Welcome to my Nest!
Merry Christmas to all of you, from our crazy family. May your holidays be filled with love, laughter and your family surrounding you. Cherish the twinkle in your children’s eyes as they experience the wonder of giving and of course, the magic of too much chocolate combined with the glee of new toys and over [...]
I have never been a cobbler kinda gal. I like my fruits in crisps, the cakey topping that I usually associate with crumbles can’t hold a candle to the crunchy oatmeal topping that crisps are known for. The story that lead me to this recipe is a common one around this house. It started with [...]
Oh, yes I did! These lovelies were inspired by my first trip to the Bulk Barn, prompted by everyone on Twitter telling me how much I was missing in life by not frequenting said store. And I mean everyone. I think even Jessica Alba chimed in at one point and said “Are you crazy??” Ok, [...]
The devil made me do it. That’s the only thing that came to mind when I realized that on a day when it was about plus 28 Celsius, I was finally making the cookies that have been niggling in the back of my mind for a long, long time. I recently posted the base recipe [...]
Time crunch season, thou art upon me. From the start of school until my daughter's birthday in January, I am busy planning one event or another. We just had my son's eighth birthday party this weekend, leaving me an exhausted, emotionally fragile wreck of a woman this Monday morning. Alright, alright, some of that might have to do with the fact that I stayed out far too late Saturday night … [Read more...]
Eclairs. Profiteroles. Cream puffs. Those delicious bites of creamy heaven, whichever shape you prefer, are all made from a choux pastry base. Now stop right there and don't leave me. Don't let a French word combined with pastry make you turn tail and head for the hills. These are so easy to make it's not even funny. This is the one pastry that anyone can master, even those who claim they … [Read more...]
Mint and chocolate go together like rama lama lama ke ding a de dinga a dong... Chang chang chang-it-ty chang shoo-bop That's the way it should be Wha oooh yeah! Forgive me. I'm tired. This is a simple variation of my brownie recipe, my chewy, amazing, perfect brownie recipe. Perhaps you can tell by the picture, these brownies are heavy chunks o' fudge. If you've heard me rant once, you've … [Read more...]
This is your basic crumble or oatmeal bar base, with cranberry sauce or jelly in the middle. I am rather proud of myself and used my own homemade highbush cranberry jelly from the fall and it was fantastic! That could be that I was just happy to use something I made myself, doesn't it almost always taste better? This would be amazing with more jelly in the middle and then served as a "crumble" … [Read more...]
Calling these mere hazelnut truffles doesn't quite cut it. It doesn't even begin to describe how the inside of each beauty is a melt in your mouth smooth chocolate experience, flavored with a hazelnut liqueur. The outside crunch of toasted hazelnuts adds a texture that makes these perfect. I am crazy about hazelnuts and a smooth hazelnut chocolate tops my list. These are essentially a … [Read more...]
I finally got around to using a bag of Mint M&M's instead of snacking on them It's very unfortunate they come in such small bags. I think. Perhaps it's better they come only in these small bags, less snacking and more baking happens. Or at least that is what I am going to tell myself. This is the easiest fudge ever, I have been making one version or another for years. This is the … [Read more...]
Christmas baking testing time has arrived! The good news is that I am testing these in time for your own Christmas baking. The bad news is that my hips do not need the extra calories. Nor do the girls at my work or the men at my husband's place of employment. And I have a hard time deciding what is going to "make the cut." Homemade red wine? Always makes the cut. Whipped shortbread? … [Read more...]
Sometimes simple can be simply the best. Returning to amazing tasting but completely bad for you treats can sometimes be so soul satisfying. Sometimes it's nice to forget the fancies and go back to the basics. Mars Bar Squares are the basics. Basic tasty. Basic melt in your mouth chocolate. Basic get out of bed at 1 am because you remembered they are in the kitchen. These and a glass … [Read more...]
It took me a while, but I did get around to trying out a peanut butter version of Nanaimo bars. My hips truly wish that I hadn't. Now, I used natural peanut butter because that is all I have in the house and to be honest, you should pick some up for the recipe. I can't stand hydrogenated oil and while I love butter better than anything, hydrogenated oil is evil and has no place in baking … [Read more...]
