Lemon Lush

This dessert is awesome.  You should make it.  That's all I have to say.

LEMON LUSH (from my friend Carla)
First Layer:
3/4 c. butter
1 c. flour
Mix together and press into a 9x13" baking dish.  Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.  Let it cool before adding the next layer.

Second Layer:
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 c. icing sugar
1 c. whipping cream, whipped
Beat together cream cheese and icing sugar.  Beat in whipped cream.  Spread over the crust.

Third Layer:
1 pkg. lemon meringue pie filling, made according to the directions on the box (you'll need 2 egg yolks and some water)
Follow the directions on the box, and let the filling cool before spreading it over the cream cheese layer.

Fourth Layer:
2 c. whipping cream, whipped
Whip the cream and then spread over the lemon pie filling.

Don't pay attention to the picture - it tastes a thousand times better than it looks!

My friend brought this to our house for a potluck at the end of June, and everyone raved about it.  It was so good, I made it for a potluck at our friends' house a few days later.  And again, everyone raved about it.  It's so light and tangy and wonderful - you really need to make this dessert!!

Easter Desserts

Friends came over for Easter supper tonight, and brought a delicious ham with potatoes, asparagus, and a to-die-for maple dijon cream sauce.  I was in charge of dessert, so I made a fun little "cracked egg" dessert that I saw on Martha Stewart's website:

Kinder Surprise egg shells with a scoop of mango sorbet

Then I made a decadent Easter trifle:

Layers of chocolate cake crumbles, chocolate pudding, strawberries, whipped cream, and crushed mini eggs

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend!  I'm looking forward to a week of holidays, where I can hopefully get out for a few runs (finally) and work off all the calories I consumed over the past few days!

Lego Birthday Party

My little man turned 7 years old, and he is a Lego fanatic so it was only fitting that we had a Lego-themed birthday party.

The Lego cake idea came from Pinterest.  There are lots of links out there.  Basically just make your favourite cake, ice it, and use large marshmallows cut in half to make the bumps on top.  You can make one big rectangle cake, or you can cut the cake into thirds and make 3 smaller rectangles in different colours.  My son said his favourite colour is white, so I lucked out and didn't have to make any different coloured icing.  I'll be the first to admit that my cake icing skills are extremely limited (aka - awful).  Oh well, the kids all seemed to like it.

I also thought this would be a fun recipe to try out - it reminded me of a big pile of Legos on the floor (not that my son ever leaves a big mess of Legos on the floor!)

"CLEAN UP YOUR LEGO!" JELLO CAKE (aka - Broken Glass Jello)
4 packs of Jello, assorted colours
2 envelopes gelatin
1 can condensed milk

In four square containers, dissolve each pack of Jello in 1 c. boiling water.  Chill overnight (or for at least 3-4 hours.)  Slice into squares and arrange in a 9x13" baking dish.  Sprinkle gelatin envelopes over 1/2 c. cold water, and then add 1 1/2 c. boiling water.  Stir to dissolve, and then pour in condensed milk and cool.  Once cool, pour over jello pieces and let it set overnight.

The kids had a great Lego party - they had contests to see who could build the coolest robot, who could build a tower the fastest, who could find the most Lego figurines in the scavenger hunt, who could guess how many Legos were in the jar, and then they worked together to join all their towers together and make the tallest tower.  Now we're done with kid birthdays until next January.  Phew.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake

Here's another recipe I served up last weekend on St. Patrick's Day (it wasn't green, but it was darn good!)  I got the recipe from Pinterest, and the original is posted here.

St. Patrick's Day - Green Appetizers and Desserts (that have absolutely no Irish background!)

I had friends over last weekend, and since it was St. Patrick's Day I thought I would try my best to make a green menu.  Here's what we had:

CUCUMBER SMOKED SALMON ROLLS (inspired by this recipe)
1 or 2 cucumbers
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. Lemon Dilly dip mix
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp. smoked salmon, diced
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt & pepper

Using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, thinly slice cucumber lengthwise to create "ribbons".  Mix together remaining ingredients and place a scoop at the end of each cucumber ribbon.  Roll up the cucumber and secure with a toothpick.

SALSA VERDE DIP
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sour cream
1 c. salsa verde
mozzarella cheese, grated
2 green onions, diced

Mix together cream cheese and sour cream and spread in a baking dish.  Cover with a layer of salsa verde, then sprinkle with grated cheese and top with green onions.  Serve with tortilla chips.  (You could add diced avocado and green pepper if you really wanted this to be an extra-green appetizer.)

ANTIPASTO SKEWERS
artichokes hearts, marinated in oil and herbs
cherry tomatoes
fresh basil
mozzarella
salami

AVOCADO BRUSCHETTA (sorry, no picture)

2 avocados, diced

4 tomatoes, seeded and diced

juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

1/4 c. onion, finely chopped

salt & pepper

Toss everything to gether and serve on toasted baguette slices.

