Chocolate Cheesecake Strawberries

When faced with the challenge of creating a gluten-free, kosher-for-Passover dessert, I can't help but let out a long sigh...no, make that groan. Creating a kosher-for-Passover dessert is enough of a challenge already, throw in gluten-free and I'm out the door! Because I was only asked to bring two additions to our quickie Passover meal this year with my dad, my Zhada (who is celiac), and I, I figured I would have to at least give it a shot as opposed to sneaking off to buy a pre-made dessert...and possibly pass it off as my own. My history with making gluten-free baked goods hasn't exactly been a pleasant one, with cakes that refuse to rise and maintain moisture, not to mention my frustration at the many different ingredients you need to make a tasty gluten-free baked good, and the high cost at which many of them are sold. I decided to bypass baking all together and create a fresh and relatively healthy dessert that I knew my family and I would enjoy. 

My Chocolate Cheesecake Strawberries are incredibly simple, easy to transport, gluten-free, kosher-for-Passover, adorable, and last but certainly not least, delicious and wildly addictive! The sweet strawberries are complimented perfectly with the tangy and creamy mascarpone cheese surprise filling, with the light dip of chocolate and toasted pecans tying the dessert together. My favourite part of this dessert? Seeing my Zhada's reaction as I brought the strawberries out, and watching him happily devour two in next to no time at all. 

Ingredients:

about 1 lb strawberries

4 oz. mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

1 tbsp icing sugar

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla 

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

about 1/3 cup pecans, lightly toasted and chopped

Directions:

1. Remove hull from strawberries, and carefully cut a slightly larger hole inside of strawberry.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together mascarpone with icing sugar. Add lemon zest and vanilla and mix to combine. 
3. Scoop mascarpone mixture into a piping bag and carefully pipe into the centre of the strawberries.  Refrigerate for at least a half hour, to allow filling to set.
4. In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips at medium heat. Put the chopped nuts in a small bowl next to the chocolate.
5. Carefully dip the end of the strawberry into the chocolate and then immediately into the chopped nuts. Place, chocolate side down, on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strawberries. Chill for at least another half hour to allow chocolate to set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to enjoy! They will keep for up to 2 days. 

Listening To:

Mount Kimbie - Made To Stray

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Pistachio Macarons

Two weeks ago was my boyfriend Chris' 26th birthday. With this being our first birthday celebrated together, the pressure was on to make sure Chris felt extra special on his day...especially when I had been dropping sneaky hints about what I was arranging for his day for weeks (talk about digging yourself into a hole!). As I've mentioned before in my post on how to make French macarons, Chris was the number-one supporter of my macaron making, signing me up for a Parisian macaron making class at Le Dolci for Christmas, and sending so much positive feedback my way after trying my hand at making macarons all on my own. Chris and I share so many things in common, and yet another one of our many similarities is that both of our favourite flavours of macarons is pistachio. That was it. I knew that in order to get the biggest smile on that bearded face of his on his birthday, was to present him with a box of homemade pistachio macarons. The only problem? Getting my hands on pistachio paste, a silky-smooth paste made from ground pistachios, that is incredibly hard to find in Toronto. 

Chris had mentioned to me (that sneaky devil) that apparently the Cheese Boutique in Etobicoke is one of the only places in the city that sells the rare paste. With time running out, and a crazy busy schedule, trekking out to the Cheese Boutique wasn't a viable option. I was ready to throw in the towel and attempt to make a buttercream filling sans the paste. Happy I was not. Knowing that all the top patisseries in the city use pistachio paste in their macarons, I was pretty bummed by the thought of my macarons not resembling our favourites that we had come to know so well. It's at this moment that my superhero once again came through for me. Oh...you didn't know that I had my very own superhero? I've talked about her before, but you probably know her by the title "mom". My mom is my very own superhero, saving my ass time and time again, there to step in right as I begin to raise my white flag. Despite telling her that there wasn't a chance she would be able to find the paste in such short time, in a matter of five-minutes that clever mother of mine had tracked down the paste! Literally right across the street from where I work, is a specialty food shop that carries the paste. Ararat International Fine Foods is my idea of heaven on earth, filled with unusual gourmet foods from Europe, the Middle East, and Canada, with jars of pistachio paste right at the front counter! With everything I needed to make patisserie-shop-quality pistachio macarons, I was ready to once again take a chance at making those damn difficult, finicky French cookies.

