Banana Loaf and Tea

Thankfully D has been napping very consistently lately so I've been able to get lots of cleaning, baking and *GASP* showering done.

Today after she went for her snooze I made a banana chocolate chip loaf. Grabbed a slice and a big mug of tea and watched the world go by.

Sometimes it's the simple things that are the most enjoyable.

Christmas Fail Excuses

So I probably shouldn't have so openly announced my baking plans...it feels like I jinxed myself by doing that.

Of course....OF COURSE...I came down with a really shitter of a cold. 12 days before Christmas. And man, oh man, does this thing not want to let go. It's always those damn coughs that hold on the longest.

So of course my grand baking plans have gone out the window. I'm not even going to try to get it all done because I would be rushing and not enjoying myself.

I did, however, get my cheater truffles done the day before this cold hit me really hard.

I'm pretty happy with them.

Now wish me luck shaking this cough off before the big day. Thankfully the hubz is always at the ready with tea and meds for me. And my mother-in-law came in today to play with Daphne for a couple hours so I'm using this time to get this post up and have a wee rest.

Christmas Baking

So Christmas is closing in quickly...like really quickly and I haven't got any baking done yet. I'm hoping over the next week to get the majority done.

Here is what I hope to be able to make:

• Truffles
• Shortbread cookies topped with caramel and chocolate
• Kahlua fudge
• Peanut Butter fudge

Doesn't seem like a lot but I will need a whole day to get it done and some help from the hubz. I was also hoping to do some chocolate chip cookies...but they aren't really as seasonal so I'll do them if I have the time. Other than the shortbread everything is no bake which makes life a little easier.

We always had peppermint squares and nanaimo bars when I was growing up. I wish I had the time to make those as well...fingers crossed Nona whipped up some peppermint squares that we can mooch off of her.

Guess I will be throwing on some Bubble Guppies so I can make the list and sending Will out after work to pickup the goods.

How are there only two weekends left until Christmas!?

Some Sweet Culinary Adventures

I love working in the kitchen. Cooking comes pretty naturally to me (must run in the family) but baking has always taken some work. I am on an endless quest to make the perfect brownie...still working on that. I have perfected my cookie recipe and a few types of loaves but I am always on the look out for fun and easy new desserts to try.

I have great memories of my mom making ice cream with my sister and I when we were young. So when I inherited the old hand crank ice cream maker a few years ago I knew I had to perfect my ice cream technique. Well I never really got around to it until I had some leftover cream in the fridge and an ice cream loving daughter. So I made some fresh mint ice cream. Oh my goodness, was it perfection! I am a great lover of lemon so sorbet will be my next endeavor...I also may need to hint at my hubz for the ice cream attachment for the Kitchen Aid. The hand crank takes FOREVER! Thank goodness I have a strong left arm from holding Daphne all the time.

I also had some chocolate lying around my cupboards (how in the hell did that happen?) so I froze some banana slices, sandwiched them with peanut butter and topped them with melted chocolate. They need to be kept in the freezer but they are a great little snack to pull out when you need a little sweet treat mid day...and so goshdang easy!

 Remember that Millionaire Shortbread I posted a while back that just fell completely apart? Well my dad still talks about how good it was so I think I'm gonna have to attempt it again. Worst case I make the caramel and pour it on store bought shortbread, or commission my mother to make a pan for me to use. Although the shortbread did taste great so it may be worth it to make another go at it myself before throwing in the shortbread towel. I will let you know how that goes.

I'm sure there will be lots of baking in the next month. What is Christmas without lots of goodies? Truffles, peppermint squares, nanaimo bars...I'm excited! What kind of baking do you do around the holidays?

Hummingbird Cake

I made this for my hubs 30^th birthday. I used a recipe from allrecipes.com but I modified it, of course. Heaven forbid I make a recipe as written. The best part of this cake is that is can double as breakfast…there is banana in it…is that a stretch? No?

What you’ll need:

-          3 cups flour

-          1 teaspoon baking soda

-          1 teaspoon salt

-          1 teaspoon (overflowing) cinnamon

-          2 cups sugar

Mix all of this together in a big bowl.

