Lemon Pecan Squares

Introducing my first baking post of 2015.  Having said I was going to challenge myself and bake new things in 2015, you may be thinking - lemon squares? Really Joanna? This is your big baking endeavour? And to you I say - Yes, it is. I wanted to make use of my beautiful gifted cookbooks and I have lists and lists of recipes written down and bookmarked. Lemon squares were one of them. These aren't your typical lemon square - the combination of pecan and coconut gives a delicious added nuttiness, and the hint of lemon is the perfect complimentary flavour. These lemon squares can be easily changed to any citrus and nut combination of your choosing - oooh what about orange almond? Grapefruit cashew? Lime macadamia? Call it! Dibs on the lime squares. Anyways, here are my lemon pecan squares, adapted from Butter Baked Goods Cookbook.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon ground flax
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup ground pecans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 300 mL can condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9x9 inch pan with butter, and line with parchment paper.

Melt the butter in the microwave at 30 second intervals until completely melted. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flax, flour, sugar, coconut, ground pecans, baking powder, and lemon zest. Add in the melted butter and mix until well combined. Pour half of the oat mixture into your pan and press until firm and even spread.

In a medium bowl, gently whisk together the condensed milk and lemon juice until combined. Pour the mixture evenly over your oat base and sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the filling. Bake for 23-28 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool completely before cutting. Squares are best served chilled from the refrigerator.

Peach Berry Cobbler

Last week Mom and I headed out to pick some blueberries. Originally we were just going to pick a few, not enough for jam but enough to snack on and maybe some to freeze. Oh man, we ended up with about 4 litres. There were also so many raspberries! We just couldn't stop picking. So now we have a freezer full of berries and I'm making everything and anything I can with them. Since peach season is also coming to a close I decided to throw them into this cobbler as well. 

Ingredients

2 cups raspberries

2 cups blueberries

3 large peaches, pitted and cubed

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

4 teaspoon baking powder

5 tablespoon sugar

5 tablespoon butter, cold and cubed

1 cup 2% milk

2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease a glass baking dish or cast iron pan. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the fruit with the lemon juice and vanilla. In a separate bowl stir together the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Combine the fruit and flour mixture until the fruit is lightly coated. Pour into your pan and set aside.

In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and sugar. Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into this flour mixture until it forms into a crumbly, sand like mixture. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk. Mix together just until moist and mostly holding together. Break the dough into small, lightly flattened balls and place onto the fruit. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving. 

Coconut Lime Pull-Apart Bread

Maybe I should consider changing the title of this blog to something with coconut in it. I think nearly everything I've been baking recently has coconut. Or lime. This bread is no exception. It is similar to a cinnamon bun except instead of cinnamon it uses coconut oil, toasted coconut, and lime zest to ensure a sweet and tangy taste. It's moist and chewy, and perfect for dessert, but better for breakfast!

Ingredients

(Adapted from A Beautiful Mess)

1/4 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons melted, coconut oil
1/3 cup light cream
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons lime zest
1/3 cup toasted coconut

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/2 cup toasted coconut

In a small bowl combine warm water, pinch of salt and yeast. Allow to rest for at least 8 minutes, until foamy. In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture, melted coconut oil and cream. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Stir until combined and form into a ball of dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and rise for at least one hour, until it has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. After the dough has risen, roll it into a large rectangle (1/4 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface. Brush with melted coconut oil and sprinkle with sugar, zest and toasted coconut. Cut the dough into small rectangles, stack, and place in a lightly greased loaf pan. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. When ready, bake for 35 minutes. Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. After allowing the bread to cool for 10 minutes, pour the the glaze over top and sprinkle with more toasted coconut. Now dig in while it's still warm and gooey!

Chocolate Almond Cookies

The month of April was been insane. With what seemed like hundreds of school assignments, a fake humanitarian crisis, figuring out U.S. visa regulations, and preparing for a much needed vacation, there was a great need to bake but little time for it. So I came home one evening and just started making cookies because I could and I needed to. Cookies can be such a comfort. They take little time and effort to make and are always so satisfying. Given the stress of the week I also needed chocolate. Chocolate almond cookies were made, and they did just the trick. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
(Adapted from Joy the Baker)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup white all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop approximately one tablespoon of cookie dough onto the baking sheet, about 1.5 inches apart. Take a few sliced almonds and stick them into the top of the cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until the bottoms are lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly before eating.

