S'mores

This is a recipe of deconstructed S'mores. 

It starts with the usual ingredients: graham crackers, chocolate (in the form of semi-sweet chips) and marshmallows.

To make the cookies even tastier, there also can be added walnuts and raisins to the mix.

All the ingredients are added to the melted chocolate chips. The graham crackers are broken into one inch pieces.

The mixture should look something like this ...

All the mixture is rolled into a salami shape using plastic film and it is let to set in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. 

The delicious deconstructed S'mores should look something like this ...

Sugar Cookies With A Twist

Lemon Squares

Sugar Cookies with Cocoa and Walnuts Filling

These are my favorite cookies in the world! It is my mother's recipe. Everyone loves this recipe! The cookies just melt in your mouth!

Ingredients for the dough:

3 cups flour

2 sticks (2 cups) butter

1 egg

1/4 cup warm milk

1 cup sugar

1 tsp yeast

powder sugar

Ingredients for the filling:

1 cup walnuts (for the filling)

1/4 cocoa (for the filling)

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

 Preparation of the dough:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Add the yeast to the warm milk.

3. Melt the butter in a sauce pan on low heat.

4. Add the sugar and the egg to the milk and beat well until sugar is dissolved.

5. Stir in gently the melted butter.

6. Add the wet ingredients to the flour and form into a soft dough.

7. Cover the dough in plastic foil and chill in the fridge for one hour

Preparation of the filling:

1. In a blender, chop the nuts.

2. Add the cocoa, the sugar and the egg and mix well into a thick paste.

Getting the cookies ready for the oven:

Roll the dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 2 inches squares. Add a teaspoon of the filling in the center of each square and wrap the corners of the square around each other. It will turn into a nice rose.

Bake the roses at 350 F into a pre-heated oven for 25 min., until golden brown. Sprinkle with powder sugar and chill on a rack. 

Gingerbread Man Cookies

2 cups flour

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

zest from a lemon

1 egg

1 stick softened butter

1/4 cup honey

1 cup brown sugar

1. Mix flour and all dry ingredients in one bowl

2. Mix softened butter and brown sugar

3. Add the egg and honey to the wet ingredients

4. Combine all ingredients and knead until it forms a soft dough

5. Let dough rest for 30 min. then roll and cut into desired shapes

6. Bake at 370 F for 9 minutes in a preheated oven

Fruit Custard Cake

Tiramisu Recipe

My take on Tiramisu! To my surprise, it tasted EXACTLY like Tiramisu!

The ingredients I used:

Ingredients for the cake: 6 eggs, 6 tablespoons of sugar, 6 tablespoons of flour, 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons baking soda.

Ingredients for the frosting:

4 eggs, 2 cups milk, 300g Mascarpone cheese, whipping cream (8oz),  1 cup sugar, cocoa to sprinkle on top, chocolate to grate on top, 2 cups sweetened strong coffee.

Super Duper Triple Quadruple Chocolate Cake

Light and Tasty Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 stick unsalted butter

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

decorating sugar

Simple Carrot Cake on a Whim

I am calling this cake "Carrot Cake on a Whim" because I made it yesterday evening on a whim. I was really, really craving carrot cake so I decided to make it with whatever ingredients I had on hand. It's a simplified recipe that turned or oh so delicious. From this "re-fashioned" recipe are missing the walnuts and the cinnamon, but I realized I much rather prefer it without the cinnamon. For more flavor, I used the juice of one lemon into the frosting.

Ingredients:

CAKE

3 cups finely grated carrots

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup canola oil

4 eggs

1 cup flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder

FROSTING

1 lemon

4 oz butter

2 packs 12 oz cream cheese

1 cup icing sugar

1/4 cup milk

I mixed the eggs with the sugar, the oil, and the carrots. When everything was quite well blended, I added the flour in which I had previously mixed the baking powder. The batter is on the runny side but it will bake to be moist and fluffy. 

It bakes in a well buttered cake pan or baking sheet at 350F for about 30 minutes. For baking cakes, I always use a large baking sheet. I don't like round cakes, they are difficult to portion and the cake pieces don't always look good on the plate.

After 30 minutes, when a toothpick inserted in the cake came out clean, I removed the cake from the pan onto a cooling rack. When it was cool enough, I measured it and cut it into three.

In the meantime, I made the FROSTING.
I combined into a big mixing bowl the softened butter and cream cheese, the icing sugar, the juice from a lemon, and the milk (the milk makes the frosting more frothy). I beat well with a whisk until creamy. I do not like to use food processors, beaters or any type of kitchen aids in the kitchen. I fell more connected with what I am cooking or baking when doing it the old fashion way.

I spread the icing in between each layer.

I don't know if it was because I was craving carrot cake, but this was one of the best deserts I had in a while. I enjoyed it so much! It is light, not very sweet, it has a very nice consistency. The lemon gives it such a original taste.

10 Minute Blueberry Muffin Recipe

This is a very quick and delicious blueberry muffins recipe. It takes only five minutes to prepare. I usually make it two or three times a week in the morning.

1. Gather all ingredients:

            1  1/2 cup all-purpose flour

            1 tablespoon baking powder

            1 pinch of salt

            3/4 cup sugar

            1 cup frozen blueberries

            4 eggs

            1 cup butter

2. Melt butter until almost liquid

3. Add sugar into the melted butter and whisk

 

4. Add eggs and whisk quickly

5. Add flour and the baking powder on top of the flour and stir. The batter is not very thick.

5. Add blueberries

6. Put in a muffin tin (I don't need to butter mine because it is non-stick). It makes 12 regular muffins or 24 minis.

7. Take out of the oven and try not to eat them all at once.

Delicious Vegan Apple Strudel

 

1. Ingredients for the dough: 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cup water,  1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 tbsp salt.

2.  Make the dough and put it in the fridge for 1/2 hour

3. Peel and grate the apples (2 lbs)  

4. Add a 2/3 cup sugar and cook on the stove until most of the juice from the apples evaporates. (I used gala apples, granny apples need more sugar.)

5. Stretch the dough as thin as possible with the rolling pin (the apple cider vinegar gives the dough elasticity). Brush the sheet of dough with vegetable oil

7. Add the apples composition and roll the dough from both sides to the center. The dough will bake evenly inside when this technique is used.

8. Sprinkle a tbsp of sugar over the strudel and place on parchment paper in a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 F for one hour until golden brown