It felt great to have so much confidence making macarons this time around, now having the experience to really get the feel for the right texture for each step, as well as perfecting my folding, piping, and french meringue-making techniques. I felt relaxed and composed, as opposed to stressed and frantic, which is how I felt the last time...much of which, had to do with using way too small piping bags, resulting in the sticky almond flour batter getting ALL over me. Like ALL over me. On my clothes, up my forearms, in my hair, on my face....EVERYWHERE! So note: use large piping bags!! I also learned this time around that you can't be impatient with letting your macarons rest once you've piped them. You want them to me matte, and have formed a shell on top from drying. Not allowing them that drying time will result in your macarons cracking or bursting once placed in the oven. Lastly, I learned that although you don't want your macarons to wiggle around too much before removing from the oven, they can do so just a bit. To test whether your macarons are ready to be removed from the oven, I lightly tap the top of one to see if it wiggles. This time I waited for the macarons to be firm before removing them, which I quickly discovered results in a very dry, crisp, and crumbly macaron. The texture you are aiming for is crisp on the outside, and chewy on the inside, which means waiting for your macarons to be fairly firm, but still have a very slight wiggle to them when tapped. Although the flavour was there with the delicious buttercream filling made from pistachio paste, I wasn't too pleased with that dry, crisp, and crumbly texture. 

Unable to make them all over again, and knowing that Chris would appreciate them no matter what, I wrapped up 26 dry, yet tasty macarons in a personalized birthday box for Chris. The hunt for the paste and the labour to make those tricky French cookies was all worth it as soon as I saw Chris' face light up at the sight of them (they did look pretty damn perfect!)! He tasted one right away, and despite the less than perfect texture, he absolutely loved it! I was so happy to discover that leaving the macarons out at room temperature for a night, rehydrated them and made them the perfect patisserie-shop-like texture! Success! I feel like a macaron-making pro! 

Big thanks to Madalina from Duhlicious for supplying me with a fantastic recipe for Pistachio Buttercream Filling! I turned to Duhlicious for the recipe once again, after having so much success with  her recipe for macarons and Lemon Cream Cheese filling. If you're interested in learning to make perfect Parisian macarons, I highly suggest signing up for a macaron making class at Le Dolci with the talented Madalina as your teacher!  

Click here for a recipe and guide on making macarons!

Click here for the recipe for delicious Pistachio Buttercream Filling!

Listening To:

Noah and the Whale - Five Years Time

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Roasted Beet Salad with Figs & Ricotta

Hooray to sticking with my health kick! It's been a few weeks now of trying to adapt my diet to a healthier lifestyle, and I think I'm starting to finally get in the groove of things and find a good balance between naughty and nice dishes. My diet really hasn't changed all that much. I haven't eliminated anything from my diet at all, just reduced the volume in which I eat those naughty foods (caffeine, cheese, white flours, etc.) and introduced a lot more fruits and veggies that I definitely wasn't getting enough of prior to the kick. These changes have progressed from being a chore that I would huff and puff about, to an inspiration, getting me excited to create dishes that I feel good about putting into my body. 

One of the best things that has inspired me to create new and exciting healthy dishes has been appreciating the beauty of a healthy dish. You simply cannot compare the colour palette to that of a healthy, well rounded dish, to a plate of "naughty" food. Just think of all the many exquisite colours that are found in nature, in fruits and vegetables that give back so much to our bodies. Greens in every shade, reds, purples, yellows, oranges, blues, the list can go on and on. Now compare that to naughty foods, where almost all of what you find is a bland degrade of whites, greys, and browns. That's not to say that there aren't some fantastic foods that do wonders for the body that fall into the boring colour category, (garlic and coconut, I'm talkin' bout you!) but as a general guide, it's colour that you should be seeking.

Todays recipe was inspired by beautiful colours and thought-out plating. I wanted to create a healthy salad that I could get excited about eating, just by looking at it. With red and golden beets as my inspiration, I built this recipe based on things in my fridge that needed to be used up (where pretty much every one of my best recipes is born). With a carton of figs on there very last day, begging to be used up before the dreaded toss in the compost, pistachios left over from making pistachio macarons last week (recipe will be posted soon!), and a half-full container of ricotta left over from a roasted butternut squash and ricotta pasta from last week as well, this recipe effortlessly built itself. Vibrant red and golden beets rest atop mixed greens lightly dressed with a honey, walnut, and balsamic dressing, scattered with nutty green pistachios, sensual red, purple, and golden figs, chia seeds (a super food!), and creamy pillows of ricotta. I can get used to a diet this beautiful.

Tip: This salad is perfect for entertaining! The beets can be roasted the day before to save you time the day of, and the striking presentation will wow your guests.

* To remove pistachio skins, cover pistachios with boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain and rub vigorously with a clean kitchen towel. The skins will rub right off. Do this step before roasting.