Luscious lemon bars with a shortbread type base. Are you sold yet? These are perfect for summer, light, lemony and delish! These aren't as good as the lemon coconut ones I make, but very good in their own creamy lemon way. Ingredients Needed: Crust: 3/4 cup of butter 1/2 cup of white sugar 2 cups of flour 2 tbsp lemon zest Filling: 4 eggs and one yolk 2 tbsp of lemon rind 1/2 cup of … [Read more...]
These were on the back of the Chipits Butterscotch bag. I went a little crazy and stocked up on Chipits brand when they were on sale a while back and then got home, looked at them and thought "what the devil am I to do with these NOW?". So I came up with these options. 1. I could eat them plain out of the bag. 2. I could just bake plain cookies. 3. Or really, I could just eat them straight out … [Read more...]
What could be better than chocolate and cherry together? Not a whole heck of a lot, in my books at least. These are a front runner for my favorite square, I think the lemon ones just come out ahead. Barely. They were also a fun baking activity for my daughter and I, give her a butterknife, cutting board and cherries and she chopped till she couldn't chop anymore. Ingredients Needed: Bottom … [Read more...]
I still don't know what to call these bars. They are a toffee bar, but also a 7 layer type bar, but with a shortbread base and top. A combination of the best of two types of bars is what they are. But my husband came up with the temporary name when he beaked at me "I'm trying to diet and you made these bars! They are like crack, I just ate 6!" Because I held him down and forced them down his … [Read more...]
I have been craving these for weeks upon weeks now, and thanks to the fact that I live in Alberta, I was blessed with a snow day in May. Snow days when you live in the north = baking goodies to cheer yourself up. Or because you simply can't leave the house when your door is blocked with 3 feet of snow. If you live somewhere that you just can't comprehend this, then stop reading. I am too … [Read more...]
I wanted to jazz up Nanaimo bars. I don't know why I thought of Bailey's, other than I wanted to add it to my coffee as usual first thing in the morning while trying to deal with getting the kids up and out to school, but as usual, I resisted temptation. I did not, however, resist making bars with Baileys in the middle. These received rave reviews from the gals at work (but they will eat … [Read more...]
I have been craving these since Christmas, so I finally dug up my Company's Coming book and made myself some. They weren't as hard as I thought they were going to be, this was my first time and not my last! I don't see many variations of this recipe out there and I thought that the Company's Coming one might be a truly Canadian one. Since as legend has it, they ARE a Canadian treat, from where … [Read more...]
Also known as matrimonial squares. Which, in my case, is true. Except it was my Grandma Marion that my husband would have proposed to instead, but he had to settle for me. As long as I learned how to make these, if course. And I said sure, no problem, but he had to agree that: 1) I don't have to clean the house if I don't feel like it 2) He was in charge of laundry 3) Henceforth he … [Read more...]
Alright, the cat's going to be let out of the bag, the chicken's gonna flew the coop and all that jazz. Yes, I know that was horrible grammar, and the grammar police are coming as we speak. But not before I share my famous butter tart recipe, the one that is from my Grandma Marion's archives of recipes. Ok maybe not famous. But I DO really and truly have one paying customer who every Christmas … [Read more...]
These are a magical mystery goodie. God Bless Kraft for coming up with these, who in their right mind would cover a Ritz cracker with mint chocolate? The test kitchen people at Kraft, that's who. And that's why my future does not include being in a test kitchen, I am just not bold enough. I am not cut out for adventurous cooking like this. But...they are salty...they are sweet....they have … [Read more...]
Truffles mean that God is a woman. I'm just going to put that out there and leave it at that. These are the easiest truffles that you can find to make, and that is saying something. Good truffles take some patience and time and a little artistry once in a while, and these require that as well, just not as much as usual. Ingredients Needed: 2 1/2 packages of semi-sweet chocolate squares (20 … [Read more...]
I love my kids, my husband and chocolate.
The order depends on when you ask.
Welcome to my nest!