PISTACHIO CRÈME BRÛLÉE (sorry, no picture of this one either)
1 c. raw pistachios (shelled and unsalted)
4 c. whipping cream
10 egg yolks
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
green food colouring (optional)
extra sugar for on top

Grind pistachios in a blender or food processor until they are completely crushed.  Heat whipping cream over medium heat until steaming (don't let it boil, and stir often.)  Add pistachios and let it simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.  Whisk together egg yolks and sugar, and pour in whipping cream.  Add vanilla and almond extracts and the food colouring.  Pour into 12 ramekins (about 1/2 c. custard mixture in each) and place ramekins in a baking dish that is half-filled with water.  Bake at 325 F for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.  Refrigerate overnight if you like.  If you refrigerate them, allow them to warm up to room temperature before topping with approx. 1 tbsp. sugar on each one.  Place directly under broiler for a few minutes until sugar melts.  Allow them to cool on the counter before serving.

Quinoa Recipes

Here are two recipes I found on Pinterest that use quinoa as a main ingredient.

QUINOA CHOCOLATE CHERRY BALLS (doubled and slightly modified from this recipe)

3/4 c. quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 c. water

1/4 c. almonds, crushed

6 tbsp. Cherries & Berries

1/4 c. chocolate chips

2 tbsp. maple syrup

2 tbsp. peanut butter

Bring quinoa and water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes or until all the water has evaporated.  Spread on a cookie sheet to cool it off to room temperature.  Combine remaining ingredients and incorporate the cooled quinoa.  Use a mini portion scoop and press the quinoa mixture in tightly.  Drop balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 375 F for 20-25 minutes. 

These were pretty good.  I likely wouldn't make them again, but it was a good way to trick the kids into eating quinoa.

QUINOA SALAD WITH PEAR & BLACKBERRIES (halved and slightly modified from this recipe)

1/2 c. quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 c. water

2 c. baby spinach

1 pear, thinly sliced

1/4 c. blackberries

1/4 c. chickpeas, rinsed

1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1 tbsp. almond slices

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette

1 tbsp. maple syrup

juice from 1/2 a lemon

Bring quinoa to a boil and then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and cool to room temperature.  Toss together spinach, pear, chickpeas, parsley, and almond slices.  Whisk together dressing ingredients.  When quinoa is cooled, toss it in with the salad ingredients and coat with the dressing.

Almond Blueberry Crème Brûlée

Had a big family supper tonight, with a double batch of Cajun Chicken Alfredo (made with chicken & shrimp this time) and some decadent crème brûlée for dessert.  I used the same recipe I always use (first posted here, made with Cadbury Creme Eggs) but this time I doubled it and changed the flavour profile a bit.  Here's the double batch recipe, which made about 1 dozen small (1/2 c.) rammekins.

ALMOND BLUEBERRY CRÈME BRÛLÉE
10 egg yolks
3/4 c. sugar
4 c. whipping cream
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
1-2 tsp. frozen blueberries in each rammekin
extra sugar

Whisk egg yolks and sugar, then add whipping cream and extracts.  Put blueberries into each rammekin, and pour 1/2 c. of the custard mixture into each rammekin.  Place in baking dishes that are partially filled with water and bake at 325 F for 45 minutes.  When you remove them from the oven, they should be jiggly but the tops should be set.  Refrigerate (you can make these the day before) and bring to room temperature before you are ready to serve them.  Pour 1 tbsp. sugar over each one, and place on the top rack under the broiler for a few minutes, until the sugar melts and turns golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let them cool until the sugar solidifies.

Tap tap tap...

Oooooh, that's good!

Crème brûlée is so easy to make, and it's great for entertaining because you can make it the day before and then just pop them under the broiler (or be dramatic and torch them at the table!) right before serving.  You can try all sorts of different flavours... I have added mini Cadbury Creme Eggs, raspberries, gingerbread spices, and I have lots of other flavour ideas I can't wait to try.  (Although I must admit, almond and blueberry is definitely my favourite!)  The only complicated part about making this dessert is figuring out how to fit all the rammekins into baking dishes... inevitably I end up with one or two leftover so it ends up taking a long time to cook them all, but it's worth it when your guests crack into their little pots of custardy goodness!

Blueberry or Saskatoon Berry Muffins

I made a batch of blueberry muffins a couple days ago, and they turned out perfectly so I decided to make a double batch this morning.  I used saskatoon berries instead, and just after I finished saying to my daughter that we didn't want to overmix the batter, she held up the bag of brown sugar and said, "Weren't we supposed to put this in?"  Shoot.  So much for not overmixing... I added in the sugar and crossed my fingers that the muffins would still taste good.  Luckily it worked, and my husband told me they were even better than the first batch I made!

