Sweets

Spicy Oatmeal Snaps

By in Cookies & Bars, Sweets 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

spicy oatmeal snaps

Cookies are my friend. If I had to choose one dessert to eat for the rest of my life it would be cookies. I love their endless adaptability in shape, size and flavour, their perfectly proportioned serving size, and the fact that they freeze so well, meaning you can have them on hand at all times. They are the perfect individual dessert, in my mind – move over cupcakes! Give me a cup of chai tea and a cookie and I’m a happy camper.

These particular cookies have one of my favourite textures. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. They’re basically a chewy oatmeal cookie and a peppery gingersnap all in one. What’s not to love?

On a cold winter night with a cup of hot tea in hand, I can’t imagine a better accompaniment.

Spicy Oatmeal Snaps

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 5 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats

Combine flour, spices and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside

Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in vanilla and egg. Stir in flour and oats; mix until everything is evenly distributed.

Roll, or scoop out 1 tablespoon balls of dough and place 2-3 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350ºF for 12 minutes or until crisp on the edges. Cool 2-3 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes approximately: 2 dozen

Adapted from My Recipes.

Slow Cooker Dulce De Leche

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slow cooker dulce de leche

Dulce de leche is one of those things that always seemed super simple to make but for one reason or another I kept putting off actually making it. For those who are unfamiliar with dulce de leche (don’t ask me to pronounce it, I get it wrong every time), it is basically a cheat’s caramel – sweetened milk is heated slowly until the sugars in the milk caramelize and the milk thickens.

There are slightly different ways to make it, but the most common in North America is to use a can of sweetened condensed milk for a more hands off approach. And, the most dangerous (yes, dangerous! Oooo) way to make it, is to boil an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of water. The reason this is potentially unsafe is because if the water boils down too low the can may overheat and explode. Lovely.

I don’t particularly like the thought of boiling something in a metal can anyways, which is probably the biggest reason it took me so long to take the plunge. But, when I saw a slow cooker version that used canning jars instead, I did a happy dance. It all seemed so simple and safe, and I just love finding new ways to use my canning jars (and slow cooker!).

S0, I give you a super simple dulce de leche that is as hands off as it gets and gives you a thick caramel that is just waiting to be swirled into ice cream, sandwiched between cookies, stirred into hot drinks, spread into tart shells, or spooned onto whatever your little heart desires! If you’ve never made it before, I am here to say, do not make the same mistake as me. What are you waiting for?

P.S. If you need one more reason to make this, I’ll be sharing a special treat that uses dulce de leche next week. Better be prepared!

Slow Cooker Dulce De Leche

  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk

Pour the contents of the sweetened condensed milk into a 1.5- 2 cup canning jar; tighten the lid securely. Place in the bottom of a slow cooker, fill with hot water until the water level is at least an inch above the milk. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until caramelized and thickened to your liking.

Adapted from A Beautiful Mess

Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Ice Cream

By in Cool, Creamy, Sweets 12 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream

I know some people say ice cream is only for summer, I am not one of those people. I will take it any time, any place. In fact, I churned this up on a -30ºC day when I didn’t dare step outside for fear of freezing my toes off. Of course the thought of stirring it into a cup of coffee helped me press on through the chills.

Let me tell you, this is absolutely delicious stirred into a cup of joe. It turns it into a cool and creamy Hazelnut Mocha. Of if you want it warm, simply pop it in the microwave or warm it on the stove top. It is divine.

This ice cream is composed of so many yummy things. Milk chocolate. Hazelnuts. The usual suspects like cream and sugar. But it’s not a chunky ice cream like you might expect. The hazelnuts are finely chopped and then steeped in the cream to infuse it with all their hazelnut-y flavour, then they’re strained out, so the end result is smooth and creamy.

For a dairy-free version simply substitute the cream and milk with coconut milk, although be forewarned it will impart a coconut-y flavour (shocker!).

Make this now and enjoy it as a delectable sundae with chocolate sauce and roasted hazelnuts, stir it into coffee for a  comforting splurge of a drink, or enjoy it straight up, in a cone or a bowl. Any way you scoop it, it is delish and not to be missed!

Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Ice Cream

To make dairy-free, substitute 3 cups (2 cans) coconut milk for the milk and cream. 

  • 1.5 cups hazelnuts
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups heavy creamy
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 4 oz (115g) milk chocolate, finely chopped
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Spread hazelnuts evenly on a baking sheet. Bake at 350ºF oven for 10 minutes, or until they release a nutty aroma. Allow to cool completely. Once cool, use a clean kitchen towel to rub off as much of the papery skin as possible. Pour the hazelnuts into a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and process until finely chopped.

