S’mores Cookies

Oct 26, 2021

Smore’s Cookies

S’mores and camping and the summer and fall just go hand in hand. As it’s offically Autumn here now I thought this recipe would remind us of all the fun times camping or just hanging around a fire pit roasting marshmallows and making smores.

Yield/Serving: 12 cookies
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 16 min.
Difficulty level is: Finnicky, time consuming

From 100 Cookies

Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crumbs
⦁ 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, pulsed in a food processor
⦁ 2 tbsp granulated sugar
⦁ 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Cookies
⦁ 2 cups all-purpose flour
⦁ 3/4 tsp sea salt
⦁ 1/2 tsp baking soda
⦁ 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
⦁ 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
⦁ ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
⦁ 1 large egg
⦁ 2 tbsp water
⦁ 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
⦁ 4 oz milk or semi sweet chocolate, chopped in various sizes
⦁ Marshmallows, cut into thin slices

Assembly
Graham Cracker Crumbs

1. In a small bowl, combine graham crackers crumbs, sugar and melted butter and mix until combined. The mixture should be cpated in butter, but not wet.
   Cookies
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. In a small bowl whisk flour, salt and baking soda togeter.
4. In the bowl of the stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute.
5. Add in granulated sugar and brown sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add in egg, water and vanilla extract and mix on low speed to combine.
7. Add in flour mixture and continue to combine.
8. Add in chocolate into the batter until just mixed.
9. Form the dough into balls and roll in the grahamm cracker crumbs until fully coated.
10. Place 4 cookies an equal distance apart on sheet pan.
11. Bake cookies one pan at a time and until balls have spread flat but are puffed slightly, 9 minutes.
12. Lift one side of the sheet pan about 4″ and drop down against the oven rack so the edges set ad the center falls.
13. After the cookies puff again after 2 minutes repeat dropping the pan.
14. Bake for 15 to 16 minutes total until the cookies have spread out and are golden brown.
15. Remove from the oven and place two of three marshmallow pieces on the cookie.
16. Place back in oven for 45 seconds and let them start to melt.
17. Remove from oven and using a kitchen torch toast the marshmallow until golden.
18. spread marshmallow with knife if desired to let it cover the cookie more.
19. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
20. Enjoy.

Tips
⦁ Store in air-tight container for up to two days.
⦁ Ensure you don’t over crowd the pans or bake past the cook times

Please Enjoy
My thoughts
This is one of my most beautiful cookie; but this was so time consuming to get a dozen made. It took so long that after making these cookies I went out and got industrial sized cookie sheets so I could place more cookies on the sheet. This is a thinner cookie which I am not used to at all and it was a different cookie experience for me; but they were so good. i would make these as a special treat for the length of time they take; but it is worth it. Chocolate, marshmallow you really can’t go wrong. Adults and kids really enjoyed these and that’s the best compliment I say.

Weeknight Pavlova

Oct 20, 2021

Easy Weeknight Pavlova

I have been a fan of Mary Berg since her season of Masterchef Canada. She is on her seconf cookbook and second tv show and it’s wonderful to see someones dreams come to life. She made a super easy pavlova on her second episode entitiled “Date Night” where she makes dinner for her hubby.

Yield/Serving: 4
Prep Time: 20 min.
Cook Time: 1 hr active time and 1 hr inactive time
Difficulty level is: Easy

From Mary Makes it Easy

Ingredients
⦁ 2 eggs whites, makes 4 meringues
⦁ ¼ kosher salt
⦁ ½ cup granulated sugar
⦁ ½ tsp cornstarch
⦁ ½ tsp vanilla extract
⦁ Whipped cream, or heavy cream
⦁ Strawberries, quartered
⦁ Raspberries
⦁ Blackberries
⦁ Sliced almonds, toasted

Assembly

1. Using a stand mixer whip egg whites using whisk attachment until foamy.
2. In a medium sized bowl mix sugar, cornstarch together in a bowl.
3. Once egg whites have stiff peaks add vanilla extract.
4. Preheat oven to 250°F.
5. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and make four round discs.
6. Make a dent in the middle; for whipped cream and fruit and bake for one hour.
7. Once the hour is up don’t open oven and let cool in oven for another hour.
8. Using a frying pan over medium heat toast almonds until slightly golden.
9. Whip heavy cream or purchase whipped cream.
10. Place whipped cream in the centre of the meringue and top with berries.
11. Sprinkle with tasted almonds

Please Enjoy
My thoughts
This recipe is a super easy weeknight recipe. I have never used cornstarch in a pavlova recipe. I am used to the classical way with cream of tartar; which makes it a little trickier sometimes. I made this twice in one two weeks, once for a special dinner and the other a Saturday dinner. It was fast enough to make with little hands on time that I could focus on the main dishes and still have a fanciful looks like you spent lots of time and didn’t type of dessert. This is always an extremely sweet dessert so stay away from sugar for the day and the more sour the fruits atop the better to cut the sugar. Still this is one of my fav desserts and always reminds me of my Irish co-worker that introduced me to this lovely dessert.

Spicy Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Oct 14, 2021

Spicy Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

This recipe came about because I still had apples and pears left over from my apple and pear picking a couple weeks back.

Yield/Serving: 6 – 8
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 2 hrs
Difficulty level is: Easy

Ingredients
⦁ 1 butternut squash, seeded and chopped
⦁ Extra virgin olive oil
⦁ 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
⦁ 3 celery ribs, chopped
⦁ 2 carrots, chopped
⦁ 2 tbsp sated butter
⦁ Apples whatever variety you like (Macintosh, Gala, Cortland, Snowflake)
⦁ 950ml vegetable stock
⦁ 1 cup water
⦁ ¼ tsp nutmeg or to taste
⦁ ¼ tsp cinnamon or to taste
⦁ ¼ tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
⦁ ¼ tsp paprika or to taste
⦁ salt to taste or to taste
⦁ black pepper to taste or to taste

Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Seed squash and chop.
3. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and roast for 1 hour.
4. Using a Dutch oven, saute onion, celery and carrots for five minutes with salted butter and a little extra virgin olive oil.
5. Add vegetable stock and water to Dutch oven and let simmer while squash continues to cook.
6. Remove squash from oven and let cool and then remove peel.
7. Add to Dutch oven and add spices.
8. Let simmer for 20 minutes and then using a imersion blender, blend.
9. Serve

Please Enjoy
My thoughts
Well I made this to share with my dad and it was commented “Did I make this for him intentionally” I couldn’t place why that was said but apparently this soup is spicy. When I tasted it, it didn’t taste spicy but as the sup married I guess the spice took hold. I probably added more than the above and that’s where I went off the rails lol. Well now I’m afraid to taste the soup again and I have frozen it for another time; but it was thoroughly enjoyed.