January 2012 Daring Bakers' Challenge: Scones, aka Biscuits

Its time for the Daring Bakers' Challenge again! Last month you probably noticed I didn't post a Daring Bakers' challenge... I participated, but my attempt was such an epic fail that I couldn't bring myself to try again. Last months' challenge was to make sourdough bread - like real sourdough where you make your own starter to rise the bread without yeast. Mine bubbled away for a couple days on the counter, then the temperature dropped a lot one night and the house got too cold... I tried to revive it the next day, but it was not meant to be. My poor starter died!! Thus, no December 2011 challenge for me!
Oh well, this is a new month and something very familiar to me - scones, aka biscuits. I've made biscuits and scones many, many times using many different recipes. My standby recipe is still my baking powder biscuit recipe out of my (mom's) Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. These biscuits raise up mile high and always receive rave reviews whenever I serve them to guests. I have to say that the challenge recipe doesn't quite live up to my baking powder biscuit recipe, but its a pretty close second! It was fun to experiment with something new.

Blog Checking Lines: Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers' host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (aka biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens.

I've posted some pictures of the scones I made with Audax's recipe. They turned out well, but they weren't quite as good as my ultimate biscuit recipe (check back in February for a post with my ultimate biscuit recipe). Check out the Daring Kitchen website for the recipe or to join in with these great monthly challenges. You can further your baking skills in a constructive and supportive community of fellow bakers!!

One thing I found interesting was mixing up a batch of biscuits by hand. I never make my biscuits by hand - I always use my food processor. Thats where I get the best results! But do try whatever works for you.

Lastly, I grew up eating baking powder biscuits - my mom always made them for us, so they are a type of comfort food for my sister and I. I'm not sure if this is a Canadian tradition or just a family tradition, but we always served our biscuits warm, with some salted butter and drizzled with Roger's Golden Syrup. Mmmmm! Delicious. :)

In addition to checking out Aud's recipe, do check out the biscuit and scone recipe roundup I've posted below - these are some of my favorite biscuits and scones from previous blog posts I've done.

Blueberry & Lime Scones
Cranberry Oat Scones
Chocolate Scones
Banana Biscuits
Savory Scones
Almond Apricot Scones

Happy Baking Friends! Thanks for stopping by. :)

Lemon Sugar Cookies

A little while ago my hubby decided to upgrade our internet to an uber fast network. The last month or so though our internet has had nothing but problems. It cuts out all the time for no apparent reason and you have to reset the modem or wait a few hours for it to be restored. So hubby called the internet provider and asked them to send someone to fix the internet. Oh, yes, they're here tonight while I'm trying to write this post and control my CRAZY golden retriever at the same time. So, as you read this post, picture me, dragging my dog upstairs to my bedroom, closing the door to lock us in said bedroom and consoling my pup who is heartbroken that the repairman doesn't want to be BFFs. Ahhhh the joys of having a dog who will forever have puppy brain! Annyyyy who, on to the food!

Ready to get your bake on? Make these delicious and easy cookies! I made them for the ladies get together I hosted at my place on the weekend and they were a hit. Hubby has already insisted that I make another batch because he loved them so much. And he doesn't do that very often, so you know they're delicious. The best part about these cookies is that you probably have all the ingredients on hand in your pantry already! Wahoo for no trip to that pesky grocery store!!

Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies
Recipe minimally adapted from My Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• zest of one large lemon, finely minced
• 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sugar for rolling cookies

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, soda, powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Using a mixer, beat together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Gradually add the dry ingredients until mixture is combined uniformly. Do not overmix.
4. Form into 1 1/2 inch balls, roll in sugar and bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand on cookie sheets to cool for two minutes before removing to cooling rack to cool completely.

Pretty easy huh? They were sooooo delicious. Some of the best cookies I've made in a long time. They aren't overly lemony, so if you're looking for that pop of lemon flavour I would add some extra zest (double it!!) to the batter.

This post has been linked up with Whatcha Baking Wednesdays over at Cajun Sugar Pie! Pop on over there to check out what yummy desserts other bloggers are making this week. :)

This post has been linked up with Jane Deere's Fusion Fridays over at Jennifer Cooks. Have a wander over to her blog to check out some of the awesome things fellow bloggers are making, cooking and baking this week.

Happy Baking my Friends!

How to... Cut a Pineapple

Ever went to cut up a pineapple and found you weren't quite sure where to start? Or ever cut up a pineapple into perfect dice only to bite down into a hard piece because you didn't realize pineapples had cores? This how to post is for you! Even if you're just looking to fine tune your pineapple cutting skills to become more efficient, have a look at the step by step photos for some ideas on how to improve your chopping skills.

