Duh-Licious

I knew this time would come sooner or later..

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:15:00 +0000

I knew this time would come sooner or later; I have a whole two weeks ahead of me where I will be doing nothing much more than studying and writing final papers. I think its important for my academic career that I just take a week or two off from blogging and focus my attention on finishing this semester. If you are wondering what a fourth year is like in Policy Studies (with a minor in Health Sci:), its stressful and busy, and it doesn't leave much room for anything else. What's in store for me over the next two weeks? Two final exams (with many more to come in December), three in-class tests, one presentation, a lab assignment, a book report and a partridge in a pear tree.

Hope to wrap these up soon so I can get on with my Holiday posts. Wish me luck:)

-Madalina

Sorrryyyy!

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:36:00 +0000

Ahh, sorry about the delay-- I've had my hands my hands full with essays, midterms and exams. Congratulations to Christine, lucky number one:)

Mini Candy Apple Bites

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:25:00 +0000

I KNOW I said I hate Halloween (and I don't think I'm about to start), but I just can't help making treats... also everything is better mini, and these candied apple bites are no exception. These are best eaten right away, which is somewhat great, because I always have trouble letting things sit in the refrigerator for hours.

In the spirit of Halloween, I'm also giving away a Potter Barn Skull Cocktail Shaker Kit to one lucky visitor.

*photo courtesy of PotteryBarn

To enter, just leave a comment with what you will be dressing up as for Halloween, or, if you are anti-halloween (like me!) tell me your Halloween horror story, and the reason why you don't like this hollow-day ... okay, so that sounded a lot funnier/better in my head.

** This contest is only open to Canadian and US residents (sorry!!); tweet this post to gain an extra entry (make sure you let me know you did so in the comment); contest ends October 31!

Ingredients:

[makes about 10-15 apple bites]

- 100 g Kraft Caramels (about 40)

- 4 apples, washed -granny smith works best

- 1 ounce half and half cream

- candy and other goodies to dip your apple bites

- 15 candy sticks

- mellon baller

- 2 cups ice water

- 1 lime or lemon, sliced

Directions:

1. Fill a small bowl with water, and add lime or lemons. This is to keep your apple balls from browning-- the acidity slows down oxidation.

2. Using your mellon baller, scoop out apple balls from your apples, and place the balls in the water mix. Do this for all your apples, and set aside.

4. Using a double boiler method, melt the caramels and cream. Stir often to prevent the caramels from over cooking.

5. While caramels are melting, dry off apple bites-- it is super important that you thoroughly dry these with a paper towel, as any water residue will prevent the caramel from adhering.

6. Insert candy sticks in the center of the apple bites, again ensuring the apple is dry. Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment to lay dipped apple bites.

7. Dip apple bites in melted caramel, dip in candy toppings if desired. Allow caramel to cool for 2-5 minutes, and enjoy right away.

update:

HELP!My caramel is sliding off my apples...

oneordinaryday brought up a great point in the comment section. She tried a similar recipe, but the caramel completely fell off the apples no matter how much she dried them. I spoke to a few people who have had similar experiences, and deduced that it could be because of the apples themselves, the caramels used, and also the temperature of the caramel at the time you dipped the apples.

I didn't run into this problem myself-- but it could be because I let the caramel reach a high temperature.. not intentionally, I just had my hands full..ops.

Below are some quick fixes if you run into this problem (I haven't actually tried this myself though)

1. Roll the apple bites into icing sugar, this creates a coating so the caramel has something to adhere to.

2. FLASH freeze your apples, dip them into the caramel cold-- apparently this has worked for a number of people

3. Allow the caramel to heat to at least 248-- this is the hard ball candy stage. I don't know too much about sugar theory, but a lot of people say that this is the cause.

4. Make your own caramels-- this seems to be the best fix. Apparently the brand and quality of store bought caramels drastically affects the results.

Caramel

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 Tbs unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp vanilla

Put all the ingredients – except for the butter and vanilla – into a high-sided saucepan (Use one that is larger than you think you’ll need). Have a pastry brush available in a glass with water just covering the bristles.

