Lemon-ricotta cake – gluten-free
This is a delicious and simple cake that translates perfectly into a gluten-free recipe. The original recipe, which is so great, is here: Louisa’s Cake – however, if you are looking for a moist and delicious gluten-free cake, give this a try. It is surprisingly moist and lemony – hard to believe it is gluten-free. Continue reading
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes 24 muffins
Here’s an easy and awesome recipe to have on hand. First of all, it makes a delicious, ‘loved by everyone’ muffin. Secondly it’s easy, and thirdly, it’s a big recipe and makes 24 regular sized muffins. My mother came across this recipe a few years ago and everyone who’s tried the muffins and the recipe loves it. Don’t let the fact that pumpkin is used throw you off, in fact, don’t bother to tell people it’s pumpkin until after their eyes open wide and they say “this is soooo good”. Great to make when you have a crowd coming, or have to bring treats to a potluck. *A good beginner recipe.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
from A Taste of Home
makes 24 regular size muffins (recipe can be halved)
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 can pure pumpkin (14 oz can or half of the big can (28oz) not pumpkin pie filling)
1.5 cups veg. oil (I used 1 cup of grapeseed oil and 1/2 a cup of extra virgin olive oil)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 cups choc chips
Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare muffin tins and place muffin tin on a baking sheet.
In stand mixer or with hand mixer, mix eggs and sugar together until well blended. Add in pumpkin and oil. Mix well.
In separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt (dry ingredients). Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture. Mix just until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips until well distributed. Fill muffin tin (greased or with muffin liners) to top. Bake in 400 oven for 16-20 mins, until top bounces back when touched, or tester comes out clean.
*you will notice that when baking muffins or quickbreads, the mixing of the wet, then dry, then combining them with minimal mixing is usually the procedure used.
Mix wet ingredients together well
Combine dry ingredients, then mix into wet until just combined
Make sure dry ingredients are mixed in well, but don't overmix.
Fold in chcolate chip or chunks gently.
Fill muffin tins just to top.
Everyone LOVES these muffins.
Chocolate Thumbprint
It’s cookie season– a.k.a. weigh- gain season – at least for me, as I simply cannot control myself when it comes to home baked cookies. These are my favourite -a not too sweet shortbread base with an excellent dense texture – then a pop of dark chocolate. Oh my. Love it. Easy too.
Chocolate Thumbprints
adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cookies
makes 3 1/2 dozen
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temp.
1 cup icing sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips)
2 tsp corn syrup
2 (additional) Tbsp butter
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silpats.
In bowl of electric mixer, beat 1 cup of butter, icing sugar, salt and vanilla on medium speed until smooth, scraping down sides. Beat in flour. Start at a low speed, gradually increasing to medium as the flour becomes incorporated. Mix only until all flour is mixed in.
Form balls of dough with cookie scoop or your hands (about 2 tsp each). Dough will be a little crumbly so press it together. Place balls one inch apart on baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes, remove from oven, and using the end of a wooden spoon, make an indent in each cookie. Continue baking until light brown on the edges. (about 7 minutes more). Remove from oven, and use the end of the spoon to press your indents once more.
Combine chocolate, 2 tablespoons of butter and corn syrup in a small metal bowl over a saucepan with an inch of simmering water. Mix and remove from heat after chocolate is melted and smooth.Cool slightly, then fill indents with chocolate. (I use a baby spoon). Set aside to for chocolate to firm up. Store in airtight container for 3 days at room temperature, or freeze in layers in containers. They freeze really well.
dough will have a crumbly texture, but will come together when pressed with hands
after 10 minutes of baking, make indent, then return to oven
re-indent the cookies after they come back out of oven
melt butter, corn syrup and chocolate in top of double boiler
YUM YUM YUM
Baked Apple Dumpling filled with Pecan Streusal and topped with ice cream
Anyway, it’s a special offering. All the components come together to create a delicious, comforting and all around awesome dessert– pecan-streusal filled apples wrapped in a flaky pastry dough, baked and served with a sweet cider sauce, topped with whipped cream or ice cream. Um, hello.
Here’s to Grandpa Latendre. Maybe she’ll let me see the recipe now.
Good For Almost Anything Pie Dough
From Baking, From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Makes one 9-inch single crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) very cold (frozen is fine) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
2 1/2 tablespoons very cold (frozen is even better) vegetable shortening, cut into 2 pieces
About 1/4 cup ice water
Directions
1. Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse just to combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the butter and shortening are cut into the flour. Don’t overdo the mixing – some pieces should be the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley.
