Individual Lemon Poppyseed Mixed Berry Cobblers & Lemon Poppyseed Scones

When I go out to a restaurant, chances are I'm going to want to share dessert with you by the end of it. While my stomach (unfortunately) fills up quite quickly, my eyes are always bigger than my tummy, and I can't help but always want to finish off the meal with a sweet note on the palate, no matter how full I may be feeling. It's in those instances that sharing is the way to go! Call me selfish, but on your average night-in at home, I have no interest in sharing. Lounging in my "comfy pants" with time between dinner and dessert to find my appetite again, I want to dig into something sweet that I can enjoy all to myself! While that may sound indulgent on the surface, what I also love about individual desserts is that your portion is already decided for you, so there's no temptation to go back for seconds. Not only that, the remaining portions of dessert can be easily gifted to family and friends to spread some of that dessert love around.

I don't always have desserts on hand at home on my average weeknight, but I do like to keep a few dessert-emergency ideas in my back pocket so that when the craving strikes, I have something to turn to. For those weeknight emergency desserts I never want anything labour intensive, nor anything too large that I have to worry about eating all of, or alternatively wasting. I also like my weeknight emergency desserts to not be too sweet, and hopefully can also act as a breakfast or snack the next day. With this in mind, I created a dessert that ticks off all of those boxes! Introducing the recipe that produces not only your dessert, but also your breakfast, Individual Lemon Poppyseed Mixed Berry Cobblers & Lemon Poppyseed Scones.

Thanks to the help of the newly released Metro Irresistibles Naturalia Frozen Mixed Berries, this recipe can be made all year round, while still allowing you to stick to your budget. The great thing about cobblers is there really is no need for fresh berries, as they're all going to be cooked down anyway. This is the perfect application for frozen fruit, and I love that these berries are both tested for pesticide spray, as well as frozen at their peak freshness to ensure the highest quality. With berries already that delicious, they really don't require much other work.

To switch up the traditional biscuit topping for my cobblers, I invited in one of my favourite sweet flavour combinations, lemon and poppyseed, to play off of the sweet and tangy dance happening inside of the mixed berry filling. To give myself some breakfast for the next day, I made just enough biscuit topping to gift me with four additional scones, baked off on their own! Without the sweet berry filling, they make an exceptional breakfast to enjoy with a coffee, or on the go. I was so happy with how this dessert turned out, and can't wait to whip it up again the next time I feel a dessert emergency coming on.

Ingredients:
Mixed Berry Filling
2 packages (equals about 6 cups total) Metro Irresistibles Naturalia Frozen Mixed Berries, thawed and drained (reserve juices for another use)
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1-2 Tbsp corn starch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Biscuit Topping
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp (well packed and heaping) lemon zest
1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (plus more for serving)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease 4 individual baking dishes or ramekins (my dishes could fit 250 mL) and set on a rimmed baking sheet. Prepare another baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 
2. In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients for the mixed berry filling starting with 1-Tbsp cornstarch (if berries are quite juicy, add more as needed). Taste, and adjust sugar as needed. Spoon evenly into baking dishes allowing filling to go up about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the dish.
3. In a large bowl whisk together flour with sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and poppy seeds.
4. Add cream to dry ingredients and stir together until just combined (dough will be very shaggy). 
5. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, spoon approximately 2-3 Tbsp of biscuit mixture on top of fruit filling. Scoop any remaining biscuit dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 2-inches between each biscuit. 
6. Brush the tops of all of the biscuits lightly with heavy cream. Bake cobblers for 35-40 minutes, or until golden. Enjoy immediately or set aside in fridge covered until ready to eat. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream and a drizzle of the strained berry juices on top.
7. Increase oven temperature to 425ºF and bake remaining biscuits for 10-12 minutes, or until golden. Enjoy immediately or set aside in an airtight container until ready to eat.

This post was created in partnership with Metro Ontario.

