Valentine’s Day Pesto Cracker Chips

Feb12

These tasty little things can pass as a chip or a cracker. Either way try them. These are super fast and easy to put together. These would be perfect for a Valentine’s Day lunchbox or as part of a cheese or charcuterie board to have with wine. You can change up the shape to suit whatever occasion you are celebrating.

Take a package of wonton wrappers and use a cookies cutter to cut out the shapes you want to use.

Place the shapes on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with pesto and just a very light sprinkle of salt.

Bake in a 350F oven for about 8 minutes, until golden at the edges.

Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Lasts for a few days, but ours did not last to make it into a container.

As you can see, we tried a few tree shapes that we could use for Christmas and pumpkins for Halloween.

One note about the pesto, if you are putting in a lunchbox check the pesto for nuts. Both pesto types that I bought contained nuts. Our school is nut free so I couldn’t put them in the lunchbox. I have to find a nut free commercial pesto or make my own.

You could also just brush them with a little olive oil and sprinkle of salt to make a plain cracker-chip. That is how I will use the rest of my wontons for the valentines lunchbox.

Molasses Ginger Cake (dairy-free)

Jan28

Well it has been awhile! My goal is to post regularly in 2018. We have been baking and cooking but don’t post about it. As you can see on our Instagram feed @cookswithevie.

We made this cake when my niece had a sleepover, she can’t have dairy (milk products) so we served it with coconut whipped cream. It was very good. Though I prefer my gingerbread type cakes slathered in butter.

Yikes looks at those holes! That was a nice wine in the background too.

Basically here is what you do.

Whisk flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, pepper and cloves in a large mixing bowl.

In another bowl whisk oil, molasses, brown sugar, honey, eggs and vanilla.

Whisk wet mixture into the four mixture just until combined. Then whisk in the boiling water (I forgot to take a pic of that step).

This is what the batter looks like

Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Here is the cake, baked and cooling.

Cit into squares and top with ice cream (non-dairy or regular if you have no intolerance), whipped cream or just plain.

Dairy Free Molasses Cake

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all purpose flour

3 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 ¾ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

¼ tsp ground cloves

¾ cup canola oil

1 cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup honey

2 eggs

1 ½ tsp pure vanilla

¾ cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9×13 in baking pan and line with parchment.

Whisk flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, pepper and cloves in a large mixing bowl.

In another bowl whisk oil, molasses, brown sugar, honey, eggs and vanilla.

Whisk wet mixture into the four mixture just until combined.

Whisk in the boiling water.

Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Crepe Cake with Raspberry Orange Mascarpone Cream

May13

This is a great celebration cake and would make the perfect Mother’s Day dessert. It would also be a great addition to a baby shower, bridal shower, or brunch table. The best part is that you can make the crepes the day before and then whip up the cream and assemble a couple of hours before you serve it.

I got this recipe from Canadian Living magazine. They test the recipes until perfect and I have never made a bad recipe from that magazine. I will include a link below to the original recipe.

For the crepes:

2&1/2 cups warm milk

2cups all purpose flour

6 eggs

6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

In a blender ( I used my Hand blender in a large bowl) purée together milk, flour, eggs, butter, sugar and salt until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

You should have a very smooth batter with no lumps at all.

Heat an 8″ skillet or crepe pan over medium heat, brush lightly with oil. Pour a scant 1/4 cup of batter into pan swirling to coat. Cook turning once until golden.

Layer between waxed or parchment paper. Repeat with remaining batter. You should have about 30 crepes.

I ruined the first two and ended up with about 23, the last one was tiny as you can see on the top of the cake.

I wrapped the crepes in plastic wrap on plate wth parchment between each one and kept in the fridge overnight.

For the cream:

2&1/2 cups whipping cream

1&1/4 cups mascarpone cheese

5 tbsp liquid honey

1tbsp vanilla

1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

2cups fresh raspberries

In large bowl beat together cream, mascarpone and honey until stiff peaks form, then beat in vanilla, orange juice concentrate and 1 cup of the raspberries until evenly distributed. Remove 1/4 cup to a small bowl and set aside.

