Sugar High Sunday: Gingerbread House Tour

Have you ever gone on one of those luxury house tours? The ones where you visit 4 or 5 fancy houses on one street, to gawk at their decorating and dream of your own one-day-mansion. This Gingerbread House Tour will take you on a smaller version, visiting tiny, perfectly decorated candy mansions. While these perfect little sweet shacks are the peak of perfection, you can get lots of ideas from them to apply to your own gingerbread house.

If you make a house, send me a link! I would love to see your creations.

Gingerbread House Tour

1. I like the Necco wafers as roofing material in this sweet number from Sweetopia.net. Includes a video and free printable templates. 
2. I love this one, also from Sweetopia.net. There are many detail ideas to use. The frosted cereal used as roofing material, for example, is pretty great. Isn’t the jelly bean coach light just the coolest idea? 
3. Amelie’s House brings us a trio of the cutest little white gingerbread houses, with adorable owl gingerbread cookies and hand-painted embellishments. 
4. At the Zinke family’s blog, you will find a sweet little steepled church. I love the M&Ms as siding and the Andes mint stairs! 
5. From Martha Stewart, cute little gingerbread cottages! 
6. At Torie Jayne, find this wintery white birdhouse, with faux bois detail, a sugary owl and lots of candy mushrooms.

Gifts from the Kitchen: Spiced Almonds

Spice and slightly sweet from a hint of maple syrup

Spiced nuts can be expensive, particularly around the holidays. You can make your own quite easily and save a ton of money! Put them in a jar with a bow and a pretty label, and you have an instant gift for the foodie on your shopping list. 

Gifts from the Kitchen: Reindeer Chow

Crunchin and munchin – a pepperminty snack to give away

If you are looking for ideas for homemade gifts — look no further. Reindeer Chow is a delightful, crunchy snack mix that makes a perfect gift, made by you! Reindeer Chow is simple and quick to make — include the kids for a fun afternoon! This recipe will make about five 500 ml jars, loosely filled. I have included a downloadable sheet of labels for you to use — or customize your own.

Festive Christmas Rum Balls

Stop laughing. Stop it.

Did someone say balls? [Cue juvenile snickering]

When my holiday baking starts to ramp up to a satisfyingly frenetic level, I like to sneak in a few recipes that require a little "Christmas cheer". These rum balls are a grown-up version of the ever-popular cake pop. They are rich and fudgy, but I think I would add slightly more rum next time. I like them to be rich enough to satisfy with only one bite. I rolled the balls [giggle] in sparkle sugar, but you could also roll them in cocoa, or dip them in dark or white chocolate.

I know, I know — I have a warped sense of humour. I blame this. Enjoy!

Festive Christmas Rum Balls

Makes 4 dozen Ingredients
Non-stick cooking spray
3/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 large eggs
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup dark rum
Sparkle sugar, for rolling

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. 
2. Melt butter & chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for about 3 minutes on 75% power. Stir until smooth. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, light brown sugar & vanilla. Slowly whisk in the melted chocolate mixture. Fold in the flour, until just blended. 
3. Spray a 12" x 17" rimmed baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray & pour in the batter. Use a spatula to spread it evenly to the edges of the pan. 
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack & cool. 
5. Break up the brownie pieces into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on low until the brownie is completely broken up. Slowly add in the rum, a bit at a time & beat until the mixture forms into a ball. You will know it’s the right texture if you can easily roll the dough & it holds its shape. 
6. Scoop out the dough by the tablespoon & roll into a ball. Toss in sugar & chill until ready to serve.

This recipe first appeared in the first print edition of Stimuli magazine. Read the electronic version here.

Candy Bar Brownies

Gooey.... and ALL MINE

After Halloween, I was left with a giant bowl of leftover, fun-sized chocolate bars — a result of last-minute Halloween candy purchasing and my lack of willpower when faced with a bargain. I can’t resist a good deal! Usually, I end up snarfing them all up in a couple of sittings. Instead of eating them all at once, do I give them away, freeze them for later (haha no) or make them into something else? Luckily, I found this brownie recipe that I tweaked until it became something delicious. It uses about 10 fun-sized chocolate bars, or 2 full-sized bars. The brownies are rich and fudgy, and the chocolate bar centre stays soft and liquidy.

Tiger Butter, Hallowe'en style!

It really does taste exactly like a peanut butter cup!

