Apple Galette

Evey and I stepped out of the car to wander into the shop of a local orchard to pick up some apples and any other delectable pieces of fruit we could find. We were immediately caught off guard by the delicious smell of cinnamon and spice wafting from the kitchen. This particular place knows how to draw their customers. When sweet smells of the season hit my nose, I cannot walk away.

It took everything in my will power not to purchase one of their pies hot off the shelf. They prominently display them in the bakery window where you can easily see the warm steam rising off their golden crust and smell the treasure hidden within.

I wanted to wait and enjoy one alongside my husband. So, as dinner cooked in the oven, I quickly whipped up this galette. Perfect when you're pressed for time (due to a lovely toddler who is pulling every last thing out of every cupboard and off every shelf...or for any other reason). Easier than apple pie (which is pretty easy), roll your dough out into a circle, fashion your sweetened and spiced apples in the middle, and roll up the edges. Prep is about 20 minutes flat from start to finish.

Apple Galette

3-4 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced

3 T. brown sugar (or more, if you like)

1 t. cinnamon

half a lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, and juice of the half lemon. Let it sit and mingle while you prepare your crust.

For crust:

1 1/2 c. flour (I used all-purpose, but whole wheat would be great too.)

1 T. sugar

1/4 t. salt

8 T. cold, unsalted butter

1/2 c. or so of ice cold water

Place all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix together. Cut butter into dough and mix together with your fingers until chunks are about pea size. Mix water in by the tablespoon, until there is just enough to hold dough together. Try not to overmix. 

Place some flour on your work surface, and roll your dough out to about 12 inches in diameter. Place dough onto a baking sheet by rolling it carefully onto your pin and unrolling it onto the sheet.

Arrange apple mixture onto the middle of the dough, allowing about one inch around the perimeter of the dough for folding. Once you've artistically arranged your apples ;), fold and pinch the dough around the apples. 

Cook in the oven for about 45 minutes, until crust is a golden brown. (Check after 30 minutes and place foil on top if apples are beginning to brown.)

Jewel Cookies

The finale of our Christmas cookie bonanza is a real gem. Better than diamonds. (Okay....maybe not.)

These little tasty morsels are bite-size. They fit nicely, popped right into your mouth, followed up by a swig of hot chocolate to chase them down. I may or may not have eaten these with a shot of espresso for breakfast.

They are unique with a lemony accent, perfectly complementing the jam dot at their center. I filled mine with strawberry jam, but these would be wonderful with just about any flavor -- peach, cherry, marmalade and every other in between.

Fill a tiny tin for your neighbor. Or, come to think of it, your daughter, grandaughter or niece. Perfect for a dolly Christmas tea party...or grown-up one, for that matter. :)

Jewel Cookies

Adapted from Good Housekeeping magazine

2 egg yolks

1/2 t. vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. lemon zest

3/4 c. cold butter

3-4 T. half and half or milk

1/3 c. jam or preserves

In a small bowl, beat together egg yolks and vanilla.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest.

Cut butter into small pieces and mix into dry ingredients with your fingers until chunks are the size of small peas. Stir in egg mixture continuing to mix with your hands. Add milk by tablespoon until it just comes together.

Wrap in plastic and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

Roll dough into balls the diameter of quarters and place on baking sheet. Press down the center firmly with your thumb.

Take a small ziploc and cut off the corner. Fill with your favorite jam or preserves. Pipe into the center of each cookie.

Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool before eating. 

Makes about 3 dozen.

Zimsterne (Cinnamon Stars)

The star has great significance this time of year....

A star announced the birth of the Messiah. A star guided the shepherds to their Lord. A star showed the way. A star lead those who sought the Child to Bethlehem, whom they discovered lying in a manger amongst stable animals. A star shone as a prophecy, as an assurance. A star rested over the place where life was given to the Giver of Life.

The star is constantly a reminder of the immensity of God's power and love.

Stop, take a look at the stars tonight.

Zimsterne (Cinnamon Stars)

3 egg whites

2 c. powdered sugar

3 1/2 c. almond meal

1 t. lemon zest

1 t. cinnamon

Place egg whites in mixer and let spin on high for about 10 minutes, until stiffened. Gradually add in sugar, mixing constantly. Mix in lemon zest and cinnamon.

By hand, carefully incorporate almond meal in installments. Dough should be workable. Place in fridge to chill for at least one hour.