I used this recipe but omitted the lemon zest.  I love the almond and vanilla extracts - it adds a really great flavour to the muffins.

BLUEBERRY OR SASKATOON BERRY MUFFINS (this is the double-batch version)
4 c. flour (I used 3 c. all-purpose flour and 1 c. whole wheat flour)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 c. blueberries or saskatoon berries
1 1/2 c. milk
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2/3 c. oil (you could use applesauce instead to make these low-fat)
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  Put berries in a bowl and sprinkle a few tablespoons of the flour mixture over the berries to coat them.  In a separate bowl, combine milk and lemon juice and let it sit for a few minutes.  Add oil, brown sugar, eggs, and extracts.  Mix together, and then pour over dry ingredients.  Stir until just moistened, adding the berries in the last few strokes.  Scoop into a greased muffin tin and bake at 375 F for 15-18 minutes.  Makes 2 dozen.

Guinness Chocolate Cake

So my littlest man is just over 2 weeks old now, and according to the scale he weighs 1.5 lbs. less than he did at birth.  We aren't in panic mode (yet), but I figured it couldn't hurt to boost up my milk supply, and apparently Guinness beer is supposed to help with that.  I drank a little bit of it last night, and surprise surprise, I hate Guinness.  (I am not a beer drinker... I'm much more of a Mojito/Margarita/Sangria kinda gal.)  So if I can't drink it, I might as well bake with it!

CHOCOLATE GUINNESS CAKE (I halved this recipe from Ricardo)

1 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. + 2 tbsp. butter

1 1/4 c. Guinness

1/2 c. cocoa (I only used 1/4 c. of Epicure cocoa)

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 eggs

6 tbsp. Greek yogurt (I used black cherry Greek yogurt - original recipe just calls for sour cream)

Sift flour and baking soda together and set aside.  Melt butter with Guiness and cocoa and let it cool.  In a large bowl, combine sugars and salt, and gradually add cocoa mixture, eggs, and flour mixture.  Pour into a greased 8" or 9" pan and bake at 350 F for 35-45 minutes.

Top with icing (halved from this recipe in Chatelaine):

1 1/2 c. icing sugar

2-4 tbsp. cocoa

1/4 c. butter

2 1/2 tbsp. Guinness

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Sift together icing sugar and cocoa.  Cream butter.  Mix in half the icing sugar mixture (it will be crumbly) and then add Guinness and vanilla and continue beating.  Beat in remaining icing sugar mixture until smooth.

Not sure if it will make much of a difference to my milk supply, but let me tell you, that is one damn good chocolate cake!

Boozey Sticky Toffee Pudding (in minutes!)

Saw this on Pinterest and I had 5 minutes to kill, so I thought I'd give it a try... with a "Kathy's Kitchen" twist (aka - I added booze to it.)
BOOZEY STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING (adapted from this recipe)
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
3 tbsp. flour
pinch of salt
1 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. liqueur (I used Baileys, but Kahlua would be awesome too!)
chocolate (optional)

In a rammekin, melt butter in the microwave.  Stir in sugar, flour, salt, milk, and liqueur.  Pop in the microwave for 1 minute.  Put some chopped chocolate on top (I just shoved a Baileys-filled chocolate in the middle) and let it sit for a minute so the chocolate starts to melt.  Serve on its own or with a scoop of ice cream.  (The original recipe suggests caramel sauce, which would be delicious, but this cake is pretty darn sweet so I think something creamy would be a better topping.)

As soon as I cracked open the chocolate, this pudding turned into a delicious mess of Baileys, chocolate, and ooey-gooey warm sponge cake.

Successful Sunday Supper

I took a couple recipes from Jamie Oliver again and made a pretty darn good meal for supper tonight!  I didn't even attempt to cram it all into 30 minutes - that just ain't happening!  But I made dessert earlier in the afternoon, and then supper wasn't too hectic to make.  Here are the recipes:

MUSTARD CHICKEN WITH LEEK SAUCE (from Jamie Oliver)
4 chicken breasts (I used 5 boneless skinless)
4-5 tsp. dry mustard powder
olive oil
salt & pepper
fresh rosemary
3 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
white wine (about 1/2 c., maybe more)
whipping cream (about 1/2 c.)
1-2 tbsp. dijon mustard

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.  Rub chicken breasts with dry mustard, salt & pepper.  Set them in the pan and sprinkle with rosemary leaves.  Let them brown on one side for about 7-8 minutes, then add leeks and garlic.  Turn the chicken over and add wine, stirring the leeks well so they don't burn.  Continue cooking for about 10 minutes (or until chicken is done.)  Set chicken aside and cover with tinfoil.  Add whipping cream and dijon mustard and stir to make a sauce (add more wine or whipping cream until you get the consistency you want.)  Pour sauce over chicken before serving.

