Mom's Tulip Cake

This is my mother's birthday cake for this year. It starts with a basic vanilla cake recipe, one that I will share tomorrow. Then the cake was iced with "margarine milk" icing by my father. My mother prefers this icing, which is a specialty of my father, as opposed to my buttercream. Personally, I am more familiar with (and more fond of) buttercream, but this is my mother's cake, not mine, and this is what she requested. This is why my father made the icing and iced the cake. However, I did all of the piping and decorations. Normally I would do this with buttercream, as it is stiffer and easier to pipe and to work with, but there was just enough leftover margarine milk, so I used that.

My mother really likes tulips, and that is the only request she had for the decorations on her cake. We aren't fondant or gum paste fans here, so I tried to find a way to make tulips using margarine milk icing. If you can make buttercream roses, why not margarine milk tulips? It wasn't as difficult as I though, I just used my flower petal tip, and made three lines as tulip petals. I decorated the top of the cake with one big and several small tulips, then I put four on the side of the cake as well. The top border is a simple flower border using my drop flower tip. The bottom border is a ruffle border using my petal tip again. I piped "Happy Birthday Dianne" with my mother's name as requested. All of this was done in my mother's favorite color, light pink. Then I added some leaves with a light green icing and my leaf tip. It didn't take very long, and is quite simple, but that's the way my mother likes it.
 Happy Birthday Mom! :)

Mocha Choco Oat No-Bake Cookies

I wouldn't necessarily call these "healthy cookies" but they are better for you than most typical cookie recipes. They are also a lot faster and easier to make - an added bonus. They contain a nice dose of chocolate, a nice flavor of coffee, and the nutrients of whole-grain oats. They are made with coconut oil, a healthier alternative to butter or margarine. The amount of sugar could probably be reduced, but I recommend using the full amount first, then adjusting to suit your tastes. Perhaps honey or agave would work too. I found the idea for these cookies on a healthy dessert recipe site.

Mocha Choco Oat No-Bake Cookies
1/2 cup old-fashioned (or quick) oats 
(or use 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons oat flour)
3/4 cup quick oats
1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon granulated (white) sugar
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules 
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 Tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grind the 1/2 cup oats in a blender until it resembles flour.
In a medium bowl, mix together the first seven dry ingredient. Stir together the liquid ingredients separately, then add to the dry, mix well. Roll into balls and refrigerate until firm.
The yield depends on how big and how flat you make them. I got 13 round cookies. One of these cookies is enough to give you a nice pick-me-up in the mid-afternoon! 

Zucchini Potato Patties

Zucchini Potato Patties
2 medium zucchini, shredded
1 small carrot, shredded
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper and salt to taste
1/2 cup mashed potato
1/4 cup pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
oil for frying

Place the zucchini and carrot in a colander and sprinkle with the salt. Allow to drain for at least 30 minutes.
Squeeze all the excess water from the vegetables and pat dry. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Form into patties with your hands, I made about ten patties, but it depends on size. The patties will hold together better if refrigerated at this point for at least 30 minutes. Or prepare the patties ahead and refrigerate overnight.
Heat a little oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the patties, about 5-6 minutes per side, until lightly browned. 

If you want crispy patties, make them thin, and possibly cook them in batches or use two frying pans. I made my patties thicker, and ended up baking them for a bit after frying. This works well, or works to keep them warm, just be sure to grease or line the tray with parchment paper.

This is a really quick and quite tasty side dish to go with supper, that doesn't require many ingredients or prep work. They can also be prepared ahead, or cooked and reheated, or eaten cold. It makes good use of fresh zucchini. The zucchini flavor is quite prominent. You could vary this recipe by adding minced onion or garlic, or using different spices. 

Complete Wheat Batter Bread

Complete Wheat Batter Bread 
4 cups warm water
2 packages active dry instant yeast
2 Tablespoons granulated (white) sugar
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup each: natural wheat bran, ground flaxseed, oat bran, wheat germ
6 cups (approximately) whole wheat flour

In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water, then the sugar on top. Stir, then let stand ten minutes until frothy. Stir to dissolve yeast. Stir in molasses and salt. Gradually stir in the grains and flour until a sticky, but stiff, dough forms. 
Cover bowl and let rise for 45 minutes.
Stir dough down for twenty seconds. Divide between two greased or lined 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise for an hour, until doubled in bulk.
Bake at 400◦F for about 35 minutes. 

This bread recipe doesn't require too many ingredients, yet it very nutrient-dense. It is easy to do - no kneading required, although you do need to wait for two rising times. It also rises very nicely, and makes a light, wheaty bread. 

