Chickpea and Tomato Soup

New Year’s Resolution: eat more soup. Actually, let me be more specific – eat more homemade soup.

I have mixed feelings about making New Year’s Resolutions. Yes, I believe it’s important to think of positive changes to make for the year ahead – but I don't like the idea of unrealistic resolutions. I’m not about to resolve to start training for a marathon or give up carbs or anything silly like that.

My New Year’s Resolution is very practical for me. I already eat a lot of soup – it’s one of my favourite lunch foods. I like that soup isn’t too heavy, so I'm not sleepy all afternoon after eating it. The problem with my soup habit, however, is that I don’t like high sodium salty soups – and so I often end up buying expensive soups with fresh ingredients from restaurants like Fresh or Ravi Soups. If you haven’t been to Fresh, it is a restaurant that markets itself as “Gourmet Vegetarian Dining”. Fresh offers two soup options daily, and they use a selection of deliciously interesting ingredients and flavours. My favourite soup I’ve tried is Golden Curried Lentil with Toasted Cumin and Coconut Milk, while I found the Yellow Split Pea with Tomato, Cinnamon and Fennel to be more of a miss… Every time I go to Fresh for soup and spend $3.50 on a cup, or $6 on a bowl, I always feel like I should be making this soup myself at home to save money. So, New Year’s Resolution: eat more homemade soup.

This recipe is for tomato and chickpea soup. Although it lacks some of Fresh’s more exotic ingredients (like toasted cumin or fennel), it’s very easy to make at home, and tasty too! Tomato soup was one of my favourites growing up, but even though Campbell’s tells me they’ve reduced the salt content, I can’t bring myself to eat a can of Tomato Soup very often anymore. With this soup, you add Parmesan rind while the soup simmers, and remove the rind before you blend the soup, which adds a lovely hint of cheese. The addition of pasta makes it hearty, and I like that the chickpeas give this soup protein. We originally received this recipe from the Heart and Stroke foundation – so we know it’s heart healthy too!

THE RECIPE:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 19 oz can of chickpeas

1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 small parmesan cheese rind

4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Oregano, to taste

Chili flakes, to taste

1 cup cooked orzo or other small pasta

1. In large stock pot, heat olive oil. Saute garlic until just brown. 

2. Rinse chickpeas and add to the pot. Saute with the garlic for about 30 seconds. 

3. Stir in diced tomatoes. Add cheese rind, oregano, chilli flakes and water. Simmer for at least 15 minutes or up to an hour. Although in general, the longer you simmer, the better the taste, if you are going to simmer for much longer than an hour with this recipe, I'd say add more water than the recipe calls for, or you will have a very thick soup at the end. 

4. While soup is simmering, cook pasta in a separate pot. I used orzo, but any small or smallish sized pasta will do! 

5. Once the soup has simmered, remove the parmesan cheese rind. Puree the soup until chunky in a food processer or blender. Stir in cooked pasta.

6. Serve hot, garnished with grated parmesan cheese.

Eat immediately or freeze. If you opt to freeze some of this soup, why not freeze it in individual portions - so you can defrost one at a time to take for lunch? 

I recommend serving this soup with a side of hearty French bread, or maybe even a grilled cheese sandwich – because, like I said, we’re not giving up anything crazy like carbs for the new year.

Happy 2012 Eating!

Caroline

Holiday Cut-Out Cookies

It would be impossible for me to pick one favourite Christmas memory - but one that comes to mind every year on the evening of December 24 is leaving out cookies for Santa. This was always a very big deal for me. I had to make sure to choose a selection of different cookies, including at least one of my favourite chocolate chip cookies. We also poured a glass of milk (now I've now come to realize that Santa may have actually preferred a hot drink, or maybe something a bit stronger...) and left carrots and celery for the reindeer. I left the plate of cookies on the table by our Christmas tree - and without fail every year, the next morning, the cookies would be gone, and the milk glass empty.

These cookies remind me of leaving cookies out for Santa. I used recipes for these cookies which you, dear readers, have already seen in scrambled eggs etc: I baked gingerbread cookies, and decorated them with Royal Icing. I also baked more shortbread cookies, which I dipped in melted chocolate or decorated with sprinkles.

It's not too late to bake some holiday cut-out cookies! A tip for rolling out dough - if your dough is too dry, it's going to be crumbly. This can make it a bit difficult to get your cut-out shapes to work. It's easier if you start the dough off too wet, since you'll be rolling it on a floured surface (with a floured rolling pin) - and this will help dry the dough out a bit more too.