Listening To:
Maggie Rogers - Light On

Salted Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies

You've heard the saying, perfection doesn't exist. As much as oftentimes we can have our own idea of what a perfect version of any particular thing is, we know that that idea of perfection is likely to be different from the person next to us. We all have a different perception of what perfection is. For example, while I felt that Beyoncé's Lemonade was a perfect album (even though I skip 'Sandcastles' every time it comes on), the Grammy judges felt that Adele's 25 was closer to excellence. I think it's crazy, but hey, we all have our own opinion of what's perfect. This is especially true when it comes to food, and most specifically, the beloved chocolate chip cookie.

Image by Chatelaine. 

Over the past year I've kept seeing charts breaking down "cookie logic," otherwise known as the "lite" science behind what makes a perfect chocolate chip cookie. From looking at these charts, I discovered that my idea of a perfect chocolate chip cookie is very different from say, Chatelaine Magazine's. In Chatelaine's chart (shown above) they believe that the perfect chocolate chip cookie is represented in the bottom right cookie. While I certainly wouldn't turn down a bite of that cookie, I felt the top left or right cookies were both closer to my idea of perfection. Using the search terms "perfect chocolate chip cookies" on some of my favourite food websites, I found an array of all sorts of different cookies that respected foodies deemed "perfect." It really puts in perspective how delusional the idea of universal perfection truly is.

For myself, my ultimate "perfect" chocolate chip cookie is a thin cookie with both semi-sweet and/or dark chocolate chips and pieces, with slightly crisp edges, a soft interior/centre, and some salt to combat the sweetness. I remember seeing an image of what I would have considered to be "perfect" chocolate chip cookies in an old William's Sonoma Cookies cookbook that I adored. They were those same thin cookies that I just described, and to me they looked like heaven. I never even made them, more swayed by the assortment of other interesting cookies that were unfamiliar to me, and have now misplaced my cookbook, but in my head those thin chocolate chip cookies will always be my idea of a perfect classic.

With the urge to make the perfect batch of chocolate chip cookies on the last day of this past beautiful long weekend, I turned to William's Sonoma once again, searching for their idea of a perfect cookie. Though their perfect cookies looked very different from the ones that I drooled over in my old book, I figured it would be a good start in terms of recipe development. To make the cookies a little bit more of my own and closer to my idea of perfection, I chose to swap some of the semi-sweet chocolate chips in the recipe for shards of chopped 90% Lindt Chocolate, as well as subbing part of the vanilla extract for bourbon, and topped them all off with one of my favourite ingredients, Maldon Salt.

Though I truly thought it would take me a few tries to get to achieve my perfect cookie, I am so happy to say that this recipe is it! I know I'm often prone to hyperbole, but the fates of the world were kind enough to deliver perfection to me. With crisp, slightly caramelized edges, chips of chocolate to bite into, with little bits of dark chocolate throughout, a soft interior that doesn't crumble when you bite in, and, of course, that crunchy, clean-salty taste from the Maldon Salt, these thin wonders are my idea of perfection. What's your idea of a perfect chocolate chip cookie? Try mine and let me know what you think! Tweet me your thoughts: @thisgingerrose.

Note: I like to use a quick-release cookie scoop for dropping my balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet to keep my hands clean and create uniform cookies. 

Adapted from Williams Sonoma 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour 

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

6 Tbsp. white sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

1/2 tsp bourbon

1 heaping cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup 90% Lint Chocolate, chopped into small shards

Maldon Salt for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and kosher salt.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter with brown and white sugar on medium-high speed for 2-minutes.
4. Add egg, vanilla extract, and bourbon and mix at medium-low-speed until well blended. 
5. At low speed, add the flour in three-additions, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl before each new addition, and mix until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and Lindt shards. 
6. Drop 1-Tbsp-sized pieces of dough onto prepared baking sheet, leaving 2-inches of space between each (see note). Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven, sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of Maldon Salt immediately, and allow to cool slightly while on baking sheet (about 2-3 minutes), and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. 

Listening To:
Love Is Alive - Louis The Child Feat. Elohim 

No-Cook Tropical Kiwifruit Chia Pudding

Toronto is hot right now. Too hot. Disgustingly hot, in fact. Toronto is emitting the kind of heat that has me seriously considering buying a kiddie splash pool to set on my balcony, one I know I would have to fill using buckets from the kitchen sink (hello, condo life and zero access to a hose) just to fill it...but oh, it would be so worth it! With a permanently sweating scalp (so attractive, I know) and an overall sluggish demeanour, cooking (ie. heating my apartment) is one of the last things on my mind these days. Despite my lack of enthusiasm towards cooking with heat as of late, the timing couldn't be better with so much fresh and delicious produce lining the grocery store shelves throughout the summer months.

