Spiced Pumpkin Bean Dip

Hummus is delicious, there is absolutely no doubt about that. I can, and often do, eat it by the spoonful. But plain old hummus can be a little bland. This is a hummus-inspired dish, except I used a can of mixed beans instead of simply chickpeas because that's what I had on hand and also I wanted to add a bit more flavor, color, and texture. I added pumpkin, which added a burst of color and gave a nice consistency, without imparting too strong of a pumpkin flavor. The flavor really comes from the dressing - which adds more color and texture and really makes flavors pop. I used onion salt to season because it adds a bit more flavor, as does the paprika and pepper, and the acidity from the vinegar gives that extra bite and smooths out the consistency a bit. 

Spiced Pumpkin Bean Dip
one can (540mL) mixed beans (includes red kidney beans, white kidney beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, romano beans, baby lima beans), drained and rinsed
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/4 cup Thousand Island dressing (homemade or bottled)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
onion salt, paprika, and ground black pepper, to taste

Purée the beans in a food processor. Then blend in remaining ingredients either in the processor or by hand. Taste and adjust seasoning and consistency as desired. Refrigerate to allow flavors to blend. Keeps well for at least a week. 

This is great to use just like hummus, or as a dip for crackers and vegetables. It is also good as a condiment for sandwiches and veggie burgers.

Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding Loaf

Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding Loaf
300 grams dark or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter or hard margarine
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups milk
4 large eggs, beaten
4 cups bread, dried or stale, white bread, torn into one inch pieces (I used mostly egg bread and white baguette)
1/4 cup granulated (white) sugar
200 grams dark chocolate, chopped

In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter together over low heat, stirring often, until smooth. Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, followed by the milk. Then mix in the eggs.
Place the bread in a large bowl and pour the chocolate mixture over top. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, preferably overnight, to allow the bread to absorb the chocolate mixture.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325◦F. Line two 9x5x2 inch loaf pans with parchment paper. Divide the bread among the two pans, patting down and spreading evenly.Sprinkle each with two Tablespoons sugar, then the chocolate pieces. Cover with foil, bake for about 40 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out with no custard attached (although it may be chocolaty) and pudding is set. Top should be slightly browned, if not the foil can be removed for the last few minutes of baking. Serve warm, or set aside to cool. Then serve either at room temperature or cold. Pudding is much firmer and easier to slice when cold. It can then be reheated if desired. It is extra good with chocolate or hot fudge sauce and ice cream or whipped cream.

This is a great bread pudding - rich, decadent, and plenty of chocolate. It is not a dry bread pudding, yet not custardy either. Soaking the bread overnight allows it to absorb all the chocolate flavor and it forms more or a firm loaf once baked. 

Fruited Muffins

Fruited Muffins

1 cup butter or hard margarine, softened

1 ½ cups granulated (white) sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups buttermilk

4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup raisins

1 cup glazed mixed fruit, chopped

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line muffin cups.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla, then the milk.  Stir in the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the raisins and fruit. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 36 muffins.

Spider Cookies

Spider cookies, macroons, haystacks, boiled cookies, no-bake cookies, chocolate oat drops, mud cookies - whatever you call them, they all refer to the same type of easy, delicious chocolate no-bake cookie. Of course there are variations out there, peanut butter, butterscotch, using chow mein noodles, adding chopped nuts or chocolate chips, but all operate under the same principal - boil some sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa, then stir in oats and/or coconut. My version uses rolled oats as well as some cooked oatmeal, which provides some more moisture and texture and is a good way to use up leftover oatmeal. It can be hot or cold, but should be on the thicker side. Drop onto cookie sheets and chill until firm (unless you can't wait and choose to eat the mixture hot from the pot like I do).

Spider Cookies
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine
2 cups granulated (white) sugar
1/4 cup milk or cream
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup thick cooked oatmeal
2 cups shredded coconut
3 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, waxed paper, or aluminum foil.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the sugar, milk, cocoa, and oatmeal, and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut, oats, and vanilla. Quickly drop by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Chill until firm.

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Muffins

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Muffins

1 cup butter or hard margarine, softened

2 cups granulated (white) sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups sour cream

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Grease or line muffin cups.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and soda, then the sour cream. Stir in the chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 36 muffins.

