Chocolate Gingersnap Christmas Stars

This recipe comes from my sister who made them and raved about them and didn’t save me one!  I had a bit of trouble getting the dough to come together and while it was mixing I added in 2-3 tbsp of milk.  The dough was still difficult to roll after it had been chilled and I’m thinking next time I may roll and cut the cookies without chilling the dough and then pop the pan in the freezer for a few minutes before baking.

Chocolate Gingersnap Christmas Stars

• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 3 oz milk chocolate, melted and cooled
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
•  1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2-3 tbsp of milk (use as needed)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sift the dry ingredients (excluding sugar)  together in a bowl and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together, add molasses and chocolate and vanilla.

Mix in the dry ingredients and milk (if needed) until dough comes together.

Pat into two discs and wrap in plastic wrap.  Let chill for 30 minutes

Roll out to 1/8″ thick and cut with cookie cutters.

Sprinkle with sugar if desired.

Bake 7 minutes

 

 

Cinnabun Cheesecake

If you only make one thing for Thanksgiving dessert (or any dessert) this should be it!  My sister made this Cheesecake from my favorite book last month for Canadian Thanksgiving and it’s been all I could think about ever since! 

This is cinnamon bun cheesecake heaven on a plate!

The crust is made from cinnamon danish cookies and the centre of the cake is studded with cookies, cinnamon sugar and raisins.  If I had not of tasted this cheesecake baked with the raisins, I would have opted to leave them out but they really do add something special.  The original recipe also includes cinnamon chips and caramel sauce through out the cake which I left out but I did finish the top off with a bit of caramel sundae topping.  

Cinnabun Cheesecake recipe adapted from A Passion for Baking

For the Crust

• 1 1/2 cups finely crushed cinnamon cookies *I used DARE cinnamon danish cookies
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

Filling

• 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature (3 packages)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup coarse chopped cinnamon cookies
• 1 cup raisins *plump the raisins by soaking them in hot water and then drying them off with a tea towel.
• 1 tsp cinnamon mixed with 1/4 cup sugar.
• Caramel sundae topping

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment.  Spray an 8″ springform pan with non stick cooking spray (my pan may have 9 inches…I’m not 100% sure)

For the crust, mix the cookies, sugar and add melted butter and press into the bottom of the springform pan.

In the bowl of a mixer, blend the cream cheese, sugar and whipping cream until smooth.  Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula often.  Mix 3-4 minutes until very smooth.  Stir in the eggs, flour and vanilla and continue to beat until smooth for another 3 minutes.  

Pour a third of the filling on top of the crust, followed by a handful of the chopped cookies and a half of the raisins.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Repeat with another layer of filling and cookies, raisins and cinnamon sugar.  Top with filling and a final topping of chopped cookies and cinnamon sugar (no raisins on the top)

Bake 45-55 minutes (I baked longer, at 55 minutes the middle of the cake was really jiggly, so I continued to check every 5 minutes and added a total of 15 minutes to the baking time.   I knew it was done when the middle jiggled just slightly when I moved the pan) 

DO NOT TAKE IT OUT OF THE OVEN!

Turn the oven off and crack the door open slightly and let the cake cool in the oven for 1 hour.  (This is not easy with a 1 yr old in the house but the smell will make guarding the oven door all worthwhile) 

Chill the cake in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or overnight before serving.

 

Pumpkin Pie

I’m excited.

I’m excited that I was able to make pastry and roll it this thin without it falling apart and create two beautiful pie shells for Pumpkin pies!

Pie Pastry ~ makes one double crust or two pie shells

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 4-6 tbsp ice water

Mix the flour, sugar and salt.  Cut the shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is crumbly and there are some pea size bits of shortening remaining.   Drizzle 4 tbsp of ice water over the dough and using a fork, bring the flour mixture from the bottom of the bowl up to the top and gently compress together with the fork.  Add more water as needed until the dough comes together.  Pat the dough into 2 round discs and wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill for 30 minutes.

Working on a floured surface, roll the dough large enough to fit your pie plate.  Trim and crimp the edges of the pie shell with your fingers.  Place in the freezer for 20 minutes.

While the pie shells are chilling, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Pumpkin Pie filling recipe from the Royal City Pumpkin Puree Can.

• One 796 ml can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup cream
• 1 1/2 cups milk, scalded

In the bowl of a mixer, combine the pumpkin, sugar and spices and mix well.  Beat eggs lightly and mix with cream.  Stir the egg mixture into the pumpkin mixture.  Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula to be sure everything is well combined.  Add the scalded milk and stir until just blended. 

Remove pastry from the freezer and pour the pumpkin evenly into the two pie shells. 

Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 55 to 60 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

 

Thanksgiving Treats

My cookie decorating skills need some practice!  This is actually the first time I’ve piped a detailed outline and flooded the cookies with a fluid royal icing.  The icing I used to pipe the outline was clearly too thick as it was hard to pipe and sometimes refused to stick to the cookie.   The icing is a little bit speckled because I added a teaspoon of cinnamon to it.  I think it gives the turkey feathers a nice look   

The cookie base is shortbread and the recipe comes from the Canada brand cornstarch box.