In a separate bowl mix:

-          3 large eggs

-          1 cup vegetable oil

-          1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

-          2/3 cup milk

Stir together.

Mix wet and dry together. Add three chopped banana’s and however many pecans you can afford. Bake in three pans at 350 degrees for 28 minutes (that’s my oven) or until a toothpick comes out clean. I completely omitted the traditional pineapple from this dessert because I just don’t like it. Bleck.

I frosted this mother with a cream cheese, butter and icing sugar frosting.

It was delish! Although there was so much of we ended up bringing some to my mom and dads for them to enjoy.

--Siobhan xo

Another cold one...

Well it's another freezing cold day in O-Town!

We had plans to do a few things out of the house today...not sure we will be getting them done.

I wanted to go to Ikea to get a lamp and a toy box for Lady D. She has decided that being in a bunting bag/snow suit is actually the worst torture on earth (worse even than loon sounds AND the food processor). So for now we bundle her in sweaters, hats and blankets when we go out...I'm not sure that will be enough to keep her warm when it's -40C!

So we shall send trusty husband to the grocery store to get food for today and tomorrow, and Daphne and I will stay in and watch movies in our dinosaur jammies!

I'm probably okay with that.

Yesterday we braved the (slightly less) cold day and got some food for our v-day dinner. On the menu: steak, cheese/garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus. We had to high five each other many times cause we achieved a perfect medium rare! We. Are. Amazing.

For dessert I made a flourless chocolate cake/tart/brownie thing. I'd never done a flourless cake before so I'm not sure how it's supposed to taste or what texture it's supposed to have but it tasted awesome I would call it a success. I topped it with a chocolate whisky sauce and fresh raspberries. I also made white chocolate truffles as a backup, man were those RICH!

Probably going to do an easy dinner tonight...and go to bed RIGHT after The Walking Dead.

-Siobhan xo

Chocolate Sugar Cookies w Peanut Butter Frosting

My mother informed me that when she makes sugar cookies she typically just uses a premixed variety. Especially since sugar cookies are just a vehicle for other deliciousness. So I had an idea for a chocolate sugar cookie sandwich with peanut butter frosting. My mom gave me some mix so I used it and added cocoa powder.

It was actually kind of a pain in the ass. It took about 4 tablespoons extra flour to make it stable enough to roll out.

Initially I intended just to frost them which is why I made some in Christmas shapes (yes I did this in December and just posting it now)….buuuuuut that was taking a long time. And I was not feeling 100% the day I did this….so sandwich cookies it is.

They were not as chocolatey as I wanted, but the frosting is really good. I think I want to get more mix and make like a drop cookie with raspberry jam in the middle and a drizzle of dark chocolate.

 Like I said, they are vehicle to deliver other things into my face.

--Siobhan xo

Fudgetasmic Fudgetastic Fudgegasm

I don't have a candy thermometer *AHEM HUSBAND AHEM* so I had to search around for some fudge recipes where one wasn't needed. Thankfully my mother had one for chocolate fudge and I found one for peanut butter fudge online.

I added milk chocolate chips to the peanut butter fudge, cause...cause I can.

And I used mint chocolate chips for the chocolate fudge, again, because why not?

Melt 1 can of sweetened condensed milk with 2 cups(ish) of chocolate chips.

I used mint chocolate chips but I think in the future I would use dark chocolate and add peppermint extract. It's very minty.

Added in the vanilla once its all melted and mixed together.

Put in an 8x8 pan and cool for 2 hours before cutting.

It makes a lot...well a lot for a normal person. My fudge obsessed husband will mow threw these pretty quickly.

For the peanut butter fudge I melted 1 cup of peanut butter and one cup butter together and added a splash of vanilla once they were mixed.

Add to 4 cups of sifted icing sugar. I also added a small (large) amount of milk chocolate chips.

Press into baking pan and cool in the fridge for 2 hours.

Never having made fudge this way before I'm not sure how the peanut butter one is going to turn out. It was a strange consistency going into the pan. It's cooling now and I'll let you know what it's like when I get it out and cut it up.

--Siobhan xo

UPDATE:

They taste AMAZING!!!! So addictive! I think without the chocolate chips in it and instead a layer of chocolate on top they would taste identical to Reese's.