Galentine’s Day Jam and Nutella Straws

Posted on February 12, 2016March 14, 2016 Posted in Food, Food & DrinkTagged baking, brunch, cooking, dessert, easy recipes, food, galentine's day, nutella, pastry, recipe, valentines day9 Comments

I’m so happy that we live in a time where we can take a holiday (that is normally exclusive and can be a bummer to many) and turn it into something fun, lady-positive, and delicious. Kudos to Leslie Knope and the writers of Parks and Rec for making it a thing. For tomorrow’s Galentine’s Day Brunch, I made these puff pastry straws. Super easy to put together, yet decadent enough for a special occasion. Definitely go well with too much coffee and awesome friends. Original recipe from Sprinkle Bakes.
1 package puff pastry (2 sheets)

1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

Flour for dusting

Powdered sugar for sprinkling

“Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment and set aside.” Personal tip: use cooking spray on top of the parchment to avoid peeling jam-encrusted pastry bits later on.

Allow puff pastry to thaw as directed on the package. Dust work surface with flour and lightly dust rolling pin with flour. Roll out puff pastry until about 2″ larger on each side. Cut crosswise into two rectangles.

Heat 1/4 cup of jam in microwave for 15-20 seconds, just enough to loosen the consistency.

With a pastry brush, coat one piece of puff pastry with half the jam. Cover jam-coated piece with the remaining plain piece of puff pastry and gently roll together with rolling pin – not too hard, or your jam will squish out.”

Slice into long strips and twist, then place on parchment lined pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before removing from the pan. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.

“Repeat process with second sheet of puff pastry.” For added variety, I used Nutella diluted with a bit of melted butter on the second batch. Thanks, Sprinkle Bakes!

Potluck Planning

Posted on December 15, 2015December 15, 2015 Posted in Food & Drink, UncategorizedTagged baking, baking inspiration, dessert, food, holiday baking, pear cardamom cake, pecan tart, potlucks, recipes, roasted vegetables2 Comments

Do you have any go-to recipes or crowd pleasing dishes for big dinners? I often try something new at the last minute, which usually involves some unexpected little disasters along the way. Nevertheless, here is what I’m planning on making over the next few weeks: Perencake2 Pear cardamom cake [via]

Caramel pecan tart [via] or [via]

Screen Shot 2015-12-14 at 11.24.56 PM Lamb chops with garlic [via]

MTM0NTE3OTc2NTQ3MjM1MDkw Roasted sweet potato, beets, fennel and pear with cinnamon dressing [via]

Fall Cookbooks for Everyone

Posted on November 27, 2015 Posted in Food & Drink, UncategorizedTagged baking, books, cookbooks, cooking, food, foodie, gifts, recipes1 Comment

I love cookbooks. As much as I use the internet as my main resource for recipes, I love the feel of a solid good cookbook. I read them like bed time stories, pausing to look at beautiful photographs and fantasizing about recreating dishes in my own kitchen. Clearly I can’t be the only one, because there have been tons of new release in the last little while. Here’s a round-up of the ones that have caught my eye.

1. The Art of Eating Well: Hemsley and Hemsley: By now we all get that eating healthy is a lifestyle approach. What better way to encourage that than delicious, accessible meals?
2. Plenty More by Yottam Ottolenghi: I’m always looking for new interesting ways to make vegetables. Now I just wish I had a fresh herb garden year round.
3. Cairo Kitchen by Suzanne Zeidi: My love for Middle Eastern food holds no bounds, and it’s about time I learn how to make some of my favorite meals.
4. Three Times a Day by Marilou and Alexandre Champagne: a.k.a “Trois Fois par Jour”, this local Montreal duo has created quite a buzz in the last year. With new recipes that are not featured on their blog, as well as some favorites like buttered chicken,
5. A Modern Way to Cook by Anna Jones: Packed with vegetarian recipes that can be made in under 30 minutes. Ideal for the real world where you just give in after a long day of work and throw a frozen pizza in the oven.
6. Audrey at Home: Memories from my Mother’s Kitchen by Luca Dotti: Both a scrapbook of Audrey Hepburn’s life and a cookbook, nostalgia-lovers can fully indulge in the vintage photographs, anecdotes and foods from another time.
7. Baking from Food52: Because sometimes, after all that healthy eating, I just want to make something entirely out of sugar and flour. This go-to site compiled a book of classic baked recipes (like banana bread) to mind-blowing new desserts (like black sesame cupcakes with matcha icing!!!!!)
8. Simply Nigella: Feel Good Food by Nigella Lawson: are you noticing a trend here? Cooks offering recipes that are less complex, more accessible? Well last but not least, Nigella is on board, offering meals that can easily be made during your workweek. Butternut and halloumi burgers? I’m totally down.

Anything I missed? What are your favorite cookbooks?