(Take a nap.)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

These are bit tricky to roll out as they are extremely sticky. Three tips that will help you in the process:

 1) Place your dough between two pieces of wax paper with a bit of excess almond meal to prevent sticking.

2) Put the remainder of the dough in the fridge between rollings

3) Wiggle your cookie cutter just a bit when pressing it through the dough (this, too, helps prevent sticking).

Put each star onto your well-greased baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes.

These are super-sweet cookies without it, but if desire a nicer looking finish (and more sugar!), you can put an icing of 1 beaten egg, 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar and 1 t. lemon juice.

Scottish Shortbread

This is the simplest cookie you will ever make.

And perhaps the most delicious. If, you love them like my fiance, who informed me that he would always wait for me to enjoy a plate of cookies...unless it was shortbread.

I'm going to be sure to hide them before he returns from work.... :)

These tasty morsels are only three ingredients -- flour, sugar and butter. That'll be 2 1/2 cups, 1/2 cup and 1 cup, respectively. (DO NOT substitute margarine in this recipe. You will be none too happy with yourself for it.)

If you don't mind getting your hands a little messy, the best way to mix this up is with your nimble fingers. Make sure the butter is softened a bit. Mash it up really well, then add in the sugar. Keep squashing and turning your mound of butter until all the sugar is absorbed into it. Next, the flour; same thing. It will need to chill for about an hour. Then, press it into a small baking dish and cook at 300 degrees F for about 20 minutes.

Shortbread makes a great gift as they stay fresh for at least two weeks. Package them up really nicely and your friend can enjoy them with a cup of tea or coffee after the new year. Sometimes it's good to spread the sweets out just a bit.... ;)

Candy Cane Cookies

The candy cane cookie. Sweet, chewy peppermint twists.

My grandmother used to make a huge batch of these when we were little and would bring them over Christmas Day, alongside a large batch of frosted sugar cookies. She, sadly, hasn't been able to bake in while so I've been flipping through her old cookbooks recently, extracting yummy recipes she used to bake for us as children, hoping to carry on a few of the traditions.

I love these Christmas cookies not only for their seasonal, subtle peppermint flavor, but also their shape....

Look at the Candy Cane

What do you see?

Stripes that are red

Like the blood shed for me

White is for my Savior

Who's sinless and pure!

"J" is for Jesus, My Lord, that's for sure!

Turn it around

And a staff you will see

Jesus my shepherd

Was born for Me!

Candy Cane Cookies

adapted from the Betty Crocker cookbook

1 c. butter

1 c. sugar, softened

1/2 c. milk

1 t. vanilla extract

1 t. peppermint extract

1 egg

3 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. red food coloring

Cream together butter and sugar. Mix in milk, vanilla, peppermint and egg.

Add flour and baking powder, stirring until well-incorporated.

Divide dough in half and mix red food coloring into one half.

Wrap in wax paper and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Taking a quarter-sized round of each the white and red dough, roll each into a long log, about 4 inches long.

Pinch one end together and gently twist until spiraled around each other. Then, pinch other end together.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Makes about 4 dozen candy canes.

Snickerdoodles

Christmas cookie bonanza week has arrived! I hope you are as excited to make and eat these tasty morsels as I am to share them with you. :)

To kick off our week of cookies is the ever-classic Snickerdoodle.

Nothing says Christmas in my family quite like Snickerdoodles. Before we were even able to walk, we all knew how to roll balls of dough in cinnamon and sugar. 

These are so simple. If you don't know how to make these yet, it's about time.

When I was teaching, I loved to mix these up with my Kindergarteners. They allow the maximum amount of involvement with the least amount of stress. (It is not always easy to find baking projects that go smoothly with five year olds.) 

Although, you don't need to be young to make these -- they are great for the kid at heart too. Scrumptious pieces of raw dough can sneakily be rolled in the cinnamon and sugar, and popped surreptitiously into your mouth. Be sly. Be a cookie ninja.

Snickerdoodles

1/2 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

1 egg

2 c. flour

1 t. cream of tartar

1/2 t. baking soda

4 T. sugar

2 T. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease a baking sheet.

Cream butter with sugar, until fluffy. Add egg and mix well.

Add flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Stir until just mixed together.

In a small bowl, mix together 4 T of sugar and cinnamon.

Make dough into 1/2 in. round balls. Roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake approximately 8 minutes.