SCALLOPED POTATOES (or "Dauphinoise" as Jamie Oliver calls it)
about 6 potatoes, very thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. whipping cream
salt & pepper (and nutmeg if you want, but I don't like it)
freshly grated parmesan cheese
olive oil
2 bay leaves

In a roasting pan, toss together all the ingredients and then pour in 2/3 c. boiling water.  Set on a burner over medium heat with the lid on for about 10-15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to keep things from sticking to the bottom.  Transfer to the oven at 425 F for 15 minutes.  Top with more grated parmesan if you like.

TOMATO SALAD (I was going to use a recipe from Jamie's cookbook, but my basil looked iffy so I opted for an old standby recipe that always tastes delicious)
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
handful of feta cheese
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt & pepper

Toss the tomatoes and feta together, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.  Add a bit of olive oil, season with salt & pepper, and toss to combine everything.

Everything was delicious!

CREAM PUFFS
1 c. water
1/2 c. butter
1 c. flour
4 eggs
whipping cream or custard

Bring water and butter to a boil.  Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring until it forms a ball.  Remove from heat.  Beat in one egg at a time.  Use a piping bag or a portion scoop and place balls of dough onto a baking sheet.  Bake at 400 F for 30 minutes or until golden.  Let them cool, then cut a small hole in the side and pipe in whipping cream or custard.

Easy to make, and you can be lazy like me and buy the spray can of whipping cream, so they are easy to fill too!

Happy Birthday, Geneviève!

It's a little surreal for me right now... my baby girl is 9 years old today, and I'm about to pop with baby #3 any time!  Luckily for Geneviève, this baby stayed in long enough so that I could make a half-decent birthday cake for my special little lady.

I asked for a bunch of recipe ideas on my Facebook page and got some fantastic ideas (you should really check them out if you love cake, and really, who doesn't love cake?)  Unfortunately, I was limited by the ingredients in my pantry, so I couldn't try out some of the fabulous suggestions.  I did, however, have a supply of mango buttercream in the freezer that my fancy chef sister left here after making my mom's wedding cake in the fall.  I absolutely love my sister's raspberry mango wedding cakes, so I thought I'd use those flavours as inspiration for my adaptation of this recipe for a simple white cake.

RASPBERRY CAKE WITH MANGO BUTTERCREAM
3 c. cake flour (or apparently you could substitute with 2 1/3 c. all-purpose flour)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4 egg whites
1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
1 c. raspberry yogurt
4 egg yolks
1 tbsp. vanilla
red food colouring (optional)

Sift dry ingredients together and set aside.  Beat egg whites until stiff (3-5 minutes) and gently transfer to another bowl.  Beat butter, sugar, and yogurt until creamy, then add in egg yolks, vanilla, and food colouring and continue beating.  Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing well.  Using a spatula, gently fold in the egg whites.  Transfer to cake pans that have been lined with parchment paper.  (I only have two 8" cake pans so that's what I used, although the original recipe suggests using three 9" pans.)  Bake at 350 F (original recipe suggests 20 minutes, but since my cakes are smaller and there are only two of them, I baked them for about 35 minutes.)  Transfer to a cooling rack.

When cakes are cool, slice off the top of one cake so that it's flat.  Turn the other cake over so that you have two flat surfaces.  Spread one cake with raspberry jam, and the other with mango buttercream (my apologies, I don't have an actual buttercream recipe for you since my sister made it... but find a good one on the internet, and then mix in some mango purée.)  Turn the unsliced cake right-side-up and set it on top of the other cake (so your two fillings meet in the middle), and then ice with regular icing.  (Unfortunately my mango buttercream looked a little chunky after being thawed out, so it wasn't an option to ice the cake with this stuff, even though it tastes delicious!)

My icing skills are what some would consider appalling, so I whipped out the other bag of frozen goodness that my sister left in my freezer -- fondant icing!  I defrosted it, rolled it out on a floured surface, and then laid it on top of the cake and trimmed around the edges.  It's not as smooth and flawless as my sister's cakes are, but that's why people used to pay her the big bucks to make wedding cakes!  She can also make amazing sugar flowers and all sorts of fancy sugar designs.  I, on the other hand, can go buy some flowers to decorate my cake.

Happy Birthday to my amazing daughter!!