Ingredients:
3 medium-sized beets, stemmed with greens removed (I used a mixture of both red and golden)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp liquid honey
1 tbsp walnut oil
1 tbsp olive oil
3-4 handfuls of mixed greens
1 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
4 ripe figs, quartered
1/2 cup ricotta
1/4 cup pistachios, toasted with skins removed*
olive oil (plus more for roasting beets)
salt and fresh ground pepper, to season

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly coat beets in olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Wrap individually in tin foil and roast for 1 hour to 1.25 hrs, or until tender when inserted with a fork. Unwrap from tin foil and set aside to cool. Once cooled, either remove skins with a paring knife, or by rubbing with a paper towel. Slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the balsamic vinegar and honey. While continuing to whisk slowly pour in the olive oil and walnut oil in a thin, continuous stream. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
3. In a medium bowl toss together the mixed greens with the dressing, adding a little dressing at a time to ensure you do not over-dress. You may have some dressing remaining.
4. Plate the dressed greens and sprinkle with chia seeds. Top with sliced beets (alternating in colours), figs, ricotta, and pistachios. Drizzle lightly with good quality olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Listening To:
LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean

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Cheaters Handbook: Giada de Laurentiis' Strawberry Mascarpone Cake

I love going the distance and making as much as I can from scratch as often as I can, but there are certain times of the year when it seems like everything is happening all at once, and the words "scratch made" can send you into a absolute tizzy! For my moms birthday this year I wanted to make her a really special meal that would make her feel loved on her special day. For a while I had been planning on making fresh handmade fettuccine with shrimp in a spicy lemon sauce, an almost completely scratch made dish (other than my little cheat of using frozen shrimp. Shhh don't tell!) as well as a scratch made birthday Strawberry Shortcake, similar to the one she bought for my party on my birthday. But as her birthday quickly began to approach so did my hours at work, other friends birthdays, family obligations, and so on. With a wild schedule on my hands, the thought of making both fresh pasta, an extremely labor intensive dish, and a scratch made cake with a recipe I had never tried, had me pretty freaked out. It was only two days before her birthday that I realized that I hardly had time to even make the fresh pasta for her special birthday meal! I had to change my game plan. With strawberry shortcake on the brain, it was easy for me to quickly find the perfect little cheat alternative for my moms birthday cake that would still be just as special for her!

A few years ago a friend had introduced me to Giada De Laurentiis' recipe for Strawberry and Mascarpone Filled Cupcakes. A fantastic cook and baker, I was surprised to see my friend using Vanilla cake mix as opposed to one of the recipes from one of her many cupcake cookbooks. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love those perfect moist and fluffy cupcakes that you get from a mix, but at the same time, there's no way you could ever get away with pretending you made them all yourself, they're just too perfect. I couldn't imagine how she would be able to disguise the obvious Duncan Hines vanilla cupcakes to her guests. Helping her through the process, it wasn't hard to see that my friend had her hands on one of the best dessert cheats I have ever come across! The cute cupcakes stuffed with the sweet mascarpone and strawberry mixture were absolutely to die for! The cake part of the cupcake was perfect, of course, but it was that delicious sweet cheese filling that had everyone in the room talking! Because she took the extra effort to inject the cupcakes with this delicious and out-of-the-ordinary filling, no one even questioned the authenticity of the cake. They couldn't have cared less whether or not the cake came from a mix. Thinking back on those incredible cupcakes, I knew I had found my moms birthday cake solution! Because I wanted to make a cake as opposed to cupcakes, and because I didn't have the expensive injector tool that my friend and Giada used for the cupcakes, I decided to make one round cake, cut it in half, and layer in the mascarpone and strawberry mixture in between the two cake slices. Absolutely beautiful and even more delicious the cake was a huge hit! Everyone loved my moms cheater birthday cake, and, just like the cupcakes that my friend had made, no one even thought to question whether the cake was from scratch or not!

This cheater recipe is definitely a MUST try! And hey, this just may be the Easter dessert recipe you've been looking for to serve to your family this Easter weekend!

Giada De Laurentiis' Strawberry Mascarpone Filled Cupcakes

Listening To:

The Maccabees - Toothpaste Kisses

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Birds Nest Coconut Cupcakes

Photography by Intoxicated Ink

I can't tell you how long I've been wanting to make this recipe! Perfect for Easter, these adorable coconut cupcakes have caught my eye over and over again on numerous websites and blogs, although it wasn't until this past Easter that I finally got to make them! It seemed that every year that I had my mind set on making them, something would come up sidetracking Project Birds Nest Cupcakes. So this year when I was asked to contribute to our pot luck Easter lunner (lunch/dinner) I jumped at the chance to try these little puppies out!

