Peeps Krispie Treats

It's that time of year...time for Peeps! They may not be the most delicious food in the world but they sure are cute. So fluffy and colorful. Kind of like sprinkles, Peeps just make me happy. For my first treat, I decided to go with a subtle nod to the Peep - Peeps Krispie Treats. 

Wordless Wednesday: Suzy Q's

My first doughnut from Suzy Q's in Hintonburg

iPhone, no filters

Delicious Doughnuts

As much as I love making cupcakes, I've been looking for something different to try out lately. I can't remember where I first saw the idea but baked doughnuts seemed like a good thing to tackle next. They're relatively healthy, just a customizable as a cupcake, and who doesn't love doughnuts??

I'd had my eye out for a doughnut pan for a while and happened to come across one at HomeSense (for a great price) not too long ago. You can also find them them at Amazon and other online stores. 

The next step was to decide on a recipe to start out with. I went with a classic nutmeg and cinnamon cake doughnut recipe from King Arthur Flour that seemed relatively simple and had great reviews. I also liked that it required ingredients that I always have on hand. I used buttermilk powder and water as recommended in the recipe, but I think it might have worked out better with yogurt or sour cream. I'll have to try them that way the next time. 

 

  

When the recipe tells you to fill the cavities 2/3 full and grease the pan generously, they're not kidding. I filled these way too far and had a hard time getting them out of the pan because they rose over the middle bit that makes the whole. They were also hard to get out because I didn't use cooking spray to grease the pans. I think that is key. There is very little fat in the batter to the doughnuts tend to stick. I did grease the pan with oil but I found it really just beaded off the non-stick coating and pooled at the bottom of the pan.

The finished product was quite tasty and looked like "real" doughnuts! I covered them in cinnamon and white sugar after I pried them out of the pan. I didn't use anything to get the coating to stick. I just threw them in a bowl and hoped for the best. I'll admit - I didn't love the first one I had. I found the flavor and texture improved overnight. They got good reviews at the office as well. The texture is definitely similar to a cake doughnut you would find at a coffee shop. There's definitely no mistaking them for a classic, deep fried doughnut but they're good in their own right.

I think the doughnut pan is a winner. I have a lot of ideas for this contraption.

What's your favorite kind of doughnut? And how do you spell it - doughnut or donut?

Butter Tart Squares

Butter tarts are a bit of a Canadian classic. Sort of like the Nanaimo bar, they are considered to be a quintessential Canadian dessert. According to Wikipedia they originate from Quebec in the 1600s. Who knew? I've never been too clear on what sets the butter tart apart from pecan pie. All I know is that I love me a good butter tart. Pastry or shortbread crust, gooey sugar filling, and, sometimes, pecans/raisins/chocolate chips/dried cranberries mixed in with the filling.

Gooey deliciousness

While I was in Australia for a semester abroad during university, I made these squares for my roommates on numerous occasions. It was my way of sharing some Canadian culture with my new Aussie mates. They were a huge hit. Appropriately, the recipe is from Canadian Living magazine.

Pastry has never been my forte. My few attempts have been fantastic failures. That's why I like this particular recipe so much. Instead of the traditional tart form, the butter tart filling is baked on top of a shortbread crust in a 9x9 pan. The result is a delicious square. The edges are nice and chewy and caramelized and the middle stays gooey.

Today's attempt at the recipe involved a couple of improvisations. I don't own a pastry blender so, while trying to cut the butter into the flour for the crust with two butter knives, I saw my whisk out of the corner of my eye and thought it might be more efficient. Low and behold, it worked perfectly! I also realized I had no brown sugar in the house. This is sort of a crucial ingredient. Luckily I learned a substitution awhile ago...one cup of white sugar + one tablespoon of molasses = one cup of brown sugar.

When in doubt, use a whisk

Molasses + sugar = success

Double batch - pecans and pecans & cranberries

The squares turned out really well. I doubled the recipe but used two slightly different sized pans so the pecan and cranberry squares came out a bit softer than the plain pecan ones. The softer texture is what I prefer. My own fault for trying to cook dinner while they were in the oven : )

My fellow Canadians - are there any recipes that you consider to be truly Canadian? Everyone else - same question for you. Are there any recipes you really connect to your native land?

Adventures in toffee

Until last weekend the only experience I'd had with candy making, or molten sugar of any kind, was the caramel and caramelized sugar decorations I made for my cupcakes for CupcakeCamp Ottawa. I had always been intimidated and figured that anything requiring constant and precise temperature monitoring just wasn't going to work for me. I was pleasantly surprised. It's kind of amazing what some sugar, corn syrup, water, and cream can turn into.

First attempt with a candy thermometer



Salted caramel

 
This past weekend I decided to break the thermometer out of the cupboard again and try my hand at some sponge toffee. If you're unfamiliar, it's the delicious crunchy hole-filled toffee in the middle of a Crunchie bar. In other parts of the world you may hear it referred to as honeycomb, sea foam, or hokey pokey. Sugar, corn syrup, water, vanilla, and baking soda - that's all it takes.

Two friends in the office were declaring their love of the stuff last week so I decided to make some for one of their birthdays. I was amazed at how easy the process was and how much candy I ended up with from so few ingredients. The 9x13 pan suggested in the recipe (from Canadian Living) barely contained it all.



Mmm...sugar



To make the treat a little more gift appropriate I decided to dip the pieces in melted semisweet chocolate.

Finished product

The resulting confection got rave reviews in the office the next day. As a result, I decided to add sponge toffee to the list of treats available from the Holiday Sweatshop. Let's hope every batch turns out as well!