Stir the mixture over medium heat with a clean spoon until the sugar dissolves. Wash down the pan's sides with the brush.

Add the butter and stir just until it melts and is well-incorporated and the mixture begins to boil. Cook without stirring until the syrup is above 248, the firm-ball stage.

Add the vanilla, mix well, and pour the mixture into the prepared pan and allow to cool for candies.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Squares

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:25:00 +0000

I never did like Halloween... might seem strange, but I am traumatized by the bad costumes I had as a child (not your fault mom!) I'm starting to come around to the idea, and the candy and chocolate definitely help. This is a simple recipe for peanut butter chocolate bites-- not just for halloween, but they are frighteningly easy.

(oh, and thats not dirt.. its crushed oreos)

Ingredients:

(~25 Servings)

2 cups smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup butter

4 cups confectioners sugar

3 1/2 cups Special K cereal (crushed)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate

Directions:

1. Melt peanut butter and butter in saucepan, over low heat. In large bowl, mix crispy rice cereal and confectioners' sugar well. Pour melted peanut butter and butter over cereal and sugar and blend together thoroughly.

2. Spread mixture on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Lay another piece of parchment over top, and using a rolling pin, roll out until it is 1/2" thick. Refrigerate for a minimum of two hours, over night is preferred.

4. In a double boiler, melt semi-sweet chocolate. Cut out shapes (such as tomb stones, coffins, squares, etc) and dip them into the chocolate-- allow the shapes to cool on parchment paper. Decorate with melted chocolate if desired.

Don't throw out any left over pieces... get creative with them.

Have a safe and Happy Halloween:)

---------

On a different note, Duh-Licious turned 1 last week:) I got this awesome 'counter' cake from @keyboardcowb0y to commemorate 20,000 hits... it was his first ever cake, and he did an awesome job. Thankkkk You

Sweet Potato Fries with Sweet Chipotle Ketchup

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:37:00 +0000

They are baked, not fried... the last thing I need is extra calories after Thanksgiving. Even though I swore I'd put the carbs away for the next few ~~weeks~~ days, I just couldn’t resist (I blame it on the extra stress!!—not cool by the way) Enjoy the fries, and go for seconds… I won’t tell anyone.

Ingredients:

3 Large Sweet Potatoes (what's the difference between s.p and yams anyways?)

1 cup oil

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

½ tsp cayenne pepper (more for extra heat)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sweet paprika

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425’C. Using either (a) a potato peeler; or (b) a serrated knife, peel the skin off the sweet potatoes (if you find this too difficult, follow step 2 before peeling).

2. Using a fork, poke a few holes in the sweet potato (creates vents). Using the baked potato option on your microwave, bake accordingly. Since sweet potatoes are tougher than regular potatoes, I found that it was just enough to soften the potatoes, but not to thoroughly bake. Allow to cool

3. In a separate bowl; combine oil, salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, and sweet paprika.

4. Once sweet potatoes have cooled, cut them into thin strips. Brush sweet potato strips with oil and spices, and lay flat on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, turn fries over, and bake until golden brown (I got a little distracted, so mine got a little charred—my excuse is that I like ‘em extra crispy).

For the Chipotle Ketchup

3/4 cup ketchup 

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoon chopped canned chipotle chilies

1 tablespoon spicy tomato sauce from chipotle can 

1 tsp lime juice

In a small sauce pan, combine ingredients. Simmer on medium-low heat until ketchup thickens slightly, stirring often for about 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temp. Can be made one week ahead of time. Cover and chill.

Apricot and Jalapeno Salmon

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:44:00 +0000

Stick with me on this one: Apricot and Jalapeno Salmon-- sounds a little crazy, but its crazy good. When I was at the farmers market in Kingston a few weeks back, I was given a sample of Henderson Farms Apricot and Jalapeno Jelly; it was interesting to say the least. I took the jar home, and I thought I would try it out for dinner meals. You first taste the sweetness of the apricots, followed by the heat from the jalapenos-- pretty cool flavor combination. I paired my salmon with a portobello wild rice (yum!)