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that in the past I haven't had the greatest luck with Martha Stewart's recipes. Sure I've tasted some fantastic ones made by others, and even a couple that I've made myself, but it seems that the majority of the time her recipes are...yup I'm gonna say it...they are recipes from hell! Time after time I have followed her instructions to a tee, only to be faced with crumbling cookie dough that won't stick (my biggest gripe with her recipes!!), incorrect cooking times, and bland flavour. I'm sorry Martha, I love you, but it's true. Despite my recipe trouble in the past, I decided to give her recipes another go. I used Martha's (ummm yeah we're on a first name basis) recipe for Coconut Cupcakes, and despite incorrect cooking time (yet again), the cupcakes turned out fantastic! In addition to adjusting the cooking time, I also substituted unsweetened coconut for the called for sweetened coconut. My experience in baking has taught me that almost any time a recipe calls for "sweetened" coconut, just go right on ahead and switch it up for unsweetened. Sure it's personal preference, but I really can't imagine these cupcakes being any sweeter as they had juuust the right amount of sweetness (especially once you add the frosting) and really, who needs the extra sugar anyway?

These cupcakes are as delicious as they are cute. Light and fluffy with a big hit coconut flavour from the cakes themselves and the topping. Although I was too full to go for seconds on Easter, I'm kicking myself now for not eating more! Is it too early to start counting down the days till next Easter?

Recipe by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 large eggs, plus 2 large egg whites

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

your favourite vanilla or cream cheese frosting

about 1 1/3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut for topping (try and get as large flakes as possible)

1 package Mini Eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Line a standard muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup coconut. Set aside. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk with the vanilla extract. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale in colour and fluffy. Add the eggs and whites, one at a time, beating after each addition.

4. Reduce speed to low. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the coconut milk mixture, and ending with dry ingredients. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.

5. Bake cupcakes 25-30 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool on wire racks. Top with icing and coconut. Place Mini Eggs in the centre of each cupcake.

Listening To: OK - Beastie Boys

Planning Your Easter Menu

I love celebrating any holiday that involves delicious food, but Easter holds a special place in my heart (and stomach) because it marks the beginning of Spring. Although Easter arrives late this year and Toronto hasn't seen many sunny days in 2011 yet, knowing that Easter is only a few days away reminds me that warm weather is just around the corner as well! When planning an Easter menu I keep those same cheery thoughts of Spring in my mind to find my inspiration. After a long, dark, and cold winter, Springs lively colour palette and fresh flavours couldnt be more warmly received. Bold vivid colours, bright flavours, and a selection of dishes as abundant as the many flowers who's buds we'll soon see sprouting from the trees and ground are what I think of when I think of an Easter menu. Whether you celebrate Easter with a large potluck or an intimate dinner, my Easter menu options are perfect for any Easter celebration! Not only do many of the recipes mimic the colour palette of spring, they are also simple, with many of them giving you the option of making the dish in advance.

I like to think light when coming up with my sides and starters for Easter. After months and months of indulging in comfort food, having a selection of light snacks, veggies, and salads is the only route I want to go come April. I like to have a well rounded selection of sides when entertaining so I try to choose at least one "starch" option to make sure my guests leave feeling satisfied, at least one vegetables side, and at least one salad. Below I have provided a few options from each section. All of these sides may be prepared the day before serving to keep you stress-free come Easter Sunday.

STARCH

Tomato and Basil Goat Cheese Tartelettes

French Potato Salad with Green Beens

Sweet Pepper Potato Salad

VEGGIES

Roasted and Glazed Heirloom Carrots

Balsamic Glazed Green Beens and Shallots

SALAD

Butternut Squash and Cranberry Quinoa Salad

Carrot and Mango Salad with Honey Roasted Peanuts

Bacon Cheddar Broccoli Salad

Roasted Beet Salad

In my family we always look forward to eating my Oma's delicious Ginger Ale Glazed ham for Easter, but over the years we have happily introduced other protein options in addition to Oma's infamous ham. Pulled pork is a great option for those who like pork but may not be a fan of ham, this recipe also allows you to make the star of your dish up to a day in advance. For those that can't eat red meat, my Maple Glazed Salmon the perfect sweet and savory option. Don't forget to whip up some hot Cheddar Bacon and Chive Biscuits to serve alongside your entree!

Cheddar Bacon and Chive Biscuits

Ginger Ale Glazed Ham

Maple Glazed Salmon

Saucy Pulled Pork

What's Easter without a sweet finale? My squares, cakes, and biscotti are sure to please any sweet tooth, but are especially handy when transporting your desserts to a friend or family members home. If you're having a more intimate gathering my Lemon Ricotta Crepes with Berry Icewine Sauce are a guaranteed show stopper.

Cranberry Lemon Squares

Ooey Gooey Cranberry and Coconut Lemon Squares

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Carrot Cake

Almond Cranberry Biscotti

Lemon Ricotta Crepes with Berry Icewine Sauce

I like to freeze fresh herbs and edible flowers inside of ice cubes to add a special touch to punch, soda, and even plain ol' water. It's a super simple little touch that everyone will notice!

Fresh Herb Ice Cubes

Listening To: Keep Your Heart - TV on the Radio

Lemon Ricotta Crepes with Berry Icewine Sauce

January is icewine month! To celebrate, here is the recipe I created for the iYellow Wine Club featuring our star, icewine!