Who doesn't like chocolate chip muffins? Sour cream keeps these moist, like mashed bananas would, but without the banana flavor.

Fruit Cocktail Muffins

Fruit Cocktail Muffins

1 cup butter or hard margarine, softened

1 cup granulated (white) sugar

2 large eggs

4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 can (591mL) fruit cocktail, drained

fruit cocktail juice + orange juice to make 2 cups

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line muffin cups.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Stir in the fruit and juice. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 36 muffins.

These muffins are moist, soft, and chock-full of fruit!!

Lentil Burgers

These vegetarian burgers contain no beans, but rather lentils which are very high in protein, fiber, and several vitamins and minerals. They get moisture from the pumpkin purée, though there is no strong pumpkin flavor imparted. They get some texture from the addition of olives, the breadcrumbs bind them, and flavor is provided by the seasonings, which of course could be amped up with the addition of any herbs and spices. These are a snap to make and good to have on hand for a nutritious meal or snack.

Lentil Burgers
1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed 
water
salt
1/2 cup pure pumpkin purée
3/4 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs (from any type of bread)
1/3 cup chopped black olives
2 cloves garlic, minced
paprika
ground black pepper
onion salt

Cover the lentils with two inches of water in a small saucepan. Cook for 10-15 minutes until soft, but not mushy. Season with salt three-quarters of the way through cooking. Drain.
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients, mixing well, Season to taste. See if the mixture will hold together in patties. If too dry, add a little more pumpkin, if too wet, add more breadcrumbs. I chilled the mixture briefly before forming patties to make it easier. This will make 8-10 small patties. 

To cook, I prefer to fry these. They tend to break apart if fried in a lot of oil, so more is less in this case for a crispy coating. They may also be baked, broiled, grilled, or microwaved. They keep well in the refrigerator, either raw or cooked, or frozen, to be used as needed. Pictured here they are topped with chili pepper gouda and served on homemade buns. 

Sweet & Sour Sauce

I think all meatloaf is better with a sauce, it helps to keep the meat moist and adds extra flavor. I came up with this sauce recipe based on what I remember from the sweet and sour sauce my mother used to put on her meatloaf and meatballs. Warning: I did not measure amounts for this either, so taste and adjust ingredient amounts as needed.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
2 small cans pizza sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and whisk until it boils gently. Remove from heat, adjust seasoning if necessary, and pour over meatloaf or use as desired. 

This sauce is excellent for ground meat dishes - meatloaf, meatballs, burgers, sloppy joes, as well as chicken, pork, or as a dipping sauce. 

Homestyle Meatloaf

I certainly don't claim to be a meatloaf expert in any way. I didn't even really like meatloaf. But apparently I can make a good, tasty homestyle meatloaf. I just threw in what I thought would be good based on my culinary knowledge. I really didn't bother to measure anything, you just sort of need to know how much liquid you need, how much seasoning, and how much binding ingredients you need based on how much meat you have and so on. This recipe makes a flavorful and moist meatloaf, even if you happen to overcook it.

Homestyle Meatloaf
3 lbs ground pork
2 onions, finely chopped
garlic powder
onion soup mix
ground black pepper
rolled oats
milk
ketchup

Preheat oven to 325◦F. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with your hands until just combined- do not over mix or you will create a tough product. Add more liquid, dry, or seasoning as needed (to check for seasoning, you can form a small patty and fry it in a little oil and taste it). Pack into a large rectangular pan, cover to seal, and bake for two hours.

Remove meatloaf from oven. If you used fatty ground pork, it will have shrunk considerably and be surrounded by grease. This does mean your meatloaf will be smaller, but hopefully you accounted for shrinkage in the amount of meat you used. It also means the meatloaf will be very moist. Cut it into four equal pieces, and carefully transfer them to a clean, smaller pan, trying not to crumble the pieces. Place the pieces close together, but not touching. Then pour sauce over the top, allowing it to drizzle into the spaces between the pieces. Use a good amount of sauce for a thick coating, as some sauce will dry out as well. Cover and bake at 300◦F for until the sauce is warmed through, or up to an hour. The sauce will prevent the meat from drying out. If you want a slightly crisp top, leave the meatloaf uncovered while baking. 