Portobello Wild Rice

3 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, chopped

2 large portobello mushroom caps; cleaned, chopped

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup half-and-half or light cream

2 cups cooked wild rice

1. Heat butter in a large skillet. Fry the onion and mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with garlic, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Cook and stir for one minute to blend the flavors.

2. Stir in the chicken broth, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until most of the liquid is reduced or absorbed. Stir in half-and-half cream, and cooked wild rice. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if desired.

Wild Salmon with Apricot and Jalapeno Jelly

4-5 wild salmon fillets

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 cup white wine

1/4 cup apricot and jalapeno jelly

1/4 cup olive oil

1. In a large bowl, combine oregano, basil, salt, pepper white wine, and olive oil. Add the fillets, cover and refrigerate. Allow the salmon to marinate for about an hour (over night is preferred).

2. Preheat a large greased skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. Place salmon in skillet, and increase heat to high. Cook for 3 minutes. Brush with apricot and jalapeno jelly and turn over. Cook for 5 minutes, or until browned. Salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.

Pear and Cranberry Mini Tarts

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:02:00 +0000

This week I made extremely easy mini tarts. I cheated a little and used store-bought frozen tart shells, but hey, you can't win them all. Pears and cranberries are both in season, and I picked up a bushel of each at this weeks farmers market.

Pear and Cranberry Compote

Ingredients:

3 cups of diced Bartlett pears - about 4 pears

1/2 cup cranberries

2 tsp brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup apple cider

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

zest of one lemon

1 tsp lemon juice

12 frozen tart shells

1. Pre-heat oven at 425'C. Bake frozen pie shells for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

2. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the fruit is tender. Remove from heat, and stir in lemon juice-- allow to cool.

3. Fill tart shells with pear and cranberry compote. Top with fresh whip cream, and serve.

Banana Bread Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:07:00 +0000

When I left for my trip a few weeks ago; I forgot to do a little bit of critical house keeping. I forgot to throw away any left over milk, and get rid of left over fruits and veggies-- which all went bad before I got back. All except the bananas, which for this recipe, it is critical that they are over ripe. Over ripe refers to the condition in which the food is past its peak prime, but before it is rotting (a definition I used to have trouble with in the past). You can make this recipe a variety of ways; and I recommend adding your favorite toppings, such as raisins, cranberries, anything-- go nuts (mind the pun). Feel free to make mini cakes or an entire loaf - just adjust the baking time accordingly.

Ingredients:

[makes 12 mini-cakes; or one loaf]

2 cups - all-purpose flour

1 tsp - baking soda ( a suitable substitute for baking soda is baking powder; you usually need to triple the amount of what the asking quantity of baking soda is; so in this case, substitute 3 tsp baking powder)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter - room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar - some recipes call for more, but I find that it gets to sweet, over-ripe bananas are already super sweet

2 eggs

3-4 large, over ripe bananas; mashed

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

[insert ingredient here] (optional:)

(directions below)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350'C. Lightly grease a muffin pan, or line with cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, and mashed bananas, mix until well blended. In a separate bowl, sift all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda, and combine into banana mixture. Stir until the ingredients are moist; but be careful not to over stir.

3. Pour batter into pan, and bake for 45-60 minutes, until golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Sunday Brunch: French Toast with Nectarine Compote; Two Ways

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:12:00 +0000

I tried to put a healthy twist on one of my favorite brunch meals-- partially because I had a lot of whole wheat bread about to go stale, and because I wanted something sinful (and of course because it was whole wheat I could 'justify' eating it:) I chose to use nectarines because they were the sweetest fruit I found at the Farmer's Market. Feel free to substitute nectarines for peaches, apples, pears, or whatever excites your taste buds.

Ingredients:

(Serves 6-8)

French Toast

4 eggs

8-10 slices of bread. *I used whole wheat store brand bread and it tasted great.

