My Birthday Cake

I will start by saying, I LOVE MY BIRTHDAY!  I am like a 5-year-old when it comes to my birthday, I just love it.  What’s not to love, 1. I get cake, 2. I get to spend time with family and 3. I get to pick my favourite dinner, it’s a great day

As a baker I do a lot of cakes and I love doing them, but I refuse to do my own!  I couldn’t careless what kind it was, what it looked like, just as long as someone took the time to make me one, it means so much.  This year I decided on something a little different.  A while ago I saw a recipe on Pinterest for Popcorn Cake.  I’m sure your face just shriveled up and you thought ‘ewww… that’s gross’ as most people did when I told them that I was having Popcorn Cake for my 33rd Birthday.

Before you decide that you don’t like it just because of the name….give me a minute!  This is not an ordinary cake, this is something quite different.  Replace the ‘cake’ with popcorn and candy and the ‘icing’ with melted marshmallows and you come up with this delicious concoction….

Popcorn Cake

Adapted from  Cookies & Cups

2 bags of microwave popcorn, cooked to directions
Marshmallows***
Mini Eggs***
Pretzels***
Butter***

*** Mom does not measure, she adds until it ‘looks right’

1. Pop popcorn and allow to cool

2. Combine marshmallows and butter, melt in microwave or on stove

3. While marshmallows are melting prepare your bunt pan by liberally spraying it with cooking spray

4. Combine cool popcorn with mini eggs and pretzels

5. Pour melted marshmallows over popcorn mixture and stir

6. Pour into prepared bunt pan, cover with foil and allow to cool

This is when I arrive…all excited to see my ‘cake’.  It is still in the bunt pan….Fingers are crossed hoping the thing will come out in once piece!

Ta-da!!!

Look at that!!!

I will mention that Mom decided to make her famous Rice Crispy Squares with the left over marshmallows, ‘just in-case’

Company arrived and time to slice into it

Getting a little nervous as it is looking like a horrid rice cake….

but I am optimistic!!

Looks can be deciving…it was delicious!

I loved this Popcorn cake!  It was different than anything I had ever had.  There were so many different textures, from the light popcorn to the hard mini eggs,  every bite was a whole new adventure.  The flavour was amazing…each bite was different.  It was perfectly balanced, not too sweet, not too salty.  When you bit down on a chunk of salt from the pretzels it brought your mouth to life and just seemed to accent all the flavours.  This was a very light dessert that doesn’t weigh you down and you wont feel guilty for eating it, which is good because it is addicting! The flavour possibilities are endless as you could add anything you like to the mixture.  I would recommend this and will be definitely be making it again! We were surprised that even the next day it was good, it didn’t go all soggy as we expected.

Though Mom’s Rice Crispy Squares are delicious, ‘the back up plan’ was not needed!

Raisin Pie with Gramma

Cross this one off the Bucket List, I made Gramma’s Raisin Pie!  I have wanted to do this for a long time.  I am not a pie fan, there are only 2 kinds of pie that I really care for, raisin and pecan.  Both of these pies are super sweet and delicious!  The reason I don’t like pie is because if I am going to have dessert, I want something ooey and gooey, not fruit, and most pies are fruit.

Raisin pie is not something you see very often, infact I have never seen raisin pie anywhere other than Gramma’s.  It must be out there somewhere though because many people say they don’t like it, who knows? I can remember having Gramma’s raisin pie when I was very little.  Gramma  always had pie around, home-made from scratch pies, raisin was my favourite.  Not a whole lot of people like it so she didn’t make it that often, but when she did I was always sure to get a piece.  I think it was only Poppa, Gramma, Mom , Dad and I who like it.

Each time Gramma made one I would always say “you have to show me how to make your pie”.  For years we always agreed that we would get together and make it but never did, until today!  I made a point of setting up a date over Christmas holidays to go to Gramma’s and make pie.  Gramma already had the pie crust made, it just needed to be rolled (by the way, you will never have a better crust then Gramma’s).

