I made this amazing chocolate cake a couple days ago and let’s just say it didn’t last long! Even my little boys both loved it. It’s so chocolatey and moist and little do they know, it’s got some veggies and fruit thrown in – albeit the extent of the fruit is orange peel but still, there’s gotta be some vitamin C in that orange peel hasn’t there? I’ve always adored the mix of chocolate and orange. Anyone else out there a Terry’s Chocolate Orange fan? The orange flavour isn’t overpowering at all and with just a hint of orangey tartness this chocolate bundt cake really stands out! You could easily omit the orange zest and the cake would be equally as delicious.
Chocolate Orange Zucchini Bundt Cake
shannonleger
Moist and Delicious Chocolate Orange Zucchini Bundt Cake
Cream vegetable shortening and sugar, beating until smooth. Beat in eggs; stir in vanilla, orange zest and zucchini. Blend well. Stir flour, cocoa and the rest of the dry ingredients. Add to zucchini mixture along with the milk. Put in a bundt pan and top with 1/2 cup nuts and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Bake at 350 F for 50-55 minutes.
I did find that some chocolate came off on my cooling rack as I let the cake cool the way it came out of the pan (so all the nuts and chocolate chips were then on the bottom of the cake). Next time I think I would flip the cake back over to cool with the nuts and chocolate chips on the top. To serve, you can always invert again onto a serving tray or cake stand and your chocolate chips will stay intact since they will have cooled off.
As I sit down to write this blog post, I hear Dean Martin crooning away in the background When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, That’s Amore, That’s Amore! About now I’m wishing I could make it to old Napoli but thanks to COVID who knows when that will even be possible. The way I see it, if we can’t travel to Italy, we can at least eat like we’re there! I have been making my own dough off and on for years but have really made it a habit since the Pandemic started last year. There’s just something so comforting about making your own bread isn’t there? And we have certainly all needed a little comfort over this past year. My next bread adventure will be sour dough I think. I can’t believe I haven’t gotten on that bandwagon. I guess maybe I’ve found it a bit intimidating. But it’s time I took a chance!
This pizza dough recipe is quick to throw together since you use quick-rise yeast so you don’t have to worry about dissolving the yeast before mixing it with the flour. It will make two 12” pizzas, I used to make one pizza and one pan of garlic fingers. Lately I’ve been doing a 15” round pizza instead. Stay tuned for a wonderfully rich and flavourful homemade pizza sauce and a quick and easy donair sauce that doesn’t require freezing.
In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour with the yeast and salt.
Pour hot (not boiling) water and oil into the flour mixture and mix well. Mix in remaining cup of flour until dough can be gathered into a slightly sticky ball. Knead and shape dough.
Let rise 1 hour. Punch down and put into two greased 12” pans. Let rise 1 more hour. Add toppings and bake for approximately 20 minutes.
So we had big news this week! We are soon to be owners of six little chicks. They’re coming at the end of April and we’re all pretty excited! My oldest son cared for and hatched an egg in kindergarten a couple of years ago and he still talks about it! I think it’ll be great for our family.
I’m definitely going to enjoy baking with all those fresh eggs and I know the caring of them and having a chance to chat with them during my daily outdoor routine will be therapeutic for my anxiety. I think it’ll be a great experience for the boys too, learning to care for the chickens and the responsibility that comes with owning an animal. We do have an indoor cat that we love fiercely but I think this will be a little different. My husband is happy to build a custom coop too. He’s got the plans ready to go so the next stop is the building supply store for all the materials to create an amazing new Farmhouse style coop.
To celebrate this big news I decided to make some special cupcakes. These Chocolate Covered Hi-Hats have been on my baking wish list for YEARS!! I saw them in an issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine years ago and was intrigued. Everything about them caught my attention. A chocolate cupcake topped with oh so high swirls of boiled frosting and then dipped in chocolate like a big swirly ice cream cone. I read the article that was written in the magazine and in that article the book Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans was mentioned. I purchased the cookbook and probably fifteen years passed. Until now. Oh. My. These are to die for! They are pretty spectacular to look at and really delicious to eat!
Chocolate Covered Hi-Hats. A rich chocolate sour cream cupcake swirled high with marshmallowy boiled frosting and then dipped in semi-sweet chocolate coating. Spectacular!
These delicious delights originated in New York as do so many wonderful things! Here are a few tips I came up with after making these myself that will help ensure the perfect Hi-Hats!
