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holiday baking

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We had a chance to get away and didn’t hesitate for a second
about not spending the holidays at home. 
The trip just meant that I had to be extra organized and get all our
holiday baking done early.  It’s always
fun to spoil our friends and neighbours with a box of goodies, and this year
was no exception.

It was hard to decide what to put into this year’s goodie
box but here is what I decided on.  Click to find out recipes for these tasty treat!

Whipped shortbread
Walnut shortbread
Chocolate chip cookies
Butter Pecan Squares
Rice Krispie Squares
Candy Cane Cupcakes

chocolate dipped walnut shortbread and the great food blogger cookie swap

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I was very excited to participate in this year’s Food Blogger Cookie Swap.  In it’s second year, this swap is hosted by Love and Olive Oil and The Little Kitchen.  It’s a great concept – send a dozen cookies to three fellow bloggers and three dozen will be sent to you. 

I wasn’t too sure what to make so I had to do some experimentation.  I finally settled on shortbread and this great recipe from Family Circle.  Little disks of brown sugar shortbread with walnuts and dipped in chocolate.  Easy and super delicious, I’ve made them a few times since the first trial.

These delicious little cookies went to Elizabeth from A Sweet Baker, Kelsey from K&K Test Kitchen and Celeste and Alicia from The Chronic Masterbakers.

It was really fun and exciting to get boxes of cookies in the mail.  I lucked out and got three amazing cookies!  Thank you ladies!!

The first box to arrive were the Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies from Savour Sisters.  These were moist and chocolatey and so delicious.

The second to arrive were shortbread from The Goodie Girl. I loved the little balls with chunks of chocolate and pecans.

I also received a box of thumbprint cookies from the Gourmet Housewife. Another classic shortbread filled with raspberry jam, so good!

It was a fun swap to participate in.  Looking forward to next year’s!

Chocolate Dipped Walnut Shortbread
Adapted from Family Kitchen

2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup toasted walnuts
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

In a bowl, stir together flour and salt.  Beat together the butter, brown sugar and vanilla until well blended.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until well blended.  Stir in the walnuts.

Turn dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log.  Wrap securely and refrigerate for several hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the chilled dough into slices and place on parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Once cooled, dip the shortbread into the melted chocolate.  Let stand at room temperature until chocolate is firm.

mint and chocolate

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Mint and chocolate.  What a perfect combination. It works well with coffee (peppermint mochas, yum!), cookies and definitely dessert.  It was the inspiration for some cupcakes I made a couple months ago for hubby’s birthday.  Although I had made some ice cream cake to celebrate at home, I thought it would be fun to send some cupcakes for him to celebrate at work.  Hubby’s co-workers were treated to After Eight Cupcakes – chocolate cake topped with peppermint buttercream.

The combination worked well and so I made them again this weekend. Instead of using the chocolate as a garnish, I used candy canes.  The Candy Cane Cupcakes were made for the Food Blogger Bake Sale.

A Holiday Edition of the bake sale was created to raise funds for Meals on Wheels.  Fellow food bloggers Vincci and Dan have worked hard in planning and promoting this event – you guys are awesome!  When I went down this morning, the tables were full of yummy goodies and creative packaging.  The event has been extended to tomorrow so be sure to go down to Casel Marche, try some wonderful baking while benefiting a great cause.

mint chocolate cookies

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I am excited to participate in this year’s Food Blogger Cookie Swap. What a fun way to bring together food bloggers from around the world!  You’ll see a post on December 12th as to what I made, and sent to three fellow bloggers.  There was some testing along the way and this is one test that was pretty tasty.

Chocolate and mint just go so well together, so when I saw this recipe on Foodess, I knew I had to try it.  The cookies turned out so good!  The only reason I didn’t use them for the cookie swap was that they were on the soft side and I didn’t think they would be great for shipping.

These cookies were so yummy!  They were soft and quite rich, so they paired perfectly with a cold glass of milk. The taste combination is perfect for those wanting to do some Christmas baking. They are definitely on my list of things to make this year.