So now the bad news…

This recipe is a secret!  You can get a visual and some of Gramma’s tips for a great pie, but the recipe is top secret!  Sorry!

Gramma’s Raisin Pie in Pictures

1. Rinse raisins

2. Combine ingredients in medium pot

The spice

3. Simmer on low to cook raisins

While it’s cooking we moved onto the crust.  Gramma already had a bunch of her dough already made up, check it out, mine has NEVER looked like this!

4. ** Tip #1 from Gramma** Prepare your pan for the dough.  Lightly butter your pie plate. Makes the crust brown up AND it doesn’t stick!

5. ** Tip #2  from Gramma** Getting the dough into the pie plate.  I always struggled with this, I would try to roll the dough around the rolling pin, and try to quickly move it over to the plate, usually ripping along the way and I would have to patch it all together.  Gramma did this, my mind was blown!

Fold twice as you see…

Transfer to pie plate and unfold

Voila! Perfect, no rips, no patching! Mind blowing….it’s the little things that amuse me

Trim and wait for filling to be ready

6. Back to the raisins…bring the simmer to a boil and add the ‘secret ingredient’

7. Remove from heat – set in sink of cold water to cool

8. Once cool pour in your prepared shell

9. **Tip #3 from Gramma** Use a lattice top and a runny pie will never run over! Cover with lattice top

10. Bake until golden

Perfect!

Delicious filling still bubbling

Completed two amazing pies.  We did one together to show me how, then I made one and asked questions as needed.  Look how well they turned out!  Had a great teacher

Hours later at home when cooled it was time for the tasting….

Look at that!  Perfect!  The filling was delicious.  Raisins were plump, sauce was every so sweet with a hint of spice. The consistency was spot on.  Not too thick, not too runny, just right.

The crust was perfect and rich and flaky.  The combination of the two are out of this world!

I have made the perfect pie.  If I never make another kind of pie in my life it’s ok, because I can make a killer raisin pie!

Thank you Gramma for a great day and taking the time to show me your amazing recipe.  I will be making this for many more years to come!

On a side note, I was search to see if there was anything similar to Gramma’s recipe I came across something crazy!  There is someone out there who loved raisin pie as much as me.  This person loved it so much they wrote a song about it! HAHA.  Kinda silly yet funny, check it out here

My Top 10 of 2012!

It’s hard to believe that 2012 is over, it just seems like I was doing a year in review for 2011.  This year was a good baking year for me.  I was able to do another Cupcake Wedding, a few of my favourite cakes, numerous delicious desserts and the odd good cooking recipe.  In 2012 I found some new favourite recipes, tried  quite a few new things for the first time, was pushed outside my comfort zone and have grown as a baker, but most of all I had a ball doing it all!  Weather it was an amazing recipe or a dismal disaster I truly enjoyed making each and everyone of the 46 posts I posted this year.   Here is a list of what I picked as my favourites of 2012.

10. Red Pepper Jelly

I didn’t used to like Red Pepper Jelly, that is, until I tried my good friend Lisa’s Red Pepper Jelly it converted me!  I had it years ago, but never thought I would get the recipe.  This year Lisa was kind enough to share it with me and allow me to share it with all of you.  Lisa’s jelly is quite sweet, with a little kick of heat, it is amazing on cracker with cream cheese.  Mom and I made 3 batches of it this year and I can see it being a yearly tradition.  Thanks Lisa!!

9. Biscuits

Way back in January Audax Artifex was the host of our first Daring Bakers Challenge in 2012.  Audax challenged us to make biscuits.  I loved this challenge because I had always wanted to get the perfect tea biscuit.  To me, the perfect biscuit was something that my Great-Gramma Carlow made when I was a little girl.  I tried several different biscuit recipes and found what I think to be fantastic tea biscuits as well as a sweet biscuit that is ALMOST like Great-Grammas.

