The Baking Medic

bakewell tart. :)

Today is quite a special day for two reasons.  Firstly, one of my very close friends is turning 20 today! Woo! So it’s time to say goodbye to using your teenage years as an excuse for ridiculous antics.  Unfortunately, I have also left my teen years behind and I have yet to come up with an adequate explanation for my own antics. O well. :)  I made this tart for her birthday as what’s a birthday without some sort of treat? Normally I’d opt for a cake, but I heard her talk about how much she liked bakewell tarts (albeit the ones with icing and cherries!) and I had some ground almonds which were itching to be used.

Secondly, today is also pi today! The day we celebrate that irrational number that we’re taught about in school and how those decimals just NEVER END.  Mind boggling stuff for an 11 year old.  Anyways, in honour of this mystic number, I made a pie! er. well technically it’s a tart, but they’re practically the same thing. So please, just work with me. lol.

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Almost halfway through Week 2, my studies are definitely well underway… and I’m already well behind on notes! ;_; But nothing says procrastination productive distraction like baking and I’ve already brought in treats for my classmates a few times! :) This cake is from my Golden Book of Chocolate, one of the most amazing chocolate cookbooks every published.  I was surprised and impressed by its comprehensive introduction, packed full of information about the history of chocolate, it’s production, and it’s role in the economic world of today.  The language is a bit grandiose, but it was informative nonetheless.

However, what really sets this book apart is the variety and quantity of recipes.  There are over 300 of them! And every single recipe is accompanied by a mouthwatering, foodgasm inducing photo.  It’s a pleasure simply to sit down with a cup of tea and slowly leaf through it’s golden pages. » Read the rest of this entry «

Every year since my early childhood, my family travels to our cottage in northern Manitoba, known simply as “the Lake”.  Some of my fondest memories are of the (mis)adventures my brothers and I got ourselves into as we whiled away the long summer days of the north. Of course, things have changed a lot since then.  Gone are the days when we had to jump off the front porch because the stairs had rotted away.  Gone are the days when we spent hours on the neighbour’s trampoline, laughing when one of us accidentally bounced off. Gone are the days of doors that didn’t quite fit their hinges, as the cottage foundations succumbed a bit more each year to the soft muskeg below.   Gone are the days of mismatched furniture, orange curtains, and peeling lino. But the memories remain and I must admit I don’t miss all the mosquitoes buzzing around my ears!

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So I’ve taken an insanely long hiatus from blogging — my last post was November ’09! Those of you who know me personally will be well aware of the fact that this doesn’t mean I haven’t been baking! In fact, I’ve been baking more than ever. Just living in the far north can have it’s draw backs — sun setting at 3.30pm in the winter, for example.  So when daylight hours are limited to less than ten a day, it can be difficult to get a good photo! And that was the main deterrent from blogging. There was just not enough light!

But the flip side of the coin is that Scottish summer days are long.  The summer solstice was last Monday and truly it was still light at midnight! So, I suppose I now have lost the “there’s no light” excuse.

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A thing of beauty!

Wait, did she just say… low-fat? Hellz yes I did.  This delicious cake uses a grand total of three tablespoons of canola oil — three! That’s less than a quarter cup, yet the cake manages to stay light and moist.  Dry and crumbly “diet” cakes begone!

Right, and now for an explanation that’s a little less random.

Yes this cake is a low fat version of the popular lemon poppyseed cake.  For a while now I have been wanting to try so called “lite” baking to see how these goods compare to the real deal.  Now as I’ve done some recipe perusing before, I had a vague idea of what ingredients to expect.  Namely, using applesauce as a fat substitute (in place of butter or oil) and egg whites instead of whole eggs. » Read the rest of this entry «

I believe the last time I was posting about fudge I warned that there may be more fudge recipes in the future. And today I’m making good on that threat with my Chocolate Rock Fudge.

My younger brother works at Bulk Barn, one my my favourite stores in the world. It is a great way to cut down on excess waste caused by overpackaging, as all of the food sold in the store sits in giant vats. You grab a bag, scoop out how much you want, then they weight it at the check out counter. As a result, it’s a bakers heaven: you buy as much as you want for  very reasonable prices. On top of that, they also stock multiple types of flour and sugar, a large array of spices, bountiful supplies of baking chocolate, and o the candy aisle. When I was younger, I used to go to Bulk Barn just to buy some candy! » Read the rest of this entry «

Yes, that’s right people. Chocolate covered bacon. Take the two tastiest foods in the world and put them together to get a delicious salty, sweet treat that you won’t forget for a long time. Only in Canada, my friends.

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is Toronto-based annual fair, which for many signals the end of the summer, the advent of the school year, the bidding of farewell to summer and the preparation for autumn. For many families, it is a yearly tradition to visit the CNE (or the Ex, as it is affectionately called) and a chance for children to spend the day running around in the sun, hopping on and off rides, and gobbling up cotton candy, ice cream waffles, and all sorts of other sugary treats that their parents have the sense to allow them to eat only once a year. » Read the rest of this entry «

I can think of almost no better way to start the day than eating a plateful of steaming blueberry cakes, smothered in sweet syrup with a few sausages or pieces of bacon on the side.   You may find it a bit strange, but in Canada it is common practice to eat your sausages with the syrup.  That way you get the sweet taste of maple melding beautifully with the savoury, saltiness of the bacon.  Try it sometime!

The recipe is quite simple and comes from our good friend, Victor, who has made these for years before finally sharing with us his recipe. I find it varies just a little bit each time I make it.  So if the batter looks too runny, add a bit more flour.  And if it looks too thick, dribble a bit more milk into the batter. » Read the rest of this entry «