Coconut Brownies

I always think I don't like brownies. If I'm in a bakery or a cafe, no part of me is thinking about choosing a brownie. Even when I'm browsing through recipes I'm always like "Meh, brownies." But then for some reason I'll buy one or I'll make a batch and I'm like, "Ohh yea...brownies." So of course I had to make a coconut-ty version of them to satisfy all the needs. These brownies are still the perfect amount of chocolate with a slight hint of coconut. If you want to jazz them up even more you could add a hint of espresso powder or some coffee chips to give them a light mocha flavour.

Here's the recipe:

Adapted from the Pastry Affair

Ingredients 

4 tablespoons solid coconut oil
4 oz of semi sweet chocolate, chopped
2 eggs
3/4 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9x9 square pan with aluminum foil and light grease.

In a saucepan, melt together the coconut oil and chopped chocolate until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for five minutes. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Once the chocolate has cooled slightly, mix in the egg, sugars and vanilla. Gentle stir in the flour, baking powder and salt making sure not to form an air bubbles. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into the greased pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the shredded coconut on top until covered. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out (mostly) clean.

Three-Layer Pineapple Cake

Over the past couple months I've been really into cakes. I've never really been a cake lover either, I'm more of a pie girl. But lately! Lately I've just had an itch at making these sweet, layered, beauties. It is a well known fact on this blog that anything coconut-y (or with the potential to become coconut-y) is an immediate favourite in my books. Add that hint of coconut flavour to a moist, pineapple cake, smothered in whipped cream and you've got yourself a winner. I found this recipe on one of my regular browses through Pinterest and as soon as I got home that night I headed straight to the kitchen and began baking away! Though there are quite a few steps involved, this cake comes out stunning and delicious. I'll be surprised if it's not the best cake you've ever had. Here's my take on the three-layer pineapple cake:

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon coconut extract

3/4 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare 3- 8 inch cake pans, greased and lined with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and sugars on medium speed, until creamy. Add in the vegetable oil and coconut extract. Gradually add in the yogurt and dry mixture, alternating between the two until just combined. Gently fold in the drained, crushed pineapple. Evenly distribute the batter between the cake pans, and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

For the filling:

20 oz can crushed pineapple

1.5 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoon water

In a small saucepan, heat the pineapple, sugar and water, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick.

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 dark rum

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil. When the sugar has evaporated, remove from heat. Allow to cool and stir in the rum.

2 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup icing sugar

Whip the cream and icing sugar together until stiff peaks form. Allow to chill.

3/4 cup toasted coconut

Once the cakes have completely cooled, you can begin assembling the cake. Starting with one cake as the base, soak the top of the cake with the rum syrup. Next gently spread a few tablespoons of the crushed pineapple mixture on top. Spread about 3/4 cup of whipped cream on top and lightly dust with toasted coconut. Continue these layers until your cake is completely assembled. Allow the cake to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. For serving, gently saw with a serrated knife, making sure not to crush the cake. 

I know this cake will be the perfect summer dessert and am already dreaming up some cupcake versions of it to bring to parties and BBQs!  

Earl Grey Cake with Honey Buttercream

Remember that time I said I was going to lessen the food and just up the overall happy? Well food makes me happy and lately I've been baking up a storm so here's another recipe! Believe it or not I've actually been baking more than both the blog and Instagram might suggest - which really means I've been going baking crazy because there has been no shortage of food posts on either. 

The Pastry Affair is probably the best food blog out there. All the recipes I've tried are easy and delicious. She always has cute quotes to accompany the gorgeous food pictures and the ingredients are usually already in my cupboard - A++! That being said whenever I need some baking inspiration the Pastry Affair is where I go. Within a couple clicks I'm guaranteed to feel the creative juices flowing. Last week I really wanted to make cake but wanted it to be a bit "jazzier" than regular ol' chocolate or vanilla. Enter tea cake. A simple cake recipe with a deliciously light tea flavour, and honey buttercream frosting on top combine to give you one of the best ideas ever - tea you can eat!

Here's the recipe (adapted from the Pastry Affair): 

Ingredients

1 cup 2% milk

2 tablespoons Earl Grey Tea
(I used David's Tea 'The Earl's Garden')

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans.