It's pretty easy to come up with plenty of no-cook, healthy snacks to nibble on throughout the day when working from home, but the trick is to get creative with it! As much as a bowl of sliced fruit is delicious when it's in peak season, let's face it, it can get a little boring after a while. One of my favourite new ways of kicking up a bowl of fruit into something that I can look forward to as a midday treat is making different variations of chia seed puddings. For months now I've been making all different types of chia seed puddings using every berry that I can could get my hands on, and just like my bowls of sliced fruit that got a little tired after a while, I started to itch for a different flavour combination. With a vision of a tropical-themed chia pudding in my mind, a partnership with Zespri SunGold Kiwifruits could come at no better time!

Though green kiwifruits have always been one of my favourite fruits, thanks to their big, bright flavour, awesome health benefits, and ease of eating, I had never heard of a SunGold kiwifruit before now! Curious to try the fruit that was described as a "cross between a mango and a strawberry," and dying to bring my idea of a tropical chia pudding to life, I was happy to get a beautiful basket full of Zespri SunGold Kiwifruits sent right to my door!

As I just mentioned, golden kiwifruits are described as a cross between a mango and a strawberry, making them slightly sweeter and more tropical-tasting than its green sibling. SunGold kiwifruits can be found in grocery stores from May through October, and look almost identical to green kiwifruits from the outside. The difference between the two upon first sight is in the skin, with green kiwifruits having a more fuzzy texture to their outer layer. The difference is clear once cut, as the SunGold kiwifruits possess a striking and unexpected golden-yellow colour.

Before I started playing around with my Tropical Chia Pudding recipe, I had to try the SunGold kiwifruits as is. As I mentioned earlier, one of the awesome things about kiwifruits is how easy and mess-free they are to eat! A simple cut off the top, and a scoop along the skin is all it takes to remove the sweet flesh. The flavour of the SunGold kiwifruits was familiar, yet surprising, and definitely reflected the tropical taste that was first described to me. I knew a base of coconut milk would compliment that tropical flavour perfectly, and would be enhanced all the more with the addition of juicy fresh pineapple. Though chia seeds pack a big punch of health benefits on their own (hello fibre, Omegas, and protein!), the kiwifruit added even more! Thriving with Vitamin C, potassium, and fibre, SunGold kiwifruits may taste like candy, but are so incredibly good for you.

With SunGold kiwifruits reflected in both the pudding and the garnish, nutty coconut, and sweet pineapple, my No-Cook Tropical Kiwifruit Chia Pudding was exactly the refreshing treat I was craving in the midst of this humidity. Not only was the pudding delicious, it left me feeling invigorated and ready to attack the heat and take on the rest of my day! 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

1/3 cup whole chia seeds

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted, plus more for garnish

1/2 tsp liquid honey

2 Zespri SunGold kiwifruit, peeled and puréed

1 Zespri SunGold kiwifruit, peeled and sliced

3/4 cup fresh pineapple, chopped small

Directions: 

1. In a large bowl, whisk together coconut milk, chia seeds, sea salt, vanilla, shredded coconut, and honey. Pour into a container and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Remove from fridge, stir, and refrigerate for at least 3 more hours, or overnight. 
2. Remove 2-Tbsp. of the chia pudding mixture and blend together with the puréed Zespri SunGold kiwifruit and refrigerate for at least 1-hour. 
3. Distribute 1/4 cup of the fresh pineapple between four serving dishes. Top each evenly with chia pudding. Evenly top each with the blended kiwifruit mixture. Garnish with Zespri SunGold kiwifruit slices, remaining pineapple, and a sprinkle of coconut. Refrigerate until ready to serve or serve immediately.

Listening To:
The Chainsmokers - Inside Out (ft. Charlee)

* This post is brought to you in collaboration with Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit. All words, opinions, and photographs, as always, are entirely my own and reflect my own personal views.