Mint Chocolate Cookies
From Foodess

1 cup butter, softened
1¾ cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp peppermint extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs and peppermint extract. Gradually add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt and beat until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Form dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten balls slightly. 

Bake cookies until edges begin to firm but center still appears soft, about 9 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.

calgary food blogger bake sale – holiday edition

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Hope you can all join us for the Holiday Edition of the Calgary Food Blogger Bake Sale!  It will take place on Saturday, December 8th from 10 am to 4 pm at Casel Marche.  Go to the Facebook page for more details and a list of all the fabulous bloggers participating.  Proceeds from this one day event will go to Calgary Meals on Wheels.  See you there!

indian rice pudding…and a giveaway!

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Earlier this year, I participated in Anyday Magic’s Recipe Makeover. For the makeover, three food bloggers were asked to add a twist to a recipe. I participated in the dessert challenge and was given the task of transforming rice pudding.

Every time I think of rice pudding, I think about Kheer. It’s an Indian rice pudding with much more depth than just regular rice pudding. The cardamom powder provides a nice warmth to the dish and the saffron adds an exotic touch. I added another twist by adding berries, which provided a freshness to the rich comforting dessert.

Since my recipe won the dessert round (yay!), I get to reward my readers with a prize pack from the Dairy Farmers of Canada. Each pack contains a spatula and a whisk and there are a few to be given away.  Entering is easy! Just comment here, facebook me or send me a tweet and let me know how you would makeover rice pudding.  Be sure to leave contact info so that I can get a hold of the winners.  Contest closes on Sunday, December 2nd, 2012 at 11:59pm MST.

Indian Rice Pudding (Kheer)
Makes 4 servings

½ cup rice
1 cup water
2 cups milk
½ cup whipping cream
¾ cup sugar
½ can evaporated milk
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
pinch saffron
½ cup almonds
½ cup pistachios

1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup whipping cream, whipped, not sweetened

Combine the rice and water and cook over medium high heat. When water is absorbed, add the milk and cream and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.

Mash the rice with a masher and then add sugar, evaporated milk, cardamom, saffron and half the nuts and simmer for a few minutes.

At this point, you can garnish with the remaining nuts and saffron or top it with sliced strawberries and the whipping cream with the nuts and saffron on top. Delicious both ways! 

coconut cake with a red velvet surprise for mom’s birthday

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Today is my mom’s birthday!  We celebrated with family time, good food and of course, cake.

For her special day, I decided to do a twist on one of our favourite cakes – coconut.  I had made some red velvet cake pops the day before for a birthday and decided to incorporate the two.  Since the cake balls that I make are made of just cake (no icing), I placed the cake balls in between the coconut batter before baking.

I was a little worried about the red velvet balls over baking but the resulting cake turned out perfect.  The coconut cake was moist and the red velvet was a nice surprise.  Topped with a coconut cream cheese frosting and shreds of toasted coconut, it was the perfect way to celebrate my fabulous mom.

shrimp buzara style…and a cookbook giveaway!

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Lidia Bastianich is a culinary icon. Writing best-selling cookbooks, having multiple restaurants as well as being a celebrated television personality, she is one of the most beloved Italian chefs.

I was excited to get her new cookbook, “Lidia’s Favorite Recipes” which she co-authored with her daughter Tanya Bastianich Manuali.  The book has some amazing recipes with full page coloured pictures.

Crafted from 100 of Lidia’s recipes, it was hard to decide what I was going to cook first. Eggplant Parmigiana, Ziti, Crepes…there was so much to choose from!  I decided to do something quick and easy, the Shrimp Buzara Style. It was a delicious dish with amazing flavour and it came together so quickly.  The shrimp was tasty and the sauce was so flavourful, perfect for sopping up with some bread. I’m definitely going to make this for my next dinner party.

