I made rugelach for the first time a few months ago. Since then I haven’t  been able to stop thinking of  all the delicious fillings you could make them with. This time I used pumpkin, spices, pepitas and raisins. They were so good. Not overly sweet….although if that’s what you are going for you could easily toss in some extra sugar.

The Dough

• 4oz cold cream cheese, cut into tbsp sized pats
• 1/2 cup of cold unsalted butter, cut into tbsp sized pats
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• confectioners sugar for dusting table

The Filling

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 2tbsp sugar
• 2tbsp brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup of raisins
• 1/4 cup pepitas, whole or chopped

Egg Wash

• 1 egg, beaten + 1 tbsp water

To make the dough-

1. remove the butter and cream cheese from the fridge. Let stand for 10-15 minutes or so.
2. add the flour and salt to your for processor and give a quick pulse.
3. add the cream cheese and butter. Pulse just enough to incorporate the ingredients, you want large crumbly chunks. Do not over do it!
4. divide the dough into 2 balls. flatten into disks, wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper.
5. refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

To assemble-

1. when the dough has chilled, remove the first disk from the refrigerator and let sit for a few minutes.
2. dust the work area with confectioners sugar then roll out the dough into a 12 inch circle.
3. spread half of the pumpkin mixture evenly over the dough.
4. mix together the sugar, spices and salt.
5. sprinkle with a little less than half of the sugar/spice mixture.
6. top with half of the raisins and pepitas.
7. using a knife or pastry cutter, cut the dough into 16 triangles.
8. roll up each triangle, starting with the wide end of the triangle.
9. place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
10. refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
11. repeat with the second disk of dough.
12. preheat the oven to 350.
13. brush the cookies with the egg wash.
14. sprinkle with the remaining sugar/spice mixture.
15. bake for about 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

*tip-to prevent the bottoms from browning too quickly I like to double up my baking sheets!

Alternative fillings-

• favourite jam(not too runny),nuts of choice
• caramel, chocolate chips and shredded coconut
• chocolate hazelnut spread and toasted nuts
• apricot jam, almonds and mixed dried fruit
• butterscotch, raisins and pecans

This beautiful cherry clafoutis has been on my “to make” list longer than cherries have been in season. Lucky for me I procrastinated long enough that I was able to snatch up a beautiful basket of Cherries at the local farmers market to use in this simple and delicious dessert.

Serves 8

• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2/3 cup of sugar, divided
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp, almond extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 cups of cherries, pitted – you can leave them whole or halve them
• powdered sugar, for topping
• lemon, juice for topping

In your blender add the milk, 1/3 cup of sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour. Blend. Pour 1/4 inch of the batter into a buttered medium-sized cast iron skillet ( or any oven safe skillet ). Bake until a thin layer begins to set, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from the oven cover with a layer of cherries. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar over the cherries. Evenly pour on the remaining batter. Bake for 45 minutes or until nicely browned and puffed.

To serve: Let cool slightly. Sprinkle with a little powdered sugar and a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy!

*Adapted barely  from Julia Childs  Cherry Clafoutis

 Recipe makes about 12 small/medium pancakes

5 cups of shredded vegetable, I used a mixture of red and green cabbage, carrot and brussel sprouts

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1 cup chicken, cooked and shredded 

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tbsp worcester sauce

1/2 cup cold water

safflower oil or canola, for frying

In a small bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. In a large bowl add the shredded vegetable, scallions and chicken. Now add the flour mixture and toss with your fingers until evenly distributed. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, water and worcester. Pour the wet ingredients into the cabbage mixture. Gently mix together ( do not over mix ). Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with oil and warm over medium heat. Make about 3-4 pancakes evenly spread apart, each one should be about 2 tbsp of batter. Slightly flatten with a spatula. Cook for 5-7 minutes per side or until they are cooked through and have a nice crispy brown outer layer.