Rolled shortbread cookies

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup flour *

3/4 cup butter, softened

*I had to add a bit of extra flour so the dough was firm enough to be rolled.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together.  Add the cornstarch and flour and beat until the dough comes together.  Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

On a floured surface, roll the dough 1/4″ thick and cut with cookie cutters.  Bake for roughly 20 minutes on a parchment lined baking sheet and cool completely.

Decorate with Royal Icing

 

 

Food Drive Cupcakes

My husband is part of the local volunteer fire department and this weekend we participated in their annual food drive for the Salvation Army.  There were a lot of volunteers out in the wind and the rain going door to door for donations and in total brought in roughly  20,000 lbs of non perishable food items for families in need.  Pretty awesome! 

I had to stay home in the afternoon with my 1 yr old so I figured since I couldn’t be out in the rain and the wind helping out I could make cupcakes to bring back to the hall    The recipe comes from the More from Magnolia Bakery cookbook (there are some seriously good recipes in this book)  I used the vanilla cupcake recipe and made two batches.  The second batch I added 1/3 cup of cocoa and they were amazing!  The cupcakes are topped with a white chocolate buttercream (almost a little too sweet but I thought I’d try something different)

Magnolia’s Vanilla Cupcakes from More from Magnolia

• 1 1/2 cups self rising flour*
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs at room temp
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

*if you don’t have self rising flour, make your own with 1 cup all purpose flour to 1 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/8 tsp salt  (makes one cup)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tins with cupcake liners. (my liners were small and I yielded 36 cupcakes per batch!)

Combine the flours and set them off to the side.  If you choose to add cocoa, add it to the flour mixture and whisk so no lumps remain.

In a mixer, cream the butter until smooth and then add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (3 minutes)  Add the eggs one at a time, beating welland scraping down the bowl after each addition.  Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and the vanilla.  Beat until everything is combined but try not to overbeat. Scrape the bowl with a spatula (this is important!  If the butter/egg mixture isn’t fully mixed in your cupcakes will erupt with sweet chewy bubbles and you’ll have to eat all of the rejects.   It won’t be pretty.  Trust me.) 

Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake 20-25 minutes.

White Chocolate Buttercream recipe from recipzaar

• 1 cup butter, softened (no subs)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 6 ounces white chocolate or white baking bar, melted and cooled
• 3-5 tablespoons whipping cream or half and half.

Heat the cream and pour over chocolate.  Let sit 30 seconds and then stir until smooth.  Cool.

Beat the butter with the sugar and add the chocolate mixture.  Beat until light and fluffy.

Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies Bites

 

 

 

I needed a way to use up the leftover chocolate peanut butter ganache from the Peanut butter Surprise cupcakes (Aside from eating it straight from the bowl with a spoon!)  So I altered a recipe by Chef Michael Smith for some Chocolate chip cookie brownie squares and they turned out pretty good.  The cookie brownie bites are baked in a mini muffin tin, lined with paper liners that I removed once the brownies had cooled.  To finish them off, they’re dipped into the leftover ganache and sprinkled with a tiny bit of fleur de sel. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bites 

For the Cookie

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips

For the Brownie

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp cocoa
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 8 oz dark chocolate, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp strong coffee
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

For the cookie base, combine flour, sugar, salt and butter into a bowl and mix it together until it’s crumbly (no need to even use a mixer!)  Whisk the egg and vanilla together and then add it to the flour mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Press into mini muffin tins about half way full and bake for 5 minutes.  To make a cookie bar, press into a parchment lined 8X8 baking pan and bake for 15 minutes.

For the Brownie layer, whisk the flour, cocoa and salt together.  Melt the butter over low heat, remove from heat and add chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted.  Whisk eggs and vanilla together and then add them to the chocolate mixture, whisking until combined.  Grab a spatula and mix in the dry ingredients scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. 

Pour the batter over the baked cookie layer.  I used a small dough scoop for the mini muffin tins.  Bake about 15 minutes or until a pick inserted comes out clean.  If baking bars, bake for 45 minutes.  Let cool completely.

Dip tops in chocolate gananche and sprinkle with fleur de sel.

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcakes with a top secret peanut butter filling dipped in a Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache and topped with chocolate. 

No one complained! 

These are amazing and easier than they look, the ganache gives them a glossy finished look and they’re super easy to put together.  If you love chocolate and peanut butter than these are definitely worth baking.

 Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cupcakes adapted from Annie’s Eats

Filling

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 tbsp butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Cupcakes

• 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup cour cream
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs

Peanut butter Ganache

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 ½ cups chocolate chip morsels
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup smooth peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 24 cupcake wells with paper liners.

