Tiramisu

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...with tomorrow being Christmas Eve, you can only imagine all the hustle and bustle the holiday brings to homes everywhere. For tomorrow's Christmas Eve dinner with my grandmothers and uncle plus my mom, dad and brother we will have Tiramisu for dessert. This recipe was given to me by my aunt and it's always a huge hit whenever it's made!

TIRAMISU

INGREDIENTS

4 large eggs

6 Tbs sugar
1 container (475g) Mascarpone cheese
1 Cup whipping cream
1 Cup espresso
1/2 Cup Kahlua Liqueur
1 package Lady Finger Cookies
2 Tbs Coca

DIRECTIONS

Beat eggs and sugar until light in colour. Beat whipping cream until thick. 
Add cheese to egg and sugar mixture until smooth.
Fold whipping cream into cheese.

Combine cooled espresso and Kahlua in a bowl and quickly dip the lady finger cookies. Place in the bottom of a pan. 

Cover cookies with 1/2 of the whipped cheese topping and sprinkle with cocoa. 
Repeat for second layer of cake.

The Julie/Julia Project

I watched the movie Julie and Julia last night and I found it to be sweet and quirky. I thought to myself that my baking blog is somewhat similar to what Julie Powell did, but by cooking every recipe that Julia Child had in her cookbook. I am not following a cook book, nor do I have a deadline, but I did wonder if having a blog like this would lead to agents, publishers and editors contacting me in the same way they did Julie. I highly doubt it, but it's a nice thought. Plus, I don't think there are many followers. I just know of one person that reads my recipes and gets to indulge in my creations. Christmas is just one week away, and I will be whipping up some treats for the holidays. Also, I celebrate Christmas in January, so there will be more desserts for me to make for family dinners. If you have any suggestions/comments they are always welcome. Until next time...stay warm!

Meringue Kisses

The first snowfall of winter inspired me to make these fluffy white clouds a try. The first time I attempted to make them, I didn't beat the egg whites long enough and the meringue didn't turn out, so I gave it around shot and it worked! If you don't have a piping bag (like myself) use a plastic ziploc bag and cut a small tip off the corner and insert a nozzle if you have. If not, simply spoon mounds onto baking sheet and call them clouds.

MERINGUE KISSES

PREP TIME 10 minutes

BAKING TIME 1 hour

MAKES 36 kisses

INGREDIENTS

4 egg whites

1/2 cup (125mL) granulated sugar

1/2 tsp (2mL) vanilla extract

1 cup (250mL) icing sugar, sifted

DIRECTIONS

1. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly beat in granulated sugar. Continue to beat about 3 minutes until egg whites are thick and shiny.
2. Beat in vanilla.
3. Gently fold icing sugar into meringue mixture in 3 or 4 batches.
4. Place meringue in a piping bag, fitted with a medium-sized star nozzle, and pipe kisses onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 1 hour (or until dry on the outside, but not at all coloured) in a preheated 175F/80C oven (or as low as your oven goes). Rotate backing sheets halfway through baking time. Turn off oven and allow cookies to dry for a few hours.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

I love pumpkin... pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin soup. I found this delicious recipe for Pumpkin Spice Cookies that I made for Halloween. I also added some spooky sprinkles for the occasion.

PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

                                                            

2 1/2 Cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 Cup butter, softened

1 1/2 Cups white sugar

1 Cup canned pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FROSTING

2 Cups confectioners sugar

3 Tablespoons milk

1 Tablespoon melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Set aside.
3. In medium bowl, cream together  butter and white sugar.
4. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla to butter mixture and beat until creamy.
5. Mix in dry ingredients.
6. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
7. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Cool cookies completely before frosting.

To make frosting - Combine confectioners sugar, milk, melted butter and vanilla.

Add milk as needed to achieve drizzling consistency.

Apple Crisp

Autumn is such a wonderful time of year. A crisp wind blowing on a sunny afternoon while colourful leaves dance from the trees. Apple picking is also a fun activity that fall brings. I can't remember the last time I went. I'm sure I was a little girl when I last spent the afternoon in the orchards with my family finding that perfect apple. So, to relive my youth I took a special someone to pick apples with me, and after we made a delicious apple crisp.

APPLE CRISP

APPLES                                           

4 large apples                                                                    

1 TBSP lemon juice                 

4 TBSP white sugar                

1/4 tsp cinnamon                      

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1. Peel, core and slice apples thinly.

2. Pour lemon juice into bowl.
3. Add sugar and spices. Mix well.
4. Spread apples evenly in a buttered and sugared baking dish.

TOPPING and BAKING

2/3 C rolled oats                    

1/3 C flour                               

4 TBSP butter                          

1/3 C white sugar                     

1/3 C brown sugar                   

1 tsp cinnamon

1. Blend cold butter, flour and oats together until crumbly.

2. Add both sugars and cinnamon.

3. Mix lightly with a fork.

4. Sprinkle immediately over apples.

5. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving from my kitchen to yours. Keep checking back for more adventures and recipes from Sweet Treats!

~*HAPPY THANKSGIVING*~

Plum Cake

A few weeks ago when it was still warm out, I spent the day with my grandmother and we went to visit a friend of hers. We sat in the backyard talking and drinking orange juice. I noticed my grandma's friend had 3 fruit  trees in her back yard. Two apple trees and a plum tree. I went to look around and the lady asked me if I wanted to pick some plums to take home. So I told her yes and she immediately brought me a basket so I could start picking. Once I got home I started wondering what I would do with a basket full of plums, so I decided to make a cake. I looked for a recipe and decided to give a shot at baking my first Plum Cake.

PLUM CAKE

CAKE

1/4 Cup soft butter

1/2 Cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Cup flour

1 teaspoon grated orange rind

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 Pound of plums pitted and quartered

FILLING

1 1/4 Cup sour cream

1 egg

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon cornstarch

STREUSEL TOPPING

1 Cup flour

1/2 Cups packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and cinnamon

1/2 Cup butter

METHOD
Line side of greased 10-inch spring-form pan with parchment paper just to rim. Set aside.

TOPPING - In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Using pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until crumbly. Set aside.

CAKE - In a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Beat eggs, orange juice and vanilla.

In separate bowl, stir together flour, orange rind, baking powder and nutmeg; gradually beat into egg mixture until smooth and thick. Scrape into pan. Nestle plums into batter, skin side up.

FILLING - In mixing bowl, beat sour cream, egg, orange juice and cornstarch. Pour over plums. Sprinkle with streusel topping.

Bake at 350F for 60 to 70 min - ready when tester comes out clean and topping is golden brown.