Hi all!

Sorry I’ve been terribly MIA. I’m away at school, as you know, and it’s been tough keeping up! I did plan on updating with recipes I had previously made and pictured, but even that is becoming too much to handle! I’m in the middle of midterms, and although I have baked some delicious cookies for my roommates and I, they were all eaten before I had a chance to picture them, or before I even turned around =)

I am however, going home for reading break and the olympics this week! Back to the mainland, ie. Vancouver. And of course Valentine’s day is right around the corner! I’m planning on making something special, So hopefully I will be able to update a new post!

For now try out these Valentine’s Day Cupcakes with Fondant Hearts I made last year! A cute and yummy way to show someone your love!

xox

I made this for christmas dinner this year instead of traditional pumpkin pie! We had a smaller dinner on christmas, and the larger italian seafood feast on christmas eve. I made tiramisu on christmas eve, and then it was all adults for christmas so I thought a more grown up version of the dessert would be good. It’s a really simple recipe and you can make it the day before, so it requires no day-of prep! Read the rest of this entry »

I saw these on another website and thought they would be perfect for a quick christmas cookie. They require no butter, and are super easy to make. At first as I made the first batch I thought they weren’t going to turn out at all. I had to convert the measurements and I thought I might have done it wrong, but when I went to get them from the oven 10 minutes later, I was pleasantly surprised to see how great they turned out! I made two batches.

These are super quick and a lighter christmas cookie alternative, crispy and chewy. Their inspired from the Starbucks cookies apparently, which I wouldn’t know as I don’t drink coffee, and rarely visit starbucks. But they are good!

Read the rest of this entry »

These bars have quite the history. Not only how they have become to be Nanaimo bars, but also what they’ve meant to me. The name ‘Nanaimo Bars’ is said to have come from a woman who lived on Vancouver Island, in Nanaimo who entered them into a baking contest, instead of naming the bars after herself she named them after the city of Nanaimo. There have been other claims to the bar name, a more familiar one known as ‘The new york slice,’ but true Nanaimo bar lovers have come to love them by this name.

My mom’s mom, my grandma was the nanaimo bar queen. She made them for my  mom and her 4 other sisters and 1 brother when they were growing up, and then it became a favorite of all her grandchildren as well. Ie. me. My mom said that my grandpa would say they were ‘just glorified chocolate bars,’ but that definitely didn’t stop him from eating them. Everytime we got together for a family reunion, picnic or barbeque,  nanaimo bars were always there.

I got this recipe from my aunt, who got it from my other aunt who got it from their mom. Since my grandma’s no longer with us, my aunt has carried on the traditional family favorite, which my mom says tastes just like grandmas. So, I thought I would try for the first time to make them!

This treat doesn’t require any baking, and is delicious! Give it a try for the holidays. Read the rest of this entry »

Of course it’s that time of year again to bake cookies galore!! I baked a ton last year, like Chocolate Thumbprints, my favorite mini-toblerone shortbread, mini chocolate pecan tarts, festive two bite brownies (definitely making these again this year) , and these toasted coconut clusters, which I could eat the entire bowl full.

My aunt also just happened to buy me a new rolling pin! And it was perfect timing, as my old one was falling apart. You see, it had the handle and the metal bar through the middle wooden roller. The one she bought me is a different style than your regular rolling pin with two handles, it’s called a French Rolling Pin. And it’s one large wooden rolling pin with no handles, but slightly larger in the center and slimmer on the sides. It is perfect for rolling out cookie dough, you don’t get those lines or creases in your dough from the handles! I love it!

This one’s similar to mine! If your needing a new rolling pin, get a French pin!

This year we’re having a smaller christmas at home so I’m not going to go overboard with cookies, as i’m sure my mom and I will just end up eating them all!

But I couldn’t resist making these gingerbread men once I bought my cute little mini gingerbread cookie cutter the other day. Along with, a super cute cupcake tree ornament!! I couldn’t help myself.

I don’t overly love gingerbread cookies usually their kinda bland, and seem to always need more icing. But I added a little less spice to these and a dash of cocoa powder to make them a bit sweeter. I made a buttercream type of frosting since i’m not the greatest when it comes to cookie decorating. They make a ton of cookeis, I made them twice and depending on how thick you make them ( for softer men ) or thin ( for a crunchier man ) you can make quite a few, and as well however big your cutter of choice is. You can definitely double the recipe.

I used little sprinkles to decorate with them, and if you don’t want the fuss of icing their already ready when you take them out of the oven!

And, is it just me or was I the only one who didn’t know that gingerbread cookies were made without eggs??  haha, you learn something new everyday!

Give these little guys a try if you starting your holiday baking early. And while you’re here, leave a link to one of your favorite cookies you’ve made for the holidays this year! Read the rest of this entry »

Now that it’s been over a two weeks since i’ve tempted you with the sticky toffee butterscotch sauce, it’s time for the rest of the recipe!

This has become a definite favorite of mine since I tried it for the first time last year! I didn’t really know what it was, but after trying it at a restaurant a couple time I just had to try it!

It’s the perfect holiday cake to serve this year. It’s warm, gooey-sticky sweet and tastes even better with whipped cream. I made it for Christmas last year and I’m debating on whether or not making it again this year. I made it last week for a family dinner we went to, but this time instead of using a regular cake pan I used a bundt pan and I added a little spice to it! Otherwise, it doesn’t call for any spices and it was just missing that hint of flavor.

If you’ve never eaten sticky toffee pudding, or have been meaning to bake it, do it now. Now! It is so so so so good. I serve it warm with whipped cream on top. Mmm… I wish it were last week all over again!

I’ve also finally found a place to live in Victoria while I’m at school, and lucky me! I even basically get my own little kitchen on the bottom of the house, as most of the roommates don’t use it. I’m just happy I can bring over my baking dishes!! Read the rest of this entry »