Okonomiyaki Sauce:

1/4 ketchup

1 1/2 tbsp worcester sauce

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

1 bsp rice wine ( for cooking )

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

1/8 tsp ground ginger

Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer for 3-5 minutes until smooth and thick. Sauce recipe courtesy from Smitten Kitchen

Sriracha mayo:

1/4 cup mayo

1 1/2 tsp sriracha

Other toppings:

toasted sesame seeds

scallions, thinly sliced 

To serve:

Spread a bit of the okonomiyaki sauce on the pancakes and top with mayo and some toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

*Want to mix it up a bit? try adding any of the following to your pancakes

Kale, shredded

zucchini, shredded

baby prawns

bacon

fish

For some reason or another, last week Kegan and I managed to skip our weekly grocery shop. Luckily we had done a large shop the week before so I was able to just barely scrape by. This was one of the last meals I made that week, putting good use to the final remans of our refrigerator. Sometimes all you need is a little push to get your kitchen creativity flowing. This dish was a hit! I am happy to say Poppy and Kegan devoured it.

*Please use this recipe as a guideline. It doesn’t have to be exact. I honestly just tossed it together… I’m sure you could use all sorts of yummy veg in this dish….maybe even toss in a little fresh arugala! Yum. or try switching up the cheese maybe add a little aged white cheddar to the mix?

Serves 4-6

2 cups peas

olive oil

2 cups red cabbage, shredded

2 cups brussel sprouts, shredded

rice pasta, 4-6 servings ( you could also try this with brown or wild rice )

Lemon cream sauce:

2 tbsp butter

1 1/2-2 tbsp flour

2 cups milk, heated. I used whole milk ( or 1 cup milk one cup cream )

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup parmesan, grated

1 lemon

salt and pepper

Fill a small pot  about 1/2 of the way with water. Bring to a boil, add the peas and cook for 2 minutes or until just tender ( if the peas are frozen cook for 3 minutes ) Rinse with cold water and strain. Set aside.

In a medium pan over medium high heat add a little olive oil, add the cabbage and brussel sprouts and cook for about 3 minutes or until the bottoms begin to brown. Stir and cook for anouther 3 minutes, until tender. Remove from heat.

Cook the pasta according to package. Set aside.

In a medium pan over medium heat add 2 tbsp butter, let melt. Add the flour and whisk until you have a smooth paste. Add the milk and garlic. Whisk until the sauce begins to boil and is smooth and has thickened. Add the cheese and stir until combined. Remove from heat, add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl toss everything together. Top with a little freshly grated parm. Serve. Enjoy.

1/2 cup gluten free flour

3/4 cups parmesan cheese, grated

2 tsp fresh rosemerry, finely chopped ( or 1 tbsp dried )

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup of chickpeas, mashed

2 eggs, slightly beaten

oil for frying ( I used olive ) but feel free to use whatever oil you like. 

In a medium bowl mix together the flour, parmesan, rosemary, salt and pepper. In a separate bowl mix the pumpkin, chickpeas and eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.

In a deep frying pan heat a generous amount of oil over medium heat. Once the oil is heated drop 3 or 4 large tbsp of batter into the oil. Gently flatten each tbsp. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side or until nice and crispy golden. Remove from pan and lay on some paper towel to cool for a few minutes. Enjoy.

*note: If the fritters are browning too fast, turn the heat down to med-low

Recipe adapted from smitten kitchen

This is so yummy, however I must warn that it is definitely not a quick meal to prepare. To save time you could prep your greens and do your measuring, chopping and slicing the day before; that way the following day all you will have to do is cook your roux, assemble and bake!

1/2 stick butter

1 large cooking onion, diced

2 large bunches of red chard, stemmed and chopped

2 cups organic 2% or whole milk, 

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp flour

2 small zucchini, sliced into 1/8 inch thick rounds

4 medium russet potatoes, sliced into 1/8 inch thick rounds

1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced

1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/4 cup grated cheese of choice, I used a mix of cheddar,  mozzarella and parmesan

Onions and Chard:

in a large pan cook onions with 2 tbsp of butter over medium-low heat until softened (making sure to stir often) about 5 minutes. Turn heat to medium-high and add the rainbow chard. Stir until the chard is wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a collander and using a dish towel press down on the chard to remove andy excess liquid.

Sauce:

In a small saucepan combine the milk and garlic; bring mixture to a simmer to keep it warm. In a medium saucepan melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Continue cooking the roux by whisking for one minute then while you continue to whisk slowly add the warm milk and garlic and bring to a boil. Whisk for about 1 minute more then season with salt and pepper. set aside.