Jamie Oliver's Portuguese Tarts

I bought myself the new Jamie Oliver cookbook with the hope that I would be able to create some fantastic, healthy meals for my family in 30 minutes.  I especially had it in mind for after the baby comes (which could be any day!).  The meals are designed so that if you work quickly and stay on task, you should be able to make a main dish, side dish, and dessert in 30 minutes.  The first meal I tried was not what I would call a success.... it was Mushroom Risotto with a side salad and a Lemon Raspberry cheesecake.  I skipped out on the dessert (because we had so many Christmas treats still lingering around the house), so I just made the risotto and salad.  It took at least 45 minutes, and the risotto was not as wonderful as I had hoped it would be (although my husband swears it was delicious.)  I think if I read the directions more carefully next time and do more of the prep work ahead of time (instead of in between steps, like Jamie does), it will be much quicker and less chaotic.  (Perhaps making risotto, which requires almost constant attention, wasn't the best meal to start out with!)

Anyway, on his Food Network show this weekend, I saw him prepare one of the meals that is in the new cookbook.  It was helpful to see him go through the motions, so I decided to give it a whirl.  The recipe is for Piri Piri Chicken, a side salad, and Portuguese tarts for dessert.  Turns out we are having friends over for supper tonight and I didn't feel like experimenting with a new main dish recipe when guests are here, so I just made the tarts for dessert and we're ordering pizza for supper!  Tomorrow night I will tackle the Piri Piri Chicken and salad.  Here's the tart recipe though, which is super easy to make!

PORTUGUESE TARTS
1 square puff pastry, thawed & rolled out into an 8" square
approx. 1 tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. whipping cream
1 egg
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
zest of 1 orange
1/4 c. sugar
juice of 1 orange

Sprinkle puff pastry with cinnamon, then roll up like a jelly roll.  Cut into 8 equal pieces (Jamie only made 6, but I had enough for 8.)  Turn them on their side (so you can see the pinwheel design) and squash them down.  Use a rolling pin to flatten them out and then lay them in a muffin a tin so that they make tart shells.  Bake at 400 F for 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and use a spoon to push the dough up against the sides of the muffin tin so that you create a space for the custard.  To make the custard, whisk together whipping cream, egg, 1 tbsp. sugar, vanilla, and orange zest.  Fill the tart shells and put them back in the oven for 8-10 minutes.  They should still be jiggly when they come out.  While they are baking, heat 1/4 c. sugar and the orange juice in a saucepan over high heat to make a caramel (the sugar will boil and eventually turn a golden brown).  Pour caramel sauce over the tarts and let them set.

Mmmm.... kind of like a cinnamon bun and a crème brûlée in one little bite!

I wasn't sure how these would taste, so I had to sample one before our guests get here.  Umm, they are delicious!  Wish I would have doubled the batch!

Lemon Chiffon Tarts

Well fudge, I made some fabulous lemon tarts yesterday, and the recipe was on the bag of Meyer lemons.  I set the empty bag beside the computer so I could copy it out for you, but I think my husband must have thrown it out.  Let's see if I can remember it off by heart...
LEMON CHIFFON TARTS (or pie)
1/2 c. sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. lemon rind
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
4 eggs
1/3 c. butter
1/2 c. whipping cream
1 pie shell or 48 mini tart shells (I made my own pastry using a half-batch of the recipe on the back of the Tenderflake shortening box).

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine first four ingredients.  Stir constantly for 4-5 minutes, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken.  Remove from heat and stir in butter one tablespoon at a time.  Cover with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature.  (Place the plastic wrap right on top of the lemon mixture so it doesn't form a skin on top while it cools.)  Meanwhile, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks.  Once lemon mixture is cool, fold in the whipped cream and then pour the mixture into a baked pie shell or baked tart shells.  Allow them to set for a couple hours before serving.

These were very tasty!!

Hot Saskie Mamas 9th Annual Christmas Consumption Extravaganza!

I met a fabulous group of mommy-friends online when my daughter was born, and we have been a huge support system for each other over the last 9 years.  Mostly we just post online and talk about how things are going in our lives... but every once in a while, especially at Christmas time, we like to party!
Here is a collection of the recipes that were served at my house last night for our 9th Annual Christmas party.  (We call it the Consumption Extravaganza because we generally make pigs of ourselves with the amount of food and beverages we consume!)  There were plenty of other amazing recipes (Hooters wings, Taco dip, nuts & bolts, and tons of other things I can't even remember at the moment!) but here are the ones I have recipes for:

JELLO PUNCH (adapated from this recipe)
1/2 c. sugar
3 c. water
1 pkg. strawberry jello
1 can frozen lemonade
2 c. orange juice
1 bottle (2 L) Sprite

Bring the first three ingredients to a boil and then gently boil for 3 minutes.  Stir in frozen lemonade and orange juice.  Pour into a container and freeze overnight.  When ready to serve, scoop it into a punch bowl and pour in the Sprite, stirring till combined.
(I don't have a photo of the punch, but it was quite tasty.  Once all the slush melted into the Sprite though, it was really really sweet.  You can mix in some Club Soda too if you want to cut down on the sweetness.  I used yogurt containers to store the slush in the freezer, and it took a while to thaw out so you might want to use smaller containers or even icecube trays to freeze it.)