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp sugar

dash of salt

butter, oil or cooking spray

2 cups quick rolled oats (optional)

Nectarine Compote

4 nectarines; halved and pitted, and sliced

2 tbsp butter or margarine

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 water

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

For Compote:

1. In a pot, melt butter on medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the nectarines and stir often so they do not burn. Ideally, you want to sautee the nectarines in order to obtain their sweet taste-- approximately 3-4 minutes.

2. Once the nectarines have browned, add cinnamon, vanilla, and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir just enough to incorporate the ingredients. (Be careful not to overstir in order to hold the shape of the fruit)

3. Add water and remaining sugar, and bring to a gentle boil-- stir often so sugar does not burn. Once the sugar reaches a boiling temperature, reduce heat to simmer.

4. Allow the nectarines to stew until the syrup begins to thicken-- approximately 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to set; it will thicken a little more as it cools.

For French Toast:

1. Break eggs into a shallow bowl; and lightly beat with a fork or whisk. Stir in sugar, salt and milk

2. Over medium-low heat, prepare your skillet or griddle with butter, margarine, or cooking spray.

3. You can cut the bread into thinner slices (like I did), or you can leave it whole. Place the bread into the egg bowl, and allow the bread to soak up the egg mixture. [Soak only as many slices as you plan on cooking at one time; if not they will get too soggy, and the bread will break up as you cook it]

4. [OPTIONAL] For an added crunch, roll your egg-soaked bread into quick rolled oats.

5. Cook bread slices on griddle or skillet until the bottom is golden brown, flip and brown the other side.

6. Serve french toast with warm nectarine compote. YUM:)

A Culinary Adventure; Paris-London

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 04:32:00 +0000

I have been in a really weird funk lately. I came back from my trip to London and Paris last weekend, but I still feel jet lag. I suppose it doesn’t help that I am battling a new cold (after I had just finished with my last one—the one which left me bed ridden for 12 days.)

The trip was great—not only did I get to visit the glitzy landmarks; I experienced a new world of culinary adventure. It was nothing as I imagined; and to be quite frank, I was disappointed. I left Toronto imagining that all my meals across the pond would be elegant, full of flavor and creativity; this was not the case. Most of the meals I had fell short of what I had envisioned. This could be because I was selective of where I ate—the cost of food had a definite impact on what and where I could afford to eat.

[Traditional English breakfast; beans, hash browns, eggs, bacon.. overall a tasty meal]

Regardless, most of my meals in London were bland, often carb loaded, and way to greasy for my palate. This is not to offend anyone; it is just a mere observation of my experience. The one thing that I was impressed by in London was the wide array of selections in supermarkets. There was a wide variety of ingredients, spices, staples, meats, pastries—you had a million of choices. This is where I believe Canadians fall short; our choices in our supermarkets are quite limited in comparison.

[Bangers and mash at a London Pub]

[@YO!Sushi; Japanese conveyor belt sushi restaurant]

In Paris, I was shocked by the cost of food. I didn’t expect that most meals at the brasseries would range between 12€ and 20€. A burger and fries combo at such a place would ball park at 13€; that’s about 20 Canadian Dollars (which is effing NUTS!) The food in Paris, I can honestly say, was subpar. I can’t say for certain, but the really good stuff must be hidden in really expensive places (…the kind which my little student budget could not afford). The produce itself was of high quality; it just seemed to lack inspiration—as if the celebrity of being situated in ‘Paris’ alone can guarantee its success.

[Small little Patisserie in central Paris]

[This is my favorite kind of window shopping]

Similarily, I found that most corner shop patisseries lacked creativity. I was expecting to see some profound and innovative ideas, but instead it was your typical macarons, petit fours, and crème bruleees. Slightly underwhelming, but I can’t complain because they were truly delicious, and far beyond anything I have tried in Toronto.

[If there are cupcakes within a mile radius, chances are that I've spotted them. These were at Pearson International Airport]

I am back in Kingston, ON for the next 8 months, just finishing my degree at the school of Policy Studies at Queens; I mention this only for the fact that it will be the only thing preventing me from posting as frequently as I would like. My last few years in this program have made me realize that I really want to pursue my passion for baking. The question now is whether I am confident (and ready) enough to transform this passion into a career…(?)