Assemble:

Preheat the oven to 400. grease a 9×13 baking dish. Spread out half of the potatoes and half of the zucchini. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, 1/4 of the herbs and 1/4 cup of cheese. Spread half of your chard over the cheese, then sprinkle with salt and pepper, 1/4 of the herbs and a 1/4 cup of the cheese. Pour half of the roux over these layers then continue with the remaining potatoe and zucchini, salt and pepper, 1/4 of the herbs and 1/4 cup of cheese. Now top with the last of the chard. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the remaining sauce over the gratin, making sure it is as evenly distributed as possible. Finally top it off with the last of the cheese.

Bake for 40 minutes to 1hr or until golden and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes and serve!

This is how Poppy and I spent our morning…..Enjoy!

for the cookies:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed and room temperature

1 cup organic granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 orange, 1 1/2 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice

1 tsp organic vanilla extract

2 cups self rising flour, (if you don’t have self rising flour on hand you can use  all purpose flour + 1 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt)

preheat oven to 350. In a stand mixer on medium-high, cream together the butter slowly adding the sugar. Add the egg then the orange juice and vanilla. Reduce speed to med-low and gradually add the flour. Mix until combined ( do not over mix ); separate the dough into two disks and wrap with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. On a well floured surface roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch in thickness. Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many hearts as you can! Place the hearts on a parchment lined baking sheet and toss in the freezer for about 5 minutes. Remove from th freezer and bake for 10 minutes or until the bottoms and edges are begining to brown slightly.

For the Icing:

2 cups confectioner’s sugar

1 tbsp meringue powder

1/4 cup water, room temp

1/2 tsp oil free vanilla extract, make sure there is no oil or it will ruin the icing!

pinch of cream of tartar

In the bowl of your stand mixer add the sugar, meringue powder and cream of tartar. Mix together using the paddle attachment. Add the extract to the water and slowly add it to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed for about 5-6 minutes ( it should at this point be thick like pudding ) then up the speed to high for another 3-4 minutes or until stiff and fluffy like meringue (make sure you do not over mix! Regardless of how long you have been mixing STOP as soon the peaks form or in other words it becomes stiff)

*note: if this all seems like far more time and effort than you wanted to spend making valentine cookies,  you can alway buy pre-made white cookie icing it’s super easy to use, you don’t need a piping bag….way less clean up annnd you don’t have to let them set overnight! hmmmm that sounds pretty good lol

To decorate:

pipe the outline of a heart inside each cookie then flood with icing; if you don’t know how to flood cookies with icing check out this tutorial on sweetsugarbelle. Once you have flooded your cookies, let them set overnight. Using a food marker decorate the iced parts of the hearts. These make the perfect little valentine. Share the love! x0

These are perfect as a quick on the go breakfast or snack. Pair them with a handful of berries or warm them up with a little butter or, for a sweet treat, try them with a smear of date paste…soooo good.

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 super ripe banana, mashed

2 pear, mashed

1/2 cup date paste + 1 tbsp water

1 cup gluten free flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup ground oats

2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp psyllium husk powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

2 carrots, shredded

1 small zucchini, shredded

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1 egg, lightly beaten

*date paste- Place about a cup of dates into a mason jar and cover with water. Let soak for a few hours or over night. Empty the dates into a food processor with about a tablespoon of the soaking water. Pulse until you have a beautifully smooth paste.

Preheat oven to 350

In a food processor pulse together the zucchini and carrot until nicely shredded. In a medium bowl mix together the yogurt, applesauce, banana, pear, zucchini, carrots, date paste, coconut oil and egg until combined. In a separate bowl add the flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, psyllium husk powder and cinnamon; whisk together. Dump the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon stir until well combined. Grease an 8 inch square baking pan with a little coconut oil. Evenly spread the batter into the pan and bake for approximately 1 hour/ 1 hour 10 min. To tell if they are done insert a toothpick into the center of the pan, if it comes out clean the squares are done! Enjoy.

