I love the recipe book Loaves, Cakes and Quiches with Friends by Ilona. Practically any savory ingredient you have in your kitchen can be mixed and matched and baked into delicious loaves for brunch or snacks. I tweaked the recipe a little bit, substituting cheese for capers. I added a sprinkling of bacon bits for a richer, rounder flavor.

Sun-dried Tomato, Cheese and Basil Loaf

Ingredients:

• 200 grams all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 100 ml olive oil
• 100 ml milk
• 3 1/2 oz cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped bacon
• large handful of resh basil, torn into small pieces or snipped with scissor
• salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a loaf tin and slightly dust with flour.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and milk. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and fold mixture and fold in gently until there are no more lumps. Stir in the grated cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, bacon bits and basil. Mix well.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 45 minutes, until the tip of the knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin before turning out.

Fortune Cookie Fun

FORTUNE COOKIE

1 egg white
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a cookie sheet. Write fortunes on strips of paper about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Generously grease 2 cookie sheets.

2. Mix the egg white and vanilla until foamy but not stiff. Sift the flour, salt, and sugar and blend into the egg white mixture.

3. Place teaspoonfuls of the batter at least 4 inches apart on one of the prepared cookie sheets. Tilt the sheet to move the batter into round shapes about 3 inches in diameter. Be careful to make batter as round and even as possible. Do not make too many, because the cookie have to be really hot to form them and once they cool it is too late. Start with 2 or 3 to a sheet and see how many you can do.

4. Bake for 5 minutes or until cookie has turned a golden color 1/2 inch wide around the outer edge of the circle. The center will remain pale. While one sheet is baking, prepare the other.

5. Remove from oven and quickly move cookie with a wide spatula and place upside down on a wooden board. Quickly place the fortune on the cookie, close to the middle and fold the cookie in half. Place the folded edge across the rim of a measuring cup and pull the pointed edges down, one on the inside of the cup and one on the outside. Place folded cookies into the cups of a muffin tin or egg carton to hold their shape until firm.

Good Dog Cookies

I love making these treats for my doggies (my guardians of being). These biscuits smell so yummy and meaty my dogs just go crazy over them! Make a batch of these homemade dog biscuits for the dog lover in your life too. Woof!

GOOD DOG COOKIES

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cubes beef bouillon cube
3/4 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease one cookie sheet.
2. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water and allow to cool.
3. Combine the flour, dry milk, egg, oil, beef broth and brown sugar. Mix well and knead dough for 1 minute.
4. On a floured surface roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out bones and place on cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 30 minutes and allow to cool.

(Recipe from Allrecipes.com)

DOGGIE MUNCHIES

Ingredients:

1 tsp salt
2 cups unbleached flour
1 egg
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine cornmeal, salt and unbleached flour.
3. In a separate  mixing bowl, beat egg with vegetable oil, then add chopped parsley and chicken broth; mix well.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture. Knead dough and roll out to half- inch thickness.
5. Use a cookie cutter to cut dough into shapes your dog might appreciate such as cats, fire hydrants, shoes, bones etc.
6. Bake for 15 minutes until firm.
7. Serve warm. Watch doggie wag his tail.

Seafood Sensation

 

Mushroom Crepe Cornet

 

Crepe:

¼ cup plain flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ tsp oil
1/3 cup milk

Prawn Filling:

30 g butter
2 tbsp plain flour
1 small chicken stock cube, crumbled
500 grams cooked prawns, shelled and chopped
2 tbsp dry white wine
¼ cup cream
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Crepe:

Sift flour into bowl, make well in centre. Gradually stir in combined egg, oil and milk, stir until butter is smooth. Mixture can be made by blending or processing all ingredients until smooth. Strain batter into jug, stand for 30 minutes.

Heat heavy based crepe pan over medium heat, grease with know of butter. Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons batter into pan, swirling batter to cover base of pan evenly. When crepe is lightly browned underneath, carefully turn with spatula or fingers, lightly brown other side.

Prawn filling: Melt butter in medium saucepan, add flour, stir constantly over heat for 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in water and stock cube, stir constantly over high heat until mixture boils and thickens. Add prawns, mushroom, white wine, cream and dill; reheat gently without boiling.

Fish and Vegetable Hot Pot

Ingredients:

125 grams broccoli, chopped 3 small zucchini, sliced
30 g butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
¼ cup plain flour
2 cups water
1 small chicken stock cube, crumbled
750 grams white fish fillets, coarsely chopped
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons cream
440 grams potatoes, halved
125 grams frozen baby carrots, thawed
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
 

Boil, steam or microwave broccoli and zucchini until just tender; drain. Melt butter in large saucepan, add onion and garlic, stir constantly over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until onion is soft. Add flour, cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat, gradually stir in water and stock cube, stir constantly over high heat until sauce boils and thickens. Add fish, wine, cream, potatoes and carrots.

Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until fish is tender. Gently mix in broccoli, zucchini and parsley, cook over low heat or until heated through. Serves 4.

Seafood Ravioli with Vermouth

Ingredients:

Ravioli Dough

2 cups plain flour

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 tsp oil

½ cup water, approximately

Prawn Filling

400 grams shelled prawns

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

2 tsp dry vermouth

¼ cup cream

Salmon and Dill Sauce 

 

2x 300 ml cream

1/2 large veggie stock cube, crumbled

1 ½ tbsp dry vermouth

1 tsp corn flour

1 tsp water

90 grams smoked salmon, sliced

3 tsps. chopped fresh dill

Roll ravioli dough out, half at a time, to a thickness of 2mm, cut into 8 cm strips (or roll out with a pasta machine). Cover strips with a tea towel to prevent drying out.