Here’s a quick, easy candy that tastes just like those famous peanut butter cups in the orange wrapper — my favourite candy from my trick-or-treating days! It’s bright orange & dark brown stripes are perfect for your spooky party. For an elegant variation, skip the peanut butter and add orange extract to the white chocolate.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Hmm I'll take that one, and that one, if you please.

Are you hosting Thanksgiving dinner for a crowd this year? Every few years I volunteer to host the dinner for my family, even though my house is tiny and my kitchen is tinier! I don’t have a large enough dining room for a sit-down affair, so at my house the informal Buffet is the norm.

Caramel-Glazed Apple Quick Bread

Coffee break time!

The transition between summer and fall is the time of year I love the most. Slightly cooler than summer, but not yet the blah grey drizzle of winter. Visions of sweaters, boots, and warm comfort foods dance around my head. Apple varieties appearing at the market is starting to grow as crops are harvested in the orchards.

Chocolate Covered Bacon with Salted Caramel

You had me at.. uh...bacon? Yes. Yes, you did.

Yup. You read that right. Bacon.

Chocolate. Covered. BACON. And, salted caramel.

Oh my Bacon.

(Fans self)

I made this unusual treat for my nephew, a Bacon Fanatic. He proclaimed it "weird", yet squirreled the rest of it away. We never saw it again! (I think he liked it).

This was my first attempt at this kind of candy. I liked it, but I don't think I cooked the bacon enough. I believe this would be more interesting if the bacon was crumbly instead of chewy. Also, I would use milk chocolate next time, instead of semi-sweet. I put a smear of caramel on the bacon and froze the slices before I dipped them in chocolate. The combination of the bacon and salty caramel was darn tasty! I would also like to try this with crunchy peanut butter instead of caramel.

Chocolate Covered Bacon

Ingredients
1/2 package thick cut bacon
8 oz milk chocolate, chopped fine
Caramel sauce or crunchy peanut butter
1 oz white chocolate for embellishment

Method

1. Cook bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels, then lay flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cool in the refrigerator.
2. Chop milk chocolate (I chop mine in the food processor — so easy!). Melt chocolate in a large bowl placed over a saucepan with about an inch of barely simmering water. Stir gently with a spatula until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
3. Spread each piece of bacon with a bit of caramel or peanut butter and lay each bacon strip back on the baking sheet. Place the bacon in the freezer for about 15 minutes to really firm up.
4. Dip each bacon slice in the melted chocolate. After dipping all the slices, put the bacon back in the fridge or freezer to firm up the chocolate. It doesn't take very long.
5. Decorate with squiggly lines of melted white chocolate. Or just eat 'em. (I did.)

Pink Lemonade Ombre Petal Cake

Pretty in pink: Pink Lemonade Ombre Petal Cake

What is “pink lemonade” anyway? The super-sweet, tart lemonade is a staple around our place in the summer! It quenches without being too sour. You can add things to it (soda, vodka, more vodka) to make it extra special. Try blending a couple of tablespoons of frozen pink lemonade concentrate with ice, Grand Marnier and vodka for a fancy pink frozen cocktail.

Strawberries 'n' Cream Ice Cream

Strawberries 'n Cream Ice Cream – the perfect summer ice cream treat

It is the tail end of strawberry season here in the valley. I finally got motivated to go down to Driediger Farm — a local berry farm — and grab the last of the strawberries. Thankfully, they were still red, plump and juicy. I have to say that there's no better aroma than freshly picked strawberries, warmed by the sun. Heaven!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I love summer, but I hate what it does to my bananas! 

I eat bananas every day, yet recently it seems like I'm buying new bananas every couple of days — they turn brown so fast! I really shouldn't mind, because I like banana bread and I LOVE these Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins even more.

These muffins are a breeze to whip up in the morning or any time you're faced with overripe bananas.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

4-5 ripe bananas

1 egg

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup chocolate chips

Vegetable spray

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and baking powder and mix. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mash peeled bananas. Add egg and stir until combined. Add flour mixture, then sugar, then pour the melted butter over top. Stir until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Spray muffin pan with vegetable spray. Scoop batter into the 12 muffin tins (no need for cupcake papers).
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until just lightly browned on top.

This column first appeared in Stimuli Magazine. Check out my column

'Just Desserts' for more sweet and delicious recipes!

Sunday Brunch: Belgian Waffles

When in Bruges...

My family recently gathered to celebrate my Dad's 80th birthday with a birthday brunch of Belgian waffles. I had not made waffles in ages, so I was thankful for an excuse to use our waffle iron, which had been languishing unused in a dark corner of the cupboard.