To assemble:

Place 1 crepe on cake plate. Spread with thin layer of cream mixture.

Repeat with others.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Just before serving top with reserved cream and mound remaining raspberries on top of cake.

Look at those layers!

Original source: Canadian Living

Oatmeal Chocolate Square

Apr30

Do ever need to pull together a snack fast for a playdate or you just really need something sweet but there is nothing to grab? These squares are a very fast and delicious and hit the spot when you want a cookie or a chocolate bar kind of snack. These disappeared quickly, mainly because I can’t pass the pan without cutting out a square.

For the base:

3 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup corn syrup

In a large bowl mix oats, brown sugar and wheat germ. Cut in butter until crumbly.

Stir in corn syrup.

Pour mixture into a microwave safe (glass), greased 8 inch square pan. Spread lightly and microwave on high uncovered for 2 minutes. Stir.

Press down firmly with a damp fork. Microwave uncovered on high for 2 minutes more until bubbly.

Now for the topping:

3/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

In a microwave safe dish, combine chocolate chips and peanut butter. Microwave for about 1 minute, but stop part way through and stir, then continue heating. If not melted smooth microwave for 20 seconds at a time until melted smooth. Pour over oat mixture and let cool before cutting.

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Once cooled cut into squares. Good luck with the self control!

Our next project is to give these a makeover so they are healthier and nut free so they are school safe for the lunch box. We will work on that as soon as my little social butterfly has some free time at home to work on it with me.

Cheese Crackers

Dec18

These little crackers are great for the lunchbox, but you can also make them into holiday shapes, sticks or twists for holiday entertaining.

I found these on Minced, you can visit that site for the complete recipe. Please do visit that website for detailed instructions and to see the beautiful pictures. Her pictures are much nicer and more elegant than mine (I barely know how to use my camera).

Basically you place the following ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the dough forms, keep it going, it will come together.

1/2 lb grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into thin slices
1 cup all purpose flour, more for dusting
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Cayenne pepper (optional – to taste)

Preheat oven to 350F. Once you have the dough roll it out and cutout and shape as desired.

Bake for about 10 minutes, just until puffed and slightly golden at edges.

Snowballs

Dec17

There seemed to be some problems with my reblogged post, so lets see if this works! This is one of our very early posts and we have so many newer followers since this post we thought we would share it again. This is a Christmas staple and an excellent addition to any Christmas cookie tray. We are making these right now, Evie is rolling in coconut as I type!

I should call these cookies Newfoundland snowballs.

These are cookies that I grew up eating and Evie loves them now. I haven’t met anyone that didn’t like them. I made a batch recently and shared with a few people. They are really easy, no bake and quick to make with few ingredients.

The coconut used is fine or medium desiccated unsweetened coconut.

Put the first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan and melt stirring to combine.

cookswithevie

I should call these cookies Newfoundland snowballs.

These are cookies that I grew up eating and Evie loves them now. I haven’t met anyone that didn’t like them. I made a batch recently and shared with a few people. They are really easy, no bake and quick to make with few ingredients.

The coconut used is fine or medium desiccated unsweetened coconut.

Put the first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan and melt stirring to combine.

Into another bowl add the next 3 ingredients and mix to combine.

Add the melted butter mixture to the oat mixture and mix. Let this cool, I usually put it in the fridge for about half an hour until it will hold shape when rolled into balls.

Roll into balls and then roll in coconut. That is it!

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These also freeze well and are good in the freezer for a few months. Sometimes I freeze…

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Molasses Oat Bread

Oct9

There is nothing better on a fall day than warm bread out of the oven with butter melting on it. Do I even have to mention the smell of warm baking bread, there is nothing like it.