[Store display on Champs-Elysées-- mammoth dessert? count me in]

Paris Cupcake

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:19:00 +0000

I've packed my bags and I'm ready to leave... I'm off to Paris and London for two weeks-- this means no posts until I come back.

See you soon.

xoxo

Madalina

Back to School Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 04:01:00 +0000

I LOVE BACK TO SCHOOL TIME-- okay, so the secret is out; but I've always loved going back to school. Even when I was growing up, I would start planning my back to school outfits weeks in advance, start saving my allowance for school supplies, and I loved flipping through flyers and spotting the deals. I still get excited walking into Staples and checking out the pens, binders, and all the dodads. So even if you don't share my enthusiasm for heading back to class, I'm sure you won't mind back to school cupcakes.

These were made using my classic vanilla cupcake recipe listed here, with store bought fondant. All the details were made using my new favorite tool-- a clay gun.

Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Torte

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:32:00 +0000

I have been in quarantine for the last 11 days-- turns out I caught a wicked bronchial infection. My routine included a lot of bed rest, and almost no baking; it was a horrible punishment. My mom e-mailed me this recipe from a phenomenal website, and although my attempt was sub par (I took several naps in between steps!), the cake is irresistible.

Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Torte; adapted from Laura Adamache

Ingredients

Cake Base
Chocolate Meringue Layer:
4 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp flour
2 eggs – egg whites only
2 tbsp butter – room temperature
1 tbsp cocoa powder

Vanilla Layer:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla sugar

White Chocolate Strawberry Mousse:
½ cup strawberries – washed and sliced
½ cup white chocolate – cut into small pieces
2 cups whip cream – liquid form
1 packet of knox gelatine (or similar)

Chocolate Mousse:
1 cup bittersweet chocolate
¾ cup whip cream
1 packet of knox gelatin (or similar)

Garnish:
12 Strawberries
2 cups bakers chocolate – bittersweet

* A springform pan is required-- I used a 9”; but I think 7” will work better

1.Start off by making a meringue out of two eggs; add sugar slowly. Once you have achieved stiff peaks, blend in flour, butter, and cocoa powder. I made the mistake of folding in the mixture; I later realized that it isn't necessary, and you can use a whisk to blend the ingredients in.

2.Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and spread a 1/4” layer of chocolate meringue mixture. Use a fork; or a icing comb to create a square pattern, first by dragging horizontally, then vertically. In theory, this should create a gap for the vanilla cake layer to peak through-- this also didn't work out very well for me (non the less, it tasted great!). Once you have scored the meringue, place the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 45 minutes.

3.Preheat oven to 325'C. In a clean dish, whip the eggs and sugar (the mixture should approximately double in volume). Slowly add the flour and vanilla.

4.Spread a thin layer of the cake batter on top of the chocolate meringue layer. Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown.

5.When the cake sheet is out of the oven, dust it with powdered sugar, and set aside to cool. Once cool, cut the cake into a strip wide enough to surround your springform pan. Use remaining cake pieces to cover the bottom.

Strawberry Mousse:
6.Prepare the gelatin packet as directed and set aside.

7.Puree the strawberries. I used my magic bullet, but a food processor would do just fine:) In a small saucepan, bring strawberry puree and sugar to to a boil; constantly stirring to avoids burning. Bring heat to a low, and stir for 5 minutes. Remove from stove and set aside and allow to cool

8.In a separate saucepan, bring the whip cream to a gentle boil, and turn off the heat. Add the white chocolate, and stir until melted. Add whip cream mixture to strawberry mixture, and add the gelatin and mix well. Pour the strawberry mousse into the spring form pan, and allow to cool in the fridge for 2 hours.

9.While the strawberry mousse sets, melt the bakers chocolate in a double boiler-- I have a chocolate melter; but the traditional method works just as well. Dip the strawberries, and set on parchment paper to cool. On a separate piece of parchment paper, I doodled rough designs using a parchment triangle-- You could always use a piping bag.