8. Whipped Shortbread

Shortbread….I am a bit of a shortbread snob.  As a rule I really only like Mom’s, they are amazing.  In December I was introduced to ‘Whipped Shortbread‘, something that was totally new to me.    I was pleasantly surprised that I loved them!  They do not take the place of Mom’s, hers are still better, but these ones will be along side hers for years to come on the Christmas treat trays

7. Chocolate Biscotti

Biscotti? Who the heck gnaws on those horrible things?  That was what I thought not that long ago.  Then I had a request to make a batch of biscotti,  I have been hooked ever since!  They are nothing like I thought they would be.  Dunked in a nice cup of tea, biscotti are a delicious treat.  I as much as I enjoyed the first recipe I wanted to try something different, I went with Chocolate Biscotti. This recipe is amazing!  If you like biscotti you must try them, the texture was perfect!  I will be making these again very soon, but not often as I had 5 with my morning mint tea!  They are dangerous to have around my house.

6. Roasted Beat Salad

What? Salad? In a baking blog top 10 of the year?? YES! This one really surprised me.  Linda wanted to make me this Roasted Beet Salad, right off the bat I was convinced I would not like it. It involved eating the beet tops, ya those big green leafy things you cut off and throw out!  Boy, was I wrong!  This salad is delicious. The combination of the beets, cheese and dressing is amazing.  I made it many times during the summer and can honestly say I was disappointed when the fresh beets were gone.  It’s going to be a long winter but I look forward to market next summer when the fresh beet tops are back.  Thank you Linda!

5. Bacon Wrapped Dates

These little delights are just like little bites of heaven.  In my opinion there are 3 foods that make the world a better place; cheese, chocolate and bacon, this recipe has 2 of the 3, so how can it not be good!  Lets face it, bacon wrapped around anything would be good.  Gina introduced me to Bacon Wrapped Dates.  I have had many things wrapped in bacon, but these so far are the best!  People who I was sure would not like them, loved them!  They are definitely a hit and will be made many more times to come, and not just at Christmas!  Thank you Gina!

4. Knitting Basket Cake

I had a request to make a cake for an 80th birthday.  It was decided that it would be a ‘Knitting Cake‘ as she loves to knit.  As a fellow knitter I was really excited do this one.  I went with a knitting basket and yarn. Karen mentioned while talking about the cake that she like to knit dish cloths so I decide that was how I would put the birthday message in.  This one took a long time and was a lot of work, but worth every second when I saw the look on Karen’s face when she saw the cake.  She said her Mother loved it!  I really enjoy working with marshmallow fondant, and am slowly getting better at it, but I will say, I liked this one

3. Monster Cookies

Let me start with WOW!  Monster Cookies are amazing!  For about a year I had seen these popping up on many food blogs, everyone raved about them.  This was a recipe that I bookmarked and ‘would get around to one day’, well am I glad I did.  These cookies are delicious, they have an amazing texture, tons of chocolate chips and Smarties.  A few people I have made them for agree with me in saying that they are a new favourite.  This one will be a staple in my baking.

2. Best Ever Blueberry Muffins

I found this muffin on Pinterest.  It does live up to it’s name, The Best Ever Blueberry Muffin! This muffin has it all, a fantastic texture, real blueberries, blueberry puree and an amazing crumb topping, together they made the perfect muffin.  I have made these several times with not a complaint.  These are definitely a favourite.

Drum Roll……..

And the winner is…..

A tie….

I could not pick one….

1. German Chocolate Cake & German Chocolate Cheesecake

I hate ties, BUT seeing as how they were both German Chocolate items I figured it was ok.  German Chocolate Cake has been something I wanted to try for a long time.  I love chocolate and I love coconut, so I figured I would love it!  I was right.  The German Chocolate Cake and German Chocolate Cheesecake were absolutely, positively amazing! Not only are they my #1 of 2012 I would have to say they are my #1 of all time.  There are few things that I make that I can’t critique, usually I find something I would change or improve upon, not these.  They were perfect!

I would like to thank each and every one of you who stop by to see what’s up in my Kitchen.  Never would I have thought Erica’s Edibles would have ever had over 52,ooo views.  I appreciated every comment, like and follower.  I also would like to thank those who have “Pinned” me, I was totally shocked to see some of my posts on Pinterest!