First off, be sure to pick out a ripe pineapple. Lots of the pineapples at the grocery store won't be ripe enough to be sweet and delicious for eating. So, be sure to choose your pineapple carefully. The best tip I ever received for picking out a ripe pineapple: choose a pineapple where the middle stalk pieces pull out very easily. If they do, its ripe and ready to eat!

Next: start out with your sharpest knife (make sure it's big enough) and a nice big cutting board. Slice off the top of your pineapple. Then flip it around and slice off the bottom as well so you have a nice flat surface to work with.

 Then stand the pineapple up on end and use your knife to slice off the skin, removing as little of the flesh as possible. Slice strips off all the way around the pineapple until it is completely peeled. You can use a melon baller or the end of a potato peeler to pick out the divets (the little brown spots) if they bother you!

 In the photo below, note the 1" circle in the middle of the pineapple. This is the core of the pineapple - it is hard and not very pleasant to eat. It runs all the way down the pineapple in the middle. In the next steps be sure to be mindful of where the core of the pineapple is.

Next, slice the flesh off the pineapple off on either side of the core. Set the two pieces of flesh aside for now.

Then with the remaining piece of pineapple, slice the flesh of the pineapple off, leaving the core behind. Discard the core. Take the pieces of flesh you've carefully carved away from the core and dice them into bite size pieces. Enjoy them on their own, put them in fruit salad, or make this healthy Pineapple "Ice Cream".

Hope you learned something during your visit today! If there's something you've been wanting to learn how to do in the kitchen, please leave me a comment and I will try to feature it in a future How to... post. :)

 Happy cooking my friends!

Broccoli & Cheddar Soup

Ahhh Saturday morning! I love sitting and enjoying a nice cup of coffee on the one day of the week I don't have to do anything. A simple thing to take pleasure in, but sometimes its just so nice to sit down and take a little breather. I still have lots to do today and tomorrow in preparation for having some of the office ladies over to my place tomorrow evening, but those things can wait while I drink my coffee. :)

Last night I was feeling a little drained after a busy week at work, so I opted for an easy and healthy dinner that hubby and I could feel good about after eating. I made a Broccoli & Cheddar soup from my new cookbook The Looneyspoons Collection by Janet & Greta Podleski. I have one of their previously published cookbooks called Eat, Shrink and Be Merry and quite honestly, I love both cookbooks. Janet & Greta do a great job lightening up everyday recipes without using obscure or expensive ingredients and this soup was no exception. The short ingredient list, easy preparation instructions and quick cooking time made this soup really appealing (not to mention the fabulous end result).

Broccoli & Cheddar Soup
Recipe adapted from The LooneySpoons Collection

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp  each dried tarragon and celery salt
• 3 cups chicken broth (I used homemade turkey stock)
• 1 large potato, peeled and diced
• 3 cups small broccoli florets
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup packed shredded old cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce (or to taste)

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions and celery. Cook and stir until veggies begin to soften, about five minutes. Add garlic, tarragon and celery salt. Cook 30 more seconds until fragrant. Add broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for five minutes. Add broccoli and simmer for 7 more minutes, until broccoli and potatoes are tender.
2. Carefully transfer soup to a blender. Puree until smooth and silky. Return pureed soup to pot over low heat. Whisk together milk and flour until smooth. Add to soup. Increase heat to medium and cook until mixture is bubbly and has thickened, stirring constantly. Add both cheeses, pepper, hot pepper sauce and salt. Stir until cheeses are melted. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Thats all there is to it. I'm pretty excited to enjoy a nice bowl of this leftover soup for lunch on this cold, rainy Saturday. Have a fantastic weekend peeps!

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Macaroon Madness Bars

After yesterday's "healthy" post, I have to catch up by posting something extra un-healthy today! Just kidding! I'm trying to post one healthy recipe per week going forward as I've had a number of requests from my readers for healthy recipes including - low fat, low sugar, diabetic friendly, gluten free and dairy free! I'm going to do my best to try to post a variety of these recipes over the next year. If there is anything you'd like to see me make, or you have a healthy recipe you'd like me to feature, by all means, please leave me a comment or send me an email.  I would love to hear from you!

I found this recipe on Jen's blog Food & Whine. She has a great online recipe box full of amazing recipes - so if you haven't already, do check her out. She doesn't post every day but whenever she does post I'm always excited to see what new recipe she is sharing because they're always good!! I made these macaroon madness bars and they're so delicious I just have to share them with you. If you love coconut, you'll fall hard for these little beauties. Jen notes that you should leave them overnight in the fridge before slicing them and she's right. I let them soften a bit to room temperature prior to slicing and they were a little messy to slice.