Square Selection

Here is a sample of the plates of squares featured at a celebration last week. There were about ten different types of squares in total, and all were baked by family members. Here we have Chocoalte Revel Bars,Lemon Graham Slice,Graham PB Coconut Chocolate Squares, Cherry Squares, Skor Bar Squares, Brownies, Date Squares, Blockbuster Bars, Date Tarts, and Buttertart Squares.
I made the chocolate revel bars, my mother made the cherry squares, my grandmother made the lemon, chocolate pb coconut, and date tarts, and the others were made by a few of my aunts. 
All together, arranging a variety of the squares on each plate offered a variety of desserts to everyone, and looked quite eye-appealing. This way, there was likely to be something for everyone, whether you were looking for something chocolaty, something with fruit, something sticky, something sweet, or something light.

Birthday Cake for Grandpa

This is the birthday cake we presented to my grandfather. Yes, this cake is for one person, but he is addressed by several different names: Sheldon by his wife, his sister, and his in-laws; Dad by his children; and Granddad by his grandchildren. His birthday was actually a few months ago, but this is the first time the family was able to come together to celebrate. My grandmother baked the chocolate cake and frosted it with chocolate frosting. I really liked the swirl design she did with the frosting, it added a special touch to the cake.

I did the white trim, lettering, and decorations  We decided to keep this cake low-key, as we knew we would have a large cake the next day, and I was focused on that cake. It was featured earlier this week. I also did not have much time to decorate this cake. My grandmother had it prepared before I arrived and I finished it. The cake is only a 9x13 inch, though we had a fairly large crowd, we knew everyone would be fairly full from the restaurant meal or would order a different dessert, so this is all we needed. For the decorations, I just quickly whipped up a little bit of white icing, and used a sandwich bag to pipe. I did a quick swirl border around the edges, wrote happy birthday, and added a happy face for good measure. My grandfather likes chocolate, so he really enjoyed his piece of cake. 

Graham PB Coconut Chocolate Squares

I do not have the recipe for these squares, because they are another one my grandmother made  although I am sure it would be easy to find a similar recipe out there. Basically these bars consist of a graham cracker crumb crust in a 9x13 inch pan. They are topped with peanut butter and coconut, and perhaps sweetened condensed milk to pull it all together. Then they have a simple chocolate glaze on top. The squares are good, but a little difficult to cut. Perhaps it would be better to line the pan and lift them out to cut them. The base is quite firm, and chocolate toppings are difficult to cut without cracking them. When lifting them out, the base tends to crumble a little, or the chocolate lifts off the base. They are too hard kept in the fridge, and too soft left out. They do not have a lot of peanut butter flavor, or coconut or chocolate or graham for that matter, but just a nice hint of each. They are tasty, but a tad messy. 

Lemon Graham Slice

Lemon Graham Slice
CRUST
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine, melted
FILLING
10 ounces/284mL sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemom juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line an 8x8 inch square pan.
CRUST: In a medium bowl, crumble all ingredients together. Pack into prepared pan.
FILLING: Stir all ingredients together and spread over crust.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.

This is a really quick and easy recipe that gives a nice, sweet lemon fix. It makes a small batch, which is unfortunate since it is difficult to stop at just one. My grandmother made these squares, and they disappeared quickly, even among a selection of other squares. 

Paré, Jean. "Lemon Graham Slice." Recipe. 150 Delicious Squares, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1981. 128.

Purple Wedding Congratulations Cake

This is the cake I made for a pre-wedding celebration party for my cousin and his fiancée. Therefore it is not a wedding cake, but simply a celebration cake, like I have made before. I used my large round pan, and a double recipe of my signature chocolate cake. I covered it with my signature vanilla buttercream, then I got to decorating. I used a light purple because that is the bride's favorite color. I also used my new larger eighteen-inch piping bag with a large open-star tip for the two borders. I did a shell border around the bottom edge, and a sort of flower or star border around the top edge. I used a larger open round tip to do the lettering, so it would take up more space and be the focus of the cake. I did the lettering free-hand. I added a double heart below that with the year 2014, as that is the year during which the wedding will take place. I used my new multi-opening star tip to add two small designs on the bottom of either side of the cake, but this could be done with a plain open star tip as well. Finally, I added three pansies on top and one on the bottom, as well as a little green for the centers and leaves. I found the larger-sized piping bag easier and more efficient to use for a larger-sized cake like this one, and it makes the borders larger and more attractive as well. 

Chocolate Revel Bars

This makes a large batch of delicious squares. It uses a 10x15 inch jelly-roll pan to feed a crowd. The recipe says cuts into 70 squares, but it depends on how big you cut them. I have made squares similar to these before, and they are delicious! Who doesn't like the combination of a sweet oat base with a rich chocolaty filling? If you would like to halve the recipe, I am sure you could use a 9x13 inch pan. The recipe comes from a source that has never failed me before, the Company's Coming series of cookbooks.