Put milk, 1 cup cream, sugar, and salt  into a medium saucepan. Heat through just until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in hazelnuts. Cover and let steep for 1 hour.

Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a small saucepan, heat until it just begins to boil. Put chocolate into a large bowl and pour the hot cream over top. Stir until chocolate is melted.  Set aside.

Line a fine mesh sieve with cheesecloth and set it over a medium-sized bowl. Pour hazelnut mixture over the cheesecloth. Once all of the milk has been poured though, gather the cheesecloth, twisting the top, and squeeze the hazelnuts to release all of their flavour. Discard the hazelnuts. Pour the hazelnut infused milk back into the saucepan and heat until steaming.

In a medium-sized bowl (I re-use the one that the hazelnut milk was strained into) whisk together egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm hazelnut infused milk into the eggs, whisking constantly, until smooth. Pour mixture back into the saucepan. Set over medium heat, cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of the spatula (you should be able to draw a visible line with your finger). Remove from heat.

Set a fine mesh sieve over the chocolate-cream mixture and pour the hazelnut milk over, to ensure a smooth end result. Stir to combine. Allow to cool, stirring often. Once cooled, stir in the vanilla extract. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions.

Makes approximately: 1 quart

Adapted from The Perfect Scoop.

Chocolate Swirl Peppermint Fudge

By in Candy, Chocolate, Christmas, GF Sweets, Sweets 3 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

peppermint fudge

Me and the kidlets have been spending lot’s of time in the kitchen this week making sweets for goody baskets and Christmas celebrations. All the gifts have been bought, many of them are wrapped and tucked under the tree. All that’s left is the fun stuff – cooking and baking! I tried not to take on too much this year because I tend to go overboard with my expectations of what I can get done. I think I finally found the right balance, but we’ll see… ;)

I think this would be a great addition to your cookie platters and gift baskets. It’s easy, quick and tastes divine. Yes, it uses a ton of chocolate, but it makes a lot, and one of these little babies is enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. They are just as fudge should be – rich, fudgy and indulgent. And, the peppermint makes them a great little after dinner mint/sweet.

Chocolate Swirl Peppermint Fudge

Make sure to use baking chocolate/chips not regular chocolate chips, the regular ones don’t melt as easily as baking chocolate.

  • 22 oz. white baking chocolate, chopped (or baking chips)
  • 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
  • 3/4 cup dark (or bittersweet) chocolate baking chips

Place white chocolate and milk in a large saucepan set over low heat. Cook, stirring often, until melted and smooth. Stir in peppermint extract. Pour half of the white chocolate mixture into an 8×8 inch pan that’s been lined with foil and lightly greased. Sprinkle over 1/2 cup dark chocolate baking chips. Pour remaining white chocolate over top and sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Wait a minute or two, until the chips have softened (if they have trouble softening stick the pan in a slightly warm oven). Swirl the mixtures together with a knife until you have a marbled pattern. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Slice into 1 inch squares, to serve. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. (Or store, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

Makes approximately: 64 servings

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens.

Christmas Tree Hunting + Classic Vanilla Marshmallows

By in Candy, Christmas, GF Sweets No Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

christmas tree hunting

Last weekend we braved the snow and the cold and headed out west to find a Christmas tree with my family. I haven’t gone tree hunting in many, many years, so I was really looking forward to it. And, it did not disappoint. It was so much fun, despite the cold. And, after we all found our perfect tree, we made a fire, sharpened some twigs and roasted some homemade marshmallows to make s’mores. It was a wonderful way to kick off the Christmas season.

One day I want to get a tree like this. I think it would be adorably hilarious. It just looks so whimsical. :) But, since this was the first time we’d gotten a tree as a family we needed to find the classic “perfect” tree. So the boys went on a search and when they found it, Max helped his Daddy cut it down.

I didn’t get any pics of the s’mores fun because I was too busy roasting marshmallows and making sure my baby girl didn’t make a dash for the fire. But they were delicious and I love how the homemade marshmallows caramalize over the fire – so much better than store-bought I tell you!

When we got home, we turned on the christmas tunes, poured some eggnog and decorated the tree. Now all that’s left is to bake some gingerbread cookies to hang on the tree. It’s officially Christmas at my house!