I served the waffles warm, with whipped cream mixed with cream cheese, vanilla and a bit of sugar. Topped with sliced strawberries, freshly picked from a Fraser Valley garden, and fresh blueberries, the waffles made a decadent brunch for a special guy.

Manly Desserts: Guinness Chocolate Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache and Bailey's Cream Cheese Frosting

Manly Guinness Chocolate Cake for Manly Men

Happy Father's Day! Today, we celebrated dear, old Dad. Many of you spent the day with Dad, as I did, participating in his favourite activities, or Dadtitivies. Golfing, fishing, boating, hunting, NASCAR — all the manly-man things Dad does anyway, but on Father's Day we get to go with him.

My Dad chose his favourite activity — lunch. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree as that's my favourite activity, too. We took him to his favourite lunch spot (Tim Horton's), and then back home for a home-baked treat.

Mini Pop Tarts

Mini Pop Tarts with raspberry filling.

I remember consuming box after box of Pop Tarts when I was young. Frosted strawberry flavour was my go-to snack after school or for a late-night study session. Later, Pop Tarts were a must-have for camping and fishing trips.

Sorry, this one's mine.

Lately, we've all been concerned about what we eat; peruse the ingredients on a box of commercial toaster pastries and you will need a degree in chemistry to understand half of the ingredients. This homemade version is tasty and you know exactly what's in it. The small size is just enough for a snack.

Oatmeal Rolo Cookies

Soft 'n' chewy Oatmeal Rolo Cookies

One day at work, I was discussing the awesomeness of oatmeal cookies with my friend and co-worker, and the age-old debate of Raisins vs. Chocolate Chips came up. I am a raisin fan, while my friend is in on Team Chocolate Chip. I was defending the raisin version when she said, "But have you ever tried oatmeal cookies with mini Rolos in them?"

Doesn't everyone have baking debates at work?

My eyes glazed over and my jaw hung open stupidly while I pictured just that: soft, chewy oatmeal cookies studded with droplets of caramel-filled chocolate cups. "Challenge accepted," I vowed. I went to the store that very day and picked up a package of Mini Rolos.

Mini Rolo candies! Mmmmmm....

Rhubarb Custard Cake

Pretty, red rhubarb

Spring has arrived, and that means it's the time of year when well-meaning neighbours and relatives gift you with armloads of ruby red rhubarb. You thank them — "You grew it yourself? Fanstastic!" — but you're secretly wondering what you're supposed to do with it. 

Nutella Cheesecake Twists

Twisting ribbons of Nutella and cheesecake filling wind through this delicious pastry.

Rich, chocolatey Nutella. Smooth, tangy cheesecake. Flaky pastry. Do I have your attention yet? As a good friend recently said to me, "You had me at Nutella."

Chocolate Cracker Toffee

You won't be able to eat just one. Or one dozen.

I am in love with Pinterest.

I love spending time pinning interesting photos, recipes, outfits, houses and vacation spots. I have spent billions of imaginary dollars decorating fabulous rooms and buying pretty clothes. I also get many ideas for recipes I would never have otherwise thought about. Here is one such recipe I found, tried, and fell in love with — Cracker Toffee.

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

Cookie monsters, assemble!

What is the perfect chocolate chip cookie? Well, that depends upon how you like them! Do you like them thin and crispy? Chewy and gooey? I like mine chewy, gooey and buttery. I make them smaller so I don't feel guilty by eating a small handful. I use dark chocolate chips for an extra flavour punch. For extra large, impressive cookies, use an ice cream scoop and flatten the dough balls gently. Don't forget to increase the cooking time by a few minutes.

Lemon Lemon Cake

Zesty!

When life hands you lemons — make Lemon Lemon Cake! I made this cake twice last week, and I LOVE it. I am so IN love with it, I will have to MARRY it. Seriously.

Sugar High Sunday: Chocolate Bars

Why spend all that money on commercial chocolate bars when you can make your own? That way, you know exactly what's in them — no chemical surprises!

Here are a few recipes I found. Let me know if you try them and how you like 'em!

Homemade Snickers Bars from How Sweet It Is!

This could be Twix Bars — Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread from Annie's Eats

Not technically a candy bar, but Pop Tarts sure are a yummy treat! Make them yourself, courtesy of Hello Hanna.

Did you call it a Ding Dong, a Ring Ding or a Devil Dog? Whatever you called it, these delicious cream-filled chocolate cupcakes will take you back! Here's a recipe from Bean Town Baker to help you get started.

Here's a gluten-free Reese's Peanut Butter Cup from famous pastry chef, Stella Parks aka Brave Tart. Yummmmy!

