Gunn's Cheese Onion Buns

I've been wanting to make these for a long while.  Every time I read the recipe I could imagine how the the cheesey-oniony goodness would just melt in my mouth. I was not disappointed.

If you're comfortable with yeast and shaping dough  then making these buns will be a rewarding experience. Just give yourself time to complete the whole process and be prepared to amaze yourself and anyone you care to share with.  Next time I think I'll add more cheese.

The recipe comes from Gunn's in Winnipeg,  They make tons of yummy goodies and now you can too.

Gunn's Cheese Onion Buns

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups warm milk
2 tsp dry active yeast
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (approx)
4 tsp butter, melted
2 cups old Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup mayonnaise

In a small bowl, dissolve 4 tsp of the sugar in warm milk.  Sprinkle in yeast; let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat eggs.  Remove 2 tbsp of the beaten egg; reserve in small airtight container in refrigerator.  Add remaining sugar to beaten eggs in bowl; beat until thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes.  Stir in yeast mixture, oil and salt.  With wooden spoon, stir in enough flour to make a slightly sticky dough.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead, adding as much of the remaining flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until smooth and elastic, 10 to 12 minutes.  Place in greased bowl, turning to grease all over.  Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

Punch down dough, turn out onto lightly floured surface.  Divide in half.  Roll each half into 12 x 8-inch (30 x 20 cm) rectangle.  Brush each with half of the melted butter, leaving a 1/2 -inch (1 cm) border uncovered; sprinkle each with half each of the cheese and poppy seeds.  Brush edges lightly with reserved beaten egg.

Starting at long side, roll up; pinch seam to seal.  Cut into 2-inch (5 cm) thick slices; place, about 2 inches (5cm) apart, on prepared pans.  Press to flatten to 1 inch (2.5 cm) thickness.  Cover with clean tea towel and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Brush lightly with reserved beaten eggs; sprinkle with onion.  Top each with 1 tsp mayonnaise.  Bake in top and bottom thirds of 375 F (190 C) oven, switching and rotating pans halfway through, until golden and buns sound hollow when tapped on bottoms, 25 to 30 minutes.  Transfer to rack, let cool.  Makes 12 large buns.

Recipe Source: The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book,  2008

Chocolate Chocolate Muffins

Chocolate and more chocolate is pretty much what you'll get if you make these muffins. They remind me of the chocolate fudge muffin from Mmmuffins - dense and dark. I made them a little healthier by replacing some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat. No one knew. Don't overbake them or they'll be dry and a dry chocolate muffin is no fun at all.

Chocolate Chocolate Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line with wrappers.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and baking soda. Set it aside.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt together the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Stir until smooth, then remove from heat and let cool for just a minute. Add the buttermilk, egg and vanilla, whisking the mixture until everything is well combined. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing just until all the ingredients are moistened, then add the chocolate chips. Mix until the chips are evenly distributed.

Spoon batter into well-greased (or paper-lined) muffin pan, filling the cups to the top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for a couple of minutes before removing from the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool more or less completely. Makes 10 chocolate chocolate muffins.

Recipe Source: The Clueless Baker, 2001

Accidental Trifle

Happy New Year!  To start things off with a bang here is the trifle I made for Christmas.  Contrary to its name, it was no accident - every component was planned out.  It was sweet, creamy delicious and massive.  I only have one glass bowl so I had to almost double it so it wouldn't look wimpy.

There are hundreds of trifle recipes out there and no doubt you have a favourite one.  If you're new to trifle-making, this is a good recipe to try out.  The basics are there - cake, custard, whipped cream and fruit.  Total yumminess in every bite.  You can use store-bought products or homemade, whichever you prefer.  Personalize it to your tastes and prepare to wow everyone.

Accidental Trifle

1 stale or fresh layer cake or pound cake
6 cups strawberries, raspberries, blueberries (or any combination thereof)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 recipe prepared cream filling (recipe below)
2 cups 35% whipping cream
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup sherry (any kind), optional
1 cup raspberry or apricot jam

Cut the cake up into slices, as evenly as you can - they can be ragged or funny shaped: it doesn't matter.  Prepared fruit (wash, slice, peel do whatever must be done) and toss it with 1/4 cup of the sugar.  Prepare the cream filling and let cool.