1. The chocolate dipping was a bit messy but if you ensure your frosted cupcakes are very well chillled before starting and your chocolate has cooled for around 15 minutes, it does make things a little less messy and you have a better chance at cupcake perfection! 2. Work quickly with the dipping. Dip all the way in (make sure you have a small bowl that is deep enough to get your whole top in there without smushing that gorgeous swirl). Make sure the chocolate gets all the way to your cupcake top. That will help anchor the chocolate and keep the top attached well to the cupcake. Your boiled frosting wont dry out that way either. 3. If you have a bit of white showing after dipping, don’t re-dip. Simply drizzle some chocolate with a spoon and fill in the white area with the chocolate. It’s pretty forgiving actually. 4. Keep refrigerated and serve cold.
Start with a good chocolate cupcake. You can use your own favourite recipe or this Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcake batter.
Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcake Batter
Makes enough batter for 18 regular cupcakes, 12 big-top cupcakes or 60 mini cupcakes
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 1/4 cups sugar 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup water
Put the chocolate in a double boiler (or you can carefully melt in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between being careful not to burn) and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. On low speed, add in melted chocolate. On medium speed, add eggs one at a time mixing until blended into the batter. Add vanilla, and beat about 1 minute. Mix in sour cream until no white streaks remain. On low speed, add half the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Mix in water. Mix in remaining flour mixture until incorporated and batter is smooth. Line muffin tin with 12 paper liners and bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes for 10 minutes on a wire rack. You may need to use a small knife to loosen the tops from the pan to remove as these will be big-top cupcakes. Release onto wire rack to cool completely top side up.
Make the filling. Marshmallowy goodness!
Filling
1 3/4 cups sugar 1/4 cup water 3 large egg whites 1/4 tsp cream of tartar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp almond extract (would be delicious without this too if you like a more plain marshmallow flavour)
Put sugar, water, egg whites and cream of tartar in the top of a double boiler with at least a 2 quart capacity and beat with an electric mixer until opaque, white and foamy, about 1 minute. Put the bowl over the simmering water and beat on high speed until frosting forms stiff peaks that stand up straight when you lift the beaters out of the bowl, about 12 minutes. The frosting should reach 160F on a thermometer. Remove from double boiler, add extracts and beat another 2 minutes to further thicken.
Spoon filling into a large pastry bag fitted with a large pastry tip. Leaving a 1/8” edge on each cupcake, pipe a spiral of filling onto each cupcake. Each mound will be approximately 1/2 cup of filling and create a 2 inch high swirl. Place cupcakes on a platter or tray and refrigerate uncovered, while you prepare the coating.
Use a small but deep bowl for the chocolate coating.
The chocolate can be melted in a double boiler or carefully in the microwave. At this point my pans were dirty and I didn’t want to stop to wash them so I melted the coating in the microwave in 20-30 second intervals stirring in between until the coating was smooth and shiny. Cool for approximately 15 minutes so it doesn’t melt your swirls when you dip the cupcakes.
At this point, I peeled off the paper liners and began dipping. You can wait to peel them until after they are dipped so you have a nice clean edge free of chocolate drips. I felt like it would be easier to peel prior to dipping and also easier to serve peeled so the person eating the cupcake wouldn’t have to get chocolate all over their hands tying to get the paper off of a large chocolate-y cupcake. At any rate, they are plenty messy enough to eat……I dare you to eat one and not get any chocolate on your hands, face, or right on the end of your nose, haha! Totally up to your preferences though! Ok, on with the dipping!
Holding each cupcake by the bottom and working fairly quickly, dip top into the chocolate letting excess drip off, then spoon more coating onto any areas that are showing any white filling. It should all be covered, even along the edge. Let sit at room temperature to firm slightly (around 15 minutes). Place cupcakes back on tray and place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve cold.
These cupcakes can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days but I don’t think they will last that long!
Easter is just around the corner and it’s one of my very favourite holidays. I love everything about it! The chicks and bunnies, the Easter egg hunts and Easter baskets loaded with goodies to see the kids through spring and summer outside fun. I also love the religious significance of the holiday. It was always a big part of Easter growing up and I try to convey that meaning to my children as well.
I always enjoy making special baked goods at this time of year. My Dad gets a batch of my Orange Knots every year and my husband and boys usually request a batch or two as well. This Easter Egg Bread recipe is a new one for me. I’ve been wanting to try it for years after seeing it in an old issue of Taste of Home magazine and today was finally the day! My four year old had tons of fun dyeing the eggs with me and I was really pleased with how they turned out. Next time I don’t think I’d lightly oil the dyed eggs as I found they stuck to the bread a bit anyway once the bread cooled and I removed them to refrigerate. I think the oil served to make the dye run a bit onto the rising bread. I also found that my loaf could have baked for another 5 minutes or so. The recipe called for 28-32 minutes of baking time and I took mine out at the 30 minute mark. I think 35 minutes would have been perfect for the size of loaf I had. It really raised into a gorgeous big loaf!
