Outrageous Chocolate Cookies

Martha Stewart has never disappointed me... She's the queen of baking by far and crafting and organizing...And pretty much anything she undertakes! This is a Martha recipe and truly delicious! These cookies are so soft and loaded with chocolate, a true hit! This is the second instalment of my Christmas baking and so far, I am 2 for 2! :)

Ingredients

- 8 ounces of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped (I used chocolate chips and some dark chocolate)
- 4 tbsp (1/4 cup) of unsalted butter (I used salted and it tastes great!!)
- 2/3 of a cup of all-purpose flour 
- 1/2 tsp of baking powder
- 1/2 tsp of salt 
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 of a cup of light brown sugar 
- 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
- 1 package of semisweet chocolate chunks (I used PC chunks)

Preheat oven to 350F. Heat chopped chocolate and butter in a sauce pan, stirring frequently, until almost melted. Do not overheat. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. 

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed 

to low, beat in melted chocolate. Mix in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Drop heaping tablespoon of dough 2 to 3 inches apart onto a baking sheet (I covered mine with parchment paper). Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are shiny and crackly yet soft in the centres, 12 to 15 minutes (I baked them for 11 to 12 minutes). Cool on baking sheets and then transfer to cooling rack. 

Marvellous Martha... Chocolaty Delight!  

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

All I can say is get your ingredients and make these cookies!! Oh my goodness, they are delightful!! 
This is just the beginning of my Christmas baking, for the lucky few, you'll get a little taste of haven when you try these babies!!

 Ingredients

- 3/4 of a cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 of a cup of dark brown sugar (NOT YELLOW)!
- 1/4 of a cup of granulated sugar 
- 1 egg 
- 2 tsp of vanilla extract
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- 2 tsp of cornstarch
- 1 tsp of baking soda
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 3/4 of a cup of white chocolate chips
- 3/4 of a cup of dried cranberries 

Line an ungreased cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicon liner. Set aside.

In a large bowl using a hand held mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (which is what I used), cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed until fluffy and light in color. Mix in egg and vanilla.

On low speed, mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Chill dough (covered) for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F. Drop balls of dough (1.5 tbsp each) onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. Remove and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes on the cookie sheet then transfer to cooling rack. Yields approx. 2.5 dozen.

Probably the most delicious cookie I have tasted in a while. Husband approved :) 

Christmas baking success!! 

Naturally Sweet: Lemon-Raspberry Muffins

I came across this recipe online because we had a bunch of extra raspberries that I didn't want to spoil. My husband and I are trying to cut down our sugar intake but I still enjoy having a muffin!! I came across this recipe, that uses honey and apple sauce to sweeten these babies!! Enjoy!

Makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients: 

1-1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 cup of rolled oats
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of salt
1-1/3 cups of water
1 cup of unsweetened apple sauce
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 cup of honey
1 tsp of lemon zest
1 tbsp of lemon juice
2 heaping cups of raspberries

Preheat the oven to 375F. Combine all the ingredients except the raspberries in a large bowl and stir until combined. Gently fold in the raspberries.

Divide mixture evenly (I used 1/3 of a cup of batter per muffin) in a greased muffin tin.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until slightly golden on top and a tooth pick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from tin.

TIP: If you like your muffins sweet, toss the raspberries in 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of sugar before adding. I did not do this, but to each their own :)

Lemon-Raspberry Deliciousness... Yum!! 

The Most Delicious Peanut Butter Pie

Since moving to the east coast, I can without hesitation say that my favourite dessert to eat out is from a little restaurant within walking distance of our house, The Homestead. They have the most delicious tasting peanut butter pie and of course it's homemade, as with all their pies! I decided there was no better time then Sunday dinner at my in-laws to make a similar slice of deliciousness! This recipe makes 2 pies and the filling is so rich. Easily, my favourite thing in the whole world!

**Pictures will be up soon**

Ingredients 

1 - 8 ounce package of cream cheese
1-1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar
1 cup of peanut butter
1 cup of milk
1/2 of a tub of Cool whip, thawed
2 - 9 inch prepared graham cracker crusts

Beat together the cream cheese and the confectioners' sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in the whipped topping.

Spoon into two 9 inch graham cracker pie shells; cover, and freeze until firm.


Quite possibly the best thing going... Delicious!! 

Easy Cornbread

Can you make cornbread? I love cornbread? Can you please make cornbread? Can we go to Montana's? They have cornbread. This is the echo of my husband's voice and what I've been hearing for the past little while... So tonight with our BBQ pork chops, I decided to make some corn bread. It turned out perfect... I think the key is in the buttermilk.