MRS. CLAUS' NIPPLES (I did not come up with that name, I swear!)
raspberries
cream cheese icing (cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla extract)
vanilla wafer cookies, cut into small squares

Pipe the cream cheese icing into the raspberries and put a little bit onto each wafter square.  Place a raspberry on top of each wafer square.  (Perhaps if you put a dab of icing on the top of each raspberry, they would look more like mini Santa hats and less like nipples!)  The idea for this came from this recipe, which uses strawberries to make Santa hats.

These were so good... even though they looked like nipples.



CHEESE & VEGGIE CHRISTMAS TRAY

green onions
tomatoes, carrots, and any other veggies you'd like to add on as "decorations"
cheese cubes
pretzel sticks

Use the green onions to make the branches of your tree, and the pretzel sticks for the trunk.  Fill in the other veggies and cheese cubes as decorations.



How cute is that??

HOT BUTTERED RUM NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE (posted on the Epicure Selections Facebook page by Janet Dupasquier)
1 pkg. cream cheese
1/4 c. icing sugar
2 envelopes Dream Whip
1/2 c. milk
2 tbsp. Hot Buttered Rum, melted
1-2 tbsp. Hot Buttered Rum, melted

Cream together the first 4 ingredients until light and fluffy. Add in 2 tbsp. melted Hot Buttered Rum and combine. Pour into a premade graham cracker crust. Drizzle the remaining Hot Buttered Rum overtop and use a knife to zig-zag it through the cheesecake. Refrigerate until cheesecake is set.

This was really good!

Thanks to all my Hot Saskie Mama friends for celebrating another fabulous year of food, fun, and friendship!!

Mock Skor Bars

I can't take credit for this recipe, but I will gladly help spread the word about how fantastic it is!
MOCK SKOR BARS
1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
24 soda crackers (salted is good, but you can use unsalted too)
2 c. chocolate chips (I used melting chocolate to get it a little bit smoother, but normally I just use chocolate chips.  You can use milk or dark chocolate.)

Melt butter in a saucepan and stir in brown sugar.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Continue boiling for 2 minutes.  Lay crackers in a parchment-lined 9x13" baking dish.  (Please please please use parchment paper!  Otherwise you will have one awful mess to clean up.)  Pour caramel over the crackers and bake at 350 F for 5 minutes.  Top with chocolate and put back in the oven for a few more minutes until chocolate melts.  Take out of the oven, and once it cools a little bit, spread the chocolate into a smooth layer.  (If you prefer, you could also wait until the caramel has cooled and then pour melted chocolate over top and spread it.)  Refrigerate and then crack into pieces and serve.

This is not the best photo - I cracked it before it had enough time to set in the fridge.  Still tastes awesome though.

The problem with Christmas baking is that I generally only make these recipes once a year.  So I forget the little things like exactly how long did I boil the sugar and how long did I bake it in the oven.  The recipe I posted above is the one I have in my cookbook, but when I sampled it just now it doesn't seem very hard, and the caramel is a little grainy.  I think I should have boiled it longer to smooth out the caramel mixture, and baked it a bit longer till it was bubbling in the oven (I seem to remember it bubbling last year, but this year there was no bubbling happening in the oven.)  It might need some extra time in the fridge to solidify too.  I just might have to make a second batch of this to confirm my theories!

Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT THUMBPRINT COOKIES
2 c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa (recipe called for 2/3 c. but I used Epicure's cocoa which is very rich so I only needed half the amount)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. sugar (plus more for coating the cookies)
1 egg
1 tbsp. vanilla
4 oz. baker's chocolate (I used bittersweet, but you could use dark, semi-sweet, or white chocolate)
1/4 c. butter
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

Whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt.  Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, then add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.  Gradually add in dry ingredients, beating until combined.  Roll into balls and coat in sugar.  Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and use a small round measuring spoon to make an indentation in the middle of each cookie.  Put them back in the oven for 4 minutes.  They will still look moist - don't overbake them.  While they are cooling, melt baker's chocolate and butter in a double boiler.  Add peppermint extract and scoop chocolate into a piping bag (use a Ziploc bag and then snip off the corner.)  When cookies are cool, pipe some chocolate into the indentations.

These were simple to make, and delicious.  I think next time I would use white chocolate and leave out the peppermint, but top them off with some crushed candy canes.