Potato chips dipped in chocolate + toffee bits

Posted on September 21, 2015 Posted in Food & DrinkTagged baking, chips, chocolate, cooking, dessert, easy recipes, food, recipe, sweets, toffee, treats6 Comments

I swear I’ll post something healthy soon, but for now let’s just indulge ok? Besides, these guys are meant to be shared and savoured, so portion size is very much under control here. I saw this a while ago on Joy the Baker, and decided to take it to the next level by adding bits of Skor toffee on top. Toffee bits are pretty much crack for someone with a sweet tooth, by the way.
Here’s what i used:
-1/2 a bar of dark chocolate broken into small chunks. Chocolate chips could work too.
-about 2 handfuls of Ruffles regular potato chips (try to get a bag that hasn’t been crushed)
-Skor Toffee bits
-a drop of vanilla (optional)
-a tsp of coconut oil (optional)
-parchment paper
-a small pot and bowl to fit in it
Pour some water into the pot, about 1/4 full. Add the bowl (metal or glass) on top, creating a bain-marie (a.k.a. double boiler). Add the chocolate pieces, turn the heat on low and stir frequently. This method is key for melting the chocolate without burning the bottom. Once melted, add the vanilla and coconut oil, stir. Carefully dip chips and place them on parchment paper, adding the toffee bits while the chocolate sets. You can put them in the fridge for 15 minutes or so, just not too long or the chips will start to get soggy. Enjoy (in moderation!), xo.

My go-to lemon squares recipe

Posted on August 27, 2015August 26, 2015 Posted in Food & DrinkTagged baking, cooking, dessert, food, lemon bars, lemon squares, recipe, sweets, treats8 Comments

Lemon squares are the kind of treat I crave year round. They brighten up dull winter days and are equally refreshing when a heat wave hits in the summer. I’ve been using this Smitten Kitchen + Barefoot Contessa recipe for a few years now and they never fail to turn out AMAZING. Please be warned: like most good things, they require quite a bit of prep time, so make sure you have the energy and nothing to do for at least an hour. I like the tartness of regular lemons, but you can also try this with meyer lemons, or adding a little lime juice to mix it up. Here is Deb Perelman’s recipe, with a few slight variations (I mainly cut back on the sugar):
For the crust:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the lemon layer:
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into the greased baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill for about 15 minutes.
Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until just golden. Let cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes, (you can keep the oven on).

For the lemon layer, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, just until it’s set (make sure the centre isn’t too gooey). Let cool to room temperature. Cut into rectangles and dust with confectioners’ sugar using a fine mesh sieve. Enjoy!

My favourite cappucino cookies

Posted on April 25, 2015April 25, 2015 Posted in Food & DrinkTagged baking, cappucino cookies, coffee, coffee cookies, cookies, desserts, joy the baker, recipe, treats4 Comments

Come to think of it, I should just change the title to “My Favourite Cookies in the World”. Especially lately with all the spring rain. What’s better on a rainy day than drinking ridiculous amounts of coffee? The answer is eating coffee-flavoured cookies from Joy the Baker. Think of the best frappucino you’ve ever had, and then picture it in edible form.

I’ve made these more than any other cookie recipe, and usually like to freeze a portion of raw dough and save it for another day. Before you commit to making this amazing treat, just consider:
-This recipe requires a mixer (mine isn’t fancy, has no paddle attachment and does the trick just fine)
-You need to chill the dough for at least 45 minutes (I did it overnight)
-They taste best underbaked (10 minutes in the oven for a soft cookie)
-Make sure your espresso powder is well ground up (no chunks), either through a fine-mesh sieve or with the back of a spoon
-Do not forgo the parchment paper! Or grease the hell out of your baking pan. A burnt cookie is a sad cookie.

Here are Joy the Baker’s instructions paired with my (less pretty) photos:

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons instant espresso or coffee powder
1 cup white chocolate chunks (chips are good too)

“Place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside and we’ll preheat the oven after we chill the dough.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and instant espresso powder.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the butter mixture with a spatula. Add the egg and egg yolk and beat on medium speed until mixture is fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract. Stop the mixer and add the dry ingredients, all at once to the butter mixture. Beat on low speed until just combined. Stop the mixer, add the chocolate chunks and fold together with a spatula until well combined. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.

Just before you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Scoop cookie dough by the heaping tablespoonful onto the prepared baking pans. Bake for about 12 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven, allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.”

DIY gift idea: baking mix in a jar

Posted on April 1, 2015April 4, 2015 Posted in DIY, Food & DrinkTagged baking, crafts, DIY, DIY gifts, gift, granola barsLeave a comment

As promised, here is the DIY gift based on yesterday’s recipe. Whether you need a gift for a host, a friend who loves baked goods, or a person who is always on the run, I’m sure you know someone who would appreciate this.

You will need:
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup unrefined light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup dried, unsweetened, shredded coconut
1/2 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips Continue reading “DIY gift idea: baking mix in a jar” →

Super Energy Snack: Coconut oat chocolate chip granola bars

Posted on March 31, 2015March 31, 2015 Posted in Food & DrinkTagged baking, brain food, breakfast, coconut, dessert, energy bars, food, google, granola bars, recipe, snacks, whole foods3 Comments

I’ve spent an unhealthy amount of time searching for the perfect homemade granola bar recipe. Ironic, isn’t it? I knew what I wanted: something chewy, with shredded coconut and chocolate chips, but that was still filling and gave me an energy boost, not just a sugar rush. Finally, I found it, and it all made sense: the recipe was made by one of the chefs who cooked for the employees at Google. Of course, they need brain food to stay energized and really really focused! But, um, don’t we all?

