happy halloween!
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white chocolate mocha cupcakes
Today is hubby’s birthday! Happy Birthday honey!!
Since our week is usually filled with tons of activities for Q, we celebrated with family over the weekend. We had a tandoor party and made some delicious stuffed naans. I’ll have to fill you in on this soon. As for cake, his request this year was for white chocolate mocha cupcakes.
After a few searches, I settled on a recipe from Ali from Gimme Some Oven. I’ve recently started following her and love all the food that she posts. Since it seemed like I was catching my son’s cold, I needed something quick and simple and this recipe seemed pretty easy.
The whipped frosting was so nice and light, and very reminiscent of a mocha drink. Dusted with cocoa powder and topped with a chocolate covered espresso bean, it was a birthday treat that hubby really enjoyed.
White Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
From Gimme Some Oven
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso granules
Frosting:
6 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet until combined. Add the 1 ½ teaspoons of espresso granules to the cup of hot coffee and stir to combine. With mixer still on low, add in the coffee/espresso mixture and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The batter will be really runny, but don’t worry!
Using a large scoop (about 3 tablespoons), distribute the batter into the prepared muffin tins. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then remove them onto a cooling rack and cool completely. Top with the white chocolate whipped cream frosting, and either serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
To Make The White Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting:
Place the chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Melt, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, bring 1/2 cup of the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. When the chocolate is fully melted, move the bowl to a work surface and pour in the hot cream. Let stand for 1 minute. Stir gently until the cream is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Let the chocolate/cream mixture stand until it is completely cool. The mixture must be at room temperature before it is added to the whipped cream.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream only until it holds the softest peaks. With the mixer on high speed, add the white chocolate all at once and continue to beat just until the mixture holds firm peaks. Transfer the cream to a bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap gently against the surface and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Once cooled, frost cupcakes as desired.
bubble guppies and a pizza party
Q is turning five in a couple of weeks. Five! While deciding what we were going to do to celebrate half a decade, I realized I didn’t post pics from his last party, almost a year ago. Oops! Last year, Q was very much into Bubble Guppies. Since he also loves to help out in the kitchen, we combined his two favourite things and had a cooking party at Loblaw’s (aka Superstore).
They provided the activity – pizza making from scratch. All the kids got to decorate a chef’s hat and wear that along with an apron while they made their pizzas. The kids were shown how to make the dough, and they each got to roll their dough and put on their own toppings.
The parents got to chill, while the instructors taught the kids what to do,
helping with hand washing, dough kneading and decorating. It was
perfect!
Q’s little friends each got to decorate a cake and were able to take it home as their “loot bag”.
They even provided Q with a birthday cake. Talk about a no fuss party!
I was really impressed with the dough that they made. With very minimal rising time, it was actually a pretty good crust! In fact, I have used this recipe many times since then, and it’s perfect, especially in a time crunch.
Easy Pizza Crust
Courtesy of Loblaw’s Cooking School
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water
3 tsp active dry yeast
2 TB vegetable or olive oil
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
In a small bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle in yeast; let stand for 10 minutes or until foamy. Stir in oil.
Combine flour with salt. Stir with finger. Stir about 1/2 the flour mixture into the yeast mixture. Keep adding slowly until dough is sticky enough to take out of the bowl in a ball.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
Cover dough and let rest for 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out into a 12-inch circle.
Transfer the pizza to a lightly greased baking sheet and stretch with fingers carefully to desired size.
Let rise for 15 minutes before going into the oven to bake. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until dough is fully cooked / golden brown.
prawns biryani
Earlier this week, we celebrated Eid-Al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice. As with any major occasion, we celebrate with food. One dish that you will find at any special occasion, like Eid or a wedding, is biryani. Biryani is a rice dish topped with a reduced curry of chicken, beef or prawns.
I figured this Eid would be a great excuse to try out a new dish. I have been following Fauzia’s Kitchen Fun for a while and all her recipes look great. I was excited to give her Prawn Biryani a try. The recipe was easy to follow along and the end result was a tasty dish.
I did make a few changes since my decision to make this was so last minute and there was no time for marinating over night and I also didn’t have all of the ingredients. This is best served with raw onions, tomatoes and cilantro topped with some lemon juice.
Prawn Biryani
Adapted from Fauzia’s Kitchen Fun
Prawns Masala:
oil
1 pound prawns
1/2 tsp garlic paste
6 TB fried onions
2 tomatoes
1/2 cup yogurt, whipped
2 TB tomato paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp ginger paste
juice of half a lemon
pinch of saffron
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 cinnamon stick
1 cardamom pod
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 large potato, boiled and cubed
4 TB chopped coriander
Heat oil and add the prawns, frying until translucent. Drain and set aside.
Add the cumin seeds, cardamom and cinnamon to the oil. Once they start popping, add the chopped tomatoes, sprinkle a bit of salt on them, and fry until all the moisture evaporates.
Combine the yogurt, 3 TB of the onions, the tomato paste and the saffron in a bowl.
Once the tomatoes have dried, add the ginger, garlic, turmeric and cumin powder. Fry for a minute and add the yogurt mixture. Cook this down for 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens. Add the prawns, remaining onions and potatoes and simmer together on low heat. Add salt as desired. Top with coriander.