To dye the eggs, I used Wilton gel colouring in warm water. I’d estimate a teaspoon of gel colour to a cup of warm water. It really depends on how brightly coloured or pastel you want your eggs! Ensure your milk and butter is between 120-130 degrees so you don’t kill your yeast. Let dough rise for 45 minutes, punch down, create braid and let rise for another 20 minutes. Easter Egg Bread – the eggs are hard boiled and then dyed, then they are cooked right into the bread. They would go well with a slice of buttered bread for an Easter morning breakfast or for an Easter brunch. The bread gets to be a very deep golden brown from the egg wash that’s applied before putting it in the oven. Spectacular!
Easter Egg Bread
6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup sugar 2 packages active dry yeast (1/4 ounce each) 1 to 2 tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups milk 6 tbsps butter 4 eggs 3 to 6 hard cooked eggs Vegetable oil for oiling hard cooked dyed eggs, optional 2 tbsps cold water
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, cardamom and salt. In a saucepan, heat milk and butter to 120-130 degrees. Add to dry ingredients; beat until just moistened. Add 3 eggs; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Dye hard cooked eggs; lightly rub with oil if you choose. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough into thirds. Shape each portion into a 24 inch rope. Place ropes on a greased baking sheet (I used parchment paper) and braid. Bring ends together to form a ring and pinch ends to seal. Gently separate braided ropes and tuck dyed eggs into openings. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 20 minutes.
Beat water and remaining egg; gently brush over dough. Bake at 375 degrees for 28-32 minutes or until golden brown. (I baked for 30 minutes but could have baked for 5 minutes longer or so). Remove to a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate leftovers (the dyed eggs). Yield: 1 large loaf.
Once in awhile I discover a great find that I want to share! This is one! I found this Betty Crocker brand cheese paper at our local Dollarama, honestly one of my favourite places to shop! If you keep your eyes peeled for the good stuff, you will find lots of great quality brand name items for fantastic prices.
This cheese paper is so nice! It works like magic to keep cheese fresh and free of mold and it looks really pretty to boot! The package comes with three different patterns of paper and matching stickers to seal your packages of cheese and label as well. They’ve had it in stock for awhile now so I’m hoping it’s here to stay.
When you open your cheese drawer, you can feel like you’ve just come from a fromagerie in the heart of Paris. It’s the little things, right?!
Today is a gorgeous spring-like day here on Canada’s East Coast! It’s got me thinking about daffodils, garden planting and lamb shanks! I braised lamb shank yesterday for supper and they were better than I could have imagined! Oh my goodness! Fall off the bone tender and just so flavourful. The rich flavour of the port really adds depth to this dish.
There will be lots of sauce for potatoes or rice and let me tell you, it’s worth eating. Don’t throw it out! The flavours from slow cooking the shank which of course includes the bone, are simply out of this world due to all that bone marrow goodness. Below is the recipe for Port Braised Lamb Shanks. The recipe is repeated at the end of my post in it’s entirety but I first divided it into steps with pictures to guide you along the way.
Lamb can be an intimidating meat to cook because for a lot of us, it’s a meat we rarely have on hand. Shanks are not the most tender part of the lamb but cooked correctly they can be very tender and succulent! Lamb is generally pretty expensive, or at least I find it is, but it does go on sale or clearance pretty often at my local grocery stores. I have found a great time to get super prices on lamb is right before a holiday. Keep your eyes peeled for deals and give this recipe a try soon!
Port Braised Lamb Shanks Serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil, divided 4-6 lamb shanks trimmed of excess fat 1 large white onion 6 cloves of garlic, minced 2 large carrots, sliced or chopped 1 cup of celery, sliced or chopped 1 pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup flour 2 cups beef or chicken stock 1 1/2 cups port wine 14 oz diced tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato paste 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped 2 tsp dried parsley, divided 2 bay leaves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dry lamb shanks with a paper towel. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a heavy based pot over medium-high heat. Sear the shanks until browned on all sides. Do a few at a time. Repeat with remaining shanks and oil.
Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Add onions, carrots and celery to the pan juices and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Don’t worry about black bits in the bottom of your pot. These will add tons of flavour to the finished dish. Return shanks back to the pot and season with 1 tsp coarse salt and 1/2 tsp of ground pepper. Sprinkle with flour, cook for 4-5 minutes turning several times to brown the flour. Add stock, port, tomatoes, tomato paste, 1/2 the parsley and remaining herbs. Cover and bring to a boil, then transfer to the oven and braise for 2 – 2 1/2 hours stirring the sauce occasionally. This is your gorgeous end result. Garnish with the remaining parsley and serve! Meat will be falling apart tender! The sauce (not pictured here) is amazing on rice or mashed potatoes. I served with baked potato and green peas and it was delicious!
Port Braised Lamb Shanks
Serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil, divided 4-6 lamb shanks trimmed of excess fat 1 large white onion 6 cloves of garlic, minced 2 large carrots, sliced or chopped 1 cup of celery, sliced or chopped 1 pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup flour 2 cups beef or chicken stock 1 1/2 cups Port wine 14 oz diced tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato paste 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped 2 tsp dried parsley, divided 2 bay leaves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dry lamb shanks with a paper towel. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a heavy based pot over medium-high heat. Sear the shanks until browned on all sides. Do a few at a time. Repeat with remaining shanks and oil.
Transfer to a place and keep warm.
Add onions, carrots and celery to the pan juices and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Don’t worry about black bits in the bottom of your pot. These will add tons of flavour to the finished dish.
Return shanks back to the pot and season with 1 tsp coarse salt and 1/2 tsp of ground pepper. Sprinkle with flour, cook for 4-5 minutes turning several times to brown the flour. Add stock, port, tomatoes, tomato paste, 1/2 the parsley and remaining herbs. Cover and bring to a boil, then transfer to the oven and braise for 2 – 2 1/2 hours stirring the sauce occasionally.
During the early part of the Pandemic, many of us took on home renovation projects, took up a new hobby or revisited an old one, organized our homes, and a plethora of other things we’d put off doing previously. One of the early DIY’s I did was to organize my many special greeting cards I’d accumulated over the years.
I’m not a hoarder I promise! I do collect certain things though. Being a pretty sentimental person, I tend to find it difficult to let go of greeting cards that special people have given me to mark special occasions in my life. I’ve sworn more times than I can count that I was going to throw them out but could never bring myself to do just that. So I set out to find a creative way to organize them that would cost next to nothing and allow my family and I to enjoy them when we are feeling nostalgic. Here’s what I came up with:
1. I saved all the corrugated cardboard we were bringing into the house (Hello, Amazon boxes, haha!).
2. I went through my big box of cards and divided them into categories. Ex. Wedding, Baby Shower for each child, Christmas (I just kept particularly special ones), Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Birthday, Sympathy.
3. Once I had groupings I ordered them with the largest cards in the back of the pile. I based my “cover” size on the largest sized card in the group. I then measured, marked and cut out pieces of the corrugated cardboard.
4. I punched holes in the covers using a large three hole punch, it’s preferable if you can center the holes along the edge of your cardboard pieces instead of being too close to either the top or bottom of the cover. You will likely only use 2 of the 3 holes that the hole punch can cut due to the sizing of most greeting cards.
5. Line up your cards with the newly punched covers to decide where to place the holes so that the cards will align with your front and back covers as neatly as possible. I marked with a pencil so I’d know exactly where to cut when I got each card into the punch. You will likely have to do each card separately due to the thickness of the card stock.
6. Decorate your covers. You can do just the front cover or front and back covers. You can even do inside the covers. It’s up to you and how creative you want to get and how much time you want to spend. I liked the “kraft paper brown” colour of the cardboard so I left it mostly naked and used stick on letters, patterned papers, gel markers and various other little scrapbooking decorations to decorate my covers. I kept it basic and did only the front covers on one side.
7. I then attached the covers to the groupings of cards using binder rings. I used two different sizes. In the pictures attached you will see one package says Shower Curtain Rings. I had a hard time finding the larger sized rings when I ran out mid way through the project and found these at Dollarama for $2 per package. Great find and they are EXACTLY the same as the more expensive binder rings you’d find at an office supply store.
Note: If you have other little mementos you’d like to add to your card books but they are too small to punch or you don’t want to punch a hole in them, you can put them in a pretty envelope and punch the envelope instead. You can then easily add to your card book and keep everything organized with the grouping it belongs with.
When I had the books completed, I placed them in a pretty keepsake box to protect them. The box can then be stored or put out on display in a living area where you can take a peek whenever you’re feeling a little sentimental or want to share with friends or family.