Happy New Year and all the best in 2013, Check back to see whats baking!

Erica

Shortbread ‘Bake Off’

Holiday season is the time for sharing and Peta of Peta Eats is sharing a dozen cookies, some classics and some of her own, from all over the world with us.

I was thrilled to see that this months Daring Baker’s was Christmas baking!  I love Christmas baking!  It is the one time of the year where there is a ‘good excuse’ to make 15 different cookies and squares without feeling guilty!

Peta provided us with 12 different recipes to choose from, something for each of the “12 Days for Christmas’.  Our requirement was to pick at least one of the recipes provided and one of our own favourite Christmas treats.   Of the recipes provided I chose to make the Brown Butter Shortbread.  I chose the shortbread because I thought it would be fun to make a different version of shortbread then we are used to.  Around here it just isn’t Christmas without Mom’s Shortbread.  Regular readers are probably thinking, ‘your Mom’s shortbread?’ Yep! There are 2 things Mom bakes, her famous Rice Crispy Squares and her amazing Shortbread. She will generally make a Rice Crispy Square when ever the request is made, BUT will only make her shortbread at Christmas.  Thank goodness she makes A LOT, they freeze well and last well into the new year.

I will start with Mom’s Shortbread in this “Shortbread Bake Off”

Mom’s Christmas Shortbread

½ cup cornstarch
½ cup icing sugar
1 cup flour
¾ cup butter
red and green cherries

Directions:

1. Chop candied cherries into small pieces

2. In a large bowl measure your butter

3. Sift in remaining ingredients

4.  Blend until soft and smooth.  (Sidenote: you could use a spoon, Mom uses her hands to mush is all together.  She has never done it any other way and they are ALWAYS amazing, so why mess with perfection)

It will be crumbly, but keep going…

This is what you are looking for

5. Shape dough into small balls, place approximately 1 inch apart.

6. Press with a floured fork

7. Top with a chopped cherry

8. Bake at 300 F for 20-25 mins or until the edges start to turn golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack.

Look at that! Amazing as always!

Mom’s shortbread are like none I have had before.  She refers to them as being ‘very short’.  They are not very sweet as you might assume from a cookie.  They have a much more dense texture then most shortbread I have tried, like the whipped ones and rolled varieties. Despite the ‘snap’ when you bite into it and the ‘dense’ texture they simply melt in your mouth, they are the best shortbread ever! Now, having said all that, I have yet to find someone who can duplicate this recipe and get it to taste like Mom’s.  It is not like she is withholding a secret ingredient because I watch her time and time again.  I have just come to accept that it is ‘Mom’s Love’ that makes them so darn good!

Now onto the Brown Butter Shortbread, they have a tough act to follow.  I had worked with brown butter once before, on another Daring Bakers Challenge, Baked Alaska.  The cake in the baked Alaska was a brown butter cake, it was delicious!  I was excited to try it in a shortbread.

Brown Butter Short Bread

1 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 teaspoons  pure vanilla bean paste
1-2/3 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
2 teaspoons table salt

Browning Butter

1.Cut the butter into small pieces and place in a saucepan over a low heat.

2. Melt the butter and cook until it starts to brown and gives off a warm, nutty aroma.   Stir from time to time to make sure the butter browns evenly. As it gets close to being browned enough it will foam up and you will see little brown bits in the foam.

3. Remove from the heat and pour into a heatproof jug or bowl.   Set aside to cool slightly and then refrigerate until it starts to set again but is not too firm. It should be the consistency of softened butter. Don’t strain out the little brown bits they taste great.

Cookies

1.Preheat the oven to moderate 300°F/ 150°C/gas mark 2.