A decorating tip: I did not use any fancy sort of piping kit to decorate the gingerbread. I spooned icing into a small plastic bag and cut a very tiny hole in one corner. The smaller the hole, the more control you'll have with decorating. 

I think Santa will be pretty happy when I leave out some of these cookies for him tomorrow night!

Happy Holidays and Happy Holiday Eating!

Caroline

Cheese Strata

This recipe is famous in our family. So famous that we fondly refer to our Christmas Brunch day as “Strata Day”.

Our recipe for cheese strata comes from my mother. She only makes strata once a year – and this year, Strata Day was almost cancelled! Since a large contingent of our family is in Hawaii right now (cough cough, Jo), we did not find a date for our Christmas Brunch before everyone left.  Now, I could not stand for a year to pass by without strata. I was also aware that some dear readers out there were looking forward to this particular recipe… and so, I convinced my mother that although it was not our annual Christmas Brunch this past weekend, that we should make a strata anyway. I really think it worked out for the best that Jo and her family are currently relaxing on a beach, since although I may be stuck here in semi-chilly Toronto, there is more strata for me!

If you are not familiar with what strata is yet, it is a bit like a quiche, in the sense that its base ingredients include eggs, milk and cheese. Rather than having a crust, however, strata has layers of bread within the egg mixture – an amazing addition as this is softer than a quiche crust.

Now that my mother has finally passed on this recipe to me (thanks Mom!), I’m sure that we will have a postponed Strata Day (Christmas Brunch) in early January, when our vacationers return!

Broccoli and cheese - always a winning combination

THE RECIPE:

10 to 12 slices white bread

¾ lb cheddar cheese, grated (I used about 2 cups)

1 head of Broccoli*

Optional: 2 cups of ham

6 to 8 eggs, slightly beaten

2 ½ to 3 cups of 2% milk

2 to 3 tbsp minced dried onion

¼ tsp dry Keen’s mustard

Pinch of salt

1. For a festive look, choose a shaped cookie cutter (I used a star) or alternatively, use a circular cookie cutter (or a water glass) to cut shapes from white bread. Set aside the cut out shapes. Line the bottom of your 9 by 11” baking dish with the scraps of the bread.

2. Sprinkle a layer of cheese on top of the bread layer, reserving around a quarter cup of cheese.

3. Cut broccoli into bite sized pieces and partially cook, so the broccoli is still a bit crunchy. 4. Layer the broccoli on top of the cheese. If using ham or any other vegetables, include them in the layer now too. 

5. Take your reserved cut out shapes of bread and arrange on top.

6. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, beat together the eggs and milk. Stir in the minced dried onion and dry mustard. Pour the egg mixture over your casserole dish. The eggs will rise a bit while baking, so do not overfill. If there is not enough egg mixture, add more milk to the strata dish.

7. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

8. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for one hour. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese (if you really like cheese, you could even grate more than your reserved ¼ cup and sprinkle it on now too) and bake an additional 5 minutes.

9. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

10. Book off a day in your calendar that will forever be referred to as “Strata Day”. You now have a new annual tradition. 

* Feel free to substitute for other vegetables, such as asparagus, red peppers, mushrooms, etc.

Line your pan with the leftover bread pieces (left)

Strata is a classic brunch dish, and, as mentioned in the recipe, this dish needs to be refrigerated for at least 6 hours before baking (this lets the flavours soak in). Strata is perfect to make the night before a special brunch – I hear next Sunday may be a special day (December 25, isn't it?), or there’s always New Year’s Day… it’s pretty nice to wake up in the morning and just turn on the oven and not have to do any other work until the strata is ready to eat!

Happy Eating!

Caroline

Mini Caprese Salad

Dear Readers - I'm going to go ahead and make it official: holiday season 2011 is upon us in full force. Unfortunately we haven't had the Christmasy weather yet to match the season - but, in addition to all the pre-Christmas sales, holiday drinks at your favourite coffeeshops, and Christmas movies constantly on TV, the holiday parties are here now too!

Now, if you happen to get invited to a holiday party on a week night, when you know, for example, that you have to work and you won't be home till at least 6, but the party starts at 7, do not despair. I have the perfect holiday appetizer for you! It's red, white and green - so pretty and festive - and will take you no longer than 10 minutes to prepare! It's also easy to eat with one hand while holding your glass of pinot grigio in the other. Oh, and it tastes pretty darn good too - but I've already convinced you that this is what you'll be making to take to your next holiday festivities, haven't I?

Now, I know this recipe is very similar to the first course of the Italian feast Jo and I made back in October (see here), but you really must appreciate the fact that this is a mini version. Without the key use of a toothpick, you really would not be able to eat this appetizer and mingle at the same time.