Just as a fantastic icewine strikes the perfect balance between sweetness and acidity, any dish made with icewine should do the same. For such a special wine you want the other flavours in the dish to complement the icewine rather than overpower it. Lemon Ricotta Crepes with Berry Icewine Sauce is the perfect example of this. Despite ricotta being the main ingredient in this dish, the subtle flavours of the creamy cheese lets the icewine take centre stage. Inspired by traditional Italian cannoli filling, the ricotta mixture mimics those same sweet and acidic flavours you get in icewine, but with a touch less sweetness. Hugging the ricotta are thin, delicate crepes speckled with fragrant lemon zest, which is topped with a generous drizzle of sweet, yet complex berry icewine sauce. The addition of lemon in both the crepe and filling brings f

reshness to the dish allowing your taste buds to experience that same refreshing taste that comes with a sip of icewine. The only thing that can make this dessert more special is serving it alongside your favourite Vidal icewine.

Tip: To ensure that your crepes are not greasy, take a small piece of paper towel and rub it in softened butter. Quickly, carefully, and lightly rub the paper towel with the butter onto the hot pan so that you have the thinnest layer of butter possible on your frying surface.

Ingredients:

Crepes

3/4 cup flour

1 cup milk

3 eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp lemon zest

Filling

1 400g container of fresh ricotta cheese

4-5 tbsp confectioners sugar

1 1/2 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Sauce

1 cup raspberries

1 cup blueberries

6-7 tbsp VIDAL sauvignon blanc icewine

Directions:

Lemon Crepes

1. Whisk or process (using a food processor) all ingredients until blended. Transfer batter to a bowl or container, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2. On medium-low heat, lightly grease a small crepe pan (see tip above). When pan is hot, add 1/4 cup of the crepe batter and tilt your pan around so that the batter covers evenly. Fry crepes for approximately 60 seconds on one side, or until golden. Using a spatula, carefully flip the crepe and fry on the other side for approximately 30 seconds, or until golden. Repeat with remaining batter. Crepes can be made up to 2 days in advance and may be reheated upon serving.

Lemon Ricotta Filling

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta with the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Sift in the confectioners sugar (you may add 4-5 tbsp depending on your taste). Refrigerate until ready to serve. Filling can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Berry Icewine Sauce

1. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, puree raspberries and blueberries until liquified, but not so much that the seeds begin to crush.

2. Pour berry mixture into a fine sieve resting over a bowl to remove the seeds.

3. Once berry mixture has been strained, stir in the icewine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Assembly

1. If crepes have been made in advance and refrigerated, reheat, wrapped in tin foil, in a low temperate oven or toaster oven until warm.

2. Lay a crepe out flat and add desired amount of lemon ricotta filling down the centre of the crepe. Drizzle with berry icewine sauce and roll the crepe up. Drizzle with additional berry icewine sauce and garnish with fresh raspberries and blueberries. Repeat with remaining crepes. Enjoy served alongside Vidal icewine.

Listening To:

Science of Fear - The Temper Trap

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Cranberry Lemon Squares

Another holiday season come and gone. Who can believe that tomorrow is the last day of 2010? I certainly cannot! This year has flown by at a frightening pace, leaving all of my many crazy nights, hazy mornings, thrilling adventures, laughter, tears, mistakes, inside jokes, unexpected turns of events, and so on in a blur in my mind. It amazes me how much my life has changed over the past year and, more significantly, how I have changed as a result of it. Come to think of it, it wasn't so much me changing as a result of life changes, but my life changing as a result of my own personal growth. This year I learned that life can throw you some pretty big curve balls that can throw your mind out of whack for whatever reason. Just when you think you have it all figured out, something new and unknown, or even ghosts from your past that you thought you had shaken, are sure to enter your life again. But hey, you live and you learn, and some of those scary curve balls can turn into a home run. It's all about rolling with the punches, embracing all of those mistakes, and learning from them in the future.

A few months ago a sniffly cold and lack of focus left me making a big mistake when making Cranberry Coconut Lemon Squares. I accidentally made the squares in a pan much smaller than the recipe had called for. At first I was really mad at myself for being so careless, thinking that I had wasted all of those ingredients and my time. I kept telling myself how stupid I was, and I thought it was just so typical for me to do something so silly. Low and behold the squares turned out incredible! Because I baked them in a small pan, they were extra ooey gooey and each bite gave you an almost overwhelming burst of extra tangy lemon flavour. Who would have thought that my mistake would turn into such a hit. Despite how delicious my Ooey Gooey Cranberry Coconut Lemon Squares were, I couldn't help but want to try my hand at them again, but this time with a clear mind, remembering my past mistake. I decided to try out a new recipe this time to switch things up a bit, so I used a recipe for Cranberry Lemon Squares with coconut from Canadian Living, changing a few things here and there to suit my taste. I secretly thought that they really would taste better making the squares in a larger, correct pan (I apologize for my past dishonesty), but in the end they were both just as tasty. I couldn't even pick which ones I preferred. Despite how much control I had over the recipe this time and how careful I was, it turns out that mistakes can end with just as positive of a result. So let go, embrace your mistakes, and look at how much more you have gained in the end...even if that may be weight from eating so many of your delicious mistakes. Cheers to more mind blowing mistakes in 2011!

