Family Bites

How-to-Make-Your-Children-Happy Pie

Last month’s Gatherings post included a sneak peak of this chocolate pudding pie, a dessert that’s quickly become my children’s favourite. Made with a classic pudding filling – it contains no eggs, heavy cream or any of the other fancied-up ingredients making their way into recipes for this old-timey treat these day – a tender yet crisp pie crust, and a hearty dollop of whipped cream, this sweet treat needs to find a way into your homemade dessert arsenal. Soon.

If making homemade versions of the separate elements seems a little daunting, you can use a store-bought component if you like. I definitely recommend putting together the pudding and cream from scratch; both take only ten minutes to assemble - probably even less, actually - and the taste alone is worth your time investment. 

Chocolate Pudding Pie

Serves 8-10

• 9” pie pastry, store-bought or made from your favourite recipe
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 3 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/3 cup good-quality cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup whipping cream (35%)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Extra cocoa powder, for dusting

1. Prepare the pie pastry as per the recipe or package instructions, and allow to cool completely once baked.

2. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and whisk until well combined.

3. Add the milk and vanilla and stir until the dry ingredients have dissolved. Set the pot over medium heat and whisk continuously until the mixture thickens and can coat the back of a spoon, about 10-15 minutes.

4. Pour the pudding into the pie shell and cool for 2 minutes. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill until completely cold, about 3 hours.

5. Just before serving, beat the whipping cream and sugar until it forms soft peaks. Spoon the whipped cream over the pie and dust the top with cocoa powder.

Sweet Heart Pavlovas

Around our house, Valentine's Day is usually a family affair in lieu of a couple one. The day often begins with new books for the boys and a not-too-decadent chocolatey breakfast, and ends with something sweet to share over tales of classroom card exchanges and pre-teen dances. This year, there's also a secret plan in place to send anonymous candygrams to the female teachers from their male co-workers, a prime example of the fifth grade sense of humour hard at work. 

I’m also making a plan to woo everyone to the table Thursday night with these pretty pink Pavlovas. I don’t think anything says, "I love you" quite like a crisp and chewy meringue base topped with billowy whipped cream and fresh tart berries. Well, some things do…like new cookbooks, and fancy tea kettles, and a few bottles of Cupcake, but on the homemade front, this sweet treat is about as good as it gets. 

Do not be deterred by their seemingly precious appearance. If you can whip egg whites and sugar, and work a piping bag or plastic Ziploc, you can manage Pavlova. The work in getting them just right takes place in a low-temperature oven, leaving your hands free for other things. And because they’re easily made in advance I declare them practically perfect for busy weeknights, or when you’re expecting a house full of guests, and need something simple and impressive to serve.  

Sweet Heart Pavlovas

Makes 6 - 3" hearts

For the Pavlova:

• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pink gel-paste food colouring (optional)

For the whipped cream:

• 1 cup cold whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To assemble: 

• Fresh raspberries
• Powdered sugar 

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Trace six 3-inch hearts on a sheet of parchment paper. Flip the paper over so the hearts are on the reverse side (so the pencil markings don't end up on the Pavlova) and place it on a large baking sheet. Set aside. 

2. Combine the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. If you don't have a stand mixer use a clean mixing bowl and hand mixer. Beat the eggs on high until firm but not stiff, about 2 minutes.

3. With the mixer running on high speed, slowly add the sugar and beat until it forms firm and shiny peaks, about 4 minutes. 

4. Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift the cornstarch over top of the eggs. Add the vinegar and vanilla and fold in lightly with a rubber spatula. Fill a large piping bag (or use a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off) and pipe along the lines of the heart shapes on the parchment paper. Fill in the heart shape with the meringue mixture, then pipe a second border around the perimeter of the heart, on top of the first outline in order to create a well in the centre of the heart - this will hold the whipped cream and berries.

5. Bake for 90-150 minutes. When the edges of the pavlova are slightly golden in colour and peel easily from the parchment paper they are done.  Turn off the oven, open the door slightly and let the Pavlovas cool completely.

6. While the Pavlovas bake and cool, wash and dry your mixing bowl and beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until firm, taking care not to over beat (or you will end up with sweet butter). 

