffeecakes. Cream cheese adds an extra dimension to the ever-popular crumb cake - a smooth melt-on-the-tongue creaminess that comes from eating a real cheesecake. Throw in some fresh blueberries and you have a cake worthy of any occasion.

The cake is best served warm or at room temperature. It is moist and flavourful, bursting with juicy blueberries. The crumb topping is very complementary to the cake by adding a little bit of sweet crunch which finishes off the cake perfectly. There are three components to prepare for the cake - topping, cheese filling and cake but, if you give yourself enough time to assemble and bake it, you will be greatly rewarded. There is also a raspberry variation that, no doubt, would taste fantastic as well.

Recipe: Blueberry Cheese Coffeecake

Simply Lovely Lemon Squares

Making a really good lemon square is tricky business. All the components have to be there - a tender shortbread crust supporting a tart, creamy lemon filling. Some problems that can occur are that your square ends up tasting eggy or that your filling gets overcooked thus becoming a solid mass. They would probaby still be edible but not nearly as pleasurable as a proper lemon bar should be.

I have had my share of hits and misses with the lemon square and I think this attempt falls somewhere in the middle. Though they were enjoyed by Mr. CB, they were not 100% perfect. The shortbread was lovely and buttery but the filling could have used a little work. It was tart and lemony but not quite right somehow. Some of the filling leaked underneath the crust so some bars really had no filling to speak of - just lemon flavour. I am not discouraged though - the perfect lemon bar recipe is out there somewhere and I will find it.

Recipe: Simply Lovely Lemon Squares

Cheddar Apple Bars

I really look forward to the weekends but mine are turning out to be so busy that they fly right by. I did, however, get some time to make Cheddar Apple Bars but had to wait until this morning to post about it.

This is another great recipe for using any apples you have hanging around. The filling consists of simmered apples layered between a cheddar-oat crumble. The cheese adds a subtle tang to the sweet apples and it tastes reminiscent of apple crisp or pie, just in bar form.

I would make these again because I usually have all the ingredients on hand. Also, I would recommend waiting until the bars are completely cooled before cutting. I cut mine when they were still warm so I didn't get clean edges but they do cut cleanly if you wait.

Recipe: Cheddar Apple Bars

Oreo Muffins

I don't usually have Oreos on hand at my house. My mom gave me a package on the weekend and, of course, I couldn't just eat them - that would be too easy so I decided to do something creative with them. I remember seeing a recipe on Bakingsheet for Oreo Cupcakes and with that inspiration I looked around for a similar recipe that didn't require a whole package of cookies. I found an easy recipe for Oreo Muffins on AAA Recipes. It looked reasonable with all the proper ingredients so I decided to go ahead.

The muffins came together nicely and I added an extra smidge of milk to get the batter a little softer. I would recommend leaving the cookie part in big chunks. Crumbs just dissolve and with the big chunks, the muffins stay black and white. The muffins, surprisngly, weren't very sweet (and oddly tasteless) and had a dense crumb. I didn't really detect an overt Oreo flavour but I was happy about how they baked - these are solid muffins. They went over well with the kids and I just added melted white chocolate on top to decorate and give them some extra flavour.

Recipe: Oreo Muffins

Banana Nut Quick Bread

I hope everyone had a nice long weekend. Mine was fun and busy - one activity after another. Yesterday I found some time to make some banana bread with the three bananas on my counter. I wanted a recipe that would use them all and I found one in the Buttercup Bake Shop Cookbook by Jennifer Appel, one of the co-founders of Magnolia Bakery.

I haven't delved into this book enough to say its good or not but, the banana bread was tasty. It was very dense and chewy, not light and airy. If you like this type of texture then you'll like this bread, if not you may have to put those three bananas to another use. The batter was easy to prepare and if you have no nuts, some type of dry add-in would work or you can just leave it plain.

Now that summer vacation is here, I'm hoping to have more time to put into trying out new recipes. I will definitely explore this book some more. Have a great day!

Recipe: Banana Nut Quick Bread

Strawberry Scones

On a trip to Springridge Farm this past weekend, I picked up some lovely, sweet red strawberries. I had seen some in the grocery store and didn't buy them knowing I could eat local and support a family business at the same time. Springridge is a great place to visit - there is tons to do with kids and a quaint country store to do some shopping. They also serve yummy baked goods too - strawberry tarts and pies!

