Tapioca

This pudding is an old favourite of mine. I really love this dessert. Tapioca isn't everybody's cup of tea but I love it to bits. Every time I make some it disappears in 10 seconds flat. I sometimes add a raspberry reduction on top to even out the sweet flavour of tapioca with the tart taste of raspberries. If you are looking to get creative, serve them in martini glasses.

I'll give you all an update on the status of my cookbook that I have been working on. As many of you may know, this blog started out as a project for a tech glass. But I enjoyed it so much that I decided to continue the blog. I finished the cookbook and submitted it for marking last week. I hope I do well because I have really been working hard these past few months. 

Yields: 4 servings

Prep time: 5 minutes

Total time: 42 minutes

Ingrediens 

1/4 cup sugar

3 tbsp Minute Tapioca (I use Club House)

1/4 tsp salt

3 cups milk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a large saucepan whisk together the sugar, tapioca, salt milk and egg. Let stand for 5 minutes.

2. Bring to a boil on medium heat, whisk occasionally until it come to a full boil. This will take about 17 minutes.

3. Let cool for 20 minutes, whisk twice in that time. Pudding will thicken as it cools. Serve warm or chilled, store leftovers in the fridge.

Note: Looking to spice up this recipe? Try this Raspberry Reduction to top everything off.

Recipe adapted from Club House Minute Tapioca package

Blondies

Blondies are an interesting treat, they are almost like brownies but blonde. You would think that at first the chocolate element is what makes these bars taste good, but when you try these it will change you opinion completly. Blondies are like very, very chewy cookies that are made into bars and cut into squares. They are probably just as good as any brownie recipe, if anything better. 

I have been making these for the longest time. I was first introduced to the idea of blondies from watching the Nancy Drew movie. This was one of my favourite movies growing up. In one part of the movie Nancy talked about lemon bars and blondies that her friend Hannah had made for her. (How cool that I share a name with this character!) I first experimented with blondies was when I was hanging out with my cousin Olivia. We always have so much fun together in the kitchen, and being a fellow fan of Nancy Drew we made blondies. From then on I love making blondies, as it always reminds me of one of my favourite movies.

Yields: 24 bars
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes 


Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Directions 
1. Preheat oven to 300F and spray a 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray.

2. In bowl of electric stand mixer, combine butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir on medium for 1 minute. In a separate bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low for 15 seconds. Add in chocolate chip and continue stirring until the ingredients are well combine.

3. Press dough into pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool in pan before removing. Cut into 24 squares.

Adapted from KitchenAid Best-Loved Recipes by Lou Weber

Super Moist Brownies

Many times, we see pictures of these moist and fudgy looking brownies and it can be hard to sometimes find that recipe that fulfills your idea of a good brownie. This recipe did it for me. It doesn't get any better than this. I hope you enjoy these chocolatey treats as much as me and my friends do.

In the original recipe it asked for 1 1/2 cups of flour but I decided to put only a cup, so that they would be more chewy and moist. Lowering the flour defiantly did the trick, along with the chocolate chips I added in, the changes made them more delicious and very moist.

Ingredients
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray and then line it with parchment paper.

2. Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl. 

3. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. Set aside.

4. To the butter,stir in the sugar, vanilla and eggs. Add the dry ingredients and mix until it is just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and serve warm. 

Adapted from http://www.food.com/recipe/super-moist-brownies-460903

Browned Butter Blueberry Muffins

Everybody loves blueberry muffins, and also apple crumble. This recipe is like a blueberry muffin with a tasty crumble on top. The browned butter gives the muffin a great buttery flavor. Great for breakfast or with tea.

At first I was somewhat discouraged because the original recipe ask for the melted butter to cool before you add the milk, eggs and vanilla. When I did this, the butter seemed to congeal and get lumpy and I was sure I had ruined them. But don't get discouraged because they all will turn out lovely. I like to freeze these muffins and eat them later when I am feeling for a quick snack.

Yields: 12 muffins
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
For the Muffins
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cups fresh or frozen (don’t thaw them) blueberries

For the Crumble
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar


Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 375F and line 1 muffin pan with muffin liners.

2. In a saucepan melt butter on medium heat. Wait until the butter starts foaming and turns an orangy brown. Turn off the heat and put in a medium bowl to cool. Whisk in milk, eggs and vanilla. When you mix the butter with the milk, eggs and vanilla, there may be lumps of butter that have clumped together, this is fine.

3. In a seperate bowl combine all the dry muffin ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the mixture and mix well.Stir in the frozen (unthawed) blueberries with a spoon.

4. Pour the batter into the muffin liners. Divide it evenly between the 12 muffin cups. In a new bowl combine all the crumble ingredients. Mix with a fork or the tips of your fingers until it looks crumbly like bread crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the un-baked mufins. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from muffin tins.  

Adapted from http://www.tworecipesblog.com/2012/04/brown-butter-blueberry-muffins.html

Homemade Peanut Butter Bites

These little peanut butter bites are super easy and they taste just like the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. These little guys are a no-brainer!