Heaven must smell like this

All the stars were in alignment this morning, and my children were semi-capable of getting themselves through the morning routine without too much prompting from me.  This is a rare and special occasion, which allowed me to whip up a batch of banana bread and pop it in the oven before I walked them to school.  It is Day #4 of winter here in Saskatchewan, and let me tell you, nothing is better than a crisp morning walk with well-behaved children, followed by opening up the door to your house and being enveloped in the warm, comforting smell of banana bread in the oven!
Then a friend came over for tea, and I put a pot on the stove to make us some delicious Chai tea.  Unfortunately I put the wrong burner on, and there was a glass baking dish filled with buns that I had made yesterday sitting on that burner.  KABOOM!  Glass everywhere.  And by everywhere, I mean we'll be finding glass for weeks to come, even after I spent an hour cleaning my kitchen.  The glass even scorched parts of my linoleum when it landed.  Thank God no one was hurt, and thank God I had moved the banana loaf to a part of the kitchen that somehow managed to avoid the shower of glass shards.

Anyway, back to my banana bread.  I used a recipe from Canadian Living and added Skor Bits instead of chocolate chips (because I have overdosed on chocolate since Halloween!)  Here is the final version:

BANANA BREAD WITH SKOR BITS
2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 c. Skor Bits
2 c. ripe bananas, mashed (I used 6 bananas)
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. milk
2 eggs

Sift all the dry ingredients together (including Skor Bits).  Combine the wet ingredients and pour into the dry ingredients, stirring just until blended.  Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 F for 50-60 minutes.

This turned out perfectly, and it was delicious.  I like that this recipe doesn't use much sugar, and by using 1/2 c. Skor Bits instead of 1 c. chocolate chips, it really cut down on the sweetness without being bland.  I will definitely use this recipe from now on, and I will always make sure I turn on the correct burner when making tea.

Open House Recipes

My husband is out of town for a few days, and thanks to some strategic scheduling this weekend (and a great deal of help from my parents), I managed to get the kids to swimming, skating, and church, we hosted a playdate, I made a snack to take to the kids' choir party at church, I did an Epicure party, and I found time to prepare a ton of food for 20+ people this afternoon!
I hosted an open house for my Epicure customers, and we drank some delicious tea from Sisters Leap Exceptional Teas and ate lots of goodies that I made with my Epicure Selections products.

Here are all the recipes I made:

SPICY CHEESE BUNDLES (a spicy version of the incredibly popular EXTRAORDINARY CHEESE DIP, baked in wonton wrappers)
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 c. mayo
1 c. cheddar cheese, grated
1 tbsp. Pueblo Bean Dip Mix
1 1/2 tsp. Cinco Pepper Blend

Combine ingredients together.  Place wonton wrappers into a mini muffin tin and use a mini scoop to fill up each wonton with the cheese mixture.  Bunch the edges of the wonton wrappers together to make little bundles.  Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes.

I think these were my favourite - I am definitely making these again!

SAGE & APPLE STUFFING CRISPS
1/4 c. butter
1 tbsp. Sage & Apple Stuffing Seasoning
1 baguette

Mix butter and stuffing seasoning.  Spread on thin slices of baguette.  Bake at 400 F for 5 minutes.

Now you don't have to wait for Thanksgiving to get your stuffing!

CRAN & APPLE CINNAMON CHEESE BALL
1 pkg. cream cheese
4 tbsp. Cran & Apple Cinnamon Cheese Ball Seasoning

Beat together until smooth, and form into a ball.  Roll in sliced almonds if you like.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  (I served this with cinnamon cookies but it's also great on apple slices or bagels.)

A tasty dessert cheeseball.

CROSTINI WITH GOAT CHEESE, TOMATOES, AND TAPENADE (I slightly modified the amounts and made a double batch.)
200 ml. canned black olives, drained and chopped
1 tbsp. Tapenade Herbs
1/4 c. olive oil
3 tomatoes, diced
1 c. goat cheese

Combine olives, herbs, and olive oil.  Mix in tomatoes and crumbled goat cheese.  Serve on baguettes or crackers.

This doesn't look very appealing, but I quite enjoyed it!

BEER-BATTERED ONION & BACON MINI CHEESE BALLS (based on this original recipe that I entered in a Philadelphia cream cheese contest... I didn't end up winning, but I totally should have!)
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 c. cheddar cheese, grated
4 tbsp. Onion & Bacon Cheese Ball Seasoning
1 c. flour
1 egg
1 c. beer

Combine first three ingredients.  Make a batter out of the next 3 ingredients.  Use a mini scooper to make little cheese balls and coat them in the beer batter.  Heat a pot of canola oil and then deep fry the cheese balls until they are golden brown.