I used a sweet and sour sauce, for which I will share the recipe tomorrow!

Faux Baked Beans

Faux Baked Beans
one can (540mL) mixed beans (includes red kidney beans, white kidney beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, romano beans, baby lima beans)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
10 large dates, chopped
2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 Tablespoon blackstrap molasses
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients together, taste, and adjust seasonings. The beans are now ready as is, but if you would like to eat them warm, gently warm them in a saucepan or in the microwave. Store in the fridge, flavors will blend and be better the next day, the beans can even be eaten cold. Makes two hearty servings, serve with some whole grain toast.

This is a fake baked bean recipe, much quicker and easier to make than the traditional version, but quite a tasty alternative. This is a vegetarian version, but bacon or wieners could be added if desired. 

Caramel Cream Pie

Caramel Cream Pie
1 nine inch pie crust, baked and cooled
2 packages (four serving size) instant vanilla pudding 
3 cups heavy whipping cream (35%)
thick caramel sauce, as needed

Beat the pudding mixes and cream together for a couple minutes until thickened. Spread a good layer of caramel sauce in the bottom of the pie crust. Top with the pudding filling. Drizzle more caramel sauce over top, then use a fork to swirl it around. 

This is such a simple pie - another one of my 'cheat' cream pies using pudding mix. Alternately, the filling could be made from scratch as well, and any type of pie crust could be used - even shortbread, graham crumb, or chocolate crumb. Caramel isn't one of the typical cream pie fillings, and here caramel is just used on the top and the bottom, with a vanilla filling in between. However, this pie was a huge crowd pleaser, largely due both to its taste and its uniqueness. 

Pineapple Muffins

Pineapple Muffins

4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour

1 cup granulated (white) sugar

2 Tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

½ cup oil

1 cup crushed pineapple, drained

pineapple juice + peach or orange juice to make 1 cup

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line muffin cups.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat in the eggs, oil, pineapple, and juice. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 30 muffins.

Pineapple is a different, yet very pleasing muffin flavor. These muffins are light and moist. They would be even tastier with the addition of a little shredded coconut. 

Soft Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This is a nice, soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. The type of cookie perfect for a snack with a glass of milk. The type of cookie you can convince yourself is healthy, but really isn't. The type of cookie that always gets stolen from the cookie jar. 

Soft Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
1 1/2 cups butter or hard margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
6 cups oats
3 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Grease or line baking sheets.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and both sugars together well until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, then the water and vanilla. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, and soda, followed by the oats, then the raisins.
Drop dough by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden. Cookies will be soft, but will firm slightly if left to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. 

Marshmallow Peanut Butter Squares

Marshmallow Peanut Butter Squares
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips
500 grams miniature marshmallows
1 cup shredded coconut

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and peanut butter. Stir in the chocolate chips until melted. Let cool to lukewarm, then stir in the marshmallows and coconut. Spread evenly in a 9x13-inch rectangular pan and allow to cool before cutting.

This is another one of those easy but crowd-pleasing quick no-baked square recipes. For an extra dose of peanut butter, use peanut butter chips instead of chocolate. You could also try butterscotch, mint, or coffee chips as well. You can use colored marshmallows for more color and substitute any type of chopped nut for the coconut.

Honey Ginger Sesame Sauce

Honey Ginger Sesame Sauce
1/2 cup liquid honey
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
zest of one large lemon
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
salt and pepper, to taste

NOTE: This recipe has approximate measurements, because this is another one of those sauce recipes I just came up with on the spot. I didn't measure ingredients, just eyeballed them. So you will definitely need to taste the sauce several times while making it and decide if it needs a little more of anything to suit your tastes. 

Whisk all ingredients together well until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. If it is not sweet enough, add more honey. If not salty enough, add more soy sauce. If too thick, add some more vinegar, and add more spice for more flavor. Makes about 3/4 cup.

This sauce is good for stir-fry, as pictured below. It may look like it contains a lot of sesame seeds, but they disperse throughout the sauce once the sauce is served, and add a nice little crunch.