Do you like to recreate famous candy bars at home? Which ones have you tried?

Cheers,
Lulu xoxo

Sunday Supper: Multigrain Dinner Rolls

Instead of the usual Sunday Sweets today, I thought I would share a recipe with you that I contributed to our family's Sunday Dinner: Multigrain Dinner Rolls.

Multigrain Dinner Rolls — fresh out of the oven.

White Chocolate Cheesecake with Salted Caramel Sauce

White Chocolate Cheesecake with Salted Caramel Sauce

If you're looking for an extra-special dessert to feed a crowd, then look no further than cheesecake. You can make a very large cheesecake to feed about 16 people — the cake is so rich you can serve up smaller slices. Add a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of decadent sauce, and you will impress even the most discerning guest.

Dotty With Love Heart Cookies for Valentine's Day

In which I learn to decorate a sugar cookie with flood icing and flat dots and subsequently spray the entire kitchen and myself with hot pink icing like a sugary cluster bomb.

Dotty hearts are dotty

It's almost Valentine's Day, and you can feel LOVE in the air; hot and pulpy like a, er, like something hot and pulpy. Everywhere I turn, I'm bombarded with messages of love and hearts, love and romance — written in all caps in sparkly red curly fonts. Even the birds are getting the Valentine's message; they friskily chase each other, sometimes performing their sexy time right in front of my kitchen window. NATURE! Stuff's getting real here, folks.

When I think about the love of my life, I get all dotty in the head with love and besotted with giggly, blushing thoughts of romance. We celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary last summer! What better pastry to symbolize my marriage than a dotty pink heart-shaped cookie?

Sugar High Sunday: Cheesecake

I'm thinking of making a cheesecake this week, so I prowled the blogs for interesting recipes. I found some pretty good ones, and I thought I would share them with you. Here's a tip for making a successful cheesecake: if you are baking one in the oven, wrap the bottom of the pan in aluminum foil, and set it in a shallow pan of water (bain marie). These really helps set the cheesecake and prevent cracks from forming. Happy baking!

From the goddess of desserts and photography, Tartelette, here is Lemon Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Blood Orange Sauce... oh my drool...

Also from Tartelette: Pillow Cheesecake with Salted Butter Caramel Sauce

Are you crafty? You could try Bakerella's Cheesecake Pops... they look divine!

Mmmmm Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake from Amandeleine

Another Blood Orange Cheesecake: this one's from Martha Stewart

Margarita Cheesecake, also from Martha Stewart

Here's a Lemon Blackberry Cheesecake that looks really yummy

One more lemon cheesecake, lol! Triple Lemon Cheesecake from With a Grateful Prayer

Last but not least, here's my Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust and Maple Caramel Sauce

Pumpkin Cheesecake, Gingersnap Crust and Maple Caramel Sauce

Enjoy!


Cheers,
Lulu
xoxo

Sugar High Sunday: Citrus

What's in season now, in the middle of winter? Citrus! Colourful, jewel-toned orbs; juicy and bursting with bright flavours. I have found a few interesting recipes for you to try — I know that I will definitely be trying them!

From Always With Butter: Blood Orange Bars and some seriously beautiful photography. 

Glug! Glug! Glug! Aaaahhhhh! Serve up a Grapefruit Margarita from Sweet Life in Texas. 

More grapefruit! From Whisk Kid: Grapefruit Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Strawberry Rhubarb Jam and Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Oooooohhhh my goodness I think I just drooled all over myself typing that! 

Vegan Blood Orange Cupcakes from Shauna Sever

These look so delicious, I licked my screen: Lemon Thumbprint Cookies from Glorious Treats

Coconut and Citrus Cake from Bakers Royale 

Mmmmm Mini Lemon Cheesecakes with Gingersnap Crust, from Baking Bites 

Coconut Lime Bars

Here is a citrus recipe from me: Coconut Lime Bars 

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Lulu

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes for Valentine's Day

Pink. It's not just a singer with a sassy attitude and flamboyant style. It's also the colour that fills my mind when I think of Valentine's Day. Swirls of colour — shades of pink and red, pretty and girly in a heart-shaped package.

Sugar High Sunday: Pinterest Edition

Have you heard of Pinterest?

It's a social network-style community on which people "pin" their favourite images, kind of like a vision board. The pins maintain the original links to their original web pages. Think of it as a visual bookmark. I first found it a couple of months ago and I was quickly hooked. And not just for the food!