From personal experience, here are a few occasions where these bars have been shared and enjoyed: staff meetings, study sessions, after a workout, breakfast on the go, second breakfast, on road trips, satiating a cranky sibling during a long drive… I’ll stop there. Try this one out, you’ll never want store-bought granola bars again.

**I always double the batch, because they keep well and always seem to go fast. If you want to try the original portion, see this source.

Coconut-Oatmeal Bars with Chocolate Chips
Makes 32 small squares
From “Food 2.0” (DK Publishing; $25) by Charlie Ayers

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups rolled oats (I’ve been using quick oats without any issues)
1 cup unrefined light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup dried, unsweetened, shredded coconut
1 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

Instructions (from Charlie Ayers): Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly oil and 9X13-inch square baking pan and set aside (I use virgin coconut oil).

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in the oats, brown sugar, coconut, and chocolate chips. Stir together the melted butter, egg, and vanilla, then add to the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Avoid mixing more than needed. Transfer to the prepared pan and level the surface.

Bake until slightly risen, golden, and just firm to the touch, about 25 minutes. Put the pan on a rack and let cool before cutting into triangular or rectangular bars or squares.

Enjoy! And see you tomorrow when I post a DIY craft somewhat related to this!

Time-tested Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Posted on March 16, 2015March 17, 2015 Posted in Food & DrinkTagged baking, banana, classic recipes, dessert, easy recipes, food2 Comments

Alright guys, I know I’m not reinventing the wheel here. But I’m often asked for this recipe, and it’s pretty fool-proof, so I thought I’d share it and settle this for once and for all.

But first, here’s my ultimate time-saving tip: When you have bananas that are well-ripened, looking more brown than yellow, and you’re in denial about still eating them, put them in the freezer. This will put your mind at ease and they will keep for months.

I first used this recipe almost a decade ago, but have changed it slightly over the years to reduce the sugar and fat content and it always turns out great. I mainly cut back on the butter and instead add a little yogurt and extra banana to keep it from being dry.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Ingredients:
¼ cup butter
¾ cup sugar (or you can even do ½)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
¼ cup yogurt or sour cream (somewhat optional, it’ll still turn out if you don’t add them)
1 ½ to 2 cups mashed bananas (about 4-5 frozen bananas, depending on size)
2 cups flour (you can do 1 cup whole wheat, 1 cup all-purpose)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

optional:
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
¼ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup ground flax seeds
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

I like a bit of texture in my bread, so I almost always add the coconut, walnuts and flax seeds. Feel free to experiment with other additions you may like, such as sunflower seeds or craisins.

Preparation (adapted from Mitzi)
Cream sugar and butter; beat in the mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla.
Combine dry ingredients and stir into the first mixture just until moistened.
Fold in chocolate chips (and coconut, nuts, etc if you are using them) until well incorporated.
Pour batter into greased and floured 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Cover loosely with a tent of aluminum foil (very important so that it stays moist and doesn’t burn the top!).

Bake at 325° for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 40-45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted tests done.
Cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan and cool banana bread completely before slicing.

Distractions

Posted on February 17, 2015March 15, 2015 Posted in Food & DrinkTagged baking, cookies, joy the baker2 Comments

Distractions… for once I need distractions. When faced with uncertainties, my mind often wanders to the darkest, most terrible scenarios. A constant loop of perpetual nonsense leading to zero gratification. In terms of staying busy, I’m trying to avoid the whole Netflix catatonia route. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love a good TV marathon, but I need something that leaves me feeling a little more accomplished. So, I bake. Baking gives me all the reassurance I need (or almost). There’s something reassuring in knowing that, even when life throws us its uncertainties, if you mix flour, butter, sugar and eggs, and bring it to a high temperature, you will get something fantastic. This time, I made Joy the Baker’s Grapefruit White Chocolate Brown Butter Cookies. That Joy Wilson, she knows what’s up. They are definitely unlike any other cookie I have made, and I was looking for something new. These cookies have a combination of buttery comfort, with an unexpected touch of citrus surprise to brighten up your winter. I happened to have all the ingredients, so it was meant to be. If you are in need of a change from your regular chocolate chip, I recommend you try these. Here’s a tip I learned a while back and has saved me tons of time and energy: freeze your cookie dough! If you don’t need a few dozen cookies that day, save them for a later time. If you’re feeling really ambitious, double the batch. Here are my tips for freezing cookie dough:

once the dough is ready, roll them into little balls. I usually use the a measuring spoon as a scoop (the Tbs size)
place them on a plate or cookie sheet leaving space between each dough ball and put it in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. This will keep them from sticking together.
once out of the freezer, transfer them into resealable bags. Press the air out of the bag to avoid freezer burn.
To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 320 degrees, place them on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet, pop them in for 12 minutes (10 if I want a really soft cookie, and i usually do) and DONE! Little effort, great result.

P.S.: for a little extra flavour power, I like to sprinkle on a little sea salt before baking.