To make the filling, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and beat with a mixer until well combined. (I found I had to add a bit of extra peanut butter as mine felt a little dry.)  Roll into 24 1 inch balls and set aside.

For the cupcakes, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a bowl and sift or whisk everything together so there are no lumps of cocoa powder.  In another bowl, combine the sour cream, milk and vanilla.

In the mixer bowl, combine butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.  Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients alternating with the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.  Mix until just combined.

Spoon a tablespoon of batter in each cupcake liner.  Place a peanut butter ball in the middle and then top with remaining batter.  Bake 18-22 minutes or until a pick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Cool cupcakes.

While the cupcakes are cooling, In a small saucepan, combine the cream, powdered sugar, chocolate chip morsels and butter over low heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and add the peanut butter at the same time. Stir until smooth.   Cool the ganache in the fridge for a few minutes and then let sit at room temperature, stirring every 5-10 minutes until it’s thick enough to coat the cupcakes.  Dip cupcake tops in the ganache (the ganache should be thick enough that it shouldn’t drip too much)   Top with a chocolate if desired. 

Enjoy!

 

Popovers

When I was growing up my mom called these “puff buns”   My mom always makes hers in a muffin pan but I found a popover pan at a garage sale and it makes super tall popovers. The perfect side dish for roast beef dinner!  The first time i attempted to make these they stuck to the pan….seriously stuck to the pan so be sure you grease the pans really well before adding the batter!

My oven needs to be cleaned!

Popovers recipe courtesy of Alton Brown, Food Network

• 1 tbsp butter, melted and cooled (plus butter to grease the pans)
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup whole milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor and mix for 30 seconds.

fill pans 1/3- 1/2 full and bake for 40 minutes.  Remove popovers from the oven and pierce a slit in the top of each one to allow the steam to escape.  Serve warm.

 

Jelly Doughnuts (Donuts?)

If you haven’t made homemade donuts you’re seriously missing out!  I decided to use my basic donut recipe and try to create Jelly Donuts and they turned out awesome! 

 Donuts

• 4 1/2 tsp quick rise yeast.
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 egg well beaten
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• freshly grated nutmeg (about 1/4 tsp)
• 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups flour
• Canola oil for frying

Mix yeast, water and sugar.

Let it hang out together for a few minutes until bubbles start to form.

Add the beaten egg, butter, vanilla, flour, cinnamon and salt.

Mix it together to form a sticky dough and knead for 1 minute.

Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/2″ thick.  Cut into donuts.

Cut round circles out of the dough and rise for 30 minutes.  Fry in hot oil for about 30 seconds/side, then drain on a wire racka nd let cool.

  The filling is ginger peach Jam (thinned down with some of the un set ginger peach jam) I slit a hole into the side of the donuts with a sharp knife and then  filled a piping bag with Jam and using a fairly large tip filled the centre of the donut.  I then put the donuts 3 at a time in a large resealable bag with 1/4 cup of sugar and shook them gently until they were covered.

 

Quintuple Chocolate Brownies

You need to make these TODAY!

These brownies are dense and fudgey and super chocolatey delicious!  The recipe comes from  Baking From My Home to Yours By Dorie Greenspan.  The only thing I really changed was to bake it in a 7X11″ brownie pan instead of an 9X9″ pan and I put the toasted pecans on top.  These brownies would be super on their own, but they’re extra special with the white chocolate glaze on top.  (When I took these to work it was too dark outside to get a good photo.  Thanks Marusha for the great photo!)

Quintuple Chocolate brownies adapted from Baking from My Home to Yours

For the Brownies

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter cut up into 8 pieces
• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 3 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tbsp strong coffee
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 ounces good quality milk chocolate, chopped into chunks OR 1 cup milk chocolate chips. (I threw in some miniature Hershey kisses too)
• 1 cup chopped nuts (toasted pecans are fantastic)
• 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries (I used cherry flavoured)

For the Glaze

•  6 ounces, white chocolate. chopped (or use chips)
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• Nuts and milk chocolate to top brownies (optional)

To make the incredible brownies…

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line Pan with parchment or foil.

Sift together the flour, cocoa and salt.  Set aside.

Place a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water and add the butter, the two chocolates and the coffee.  Warm the mixture until everything is melted.  Be careful not to heat them so much that they separate.  Stir the mixture gently and set it aside to cool.

Using a spatula, or whisk, beat the sugar into the chocolate mixture.  Don’t beat too much as you want to incorporate as little air into the mixture as possible.  Stir in the eggs one at a time beating as little as possible.  Add Vanilla.  Stir in the dry ingredients until just mixed.  Fold in the milk chocolate, nuts and craisins and spread into prepared pan.  Bake for roughly 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out streaked but not thickly coated.  Transfer the pan to a rack and let brownies cool at least 30 minutes.

To make the glaze….

Warm the cream until it’s hot but not boiling.  Pour the cream over the white chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds.  Stir until smooth and pour on top of brownies.  Top with toasted chopped nuts and drizzled milk chocolate.