Apricot Orange Sorbet

Bright flavours and so refreshing on a warm summer day! Fresh sorbets are best if consumed in the first day or two, so don't make this too far in advance.

1 cup dried apricots
3 cups water
1 cup sugar
2 cups fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons Cognac.

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine the apricots and 1 1/2 cups water. Simmer uncovered until the apricots are very soft and most of the water has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Watch carefully so they do not scorch.

2. Make a sugar syrup by boiling the sugar with 1 1/2 cups water for about eight minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 215 degrees. Mix the sugar syrup with the apricot puree.

3. Puree together apricots & sugar syrup in a blender or food processor.

4. Add orange juice and Cognac to the puree. Refrigerate until well-chilled.

5. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions or in a pan in the freezer. If freezing without a machine, stir the mixture as it hardens from time to time.

Yield: 1 quart.

Key Lime Pie

In honour of Pi Day (March 14... 3-14, hah), I made this key lime pie for my husband last night. It's creamy and tangy and sweet all at the same time, so tasty!

(from Joy of Baking)

1 1.4 c graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp sugar
6 Tbsp butter, melted

3 large egg yolks
1 can (14oz/300mL) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice (juice of about 1 lb key limes)
2 tsp lime zest

1 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar & butter. Press into a greased 9" pie or tart pan and place in the fridge to chill.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (if using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment), whip egg yolks until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add the condensed milk and beat until light and fluffy, another 4-5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, and beat in lime juice and zest.

Pour filling into prepared crust, and bake for 10 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool on a wire rack. Pie may be covered and refrigerated at this point up to two days.

Just before serving, beat whipping cream to soft peaks. Add sugar & beat until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spoon whipped cream onto pie and serve!

Chocolate trifle with marscapone & hazelnut brittle

1 chocolate cake (I just make one from a mix), cooled
2 cups whipping cream
1 container of marscapone, room temperature
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/3 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups toasted hazelnuts
chocolate to shave/grate for garnish

- first you are going to make the hazelnut brittle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the hazelnuts out on it. In a small pan, mix together 1 1/3 cups water and 2/3 cup white sugar. Cook over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil. Continue to cook the mixture until it is a light brown color, about 8 minutes. Pour over hazelnuts and then pop the cookie sheet into the fridge for about 30 minutes or until nice and hard. Top with another sheet of parchment paper and bash into small pieces.

- grab yourself a medium pot and a glass or metal bowl can sit on top. Fill the pot with water to just below where the bowl sits and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat down to med-low (enough to keep a rolling bowl) and add your egg yolks and 2 tbsp sugar to the bowl. Wisk constantly until the mixture thickens and forms ribbons when you lift the wisk (about 6 minutes). Remove bowl and allow mixture to cool - stirring often.

- Whip cream until stiff. In a large bowl, fold together cooled egg mixture and marscapone cheese. When that is properly incorporated, fold in whipped cream.

- Now all you have to do is assemble. If you so this in advance the brittle will get a little soft (but is still yummy) so if you want that crunch you should probably assemble right before serving. I start with a large trifle bowl and crumble in 1/3 of the chocolate cake,top that with 1/3 of the marscapone cream, and then 1/4 of the brittle. Repeat twice, using the last half of the brittle for the topping. Top with some grated chocolate and serve. Sooooo good.

Peanut Butter-Nutella Brownies

I've died and gone to heaven! I made these this morning for Owen to take tomorrow for a potluck and I can barely stop myself from having more then one. Chocolate-y, moist, goodness. Yum! I sprinkled the top with mini chocolate chips as well as a bit of icing sugar that I'd mixed with Milk.

Peanut Butter-Nutella Brownies
Adapted from Culinary in the Country
From the Noble Pig Blog

1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature
4.5 ounces (1 cup) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 cup peanut butter

In a medium bowl combine all-purpose flour, cocoa (sift this in to get rid of lumps), baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Over low heat, melt butter and stir in sugar and vanilla extract until well combined.