2. Line 2 large baking sheets with silicon baking paper.

3. Add the sugar and vanilla to the browned butter and beat until very light and fluffy and the sugar is dissolved.

4. Add the flour and salt and mix for at least 2 – 4 minutes to form a soft dough.

It seemed to go all crumbly

So, Mom resorted to her method of mixing

Much better

5. Roll into small balls and press with a fork

6. Bake at 300 F, until edges start to brown.  Remove from the oven and leave the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

These shortbread were ok.  I shouldn’t say that, as a shortbread they were ok, as a cookie they were pretty good.  They did not share any of the same qualities that I would associate with a shortbread.  They were very sweet and a little ‘grainy’ as though the sugar did not fully dissolve.  It kind of reminded me of the texture of graham cracker crust.  Once I turned my thinking around and thought of them just as a cookie, they were pretty good.  We did decide that we may, one day, try the browned butter in Mom’s recipe and see how it turns out.  All and all a good recipe.  It was fun to compare the two,  I think we will be sticking to our original shortbread recipe though.

Thank you Peta for a great challenge!!

Cheese Squares

Do you have recipes that you make only at certain times of the year? Recipes that would be good at anytime of the year, but is only ever made around a certain time.  Our family has LOTS!  This one in particular, for some reason, is ONLY and I stress the only ever made for the Christmas Season.  I am talking about Cheese Squares!  Throw your diet out the window when your eating these little delights, but let me tell you, they are totally worth every delicious calorie!  I really don’t know why our family only makes them at Christmas.  There is nothing about a Cheese Square that says ‘Christmas’.  They are not red and green.  They don’t have the scent of pine or cinnamon.  Maybe, it’s because they are just that bad for you that your body only needs them once a year?  Who knows…

Usually around this time of year, early November, Mom starts preparing for the Holidays, getting some ‘pickies’ prepared for Christmas company.  This time of year there will always be several different homemade delights in the freezer just waiting for company to share them with!  These Cheese Squares have been a part of our Christmas for as long as I can remember.  They are very easy, only 3 ingredients, perhaps a little time-consuming and fiddley, but worth every second.  Today Mom and I whipped together 3 batches to have on hand, only took us a couple of hours.  I have no idea where this recipe came from.  It is a hand written one that has been in Mom’s recipe book for years!

1 lb Butter, room temperature
1 450 gr pkg Velveeta Cheese, room temperature
2 loaves thin Sandwich bread, must be the square sandwich bread

Directions:

1. Make sure you buy the right bread!  A normal loaf of bread will not work as well. You need the ‘thin Sandwich bread’ the square one

2. In stacks of 3, cut crusts off of the bread and set aside

3.  In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand-held beater, combine the butter and cheese. Mix on low to combine.  Raise speed to high and mix until light and fluffy, approx 2 mins

4. To assemble  – spread an even layer of cheese mixture between each layer of bread and on the top

5. Pick up the triple decker and spread an even layer around the sides

6. Once all sides (except the bottom) are covered, slice in three

Looks good doesn’t it? But we are not done yet!

7. Spread another even layer on all remaining sides (except bottom)

8. Place on a lined cookie sheet, single layer, not touching.  Cover and freeze over night

9. The next day ( or several hours later when they have frozen through) remove from tray and place in freezer bags

10.  These must be cooked from frozen, if not the cheese will all melt off.

11. Preheat oven 350 F

12. Place on lined cookie sheet and baked until the edges are golden

Delicious!  These are always a crowd pleaser.  Despite the ingredients, these are a very ‘light and airy’ appetizer.  The outside crisps up a little and the inside is soft and tender with melted buttery cheese.  It is like a gourmet finger sandwich grilled cheese.  It is very difficult to stop at just one!

Most prefer to eat them as they are and enjoy the mild cheesy goodness, but some like to dip in ketchup.  They also are quite nice for lunch with a nice bowl of home-made tomato soup.  I would definitely recommend giving these are try

Spanakopita/Tiropita

This summer friends of Mom and Dad’s moved onto our road, great people and they make wonderful food!  We have been very fortunate to receive a few wonderful Greek dishes over the past few months.  I have had a lot of tzatziki in my day but theirs, by far, is the best ever! I have no idea how they make it, nor do I want to know, because it would never be the same if I were to try to make it.  It is simply amazing!  Another wonderful delight they make is spanakopita, delicious!  Mom had helped them make a batch one day, so today we thought we would try a batch ourselves!