THE RECIPE:

32 mini mini bocconcini cheese (apparently bocconcini comes in many different sizes - pearls will be too small, just one "mini" will be too big)
Olive oil and balsamic vinegar, to taste
16 cherry tomatoes, halved
fresh basil, washed and cut
toothpicks (with a fun fringe on the end, if you dare)

1. Toss the bocconcini in olive oil and balsamic vinegar and leave to marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Cut your tomatoes in half
3. Assemble on toothpick: slide tomato half on first, then fold basil leaf and slide on next, and finish with the mini mini ball of bocconcini.
4. Arrange on pretty platter and wow your host/hostess with your culinary and artistic ability!

And yes, in case you were wondering I did make it to that holiday party on time after work the other day - the bigger struggle has been finding the time to share this holiday gem with you all!

Happy Holiday-Party-Eating!

Caroline

Homemade Dog Biscuits

Well readers, this one's for the dogs... literally. 

This is a... less conventional holiday tradition in my family, but for about as long as I can remember every year my sister, Brittany, and I have made dog biscuits for our friends and family. The funny part is we've never had a dog. Call it living vicariously through others/baking, if you will. 

Now I know when you think "Holiday Baking", dog biscuits are not the first thing that come to mind. Lets be serious they are probably the LAST thing on your mind, considering all the delicious holiday cookies and cakes to be made! But give it some thought. Imagine, kindhearted readers, that you are a dog. At Christmas-time. All around you are the smells and sights of tasty Christmas-y things! Cookies, and turkeys, and cakes, and pies! It would be torture! Don't you think the lil pups deserve a special treat too? Enter Homemade Dog Biscuits!! 

This is yet another recipe hailing from a kids craft-type book (see: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread). In this case the book is "Gifts Kids Can Make", by Sheila McGraw. It's awesome and also TOTALLY 90s.... 

Nothing says 90s like a bedazzled denim purse

That was fun! Anyway, you can tell we always use this book for the dog biscuit recipe because it opens right to that page every time (I can't help but think it's some Harry Potter stylz magic - nerd, I know). So here it is: 

THE RECIPE:

1 1/4 cup flour

1 package (1/4 cup) orange powdered cheese - a.k.a. buy yourself some KD (or some generic version) and steal the cheese from that! 

2 tbsp chopped parsley (the book claims its good for your dog - I just like that it adds little green freckles to the biscuits)

1/4 cup of water

1 egg

Milk 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together the flour, cheese powder, and parsley. 

2. Beat egg and mix it into the water. Then add the water/egg mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. 

3. With a mixing spoon (I find a spatula works the best), begin to blend everything together. It's going to be tricky and you will eventually have to get your hands in there and do a bit of kneading to get everything completely blended and formed into a ball. Keep in mind the mixture should be stiff and elastic-y, if it feels too sticky add more flour.

I give you... The Dough!

I have a problem, dear readers... it's called:
"I like photos of raw eggs too much".
(see: Chocolate Chip Cookies)

4. Sprinkle flour onto a flat surface and roll out the dough until it's about half a centimeter thick (roll the dough like you MEAN it! It likes to bounce back into shape). 

5. Get yourself a fun dog bone shaped cookie cutter and cut out the dough. In the book, they handcraft their cookies into little croissants, bagels, and egg bread (they even decorate them with poppyseeds!) but I honestly like the simple bone shape better and also you get way more cookies out of it!

6. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and position your biscuits on it. They won't spread so get em' nice and cozy on there (especially, if like me, you make a double batch). 

7. Brush the biscuits with some milk before popping them in the oven - this helps them brown... not that it really matters, I don't think your dog with notice or care whether or not his biscuits are browned. 

[Funny story, I 100% forgot to do this while baking my own dog biscuits so improvised and did it randomly in the middle of them baking... then just now I forgot to type it into the recipe steps and had to come back and add it in]. 

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (rotate your cookie sheets if you use more than one), then turn the oven down to 200 degrees and continue to bake for about 60 minutes. 

9. Remove biscuits and allow them to cool and harden! (Because who wants chewy dog biscuits?)

Fresh out of the oven! They actually smell
good enough to eat!

Mid-Baking Milk Glazing - oops
Photo Cred: Dad

This recipe makes about 20 small-ish dog biscuits, but it really depends on what size cookie cutter you are using. I always make a double-batch (what else is new right?) 