Place heaped teaspoons of prawn filling at 4 cm intervals along 1 side of strip of dough. Brush edges with a little water, fold dough over filling; press firmly around filling. Cut between mounds of filling using knife or fluted pastry cutter.

Add ravioli gradually to large saucepan of boiling water, boil uncovered, for about 8 minutes or until ravioli are cooked; drain/. Mix ravioli gently through sauce, serve with grated parmesan cheese if desired.

Ravioli dough: Sift flour into large bowl, make well in centre, gradually stir in the combined egg, oil and enough water, to make dough firm and pliable. Turn onto lightly floured surface, knead for minutes. Place in lightly oiled bowl, cover, stand for 30 minutes before rolling.

Prawn filling: Mince, process or blend prawns with dill and vermouth until smooth. Tarnsfer to a large bowl, stir in cream, gently cover, refrigerate.

Salmon and Dill Sauce: Combine cream and stock cube in medium saucepan, bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer for about 5 minutes or until mixture boils and thickens, stir in salmon and dill.

Lemon Cupcakes

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 2/3 cups sugar, plus more for decorating
• 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel, plus thin strips of peel for garnish
• 2 large eggs plus 2 egg whites, at room temperature

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk and lemon juice.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup sugar and the lemon peel and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the 2 eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined, scraping down the sides between additions. On low speed, beat in a third of the dry ingredients, then a third of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat, alternating ingredients, until the batter is smooth.

3. Spoon the batter into each liner, about three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool on a rack.

Lemon Cream Filling

Ingredients

• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon grated rind of one lemon
  
• 1/2 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Combine yolk, sugar, corn starch, 1/2 cup water, lemon juice, lemon peel and cook in double boiler for 15 minutes.
2. Add butter.
3. Spread lemon cream filling on cooled cupcakes.

Meringue Topping

In a heatproof bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup sugar and 2 egg whites. Pipe over cupcakes. Return cupcakes to oven and bake at 110 degrees until meringue is firm.

Carrots & Coconut

Ooey Gooey Carrot Cupcakes



Here's an Ooey Gooey Carrot Cupcake Recipe I adapted from the Read It and Eat It Blog. I love the texture and how pineapple further enhances the over-all flavour. However, I found the original recipe too oily so I reduced the vegetable oil proportion to 1/2 cup. This cupcake is tasty enough even without frosting!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tb ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 Tb vanilla
• 3 cups shredded carrots
• 8 oz. crushed pineapple, juice drained but reserved
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
  

Preheat oven to 350. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine eggs, both sugars, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add in spices and other dry ingredients. Stir in carrots, pineapple and nuts by hand. Batter will be quite runny, but do your best to scoop it into muffin pans lined with cupcake papers. Fill the cups almost to the top because batter does not rise much. Bake for 20 minutes, until browned on top.
Dreamy Coconut Cake

Truly my favourite cake. It reminds me of angel wings. Delicious layers of yellow cake covered with fluffy, white frosting. So dreamy, so airy, so heavenly!

Ingredients:

Yellow Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, stirred before measuring
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Cream sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half of the flour mixture then half of the milk. Add vanilla. Mix until blended; add remaining flour and milk and beat until smooth. The batter will be thick. Spread batter in two greased and floured 8-inch layer cake pans or a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25 to 35 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched near center.

White Mountain Frosting

2 large egg whites

1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in a 1-quart saucepan. Cover and heat to a rolling boil over medium heat. Uncover and cook, without stirring, to 242*F (115*C) on a candy thermometer or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water forms a ball that flattens when removed from water. Cooking time can take between 4 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile using an electric mixer at high speed, beat egg whites in a medium bowl just until stiff peaks form. Reduce speed to medium and while beating constantly, very slowly pour hot syrup in a steady, thin stream into the egg whites. Add the vanilla and continue beating at high speed for about 10 minutes until stiff peaks form.

Cover yellow cake with white mountain frosting. Sprinkle and cover with sweetened coconut.

Cooking with Love

Bunch of brunch

Forget pancakes! Flip over some delicious Welsh cakes for breakfast or brunch.

Welsh Cakes

Ingredients:

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour

1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground mace

1/2 cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter

1/3 cup (50 grams) currants or raisins

1/4 cup (40 grams) chopped mixed peel

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 - 4 tablespoons milk

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, and mace. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Stir in the currants and mixed peel. Add the beaten egg and enough milk to form a light dough.

Knead the dough gently on a lightly floured surface and roll to a thickness of 1/4 inch (5 mm). Cut into rounds using a 2 1/2 inch (6 cm) cookie cutter.

Lightly butter a griddle, heavy frying pan, or electric frying pan and heat to medium hot. Cook the welsh cakes for about 5 minutes per side, or until they are golden brown, but still soft in the middle. Immediately after baking, sprinkle with granulated white sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Welsh cakes can also be eaten buttered or split in half and spread with jam.

Makes about 20 - 2 1/2 inch cakes.

Recipe from: Joy of Baking website

Caramel Brownies

PERFECT MOIST BROWNIES

2 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. sifted flour
1/2 c. chopped nuts, optional

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and beat well. Blend in melted chocolate, vanilla, and flour. Mix in nuts if desired and pour batter into a greased, 8 x 8 inch pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Do not overbake!

Caramel Frosting

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, and mix in 3 tablespoons milk and brown sugar. Boil vigorously for 1 minute.

Remove from heat, and beat in 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Cool slightly, and beat in the vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Add more milk if the mixture is too thick.

Apple Pie Afternoon

It's been years since I've baked an apple pie. Thanks to this fantastic apple pie website, I finally brought out my rolling pin (gathering cobwebs in a cupboard somewhere!) and spent a sun drenched afternoon making the tastiest, flakiest, crumbliest and juiciest apple pie ever!