7. To serve, fill the centre of the hearts with whipping cream and top with berries. Dust with a little extra powdered sugar, if desired, and serve. 

Notes:

• Cooled meringues can be stored in an airtight container for one to two days. 
• Once the meringues have been topped with whipped cream and fruit they need to be served fairly immediately. 

Maple Pecan Pumpkin Trifle

When I shared my Thanksgiving photos on Instagram last week, it was this trifle - the maple pecan pumpkin trifle with white chocolate ganache and cinnamon whipped cream - that garnered the most attention. Well, this and the cookie tree, which tells me people really do favour the sweeter things in life.

I'll keep this short today and let you know that this is a seasonal riff on a candy cane trifle I made last Christmas. That one was fashioned from red velvet cake and peppermint cream, and a simple swap of pumpkin cake and cinnamon cream made this the perfect compliment to fall's most popular meal. 

It looks like a lot of work, but to be honest it isn't. I made the cakes almost two weeks ahead of time, wrapped them tightly in plastic wrap and tucked them into the freezer. I took them out of the freezer the day before I made the dish, and allowed them to thaw in the refrigerator. The white chocolate cream cheese ganache comes together quickly and only requires a 30-minute rest in the fridge, allowing you to whip your cinnamon cream and slice the cake.

What is your favourite fall dessert?

Maple Pecan Pumpkin Trifle

Adapted from LCBO and Country Living

Serves 10-12

For the pumpkin cake

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for pans
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

For the cream cheese & white chocolate ganache

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 6 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup cream cheese, softened

For the cinnamon cream

• 2 cups whipping cream
• ¼ cup sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon oil 

For the garnish

• 3/4 cup pecan pieces
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat three 8-inch cake pans with softened butter. Dust the insides with flour and shake out the excess.

2. In a large bowl of an electric mixer set on medium speed, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and light. Set aside.

3. Combine the pumpkin purée, buttermilk, and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside. In thirds, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, blending well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary to make sure everything is well combined.

4. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan on wire racks for 30 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and return to the wire racks until completely cool.

5. To make ganache, bring cream just to a boil on medium heat. Remove from heat, add the white chocolate and allow to stand, stirring occasionally, until white chocolate is melted and mixture is combined.

6. Place cream cheese in a bowl and whisk in white chocolate mixture a little at a time until fully combined. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or until the ganache is cold and slightly thickened.

7. To make cinnamon cream, beat cream with sugar and cinnamon oil until it holds soft peaks. Reserve.

8. To make the garnish, combine the pecans and maple syrup in a small saucepan and stir to combine. Cook until the syrup is bubbling and transfer the mixture to a piece of parchment paper. Pour the nuts out into a single layer and allow them to cool. 

9. To assemble, cut cake into 1-inch cubes with a serrated knife. Spoon about ⅓ cup of ganache into the bottom of a large trifle dish or decorative bowl. Place half of cubed cake into dish fitting them tightly to make a single layer. Spoon about 1 cup of ganache over cake to make an even layer. Dollop on a little less than half of the cinnamon cream, and repeat layers, ending with cinnamon cream. Sprinkle trifle with maple pecans just before serving.

Drunk Blondies

This is what you make when you're in charge of taking something sweet to a summer party. 

The flirty flavour of the bourbon perfectly infuses the sweet baked good, which just so happens to be lightly laced with butterscotch and pecans, and the ensuing result is a pure celebration in your mouth.

While pie may be the "it" dessert of the season, bars are a popular choice for me for three reasons:

1) They require no plates or utensils.

2) They can be eaten with ease while standing and mingling, which is always a good thing at a party.

3) The leftovers freeze really well, which is what you want, because these are so good you just might be tempted to eat what your guests don't.

Drunk Blondies

 adapted from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook

Makes 24 bars

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons bourbon (or whiskey)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9" x 13" baking dish and line it with parchment paper allowing the ends to hang over the sides of the dish.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and whisk.

In a large mixing bowl stir together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla and bourbon, and mix until well incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture, followed by the pecans and butterscotch chips.

