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

In My Kitchen August 2017

Aug7

We only have a few things in our home kitchen this month. We left to fly to Newfoundland on August 5th, but there is a little peak into our Newfoundland kitchen as well. We have been updating our Instagram page regularly while on vacation, if you want to see more you can check that out.

Bruschetta

Flatbreads, you may have seen this on our Instagram page

A Big Mary

I went cod jigging with my Dad

We caught a few and are having fish and chips for dinner tonight

Even got close to some feeding humpbacks

Always need some chocolate in the kitchen

Sherrys Pickings

IN MY KITCHEN OCTOBER 2016

Oct10

I have been missing the IMK monthly link up, but I have found out through the blogging network that Lizzy from bizzylizzysgoodthings is now hosting the “In My Kitchen” monthly virtual meet up. Thank you so much Lizzy!

Today was Thanksgiving in Canada so I am writing this while being almost in a Turkey 🦃 coma!

In my October kitchen…

Fall themed cakelettes, made with spice cake

A few Russian chocolates that my husband picked up when passing a little Russian store.

Cranberry coffee cake

Some art made for me, you would think I liked coffee!

Fancy cocktail gummies, the pink gummy bears were the best, bubbly bears

Cheese crackers for lunchbox snacks

Delicious buttermilk pie
There was turkey dinner with pumpkin pie today as well but I didn’t get any pictures. Right now my slow cooker is going with some vegetables, herbs and the carcass, making bone broth for future soup.

Thank you again Lizzy for hosting IMK.

Shreddies Breakfast Squares

Jul6

These are a pretty good homemade cereal bar for a morning snack and would be great to take hiking or biking for when you need a little something. I am not sure that my flavour combination went together well, but it was what I had on hand. They didn’t look too pretty either since I did have a little problem cutting them, mainly because I couldn’t wait long enough for them to cool properly before cutting to have a taste. I will make them again and be more patient next time.

Microwave about 1/2 to 3/4 cup (I used a little more than 1/2 cup) corn syrup (light or dark, I used dark because that is all I had) with 3/4 cup peanut butter (I used Kraft smooth variety) for 1-2 minutes on high. Stir well until all melted and blended.

For the mix-ins I used a small Lindt dark chocolate and orange chocolate bar broken up along with 1/4 cup dried cranberries and 1/4 cup fine shredded unsweetened coconut.

Mixed that all in together with about 3 cups of Shreddies cereal. Note: wait until PB mixture has cooled a little so it doesn’t melt the chocolate, mine pretty much melted. Chocolate chips probably wouldn’t have melted, next time I will make sure I have some to use.

Press into an 8″ square pan, that has been sprayed with cooking spray, and let cool until solid and then cur into squares or bars.

Next time I make these I am going to try out some different mix-ins, I am not very fond of dried cranberries. I think salted peanuts and chocolate chips would be tasty. I will have to play around with the ingredients a little, I will let you know how it turns out!

Rolo Cookies

Jun21

Want a chewy, gooey caramely, decadent chocolate treat? These cookies are so good, they were about 20 years in the making after all!

They are kind of like a cross between a brownie and a soft gooey chocolate cookie with a Rolo (caramel chocolate) baked in the centre. I started playing around with this cookie approximately 20 years ago, I was in university and ~~was a nerd~~ needed to get my mind off school work and also needed a really good study snack. That is what all 19 year old uni students do for fun right?

The first couple of versions were to runny and the caramel leaked all over the place, then it was too thin, cooked too long and was just too hard and chewy. I think after many trials, many cookies eaten, this is a keeper.

Ingredients:

4 pkgs Rolo

1/2 cup butter softened to room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup cocoa

1 cup flour

Cream butter and sugar, add in cocoa and mix until incorporated, then beat in 1 egg.

Add flour and continue to beat on low speed until it is mixed in and the batter is sort of a play-doh consistency

Pinch off a piece of dough, flatten it a little

This is where the Rolo comes in, add Rolo to it, fold the dough over the rolo

once the role is inside the dough it looks like this, do this with the remaining and place on a cookies sheet lined with parchment. I found they baked best on parchment. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Once they are baked they are like brownie cookies but with a surprise center

Delicious gooey caramel and melted chocolate

You will definitely need a glass of milk

Guinness Chocolate Cake…a.k.a Best Cake Ever

May23

We all LOVE LOVE LOVE this cake. I make this at least a few times a year. This is another Nigella recipe (from her book Feast) and it is my favourite. It is a delicious dense dark moist chocolate cake topped with a very creamy smooth cream cheese icing.