I just had to share this marshmallow recipe with you. It is a crowd pleaser. I made both chocolate and vanilla marshmallows, and these vanilla marshmallows won, hands down. They are great for roasting, melting on top of hot chocolate (I like to cut up any scraps and turn them into mini marshmallows!), given as gifts, or used in your favourite Christmas recipe that calls for marshmallows.

They are also pretty much foolproof. My candy thermometer crapped out on me while I was making these marshmallows so I ended up cooking the sugar syrup far past the soft ball stage, and they still turned out fabulously soft and chewy. Although, there were strands of hard sugar stuck on the whisk, and the occasional sugary crunch in a marshmallow. Oops! But, that is to say, don’t be intimidated by making marshmallows, it’s easy peasy and not nearly so stressful as you might think. And if you don’t have a candy thermometer, not to worry, I’ve got instructions for that too.

I’d love to know, how are you kicking of this holiday season?

Classic Vanilla Marshmallows

  • 4 envelopes unflavoured gelatin
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups cold water, divided
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • icing (confectioners) sugar

Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish, line with parchment, and grease again; set aside.

Place sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 3/4 cup water in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cook, without stirring, until mixture registers 240ºF on a candy thermometer (the soft-ball stage*).

Meanwhile, put remaining 3/4 cup water into the bowl of an electric mixer; sprinkle with gelatin. Let soften 5 minutes.

Using whisk attachment, gradually beat hot syrup into gelatin mixture, on low-speed. Slowly raise the speed to high. Continue beating until mixture is very stiff (about 12 minutes). Beat in vanilla. Using a greased spatula, scrape mixture into prepared baking dish, smoothing the top. Let sit, uncovered, until firm (about 3 hours).

Spread some icing sugar onto a work surface. Unmold the marshmallow onto the sugar; remove parchment. Lightly brush a sharp knife with oil or more icing sugar. Cut marshmallow into 2-inch squares (or use a cookie cutter to make desired shapes). Roll each marshmallow in additional icing sugar, to coat, shaking off excess. Store marshmallows in an airtight container. Freeze for longer storage

*If you don’t have a candy thermometer you can test the sugar syrup for the soft-ball stage. To do this, drop a small amount of syrup into a bowl of cold water, it should form into a ball, when you remove the ball from the water it should flatten out naturally in your hand. This is when you know it’s done and should remove the sugar syrup from the heat.

Makes approximately: 24

Adapted from Martha Stewart.

Tip Tuesday: How to Make Dairy-Free Whipped Cream

By in Creamy, How-to's, Sweets 4 Comments Tags: , , ,

coconut whipped cream

Although we’ve already celebrated Thanksgiving over here in Canada, I know a lot of you will be celebrating American Thanksgiving in a couple of days. This year I seem bent on providing you with allergy-free alternatives. It’s been 4 years since I’ve been able to be home for all of these holidays and  since there are a lot of food sensitivities in my family, I like making sure everyone gets to enjoy all of the holiday classics. I already shared a recipe for gluten-free pie crust, to fill with pumpkin and apple to your heart’s content. But now, I’ve got a dairy-free whipped topping for you, so you don’t have to stop by the freezer isle for any more Cool Whip! ;)

I’ve seen this idea quite a few times in the past year and I thought it was absolutely brilliant. If you’re on Pinterest you’ve probably come across the idea a time or two yourself. Well, I’m here to confirm that it works! Chilling a can of coconut milk, scooping off the cream that has formed on top and whipping it until smooth, makes a beautifully silky whipped topping that is perfect for topping pumpkin pies, latte’s, crepes and pretty much anything you would normally want whipped cream on.

The only thing to keep in mind is that it is made from coconut milk, so it will taste like coconut (surprise!), and may not be the perfect accompaniment to every dish. But, I’m a fan of coconut so for me it goes with pretty much anything. You can also change the flavours a bit by stirring in different spices, citrus zest or flavourings, to go with whatever you’ll be serving it with.

Once made, it will stay good for quite a few days in the fridge, so you can make it ahead to serve for a holiday meal or party. It’s always great to have an option for something guests, who have a food intolerance, can also enjoy. And, this is a great, easy, homemade option to replace the dairy-free toppings you get from the store.

Dairy-Free Whipped Cream

  • 1 can chilled coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or sugar or honey)

Scoop off the top layer of thick coconut cream, leaving the liquid behind. Add vanilla and syrup to the cream. Whip until loose and light, adding a bit of the liquid to loosen it up a bit more, if desired. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until serving. (If you add a bit of the liquid it may separate again after sitting in the fridge, just give it a quick whip again before serving.)

Makes approximately: 1.5 cups

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