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moon palace shortbread

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It is quite obvious to anyone that knows me how much of a sweet tooth I have.  To find that the resort had little shortbread cookies everywhere for us to enjoy was quite the treat!  Some of these were chocolate, some had nuts, others had coconut.  They were so yummy.

One of the chefs, Manuel, was kind enough to share how to make these delectable cookies.  He was very sweet and worked with the hostess to translate the recipe for me.  I haven’t made these yet myself at home.  I’m afraid they won’t last long if I do!

Moon Palace Shortbread

2.5 cups sugar
1 pound butter
5 eggs
5 cups flour
1 TB baking powder
splash of vanilla

Cream together the sugar and butter and until fluffy.  Add in the eggs, one at a time followed by the vanilla.  Add the flour and baking powder and mix until the dough comes together.  Bake at 350 degrees until the cookie sets but doesn’t brown.  Makes lots!

a week in paradise

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We just spent a week in paradise.  As temperatures fell in Calgary and we finally started experiencing winter, we flew to Cancun and enjoyed the sun, sand and heat in the Mayan.

We traveled with some close friends who had 2 kids – a 3 year old like Q, and a 1 year old.  Q and J kept each other company – they are the best of friends. They have a total love/hate relationship and as much as they fight and compete, they are lost without each other. After having a shouting match in Tulum in front of a group of tourists, over who was more mad at the other, one lady remarked how they were like a married couple.

As with most all-inclusives, you pray that the resort you’re staying at has good food.  Really, if the food is good, who cares about anything else.  The Moon Palace had the best food, and lots of variety.

Even with the variety, I was drawn to the simplicity of the fried tortilla chips, fresh Mexican sauce and creamy guacamole.  I had this at every meal!  The Mexican sauce was pico de gaillo with tomatoes, onions, cilantro and lime.  I think I got my daily dose of veggies just from this.

The chefs at Moon Palace were kind enough to share a couple of dessert recipes with me.  I am excited to share these in upcoming posts.

 
 
 

biscuit pudding

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It’s so nice to have my parents back home after their five weeks away in India.  Q was lost without them and couldn’t wait for their return.  We wanted to make them something to welcome them back home.  One of my dad’s favourite desserts is biscuit pudding and my aunt happily shared the recipe.

Biscuit Pudding

It’s the simplest thing to put together and is a comforting dessert.  The Maria biscuits absorb the sweet milk making it almost cakey in texture.  Kinda sorta like tiramisu, without the coffee.  The layers of cookies, whipping cream and nuts is comfort in a bowl.

Biscuit Pudding

biscuit pudding
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Ingredients

  • 1 package Maria biscuits
  • 1 can of evaporated milk
  • 1/2 can of condensed milk
  • 4 cups heavy cream
  • 1 TB icing sugar
  • 1 cup nuts
  • grated chocolate

Instructions

  1. Mix the evaporated milk and the condensed milk together.
  2. Whip the cream and the sugar to make whipping cream.
  3. Line a 13" x 8" dish with a layer of biscuits.  Pour 1/3 of the milk mixture over the cookies. 
  4. Cover the layer with 1/3 of the whipping cream and 1/3 of the nuts. 
  5. Grate some chocolate over the nuts. 
  6. Repeat for another 2 layers.  Refrigerate over night.
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maple cinnamon granola

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On the search for a healthy snack, I thought granola would be the perfect thing.  With all the nuts and seeds, I figured it would be yummy to munch on, while providing energy for us and the little guy throughout the day.  When searching for recipes, however, I realized that many were full of large quantities of oil.

I was excited when I found Ellie Krieger’s Nutty Granola recipe because it had no oil!  Just some good old maple syrup and some cinnamon were used to create this delicious snack.  I added some seeds and coconut to the mix and was able to put it in the oven in minutes.  Q loved the granola and happily picked through it naming all the nuts and seeds.  A fun protein-packed snack for a toddler (and his mamma).

Maple Cinnamon Granola
Adapted from Ellie Krieger

3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl combine the oats, nuts, seeds, raisins with the maple syrup, salt and cinnamon. Spread the mixture onto a greased baking sheet and bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

taiyo sushi

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My cousin had been raving about a sushi place near her house for quite some time. Located in the NW at the Creekside mall, Taiyo Sushi is a favourite place for dinner for her and her family.  

We finally made it over there last month for a quick bite.  We got there at 12:15pm on a Saturday and the place was already full of people having lunch just 15 minutes after opening.  Definitely a good sign.

We started with the ebi gyoza, little dumplings that were filled with shrimp and vegetables.  These were delicious!  Served with soy, this was a great way to begin our meal.

We ordered the Taiyo Combo so that we could sample a few of what the restaurant had to offer.  The platter came with salmon, tuna, prawns sushi as well as some sashimi.  The rolls included california, cucumber as well as their house roll. 

The presentation was great but the taste was even better.  The sushi was fresh and delicious and the salmon and tuna sashimi was melt in your mouth amazing.  I thought for sure there would be leftovers but we managed to polish off all the food!

Overall the service was great and the sushi was high quality.  Will definitely be back!

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butter pecan squares

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Pecan tarts are one of my favorites.  The pecans, the gooeyness, even the raisins, who wouldn’t love it? I’ve always wanted to try making these but the idea of making tart shells kind of put me off.  When I found this recipe for squares and an easy shortbread bottom, I quickly put it on my list of baking to do over the holidays.  Although I made these to distribute, none of them made it out the door.  They were delicious and satisfying and by the time I was putting together packages, there weren’t many squares left!

Unfortunately I don’t remember where I found this recipe.  It’s easy and delicious though, so definitely try it out!

Butter Pecan Squares

1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter

2 TB melted butter
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
2 TB flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup raisings
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine flour and sugar and cut in the cold butter until the dough is crumbly.  Press the dough into a 9″ square pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes

In a bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients.  Pour over the baked base and bake at 350 degrees for another 25 minutes.

chocolate and almond whipped shortbread

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It’s no secret that I love whipped shortbread cookies.  Easy and fast, they are a staple for any occasion. They are even great to give to little kids to decorate, keeping them entertained for some time. 

The addition of chocolate and nuts make these shortbread even more of a favorite.  This recipe can be found in Club Club’s Community Cookbook.

Chocolate and Almond Whipped Shortbread

1 cup butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Cream the butter and icing sugar together.  Add the flour and beat for 10 minutes.  Add in the chocolate and nuts until well incorporated.  Place spoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  Makes 3 dozen small cookies.

cherry jam palmiers

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One of the easiest cookies to make with minimal ingredients is a palmier.  I decided to change up my usual 2-ingredient version by adding some jam.  I had made some cherry jam over the summer and thought it would go great with the crisp layers of puff pastry.  The sweet jam added so much flavour and the resulting cookies were quite addictive.  I made the mistake of only using one puff pastry sheet, meaning not many left over to share!

Cherry Jam Palmiers

1 roll of puff pastry
3 TB jam of your choice
Sugar

Unroll one sheet of puff pastry. Spread the jam evenly on the pastry.  If making mini palmiers, cut the sheet in half.  Roll the pastry from the horizontal ends into the middle. Refrigerate for 10 minutes and then cut the roll into pieces.  Sprinkle each piece with sugar and place on parchment paper.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.