Apple Mixed Bean Dip

Beans and apples. Apples and beans. Not really a typical combination, but one that certainly works with this dip. Reminiscent of hummus, this dip can be made as thick or as thin as you wish by adjusting the amount of apple cider vinegar and applesauce, both of which provide a subtle apple flavor. The vinegar adds a nice hit of acidity, and the applesauce provides some sweetness. 

Apple Mixed Bean Dip
one can (540mL) mixed beans (includes red kidney beans, white kidney beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, romano beans, baby lima beans)
2-3 cloves garlic
2-3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Purée all ingredients in a food processor until smooth and well blended. Use as a dip for veggies or crackers, or as a spread like hummus.

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

Chocolate Crackle Cookies
1 cup butter or hard margarine, softened
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line cookie sheets with parchment paper. 
In a large bowl, cream the butter and both sugars together well until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
Stir in the baking powder, salt, and cocoa, then the flour.
Scoop dough by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for about ten minutes. Cookies should be just set, but leave to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes to firm up.

This is an easy cookie recipe I invented while deciding to make classic chocolate chip cookies, then changing my mind as the recipe progressed. They turned out quite well - soft and quite chocolaty. Sort of cake-like and pleasing, and a nice change from the standard choco chip. 

Molasses Pear Muffins

There are endless muffin possibilities out there, but we tend to favor the common ones a lot; banana, blueberry, chocolate chip, raisin bran. I was looking to make a little something different, so I came up with this somewhat unique combination - molasses and pear. These muffins are moist, spicy, and plenty sweet. 

Molasses Pear Muffins
1/2 cup oil
1 cup molasses
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 can pear halves

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl beat the first four liquid ingredients well. Stir in the next seven dry ingredients, followed by the flour. Divide evenly among muffin cups.
Cut the pear halves in half and pat dry. Place one slice on top of each muffin.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Gnocchi À La Parisienne

 Gnocchi are known as a soft, Italian dumpling. Some people think of them as pasta, but they are actually classified as dumplings though often served like fresh pasta. What many people don’t know is there are actually three different types of gnocchi. There are gnocchi piemontaise, which are the most familiar potato gnocchi; gnocchi à la romaine, which use semolina flour, egg yolks, and cheese; and the special gnocchi à la parisienne, which are gnocchi made from choux paste and often finished with cheese. I have made both the potato and choux paste gnocchis, and I find the choux paste ones to be much easier and less fussy.

Gnocchi À La Parisienne

2/3 cup water

2 Tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons salt

2/3 cup all-purpose (plain) flour

2 large eggs, beaten lightly

butter

cheese

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and butter to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the flour all at once, mixing for thirty seconds until dough forms a ball in the middle of the pan. Transfer mixture to a bowl and cool for five minutes.

Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a boil, then salt the water.

Beat the egg into the dough, a little at a time, until smooth and glossy. Transfer to a piping bag or cookie press fitted with a large plain or star tip. Pipe lines of dough onto a lightly floured, flat surface such as a cutting board or a baking sheet. Cut into ½ - 1 inch lengths. Place gnocchi in the boiling water and cook for a few minutes until they float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon.

If you would like to serve the gnocchi as a soft boiled pasta, cook for a few minutes longer after they float to the top until they are no longer doughy. Then drain well and toss in melted butter and shredded cheese or a light sauce of choice.

Alternately, finish your gnocchi dumplings by pan-frying them. Heat some butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, then sauté the dumplings until golden on all sides. Finish with some grated cheese, such as Parmesan.

I pan-fried my gnocchi and finished them with shavings of Irish porter cheese, which is why they look black, but they are not burnt. Any cheese is tasty with these neutral-flavored gnocchi.

Makes two hearty servings or four appetizer portions. Recipe may easily be increased. 

Cookie Balls

What do you do when you have a sudden craving for cookies, but don't want to wait all the time it takes to mix them up, tray them, and bake them? Especially if you want a crisp cookie, since you will also have to let them cool as they are too soft when still warm. You don't want to make a ton of dishes, you don't have a lot of ingredients, you don't want to mess up the kitchen, and you really only want a few cookies, not an entire batch. Here is an easy method to make cookies in just a few minutes with only a few ingredients and utensils. They may not be exactly like traditional cookies, but they certainly hit the spot and can be any flavor you desire! All you need is crumbs of some sort, and some type of chocolate.