Today's Sugar High Sunday features cool baking projects I found on Pinterest. You can follow me and my pins on Pinterest here; be sure to drop me a line if you like what you see.

Just a small sampling from one of my boards on Pinterest.

From Sweetapolita: Neopolitan 5-Layer Cake

Here is Half Baked's gorgeous Blueberry Rainbow Cake

Banana Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting from A Dash of Sass

Caramel Cake by Mac & Cheese

How Sweet It Is! brings us Homemade Snickers Bars... yummmmmmy

Red Velvet Cream Cheese Brownies from Jamie Cooks It Up

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Lulu

Fruit & Almond Power Bars

Fruit & almond power bars to power you up the mountain and down again.

As the snow melts away and my favourite hiking trails are revealed fresh, my thoughts once again are pulled outside to be in the great outdoors. I love to be outside, but walking and hiking in the damp, chilly air takes extra energy. I like to take a "stick-to-your-ribs" energy snack along on longer walks to keep the blood pumping and the mind on the birds and trees, not my empty stomach!

Site Changes

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes! I've added two new pages to the site today: Recipe Index and About Me & Him. I hope the index will help you quickly find what you're looking for. If you find a link that doesn't work, please drop me an email and let me know. Thanks, sweeties!

Cheers,
Lulu xoxo

Heart-Healthy Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies with almonds – perfect with a cup of tea.

Happy New Year! If you are like me, you may have included 'eating healthier' in your New Year's resolutions. Eating healthier meals doesn't necessarily mean that you need to stop enjoying dessert! Besides including lots of fresh fruit in your diet, you can easily whip up some of these heart-healthy cookies for a special treat.

Health Benefits
Dried Cherries: I used dried Montmorency cherries in my cookies. Montmorencies are tart, or sour, cherries. Cherries are high in the powerful antioxidant anthocyanin, which has been shown to be beneficial in preventing many diseases, including cancer. Dried tart cherries also contain high levels of melatonin, which can help regulate sleep and slow the aging process.

Dark Chocolate: Dark chocolate is also high in antioxidants. Chocolate increases blood flow to your brain and heart. It can help control blood sugar. Chocolate is high in the minerals potassium, copper, magnesium and iron. It also makes you feel happier by elevating your mood. And it tastes great!

Oatmeal: Oatmeal contains a fiber called beta-glucan. Including more oatmeal in your diet can lower cholesterol, boost immunity, and stabilize blood sugar. Oatmeal also is high in magnesium, which can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Almonds: Almonds are high in the antioxidant Vitamin E, cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fats and are a good source of protein. Almonds also contain Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), manganese and copper. Don't care for almonds? Substitute walnuts, pecans or chestnuts; all of which are also high in good fats and antioxidants.

Chewy little yummy nummies

I found these cookies to be a little too mounded, so I flattened them with a spatula slightly before baking. The dried cherries I bought were really huge; next time I will chop them up. I'm not a fan of chopping chocolate, so I might use dark chocolate chips next time.

I hope you enjoy these heart-healthy cookies!

I ate four. They're healthy, so it's OK. Right? Anyone?

Heart-Healthy Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Based on a recipe by Cooking Light
Makes 42 small cookies

Ingredients
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup dried cherries (chopped up if you like smaller bits)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (or 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips)
1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine flours, oats, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.
3. Melt butter in a small bowl. Mix in brown sugar, stirring until smooth. Add sugar mixture to flour mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add cherries, vanilla, and egg; beat until combined. Fold in chocolate and almonds. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes. Cool on pans 3 minutes or until almost firm. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.

Nutritional Information
Amount per cookie (based on 42 cookies)
Calories: 67
Fat: 2.3g
Saturated fat: 1.1g
Monounsaturated fat: 0.43g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.14g
Protein: 1.2g
Carbohydrate: 11.2g
Fiber: 0.9g
Cholesterol: 7.1mg

Happy New Year! Bring on 2012!

Happy New Year sweeties! I am so excited about 2012 and the changes I will be making to this blog. I will be adding a recipe index page, so you can easily find the recipe you are looking for. I am also planning to add some tutorials, some of them will be video tutorials. I promise to be hilariously inept with the video tutorials; maybe I'll even be sober.

I'm still cleaning up after Christmas and New Year's Eve around here, but I hope to post a new recipe this week. Since it's a new year and we're all probably shunning fatty food (for at least a week, lol) I will be giving you a recipe that is somewhat healthful.

I hope 2012 brings you everything you wish for!

In the meantime, I'll just leave this here.

xoxo,

Lulu