Dear readers it's now that I come to the sad part of this blog post... for the past few years I have always gone to one store *cough*SolutionsatYongeandEglinton*cough* and bought those cute Chinese Take-Out boxes to put the bog biscuits in! They're cheap AND fun! But when I went to buy some today.... they had DISCONTINUED THEM! Needless to say I was a little more than peeved. Anyway, I bought a somewhat-decent-ok substitute. 

Biscuits all wrapped up for the season!

F.Y.I. if any of you are questioning why I would put a recipe for dog biscuits on a food blog (intended for human food...) then if you muuuust know you COULD technically eat these and they actually kind of smell delicious while they're baking (imagine if you made Kraft Dinner... then baked it in the oven! Yum!) 

And one more thing, just for fun!! This is currently my favorite dog video, and I watch it daily as a sort of personal torture because I want a bulldog SO badly!! If this doesn't melt your heart I am convinced you have no soul. 

I'd say happy eating but perhaps Happy Dog-Treating is more appropriate? I promise your dog will love you just a little bit more if you make these :) 

Jo 

Shortbread Toblerone Cookies

Simply put, these cookies are basic shortbread with chunks of Toblerone chocolate on top or mixed in to the dough. What these cookies really are though, are the most tasty, most idiot-proof, and most instantly popular cookies in the entire world. It's pretty much a proven fact - tests have been conducted; stats have been compiled. 

In the Rance family, these cookies also mark the holiday season. First popularized at the Rance family Christmas brunch (or as we like to call it: the day we get to eat Judy's Strata - see recipe here!!), these cookies quickly became a go-to recipe for holiday parties, presents, and pleasant nights in, curled up watching Love Actually.

If there is one recipe from this food blog that you try - it has to be this one. These cookies are so buttery soft and delicious and so easy to make that you really have no excuse not to at least try them. We also concluded, while baking this afternoon, how unfortunate it is that all of you lovely readers wouldn't be able to smell the cookies baking... because it's really one of the best parts. Bake them and smell it for yourselves!! And as if you need anymore reason as to why you should bake these cookies...

The cookies are complied of basically two star ingredients.... Butter and Toblerone.

Need we really say more?

THE RECIPE 

(Sidenote: this recipe is technically "doubled", so if you want less cookies feel free to halve it... but once you realize how quickly these cookies disappear you'll know why the so-called "double" batch is our "standard" batch).

1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 1/2 cups corn starch
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
Toblerone (you know that saying, "less is more"? That does not apply to this recipe at all).

1. It's best if you let your butter sit out at room temperature for a few hours before you bake the cookies. Once the butter is soft, cream the butter in a large bowl.
2. Sift icing sugar, corn starch and flour into the butter and continue to cream until all the ingredients are incorporated.
3. Form your dough into a large ball (this isn't necessary but will make it easier).
4. Roll dough into approximately 1-inch balls and place on parchment paper lined cookie trays.
5. Chop the Toblerone into bite-sized pieces - ours are between the size of a pea and a grape (Feel free to ignore our weird size reference - we really struggled with it). Press Toblerone pieces into the balls of dough, flattening the cookie slightly.
6. Bake in 325 degree oven for 20-25 mins, until golden brown around edges.

If you want to try something a little different, we also like to chop the Toblerone more finely and mix it into the dough rather than having a piece on top. This recipe is also great with chocolate chips and can be used to make cut-out cookies (which, as a further sidenote, are delicious dipped in melted chocolate).

Disclaimer: Allow cookies to cool before consuming. Through many failed attempts, we've finally learned that no matter how desperately you want to eat them fresh out of the oven, hot chocolate will always burn.

Disclaimer #2: Eat with caution. These cookies are addictive and it is easy to eat an entire batch in one sitting. To stop yourself, refer to how much butter is actually in them again.

Happy Eating!

Caroline and Jo

Mo' Cookies (Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing)

We got our Mo' on... you should too! 

Before we get to the recipe/quirky story part of this post, we wanted to share with you the many possible titles we thought of for our Movember themed Sugar Cookies: 

*ahem*

- Mo' Cookies Mo' Problems 

- "Please Sir, can I have some Mo' [sugar cookies]"? 

- Sugar Cookies with the Mo'stest 

- One Mo' Time - we gonna celebrate [Movember]

- Cookie Mo'ster 

Now that you've been privy to our creative minds, lets Mo' on to the cookies (be prepared, dear readers, for many Mo' jokes throughout this post) (get it? Mo'... More... as in MORE (Mo') jokes about Mo's??) Gosh we're witty. 