To the butter-sugar mixture add eggs, one at a time. With a wooden spoon vigorously mix in each egg until well-combined.

To the butter-egg mixture whisk in the cocoa mixture until fully combined.

In a microwave safe bowl add Nutella and peanut butter. Heat in the microwave in 20 second intervals until it reaches a runny consistency. Stir this mixture into the batter.

Pour the batter into a glass 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. (I used Baker's Joy.) Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Let brownies cool completely before cutting.

Chocolate Swirl Brownies

Source: An old Toronto Mount Sinai Hospital fundraising cookbook, probably from the 1980's. I wonder if they still make these, it's a really great cookbook!

• 6 squares semi-sweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) butter
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) sugar
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 brick (1 cup) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Grease 9" (23cm) square baking pan
3. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and butter.
4. Remove saucepan from heat. With wooden spoon beat in 2 eggs and 1/2 cup sugar until well blended. Stir in flour, salt, and baking powder.
5. Pour batter into baking and set aside.
6. In a small bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese, vanilla, 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 egg until smooth, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.
7. Spoon cream cheese mixture over batter in baking pan. With fork cut and twist through batter a few times to obtain swirled effect.
8. Bake brownies 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean
9. Cool brownies in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Makes 20 brownies. Calories per brownies: 190

Flourless chocolate cake

Source : Gourmet magazine via epicurious

An easy and fast and delicious recipe. The cake is moist and fudgey. Good quality chocolate is key!

• 4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus additional for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375°F and butter an 8-inch round baking pan. Line bottom with a round of wax paper and butter paper. (I use parchment)

Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well. Sift 1/2 cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes (if you can wait that long) and invert onto a serving plate. (I just leave it in the pan and let the family pick at it every time they walk by)

Dust cake with additional cocoa powder and serve with sorbet if desired. (Cake keeps, after being cooled completely, in an airtight container, 1 week. But it won't last that long)

Queen Elizabeth Cake

This recipe is from my mother-in-law and is always a success. It can be served either as a dessert with ice-cream on the side, or as a cake.

Cake:
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup water
¼ cup margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1½ cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:
½ cup margarine
10 tbsp dark brown sugar
5 tbsp 35% cream
1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened is best)
½ cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the dates and water in a small saucepan. Simmer together for 3-5 minutes then leave to cool until lukewarm.
2. In a food processor, mix the ¼ cup margarine and sugar together well. Add the egg and mix again. Add the sifted flour, baking powder and baking soda, and mix again until all the flour is incorporated.
3. Add the dates, chopped walnuts and vanilla extract and process one final time (Note: if you are using a hand held mixer and not a food processor you should process or blend the dates and nuts separately to ensure they are finely chopped before adding).
4. Pour the mixture into a greased 9 x 12” baking tray and bake for an initial 30-35 minutes.

For the topping:
1. In a medium sized saucepan heat all the topping ingredients over medium-low heat until the margarine is melted. Stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil, and while still hot pour evenly over the cooked cake. Poke holes with a fork through the topping into the cake.
2. Return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

Wacky Cake ~ No Eggs, No Milk "Ration Cake"

Source: Veterans Affairs Canada

Quick, easy, and delicious. I use this recipe instead of a cake mix, because it uses ingredients that I always have in my pantry.

Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8 x 8 pan.

In a bowl, mix together:

• ½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder

Add in the following, and mix well with a fork:

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon of white vinegar
• 5 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 cup of lukewarm water

Pour into pan and bake for 30 mins. Enjoy!

Skor Bars

Ingredients:

1 box of plain Ritz Crackers
1 can of condensed Milk
1/2 package of Skor bits
2 Skor bars

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Crush Ritz crackers into small pieces (about 1 cm), mix in bowl with condensed milk and Skor bits.
3. Scoop mixture into 13x9 baking dish.
4. Smash Skor bars and sprinkle over top of mixture.
5. Bake in teh oven for 18 minutes or until golden brown on top and the chocolate from the bars is slightly melted.
6. Cool and cut into bars.