 I made these one day while I had a cheesecake was in the oven. They were pure experimentation but they turned out pretty awesome. You might recognize the melted chocolate recipe from an earlier post on chocolate covered almonds.


Yields: 12 small bites 
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup natural peanut butter (no additives)
• 1/3 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 tablespoon canola oil

Directions

1. Prepare a plate with a sheet of wax paper on top for the peanut butter bites to be rested on.

2. In a small bowl mix together peanut butter, confectioners sugar and flour. Mix until combined and set aside.

3. In a microwave safe bowl, put the chocolate chips and canola oil in the microwave and heat for 20 seconds. Stir and heat for another 20 seconds. Stir again and then give it another 20 seconds if needed.

4. Roll the peanut butter mixture into small 3/4 inch balls and dip in chocolate using a spatula or spoon. Rest each one on the wax paper.

5. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

Smoothies are so yummy and this will definitely hit the spot when you are hungry after a long day or when you have finished a workout. It is my go to snack between meals or on a hot summer day.

I have been making these smoothies for ever, when ever I go out for a run I always whip up one of these when I come back. They make you feel like you just have eaten a big slice of banana bread. And not only is this a heathy treat, but it is super simple as well!

Yields: 2 servings

Prep time: 1 minute

Total time: 2 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 1  cup milk
• 6 ice cubes
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter

Directions

1. Put all of the ingredients in the blender.

2. Shut the lid on top and blend for 1 minute. 

3. Serve into 2 glasses and enjoy!

The Perfect Banana Bread

To find a good banana bread recipe is like finding a diamond in a hay stack. It takes a lot of experimenting to find the perfect one. This is by far the best banana bread I have ever made.

For me banana bread is a summer thing. I would eat it a lot when my family would go to our cottage in the summer and in the morning we would have this for breakfast. But I think that banana bread should be a year round thing. Especially after I tried this recipe! 

Yields: 1 loaf

Prep time: 8 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 bananas crushed
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and then line with parchment paper.  

2. Cream together butter and sugar with your electric mixer. Use a blender to mash the banana if it isn't fully ripe yet. Add eggs, vanilla and banana. Mix until combined.

3. In separate bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Turn mixer to low and gradually mix in dry ingredients. Try not to over mix or it will make the loaf tough.

4. Pour into lined loaf pan and bake for 70 minutes or until a knife or skewer comes out dry. Cool completely and serve.  

Originally from food.com 

Peanut Butter Cookies

If you are looking for a fast cookie that never fails to impress then you have found it. Peanut butter cookies can sometimes be too hard but these ones are just right! 

 This weekend I didn't have as much homework as I usually do, so I planned to meet up with two friends to go to the art gallery! I woke up late and only had an hour to get ready, but I still really wanted to bake something to take along for the drive. Since I only had an hour before they came to pick me up, I decided to try these cookies out. They were super fast and both of my friends ended up asking me for the recipe because they both liked them so much. I am not sure which was better, the cookies or the art show. 

Yields: 4 dozen

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Put the peanut butter and butter in the bowl of your electric mixer. Beat until smooth on medium for about 1 Minute. Stop and scrape bowl. Add the sugars, egg and vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and mix for 1 minute. Stop and scrap bowl.

3. Turn the mixer on to stir and add the rest of the dry ingredients into the mixture. Turn back to medium-low and mix for 30 seconds.

4. Roll the cookie dough into 1-inch balls. Place 12 balls on a sheet at a time. Press down the cookies with your thumb or a fork. (I used a fork.)

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. Remove the cookies from the sheet immediately and let them cool.

This recipe is originally from the KitchenAid Best-Loved Recipes cookbook.

When Life Gives You Lemons... Make Lemon Bars

Not only are lemon bars easy but everybody remembers having them at some point in their childhood. It was in the 1970's that everybody really got bitten by the lemon bar bug. They were everywhere (so my mother tells me). The memorable combination of heart warming short bread and sweet lemon curd on top is something you can't easily forget.

Ever since I was young, lemon bars were the basic essential to any tea party I went to! Whether it be with my great aunts or my stuffed animals, lemon bars have been a big part of it. These sweet treats hold a special place in everyones heart! This is why I love making them. 

Yields: 16 squares
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the Crust
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 heaping cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Pinch of salt, optional

For the Filling
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2 medium size lemons)
2 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon lemon zest
Confectioners sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Start with the crust. In a large bowl, combine all the crust ingredients and add the butter. Mix until the mixture looks crumbly. You can use a spoon or fork or even your hands for this.

3. Transfer the crust mixture into the pan and press down with your fingers to make an even crust. Make 12 pokes in the crust with a fork to prevent air bubbles. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes.

4. While the crust is in the oven you can start the filling. In      a large bowl, combine the sugar, lemon juice, eggs, milk and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Add the flour then mix until the the lumps are evenly combined. Last whisk in the lemon zest.

5. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes. You know it is done when it is no longer runny and firm to the touch. Remove from oven.

6. Let the bars cool at room temperature for 10 minutes and then cover pan and refrigerate for 1 hour.

7. When the bars are cool, you can dust some confectioners sugar on the top.

8. Carefully lift the foil out of the pan and cut into 16 squares. Enjoy :)