Rice:
Wash then soak 3 cups of rice in water for about 20-30 minutes.
Soak a few saffron strands in some water and set aside.
Bring a big pot of water to boil, add salt, 4 cardamom pods, 2-3 cinnamon sticks and 2-3 cloves plus about 2 tbsp. of oil.
Drain the soaked rice and add it to this water when it is boiling. Cook until the rice is about 3/4 done, remove and strain out all the water. Put half the rice back into the pan, drizzle about 2-3 tbsp. of oil and the saffron water. Add a bit of orange color on one side and mix it up a bit with a spoon and add the remaining rice. Then cover the pot tightly. Steam this on low heat for 15minutes or put in a 180 C preheated oven for about the same time. Serve the rice with the prawns on top.
2013 rocky mountain wine and food festival – highlights
win tickets to the rocky mountain wine and food festival!
Back for it’s 16th year, the Calgary Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival is back for two days of indulgence at the Stampede Park BMO Centre!
Friday, October 18th, 5 to 10pm
Saturday, October 19, 12 to 4 pm
Sunday, October 19, 6 to 10pm
Sunday, October 19, 6 to 10pm
Over 200 exhibitors will be on hand allowing guests to find their favourite beverage while tasting delicious treats from local restaurants. With an onsite Liquor Depot store, you can pick up your favourites on the spot!
Sunshine Village will be sponsoring the Grand Prize All-Inclusive Weekend Getaway for two, including two nights accommodation at Sunshine Mountain Lodge, VIP parking, a $100 gift certificate for food and beverages, a couple’s spa treatment and next day lift tickets.
Want to win a pair of tickets and check out this fabulous event? Entering is easy! Just leave a comment here, send me a tweet or leave a note on Facebook. Last day to enter is Thursday at noon.
The fine print: The giveaway tickets are for the Saturday, October 19, the afternoon session (12-4 pm). When presented at the door, these tickets will allow for complimentary access into the Grand Tasting Hall. Tickets are not transferable to another session. Please note that all attendees will need to purchase sampling coupons (50 cents each) to use in exchange for samples of food, wine and other beverages. This is an adult only event. All attendees must be 18 years or older. Minors (including infants) are not permitted to attend.
thanksgiving and apple pie
It’s Thanksgiving here in Canada. Happy Turkey Weekend! Hope you all got stuffed with turkey and were able to spend some time with your favourite people.
This year, we had Thanksgiving dinner at my sister-in-law’s house. She did a fabulous job filling our bellies with juicy turkey and delicious sides like cheesy mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes.
My job was the apple pie. I have to admit, that when it comes to pie, I usually cheat with the crust and use puff pastry. I searched for a recipe that was easy and came up with one from Martha Stewart.
Q had fun pulsing the flour and butter together in the food processor (and sneaking some bites of butter when he thought I wasn’t looking). After the dough rested in the fridge for a couple of hours, it was really easy to roll out. I will definitely be using this recipe again.
Served with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream, it was the perfect end to a delicious and filling meal.
Apple Pie
Crust:
Martha Stewart’s Perfect Pie Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cubed
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
Combine the flour, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until well combined and the mixture looks crumbly. Slow add water while pulsing until the dough comes together. Divide the dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 days.
Filling:
5 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and sliced
2 TB lemon juice
1/2 brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Finish:
1 egg
2 TB water
Combine the apples with the lemon juice, sugar, flour and spices.
On a floured board, roll out pastry, using your pie plate as a guide. Place the first circle in the pie plate and fill with filling. Top with the second crust. Fold bottom pastry over the top and crimp the edges. Using a pastry brush, brush the crust with the egg and water mixture and add some vents.
Bake at 375 F for about an hour, until the crust is nice and golden.
peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
These. Are. Amazing. When you can’t decide what kind of cookie to have, this is the perfect one. It incorporates peanut butter, oatmeal and chocolate. It’s crispy and chewy all at the same time. Absolute perfection.
Q and I had a free afternoon and we spent some time in the kitchen making these cookies. Really, any excuse to help mamma with a recipe that includes chocolate, Q will take it. We measure and mix and talk about the day. I’m not sure which reward is greater, time in the kitchen with my little guy or sharing cookies with him after they are out of the oven.
I was happy to have these cookies on hand when we had a fire on our block. The fire started in the morning and unfortunately the house a few doors down was destroyed. The firefighters were amazing and stayed around for most of the day, ensuring that all the hot spots were extinguished. These cookies provided them with a sweet treat after battling the flames and smoke.
The recipe is from Skinny Not Skinny and is amazing! I have written the recipe as halved, more for myself, so that I don’t end up with more than 30 cookies at one time. It’s too dangerous! I have also reduced the amount of chocolate chips.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted From Skinny Not Skinny
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 cup oatmeal (quick or old fashioned oats)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cream the margarine, peanut butter, and sugars in a mixer. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix. Combine the flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt and add to the cream mixture. Add chips to the dough and mix by hand.
Scoop the dough into 1″ balls and slightly flatten. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes and then enjoy with a tall glass of milk.
wordless wednesday: everyday heroes