I kept saying we were making spanakopita, I had always thought that was what they were, but Mom corrected me, what we made was more of a tiropita.  Tiropita is made with layers of buttered phyllo and filled with a cheese-egg mixture where as spanakopita is layers of buttered phyllo with a spinach, onions and a cheese-egg mixture.  Ours was somewhere in-between, mostly cheese with a little spinach, perhaps a ‘Spanatiropita’?

“Spanattiropita”

Let me start by apologizing, there are no measurements.  Mom just ‘adds’ until it is right. So I will guess how much we used, approximate…

Phyllo pastry 2 packages
Spinach (1/2 package of frozen) drained and squeezed dry
Feta cheese (2 cups)
Ricotta cheese (1 cup)
Parmesan cheese (2 cups)
Greek seasoning (1 tsp)
4 eggs
Butter (half pound)
Directions:

1. In a large bowl add eggs and ricotta

2. Add  feta and parmesan, stir

3. Add spinach

4. Add seasoning and combine well

5. At this point you need to prepare your phyllo.  Phyllo is very fussy, you will need to follow the boxes directions on thawing, usually in the fridge overnight.  Keep phyllo covered with a damp cloth so it does not dry. Prepare your work area.  Melt the butter, get a pastry brush, a sharp knife or pizza cutter large working area and a large sheet pan covered in plastic wrap.

6.  Get 2 sheets of phyllo, brush each sheet lightly with butter

7. Cut in half and then in thirds, ending up with 6 strips

8. Place approximately 1 tbsp of mixture at the end of each strip

9. Next you form the triangle, looks tricky, buts it’s not.  Fold over one corner to the opposite side of strip

10. Now fold up

11.  Continue folding on the triangle until you reach the end, may need to tuck in ends.

12. Brush with butter

13. Place on a lined sheet, can be layered with parchment between

14. At this point you can cover and freeze overnight, then place in freezer bags for storage.  Or bake.

15. Pre heat oven 375.  Place on baking sheet.  Bake approx 10 mins on each side or until golden brown

Absolutely delicious!  The phyllo was tender and flaky.  The filling was warm and creamy, the cheese was tangy with hits of spinach. These are nothing like the store-bought or restaurant ones.  Dad said ‘Two thumbs up”.  These are a new favourite. YUM!

Death by Chocolate

Happy Thanksgiving!!  I love Thanksgiving weekend.  Each year we have a big family meal with everyone who can attend, usually anywhere from 15 -25 people.  It is only about 3 times a year, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, where we are able to all get together, this year it is at Mom and Dad’s  and we all sit around a huge table, its wonderful!  I just love when we all sit down together.  This year I was asked to bring dessert.  I usually end up bringing some sort of cheesecake, but this year I wanted to do something different.  I did end up going with the traditional Pumpkin Pie, which is a standard with Thanksgiving, kinda like turkey and dressing(which we are not having!!!).  For the second dessert I went with Death by Chocolate.  It is a nice light dessert after a big meal.  Now when I say ‘light’ I mean oppose to a heavy cheesecake, not ‘light’ as in healthy (that would just be silly!).  This dessert is so easy and such a delicious treat.  It is a great item to take to a dinner or potluck.

1 batch of your favourite Chocolate cake or Brownies
2 boxes of mousse or chocolate pudding
1 tub of Cool Whip
4 Skor Bars
Caramel sauce (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare cake or brownies according to package or use your own recipe.  Allow cake to cool and cut into cubes

2. Prepare Mousse or Pudding according to package.  If you are really ambitious you could make it from scratch!

3. Chop Skor bars into small pieces

4. Thaw Cool Whip.  Again, if you were ambitious you could make your own whipped cream

5.  Begin layering all ingredients – there is not a specific order to follow. Just go with it.

Cake

Mousse and Skor

Half the Cool Whip and Caramel Sauce

Remainder of Mousse, Skor and Caramel Sauce

Remainder of the cake and Cool Whip, top with Skor

Delicious!