In a small saucepan, warm the milk until simmering and stir in the Earl Grey tea. Remove from heat and allow to cool. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, until well incorporated. Add in the vegetable oil and vanilla until fully combined. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually mix into the butter mixture until combined. Finally, stir in the tea and milk until the batter is is smooth (you can choose to leave the tea leaves in or out - I put in about half). Evenly spread the batter into the two cake pans and bake for 20-24 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out clean. Allow to cool before icing or serving. 

For the honey buttercream, I completely followed the recipe on the Pastry Affair, with the addition of about 2 tablespoons of milk. 

I love the look of a naked cake, with the icing only in the middle and on top. There's something so rustic and cozy about the simplicity of it. If you're feeling fancy pipe a few designs on the top to make it extra pretty - I attempted some buttercream roses but they're more like swirlies. I just loved this cake, finally I can drink my tea, and eat it too! 

Rainbow Dipped Donuts

I've been seeing donut recipes pop up on Pinterest more and more lately and it just makes me feel more inspired to use my donut pan. It's only been used once before (on these chocolate beauties) and I figured it was about time it was dusted off. One of my favourite food bloggers, Joy the Baker, shared a fantastic recipe for a simple cake donut and it was exactly what I was looking for - Homer-simpson inspired, rainbow sprinkle donuts. These donuts are much lighter than my previous endeavour but they were still fantastic - the nuttiness from the browned butter is what makes these perfection. Here's the recipe!

Ingredients

1 cup white all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons salted butter

1 large egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly spray a donut pan with oil Stir together the flour, powder, soda and cinnamon and sugar. In a saucepan on medium heat, melt the butter. Stir occasionally. It will slowly begin to crackle and then eventually begin to turn brown. As this happens very quickly, soon after it begins remove from the heat. In a bowl beat together the egg, buttermilk and vanilla. When the butter has cooled, whisk in two tablespoons (including some brown bits) into the egg mixture. Gently add in the flour mixture until just mixed. Scoop (or pipe, whichever is easiest) the batter into the pan and back for 8-12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out of the centre donut clean. Allow to cool.

To glaze mix together small amounts of powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract and a dash of salt until your desired consistency - more milk for thin, more sugar for thick. Now you can add food colouring, a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder or leave it as is. Dunk the donuts into the glaze and sprinkle rainbow sprinkles over top!

Grab a drink for dunking, Instagram these beautiful creations, and enjoy!

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Last Friday a few of us got together for my good friend Amanda's birthday to enjoy a night of guacamole, drinks and of course, cake. I can't imagine celebrating a birthday without cake, and even if it isn't in its traditional form there are so many cupcake and ice cream options! I decided to whip up one of my favourite chocolate cake recipes - this one by Ina Garten - and as much as I love chocolate on chocolate I always think it looks so pretty with white icing. I also attempted some decorations (A Beautiful Mess inspired) by melting some chocolate and piping it into Eiffel Towers (Amanda is a big France fan) and they looked great! Only problem was when it came to putting them on the cake they melted instantly and I lost all but four! Even those lonely four didn't make it very far, as soon as I stepped outside in the humidity their peaks collapsed - but lucky for me Eiffel Towers also look a lot like capital A's - win. I shaved some chocolate on the top and it looked just as nice. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease two round cake pans and line with parchment, grease again and lightly dust with flour. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, soda, power and salt. In a separate bowl beat together the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla. On low speed gradually add the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until combined. Add in the coffee stirring just until mix and being sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Evenly pour the batter into each of the pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a tooth pick comes out clean. Allow to cool for at least thirty minutes before removing from the pans. Place them on a rack until cooled all the way through.

For the icing, I used a really old recipe from my Nana's collection that is a simple buttercream - sugar, butter and heavy cream. Either of the recipes from Ina or a Beautiful Mess will work great! The cake was enjoyed by all and their were many exclamations of "This cake is so moist!!" - which is completely true. Happy Birthday Amanda!

Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Squares

Another trip to the cottage calls for more dessert! Since I had the afternoon off before heading up, I dedicated my time to whipping up some well deserved treats. Knowing I had rhubarb and strawberries in the freezer, I was looking for recipes that weren't pie but would still incorporate both ingredients. Having pinned plenty of strawberry recipes in June (in preparation for the picking season), I found this recipe on a Pastry Affair. Though the recipe calls for strawberry jam, I didn't want to use up my precious supply on squares so I substituted it with my beloved frozen fruits. It turned out great! We ate them as squares with tea, and also warmed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert. It was the perfect pie replacement for summer - not to heavy, but still sweet-tooth-satisfying.