Tip: To add just a touch of extra sweetness, dust the baked squares with icing sugar.

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter, cubed and softened

Filling:

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

zest from half of a lemon

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, cut in half

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Directions:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together the dry ingredients for the crust: flour, sugar, and salt. Add in the butter and mix until butter is well incorporated, crumbly, and holds together when pinched.

2. Evenly, pat mixture into the bottom of a greased 13 x 9-inch cake pan. Bake in a 350º oven for 20 min, or until golden.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients for the filling: flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix in the flour mixture. Stir in cranberries and coconut.

5. Reduce heat to 325º, and bake until filling is firm in the centre, 45-50 minutes. Let cool, then cut into squares.

Listening To:

La Roux - Quicksand (Alex Metric Remix)

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Ooey Gooey Cranberry & Coconut Lemon Squares

You know when you have a cold and the only thing in the world you feel like doing is curling up on the couch with a mug of tea, a bowl of chicken soup, a box of kleenex, and a marathon of old movies? You know that horrible sinking feeling when you realize you can't do any of that because you have to work every single day? You know how excited you get when you're managers kindly let you leave work early to go home and rest? You know that fantastic sensation of letting your body crash onto that couch...oh wait...I'm not familiar with that part. Last week, despite the fact that I was sick as a dog and all my body was telling me to do was rest, I decided to take a raincheck on that rest (leaving me still sniffling a week later), and bake (while washing my hands every 2 minutes!).

For Thanksgiving my mom had bought an extra bag of cranberries so that one of us could make a recipe for Cranberry and Coconut Lemon Squares that she found scribbled onto a loose sheet of paper tucked into her favourite cookbook with 4 stars drawn on the top corner. I knew those squares would be the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea so I thought it would be the perfect thing to make on my "restful" day off. I realized that it probably wasn't the best idea to go off baking when my body was jacked with numerous cold and flu meds when I went to top the crust with the lemon filling. Something had clearly gone wrong. The crust looked like it could use a few more minutes in the oven, the filling was almost overflowing over the baking dish (if those squares had risen even a millimeter, I would have been screwed!), and there looked like there was too many cranberries. I guess those meds messed with my sense of perception because I had baked my squares in a pan way too small than the recipe had called for.

I nervously paced the kitchen as the squares baked, scared that I had wasted all those ingredients for defect squares. Finally the timer rang, I took the squares out, let them cool for a few hours, and then it was the moment of truth. I cut through the cooled dish to make squares and carefully lifted out each square. Eureka! The squares turned out even better than I remember the original squares tasting! The thicker squares with the same cooking time resulted in incredible messy, ooey, and gooey sweet and tangy squares that I couldn't get enough of! This is one mistake Ill be making over and over again in the future!

Note: If you prefer the texture of the original squares, simply bake them in a 9 x 13 dish instead and reduce the baking time of the crust to 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

Base

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup cold butter, cut into chunks

Filling

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 cups whole cranberries

1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

Directions:

1. For base, preheat oven to 325º. Grease a 7 x 11 baking dish.

2. Pulse the flour, sugar, salt and butter in a food processor until crumbly in texture.

3. Pat evenly into bottom of greased baking dish. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, combine the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice in the food processor until combined. Add the flour and baking powder and blend until just combined.

5. Scatter cranberries evenly over the warm, baked crust, and sprinkle with coconut. Pour the lemon mixture on top.

6. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until middle is set and edges are golden. Let cool and serve.

Listening To:

Gorillaz - Dirty Harry

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(kicking myself for not going to their concert last Thursday!!)

Tiramisu

I think it's fair to say that when it comes to any get together with my family, the food spread can be nothing other than epic! We always seem to go out of our way to make each family occasion something spectacular, and, in my opinion, this is all thanks to the incredible food that is served. Some of you may remember the incredible Easter '"lunner" my family had last year, and as amazing as it sounded (and ohhh it was) we are kind of getting sick of that spread. My family has gotten into the habit of serving the same types of dishes at every occasion as each person becomes known for their specialty. So this year my mum wanted to switch her dishes up a bit, which unfortunately meant none of her amazing scalloped potatoes, but it did mean the introduction to our Tiramisu.