Over the past few years, the month of November gradually became fondly referred to as Movember; a month in which men grow out moustaches to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer. These Mo's serve as a so-called "hairy ribbon"- much like the pink ribbon we wear for breast cancer. Since we sadly (or not so sadly) cannot grow moustaches, we wanted to participate in some other way! Bring on the moustache shaped cookies, or Mo' Cookies. 

For these cookies we opted for a Mo' traditional sugar cookie recipe along with the Mo'st simple royal icing for decorating. This recipe is great for much Mo' than just Mo' Cookies! It can be used to make quick, tasty treats of all shapes and sizes. So here we Mo'... 

THE RECIPE: 

Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar 

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 to 2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder (NOT SODA)

1 pinch of salt (a single pinch - don't get too excited)

1. Cream together butter and sugar until the mixture is fluffy! ("Cream" is just a fancy way of saying beat - aka mix with vigor! - or mix master, whatever you got!) Mo'ing on...

2. Beat in egg and vanilla. 

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and that SINGLE pinch of salt (F.Y.I. the emphasis on the single pinch of salt is merely us poking fun at the original recipe - we're not that strict guys cMO'n). 

4. Stir the flour mixture INTO the fluffy butter mixture 1/3 at a time (trust us on this one). At this point you can either divide the batter into separate discs, or keep it as one large disc - either way, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at LEAST an hour (but overnight or for 24 hours is Mo' ideal). 

5. Now all you do is roll out the dough (on a floured surface), cut into fun shapes (i.e. Mo's), and bake in a 350 degree oven for approx. 8 minutes or until the edges are golden. 

6. Let your Mo's cool, and decorate them at your will! Preferably using our Royal Icing :)

Some Mo' Mo's

Where the Mo'gic happened! Also known as our
not-so-organized cookie decorating station...
a.k.a the dining room table

Royal Icing

4 cups Icing Sugar

2 tbsp Meringue Powder (aka Cream of Tartar)

6 tbsp water 

1. Mix all ingredients together using an electric mixer (unless you are feeling heroic and have impressive arm stamina), until you get a consistency you like. If the icing is too stiff, add more water; if it's too watery, add more icing sugar! 

2. You can stick with boring white icing... OR you can have Mo' fun by experimenting with food colouring (we sure did!). Just get yourself some food dye and giver! We divided our icing into bowls so we could make a whole whack of colours. 

We at scrambledeggsetc are avid supporters of diversity and individuality. Therefore we wanted to cover Mo' than just your average Mo'. Top Left: Ginger Mo', Top Right: Standard Mo', Bottom Left: Pink Mo'! Bottom Right: Juvenile Mo'

Feel like doing some Mo'? Visit this AWESOME, deserving of donations, Mo' Space!!! 

Or visit Movember Canada to check out other Mo' Bros and Mo' Sistas!

Happy Mo'ing!

Caroline and Jo a.k.a. Mo' Jo and Caro Mo' 

Christmas Cake

It’s only six weeks until Christmas! It’s time to get out to the malls to do your shopping before the stores get too busy, start listening to your favourite holiday songs, make your list and check it twice, and… start your Christmas baking!

Okay, maybe you’re thinking it’s a bit early to start your Christmas baking – but that’s probably because you haven’t factored in Christmas Cake. I will be honest with you, dear readers: Christmas Cake is not my favourite holiday treat. This is probably because I’m not the world’s biggest fan of candied cherries – as pretty and festive as they look, with their shades of bright red and green. Christmas Cake is for me, however, as firmly ingrained in holiday traditions as decorating our Christmas tree or going to see the Nutcracker ballet. I think Christmas Cake is one of the many tastes of Christmas, and I am of the opinion that as far as Christmas Cakes go, my grandmother makes the best one there is.

I have always vaguely known that my grandmother makes her Christmas Cake well in advance of Christmas – but when I got the phone call earlier this week inviting me to come over and help “stir the cake”, I learned that it is in fact six weeks before Christmas when she makes it. I also learned today that the stirring is quite the strenuous ordeal.

Christmas Cake is made in advance of Christmas because once it is baked and cooled, you wrap it in a brandy soaked cheesecloth and store it in a cool location until Christmas. The six weeks or so gives the brandy time to soak in to the cake to perfection – leaving the cake moist and flavourful. Something to look forward to: six weeks from now, I will be back at my grandparents’ house for Christmas dinner… and that dinner will end with a slice of this golden, red and green marbled cake.

As I typed out my grandmother’s recipe from her well-used recipe card, I asked her why it was titled “Light Christmas Cake” and not just “Christmas Cake”. She informed me that there is also such thing as a Dark Christmas cake, which is made with molasses and dark raisins, but we both agreed that the Light Christmas Cake is much nicer.