These are a bit tricky to bake just right. Once they puff up, press down on the center. If they indent easily, they are not done; if they retain their shape, they are finished. The bottoms begin to blacken once they are finished so it is important to remove them once they have achieved this stage.

Remove immediately from baking sheet and place on cooling rack.

Makes about 2 dozen. Easily doubled.



Pumpkin Parfaits

I'm a bit of a traditionalist. Pies and thanksgiving go together like salt and pepper. They just belong together. I just can't bring myself to make anything other than pie for our Thanksgiving feast.

So, I'm planning other little get-togethers frequently where I can make and enjoy other autumnal treats. There are just so many recipes making their way around the web right now, I can't let them pass me by completely.

My latest and greatest endeavor were these decadent pumpkin parfaits with heavenly layers of pumpkin mousse, freshly whipped cream, and gingersnap cookie bits. They were a perfect addition to a Fall supper with several of my lovely bridesmaids, which we quickly consumed while discussing shower plans and such.

They were very simple to make. Although, they should be made ahead of time (even a day in advance) so as to have time to set.

I won't judge if you decide to break tradition. :)

Find the recipe here.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies

I found the best way to transition from Fall to Christmas baking. These cookies, right here. Pumpkin spices to gingerbread. Perfection.

And, yes, I was eating them in bed for breakfast, curled up with a riveting novel and warm cup of tea.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies

inspired by

2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. allspice

1/4 t. ginger

1/4 t. ground cloves

1/4 c. butter, salted

1 c. brown sugar, dark (or add 2 T. molasses)

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

1/2 c. pumpkin

Mix all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Cream butter and sugar, mixing until smooth. Beat the egg in a separate bowl, adding in the vanilla and pumpkin. Add egg mixture to butter and sugar. Slowly add in dry ingredients to make a fairly stiff dough. Roll into a ball and place in the fridge or freezer for an hour or more.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll dough into balls about one inch in diameter; place on a baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until slightly browned on bottom.

Yield: About 3 dozen.

Disappearing Act: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm too late.

I waited too long.

There's nothing left to show but this.

That's what happens when you leave a plate of delicious cookies on the counter unconcealed.

With the scarcity of pumpkin, it's difficult enough finding some to put into my baked goods. Even then, they are nearly gone before I can remove them from the baking sheet.

But this time I added a little chocolate to the mix. They didn't stand a chance. I couldn't even snap a photo before they were entirely consumed.

Forgive me. They were just that good.

But don't take my word for it.....

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

2 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. ground nutmeg

1/2 t. ground ginger

1/2 c. salted butter, softened
(or add 1/2 t. salt if using unsalted butter)
1 c. sugar
(divide 1/2 c. granulated & 1/2 c. brown if you like more of a molasses taste to your cookies)
1 1/4 c. pumpkin (canned or fresh)
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream butter and sugar together. Beat egg in a small bowl; then, add the pumpkin and vanilla. Stir pumpkin mixture into the butter and sugar.
In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Place in heaping tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet.
Bake 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom.


These cookies are soft and moist, not for those who like a crunch to their cookies. And I imagine these would taste even better a few days later, as most spicy cookies do once the spices have time to bloom. I was out of cloves this time around, but I would like to try these with an additional 1/2 t. ground cloves. Can never get enough spiceyness. :)

Remembrances

A pleasant memory of a summer past. Who knew an ice cream bar could hold so much power?

  Source {via}

My first visit to France during the summer of 2003 was spent with many hours poolside sipping a refreshing limonade and consuming bite after bite of a little delicious little bar called Magnum. It was the summer of a magnificent heat wave that caused the expiration of many, especially the eldery, due to a lack of cooling systems. My brother and I, however, had found the solution. Or, rather, Mamina had provided it. My dear friend's French grandmere filled her freezer to the brim with these delightful frozen morsels for us to eat. After each short dip in the water, we would climb out, dash to the floor freezer in the musty basement, and choose a Magnum bar to enjoy. This would occur, oh, at least a dozen times a day.

I was thoroughly disappointed when I returned stateside and could not find them in any grocer's freezer this side of the Atlantic. I would search for other ice cream bars that would fit the bill, but none could compare. Dove bars, I think, were the closest I could find, but they were still lacking.

Until now.

When Foodbuzz's Tastemaker Program asked if I would like to receive a trial box of Magnums, I was first in a state of shock, not believing what I read. After I snapped out of it, I was literally rejoicing with songs of praise for the person who made the honorable decision to make these available to grateful Americans! Thank you!!!