Pour the whipping cream into a large bowl and add the remaining 2 tbsp of sugar.  Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until the cream is thick and holds a soft peak when you lift the beaters from the bowl.  Set aside.

Arrange about half of the cake slices in a layer on the bottom of your prettiest glass bowl (approximately 8-inch/20cm in diameter).  Sprinkle the cake slices with sherry, then spread with half of the jam.  Top with half of the fruit, then slather with half of the cream filling.  Cover with half of the whipped cream.

Now repeat: the rest of the cake slices, more sherry, the rest of the jam, the rest of the fruit, rest of the custard and the rest of the whipped cream.  Smooth the top of the whipped cream and decorate with a few extra berries.  Makes 8-10 servings.

Cream Filling

2 cups milk
3 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp granulated sugar

Blend together the milk, eggs, 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch and flour.  Blend until smooth, then pour into a medium-sized heavy saucepan.  Cook, stirring almost constantly with a whisk, over medium-low heat until the mixture becomes smooth and thick - 5 to 8 minutes.  Do not leave this stuff alone for a second.  It will thicken suddenly and without warning.  Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla, whisking until smooth.  Cover the surface of the hot custard with a layer of plastic wrap (to prevent a skin from forming), and refrigerate for an hour or two until completely cooled.

With an electric mixer, beat the whipping cream with the 1 tbsp of sugar until stiff.  Peel the plastic wrap off the custard and beat briefly with the mixer so it is smooth and creamy.  Gently fold in the whipping cream until fully incorporated.  Now its ready to use in your trifle.

Recipe Source:  The Clueless Baker, 2001

Notes:  I made my trifle without sherry and used strawberry jam.

Gingerbread Men

Making your own gingerbread is rewarding and simple to do. It's most likely better than anything you could buy at your local coffee shop or grocery. You can bake to your desired doneness - softer for dunking but firm enough to hold whatever shape you make. Yummy!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Holiday Season!

Gingerbread Men
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening, melted
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger

In a large bowl, mix together the egg, molasses, sugar, melted shortening and baking soda. Beat well.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon and ginger. Add flour mixture to the egg mixture, blending well. Chill the dough for several hours or overnight.

When you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease two cookie sheets, or line them with parchment.

Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Form each portion into a nice compact ball, flouring it well. Roll out each piece on a well-floured surface to about 1/8-inch (3mm) thickness.

Using cookie cutters, cut out gingerbread people (or animals, or dumptrucks etc.). Carefully transfer people to the cookie sheets and bake for 5 to 7 minutes - until very lightly browned around the edges. Watch them closely - small shapes will bake more quickly than large ones.

Let your cookies cool for a minute or two before removing them to a rack to cool completely. Decorate with icing. Let icing set before eating (if you can wait).

Icing Paint
4 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup water
paste food colouring

In bowl, whisk sugar with water, adding up to 2 tbsp more water if necessary to make spreadable. Tint with food coluring as desired.


Recipe Sources: The Clueless Baker, 2001 & Canadianliving.com

Mini Panettone Cookies

The Holiday Season is here and with it comes all the smells and flavours we associate with this time of the year.  I don't think you can go into a grocery store without seeing boxes of Panettone stacked like a mountain.  If you like this seasonal bread then you'll enjoy these cookies flavoured with fennel, almond and orange.

The cookies are very petite and the batter is thin-ish so when you make them try to put even amounts of the cherries, nuts and raisins in each so they end up being roughly the same size.

Mini Panettone Cookies

1/4 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp grated orange rind
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp anise extract (or 1/2 tsp fennel seeds or anise seeds, crushed)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda, baking powder and salt
1/4 cup chopped candied red cherries
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or toasted slivered almonds

Icing

1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp salted butter, softened
4 tsp milk

In large bowl, beat butter, sugar and egg until fluffy; beat in orange rind, and almond and anise extracts.  In separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; stir into butter mixture.  Stir in cherries, raisins and nuts.