Ingredients

6 tablespoon salted butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup honey

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup chopped rhubarb

1 cup chopped strawberries

4 tablespoon sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray an 8 inch square pan with cooking oil. In a small saucepan on medium heat, add the rhubarb, strawberries and sugar and reduce until a jam-like consistency, stirring occasionally. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the egg and honey. Mix in the oats, flour, baking soda and cinnamon until combined. Press approximately 3/4 of the batter into the bottom of the pan until it is covered. Pour the strawberry-rhubarb compote overtop and spread evenly. Crumble the remaining batter on top until it is well covered. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

They are definitely best served warm, and if you're in cottage country hunt down some Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream and you'll be in heaven. I would also try this with blackberries, raspberries or apple - or all three for bumbleberry!

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry shortcake is my all time favourite dessert, no question. On most birthdays I've requested it over birthday cake, I've deemed it the perfect Canada Day dessert (red and white!) and if I'm ever asked for my opinion on what should be had, it's strawberry shortcake, always. So remember how I went strawberry picking a couple weeks ago? Well not only did we make some homemade jam, but we also had tonnes left over to freeze and use for future desserts - strawberry shortcake being one of them.

There are a few variations of this dessert, from layered cakes to mini angel food cakes but I decided on the classic layered biscuits - I'm also a big fan of individual portions. I first tried this recipe from Martha Stewart but it was a huge fail and I ended up with what seemed like gigantic pancakes. After scrounging through the internet some more I settled on adapting this recipe from one of my new favourite food blogs, Pastry Affair. They are dense and wholesome and were the perfect base for strawberries and cream.

Ingredients 

2 cups slice strawberries

1 tbsp sugar

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup cold salted butter

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup 2% milk (or half and half cream)

1 cup whipping cream

To start, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400 F. Sprinkle the sliced strawberries with 1 tbsp of sugar, and set in the fridge until needed. Whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a large bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and cut into the flour mixture until it is crumbly. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg, vanilla and milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and combine until just mixed and a dough begins to form. Knead the dough together a couple times to bind it and then roll it out onto a floured surface. Cut 3-inch rounds using a biscuit cutter or glass and transfer to the baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. While the cakes are baking, whip the cream using an electric mixer on high speed until firm peaks form. Wait for the cakes to cool slightly, cut the in half and layer with strawberries and whipped cream. There isn't much else left to say other than enjoy! I could eat these biscuits plain with butter or jam even, but of course everything is better with strawberries (and much better) with whipped cream. You could also try adding in some chopped rhubarb or diced strawberries to the biscuits for even more flavour. Excuse me while I go feast...

Turnovers, Ice Cream and Compote Oh My!

 Last week, after a long two days, I came home and focused all my energy into making dessert - my own 'anxiety-relieving exercise'. I've had my share of failed ice cream attempts, but not enough to keep me from trying once more. When day one was near its end, I decided that I would conquer ice cream once and for all. All seemed to go well with the custard stirring, cooling and churning but I would have to wait overnight until it could be deemed successful. After having a taste of my ice cream on day two, I knew it needed a pair. A quick look in my fridge, freezer and Pinterest boards and I realized the perfect partner - strawberry rhubarb turnovers (the compote came later).

Vanilla Ice Cream
8 egg yolks

2 cups 2% milk

2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups heavy cream

Follow these instructions for making the custard (mine took about 20 minutes until it was thick) and let it stand for a couple minutes to cool. Stir the heavy cream into the custard and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pour the churned ice cream into a metal loaf pan, seal with plastic wrap (pressing it onto the ice cream) and chill overnight.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Turnovers

1 sheet phyllo pastry 

(I used a square of Tenderflake, rolled out into a large rectangle)

1 cup diced strawberries

1 cup diced rhubarb

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp powdered sugar

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, cinnamon and ginger until the fruit is well coated. Cut the rolled out phyllo dough into 8 squares and place on the baking sheet. Leaving room around the edges, spoon the fruit filling onto the corner of each square, and fold over the empty corner. Seal the edges by pressing down with a fork. Brush the egg wash overtop each pastry and bake for 18-22 minutes, until they are golden brown. Sprinkle the tops with powdered sugar

I had some fruit filling left that I didn't want to waste, so I decided to make a compote. Simply put your leftover fruit mixture in a saucepan on medium heat and let it reduce until it is a thinner, jam like consistency. I also added a tablespoon more of sugar, and cut up a few more strawberries.