DIY Greeting Card BooksBooks are held together with binder ringsI used printed paper and wooden and paper scrapbooking decorations to decorate my greeting card book covers. These particular ones were from Great Canadian Dollar Store. They have a fantastic selection of scrapbooking items.Completed Wedding Card BookSimple binder clips in various sizes will hold your card book together.
Happy blustery Tuesday friends! You know that old saying, “Gotta make hay while the sun shines”? Well today I just had the feeling that I needed to make jam while the wind howled outside and snow and freezing rain swirled through the air. It smelled like summer in my kitchen as it cooked on the stove. My youngest son said, “Mama, your jam is making it smell like cotton candy in here!” Best. Compliment. Ever.
I made a batch of strawberry jam using a recipe from my Bernardin Guide to Home Preserving. It’s honestly my go-to guide. I’ve had great success with everything I’ve made from this book. I purchased it years ago at Walmart, but I’ve since seen it for sale at Canadian Tire. Highly recommend, especially for new home preservers.
Speaking of new home canners, I think there are a lot more folks interested in this culinary art since the Pandemic began and I find that so exciting. I love seeing a resurgence of the old traditions especially when it comes to the home and particularly the kitchen. Those traditions help us hold onto the best of the past and keep it alive for the generations of the future. It’s these seemingly unimportant and mundane activities that often end up holding the most meaning for our families. It’s often where our dearest memories lie.
Here is the recipe I used.
Strawberry Jam
3 3/4 cups crushed strawberries, about 2 quarts 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice 7 cups granulated sugar 1 pouch Bernardin liquid pectin
Wash, hull and crush strawberries, one layer at a time. Measure 3 3/4 cups. Combine fruit and juice in a large, deep stainless steel saucepan. Stir sugar into mixture. To reduce foaming you may add 1/2 tsp butter to this mixture.
Over high heat, bring mixture to a full rolling boil. Stirring constantly, boil hard 1 minute. Remove from heat. Immediately stir in liquid pectin, mixing well. Skim foam.
Ladle into prepared jars within 1/4 inch of rim. Using a nonmetallic utensil, remove any air bubbles. Apply snap lid and screw band fingertip tight. Place in boiling water canner and cover. Process for 10 minutes. Remove jars without tilting and cool upright.
Coming to a boil……Finished product. Fresh strawberry jam on a cold and windy March day.
Once in awhile I find a product that I really enjoy and think is great value for money……and let’s face it, these crazy times we find ourselves in call for getting creative sometimes, whether it be substituting an ingredient or trying a new brand of ingredient because we are limiting our shopping trips and store stops or due to the need and/or want to save money.
When I get excited about a new find, I want to shout it from the rooftops. Haha! Here’s the latest find that I want to share with you! I adore fried onions, always have, likely always will. I especially love them on top of a juicy burger which we had a few nights ago for supper. Man these are tasty! And how can you go wrong when they only cost $1 for a 100g tub?! I don’t make a habit of grocery shopping at Dollarama but the other day I was out picking up a few things there and thought heck, why not? I’m gonna try them. So glad I did! The brand is Top Taste Crispy Fried Onions. They are as good as the grocery store brands and a fraction of the price! Grab some next time you’re at Dollarama, one of the few items there that really are just $1 these days!
Top O’ the Mornin’ to Ya! St Patrick’s Day is around the corner and I’ve been looking for something I could make that day other than the traditional corned beef and cabbage. I made this soup from an old WalmartLiveBetter magazine yesterday for the first time and wow! It was so good! Perfect for a winter’s day in so many ways……warm and satisfying, full of nutrition, and best of all, the most beautiful shade of emerald green. The colour alone brightened my spirits and reminded me that spring is on it’s way. And it’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day! It’s nice and creamy but doesn’t contain cream, milk or butter so it’s great if you are trying to cut back on fats and calories. It makes 4 small-ish servings so it’s perfect as an appetizer but you could double the recipe if you want larger servings/more servings for a main course.
Cream of Green Vegetable Soup
Serves 4
1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 4 cups chicken broth 2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli florets 2 cups asparagus, fresh or frozen, cut into chunks Salt and pepper 4 cups baby spinach Baby spinach leaves for garnish Feta cheese, crumbled
Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Soften onion and garlic in the oil. Add broth, broccoli, and asparagus. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
Store in spinach and simmer for about 1 minute. Purée soup with a hand blender until smooth. Add more broth if needed. When ready to serve, top with spinach leaves if using and crumbled feta.