Chocolate Revel Bars
CRUST
1 cup butter or hard margarine, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats
FILLING
1 can (11 ounces/300mL) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons butter or hard margarine
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a 10x15 inch jelly-roll pan.
CRUST: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in rolled oats/ Press 2/3 of mixture into prepared pan.

FILLING: In a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients. Once melted, stir in nuts, if desired. Pour evenly over prepared base. Sprinkle with remaining crust. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden.

Paré, Jean. "Chocolate Revel Bars." Recipe. Jean Paré's Favorites, Volume One, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1988. 191.

Homemade Fries

My father made these for the first time while I was away, and again now, upon my request. We have made fries and sweet potato fries in the oven before, but never in the deep-fyrer. Partly because we have only had the deep-fryer for a few years now. We are not big on deep-fried food, but a light frying with just a little oil and these fries are delicious! My father has now perfected the process - the potatoes need to be peeled and cut and placed in ice, then fried twice, with a 30 minute rest in between frying times to cool. Not exactly sure on the science on that one but it sure works. Apparently three fry times are even better, but that is a bit labor intensive. I am not a huge fry fan, but homemade fries that still resemble potatoes and not just greasy sticks I do enjoy. I eat them plain - not even a little salt or ketchup. I bet sweet potatoes would be good like this too, or even squash or carrot fries. My father has now perfected these fries - and they are delicious and crispy, even using the same batch of oil as the first time. They go well with a variety of different meals, breakfast, lunch, supper, or even a snack!

Matthew's Birthday Cake

The birthday was a couple of weeks ago, but I just did not get the chance to feature this before. This is my brother's birthday cake. I did not make it, as I was not around for his birthday this year. Honestly, it might be a bit of a relief, as the past two years he has asked for a cake as chocolaty as possible, and I am not sure I could top last year's (Chocolate Overload Cake). Although I said that after the year before as well (Death By Chocolate Cake).  To be fair, my brother was not around for his birthday either, but my parents delivered his cake to him. They made a simply chocolate cake, and decorated it with chocolate margarine-milk icing (a different take on buttercream). They made it in a foil pan so it was easy to deliver to him. I must say, my father has flawless piping skills!

Multigrain Pizza Crust

Multigrain Pizza Crust
1 package instant yeast
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup oat flour
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

In a medium bowl, mix the first five dry ingredients. Mix the sugar and water together and stir into the flour mixture. Knead for a few minutes until smooth, add a little extra flour or water if necessary. Wrap in a damp towel and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a baking sheet. Roll the dough out thin, either in one big form or several smaller forms, and place on prepared sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes until crisp. 

This can be used for a pre-made pizza crust, but I use it as a base for sandwiches, or like pita bread for breakfast. It is pretty versatile. This only makes a small batch, but may easily be doubled. 

Banana Dark Chocolate Swirl Muffins

Banana Dark Chocolate Swirl Muffins
3 large overripe bananas, mashed
2/3 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/4 cup oil
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 + 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. 
In a large bowl, mix together the first six wet ingredients. Add the next four dry ingredients. Remove 1 cup of batter. Melt 1/3 cup chips and add to the one cup of batter, along with the remaining chocolate chips.
Place one Tablespoon plain batter, followed by one Tablespoon chocolate batter, and one Tablespoon plain batter in each cup. Top each with a teaspoon of chocolate batter. Swirl gently with a knife. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Overripe bananas are inevitable, especially in hot weather. These muffins make a great snack - moist with a nice hint of chocolate. The two batters take a little extra effort, but it is fairly quick to do and so worth it. 

Nutty Seed Quick Bread

This is my first time baking in over five weeks! Naturally, I began with something simple, but something I love, a quick bread chock-full of delicious whole grains. I hadn't eaten homemade bread for five weeks. The only bread I ate was whole wheat toast every morning for breakfast. Before my trip, I cannot remember the last time I had eaten toast. I am not a toast fan, I prefer my homemade biscuits and quick breads for breakfast. The only time I had whole grain bread here was my brunch at the restaurant, and that was delicious - Mon Brunch  So I really missed my whole grain breads!

Nutty Seed Quick Bread
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup ground nuts (I used almonds)
1/8 cup each: natural wheat bran, oat bran, ground flaxseed, wheat germ, sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 olive oil
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 large egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. 
In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Mix the liquid ingredients together and add, stir thoroughly. Spread batter in prepared pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes. 