Want to win your own copy of Lidia’s awesome book?  Comment here, leave a post on Facebook or send a tweet.  Contest closes on Black Friday at 11:59PM MST.  A winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!

Shrimp Buzara Style
Printed from Lidia’s Favorite Recipes

2 pounds super colossal shrimp
1 TB tomato paste
1 cup hot light fish stock
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup dry white wine
1 TB breadcrumbs
1 TB chopped fresh Italian parsley

Using poultry shears or a sharp paring knife, cut through the outer curve of the shrimp shells from end to end, but don’t remove the shells.  Rinse the shrimp under cold running water, and devein.

Dissolve the tomato paste in the hot stock.  Heat 2 TB of olive oil in a medium saucepan.  Add the onion and garlic, and saute over moderately high heat until golden.  Season with salt and pepper, add the win, and bring to a boil. Add the stock-and-tomato-paste mixture, reduce the heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Meantime, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet, add the shrimp, and saute (in two batches) 1 minute on each side.  Drain off the oil, return all the shrimp to the skillet, and add the sauce.  Cover, and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp pare just cooked through, about 2 or 3 minutes. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and parsley, mix well, and cook a minute longer, uncovered. Serve immediately.

model milk

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I had been wanting to check out Model Milk for quite some time and a
friends birthday seemed the perfect occasion.  We ventured out in the
snow and found the place on 17th avenue quite easily with the big white cow
head above its doors.  It’s a good thing we made reservations because
the place was packed!

With service being a huge deal for me, I was thrilled with the awesome
service we got from Andrew. He took the time to explain things and make
recommendations.

We started with the cheese and chive fries which were perfect for
munching on while we waited for the main course. The manchego cheese
that topped the crispy fries added just enough saltiness.

For our main course, we had the Maple Hill fried chicken and waffles. We
saw a few tables enjoying it as we walked in and we just had to try it
for ourselves. The large format item for two was perfect for the three of us
to share. With six pieces of chicken, it was easily dividable and was so
filling. The chicken, cooked sous-vide style, was perfect. The outside
was light and crispy, the inside was tender and juicy. The rosemary
waffles paired well with the syrup covered chicken and the large plate of
greens balanced out the meal.

Although we were stuffed, we had to try the dessert.  We ordered the
peanut butter ice cream sandwich. The ice cream was creamy and the
praline topping was the perfect crunch. So good!

All in all, it was a great evening. I look forward to going back!

Model Milk on Urbanspoon

pan rushed salmon with three tomatoes

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Hubby had an opportunity to go fishing in Northern BC this past July.  He had an awesome time spending three days on the water and catching salmon and halibut.  It was really exciting when the box of fish came and we saw all the little packages of salmon – fresh, smoked and candied, as well as the white fish.

Since then, I’ve been on a mission to find as many tasty fish recipes as I can.  We had the opportunity on Q’s birthday to feed our family with a great big salmon.  We had seen Michael Smith make a pan rushed salmon with three tomatoes on his show and knew we had to try it out.

This was a simple dish that came together very quickly. The final cooking of the fish in the tomatoes resulted in a tasty, juicy fish.  I was able to do the tomato part ahead of time and place it in a roaster so that the final cooking could be done in the oven.  This will be one recipe that we will be going back to again.

Pan Rushed Salmon with Three Tomatoes
Adapted from Chef Michael’s Kitchen

1 large salmon
salt
pepper
2 TB minced garlic
1 onion, diced
1 can, whole tomatoes
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Season the
salmon filets with salt and pepper, then sear until lightly browned on
each side, flipping carefully, 3 or 4 minutes per side. Place the seared
salmon on a clean plate and cover lightly with foil.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan and lightly
sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the whole tomatoes, hand crushing as you
go. Add the cherry and dried tomatoes, salt & pepper. Bring
the works to a simmer and cook gently, 2 or 3 minutes.  Place the tomato mixture in a roasting pan and place the fillets on top of the sauce.  Cover tightly and place in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.