Source: {via}

Magnum means "great" or "mighty," an apt name for this, albeit small, flavorful bite of sweetness. Their chocolatey coating is, in fact, mighty. Certainly not for those who prefer the taste of Hershey's. Their hearty shell contains a delightful ice cream, every bit rich and creamy. There was a bit of difficulty finding these at the store as others had discovered their greatness too. If you find some lurking in the freezer section, be sure to snatch them up quickly before others in your area are turned on to their supreme flavor. Only 3 in a box, you might need to stock up.

Go Bananas

What do you do when you are faced with this?

Why, make banana bread, of course!!

Banana bread is one of those staples that I am nearly able to concoct in my sleep. Although, I like to keep it evolving. Sometimes I'm in the mood for fancy-schmancy complete with walnuts and coconut, other times simple-and-sweet, studded with a few spare banana slices is my desire.

I found my equilibrium in this loaf, however. Needing a tasty treat for dessert to bring along for a dinner party with girlfriends, it was a perfect balance of sweetness with those well-ripened bananas and heartiness with the oat bran and touch of whole wheat flour. It doubled as breakfast the next morning....

Sweet, Wholesome Banana Bread

1 lemon, juiced

3 very ripe bananas (and an extra for slicing on top)

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. butter

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. whole wheat flour (or all 1 1/2 c. whole wheat)

1/2 c. oat bran

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mash bananas in a large bowl. Mix in lemon juice. Cream butter and sugar together, and add to banana mixture.

Mix dry ingredients together. Stir into banana mixture. It should be thick and lumpy.

Grease a loaf pan. Place batter into loaf pan. Bake 35-45 minutes, or until inserted knife comes out clean.

The Joy of Peanut Butter Cookies

Fathers deserve lots of love. Especially tummy love, since there is no better way to a man's heart than through his stomach -- true for young and old alike. :) When I want to show my daddy how much I love him, I know just the cookie to go to.

My father and grandfather are infatuated with good, old-fashioned peanut butter cookies. The more peanut butter, the better, they tell me.

Another man in my life, who has never steered me wrong when it comes to baked goods, led me to this fanastic cookbook with the best cookie recipes hands-down. (Perhaps there are other good recipes in there too, I just can't seem to make my way out of the cookie section....) If you haven't tried the oatmeal cookies yet, you must. But make sure you double the batch, for you will eat all the batter of the first batch. And, by the way, there is no subsitute for butter...I reluctantly substituted margarine once and it tasted awful.

Oh yes, the peanut butter cookies. (Heh, distractions.) When I was in search of a peanut butter cookie recipe the other day, I knew just where to go. I believe half the dough contains peanut butter so you better be prepared for the peanut explosion in your mouth. Personally, I can't get enough of peanut butter. I mean, they are called peanut butter cookies for a reason, right? These are so good that, although the first round I stuck in the oven got burned, they still tasted good. (Although maybe not as good as the ones correctly cooked....) The plate of them disappeared before dinner even began. Perhaps these need a double batch as well.

Cherry Cobbler

Nothing makes my heart sing quite like beautiful fruit.

My housemates and I can't get enough of this delicious, summery dessert. I've made it several times with fresh Rainiers from the farmers' market.

A cherry pitter can make your job quick and easy, but I prefer the drawn-out method. Sitting on the floor, leaning against the cupboard, carefully coaxing the pits out of each cherry, dropping them into a bowl....it is so very human and relaxing.

CHERRY COBBLER
2 1/2 c. cherries
1/4 c. sugar (less if you have sweeter cherries)

1 1/4 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 t. salt
1 egg
1/2 c. buttermilk
3 T. butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Mix pitted cherries in a bowl with 1/4 c. or less of sugar. Spread in the bottom of a pie dish of 9x9 square pan.
Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a small bowl, mix together egg, buttermilk, and melted butter. Incorporate into dry ingredients until just combined. Spoon by tablespoonfuls onto the cherries.
Bake 25-30 minutes, until browned on top.

Enjoy with a glass of cold milk.

Twice as Good Carrot Cake

It must be good if it was worth making twice within a week.

My father's birthday happened to fall on Good Friday this year. Thus, we were compelled to wait for the celebration on Easter Sunday. Celebrating your birthday in conjunction with the celebration of the Resurrection of Our Lord couldn't be a bad thing, though. And it just so happens that his favorite kind of dessert is carrot cake. Providential, perhaps?