Chocolate Mousse Layer:
10.Prepare gelatin according to packet. In a small saucepan, melt remaining chocolate with whip cream. Once the chocolate melts, remove from heat and add gelatin and pour over strawberry mousse.

11.Place the cake in the fridge for about an hour to set. Once set, garnish with whip cream, strawberries, and chocolate.

Mushroom-Phyllo Canape

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:18:00 +0000

These little canapes are perfect for entertaining guests, and it takes almost no effort to make a few dozen. It is hard to believe that cottage season is coming to an end, but with the end of summer, my favorite season follows. I have a few new exciting cupcakes which I can't wait to post-- some to say au revoir to the summer, and some to greet the fall; be sure to check back in a few days!

**Deadline to enter the cupcake canister contest is tonight at midnight-- winners will be announced tomorrow:)

Ingredients:

(filling)

- 250 g white mushrooms - thoroughly washed; finely diced

- 1 medium onion - finely diced

- 1 medium red pepper - finely diced

1 tsp olive oil

- t tsp salt and pepper

- 1 tsp olive oil

- t tsp salt and pepper

- cheese, and parsley garnish

(phyllo base)

- 1/2 cup butter - melted

- 1 pkg frozen phyllo sheets - thawed (I use President's Choice; my favorite)

Directions:

1. Sautée onions, red pepper, and mushroom in a pan with olive oil on medium-high heat.

2. Cook; stirring often, until all ingredients are cooked-- about 8-10 minutes. Drain excess oil or juices, and set aside to cool. The filling can be made 24 hours in advanced, and stored in a fridge-- bring to room temperature before serving.

3. On a clean working surface, layer 4 sheets; spreading the melted butter in between. Cut into 2" squares using a pizza cutter, or a sharp knife.

4. Press phyllo squares into the cups of a mini-muffin baking pan (preferably non-stick; or gently greased). Bake for 12 minutes in a 325' oven or until golden brown

5. Remove from oven, and allow to cool. Once cool, scoop mushroom filling into the cups, and garnish.

Recipe makes 48.

I had some left over phyllo, so using the butter-brushing method made triangles. I sprinkled sugar and baked until golden brown. Once cooled, I peeled the triangle sheets from one another. I piped whip cream and garnished with fruit.

I think these little dessert triangles would taste great if brushed with cinnamon when layering sheets. Yum

Summer Salsa!

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:49:00 +0000

I had a lazy day last week, and got together with my friend Cat, and we made some salsa! From start to finish, this recipe will take you about 8 minutes-- so you won't be stuck in the kitchen this long weekend. Oh, and don't forget to enter my contest:)

Ingredients

- 4 to 5 plum tomatoes

- 1 half green pepper - de-seeded

- juice of one lime

- clove of garlic ( 2 if your adventurous)

- 1 table spoon fresh cilantro

- 1 medium white onion

- tsp salt

- 1/2 habanero chili (optional, add more for extra heat)

- bag of nacho chips

Directions

- Roughly chop all ingredients, and place them in a food processor

- Pulsate food processor until all ingredients are chopped; serve with chips (be carful not too over blend, you don't want salsa soup).

- Thats it; told you it was easy

C'mon, Enter this contest!

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 05:35:00 +0000

I'm back from vacation, and I found some goodies that I want to give to you guys:) You know the rules, so what are you waiting for... who knows, it might be your lucky day

- Madalina

** Contest is now over; check below for winners **

A little Bakeation. heh

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:48:00 +0000

I'm taking a few days for rest and relaxation. I've had so much on my plate lately (yes, a culinary pun heh) that its about time I take a few days off.

See you in a few fellow readers.

Love,

Madalina

Gogoshi--A Romanian Style Donut

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:13:00 +0000

I was asked by Women On the Web to submit my favorite recipe passed down from my mom-- I instantly thought of 'Gogosi' (Go-go-shii). It comes with no surprise that this is my favourite recipe. Not only does it taste great, and brings back memories of my childhood, it also what sparked the relationship between my mother and I (not to mention my infatuation for baked goods!)