Unfortunately, strawberry season is quickly coming to an end this year but we do have raspberries to look forward to. If you happen to have some berries around, an easy treat is to make scones. Just use your favourite recipe and fold in fresh chopped strawberries. Simple and tasty. To dress them up, add a drizzle of white chocolate and you have a nice summertime treat.

Recipe: Basic Scones

Tweed Crisps

These cookies:

a) originate from the Municipality of Tweed, Ontario
b) were created by Canadian actress, Shannon Tweed
c) resemble a fabric made fashionable by Coco Chanel.

If you guessed "C", you're correct! These cookies are meant to have a tweedy look due to the chocolate speckled throughout. They're easy enough to make but plan ahead - they require a few hours of chilling time. A bonus is that you can have refrigerated logs of dough in your refrigerator up to 3 days before you bake.

The cookies also have coconut in them, giving them a nice chewy texture that contrasts nicely with the crispiness of the cookie. One thing about the recipe that should not daunt you is the measurement for slicing the logs. The recipe calls for 3/16-inch slices. My ruler was not that exact in its measurement so I interpreted it as 'thin', but not too thin. Overall, the cookies are pleasing and a change from chewy cookies. They're small and neat, perfect for a cookie tray and afternoon tea.

Recipe: Tweed Crisps

Recipe Meme

No recipes, just a meme for today. Thanks to Linda at Make Life Sweeter for the tag.

From where do you obtain the recipes you prepare?

I usually get recipes from the cookbooks I have and Canadian Living magazines. They are a staple in my house – I’ve had a subscription since 1999.

How often do you cook a new recipe?

I try to do at least one new recipe a week to post on my blog.

Where do you store your favourite recipes?

If the recipe comes from a book or magazine, that’s where they’ll stay. I don’t have a huge collection of books so I remember where a recipe comes from. Sometime I have to bookmark magazine recipes because they’re harder to find when you have so many. I keep the magazines sorted by year in Ikea magazine holders. If I print a recipe from the Internet, they go in their own file as well as hand-written ones. This doesn’t always work because I’m always finding folded recipes in the pages of my books.

How large is your recipe pile? Is it organized? If so, how?

It used to be very large but I weeded through it and threw a lot of random stuff out. Now I have two full binders of recipes arranged by author and/or book title, a lot of magazine holders and my books take up two shelves on my bookshelf.

What is the oldest recipe in your “to try" pile?

I honestly couldn’t tell you…all the really old recipes got thrown out because I knew I’d never make them.

Are you ever going to make those recipes in your to try pile?

I would like to think so but, I’ll never get around to making all the things I want to.

Do you follow a recipe exactly or modify as you go?

I follow a recipe to the letter the first time I make it and every time after that. I really like the structure of a good recipe – how it will always turn out well every time as long as you follow the instructions. With baking, you don’t have a lot of leeway to experiment with basic ingredients but I will sometimes do substitutions for add-ins.

What is one new recipe that you’re scared to try?

I’m not afraid to try anything once.

Tag at least one new food blogger for this meme (“new" as in only blogging a few months).

Tanna from My Kitchen In Half Cups

Tag at least one food blogger you visit regularly but never interacted with?

Save Your Fork
She isn’t a fan of memes but her site is fun to read, very honest and amusing.

Tag at least one food blogger you constantly visit and leave comments.

I think everyone I visit has already participated in this meme! Have a great weekend!

Apple Squares

Here's another recipe that's great for using up apples that are getting soft. Apple Squares are exactly what the name implies - an apple filling mixed with brown sugar and cinnamon that is spread over a buttery batter. The batter is soft and easy to work - using your hands to pat down the dough works well. The recipe also calls for the extra dough to be arranged on top like a lattice. This makes the squares look pretty but one change I would make is to roll the lattice strips thinner and use more that just 5 x 5 because they do puff up when they bake.

Overall, the square is tasty, versatile and simple. I think pears would work as well and if you like dried cranberries, they would go nicely with the apples. I would make it again and serve a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Perfect!

Recipe: Apple Squares