As much as I like to bake, my experience with cakes has been limited. The prospect of prettily frosting the cake has much to do with it. (I watched a friend of mine frost a wedding cake for hours on end and it has scarred me for life...jk. ;)) Fortunately, carrot cake is frosted in a rather slap-dash, haphazard manner so I didn't have to worry too much about a smooth finish (or the random appearance of crumbs...don't have a coronary, Emma!).

Then, another birthday Easter Friday of a friend who actually received 3 cakes from the dessert crew (more about that in another post). Easy-peasy the second time around. It was necessary to make a purchase of cake pans as I had borrowed my mother's for my father's cake. But, I figured if I was going to be making cakes this frequently, I should probably invest in some of my own. Or, at the very least, it would be incentive to try my hand at them more often. And I'm always excited to add another kitchen utensil to my steadily-growing collection.

Speaking of new kitchen equipment...I used my new KitchenAid mixer for the first time mixing up the cakes. Works like a dream! Much easier than a hand-held whisk, let me tell ya....

The fire-engine red beauty.

One thing I've learned about cakes is that it is all about beating those eggs. Let your mixer run for the allotted amount of time. Those eggs need a good beating to help the cake rise properly in the oven.

This is a very simple, yet delectable, carrot cake recipe. I had a few people who tasted it say they don't normally like carrot cake, but this one changed their mind. It doesn't include all the added pineapple and coconut which I think makes the flavor too tropical.

CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

adapted from Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2010

Cake

1 c. walnuts

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 t. baking powder

2 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. salt

1 c. canola oil

1/2 c. buttermilk

1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

4 large eggs

2 c. sugar

1 lb. carrots, coarsely grated

Frosting

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 lb. cream cheese, softened

1 T. vanilla extract

2 c. powdered sugar

To make cake:

Preheat oven to 325.

Grease and flour two round cake pans.

Toast walnuts on a baking sheet for about 8 minutes.

In one bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, whisk oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar at high speed for about 5 minutes. Beat in the liquid ingredients. Beat in the dry ingredients until just moistened. Stir in carrots and walnuts. Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for about 1 hour, until springy and golden. (I inserted a knife in the center and removed them when it came out clean.) Let cakes cool on rack for 30 minutes, then unmold and let cool completely.

To make frosting:

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat butter and cream cheese at high speed until light, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then the powdered sugar. Beat at low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat the frosting until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Invert one cake layer onto cake platter and spread with about a cup of the frosting. Top with the second layer. Spread the top and side of the cake with the remaining frosting and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

Slice and enjoy. :)

Makes about 10-12 servings.

Layers of Citrus Beauty - Orange Tian

The 2010 March Daring Baker's challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings. She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse's Cooking School in Paris.

Daring Bakers' never ceases to amaze me. Not only does it challenge me to go above and beyond recipes I would normally dare to try, but it also introduces me to new recipes I probably never would have encountered. I love adventure; I love a challenge; I love new experiences -- I love encountering these things in my travels (another great interest of mine), and now I'm able to face them in my baking endeavors as well. Hallelujah! :)

This month's challenge was an Orange Tian. Never heard of such a thing? Neither had I. Although, I'm rather embarrassed about this as it is of French origin. My Francophile tendencies apparently have a rather large gap in them. And in the culinary arena no less -- quelle horreur!

Basically, the tian is a fanfare of a dessert meant to showcase beautiful layers of flavor. And as we well know, the French are all about artistic display. Appearances are everything. They love the richness of the display.


I'm not sure if I did it justice on display, but one couldn't beat the exquisite flavor of this bombshell of a dessert. Its richness had us nearly satisfied after two bites...but, of course, my friend and I couldn't put down our forks.

In the process of forming the tian, I....

carefully segmented several oranges,

produced a delectable marmalade (which doubles as an excellent addition to morning toast),

discovered a new shortbread recipe French-style: pate sablee (perhaps the best yet!),

and melded all the flavors together with marmalade-flavored whipped cream in cute heart-shaped molds.

Thinking I should try it with strawberries next... ;-)

Naniamos, eh?

When I was in D.C. last week, on the side of one of their pristine buildings I spotted a countdown clock for the Winter Olympics. Just in case you were wondering, at this moment in time, we are at 14 days, 8 hours, 4 minutes and counting....