We had our turnovers topped with the vanilla ice cream and a spoonful of compote and oh-my-heavens, delish! The classic taste of the tart rhubarb with the sweet strawberries is not one to disappoint, and the smooth, creamy ice cream on top was the perfect addition.

Chocolate Brownie Cakes

The past couple weeks have been very chaotic and so a baking/blogging break was needed as I try and get into a rhythm of working two jobs, keeping up with hobbies and maintaining some form of a social life. I've also been trying to find recipes that aren't super indulgent but are a little on the healthier side. I saw this recipe for Whole Wheat Brownies on Martha Stewart's Pinterest boards a few weeks ago and decided to give it a go. Given that there is still a decent amount of butter and sugar in these, they are in no way a healthy snack. However, compared to the brownie recipes I've tried before, there are fewer eggs, and less butter and sugar overall - I will definitely use the reasoning "but they have whole wheat flour!" to deem them slightly nutritious. All this being said, they are not your typical dense, fudgey brownie, and lean a little towards the cakey side, while still give you that much needed chocolate fix!

Ingredients 

3/4 stick salted butter (6 tbsp)

1/2 cup white flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 egg

8 ounces semisweet chocolate

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch square pan and line it with parchment paper. In a bowl mix together the flours, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda. In a second bowl combine the sugar, applesauce and egg. Melt together 6 ounces of chocolate and the butter (either in the microwave or using a double-boiler). Combine the chocolate with the sugar mixture. Gradually add in the flour mixture. Pour into the pan and sprinkle the remaining 2 ounces of chocolate on top - I actually used some milk chocolate chips instead. Bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

These are perfect with a glass of milk and could be made even better with some peanut butter chips or walnuts sprinkled in!

Apple Raspberry Crisp

Being the middle of January, today is rather cold and grey. It is also the perfect weather for one-person-sized, warm and oaty desserts. One of my favourites is apple crisp. The smell of apple crisp fills the room with the coziest of scents, and the taste makes your insides feel like they're cuddled up in a warm blanket - which you may in fact be. Feeling inspired by this recipe, but also feeling a lot less vegan and gluten free, I decided to make my own personal sized apple raspberry crisp to help myself warm up from a cold day.




                             Ingredients

               1 apple (I used granny smith)
                         6-8 raspberries
                            2 tsp water
                            1 tsp honey
                      squirt of lemon juice
                          1/4 tsp vanilla
                          2-3 tbsp butter
                           1/4 cup oats
                    1-2 tbsp brown sugar
                    sprinkle of cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a small bowl mix together the water, honey, lemon juice and vanilla. Peel and chop the apple into chunks, and with the raspberries, stir in the honey mixture until the fruit is well coated but not mushed. Pour the fruit into a small ramekin. In a second bowl, combine the butter, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon (the amounts of some of these ingredients depends on how crumbly you like your topping). Sprinkle the crumbly topping on top of the fruit evenly and pop into the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the fruit juices are just bubbling around the outside. I paired it with some greek yogurt on top but it would also taste great with ice cream or whipped cream (but I don't think I need to tell you that)! And of course this recipe can be doubled, tripled or quadrupled if there is more than one of you!

Dark Chocolate Toasted Pecan Ice Cream

It may be negative degrees Celsius outside, but what better way to celebrate the new year than with some homemade ice cream. Having been gifted an ice cream maker for Christmas I was very excited to test it out and see what kind of creamy concoctions I could come up with. For my first ice cream making endeavour, I followed this recipe for dark chocolate ice cream, and decided to make it a little more my own by adding in some toasted pecans.


To toast the pecans, simply heat your oven to 350, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spread out the chopped pecans and pop into the oven for no more than five minutes.

The ice cream batter alone was delicious but after a good 25 minutes of churning (adding in the pecans in the last couple minutes) it was even better. Thick, creamy, and not too rich - it's going to take everything in me not to finish it this afternoon. The recipe made about the equivalent amount of ice cream as what comes in a Ben & Jerry's container. Scoop it out into some pretty dishes, top with left over pecans and some shaved dark chocolate and you've got yourself a happy new year!