The process of making Christmas Cake is quite time consuming – my grandmother started it yesterday, when she prepared the fruit – and although we have baked the cakes today, they will need to cool overnight before she wraps them up tomorrow to store away for Christmas. So I apologize this is not one of Scrambled Eggs Etc’s simpler recipes – but a classic one to know, no less! 

THE RECIPE:

Day 1: Prepare the fruit

2 cups almonds

1 lb of red cherries, whole

1 lb of green cherries, whole

1 lb of glazed pineapple, cut in pieces

1 lb mixed glazed fruit

3 cups of light raisins (golden raisins)

1/3 cup white sugar

½ to ¾ cup Metaxa (or other Brandy)

1. You can either buy peeled almonds, and then they will be ready and save you some time – but if you buy regular almonds, as my grandmother did, you will need to peel them yourself. Put the almonds in boiling water for a few minutes. When you remove them from the water, you will be able to easily remove the peel. Next, place nuts on a tray in 325 oven for 10 minutes to lightly brown.

2. Cut red and green cherries in half, and put in large pot with glazed pineapple and mixed fruit. Save some nuts and cherries aside to decorate the top of the cakes.

3. In a pot, put 2/3 cup of water and 1/3 cup white sugar and bring to a boil. When water is boiling, add the raisins. Cover the pot and let simmer 5 minutes. Let cool.  When cool, pour over the fruit in the big pot. Stir Metaxa into the fruit. Leave overnight (with lid on the pot – and can sit out on the counter).

4. Leave your pound of butter out overnight in the wrapper so it will be soft for the baking the next day. 

Day 2: Baking

1 cup of flour

1 lb (2 cups) butter

2 cups white sugar

3 cups of flour

6 eggs

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons baking powder

¾ cup evaporated milk

1. Sprinkle 1 cup of flour over the fruit and stir into fruit. This will help keep the fruit separate so it will be easier to stir later.

2. Line the bottom and sides of pans with 2 layers of dampened parchment paper. We used 3 square pans – 1 large, 1 medium, and 1 small. The pans we used have removable bottoms, so I suggest using a springform pan (for the amount of batter this recipe makes, you will probably need two 9” springform pans) for easy removal. When I asked my grandmother where she got her cake pans from, she said she’s had them since she got married… so that was 59 years ago!

3. Cream butter well. Add sugar gradually. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour to creamy mixture alternately with milk, 1/3 at a time, ending with flour and mixing well.

5. Add the cake batter to the fruit and stir with a large wooden spoon until all fruit is well coated

6. Pour into tins (a little over half full) and smooth the top, and decorate with reserved fruit and almonds.

7. Before transferring cakes to oven, drop/bang cake pan on the counter to remove any excess air in the cake.

8. Bake at 275 degree oven for approximately 3 hours. Check them after 2 and a half hours. (Our smallest cake was ready in 2 and a half hours). Insert stick of spaghetti into cake to test if it is cooked – when the spaghetti comes out dry, it is cooked. Be careful that the spaghetti stick does not break in the cake! (This is a new tip I picked up from my grandmother today, rather than the tried and true toothpick test). 

9. Let cool in cake pans overnight.

Day 3: Wrap up and store away for Christmas! (Like a present!)

1. Remove cakes from pans and remove paper. 

2. Cut cheesecloth into pieces big enough to cover each Christmas cake. Dip cheesecloth into brandy and wrap it around the cake. Cover with saran wrap and then foil, and transfer to a cookie tin, and store in a cool place until Christmas (for approximately six weeks).

So, now that I’ve officially started my Christmas baking… expect more to come soon - there's a lot a girl can do in six weeks! 

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This banana bread and I have grown up together. Unlike some things I may have loved as a young child – overalls from Gap Kids, boy bands, and purple hair mascara, etc. – this recipe for chocolate chip banana bread was no passing phase.

When I was around the age of 10, my parents gave me a cookbook for Christmas called Kids Can Cook! – a sign that I started my cooking obsession at a young age. The cookbook had lots of great, simple recipes that I loved to make, especially the banana bread recipe… but unfortunately, somewhere along the way it got lost. Not all was lost, however: thankfully, I had typed out this recipe for banana bread.