Ingredients

1 cup of yellow cornmeal
1 cup of flour
2 tbsp. of sugar
1/2 tsp of baking soda 
1/2 tsp of salt 
6 Tbsp of butter (I used Becel) 
1 cup of buttermilk 
2 eggs 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter an 8x8 inch baking pan. Mix together the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until particles are fine.

In a medium bowl, beat the buttermilk and the eggs together until the mixture is blended. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients until just blended and you can't see the flour or cornmeal. This doesn't take long and don't overbeat the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 23-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Serve hot.

Cornbread love! 

Mediterranean Barley Rice Salad

My lovely father-in-law purchased the latest and greatest Canadian Living, Special Cookbook Edition for me the other day... Lucky me! I must say there are quite a few good recipes in it and worth the buy!
This salad is delicious... The texture is fantastic and the ingredients are so fresh. This is a great salad to pack for lunches, serve at a BBQ or just have around the house during the summer. Delicious!!

Ingredients 

1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
1 cup brown basmati rice, rinsed
3 cups cherry tomatoes
Half of a large red onion
1 sweet red pepper
1 english cucumber
4 cups of baby spinach, chopped
1 pkg of feta cheese (200g), crumbled

Dressing 

1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of lemon juice
1 tsp each of dried oregano and salt
1/2 tsp of pepper

In a saucepan of boiling salted water, cook barley until tender for about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain well. Let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, in separate saucepan, bring 1-1/2 cups of salted water to a boil. Add rice; cover, reduce heat and simmer until tender and no liquid remains, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add to barley mixture; let cool.

Cut tomatoes in half; add to barley mixture. Cut onion, red pepper and cucumber into 1-inch chunks; add to barley mixture, tossing to combine.

Dressing: Whisk together oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper; pour over salad and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. To serve, stir in the spinach and feta cheese.


Delicious!!! Summer Fresh! 

White Chocolate Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

I've been leisurely perusing the web and some of my favourite blogs for my next recipe... It's was a difficult  final decision and a toss up between these lovely cookies or cream-cheese filled pumpkin cupcakes... I absolutely love every since ingredient in these cookies, especially the cranberries and white chocolate! YUM! I found this recipe from Annie's Eats, which is a lovely little blog that I follow. Check it out.

Ingredients 

2 cups of all-purpose flour 
1 tsp of baking soda 
2 tsp of ground cinnamon 
3/4 tsp of ground ginger 
1/4 tsp of ground cloves 
1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg 
Dash of all-spice 
1/2 tsp of salt 
1 cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup of light brown sugar 
1 cup of granulated sugar 
1 large egg 
1 tsp of vanilla extract 
1 cup of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1-1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats 
1 cup of white chocolate chips 
1 cup of dried cranberries 

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, spices and salt.  Whisk to blend.  

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Blend in the egg and vanilla.  Beat in the pumpkin puree until well incorporated.  With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Beat in the oats until combined.  With a rubber spatula, fold in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries until evenly mixed.

Drop in small scoops (about 1½-2 tablespoons) onto prepared baking sheets, spaced 2-3 inches apart.  

Bake 12-14 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned, rotating the sheets halfway through baking.  Allow to cool on the sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

Chunky-Soft-Goodness! 

Keeping it Simple: Vanilla Rice Krispy Squares

So I know this isn't the usual elaborate dessert but "keeping it simple" is the new motto. Everyone loves Rice Krispy Treats! The secret to these babies are to use Vanilla Rice Krispies as well as pure vanilla extract... I went to a cottage a few summers ago and the hostess made these babies... What a hit!

Ingredients

1/4 cup of margarine (I used Becel, Yum)
1 - 250g bag of marshmallows
1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract 
6 cups of Vanilla Rice Krispies 

First,  butter your dish that you will be putting the finished product in. This keeps everything from sticking... Best way to do this is by using a sandwich bag or plastic wrap to cover your hand and butter up your pan.

In a large pot, melt butter and marshmallows together. Once melted, add pure vanilla extract.

Add rice krispies to pot and stir well. Once blended, spread in prepared pan and let cool.
Serve up.

Simply Delicious!

Updates!! Updates!! Updates!!

New recipes coming soon!! 

We've officially moved into our new house and have somewhat settled in... So back to blogging...Stay tuned!

Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake

Well it's that time of year again... It seems that once Fall rolls around... I just crave anything pumpkin. My boyfriend and I recently took a trip to Toronto and on the way home stopped for supper. I had the most delicious pumpkin cheesecake in the WORLD! I decided that for my mom and cousin's birthday, I'd try a pumpkin cheesecake version of my own... Delish!