This was a huge hit! There was only 2 servings left.  This is a nice ‘light’ dessert after a big meal.  The mousse and Cool Whip really complement the rich chocolate cake and Skor. Highly recommend this one!

Red Pepper Jelly

Just about (but not quite) as much as I love desserts and sweets, I love appetizers or “pickies” as our family always refered to them as, something to have around, just to pick at.   If it all wasn’t so bad for me I could seriously live off of pickies and dessert.  I can make a meal out of a few pickies.  Dip’s and spreads, cheese and crackers, cold or warm, they are all wonderful.

Quite a few years ago my friend Lisa (the same Lisa, who makes those amazing butter tarts) brought homemade red pepper jelly to work, for break time.  I’d had red pepper jelly in the past and thought, ‘meh’ not a huge fan.  So, when Lisa brought it to work I really only tried it because it was homemade.  Well….am I glad I did, it was amazing!  I am fairly certain I had way more than my fair share that day.  It was like no other pepper jelly I had ever had, sweet and spicy but neither were overpowering.  It was perfect.  I have tried many more since then (which I enjoy) but none have compared, so you can imagine how happy I was when she recently shared her recipe with me.

Lisa’s Red Pepper Jelly

1/4 cup hot peppers

3 cups red peppers

6 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

1 pouch liquid Pectin

Directions:

1. Prepare your jars and lids.  If you have a dishwasher start the dishwasher on the sanitizing cycle.  Try to time it so your jars will be finished when your jelly is finished, all dishwashers are different, you know yours.  If you don’t have a dishwasher you will need to sterilize in boiling water

2. Washer peppers well and dice

3. Dice hot pepper **UPDATE NOTE** PLEASE  wear gloves while chopping the peppers! This batch was fine, I did not wear gloves.  We made 2 other batches the next week.  I guess I did not wash my hands quickly enough and 3 hours later my hands were a burning inferno.  3pm – 10:30, when I finally fell asleep it felt like my hands were on fire, nothing took the pain away.  Wear gloves!!!

4. In a large pot combine, peppers, hot peppers, sugar and vinegar, bring to a boil.  Boil 5 minutes

5. Add Pectin, Boil 5 more minutes

6.  Let stand 5 minutes

7. Remove sterile jars from dishwasher. spoon into jars

8.  Secure lids tightly and allow to cool, upside down

9. Once cool turn jars back over and allow to set over night

My favourite way to have red pepper jelly is to spread it atop, cream cheese on Toppable Crackers

Delicious!!! We were very happy with the results.  So much so that we plan to make another 2 batches next week while the peppers are fresh and cheap.   I can’t believe how easy it was to make.  Mom and I thought we had gotten ourselves into a whole day event.  Total time, including dishwasher, and clean up was maximum 2 hours.

For those that were scared away by the 6 cups of sugar….I know it seems like a lot! (and it is!) but this is not something that you eat a lot of or all the time.  It is nice to put out for company or take to a friends, you wouldn’t sit and eat the whole jar (well I could…but I wouldn’t…)

Thank you Lisa, for such a great recipe!

Monster Cookies

These cookies caught my eye a few months ago.  They seem to be appearing on many of the foodblogs I frequent and Everyone gave rave reviews!  I had made a few “flops” over the past few days and needed to redeem myself.  I had all ingredients on hand so I figured this was the recipe that was going to do it!

Adapted from Recipie Girl

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated white sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup Smarties

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray, or line with parchment paper or a silpat mats.

2. In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter with the sugars and butter.

3. Use an electric mixer to mix until well combined

4. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.

5. Mix in the oats and baking soda.

6. Then stir in the chips and Smarties.

7.. Drop the cookies by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.

These seemed a tad big, so I also made some which were 2 tablespoons

8. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. (this was nowhere near enough baking time for me, the cookies were still raw.  I added an additional 10 minutes, but watch yours as all ovens are different). Do not overbake.

9. Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheets until cookies are set.

10. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

These cookies were every bit as delicious as everyone described them to be!  The were very chewy, which I love in an oatmeal cookie.  You could taste the peanut butter, but it did not over power.  I loved the extra crunch of the Smarties. Next time I think I would cook them just a tad bit longer, but they were fantastic! These cookies have made the favourites list!

Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes

This year for Mike’s Birthday he requested a recipe I found on Pinterest (surprise, surprise lol), Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes.  As soon as I showed him the picture, back in April, he said “Can I have those for my birthday breakfast?” So, that is what we had.

I like pancakes, but I don’t have them very often.  Normally I prefer plain old fashioned ones, nothing fancy.  Occasionally I will have my absolute favourite, Chocolate Chip pancakes – between the chips and the syrup they are so sweet you can almost feel your teeth rotting, and ooooh my is it tasty!

As I mentioned, I don’t have them very often, but when I do I must have REAL Maple Syrup, none of the Aunt Jemima ‘stuff’.  It’s the real thing or nothing.  It is more expensive, but it is worth it!

Addapted from Recipe Girl

First make the Cinnamon filling as it needs to rest and set up a bit

CINNAMON FILLING:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, just melted (not boiling)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon.

2. Melt the butter and add to sugar mixture

3. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool and set.  This is too runny!

This is what you are looking for

Tip: You want the mixture to thicken a bit- it’s best when it’s similar to the squeezing texture of a tube of toothpaste, which will happen if you leave it at room temperature for several minutes (Mine was ready by the time I needed it.  If it is warm and the butter is not setting, just pop it in the fridge for a few minute, not too long though or it will harden too much).  Don’t try to use the filling for the pancake swirl unless it has thickened as it will be too runny to make a solid swirl.

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2-ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a small pan, heat the butter over low heat until melted.

2. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cream cheese until it is almost smooth.

It will start to look like it is curdling, but trust me it is not, just keep going

3. Sift the powdered sugar into the pan, stir and add in vanilla extract.

4. Set the pan aside while you make the pancakes.

NOTE: before you start cooking your pancakes, transfer your cinnamon filling to a piping bag or plastic freezer bag and snip off a corner to pipe it into the pancakes.

PANCAKES:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

**at this point, it was getting late, we were starving, and I was flustered and forgot to take pictures! Guess that means I will have to make them again  **

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt

2. Whisk in the milk, egg and oil, just until the batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).

3.Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-heat and spray with nonstick spray. Use an ice cream scoop to add the batter to the pan. Use the bottom of the scoop or cup to spread the batter into a circle (about 4-inches in diameter).

4. Reduce the heat to medium low.

5. When your pancake begins to form bubbles, add the filling. Starting at the center of the pancake, squeeze the filling on top of the pancake batter in a swirl (just as you see in a regular cinnamon roll).

6. Cook the pancake 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bubbles begin popping on top of the pancake and it’s golden brown on the bottom.

7. Slide a thin, wide metal spatula underneath the pancake and gently but quickly flip it over.

8. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the other side is golden as well.

***NOTE – be very careful!  As you can see the cinnamon sugar starts to bubble, it is extremely HOT!!  Be very cautious of it splashing while cooking and dripping when you flip them back over.  The sugar will stick to your skin and burn***

9. When you flip the pancake onto a plate, you will see that the cinnamon filling has created a crater-swirl of cinnamon.

10. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, and repeat with the remaining pancake batter and cinnamon filling.

11. Re-warm the glaze briefly, if needed. Serve pancakes topped with a drizzle of glaze.

These pancakes were amazing!  They were even beyond a pancake, the cinnamon and cream cheese glaze took it to a whole new level.  The texture of the pancake itself was like none other I have had.  They fluffed up like a cloud, big air pockets to catch the wonderful sweet cream cheese glaze.  There was just enough cinnamon and it did not overpower.  I had many complements “These are the best pancakes ever!” “WOW”, “Can we have these every weekend?” “These are different” (I had to ask, but it was different in a good way) and “Those pancakes were the bomb”

I must admit, these pancakes were fantastic.  There isn’t anything I would change.  They were a lot of work, but well worth it.  I will be making these many more times.