2. Pulsing the machine on and off, gradually add about 3 tablespoons of the water. Then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour, If, after a dozen or so pulses, the dough does not look evenly moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water as necessary, or even a few drops more, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. Big pieces of butter are fine. Scrape the dough out of the work bowl and onto a work surface.
3. Shape the dough into a 8 x 4 square, and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before rolling out.
mix ingredients in processor - do not overmix
add liquid and mix until dough forms, then knead a few times until it comes together
Apple Dumplings
adapted from Cooks Country Magazine
serves 4
2 Golden Delicious apples (large), peeled, cored and split in half horizontally (see picture)
4 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
Topping
1 egg white, beaten slightly
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
Directions
Heat oven to 425 F. Mix together brown sugar, butter, pecans and cinnamon. Peel and core apples, and slice horizontally (across it’s equator).
Roll out square of dough on lightly floured surface into a 12 inch square. Cut each 12 inch square into four 6 inch squares. Brush edges of each square with egg white and place apple, cut side up in center of square. Pack butter/nut/sugar mixture into each apple half. Crimp together the edges at the top, and cut a vent hole.
Place parchment paper on baking sheet. Arrange dumplings on baking sheet, brush top with egg white and sprinkle with ‘topping’ sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until dough is golden brown – 20 minutes or so. Cool before eating (about 10 minutes, or you’ll burn your tongue). Serve with Cider Sauce and whipped cream or ice cream. See recipe below.
Cider Sauce
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup cider
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp butter
Directions
Bring all ingredients except butter to a boil in a saucepan and boil for 15 minutes, or until reduced to 3/4 of a cup. Remove from heat and whisk in butter.Pour over baked apple dumplings. Dollop with whipped cream or ice cream. Enjoy.
prepare pecan steusal, cinnamon sugar and egg white
after peeling, coring and slicing apples, place on dough squares
fill apples with streusal filling, brush edges of dough with egg white
wrap apples, pressing together seams and cut one or two vent holes
place dumplings on baking sheet, brush with egg white, sprinkle with sugar
bake for 20 minutes or so, until golden brown
serve with cider sauce and ice cream or whipped cream. YUM
pumpkin mini scones
see how hard I work for you guys?
Oh, ma gah. I had some leftover canned pumpkin and wanted to make some pumpkin pie flavoured scones. I was thinking about the pumpkin spiced latte at Starbucks. I also made them ‘mini’ instead of huge. They turned out tender and delicious and actually too good– I’ll be giving them away to avoid eating any more. (although I’ve eaten another one while writing this post – awesome with a cup of tea).
If you’ve never made biscuits or scones, you will quickly realize how easy they are to make. A gentle hand and not overworking your dough is key.
I would use leftover butternut squash or sweet potatoes in this recipe as well. Feel free to add pecans to your batter…make them your own.
From start to finish (taking the scones out of the oven) – 30 minutes….that’s pretty fast. Wait for them to cool before glazing, then allow glaze to harden.
Pumpkin Spice Scones
makes 18 mini scones
adapted from Baking: From My House to Yours
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
4 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into about 16 pieces
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup cold heavy cream
1 large egg
Glaze
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2-3 tbsp milk
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds, optional
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchement or a silpat. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, spices, baking powder, salt and sugar. Drop in butter cubes and toss to coat. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the flour until the butter is pea-sized and smaller (various sizes). I squeeze the butter with my fingertips, and as soon as I feel the greasiness of the butter, I drop it back in the flour, and look for another piece to squeeze. Do that until you can’t really pick up any pieces and that should be fine.
In a smaller bowl, mix together pumpkin, cream and egg. Whisk until well blended. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and gently stir with a spatula until it is combined and forms a dough. If it seems quite sticky, add a little more flour. It should be a nice soft dough.
Place dough on a floured counter and split into 3 equal pieces. Form into discs approximately 1 inch thick. Cut each disc into 6 wedges. Place wedges on baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes, until bottoms are slightly browned and tops seem just firm. Cool.
Mix up glaze and spread onto scones. Sprinkle with toasted almonds. Allow glaze to harden. ENJOY.
mix flour, spices, salt and sugar together
toss butter cubes in flour mixture
mix wet ingredients together, add to flour mixture
form dough into 3 discs, cut into wedges
place wedges on baking sheet
YUM YUM YUM
cook with andrea 