Ingredients


Cheesecake

3/4 cup Honey Maid Graham Crumbs 
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3/4 cup packed brown sugar, divided
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin
3 eggs 
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 
1/2 tsp ground ginger 
3 packages (250g each) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp cornstarch 

Praline 

1/2 cup granulated sugar 
2 tbsp water 
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup thawed Cool Whip Whipping topping

Mix graham crumbs, nuts, 1/4 cup each of brown sugar and granulated sugar, and butter. Press onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 350F. Whisk pumpkin, remaining brown sugar, eggs and spices until well blended. Beat cream cheese, remaining granulated sugar and cornstarch in large bowl with the mixer until well blended. Add pumpkin mixture; mix just until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until centre is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool completely before removing rim. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Meanwhile, prepare praline.

Bring sugar and water to a boil in small saucepan on medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling, without stirring, 5 - 7 minutes or until syrup is thickened and begins to turn golden brown. Remove from heat. Stir in nuts.

Spread onto parchment covered baking sheet. Cool. Break into bite size pieces. Top cheesecake with cool whip and praline just before serving.

Cinnamon Bun Cupcakes

I've been wanting to make these ever since I thought: Wouldn't it be DELICIOUS to have a cinnamon bun in a cupcake? Following my cupcake obsession, this dream soon became a reality! I made these GREAT cupcakes and am truly impressed with their turn out. Who doesn't like cinnamon buns? Really?

Ingredients for the cupcake dough

2 1/4 tsp. or 1 packet (1/4 oz./7 g) dry active yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 cup warm milk (approximately 110 degrees Fahrenheit)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. salt 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

Ingredients for the filling 

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup of pecans, chopped 

 

Dissolve the yeast and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar in the warm milk in a large bowl and let stand for about 10 minutes until foamy.Mix in the eggs, butter, salt, and other 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. Add flour and mix until well blended and the dough forms a ball. Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about one hour).

After the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners (I like to double them up because these cinnamon rolls are so moist), and lightly spray over the top of them with cooking spray.

Roll dough into a 12×22 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/2 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 24 rolls. If they are too big for the cupcake cups re-roll each one just a little bit tighter 

Fill two cupcake pans with paper liners and lightly spray with cooking spray ( oil)  Place each roll in a cupcake liner. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Let rolls cool completely before frosting (or else the frosting will melt and slide off).

Ingredients for the cream cheese frosting

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract 

Cream together the butter and cream cheese ( in electric mixer or a medium bowl with a hand mixer). Add in the powdered sugar a half a cup at a time until you get the consistency you want. Add in the vanilla and mix well.

 

Cin-na-min-ni Goodness... FAB-U-LOUS

Banana Walnut/Chocolate Chip Muffins

Again as a consequence of over-buying my produce from Costco, I had some banana's that were on their last leg of life. I figured since I was headed to a friend's cottage this weekend, these muffins would make an excellent breakfast or snack. In my indecisiveness I decided to add walnuts & chocolate chips to half of each batch. A little variety in life is always welcome! These babies are a healthier alternative and made with brown sugar and apple sauce. PERFECT!

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large bananas, mashed
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar 
1 egg
1/3 cup apple sauce
Walnuts and chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat muffin pans with non-stick spray, or use paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. 

Combine bananas, sugar, egg, and apple sauce in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Separate batter into 2 bowls and fold in desired amount of walnuts or chocolate chips. Scoop into muffin pans. 

 Bake in preheated oven. Bake mini muffins for 10 to 15 minutes, and large muffins for 25 to 30 minutes. Muffins will spring back when lightly tapped. 

Healthy Breakfast Delicious-ness 

Mexican-Style Mini Meatloaves

Cupcake Obsession! I have been totally obsessed with trying out new cupcake recipes... When I came across this Mexican-Style Mini Meatloaf recipe made in a cupcake tin, I thought well what could be better. I also am a big fan of meatloaf, it always seems to be appreciated in our household. These babies are delicious and only take 30 minutes to cook!

Ingredients 

1 lb. (450g) of extra lean ground beef or turkey (I used beef) 
1 pkg. of Stove Top chicken stuffing mix
1/2 cup of chopped onion 
1 cup of water 
2 tsp of chili powder
1/2 cup of chunky salsa 
1/2 shredded cheese (I used a blend of old white cheddar and mozzarella)

Heat oven to 350F. Mix meat, stuffing mix, onion, water and chili powder. Press into 8 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray

Make an indentation in the center of each meatloaf with spoon; fill with chunky salsa.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Top with shredded cheese and continue baking for another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

And that's what's for dinner tonight folks!