Quick Cookie Balls
1. crumbs, pretty finely ground.
Examples: cookie crumbs, wafer crumbs, graham cracker crumbs, cake crumbs, brownie crumbs
2. chocolate, chips, squares, or some type of bar, any kind
Examples: mint chocolate chips, milk chocolate Easter bunny, bittersweet chocolate baking square, white chocolate discs

Melt the chocolate and combine with the crumbs. Amounts depend on how many cookies you want to make. There is no exact ratio for crumbs to chocolate, because it will vary depending upon the type of crumbs and chocolate you use. You want just enough chocolate mixed into the crumbs to make the mixture pliable - not wet and sticky but not too dry. Start with a little chocolate, as you can always melt more.

Form into cookie balls, as big as you wish. These will hold better after being chilled or frozen briefly to firm up, but they can be eaten right away. (Or don't even bother forming them into balls - a spoon works too). They can also be decorated with some more melted chocolate on top.

Turkey And Dumplings

Turkey And Dumplings
VEGETABLES
oil
1 large onion, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
1 package (8 ounces/250 grams) button mushrooms, chopped
1 can peas (save liquid)
2 cups diced cooked turkey (or use chicken)
SAUCE
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1 can (370mL) evaporated milk
liquid from can of peas
garlic powder, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
DUMPLINGS
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons granulated (white) sugar
1 teaspon salt
2 Tablespoons butter or hard margarine
1 cup milk

 VEGETABLES: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and mushrooms, cover, and allow the vegetables to sweat, without browning, until just beginning to soften. Stir in the peas and the chicken.
SAUCE: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Quickly whisk in the flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in the milk, then the pea liquid. Bring to a light boil and cook until thickened, then season to taste.
DUMPLINGS: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Stir in the milk to form a soft dough.

ASSEMBLY: Stir the sauce into the vegetable mixture in the pot. Spread evenly. Drop the dumplings by spoonfuls onto the vegetable sauce mixture. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or cover and bake at 375◦F for about 30 minutes, without uncovering, until the dumplings are cooked. If you would like to give the dumplings a bit of a crisp top, turn the broiler on for a few minutes at the end of cooking - keeping an eye on the dumplings until they are golden.

Chick Deviled Eggs

I've never made (or had) deviled eggs before, but I figure I might as well try them for Easter, and make them look like chicks while I was at it to better suit the occasion. To do this, simply hard-boil as many eggs as you need. Actually, technically speaking, eggs should never be boiled, as this causes a sulfur reaction that makes the grey rings around the yolks. Eggs should be simmered gently until of desired doneness.
Once cool, carefully peel the eggs and cut off the top third. Cut a small slice off the bottom if needed so the egg stands up, or use egg cups. Carefully remove the yolks, and place them in a bowl. Mash with a little mustard, mayo, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, or whatever flavorings you would like. Then pipe, spoon, or scoop this mixture back into the eggs. Top with the top third of egg. Decorate with carrot slices for the beak and arms/feet, and black peppercorns or capers for the eyes. Garnish with chives as grass if desired. 

Cinnabunnies

I made some cinnamon rolls for an Easter brunch this year. Cinnamon rolls are a well-loved, sweet breakfast or brunch treat. Of course, I wanted to have something Easter themed as well, so I shaped the cinnamon rolls into bunny heads. I didn't use my favorite cinnamon roll recipe, because the dough is quite soft to work with and only makes nine rolls. I used my second favorite, one hour, cinnamon roll recipe, which uses a firmer dough. However, pretty much any cinnamon roll recipe could be shaped this way. I sliced the dough into sixteen slices, and chose the eight prettiest slices to use as the bunny heads. Then I unrolled the remaining eight cinnamon rolls and folded them as shown, using a little melted butter to attach it to the bunny head. I then used chocolate chips for the eyes and small red candy-coated chocolates for the nose. Sliced almonds could be added as bunny teeth, if desired. Then I baked them on a cookie sheet as usual. I think they make a cute addition to an Easter brunch. 

