In My Kitchen a long time ago

Jan9

Here we are in winter, again. The holidays are over, thank the Gods! I have to admit that I am daydreaming of what to plant and where once the snow melts. Though I don’t get much sun anymore so not sure how that will work out. Oh well,we are still a bit away from that. In the meantime I have been instagramming a lot and have left the blog to collect a little dust. I just went poking around in here and realized I started this post a very long time ago and didn’t hit the publish button, better late than never.

Made these as a baking challenge, the chocolatiest cake pops you can imagine

We have some fancy apple cider vinegar. This will go into some sort of salad dressing

the annual Paczki, yum!

made these pesto chips for a valentines post, super easy and fast

made a large casserole, so froze a container for another meal later

We did a baking challenge in January, which was bread bowls. They turned out really well and tasted great

Pre karate training lunch

Using up leftover bits and pieces for a breakfast “pizza”

We are growing the world’s smallest terrarium, I was sceptical but it is working. I am still sceptical…

made chocolate 8 bit hearts

The “In My Kitchen” monthly theme host is Sherry, from sherryspickings.blogspot.ie If you would like to know what is happening in other kitchens or join IMK head over to Sherry’s blog and check out all the other IMK participants and join in.

Sherrys Pickings

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.

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.

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.

Brown Bread

May10

This is an old recipe that was given to me by a friend who got the recipe from her mother who was given the recipe from a friend.

The lady that gave me the recipe said it was a very nice bread for breakfast or with tea and recommended that I try it. The recipe was handwritten on a beautiful vintage recipe card and it was well worn on the edges. I photocopied it so I lost the colour and gold detailing but it was so pretty I didn’t want to just copy our the recipe. I hope you are able to read the recipe.

This is the soured milk, which was basically 2 cups of milk with 2 Tbsps vinegar added. To this I added 2tsp of baking soda, you can see how it bubbled in the second photo

I had a little trouble finding the graham four but then I found this one.

Mix the dry ingredients together, little hands are helpful for this

Pour in the wet ingredients and stir. A vintage recipe calls for a vintage mixer!

Place into a greased loaf and and bake at 325F for about one hour.

Et voila!

Cool on a wire rack

It turned out nice and evenly browned, even the bottom

It is really nice served warm with a little butter.

As the recipe card says if too warm it doesn’t cut well. But it does freeze like anything but takes hours to thaw!

Dairy Free Chocolate Cake aka Wacky Cake

Apr14

I needed a dairy free dessert for Easter. That may not be a challenge for some people, but my kitchen is not a dairy free zone, in fact it is a dairy heavy zone! The Cadbury mini eggs are not dairy free but I love them sooooo much and they can easily be removed for the non-dairy eaters.

After thinking and pinteresting ( I think I just made that word up) for awhile I remembered a cake that I used to make when I was a kid. It was from this old kids cookbook and I started making it when I was probably about 8 years old.

It is a simple mix in the pan and bake cake. It is actually a recipe from the 1930’s depression era when eggs, butter and milk were expensive. Though I thought sugar would have been expensive too? maybe it was cheap back then?

This was my ~~much~~ older cousin’s book which got handed down to me and then handed back to her again. I forgot how much I loved the pictures in this book. It was called wacky cake, there are versions found on the interwebs as well, they are all about the same. I mixed it in a bowl and poured it into the greased pan as I wanted it to come out of the pan easily for decorating. I changed it slightly by doubling it and I added cold brewed coffee instead of water. It brings out the chocolate flavour more.

This cake is chocolatey and moist, I think that it was perfect for Easter or any celebration or just cause you are feeling wacky!

This is the recipe for one 9′ round cake.

1 1/2 cups al purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup cold brewed coffee (or water)

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp vinegar

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar into a bowl (or directly in the pan)

That is the coffee

A little bunny helped of course

In a measuring cup mix coffee, oil and vanilla.

Pour liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk.

When the batter is smooth our in vinegar an whisk quickly just until vinegar is distributed.

Note: This is an exciting science lesson for the kiddos when the vinegar and baking soda reacts.

Bake at 375 for about 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely before icing.

Make the icing an colour whatever colour you want it

The icing is a simple decorator icing (I think it is originally from Wilton). It is a sweet frosting, but all my other trusted frostings have dairy. I found the sweet was well balanced by the chocolate of this cake.

Vegetable shortening (1 cup), icing sugar (4 cups) and 1 tsp vanilla and about a tbsp water.

Did I mention how much I love Cadbury mini eggs.

I know I have mentioned before that I do not have any affiliate links and am not compensated for my opinion etc, but if Cadbury would like to send me a big ole bucket of mini eggs I would make all kinds of things with them and gush about them all the time….just sayin’

A piece of the cake before it was all gobbled up

Cinnamon Rolls and Weaving

Apr10

We have been trying to update our blog for weeks, but it has been very busy with March Break, Easter and birthday parties.