This year my mum and I teamed up to make a delicious Tiramisu for our Easter dessert. This is the perfect dish to work on with another person because there are so many little steps involved. Getting two people involved makes this striking dessert come together at a much faster pace, and come on, don't we all throw in a little love into each dish...double the people, double the love! We chose to use a Tiramisu recipe from www.dairygoodness.ca because their recipe had lots of different complex flavours throughout each layer. The dessert turned out delicious! The flavours were amazing, although there was a tiny issue with the dish, the ladyfingers were just not moist enough. So I have adjusted the recipe here to factor that in. With that tiny adjustment, this just may be the best Tiramisu you have ever had!

Tip: Make this dish a day ahead to allow the flavours to intensify and the ladyfingers to become more moist.

Tip: Serve this dessert in a trifle dish for a more striking presentation.

Ingredients:

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup Marsala wine

1/2 lb (250 g) mascarpone cheese

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup strong coffee, cooled

2 tbsp Grand Marnier

24 dry Italian ladyfingers

6 oz. (175 g) semisweet chocolate, grated or finely chopped

Directions:

1. Beat egg yolks with sugar until mixture becomes pale yellow in colour. Beat in Marsala.

2. In a double boiler, or in a stainless steel or glass bowl over a pot of simmering water, cook gently, stirring constantly until mixture has thickened. Cool.

3. Beat mascarpone cheese until smooth and then slowly beat in cooled custard.

4. Whip cream until light and gently fold into cheese mixture. Set aside.

5. Stir Grand Marnier into coffee. Pour into a shallow dish and set aside.

6. Dip 12 of the ladyfingers into the coffee mixture, making sure that each side is coated. Line a clear baking dish or trifle bowl with the dipped lady fingers, breaking up pieces to fit into extra spaces.

7. Spread half of the cheese mixture over. Sprinkle with half of the chocolate. Repeat layers starting with dipping ladyfingers, placing them in the dish, spreading the cheese mixture, and topping with chocolate.

8. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before serving.

Listening to:

The Smiths - There Is a Light That Never Goes Out

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Coconut Lime Squares

Ohhhhh my goodness! I made these so long ago and I have no idea why oh why I waited till now to post them because, boy were they good! As you may know, I went to Cuba this past December, and if any of you have been you know that the one thing you have to take advantage of (besides the sun, sand, and ocean) is the Cuban rum! My friends and I certainly took advantage of it, bringing home as many bottles as our luggage would allow! So clearly our drink of choice for our New Years celebration was rum and coke. I got a little over-excited when buying limes for our drinks, and ended up with a ton leftover, and we all know that when life hands you limes, make margaritas!....I mean....Coconut Lime Squares!

After searching around for the best lime recipe I could find, I came across this amazing sounding recipe from Epicurious. These squares have a great sweet, light and flaky crust with a tart curd filling. Some of my favourite desserts are citrus based, that have that great tart flavour complimenting the sweet, which is seriously like a match made in heaven! A hint of coconut takes these squares to a whole new level, adding a great nutty flavour as well as texture. Not only are these squares light and delicious, they are also adorable! With their soft yellow colour and a sprinkling of shredded coconut, they would look amazing served at any party!

Tip: Easter is coming up! These squares would be the perfect accompaniment to any easter spread!

Tip: Make sure you use the freshest limes as possible! Limes no longer in their prime will make this tart bitter.

Ingredients:

Crust

3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp flour

3/4 stick (6 tbsp) cold butter, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted and cooled

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Curd

4 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 5 limes)

1 tbsp freshly grated lime zest

1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted and cooled

Directions:

Crust

1. Preheat oven to 325º. Butter and lightly flour an 8-inch square baking pan.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, butter, coconut, confectioners sugar, and salt using clean fingertips, until mixture resembles coarse meal.

3. Using your hands, press mixture into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Curd

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined and stir in flour, lime juice, and zest.

2. Pour mixture over crust and bake for 20 minutes. Top the curd with coconut and bake 5-10 minutes more until set. Let cool, cut into squares and serve.

Cooking with my Oma: Ginger Ale Glazed Ham

I remember the first time I tried my Oma's Ginger Ale Glazed Ham. I must have been in about grade 5 or 6, and we were having one of our last Thanksgivings celebrated at our cottage (we sold the cottage soon after). I never liked Thanksgiving. I thought the food always looked really gross, so my sister and I would beg our parents to stop at a McDonalds or Wendy's on the way up North. Well this particular Thanksgiving I felt daring and wanted give the food a try. I made myself a little sampling of everything, just enough for a very small taste of each item, sat down with my plate, took a deep breath and tucked in. It was like I was experiencing an epiphany! So THIS is what all that Thanksgiving fuss is about! This food is incredible!! I couldn't believe that I had wasted so many years without this amazing meal!