Coconut Cream Easter Nests

Here are some little Easter basket desserts I made. I have often seen ideas for Easter basket cupcakes, but I didn't want cupcakes. Then I thought of coconut cream pies, since coconut seems to be a popular flavor around Easter time as well. They turned out very nicely. Miniature cheesecakes would work well with this idea too.

Coconut Cream Easter Nests
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
3 Tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour
pinch salt
3 cups milk (use coconut for more coconut flavor)
3 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon coconut or vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt. Slowly whisk in the milk, then bring the mixture almost to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for two minutes until thickened. Add a few spoonfuls of this hot mixture to the eggs to temper them, then slowly whisk the eggs into the mixture. Return to heat, and bring just about to a boil, then simmer for two minutes more. Remove from heat, then stir in the coconut, oil, and extract.

This can now be used as a regular coconut cream pie filling - poured into a baked shell, covered with plastic wrap, and chilled until firm.
It may be baked as a crustless coconut cream pie - pour into a greased pie dish and bake at 325◦F for about 30 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

I divided my pie filling mixture among twelve paper-lined muffin cups with an unbaked chocolate crumb crust on the bottom. I sprinkled a little extra coconut on top. Then I baked them for about 20 minutes until set.

To make Easter baskets: Cool the miniature pies, then peel off the paper linings. Place a few jelly beans, candy eggs, or chocolate eggs in the center of each. I used dried fruit to look like eggs. Pipe some melted chocolate onto parchment paper to resemble basket handles, then stick into the pies once hardened. Use white chocolate to make a few bunnies as well.

Easter Brunch

This year was the first year I had an Easter brunch. Actually, I can't really remembering having many brunches at all, unless you count sleeping in late enough to miss breakfast. Usually for Easter we do the Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's meal of turkey and all the trimmings. This year though, with less people home to celebrate, we were invited to a lovely Easter brunch!

 It turned out to be quite extravagant, beautifully presented, and extremely tasty! Here are a few pictures of the table settings and some of the food. On the table (I will go clockwise from twelve o'clock, though not everything can be seen in the photo) there was: nutella-filled croissants, honey, bunny-shaped cinnamon rolls I made, jam, butter, a deli meat platter, a homemade dip, a cheese platter including gouda, cheese wedges, brie, and boursin spreadable cheese, complete with radish garnishes, cinnamon brown sugar spread, braided sweet bread, herb bread, whole grain bread, nutella, and peanut butter. In the center there is an assortment of colored hard-boiled eggs and some salmon.

 In addition to what is on the table so far, there were also ham mini quiches, salmon mini quiches, and cheese mini quiches, chick deviled eggs I made, and fried potatoes and mushrooms.

For dessert there was plenty of chocolate on the table - this cute display of fancy Easter chocolates, as well as some carefully chosen chocolate bunnies and eggs placed at each table setting (mine was dark chocolate). There was also the Easter egg cake I made and featured in yesterday's post, and even a chocolate tea.
I really like the idea of an Easter brunch, with amazing food and great company, and I definitely enjoyed the morning! Even the sun was shining outside. 

Easter Egg Cake

I like to bake and decorate a cake every year for Easter. And of course, I always like to change it up. I've done plenty of bunny head cakes in the past, as well as a full bunny cake, a chick cake, a basket cake, cupcakes, and a cake with a bunny and a chick. I've done chocolate, carrot, pineapple, spice, red velvet, and hummingbird cakes. This year I decided to make a lemon Easter egg cake with vanilla buttercream filling and chocolate ganache. 

To make the egg cake, I baked my lemon cake in two eight inch round pans. Once cool, I cut both cakes in two pieces, slightly off the center. I frosted the bottom of both larger pieces with vanilla buttercream and sandwiched them together, cut portions down, on a platter. Then I frosted one side of each of the smaller pieces and stuck them on either side of the large pieces. Then I trimmed the cake so it was level and more egg-shaped. Next, I covered the entire cake with chocolate ganache. Then I colored the buttercream purple, yellow, and green to decorate the cake. I used different tips - a grass tip to decorate the tray around the cake, a flower tip to make purple flowers, a yellow tip to make stars and decorations. I also wrote Happy Easter in the middle of the cake.