Drop by rounded 1 tsp about 2 inches apart, onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.  Bake in 350F oven until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.  Transfer to racks, let cool.

Icing: In small bowl, beat icing sugar, butter and milk until smooth.  Using piping bag fitted with plain tip or resealable plastic bag with corner tip cut off, pipe icing decoratively over cookies. (Or spread with knife.)  Makes about 60 cookies.

Recipe Source: Canadian Living Holiday Celebrations, 2009

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter cookies are one of my favourite cookies.  They're easy, fast and always taste delicious.  Add some chocolate chips and they become out of this world.

This recipe completely uses whole wheat flour.  Sometimes too much whole wheat can make baked goods heavy and loose its light texture.  In these cookies there is no fear of that - no one will know!  The texture is chewy and I baked mine a little longer so the edges were crispy and the centre soft.  If you want, the recipe can be made with all-purpose flour or a mixture of both.

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 375F.

In large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, peanut butter, granulated and brown sugars and the egg until creamy ans thoroughly mixed.  Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and blend  very well.

Now make the cookies: by hand, roll the dough into 1-inch (2 cm) balls, place them on an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches (5 cm) between them to allow for spreading.  For the classic peanut butter cookie look, flatten each ball of dough with a fork, pressing lightly to make a criss-cross pattern.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies have puffed slightly and are lightly browned on the bottom.  Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

Recipe Source: The Clueless Baker, 2001

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've made chocolate chip cookies countless times and am always interested in new versions of this classic.  I haven't really had a go-to recipe until I came across this one from Bite Me by sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat.

For starters, these cookies are larger than most cookies and do not flatten out to become thin discs.  They are solid, dunkable and chewy - just how I like my cookies.  I've made them a lot and they've never disappointed.  Impress your family and friends and whip up a batch today!









Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 1/2 milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.

In an electric mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar and sugar on medium speed until well blended.  Beat in vanilla, egg and egg yolk until light and fluffy.  On low speed, add flour mixture and chocolate chips, mixing just until flour disappears.

Drop dough by 1/4 cup at a time, 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool a few minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack.

Yield: 20-24 large cookies.

Recipe Source: Bite Me, 2009 by Julie Albert & Lisa Gnat

Naughty Biscotti

I've been a fan of the Podleski sisters ever since they released Looneyspoons in 1996. I have all four of their cookbooks and their latest, The Looneyspoons Collection, was given to me a few weeks ago as a gift. It contains their greatest recipe hits updated and some brand new ones. It's a beautiful book to go through and I do think there is something for everyone in it.

If you're familiar with Janet and Greta then you know they give their recipes quirky and humorous names. Naughty Biscotti is their version of a lemon, cranberry and pistachio biscotti that does not disappoint. They are chock full of bright flavour and colour. They're a breeze to put together and, as they say in the recipe, the longer you bake them the crisipier they get. I followed the recipe as is and was very happy with the end result. The are delicious and nutritious. Can't argue with a cookie that has oat bran in it. :)

Naughty Biscotti

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oat bran
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 egg white
1 1/2 tbsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pistachios

Preheeat oven to 350F. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

Combine flour, oat bran, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together both sugars and butter on medium speed of electric mixer for 1 minute. Add eggs, egg white, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Beat again until well blended. Using a wooden spoon, add flour mixture to sugar mixture and stir just until blended. Dough will be thick. Add cranberries and pistachios and mix well.

Divide dough in half. Using lightly floured or greased hands, shape each half into an 8 x 3 x 1/4-inch loaf and place on prepared cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart. Add a bit more flour if dough is too sticky.

Bake on middle oven rack for 20 minutes. Remove loaves from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 275F. Transfer loaves to a cutting board. Using a very sharp knife cut each loaf crosswise on a diagonal into 9 slices. (You'll have some scraps from the end pieces, so go ahead and eat them. Everyone knows scraps have zero calories.) Place slices, cut-side down, on same cookie sheet. Return to oven and bake for 8 minutes. Turn biscotti over and bake for 8 more minutes. Cool completely on wire rack. Biscotti will harden as they cool.