“Gogosi”

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Ready in: 1hr 15m

Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients:

4 cups flour

2 tsp dry yeast

½ cup warm milk

2 eggs

¼ cup oil

¾ cup sugar

Zest of one lemon

pinch of salt

2 cups of powered sugar (to dust donuts)

vanilla sugar

3 cups of oil for frying

Directions:

1. Mix the yeast, warm milk, one teaspoon of sugar, and one teaspoon of flour

in a small bowl and set aside to activate for 5 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, combine eggs, the remaining sugar, salt, lemon zest, and

¼ oil.

3. Add yeast mixture and slowly incorporate the flour, until the dough is well

combined.

4. Gently flour your workspace, and knead your dough. Place the dough in a

clean bowl, cover with a tea towel, and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.

5. Once the dough is rested, separate it into four sections in order to make it

easier to work with and roll the dough out about ¼ inch thick.

6. Use a medium-diameter glass to cut out circles.

7. Heat about 4 cups of oil (about 3” deep) in a large pan to ~350 degrees.

8. While the oil is heating, combine vanilla sugar, and powdered sugar in a separate bowl (this is for sprinkling your donuts)

9. Place about 5 donuts in at a time, allowing them to fry for about a minute

on each side.

10. Once the donuts are golden brown, remove and place them on paper

towel lined tray.

11. Allow the donuts to cool down for a couple of minutes, and you can

either roll them in icing sugar, or use a sieve to sprinkle them lightly.

Cottage Canapes

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:29:00 +0000

I just came back from a few days at the cottage. I was completely grateful to have some time to myself, lounging around in the sun and being completely lazy. These canapes (a fancy french word for appetizers) are simple to make, refreshing, and diet friendly :) Enjoy-- waterfront and deck optional

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons of real mayonnaise (sub light for diet friendly)

- 1 can of white tuna- drained and flaked

- 2 large cucumbers

- 2 slices of cheese (optional)

- 1 small pepper (optional-- sub hot pepper for extra zing)

- 15 croutons (optional)

serves 10-15

Directions:

1. Combine tuna and mayonnaise until smooth. Season to taste

2. Cut cucumbers into 1" slices, and scoop out centre. For added appeal cut the edges of the cucumber to create a pattern.

3. Fill cucumber slices with filling and garnish. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

* To make the pepper twist, cut a small thin strip of pepper, and twist around a chopstick. Simple enough:)

How perfect is this picture? Courtesy of Andrew. Just add canapes

Peach Trifle

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:58:00 +0000

So I have been a little busy (...okay; a lot busy) with cupcake orders lately. On Sunday, I had an overwhelming amount of left over cupcakes that were the runts of the bunch. Some were too big, some were to small, and some just weren't right. Instead of throwing these little guys away, I decided to fulfill their destiny as edible goodies, and make a nice trifle. This recipe is not your traditional trifle, but I think its better!

Ingredients:

- A dozen sub par cupcakes (or a pound cake)

- 1 can of peach halves (save the syrup)

- 500mL whip cream

- 1 cup of powdered sugar

- 1 fresh peach for garnish

Directions:

1. Cut cupcakes into 1" squares and set aside

2. Drain your peach halves, and save the syrup

3. Toss the cupcake squares with the syrup and allow to 'rest'

4. Slice the halves into slivers

5. Whip the cream with the sugar until stiff... do not over beat

6. Layer the ingredients in a large bowl (start with a cupcake base, add whip cream, than peaches and repeat)

7. Cover and refrigerate for two hours

Birthday Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:23:00 +0000

My friend Stephanie had her Birthday last week, and I decided to make the Birthday girl cupcakes. The cupcakes were made using this recipe, and marshmallow fondant. To get the 'shiny' effect, I glazed the fondant with a mixture of simple syrup and a dab of piping gel.

