Baked

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

It's been a weekend of baking, eating, cooking and then eating again. Tonight's our huge Thanksgiving dinner with my family. One more day of stuffing, then that's it ;) Who else is having their big dinner tonight?

I haven't posted anything for a few months...where did the summer go? Hope you're all well!

Thought I'd share an easy recipe from the recipe box of my mom. Hermits (which I've been all long weekend).

Hermits - makes about 36

1.5 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I buy whole nutmeg)
pinch of salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts and a little extra to sprinkle on tops of cookies

Preheat oven to 375f/190c. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla and beat well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, and combine well. Stir in raisins and walnuts.
Drop about a tablespoon of mixture onto lined baking sheet, then sprinkle tops with extra chopped walnuts. Bake for about 10-12 minutes.

That's it! Pretty simple to make. 

Have a great day!

janis

Baked

I haven't done it in awhile, but I baked some cookies with my niece over the weekend, inspired by fast approaching Valentine's Day.  Even though I shot the Butter Baked Goods book, including countless cookies, I hadn't made the Butter's Shaped Cookies myself. We gave them a go this weekend....they're my favourite sugar cookie recipe by far!

Butter's Shaped Cookies (aka sugar cookies) - made about 60 1.5" hearts

3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
3/4 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons pure vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350f. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Onto a large piece of parchment paper, sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
4. Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.
5. Shape the dough into a large disk about 1" thick and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
6. Divide the disk into two, and place half the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about a 1/4" thick.
7. Use the cookie cutter of your choice to cut out cookies. Carefully transfer to the prepared cookie sheet and place about 1/2" apart. You may have to combine the dough scraps and re-roll the dough to cut out enough cookies. Avoid doing this too many times, as the cookies will become tough with over-handling.
8. Use a rolling pin to roll out the second disk of dough to about 1/4" thick and repeat step 7.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned on the edges.
10. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for about 10 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Royal Icing:

4 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup meringue powder
6 to 8 tablespoons water

1. In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the icing sugar and meringue powder. Mix on medium speed until the meringue powder is evenly distributed throughout the icing sugar.
2. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the water, little by little, until the icing reaches the desired thickness and consistency.
3. Once the water is incorporated, beat the mixture on high to create some volume and lightness in the icing.
Colour the icing with a little food colouring of your choice.

We went with shades of pink, for our hearts, and made some mini bags to to package them up. So simple.

If you try this recipe out, I'd love to know what you think. Keep me posted!

Have a good day!
janis

T'is the Season

Happy Friday!

It may be a little early for Christmas, for some (is it?), but it's everywhere right now. Thought I'd share a festive story I shot for Style At Home along with editor-in-chief, Erin McLaughlin. Cheryl and Natasha, the mom and daughter team of Little White House, created a cozy, cabin-style Christmas with vintage papers, lace, and ribbons, along with linen and burlap.  This story is in the current issue of Style At Home. Here are some more pics from the shoot.....

When do you set up for Christmas? Are you a stickler for tradition, and keep your decor the same every year, or do you change it up? Do you make a lot of your own decorations, like in this story? I would love to know!   

For the entire story, the ladies of Little White House have put it up on their website. Click here to read more.

Butter Baked Goods Give-Away

It's finally here! Butter Baked Goods, the cook book I shot with Rosie Daykin,  was released this week, and I thought it would be a perfect time to give one away. It was such a fun (and delicious) project to shoot! Random House has kindly given me a copy for me to pass on to one of you. All you have to do is be one of my "followers" (from anywhere in the world) and leave a comment. Easy. I'll make the random draw next Wednesday October 23rd.

Enjoy your weekend!

janis

x

Baked

I've been on a bit of a nut crust/cookie thing for the last few weeks. Always fun to experiment with different ingredients. This time I paired up hazelnut meal with chocolate and the result was a very chewy and delicious cookie. Not half bad for you either ;) 

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies - makes about 30

3 cups hazelnut meal (I used Bob's Red Mill. Tried grinding up my own hazelnuts, but it turned into a butter. Oops.) 

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch (I use arrowroot)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup vegetable oil 

1/2 cup maple syrup or agave syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

A little sugar and cinnamon to roll cookies in.

Preheat oven to 350f/180c. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the hazelnut meal, baking soda, arrowroot powder, cinnamon, salt and cocoa powder. Add the vegetable oil, maple syrup and vanilla and combine well. 

Roll tablespoons of dough and place on baking sheet. Flatten a little with the bottom of a glass (preferably flat on the bottom). Roll the side of each cookie through a small dish of sugar & cinnamon mixture and place back on baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool on tray. Enjoy!

Have you tried baking without flour? If you did, how did it turn out? Let me know! 

Have a great day!

janis

Baked

Ah, we're inching closer to the Canada Day long weekend. Can't wait. How's your week going? Hope it's been smooth sailing.

I baked a batch of Blueberry Almond Quinoa cookies...and they're not too bad for you. I've had two this morning already.  Good start ;)

Blueberry Almond Quinoa Cookies - makes about 20

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
4 large egg whites
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 350f/180c. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together, flour, almond meal, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter, maple syrup, brown sugar and apple sauce for a couple of minutes. Beat in the egg whites and almond extract for another couple of minutes. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon, to combine. Fold in the quinoa, oats, blueberries and almonds.

Spoon large spoonfuls of dough onto prepared baking sheet, spacing about an inch apart. Bake for about 15-18 minutes, or until golden in colour. Place on a wire rack to cool...or eat immediately. Enjoy!