Evie has been requesting that we make cinnamon rolls for about three weeks now, but since they take hours of rising time we haven’t been able. Finally today we found the time, somewhat unexpectedly and made the rolls.

Here are the ingredients for the dough.

3 eggs; ¾ cup buttermilk, warmed; 6 tbsp melted butter, cooled to just warm; 4 cups flour; ¼ cup sugar; 1 envelope yeast; 1¼ tsp salt

This is for the cinnamon mixture for the rolls.

¾ cup brown sugar; 2 tsp cinnamon; ¼ tsp cloves; 1 tbsp melted butter

Evie is my whisker, and she loves to whisk the eggs and wet ingredients in recipes. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk and butter.

In a large bowl, of stand mixer, mix flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Then add the wet mixture and mix for about a minute until the dough comes together, Then mix on medium for 8-10 minutes until dough is elastic and leaves the side of the bowl, but is still a little sticky.

Knead the dough on the counter a few times to get a smooth ball, then turn it into a lightly greased bowl and cover with a tea towel and small blanket. Let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, should double in size.

While the dough is rising, in a small bowl mix brown sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.

When 2 hours is up put dough on counter and press out into a 12×16 inch rectangle.

Brush with 1 tbsp of melted butter.

Sprinkle the rectangle with the sugar mixture.

Roll the dough along the long end and even out to about an 18 inch log. Slice the dough into 12 even pieces. Place cut side down in a well greased 9×13 inch metal pan.

Cover again and let rise to double in size another 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Bake in 350F oven for 20-25 minutes, until well risen, puffy and light brown.

Turn out onto a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes.

While the rolls are cooling mix 3 tbsp each of soft cream cheese, milk and 1 and ¼ cups of icing sugar. Place this in a zip top bag and snip a small piece off the corner and squeeze over warm rolls. They were very good!

Very proud moment, can’t wait to eat it!

In the meantime, while the dough was rising Evie wanted to go weaving on her loom and has been asking to learn to crochet. She just weaved by herself all afternoon, off and on between playing with other things.

When she finished her square, she got to learn how to crochet!

All done, a little “potholder”!

That is going to be a pad for Mell’s orange teapot that we gave her. That was her plan and she chose those colours to match it. She has already started her next one and can’t wait to crochet again.

Hello and welcome

Jan7

Welcome to my blog. This is my first post and it has been along time coming, three years to be exact, mainly because I have been busy and have chickened out a few times. I have taken the leap and here we are.

Over the next year I hope this blog will get me back to cooking & baking more and inspire you to cook &/or bake and try something new. I hope to try new recipes and let you know how they turn out, and prepare some old favourites to share with you as well.

Over the past year we have had a few cooking adventures. This summer, we prepared the back portion of our garden into a vegetable plot and had a bigger garden than in the past. Unfortunately, we had a very dry summer and it wasn’t as productive for our cucumbers or tomatoes. Our celery and leeks grew very well, but our schedule took over and we didn’t harvest them in time to save much from the ice and snow. Next summer we will be more diligent. Hopefully it will be a great gardening summer and we will harvest and preserve what we grow.

We did preserve some this summer:

A sparse amount of grape jelly

Yum Yum pickles, Evie loves these!

pickled beet

pickled veggies, plum sauce, tomato sauce, salsa and pizza sauce.

Other than preserving we have not been very adventurous this year.

I did make my first tourtiere for Christmas Eve supper, from a recipe given to me by a co-worker, and it was delicious!

I have been trying out a few Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Moroccan recipes, delish. I am currently reading “Saha: A Chef’s Journey through Lebanon and Syria” by Greg and Lucy Malouf. It really is a lovely book. I love the writing and I can’t wait to try some of the recipes.

I have a little bit of a recipe obsession.

I especially love those old vintage recipe cards that have been in families for years and if you have those along with any frugal kitchen tips that have been passed on to you from your grandmother or anyone else, please share them with me and I will try them too.

I have been thinking of what to make and post as my first cooking adventure of the blog and thought something by Julia Child would be nice, as I watched her show on PBS when I was a kid, not sure if it was for the cooking back then or just to annoy my brother he really did not like listening to her. I think it was actually a bit of both.

It turns out that my next post will not be a tribute to any great chef or celebrity, but a tribute to all of the cooks, grandmothers and mothers out there who simply have had to make do and use what they had to feed their family, as I had a fridge full of vegetables and a leftover baked ham. It turned into a wonderfully delicious meal combined an icon of Canadian food, French Canadian Pea Soup with a Newfoundland twist… Mt. Scio Farm Savoury and Doughboys.

That will follow in my next post.

cookswithevie

our adventures cooking … and other fun stuff

Tag Archives: baking