Happy Father's Day

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:52:00 +0000

I might be jumping the gun on this post, but I wanted to wish all the Fathers a happy day on June 21st. These cuppies were made using this recipe, and covered with marshmallow fondant.

xoxo

Apple Fritters

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Thu, 28 May 2009 02:20:00 +0000

So I suppose the old saying doesn't include apple fritters to keep doctors away, but I feel less guilty eating these (after all, it is a fruit serving). These fritters look like donuts, and taste a little CINN-ful :)

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 quarts oil for deep frying
4 large apples, peeled and cored
1/2 cup sugar + 1 teaspoon of cinnamon for dusting

Directions:

1. Heat oil to 190' C (in a deep fryer or heavy bottomed deep)

2. Sift dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

3. Whisk together eggs and milk, and slowly combine dry ingredients. Mix until well blended

4. Slice the apples about 1/4" thin and dip in batter

5. Fry a few at a time, turning once, until golden.

6. Drain on paper towels and roll in sugar and cinnamon while still warm

Nestle Noir Mousse Chocolate

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:34:00 +0000

After a long day, the kind where nothing goes your way, all you need to do is take a bite of Nestle Noir Mousse Chocolates. I sat in my chair and while the chocolate melted in my mouth, so did all my worries. While both the dark and milk chocolates are smooth and velvety, the dark mousse has a subtle hint of vanilla that adds a little more elegance and flavor. If you prefer the slight bitterness of dark chocolate, you will love the dark chocolate filled mousse delicates. On the other hand, if you like the taste of creamy milk chocolate, you will be pleasantly surprised by the milk filled mousse delicates.

Nestle outdoes themselves with the NOIR line, and pays particular attention to the chocolate's packaging. The chocolates are housed in an elegant box which mimic the charm and polish of these delectable treats.

Marshmallow Fondant; Fun-dant

noreply@blogger.com (mădălina) — Mon, 18 May 2009 07:14:00 +0000

Happy Victoria Day weekend to my Canadian readers:) I hope that all of you have the day off tomorrow (I don't; but I'll get over it). If you have nothing to do and want to have an afternoon of delicious fun, get your hands on some cupcakes and have fun decorating them with marshmallow fondant. This recipe, in my opinion, tastes 200% better than commercial fondant, and is a lot more affordable.

I really like this recipe not only because it is easy, it also allows you to control flavor and consistency.

Ingredients:

~ 1/2 to 1 cup of Crisco

500g high quality marshmallows

~ 1 kg of powdered sugar (confectioners sugar); twice sifted

3 tbls water

Icing colours (optional)

To clarify, the Crisco is used primarily to help the fondant from sticking to surfaces. Especially helps when you need to knead the fondant.

Directions:

1. Grease a microwave safe bowl large enough to hold your marshmallows. Add water and microwave on low for 45 seconds - a minute and a half; just until the marshmallows puff up and melt

2. Lay out a large piece of parchment to cover your working surface, and generously grease it with Crisco

3. Pour melted marshmallows on greased surface, and slowly add confectioners sugar.

4. Generously grease your hands (I MEAN IT!!) and have some handy near by; you'll need it.

5. Start kneading the marshmallow mixture, and start adding more sugar. At this point you will start seeing the fondant come together, and become more tacky, and return to a solid state.

* I usually don't end up using the entire 1kg of sugar. If the fondant is to sticky and gum like, you should add more sugar. If the fondant becomes to hard, its a sign of too much sugar, and adding a teaspoon of water may help return it back to a softer state.

* Humidity plays a big role in determining how much sugar is used. On warmer, humid days, I usually add the entire kg of sugar. On dryer days, I use less. Play it by ear... er.. the weather!

6. YOU NEED TO KNEAD. Kneading is important because it removes any sugar clumps that may have developed, and it also gives you a feel for the consistency. You generally want a fondant that has a similar texture to play dough. When you are happy with the consistency of your fondant, wrap it in some parchment paper, and place it in an airtight container (or ziplock bag)

7. Its best to let your fondant settle for 24 hrs in the fridge.

8. The best way to tint your fondant is by using icing colors. Usually a few dabs of the color will suffice to tint an entire piece of fondant.

If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them:) Enjoy.xoxo