Pour the batter into the pan and shake it ever so slightly to smooth the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the middle of the  bars comes out clean. Allow the pan to cool completely, then cut the blondies into bars. Store in an airtight container for 3 days or in the freezer for up to six months. 

Cocoa Zucchini Cake

The boys are away on an overnighter at their day camp, and despite a few nerves on Jackson's part, they were mostly excited. One of his ten-year-old goals for this summer is to be braver, and this sleepaway from home is the first step towards developing a little security in having some separation between the two of us.

To ensure he doesn't miss home too much, I tucked a slice of this dark and decadent cocoa zucchini cake into the lunchboxes this morning. The recipe was adapted from The Farm, very probably the best cookbook to cross my desk this year. I've flipped through the pages several times, and practically memorized the titles of most of the recipes, simply because I want to make them all. They are reminiscent of old-fashioned simple cooking, requiring only the things that you're almost always likely to have on hand, without a trip to a specialty store or executive supermarket. 

Inspired by the blooming zucchini plant at the back of my garden, I assembled the cocoa zucchini cake, dogeared midway through the pages of this book, for the kids. I made a few changes to the original recipe, only because I firmly believe that using coffee in a cake, which also calls for cocoa, often results in a perfect flavour pairing. The "whipped cream" frosting was formed from a technique I've been meaning to try, and the results of both literally left us licking our plates.

Cocoa Zucchini Cake with "Whipped Cream" Frosting

Adapted from The Farm

This recipe makes one 9" cake. There is no need for two layers, but if you prefer the look of it, feel free to slice this cake in half though the middle. Keep in mind that you will need to double the frosting if you choose to make a multi-layer cake. 

For the cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup coffee (hot or cold)
• 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini

For the icing:

• 1 cup milk
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. flour
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9" cake pan, dusting the insides lightly with cocoa powder.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Set aside. 

Using an electric mixer beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix well. Add half of the flour mixture, the coffee, the remaining flour mixture and the zucchini, stirring after each addition until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 1 - 1 1/4 hours, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer it to a cooling rack and allow it to rest for 1 hour.

To make the frosting, whisk the milk and flour in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool until room temperature. Cover the surface of the milk with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. 

Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.  Add the milk mixture and mix on medium-high for 4 minutes or until the frosting looks like whipped cream. Add the vanilla and stir. 

Spread the icing evenly over the cake and dust with cocoa powder, if desired. 

 

Minty Chocolate Pudding Pots and Other Things

Good Morning!

This week on the Eat Savvy blog I shared a cute idea for St. Patrick’s Day that I thought you might be interested in. These are little pots of minty chocolate pudding, made with just a few common pantry ingredients. I liked this idea because it eliminated the typical fake green food colouring that is added to so many foods this time of year. Oh, and see the serving vessel? It’s a votive candleholder! If you don’t keep glass ramekins on hand (I don’t!) these are perfect for kid-sized portions and party foods. They cost about $3 for half a dozen or so, and I love to use them at dinner parties, for both the lighting options and the serving ones.

        

Two weeks ago I had the chance to chat with Chef Michael Smith about his newest project, a collection of webisodes he's prepared with Canadian Lentils and the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers.  He was charming and fun to chat with and you can read more about his latest adventure here.

        

I was in desperate need of a shaker for my powdered sugar, so I fashioned one out of an old jam jar.  A few nails hammered into the top created the holes I needed, and now it's one of my favourite new kitchen tools.

        

I’ve been working on the next edition of Party Savvy, and this time I found myself making a slew of themed paper cups.  They were so fun to put together and I figure if all else fails, maybe I’ll have a career as a party cup designer. Ha!

Have a great day!

Give a Little Love

We're not that big on Valentine's Day. Rob and I try to have a date-night at home every week, and have been doing so for many, many years, which means that February 14th isn't that significant to our relationship.

Having said that, it's often been a day where we've done a few fun things with and for the boys. I always buy them a new book, something sweet if possible, and I like to add a little extra love to their breakfast plate with heart-shaped pancakes or red smoothies. And of course we've made all manner of Valentine's Day cards for the classroom exchanges, which Jackson is boycotting this year, for reasons to0 many to list here, but all of them his own.