You will need:

1&3/4 cups boiling water

3/4 cup oats

1/4 cup molasses

1&1/2 tsp salt

3tbsp oil 1tsp sugar

1/2 cup warm water

1pkg active dry yeast

4 cups all purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl pour boiling water over oats. Stir in molasses, salt and oil. Let cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve 1tsp sugar in 1/2 cup warm water and sprinkle in yeast.

Let stand 10 minutes. Then stir well.

Sorry, got carried away and forgot to take doughy pictures.

Add dissolved yeast and 1&1/2 cups flour to the oat mixture. Beat at low speed with electric mixer for about 1/2 minute then at high for 3 mins. Scraping sides of bowl often. Stir in with dough hook or by hand, the remaining 2&1/2 cups flour until thoroughly blended. Cover with greased parchment or cling film then a tea towel. Let rise in a warm place for about an hour.

Then beat about 25 strokes with a wooden spoon,or knead, dough will be sticky.

Grease a 2qt casserole dish or loaf pan and sprinkle top lightly with oats and press down gently so they stick.

Cover and let rise another 30 mins.

Bake in 375F oven for 35-45 mins until done.

If you are using the bread for sandwiches or to toast it would be easier if you used a loaf pan. We ate most of it warm from the oven with butter.

Apple Cheddar Muffins

Sep11

Apple picking coinciding with back to school required apple lunchbox snacks. I saw this muffin recipe in a Canadian Parent magazine and had everything on hand so we made muffins. This is a versatile muffin because it isn’t very sweet and it can be for breakfast, snack or paired with a savoury meal.

Though we ate these for breakfast and morning snack, I think these would pair really well with chilli.

Dutch Baby Pancake

Jul23

Summer is here again and we are in the middle of an extreme heat warning. We had one a few weeks ago and then it cooled down into more normal temperatures and today the temperature spiked again. There was just some thunder and the night sky was lighting up. Maybe a good storm with break the heat.

I haven’t had time lately for blogging. Work has been insane and when I am not working I am trying to be outside in summer before it is over.

A few weeks ago, when our local strawberries were in season we went strawberry picking and made a dutch baby pancake for Sunday morning breakfast/brunch. It is easy to make, I use my Nutribullet to whip it up quickly, and fun to watch it bake as it puffs up and then falls.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3 large eggs

3/4 cup whole milk (you could use 2%)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a Nutribullet or blender, combine eggs, milk, flour, salt, vanilla, and 1/4 cup sugar. Blend until foamy, about 1 minute.

Most recipes call for a medium cast-iron or ovenproof nonstick skillet. I don’t have one, so I used a 9” non-stick cake pan. Just before I was ready to put the prepared batter in I put 2 tablespoons butter in the pan and put it in the over until the butter melted then I swirled it around to totally coat the pan and poured the batter right in. Pour batter into hot pan or skillet; bake until pancake is puffed and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

Working quickly, dot pancake with 1 tablespoon butter, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and a sprinkle of lemon juice. Slice into wedges, and serve immediately

After you take it out of the oven it will fall very quickly.

We sprinkled with a light dusting with powdered sugar and topped with berries and whipped cream. Sometimes we just do a little butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. Either is delicious.

I hope you give this recipe a try. It is fun to watch and delicious too!

Strawberries, Cream & Vanilla Cake

Jul2

Fresh picked strawberries, vanilla cake and whipped cream and a layer of homemade freezer jam (made from the rest of the strawberries). It was quick to make, perfect red and white for Canada Day, and delicious!

We whipped 2 cups of whipping cream with 1 tbsp caster sugar and about a tsp of vanilla, just enough to give a little flavour. Slice a vanilla cake or vanilla sponge through the middle, spread a layer of good strawberry jam over the top of the bottom layer, then some sliced berries, a good layer of whipped cream. Add the top layer and press down slightly, just until the filling starts to squish out the sides. cover the top of more whipped cream and a few berries.

Enjoy!