Note: If you prefer super-hard biscotti, increase baking time from 8 minutes to 10 minutes per side.

Recipe Source: The Looneyspoons Collection, Janet & Greta Podleski, 2011

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

I made cupcakes yesterday after a very long time. They were for a birthday and I decided to jazz them up by using origami paper for the liners which worked perfectly. The little bit of extra flair upped the oomph factor and made for a seriously pretty platter.

The cupcakes were moist and tasty on their own and the buttercream was deliciously creamy. The recipes are easy to follow and make. The cupcake recipe is actually for chocolate cake but I made 21 cupcakes with the batter and baked them for 20-22 minutes.

Good Old Chocolate Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare two greased and parchment-lined 9-inch round cake pans or one 9 x 13-inch rectangular pan. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Add the milk, vegetable oil and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes until smooth, scraping down the sides several times. Add the eggs and beat for another 2 minutes.

Pour batter into prepared pans, them slam the pans on the counter once or twice to eliminate bubbles. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto a rack, peel off the paper, and let cool completely before doing something delicious with it.

Makes two 9-inch round layers or one 9 x 13-inch rectangular cake.

Deluxe Buttercream Icing

1 cup unsalted butter

4 cups icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup whipping cream

In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the icing sugar and beat until well blended. Add the vanilla and whipping cream and continue to beat on high speed until frosting is fluffy and creamy - about 5 minutes. (You can add up to 2 tbsp of additional whipping cream if you feel that the frosting is too stiff.)

Makes more than enough ultra-creamy frosting to generously fill and frost a two-layer, 8 or 9-inch round cake. Or more than enough to thickly frost the top of a 9 x 13-inch cake.

Recipe Source: The Clueless Baker, 2001

Baklava

I love baklava and have eaten a lot of it. I've tried it with all different types and nuts, shapes and flavours. They ones I have enjoyed the most have been made by friends - crispy and moist but certainly not dry.

Since this was my first attempt, I used the easiest recipe I could find. I didn't want to get fancy, I just wanted to get a feel for the technique and how it all came together.

I've concluded that putting baklava together is not hard. Once I had everything ready it came together without mishap but it did take a while to assemble. Covering the phyllo is essential because if the sheets get dry and break you'll have a hard time brushing with butter. Scoring the phyllo turned out to be fairly easy, though I did make one incorrect cut. A sharp knife = success. Once you're done, congratulate yourself. All you have to do now is bake it and pour hot honey all over the top. Easy.

Overall, a great recipe for all bakers. It turned out crispy on top and chewy-moist throughout. You can mix it up with different nut and flavourings but if you're looking for a 'classic'-tasting baklava, this is for you.

Recipe: Baklava

Baklava

4 cups finely chopped walnuts

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 lb phyllo pastry leaves (1 package), thawed

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cups honey

1 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 300 F (150 C)

In a large bowl, toss together the walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Unroll the package of phyllo pastry onto a sheet of waxed paper. Cover with a second sheet of waxed paper and a clean dish towel. (The waxed paper will keep the phyllo from drying out and the towel will keep the whole thing weighted down and covered.)

Brush a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) rectangular baking dish with some of the melted butter. Now, remove one full sheet of phyllo pastry from the stack and place in the baking dish, allowing it to extend up the sides of the dish. Brush with melted butter. Repeat until you have 6 layers of phyllo pastry in the baking dish, brushing each one with melted butter. Sprinkle with 1 cup (250 mL) of the walnut mixture.

Now, cut the remaining sheets of phyllo pastry crosswise in half. (A half sheet of phyllo should fit the baking dish almost exactly.) Place one of these half-sheets over the layer of walnuts in the baking dish. Brush with butter. Repeat until you have 6 layers of phyllo, each brushed with butter. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the walnut mixture.

OK, so far we've used half of the walnut mixture. Right? Repeat this procedure - 6 sheets of phyllo, 1 cup walnuts, 6 more sheets of phyllo, another cup of walnuts, blah, blah, blah - until all the walnuts are gone. The top layer should be 6 sheets of phyllo pastry.