I had actually forgotten they were happening this year. Truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of the Winter Olympics. I tend to enjoy the Games held during the warmer time of year. It may have something to do with the climate I grew up in. Sunny California doesn't afford us the opportunity to enjoy wintery activities very often.

Canadian friends of mine love to discuss professional hockey. My knowledge of the game consists of players moving over ice on skates with a hockey stick, while attempting to shoot a disc the size of saucer into a goal. Oh, and I know one of the teams is the Mighty Ducks, thanks to the 90's Disney film. ;-)

I do love figure skating. I'll watch that on occasion. There was a period of time when I was girl that I dreamt of becoming a professional figure skater. I think it was in between dreams of a professional gymnast and ballet dancer. People moving with grace has always been attractive to me. The underlying strength behind it all is the real charm.

What's cookin', eh?

Kind of like these Naniamo Bars -- exquisitely presentable, yet deeply sweet.

The second part of our Daring Bakers' challenge this month, in honor of the Vancouver Olympics, I present these deliciously rich Canadian specialities.

Naniamo Bars

Bottom Layer

1/2 c. unsalted butter

1/4 c. granulated sugar

5 T. unsweetened cocoa

1 large egg, beaten

1 1/4 c. crushed graham crackers

1/2 c. almonds, finely chopped

1 c. shredded coconut

Melt butter, sugar, and cocoa in a double boiler. Add egg, mixing until cooked and thickened. Remove from heat. Mix in graham crackers, almonds and coconut. Press into the bottom of an 8X8 in. pan lined with parchment paper (or foil).

Middle Layer

1/2 c. unsalted butter

2 T. + 2 t. heavy cream

2 T. vanilla custard powder (I used instant vanilla pudding mix)

2 c. powdered sugar

Cream butter. Mix in remaining ingredients, whisking together until smooth and light in color. Spread onto first layer.

Top Layer

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

2 T. unsalted butter

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat in a saucepan. Cool. Spread over middle layer and place in refridgerator to cool and harden. I allowed mine to chill in the freezer for a couple hours and then cut them into squares. These treats are quite rich so small pieces go a long way. :)

The January 2010 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Naniamo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and http://www.naniamo.ca/.

Pumpkin Fail...and Success!

Pumpkin cupcakes are supposed to have pumpkin, right? Well, tell that to the left side of my brain while the right side is off on another task...

I'm usually fairly good at multi-tasking but my attempts to bake and help create costumes simultaneously on Saturday turned into an epic fail. Okay, it wasn't quite that bad. But the next morning, as I was considering what I could do with the leftover canned pumpkin from the cupcakes I had made the night before, I suddenly realized I had no recollection of opening a can of pumpkin. Meaning, there was NO pumpkin in the PUMPKIN cupcakes I had made last night. Minor detail.


The fact that the batter was a bit thick didn't trigger a thought about the lack of pumpkin; I was simply going to add more buttermilk. Nor the comment from a taste-taster who said they were rather 'thick' and perhaps a tad dry. Or how about the fact that they weren't ORANGE. Yeah, I'm apparently a bit dense at times. These facts all came rushing to the forefront of my brain, however, when I realized the absence of pumpkin in my memory. (In an attempt to save face -- I was running back and forth between batches sewing patches into my brother's scarecrow costume. You'll forgive me my fault, won't you?)

The irony: first, I can't find pumpkin at ANY store; now, I can't manage to get it into the batter. I suppose I have learned to live without it for so long, I have gotten used to the notion its not going to be a part of my treats. ;-)


At any rate, I made these tasty 'pumpkin' cupcakes from Smitten's Kitchen. They were rather delicious even without the pumpkin. Spice cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting. Besides the lack of pumpkin, the only other deviation from the recipe was I left out the maple syrup and 1/4 c. of butter from the frosting. And, of course, I added a little candy corn on top for flair.



The true hit of the evening, however, were my pumpkin rice krispie treats. I simply added a bit of red and yellow food coloring to the marshmallows and butter after melting them to give it a nice orange tint. I also added a sour apple bite to the top as a stem. They were every bit delicious and every bit accurate.

N.B. When shaping your rice krispie treats, let the mixture cool a bit before you get started molding. If it is too hot, it simply sticks to your hands. Although, too long and it will never come out of the pan...about 5-10 minutes does the trick.

A costume sampler:

Sally, 'Breaking News', and Swinging Dancer

Caped Masquerade

Scarecrow

Napping Indiana Jones

The Freeway

Julia Child and her culinary creation

Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween! :-)