Despite our lack of celebration for this holiday (is it really a holiday?), I've never been short on ideas for craft and baking projects. I recently put together a few things for iVillage Canada that I thought you might like to see.

The little bags above are my idea for boy-friendly treat packaging. For a day made up of pink and hearts aplenty, it can be a challenge to create something masculine. The how-to can be found here. 

I also made some bakery-style mini cupcakes and cocoa snap cookie sandwiches perfect for a classroom parties or post-dinner dessert.

Happy Love Day!

 

 

 

Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce

When people say that being a mother is the hardest job in the world, I always assumed they meant it was physically challenging; washing clothes, cleaning rooms, cleaning kids, cooking meals, shopping, trips to the park, carpooling, packing lunches, and so on. After more than a decade in this profession I know now that it's the mental aspect of parenting that is the most taxing, not the manual.

Yesterday was a testament to this. Five minutes after the school day started, I was at the local coffee shop waiting for a friend. For the first time ever, the high-back plush chairs were vacant (you know the ones I mean), and I curled up with a cup of warm vanilla spice tea. Then my phone rang. It seems that in that short time between school drop off and total relaxation, Ben, had managed to have an accident on the playground. One that saw his mouth collide with the hard skull of another boy, rendering his front adult teeth bloody and loose.  Not the phone call I wanted to get.

Thankfully, the school is only two minutes away, and the dentist just another three.  And in less than an hour we were home with his teeth glued and splinted, and fingers crossed for a perfect recovery. Food will be a challenge for Ben this week.  It needs to be soft and tender, and require little chewing.  Like soup and yogurt, and vanilla ice cream topped with a little homemade caramel sauce. Because if a fleur de sel infused dessert isn't good for the emotional nerves, than I don't know what is.

Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 teaspoon fleur de sel

Stir together the sugar, corn syrup and water in a small saucepan.  Set it over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.  Allow it to boil until it's amber in colour, swishing the mixture around the pan every minute or so.

Remove the sauce from the heat, and add the heavy cream.  It will bubble and steam so add the liquid carefully. Once the cream has been incorporated, add the butter and fleur de sel.  Stir until the butter is melted.  Transfer to a glass jar and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Apple Charlotte

Are you watching Downton Abbey?  Please tell me yes.  

Don't worry, if you aren't we can still be friends. I realize that not everyone is excited by a PBS-broadcasted and British period piece that boasts a sassy storyline involving servants and the socialites they tend to, but if you think it might be your thing, I highly recommend checking it out. And if the clever writing and stellar acting don't draw you in, than I have a feeling the charming Matthew Crawley just might. 

The premier episode of season 2 aired last night, but I still have yet to see it. I was all prepared to watch my recording on the PVR, but then Tim Tebow went and threw an 80-yard touchdown pass causing a commotion with the boys in my house.  It seems as though Sunday sports reign supreme these days, and I'm patiently waiting to see how things pan out for Lady Mary and her man.  Thanks to my new friend Tim, it looks like next week my TV time will likely turn into Tebow Time again, and now I've decided that I will watch my show in peace and quiet when I'm here alone during the day "working".

Besides, I think I could get away with considering my new program as part of my research for my job.  Many of the servants’ scenes are filmed in the dark kitchen of the stately manor, and watching the poor sight-impaired Mrs. Patmore prepare succulent meals for the Earl of Grantham and his family surely qualifies. Especially when foods like roast chicken and apple charlotte are being served.

Apple Charlotte is a classic British dessert. Said to be named after Queen Charlotte because of her staunch support for apple farmers, but in reality the sweet dish was concocted as a way to use up stale and leftover bread. More modern versions of the dish now use ladyfingers as the bread-y base, but I opted to stick to the classic assembly, and used stale cinnamon-raisin bread. The ingredient list isn't too lengthy and the steps are rather easy; think of these as individual apple pies, only quicker. 

So quick in fact, that I might even serve them to my family this weekend when they watch a little football.  

 

Apple Charlotte (adapted from Tyler Florence)

Feel free to replace the raisin bread with regular brown bread, challah, pulla or brioche.  It even works well with stale crusty bread.