The food item that was on the top of my list was my Oma's Ginger Ale Glazed Ham. The ham was good and fine, but that sweet ginger ale and onion sauce, wow! Now that made it! I think I had at least 4 large pieces of ham that year, each with huge heaping spoonfuls of the ginger ale and onion sauce. This is one of my all-time favourite recipes. It tastes out of this world, and is very simple to prepare. I promise you, you will love it! Thanks to my Oma for sharing her special recipe with me...and for having the guts to add 5 teaspoons of sugar!

Ingredients:

half of a "fully cooked, ready to serve" honey & maple smoked boneless ham

1/4 cup ginger ale

5 heaping tsp sugar

3 tsp mustard

1 small onion, sliced

Directions:

1. Place roasting dish (large enough to fit the ham) on the stove set to medium heat. Preheat oven to 325º.

2. Coat bottom of dish with olive oil. When oil is hot, add the onions and cook, while stirring, until onions become soft and translucent. If onions are browning too quickly, turn down heat. Add the ginger ale, sugar, and mustard and continue to cook a few minutes longer until mixture thickens slightly.

3. Add ham to roasting dish and, using a knife, poke several holes throughout the top and sides of the ham.

4. Using a baster or spoon, pour the mixture from the bottom of the dish over the ham.

5. Place in oven and bake for about 20 minutes (just to reheat the ham through).

6. Remove the ham from roasting dish and cut into slices. The onions sauce should have darkened, and be very sticky and thick like a syrup. If the mixture is not at this stage yet, scoop out the onions, leaving the sauce in the dish, and transfer them to a small saucepan. Continue cooking the onions at medium heat until they become even softer, stickier, and darker. Once they have reached this stage, continue to add the sauce remaining in the dish, a little at a time, until mixture reaches desired consistency. It's really all in the colour and texture. You're looking for extremely soft and sticky onions and a deep golden colour.

7. Spoon the onion sauce into a serving dish. Eat the ham topped with onion sauce.

How do you celebrate?

Hello Everyone! I hope everyone had a lovely long weekend.  Mine was bittersweet (unfortunately not the chocolate kind) but I did have a really great family gathering on Sunday for our Easter linner (lunch/dinner).  This celebration wasn't at my house, and the incredible meal was mostly made by my aunt and uncle (but of course with our family everyone brings in their own special dish to contribute.  We show our love with food!) so I don't have recipes to share.  I do have photos though!  These photos give you a feel for how my family celebrates Easter.  How does your family celebrate? 

On The Menu:

Punch

Shrimp

Cheese platter

Lamb (with mint sauce)

Ham (with my grandmothers INCREDIBLE ham sauce)

Salmon

Steak

Salad (with avocado, mango, toasted almonds, and poppyseed dressing)

Green beens with caramelized onions

Asparagus

Creamy beet salad

Scalloped potatoes

Sweet Potato and red pepper mash

Chocolate mouse cake

Vanilla cupcakes

Lemon squares

Great big shout out to my aunt Darlene and uncle Eddie for putting so much time and work into a delicious meal! 

Happy Easter!

Before I start baking cupcakes and head out to my Easter linner (lunch/dinner) I just wanted to wish everyone a very happy Easter!!!! The Easter Bunny came to my house and brought me lots of goodies!! What did you get?

Photography by Ruzan Orkestar

Berry Scones

Easter brunch anyone? These scones would be a perfect addition to your traditional Easter brunch menu.  (Side note: Williams Sonoma has some really great menu ideas for a memorable Easter dinner or brunch.  Check them out!) It is often very difficult to get the right consistency for scones (they become hard as rocks if you over-mix even slightly) but this recipe is very forgiving and produces just the right texture, although I still warn you not to mix too much.  The beautiful and vibrant colours of the berries look great on the table and remind everyone that even though there is a chill in the air IT'S SPRING! I found the original recipe that has a streusel topping, but I chose to omit it because I felt that scones should taste like a breakfast item and not a dessert. I would recommend sprinkling some sugar (a type of sugar with big crystals such as turbinado or organic) on top of the milk or cream wash on the scones before baking.  The addition of the sugar on top adds a bit of a crunch that kicks up the texture.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

6 tbsp chilled, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1/3 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk or cream, plus some for brushing on top

3 tbsp large crystal sugar (turbinado or organic) (optional)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425º F and place rack in middle of oven.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into flour mixture with a pastry blender or 2 knives.  The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.

3.  Gently fold in the blueberries and raspberries.  

4.  In a small bowl, combine the cream, beaten egg, and vanilla.  Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough or the scones will be tough (as I sated before).

5.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently 4 or 5 times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round and about 1 1/2 inches thick.  Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into four pie-shaped wedges.  Place the scones on the baking sheet and brush tops of scones with a little cream or milk.  If adding large crystal sugar, sprinkle the tops of the scones with it.  

6.  Bake the scones until nicely browned, about 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a scone comes out clean.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.  

Photography by Ruzan Orkestar