In grade 10, my homeform teacher decided we should do class breakfasts on the two mornings a week we had homeroom. This idea was to encourage the importance of eating a healthy, balanced breakfast every morning. With a partner of our choosing, we got assigned a date when it would be our morning to bring in breakfast. Montreal style or Gryfe bagels with cream cheese, a selection of fruit and Tropicana orange juice was probably the most popular breakfast option – but when my turn rolled around, I, in typical me fashion, wanted to bake something for the class. (Note: This was at a time before schools were so strict about nut free regulations, so home baked goods were allowed). So I brought in this classic, one of my favourites that I had been baking since I first received Kids Can Cook: chocolate chip banana bread. It was a hit, and my homeform teacher asked me for the recipe. So I typed it up to give to him. Now, thanks to that teacher I still have the recipe saved, while I no longer have the cookbook, Kids Can Cook!  

This recipe came with my to university as well. In my second and third years at Queen’s, I lived in a seven person house, with six other girls. Our oven in that house was ancient, and rather small, but it still got the trick done, and I loved to bake for the house. This banana bread was a fast favourite – and I quickly discovered that one loaf, freshly out of the oven, divided by seven girls equals a remainder of just a few crumbs. So, I adapted and chose to double the recipe when I baked the banana bread. This meant we could have 2 loaves: one for immediate consumption, and the second that may last a day, or two, if we were lucky…

This banana bread has simple ingredients (sugar, butter, bananas, flour, chocolate chips, etc...) and the dash of cinnamon very nicely compliments the banana flavour. It is easy and quick to prepare and will fill your kitchen with an amazing smell while it bakes for an hour. Really, your oven does most of the work (timewise, at least) with this recipe!

THE RECIPE:

½ cup butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

1 egg

3 ripe bananas (I only use 2, unless they are small) 

2 cups all purpose flour (I use 1 cup regular and 1 cup whole wheat)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

½ salt

¾ to 1 cup chocolate chips

1. Heat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC). Grease loaf pan.

2. In medium bowl, combine butter and sugar. Cream together with wooden spoon until smooth. (This is word-for-word from Kids Can Cook!  - since I like to use my stand mixer for just about anything I bake, I cream the butter and sugar together… if you are cooking with a child and want to avoid using an electric mixer, by all means, cream the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon – or maybe you prefer to use a wooden spoon! Totally up to you!)

3. Add the egg. Mix well. (Or in my case, blend in the egg)

4. Mash bananas and add to other ingredients in the bowl. Stir together.

5. In separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. 

6. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture. Stir thoroughly. (Blend in with mixer, if using)

7. Add the chocolate chips. Stir.

8. Spoon the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Baking time will depend on your oven, but when the loaf is finished, the edges will be golden brown and a toothpick (or fork) inserted in the centre of the loaf will come out clean.

9. Wait for the loaf to cool a few minutes before consumption – this may be easier said than done because it's going to smell delicious!

If you are part of the 1% who doesn’t like chocolate, try making it without the chocolate chips – I’ll try not to judge you, too much…

I like to keep bananas on hand in the freezer so that when the mood hits, I can bake my favourite loaf: chocolate chip banana bread. Try it, you’ll love it, and if you’re anything like me, this recipe may just stick with you for a long, long time… Thank you, Kids Can Cook! (Lost, but never forgotten).

A note about defrosting bananas: I like to defrost mine by running hot water over them in the sink. The peel will be a bit messy coming off, but I find it is best if the bananas are still partially frozen inside (so they’re not too mushy) and then I mash them and add them in. 

Happy Eating!

Caroline

Witch's Hat Cookies

Halloween: it conjures up glowing jack-o-lanterns, a rustle of leaves on the ground, spooky bats and ghosts and skeletons hanging from doors or trees... and going door-to-door for sweets, all the while dressed up in some fantastic costume. Growing up, trick-or-treating has to be the best part of Halloween. Now that I'm at the age where it's more appropriate to hand out candy from my front door rather than to go out collecting it, I love Halloween no less... maybe even more! Halloween (or Halloweek) still gives me an excuse to dress up in costume, and as Jo and I proved earlier, carving pumpkins is a lot of fun and roasted pumpkin seeds are delicious, AND we get to bake Halloween-themed goodies! Seriously, what's not to love?

Enter the Witch's Hat Cookies. These are perfect for your Halloween parties this weekend - they look adorable and they taste great (the cookie dough is almost brownie-like, and who doesn't love Hershey's kisses?) So whether or not you make it out trick or treating on October 31st, here is a treat for you...