Welcome Home Twin Chocolate Delights

My mother asked me what kind of sweet I wanted when I got home. I answered with chocolate. Lots of chocolate. Not a cake, but chocolate. The cafeteria did not have enough chocolate. She found this recipe, and when she told me the name, I immediately knew where it came from, as I had wanted to make it too! These are soft and certainly chocolaty! Mom took the photo as well. Thanks Mom! The recipe comes from our favorite mystery novels.

Twin Chocolate Delights
1/2 cup (one stick) butter, melted
1 1/4 cups granulated (white) sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 cup chocolate chips (we used dark)
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional (we left them out)

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar. Add the cocoa, soda, salt, and vanilla. Stir in the eggs. Mix in the flour, then nuts and chocolate chips. 
Drop rounded teaspoons of dough onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, let them cool 2 minutes before removing. 

Fluke, Joanne. "Twin Chocolate Delights." Recipe. Blueberry Muffin Murder, New York: Kensington, 2002. 136-137.

I'm Home!!!!

Finally, I am home! Finally, I can post in English again. Finally, I can bake and cook and post recipes and pictures of things I have made again. Finally, I have more of a choice of what I want to make and what I want to eat. Yes, I miss the camp. But yes, I am happy to be home. I am happy to be back in the kitchen, doing what I love. I will be sure to post something I have made very very soon, as I will be baking very very soon. Recipe, picture, comments - all in English. Though there may be more grammatical errors than usual, I haven't written in English for five weeks after all. 
I already have plenty of ideas and occasions I would like to bake for in mind. The hardest question is, where to start? À bientôt!

Mon Expérience

C'est vraiment difficile de décrire mon expérience ici. Incroyable bien sûr, mais mieux que ça. Il n'y a pas des mots pour le décrire. J'ai appris beaucoup et j'ai amélioré mon français. J'ai rencontré beaucoup des nouveaux amis. Je suis allée aux excursions inoubliables, et j'ai fait des activités amusantes. C'était une expérience fantastique, que je n'oublierai jamais.

Mais la nourriture. J'ai essayé des nouveaux plats. J'ai mangé des gourmandises exquisités, et j'ai visité des boulangeries, des cafés, et des brûleries uniques. Aussi, j'avais l'expérience de la nourriture d'une cafétéria, qui n'était si mauvais qu'on pense. C'était différent de manger toute la nourriture d'une cafétéria, et pas la nourriture de moi-même ou ma famille. J'avais l'expérience de la nourriture différente, et la structure des repas différente. J'ai beaucoup plus d'articles je pourrais partager, beaucoup plus de repas, articles, photos, etc. mais je pense que c'est le temps de retourner de mes postes d'habitude.

Mais surtout, j'ai habité dans un environnement francophone pour cinq semaines, et c'était une expérience inexplicable, inoubliable, et incroyable, qui va m'aider dans l'avenir beaucoup.  

Le Dernier Souper

Pour notre dernier souper ici, nous n'avons pas mangé à la cafétéria comme d'habitude, mais à un hôtel chic. Alors le souper était un changement apprecié. Le repas a commencé avec une soupe de légumes à la table.

Ensuite, un buffet avec une grande sélétion, qui incluent les crudités, la salade vert, la salade gréc, les légumes sautés, la salade de pâtes, le penne avec la sauce de tomate ou la sauce de viande, la lasagne de viande, la lasange végéterienne, la pizza, et les frites. Il y avait beaucoup des légumes, et beaucoup des glucides comme la piza, les pâtes, et les frites. Il n'y avait pas beaucoup de protéine, mais dans l'ensemble, le repas était bon.

Mais, la meilleure partie du soir - le dessert!! Je ne pourrais pas le faire mieux moi-même. C'était incroyable et tellement délicieux. J'ai espèré pour beaucoup de chocolat, et je l'ai reçu! C'est un gâteau au chocolat, avec une mousse au chocolat très riche et douce. Puis une garniture de sauce de chocolate et du couli de framboise. Yum, yum! Chaque plat est presenté parfaitment. La seule plainte: c'était trop petit!

Vol-au-vent

J'ai pensé que je partagerai ce plat avec vous. Avant je suis allée ici, je n'avais pas entendu de ce plat. Il s'appelle « vol-au-vent » et ce n'est pas un plat nourrissant et équilibré, mais c'est délicieux! Simplement, c'est un cercle de pâte feuilletée, avec un petit trou dans le milieu. Puis, le pâte est noyé avec une sauce – n'importe quelle type de sauce est possible. La sauce cause la pâte de réchauffe et la pâte est tendre. Une sauce épaisse est le clé pour succès. Ici on a une sauce de la crème et brocoli. Ce plat est vraiment comme un volcan.