T’is The Season To Be Eating

Fa, la l la la, la la… la….laaaa!

Yes, the season of gluttony is upon us and what better of a way to celebrate than with festive eats. Finger food is a fun feature at a holiday party, who doesn’t like miniature food!? And  it provides the perfect opportunity to try out a few new recipes.

Caprese Popper

I found this inspiring take on a classic at The Party Dress. I love the colours in a Caprese salad, perfect for the holidays, and this presentation gives it a new twist. Because you’re using a whole tomato, it will probably be too juicy for a stand up canape, and no one wants tomato juice/ oil on their party dress. However, as an individually plated appetizer it would be perfect. Check out the website for directions!

Khalua & Pecan Baked Brie

It wouldn’t be the holidays without a little holiday cheer and this Baked Brie recipe sounds scrum-diddly-umptious. The recipe calls for Khalua, but it would be great with other flavoured liqueurs too ( think Amaretto, Peach or your favourite fruit). I absolutely LOVE Brie, one of my fave cheeses because it is so versatile. If you’re craving a less dessert like cheese snack, swap out the pecans for a red pepper jelly spread. I found the recipe on My Life as a Mrs, more great photos and directions can be found there.

Holiday Pancakes

If you have any strength left in you after the 24 days of madness, this is fun idea for a family breakfast. In addition to Christmas morning eggs and bacon, our family has a waffle breakfast sometime between Christmas and New Years. This year I would love to introduce Holiday Pancakes!  Totally time-consuming, but don’t those mini trees look more delicious than regular pancakes?!?

Holiday Pancakes

I found this gem on the Williams Sonoma website, my FAVOURITE cooking/winter store – if only I could live in it!!…. The site is selling the pancake molds with fancy handles but I don’t see why you couldn’t McGyver molds out of cookie cutters. Just remember to grease the insides so the pancakes don’t stick when you remove them. Oh, and don’t burn yourself!

Caramel Popcorn

Colour coordinating food. I need not say more, great way to get in the mood for the holidays. We used to make popcorn garlands to hang on the tree but covering the kernels in caramel and eating them sounds better. This treat also makes a great present, gift wrapped in a mason jar or just in a clear bags with decorative ribbon. Thank Baked Perfection for the recipe.

For the perfectionist, this is the treat for you! No recipe required, just a lot of patience. A mouth full of these would be heaven. Coined by Saucy’s Sprinkles 

Chocolate Chip Stuffed Raspberries

Raisin Scones

I woke up this morning with higher than normal energy levels and decided to put it to use in the kitchen. Today I made Raisin Scones since we had a big bag of raisins in the pantry. The recipe used is from Canadian Living magazine, however if I were to make this recipe again I might add a little nutmeg, cinnamon, or vanilla. Don’t get me wrong, the scones turned out great, however it needed just a little something.

Traditional Raisin Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 cup sultana raisins
1 egg
3/4 cup milk

Suggestions: 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg or cinnamon, or 1 tsp vanilla. I also came across a recipe that called for the zest and juice of one lemon, this sounded amazing however I didn’t have any lemons.

Directions
In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.

With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until you have a course mixture. Add raisins.

In a glass measuring cup, beat one egg with fork. Add enough milk to make 1 cup, beat again, and set aside two tablespoons for brushing the scones later. Now add the milk mixture to the flour and stir with a  fork until the dough just forms.

Shape the dough into a ball then pat out on a lightly floured surface about 3/4-inch (2 cm) in thickness. Using a 2 inch round, floured cutter, cut out scones. NOTE: I didn’t use a cutter, rather I shaped the dough into individual balls and patted them out to the shape and size I wanted.

Place scones on tray lined with parchment paper, or lightly buttered. Brush milk mixture on tops of scones, then cook in 425° oven for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve and enjoy.

Spontaneous Saturday Bake-off: Buttermilk Biscuits

Buttermilk Biscuits

It’s Saturday night and my liver is, I’m sure, relieved to be taking the night off (despite my best intentions). Thus continues the comfort food weekend with these steamy buttermilk biscuits. Super easy, super quick, super bon!

Buttermilk Biscuits:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut up into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup well shaken buttermilk
1 tbsp milk or cream to brush biscuits

Biscuits about to be baked!

1) Pre-heat oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

2) Blend in butter with your fingers until evenly distributed. Add buttermilk and stir with a fork until a dough just forms.

3) Turn dough out on to a floured surface and, with floured hands, knead gently 6 times. Pat out dough on a floured surface until it is about 1/2 an inch thick. Take a circular cookie cutter, or as I used the rim of a small water-glass, and proceed to cut out your biscuits.

4) Place biscuits on a unbuttered baking tray about two inches apart. With a basting brush lightly brush tops of biscuits with milk or cream. I also added a light sprinkle of salt, just the barest of dusting. Bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly golden. Transfer to a cooling rack and enjoy.

I was skeptical of not buttering the tray, but the biscuits just slid off when I took them out of the oven. Actually, two of them had trouble getting off the tray; if you cook them longer than 12 minutes they will burn on to the bottom if it’s not buttered.

Buttered Buttermilk Biscuit

I just noticed that I’ve been following a pattern: alliterative baking. Buttered Buttermilk Biscuits, Carrot Cake Cupcakes… what should I bake next!?

Rum Raisin….Ragu?!? I don’t know.