I didn't get to sample one, but I'm assuming they tasted pretty good.  I mean, they're deep-fried cheese balls - how could they taste bad?

MINI FUDGE BROWNIES

1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Combine first three ingredients in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients.  Add dry ingredients and stir just until combined.  Use a mini scoop and and a mini muffin pan and bake at 350 F for 12-14 minutes.  Makes 48.

These are so delicious!

GINGERBREAD CRÈME BRÛLÉE (I slightly modified the amounts so that it was more like the recipe I normally use.)
5 egg yolks
6 tbps. sugar
1 tsp. Gingerbread Spices
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. whipping cream

Whisk together egg yolks and sugar.  Add in remaining ingredients and whisk together.  Pour into rammekins (I put 1/3 c. in each one) and place rammekins in a baking dish with water.  Bake at 325 F for 45 minutes.  They should be firm on the surface but still jiggly underneath.  Once they have cooled, sprinkle a layer of sugar on top and then use a blow torch or place them under the broiler for 5 minutes until the sugar makes a crust.  Cool to room temperature before serving.

This is only a fraction of the crème brûlées I made this weekend.  Everyone said they were great, so I'm glad I put in the time to get them all baked and brûléed!

BRIE WITH HOT BUTTERED RUM & PECANS
1 wheel of brie cheese, top rind removed
equal parts Hot Buttered Rum and butter (I used about 2 tbsp. of each)
crushed pecans

Heat Hot Buttered Rum, butter, and pecans in a frying pan.  Place brie in a baking dish and pour the mixture over top.  Bake at 350 F until brie melts.  Serve with baguette slices.

Ooey gooey cheesey goodness covered in butter & rum!

PINOT NOIR WINE JELLY & RED PEPPER JELLY ON BAGUETTES

A simple but elegant appetizer.  That wine jelly is my favourite thing in the whole wide world right now!

So there you have it --- I hope you enjoy the recipes, and please let me know if you end up trying some of them at home!

Mini Snacks

Just got a mini muffin pan and a portion scoop from Epicure Selections, so I've been whipping up some snacks that I can pop in the freezer and pull out whenever we need them.
Here are all the recipes, and the verdicts are written below each one.
TWO-BITE BROWNIES (from this recipe)
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. melted butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix first three ingredients together.  In separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients, then add to dry ingredients.  Scoop into mini muffin pan and bake at 350 F for 12 minutes.  Allow them to cool for a few minutes before popping them out.  Makes about 48 mini muffins.
Verdict: These are awesome.  No other way to describe them.

HEALTHY & DECADENT PUMPKIN MINI MUFFINS
1 1/2 c. flour (I used 1 c. white flour and 1/2 c. whole wheat flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 c. pumpkin purée
1/3 c. apple sauce
2 tbsp. crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1/4 c. chocolate chips

Combine first 4 ingredients.  In separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients, then add to dry ingredients.  Don't overmix.  Scoop into mini muffin tin and bake at 350 F for 12 minutes.  Let them cool for a few minutes before popping out.
Verdict: These are awesome too!  My son actually prefers these over the brownies (gasp!)
MINI SALMON CAKES (based on this recipe)
3 small potaotes, peeled and quartered
3 green onions
2-3 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. lemon juice
salt & pepper
1-2 tsp. Lemon Dilly Dip Mix
1 egg
3 cans (170 g net weight each) boneless, skinless pink salmon

Boil potatoes; drain and mash.  Add in remaining ingredients.  Scoop into mini muffin tin and bake at 375 F for 20 minutes.
Verdict: Yummy yummy.

MINI CRUSTLESS QUICHES (use this recipe, but leave out the puff pastry crust and bake in mini muffin tin at 400 F for 15 minutes)
Verdict: Delicious, and the kids all loved them.

TEENY TINY PIZZAS
1 pkg. Pillsbury pizza dough
pizza sauce (about 1/3 c.)
pepperoni, finely chopped (about 14 slices)
mozzarella cheese, grated (about 1/3 c.)

Roll out pizza dough and cut into 24 squares that will fit into a mini muffin tin.  (I ended up with 10 extra, so I just rolled that into a ball and made a mini pizza with it.)  Press dough into mini muffin tin.  Combine pizza sauce, pepperoni, and cheese and scoop into dough.  Bake at 400 F for 10-12 minutes.
Verdict: Haven't fed them to the kids yet, but I imagine they will like them.  I personally don't like Pillsbury dough (whether it's croissants or biscuits or pizza dough) so I'm not a big fan of these.

Overall Verdict:
I love my mini muffin pan and portion scoop!  It's so easy to make cutesy little appetizers, and the kids love eating stuff in miniature form.  Can't wait to try out some new recipes with it!