Preheat your oven to 180C, which I think is 350F. Start with a can of Guinness. This is what happens if you are unprepared when you open it and don’t have a pot ready to pour it in. I lost a little bit.

Pour the can of Guinness (250ml) into a pot and add butter (250g) heat until melted. I just realized, while typing this, that I just poured in the whole can. I think that was quite a bit more than I needed. Which explains why the batter was wetter than I remembered it being and it took longer to bake. But it turned out amazing!

Add sugar (400g) and cocoa powder (75g)

Whisk this together while heating

Take that off the stove and let cool a couple of minutes, in a separate bowl whisk together 142ml sour cream, 2 eggs and 1Tbsp vanilla

Pour that mixture into the chocolatey beer mixture.

To that add 275g of flour and 2&1/2 tsp baking soda

Pour batter into prepared (greased with a round of parchment lining the bottom) springform pan (8 or 9″)

Place the pan on a cookie sheet, just in case of leakage.

Bake for about 45-60 minutes until done. Don’t worry about the cracks in the top, those nooks and crannies will get filled with the delicious cream cheese icing.

Let cool completely before icing. Once the cake was at room temperature I wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator overnight and did the icing the next day.

The cream cheese icing is amazing but very simple. Beat together 300g room temperature cream cheese with 150g icing sugar and 125ml whipping cream. I used a little less that that amount of whipping cream as I found the icing was getting too liquid. Use your judgement.

Dollop the icing on top of the cake and spread to the edges.

It kind of looks like a pint of Guinness!

I think this cake would also be great without the icing or just a sifting of icing sugar.

Caramilk Brownies

Feb8

I thought this would be a good recipe to post for Valentine’s Day recipe. I rarely post what I intend to for a particular holiday. I usually make things in a hurry and forget to take pictures, or get busy and do not post. This is my valentine post, early!! This never happens. It is only happening now because I was going to the gym, instead I decided I should make brownies with pieces of Caramilk bar inside. Maybe I will make it to the gym tomorrow and run a little while longer.

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a 9″X13″ pan.

1 cup of pecans (optional). If you are using the pecans spread them on a cookie sheet and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes. Coarsely chop. I didn’t use pecans this time but they are very good with the pecans.

Coarsely chop 4oz of unsweetened chocolate, combine with 2/3 cup of butter.

Microwave until melted. Keep an eye on it and stir every now and then. Should take about 2 minutes.

(I love taking pictures of chocolate)

Cool chocolate until lukewarm, and then stir in 1 & 1/2 cups sugar, 3 eggs and 1 & 1/4 tsp vanilla.

Gradually stir in 1 cup of all purpose flour.

Break up 2 family size Cadbury Caramilk Bars (I think that is about 200g total). Give or take a square or two (maybe 3), ok I ate a few.

(more pretty chocolate pictures)

Stir the Caramilk pieces and pecans, if using, into the batter. Spread evenly into pan.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE! Keep checking on it, very important that it doesn’t over bake. I baked for about 22 minutes and I think that was a little too long.

Melt 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips with 1/2 cup table cream, stirring. Once all melted and creamy spread over the warm brownies.

Let cool completely. Then cut into squares. Try not to eat too many at once.

Snowballs

Feb1

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.

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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 them and eat straight out of the freezer.

Homemade Twix Bars

Jul21

I am trying this again. I just spent a lot of time preparing a post and it just disappeared …..rrrrggggg! I should just walk away from the computer now but I am afraid that I will not get back to posting for a long time. I will forego the writing and just give you the recipe

Bottom Layer:

1 & 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp. more butter ( I forgot the 2sp and it worked out fine)

Crumble first 4 ingredients well. Pack into ungreased 9×9 pan. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes.

Second layer:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp. corn syrup
1/2 cup condensed milk

Combine next 4 ingredients in heavy saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly as it burns easily. Remove from heat. Beat with spoon slowly until it shows signs of thickening. Pour over bottom layer.