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter
• 4 medium cooking apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter (for greasing ramekins)
• 1 tablespoons sugar (for the topping)
• 10 slices raisin bread, crusts removed

1. Begin by making the filling. Set a large saucepan over medium heat and add the butter. Once butter has melted and starts to foam, add the apples, scraped vanilla bean, lemon juice, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Toss to coat well and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until apples are just tender and liquid has evaporated.  The sauce should turn a nice caramel colour.

2. While the apples are cooking, combine the eggs, milk and sugar in a shallow dish. Stir with a fork until fully combined. Set aside.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and generously butter 4 small ramekins.

4. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out four circles from the bread. These will be the bases of the charlottes. Cut the other slices of bread into rectangles about 1" in width.

5. Working with the circles, lightly coat each piece in the egg mixture and place it in the bottom of each ramekin. Lightly dip the other rectangles of bread in batter as well, then use them to line the walls of each ramekin - standing them upright around the perimeter leaving an overhang that you will later use to fold over and seal the charlotte. It should take about 6-8 strips per ramekin.

6. Fill each bread mold with apples and some of the caramel from the pan. Add a piece or two of bread to the top and fold over the edges to seal it up completely. Sprinkle the tops with a little sugar.

7. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed up. Allow to cool slightly, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto individual plates.

8.Serve with powdered sugar or vanilla ice cream.

 

Holiday Profiteroles

My love of all things French was fostered during a summer in which I immersed my teenage self in the works of Danille Steele  classic literature. I would lazily read the days away, dreaming of far away places, romantic French locales and knights in shining armour. I knew about French history, art and culture, but at that time I was hardly aware of French food.

That education came a few years later when I was fortunate enough to live abroad. I ate my way across the South of France, and into Italy, for a good chunk of 1997, and by the time I returned home I was obsessed with re-creating the tastes I had experienced. Kids came along soon after, and my new fixation was feeding them well, not believing that I could marry the food for my family with those French flavours I dreamed off.

How silly of me!  While living in Monaco, I worked for a family that ate "French" food, because to them it was just food. It wasn't as common to feed young Canadian kids beef bourguignon and steak frites as it was grilled cheese and hot dogs, but that's okay. I've never been one to conform to the norm, and French cuisine quickly became part of our food culture.

Today, my shelves are stocked with more French books than my young Francophile dreams could have hoped for, and my kids are well-versed in French fare. Profiteroles are a favourite dessert of ours, and after trying many recipes - three in the last week - I feel confident that I have found what I was looking for. Knight in shining armour included.

Profiteroles

Like all good recipes should, this one uses metric measurements.  It's derived from an old recipe I had when I was taking classes at George Brown Chef School.

• 170g water
• 83g butter
• 3g salt
• 12g granulated sugar
• 125g all-purpose flour, sifted
• 3 eggs
• Vanilla bean or candy cane ice cream
• Cranberry coulis or chocolate sauce

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a small saucepan bring the water, butter, salt and sugar to a boil.  Make sure the butter is completely melted. 

Add the sifted flour while the liquid is boiling and stir with a wooden spoon.  It will form a paste.  Cook the paste until it cleans from the sides of the pot and forms a ball, leaving a white film on the bottom of the pot.

Transfer the paste to a mixing bowl and allow it to cool slightly.  Add the eggs, one a time, allowing each to be fully incorporated before adding another.  Scrape down the bowl each time and check the consistency of the paste.  It should be stiff enough to stand, but soft enough to spread.

Scoop large tablespoons of the paste onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Using damp fingers, press down any irregularities in the shape and form a small ball.

Bake for 20 minutes.  Turn the pan around, reduce the heat to 375 and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the puffs are golden and crisp.  Turn off the heat and allow them to stand in the closed oven for 15 minutes so the insides can thoroughly dry out.

Allow the pastry to cool to room temperature.  Slice them in half and top one side with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream (or candy cane).  Place the other half on top and drizzle with cranberry coulis (or chocolate sauce) and chopped chocolate.

Cranberry Coulis

• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Juice of one clementine
• 1/2 cup water

Place the cranberries, sugar, water and juice in a small sauce pan. Set over medium heat, and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the cranberry skins have burst and the sauce has thickened.  Pass it through a fine mesh sieve, and discard the solids.  Chill until serving.