Trim away the excess phyllo pastry (the stuff that's sticking up from the bottom layer overhang) and brush the top with melted butter. with a very sharp knife, cut through the top few layers of pastry in a diamond pattern (4 long rows, then diagonally across) and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until the top is golden and crisp.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the honey with the lemon juice until hot but not boiling. Spoon the hot honey evenly over the baklava as soon as it comes out of the oven. Let cool completely before cutting into diamonds (along the pre-cut lines) and serving. Makes at least 24 pieces.

Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling

I've made Whoopie pies in the past and don't remember them striking me as a super-duper-I-have-to-make-these-again kind of treat. Recently, a friend sent me this recipe on two separate occasions so I gave them a go since she was visiting today.

From the picture you can see the cookies are of the dark and cakey variety. The rich-looking batter was simple to put together. Now what makes these cookies make you want to say "Whoopie" is the cream cheese filling. It adds a nice sweetened tang to the chocolate of the cookie. Be warned, it is a rich treat but they are big-ish so sharing isn't a problem. I guess you could fill it with icing or some other filler-type substance but the cream cheese is, to quote from Rachael Ray, yum-o!

Overall, a thumbs up treat. Everyone who tried one liked it so it's a keeper.

Recipe: Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling

Cinnamon Swirl Breakfast Bread

I bought Bite Me ages ago at Indigo. I didn't set out to do this but as I flipped through it I was hooked by the recipes, humour and, most importantly, the bold graphics. If you own this book, you know what I mean. :)

I have made many a dinner from it (the Fiesta Bowl Salad is always a hit) so I made this bread one lazy Sunday. All I can say is that you won't be disappointed with the result.

This bread bakes at a lower temperature so the cinnamon sugar topping did not burn like others can. The loaf itself was moist and tangy - very eatable. The only modification I made was to put two layers of cinnamon swirl within the loaf. I always find that I don't put enough in one layer and end up dumping way too much on top. (Perhaps this is why it burns?? Hmmm)

This lovely loaf was a snap to throw together and quite satisfying. If you're looking to check out a new book, Bite Me is worth a peek.

Recipe: Cinnamon Swirl Breakfast Bread

Cranberry Upside-Downer

I thought that making a cranberry upside-down cake in October would be fitting since Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving during this month and its cranberry season pretty much from now until Christmas. I like making these cakes - always hoping while holding the hot pan that it will flip out nicely.

This cake is a snap to put together. The recipe is straightforward and you end up with a sweet cake topped with tangy berries and walnuts. Yummy all on its own but divine with vanilla ice cream. I made this in a 9-inch round pan and had no problems.

This cake was used as a 'Tuesdays with Dorie' recipe some time ago so you'll find bloggers from all over the singing its praises just like me.

Recipe: Cranberry Upside-Downer

Chocolate Gingerbread Pretzels

Recently I have been asked when I'll start baking or blogging again. I haven't really stopped baking but blogging did take a backseat to life. I did miss it but, when posting became more of a chore than a fun pastime, it was time for a break.

However, I hope to start posting with some regularity and maybe treat myself to a new camera. I was in Indigo the other day and saw the new Holiday issue from Canadian Living. I was pumped because it was an all-cookie publication and I love cookies.

My son chose this as the first cookie to make. Be warned that they do take some to make, chill, shape, bake and glaze. Though the process is long, the cookies are yummy - sort of cakey, yet firm. They offer up all the traditional holiday flavours such as gingerbread, cinnamon and molasses and the glaze adds a nice sweetness to the spiciness of the cookie.

Sort of Pfeffernusse-esque. I hope to try out more recipes to share with you. Enjoy!

Recipe: Chocolate Gingerbread Pretzels

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

It is cold and dreary here today. The leaves have almost all but fallen off because of the wind and rain but at least its Friday.