I love baking but this year I am tired. I am so tired I didn’t even bake a cake or make donuts for my twin sister Danie on her birthday! I honestly can’t remember the last time I didn’t bake for her. I feel awful but I honestly did not have the time or energy this year to bake for Danie annnd my Husband (whose birthday happens to be the day after ours) sooo I had to choose. I chose to make a cake for Kegan with the promise to Dan that I would make her the donuts and the tart she had asked for on a later date.. just not on her birthday. I will make them on a weekend when I have nothing to do but to take my time baking for Dan. This year Kegan’s Birthday was on a Monday so I spent the day with Poppy on my hip baking this strawberry and cream cake for Daddy. The batter may have been a little overmixed making the cake about half the height it was meant to be but I swear it was still delicious.  It definitely was not my best cake but I think given the fact that I had a very cranky babe glued to me I would say it was pretty darn good!

*Recipe from gracessweetlife

BUTTER CAKE:

- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp

- 1/2 cup white sugar

- 1 1/2 tsp almond extract

- 2 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks

- 1/2 cup whole milk

- preheat the oven to 350.

- Grease 8 inch round cake tin ( you can also use pam baking spray )

- In a med bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well with a whisk. Set aside.

- In the bowl of your stand mixer , using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla on high speed until fluffy.

- One at a time add the eggs and yolks, mixing well after each.

- Turn mixer to low and add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk in 2 additions. Start with the flour and end with the flour. Mix until just combined ( do not overmix!!! )

- Pour the batter into cake pan making sure it is evenly distributed.

- Bake, alternating half way through, for 30-35 min (until when poked with a toothpick it comes out clean)

- let cool for 10 min then transfer to a wire rack until it has finished cooling.

SIMPLE SYRUP:

3 tbsp honey and 1/4 cup water. Over high heat whisk until honey has completely dissolved. Set aside to cool.

STRAWBERRY CREAM TOPPING:

- 20 0unces fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

- 1/2 cup white sugar, divided

- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, cold

- 1 tsp unflavoured gelatin

- In a med sized bowl mix together your strawberries and  1/4 cup of sugar. Set aside.

- Place 2 tbsp of cold water in a small saucepan, add the gelatin and let soften for 5 min. Over low heat whisk gelatin until it has completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool (keep a close eye on it or it will set and you will have to do this step all over again…which is not so easy to do if you have a baby on your hip but hey, now I know and I will try my best not to make that mistake again)

- In the bowl of your stand mixer, using the whisk attachment whip together the cream and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until soft peaks begin to form.

- Continue to whisk and gradually add the gelatin mixture; beat until soft peaks have formed.

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE:

- Using a serrated knife cut the cake in half horizontally.

- Cut side facing up place the bottom half of the cake on a cake plate or cake stand.

- Brush cake with some simple syrup then add a layer of berries and a layer of whip cream. Repeat on second half of cake only first add the whipped cream and then top with berries.

* I spread the cream around the sides of the cake but next time I would definitely double the whipped cream recipe so I had enough to properly cover the cake and have a thicker layer of the cream in the middle layer. I might also use some homemade strawberry jam instead of simple syrup.

Last weekend was my little sister’s 29th Birthday! Emma has never been a dessert girl but since I was the one hosting her birthday dinner this year there was no way I was going to miss out on the opportunity to try and convert her to the sweet side. I gave her a call and had a lengthy discussion over what type of desserts she sometimes enjoys and what exactly it is that she dislikes about other desserts. What it came down to was that she doesn’t like plain old cake…she thinks it’s boring. She does like however: crumbles, pies and cheesecakes. I decided I would try to give her a bit of everything she loves in a dessert. This NY Cheesecake has it all, minus a pie crust.

FOR THE CAKE:

FOR THE BLUEBERRY SAUCE:

FOR THE CRUMBLE:

Make this ahead of time

• 1 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup old fashioned or quick cooking oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 butter, cubed and softened

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl or stand mixer, mix the brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, salt and butter with a fork or paddle attachment until crumbly. Spread mixture out on a baking sheet and bake for 7-10 min. Keep an eye on it as the sugar will burn quickly since the crumble is not on top of fruit while it is cooking like crumble normally is. When it is golden remove it from the oven and scrape it into a bowl. Once you have assembled the cheesecake top it off with as much crumble as your heart desires.

*Please note this crumble is quite crunchy, it’s more like a candy topping than a traditional crumble due to the fact that it is baked separately on a baking sheet.