When constructing this cake, it helps to briefly freeze the layers before cutting and decorating to make them firmer and less crumbly. In an upcoming post I will share the lemon cake recipe.

Hot Cross Spiced Fruit Muffins

Hot Cross Spiced Fruit Muffins

1 cup butter or hard margarine, softened

1 ½ cups granulated (white) sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups buttermilk

4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup raisins

1 cup glazed mixed fruit, chopped

Desired icing or frosting (or icing sugar mixed with enough water or milk to make a thick, pipeable icing. Add a pinch of cinnamon, citrus zest, or a dash of vanilla, almond, or lemon extract for flavor, if desired)

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line muffin cups.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla, then the milk.  Stir in the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the raisins and fruit. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool, then pipe crosses on each muffin with the icing. Makes 36 muffins.

Hot cross buns are traditionally served around Easter time - particularly on Good Friday, which is what the crosses represent. They tend to be a sweet, spiced bun with fruit, usually raisins or currants. I have made a few variations on the traditional buns in the past, here are the links: {Hot Cross Biscuits}, {Hot Cross Muffins}. I have also made Chocolate Hot Cross Buns, but that was back before I began blogging.

Easter Bunny Cupcakes

Here is a quick batch of Easter cupcakes I made the other day. They are a simple spice cupcake base with cream cheese frosting. I colored half of the frosting a bright yellow, and half of the frosting purple. Then I carefully spooned the two different icings on opposite sides of a large piping bag fitted with an open star tip. This creates swirls of icing with both colors. Depending on how evenly this is done, you could end up with one color slightly dominating the other, but that is perfectly okay. Here yellow seems a bit more prominent but it was also the darker color in the mix. After piping a swirl on each cupcake, I garnished them with some Easter bunny candies I found in various spring colors. I tend to make an Easter cake with a different flavor and design each year, so that will be coming soon. This is just a little sweet treat to bring on some Easter spirit. 

Passion In Work

In case you didn't realize, yesterday's post was another April Fools' Joke. It's true, I do have a great passion of all things culinary, but it is not true that I do not want to turn that passion into a career. Working with food will not destroy me nor my passion, it will further ignite it. I know it won't always be easy but I am ready for the challenge and more than willing to give it all I've got. Even after a rough day, I know this is what will make me happy. 

Some people think cooking is easy, or that it isn't a very reputable career. This could not be further from the truth. Sure, many people cook at home and do a great job of it. But cooking in an establishment is much more difficult and much different. At home, you don't have a strict timeline, an assortment of different dishes on the menu, crowds of people, paying patrons, tough critics, and the reputation of an entire business on the line. This creates a super stressful environment. On top of that, think about kitchens - sharp knives, fires, hot stoves, steam tables, large, heavy equipment, and food every where. Not the safest and easiest environment to work in. 

So then why is this such a popular career choice? It's all about the passion. Some people have such a strong passion for food, that they love their job and are happy to report to work every single day. You will notice there are some very passionate chefs out there, who have a lifetime career in the industry. There are also some not so passionate chefs, who usually don't last as long. I love food, and I love cooking, and I love everything to do with it, even working in a commercial environment. 

Change of Career

I am beginning to rethink my decision to pursue my passion in the culinary field as a career. This may come as a surprise, especially considering the 1300+ consecutive blog posts on this site. Well, have no fear, my passion for food and baking hasn't dwindled - in fact it is stronger than ever! That is part of the reason I hesitate to turn this into a career. I definitely want to keep this as a passion, and something I thoroughly enjoy. I worry that entering into the restaurant scene - a place that tends to be hot, sweaty, fast-paced, stressful, dangerous, loud, and vulgar will destroy my passion. A place that demands hours of tireless dedication, extensive use of the back, hands, and legs, coming in early and staying late, working holidays, starting with low wages, and absolute perfection. Where is the love in that? Do I really want to spend my next few years constantly exhausted, stressed, and sore; overworked and underpaid? The answer is no. Of course I will continue blogging and cooking at home, where it is a favorite hobby and stress reliever. But right now I need to take some time to figure things out, and decide what type of career I would like to pursue in the future.