Macaroon Madness Bars
Recipe minimally adapted from Food & Whine

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup salted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 can sweetened, condensed milk (14 oz)
• 2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
• 2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
• caramel syrup (I used store bought, but you can find a good recipe on Jen's post)
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. For the base, line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Leave an overhang of parchment on each end to lift out of the pan easily after baking. Combine butter, flour, cornstarch, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Mix until mixture is well combined and crumbly. Press into bottom of prepared pan (use the bottom of a glass to really pack in the crust). Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. For the filling, over low heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, vanilla and sweetened condensed milk. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in eggs. Fold in coconut and oatmeal until well combined. Pour over crust in prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown (center will still be a bit jiggly). If the center is too wobbly, cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Cool completely. Cover, refrigerate overnight.
4. Drizzle bars with caramel syrup. Place back in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. Then melt the white chocolate and drizzle over the bars. Refrigerate another 10-15 minutes. Finally, melt the chocolate and drizzle over the bars. Refrigerate another 10-15 minutes or until chocolate is firm. Remove from pan and slice into squares or triangles. Keep left over bars in the fridge, or freeze for later use.

Hope you enjoy these bars! I know we sure did. I've actually saved some of the leftovers in the freezer (and by freezer, I mean my patio - its -8 again today, so no need to take up valuable freezer space when I have a big one outdoors!!) for a girls get together I'm having at my place on Sunday. Oh its going to be a good time - we're going to get a valentines card making tutorial from one of the ladies and what kind of girls get together would be complete without a friendly chocolate tasting competition?! I'll let you know how it goes and obviously give you the DL on what kind of food I make next week.

This post has been linked up with Whatcha Baking Wednesdays over at Cajun Sugar Pie. Head on over to check out what other delicious desserts have been whipped up this week by fellow food bloggers.

This post has been linked up with Jane Deere's Fusion Fridays! Please stop by the Fusion Friday's link party to check out what everyone else was cooking up this week.

Happy baking my friends!

Pineapple "Ice Cream"

Hey Friends! How is your week going so far? Mine has been pretty busy and COLD! Yep, you heard me - friggin cold. We typically don't get much cold weather here, but tonight it is -8 celcius and I don't think I've seen temperatures that cold since last time I was up in Northern BC a few years ago. Regardless of the cold though, I'm bringing you a nice cold dessert that you can eat and still stay in line with you new years resolutions!!

 Folks - meet my version of pineapple ice cream with very little sugar and zero fat!! I add the spiced whiskey for a little extra flavour and also to keep the mixture from getting too hard in the freezer. If you're going to consume it right away, feel free to leave out the whiskey for an even healthier snack. You could also sweeten this dessert with a couple tablespoons of agave to make this treat with less sugar (other than the naturally occurring sugar in the pineapple that is).

Oh and did I mention how easy this is? Cut up your pineapple, freeze it, then combine frozen pineapple and remaining ingredients into your food processor and whirl until smooth and creamy. Ohhhhhh yes!!!

Pineapple "Ice Cream"
Recipe by Erin

Ingredients:

• 1 whole pineapple, cut up into bite size chunks and frozen
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3-4 tbsp spiced whiskey
• 3 heaping tbsp non-fat greek yogurt (preferably Liberte brand)

Method:

1. Combine ingredients in food processor. Whirl until smooth. Enjoy!

Whats the weather like where you're living? Is it cold and wintery there too? Here's to staying warm this frigid winter week and hoping for warmer weather next week!

Happy Baking my Friends!

How To... Roast Peppers

 Once you're finished judging me for how dirty my oven is, take a look at my step-by-step photos to learn how to make roasted peppers. No more buying those expensive little jars at the grocery store (come on - $5 for the smallest jar?!). Roasted peppers are great to have on hand to top pizza, sandwiches & wraps or to blend up in pasta sauce or dipping sauces etc. They add a sort of gourmet flair that will always impress people and they're super easy to make yourself. I made mine indoors because its cold and snowy here, so no grilling for me, but you can definitely make these on the grill (in fact you should make them on the grill if you can!!).

So first step (pictured above) - place a couple of peppers in your oven (gas oven is best if doing this indoors). Set oven to broil. Close the oven door and check back every 5-10 minutes or so. Turn the peppers using tongs once each side starts to blacken (you don't want it to char - it should just start to go black). Once all sides have lightly coloured, remove from the oven and place in a heatproof bowl.

 Cover the bowl and let sit until cool enough to handle (I left mine about 20 - 30 minutes).

Remove the roasted peppers to a cutting board. Peel away the skin (it should come off super easy now that they've been steaming in your container for a little bit). Remove the stem and all seeds.

Then cut peppers into thin strips and refrigerate until you use them. They will keep for a week or so in the fridge. You can freeze them too and then you'll always have them on hand in case you need them in a pinch.

I bet you didn't know it was that easy did you?! Hope you learned something new today stopping by my blog. See you again soon.

Happy Cooking my Friends!