I halved the following recipe and it made 35 cookies... so it's up to you how many you want to make, but here is the recipe (from Canadian Living) in full:

THE RECIPE: 

4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped

1. In double boiler, heatproof bowl, or smaller saucepan over saucepan of hot (not boiling) water, melt chocolate, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile beat together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Once chocolate is melted, beat it in too.
3. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture in 2 additions to make smooth dough.
4. Roll dough into small ball and press flat onto parchment paper lined baking tray (size of cookie should be about 1 inch). Place cookies about 1 inch apart from each other.
5. Bake in 350 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until edges are crisp (which is not easy to see on these chocolate cookies, but they will definitely be done in 10 minutes or less depending on your oven; I baked mine for 8).
6. Transfer to racks and press Hershey's Kisses into centre of each cookie. Let cool.

Icing:
Although the icing step of these cookies is not 100% necessary if you are in a rush, I think it adds a nice touch! I whipped up a quick icing with icing sugar, butter, vanilla and milk - and then played around with the food colour for a bit to get the light shade of orange I ended up with.
These amounts are approximate for the icing and can be modified depending on the thickness (you don't want your icing to be too thin or it will run):

1 cup icing sugar
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp milk
A few drops of pure vanilla extract
Food colour (yellow and red)

1. Blend icing sugar and butter together until smooth.
2. Blend milk and vanilla into icing sugar mixture.
3. Food colour: for orange, I started with yellow, and blended it in a few drops at a time, until I had a fairly bright shade of yellow. Then I added ONE drop of red, and suddenly my icing had turned a pinkish orange! So I added more yellow, until I was at a very pale orange - but since I wanted a bright orange, I added another drop of red. Once again, I had a pinkish icing - so I added some more yellow, and then decided I'd rather not risk pink icing again, so the colour in the pictures is what I finished with. If you're better at mixing food colours, feel free to give me some tips on how to make a brighter orange!
4. Transfer icing into a small ziplock bag and remove all access air from bag before sealing it. Push the icing into one of the bottom corners of the bag, and then cut a tiny, tiny hole.
5. Ice away your Witch's Hats! I chose to just ice around the Hershey's Kiss, although you could do a second rim around the brim too!

Melting chocolate... mmm

Press the Hershey's Kisses into the cookies when you take them out of the oven (in the past I've done this step backwards, and if you put them on the cookies before they go in the oven, they will melt and look more like Witch Hat Blobs than Witch Hat Cookies!) 

The icing brings these Witch's Hat Cookies to life!

Happy Trick or Treating!

Caroline and Jo

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Happy Hallo-Week! (O.K... that was a pretty bad attempt at a funny Halloween joke, but bare with me).

This post came from a desire to carve pumpkins and blog about it... but because we are a food-centered blog, we needed something edible to go along with it. Enter pumpkin seeds!!

Ya, we made a bowl out of a pumpkin. Nbd. Watch out Martha Stewart!

For those of you who haven't tried this tasty treat... it's pretty tasty... and easy!! (Win!) And a great way to make use of some of that pumpkin gunk/guts/slimy stuff.

THE RECIPE:

All you need for this recipe is:

Pumpkin Seeds (minus pumpkin gunk)
Melted Butter
Salt & Pepper

1. As you are hauling out the insides of your pumpkin, separate the seeds from the slimy stuff and put them into a colander. Don't worry if there are some slimy bits mixed in - they'll rinse off pretty easy! Which brings us to the next step...
2. Rinse the pumpkin seeds.
3. Spread the seeds on a cookie sheet trying to make a single layer so the seeds will dry faster/toast more evenly.
4. IF you have the time, let the seeds dry out for a few hours or overnight. Since we are impatient we've never actually tried this so we don't ACTUALLY know if it makes a difference - try it and let us know!
5. Toss the pumpkin seeds, melted butter, and the salt and pepper together in a bowl.
6. Re-lay the seeds on the cookie sheet and bake for approximately 30 minutes at 325 degrees - or until they are golden brown/crispy/look delicious!

7. Put into a pretty bowl... or enjoy them hot and fresh off the cookie sheet like I just did...

Sidenote: We like to think of ourselves as food minimalists - only using essential, good quality ingredients. This is why we stuck to classic unsalted butter, coarse sea salt, and freshly ground pepper for this recipe. But there are lots of different spices you could try! A few ideas are: Curry flavored pumpkin seeds, paprika, BBQ, garlic and cheese (damn, maybe we should have tried that one... just thought of it now), or whatever your heart desires or your pantry/spice cupboard contains!

As for our carved pumpkins - the inspiration for this blog post - well, they turned out pretty damn good too:

Left: Jack Skellington the Pumpkin King Right: Cannibalistic, Evil Pumpkin... eating smaller Pumpkin

Happy Hallow-Eating!! (Yea..? No..? Whatever, I like it).

Caroline and Jo