I made these muffins a while ago and wish I actually had one right now so I could eat it. Today is the perfect day for a spicy pumpkin muffin and a hot drink to warm up with. As I typed the recipe, I realized the cream cheese concoction is actually a spread not an icing as I've demonstrated in the picture. I was wondering why it made so little and was not very sweet. Just goes to show - read the recipe!

Have a great weekend!

Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Spiced Pecan Tart

Fall is in the air and that means Thanksgiving is around the corner for us Canadians. I usually make pumpkin pie for dessert and most likely will again this year but if you're looking for something new try this Spiced Pecan Tart. It's easy, delicious and gives you a great reason to use your tart pan.

The tart consists of a pat-in pastry (no rolling required) and a spicy pecan filling that can be made with or without the addition of bourbon. What I like about making tarts is that they're generally smaller than pies thus requiring less ingredients and they're simpler to pull together. If you feel daunted by pies and crusts, tarts may be for you and they do look very impressive when served. This tart filling is just the right combination of gooey and firm with lots of crunch pecans to balance it out.

Overall, a super tart! Now all I have to work on is taking a decent picture of a slice!
Recipe: Spiced Pecan Tart

Chocolate Espresso Sandwich Cookies

Making cookies is a special thing. Making the cookies into sandwiches is even more special. Who wouldn't be happy to see a plate of homemade coffee flavoured chocolate cookies with a creamy ganache filling ready to be devoured?

These cookies are very easy to pull together and have a solid chewy texture. They also have the perfect density to be sandwiched - they don't crumble or break apart and hold the ganache in place.

If you don't want to use ganache I think a coffee flavoured buttercream would work but would make the overall cookie a bit sweeter. Regardless, anyone you make these cookies for will definitely be impressed.

Sorry for the choppy post - I'm feeling rusty today!

Recipe: Chocolate Espresso Sandwich Cookies

Oatmeal Coconut Cookie Ice-Cream Sandwiches

I love ice cream sandwiches and have spent many years eating the typical rectangular chocolate ones with vanilla ice cream. (Who doesn't love those?) If you're looking to up the ante by trying to make your own, these oatmeal coconut cookies are perfect.

What you end up with is a very large, thin and chewy cookie that is perfect for filling with ice cream. After they have completely chilled, the cookies do not break or crumble and hold the ice cream perfectly. They are easy to bite through and the finished product is quite substantial - 2 whole cookies and a half cup of ice cream can really fill you up! If they're too big for you, just make smaller cookies and adjust the baking time accordingly. Let the ice cream soften a bit before filling. This process may get a bit messy, but its worth it.

The recipe calls for rum raisin ice cream but I substituted Breyers Dark Chocolate Velvet instead. The deep chocolately flavour went wonderfully with the coconut for a truly decadent treat. After trying all three of the new Breyers flavours, I think my favorite is the Banana Cream Pie with the Chocolate Cheesecake in second place and the Chocolate Velvet not far behind. Really though, I just love ice cream and these three did not disappoint. Try them out and see which one you like the best and if you're a resident of Canada you can enter to win some neat prizes if you create your own Breyers Moment. Check out the prizes here and the rules here.

Recipe: Oatmeal Coconut Cookie Ice-Cream Sandwiches

Chipster Topped Brownies

The summer is passing me by at a surprisingly fast clip. After spending some relaxing family time in White Rock, I've come home to find I only have 3 weeks of fun left!

I made these chipster brownies some time ago. They consists of a very moist and chewy brownie topped with chocolate chip cookie dough. If you like these two treats then you'll love these. I enjoyed the brownie a lot. They were solid, dense and satisfying. I did have some trouble spreading the cookie dough over the brownie layer so there were some gaps where the brownie batter poked through. I also think the cookie batter baked a tad too much and got crispier than I would have liked. Certainly, you can make these brownies sans cookie dough and still have sweet satisfaction.

I topped the brownies with Breyers Chocolate Cheesecake ice cream to make it extra special. This rich ice cream blends chocolate and cheesecake to produce a decadent, creamy and tangy treat. The cheesecake part is very subtle and there are no actual cheesecake chunks in the mix. I would say it runs a very close second to the Banana Cream Pie!

Recipe: Chipster Topped Brownies