By the way, I'm over at Poppytalk today as well. It's a "Made in Vancouver" story about a couple of my favourite furniture designers from Bombast.

Have a good day! Back soon.
Janis

Baked

I haven't done much baking these days. Life has been a touch hectic, and I've been working on on The Butter cookbook, with Rosie Daykin, so I really haven't needed to bake!  Thank you Rosie for all the cupcakes, cookies, and bars ;) I did need a little something, the other day, when I was trying to sort out my office (after the tax year end fiasco). These fixed my orange cookie craving for the day. The recipe has been adapted from Alice Medrich's recipe in Pure Dessert.

Buckwheat Orange Cookies - makes about 60 (if using a 1.5 inch cookie cutter)

1 1/4 cups gluten free flour mix (or regular all purpose flour)

3/4 cup buckwheat flour

1 teaspoon guar gum (only if using gluten free flour)

8 oz unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar (I used raw cane sugar)

rind of two medium oranges (make sure to use organic oranges)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift the flours together into a medium size bowl. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar together, until smooth and creamy. Stir in the orange rind and vanilla.  Add the flour mixture and mix until a dough forms. Split the dough in half and flatten out each piece, then wrap in plastic wrap. Chill over night. 

When ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 350f/180c. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut out shapes and place about 1 inch apart, on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until just slightly browned on the edges. 

Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack, and allow to cool completely. You can eat them as is (delicious), but I had some white chocolate, so I melted it, along with a splash of cream, in a saucepan over low heat. I drizzled the chocolate over the cooled cookies. Extra delicious. 

Have you baked with buckwheat before? Though it's name sounds wheaty, it isn't, so it's perfect if you're aiming for a gluten free diet. It also tastes so flipping good, and is better for you too (I'm trying!). 

Have a good day! Back soon.

Janis 

Baked

I hope your week is going well! Thanks to all who sent emails and left lovely comments about my news the other day. Shooting the cookbook, for Butter Baked Goods, will be a fantastic experience...and possibly fattening!

Speaking of fattening (actually, these aren't too bad), I baked a batch of cookies the other day using almond meal, coconut and chocolate. They seem to be my favourite ingredients these days...so many possibilities!

Almond Coconut Cookies with Chocolate - makes about 12

1 1/4 cups almond meal (finely ground almonds)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
whole almonds for tops of cookies
100g of dark chocolate for dipping

Preheat oven to 350f/180c. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat the butter, then add the egg and almond extract, mixing well. In another bowl combine the almond meal, baking soda,sugar and coconut. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, a little at a time, until completely incorporated. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

Roll dough into balls, about 1.5 inches each, and place on baking sheet. Flatten a little and press an almond on top of each cookie.

Bake for about 10 minutes. They are quick to burn, so keep a watch on them. Allow to cool on wire rack.

To melt chocolate, break up 100g of chocolate into a small saucepan. Melt on low heat, stirring until melted. Dip one half of cookie in melted chocolate and enjoy!

Have a great day! Back soon.
Janis

Baked

Hello all! How's your week going?

I baked some healthy(ish) cookies the other day. I'm still trying to use less wheat flour, and I have to admit, I do feel better for it, but I feel I may fall off the wagon soon. ;) I didn't feel half as bad when I realized I had eaten 6 while taking their portrait.  

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cookies - makes about 30

3/4 cup buckwheat flour

3/4 cup tapioca starch

1/2 teaspoon guar gum

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 smooth peanut butter (I used unsweetened)

1/4 unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup brown rice crisp cereal (like a healthier version of rice crispies)

1 85g dark chocolate bar, chopped (milk chocolate is also pretty fantastic)

1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped (roast in a 350f oven for about 8 minutes)

a little milk for pressing out dough. 

Preheat oven to 350f/180c. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 

Whisk together, buckwheat flour, tapioca starch, guar gum, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. In another bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, then peanut butter, and vanilla. Mix until just combined. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Fold in chocolate, cereal and peanuts. 

Roll tablespoons full into a ball, and place on baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Flatten slightly with a fork dipped in milk or water. Bake for about 15 minutes, until just starting to turn a golden colour. 

Place on a wire rack to cool. These are delicious, not too sweet, and addictive. I love the crispy bits.

Have a lovely day! Back soon,

Janis

Baked

It's hump day! How's your week going so far? I got a bit snowed in today (anyone who has experienced real snow would laugh at us here in Vancouver), which worked out well as it was a huge post production kind of day for me.

Here's a treat that's not too hideous for you, and it's perfect for a day like today. Oatmeal, Chocolate, Cherry bars can be made with regular flour or they can be gluten free, which is the way I went. Pretty tasty.

Oatmeal, Chocolate, Cherry Bars - makes one 8"x12" pan

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup gluten free all purpose flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)*
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 teaspoon guar gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups whole oats (not quick oats)
1 cup dried sour cherries, chopped
8 oz dark chocolate, chopped
* you can use 1 1/2 cups regular all purpose flour then omit the almond meal and guar gum

Preheat oven to 350f/180c. Lightly spray an 8"x12" pan with oil and line bottom with parchment paper. Beat in eggs, one at a time, blending well. Beat in vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, almond meal, baking soda, cinnamon, salt.

Gradually add dry mix to butter mixture and stir in until just combined. Fold in oats, chocolate and cherries. Place dough in prepared pan, and press down. Bake for about 25 minutes until a light golden brown. Enjoy!

By the way, I'm off to Palm Springs tomorrow for a shoot, and I'd love to get a list of shops and restaurants to check out. If any of you have some helpful hints, please pass it on. Thanks!

Back soon!
Janis