You know what I love about summer? Baking in your bikini. Try it. It’s great. It is waaay too hot out to be standing in a kitchen with a 350 degree oven on fully clothed. So today, as I was tanning on the back deck and decided to bake – I didn’t bother getting changed. And you know what else? Doing the dishes in your bikini is great too! No worrying about the water splashing up – especially when your washing chocolate covered baking dishes. Today was bikini baking day – and it was just what I needed.

This past weekend I had a meltdown – and it wasn’t because it is so hot out. No. I had a meltdown because there are people in this world who think its perfectly fine to steal from other people. Yup – I was a victim of theft. After work Saturday I wanted to go shopping to pick out a dress for an upcoming friends wedding this weekend. I had been out the night before and had my bag with me which had all my clothing, personal items like makeup and hair stuff and a bag of brand new baking supplies which I had just bought the day before. at a specialty store. Needless to say I was quite upset when I saw it was all gone. I had spent quite a bit of money on clothing on my weekend away to Whistler, and my birthday trip to Vegas so it was a little hard to believe it had all been taken. C’est la vie! The “want” list of items to buy keeps getting put on hold due to unexpected expenses! Such as my car – and the replacement of all my things. I had needed wanted a new camera desperately! Sure mine is fine and it takes pictures – but it’s got some hiccups and a new one would have been awesome! As well as a new pair of runners… the list could go on and on.

Also, I had bought some baking supplies for upcoming things I had wanted to make, like hand held pocket pies, and cupcakes which I was going to make for a wedding shower the next day and another upcoming shower. Now I have to go re-buy all the food colouring, cookie cutters, molds, piping bag and tips etc etc. So today I felt like I needed to make something to take my mind off of it. I had been thinking of making this recipe for quite a while now. I had seen a Cupcake contest by Duncan Hines, which I would have liked to have made something for but found out it was only available to the States – like most online food contests. While I had been brainstorming for it I had looked online for some new and interesting ideas I could turn into a cupcake and found a recipe for a Marquise cake. It is typically a sponge cake – made on a cookie sheet pan – which you then cut out and place into a loaf pan to make a shell type outer cake layer and then fill with a dense mousse like marquise filling. I had been thinking about turning into something slightly different, something like an Ice Cream Marquise Cake. Though I’m sure a traditional Marquise with the dense rich mousse filling is just as delicious.

It’s a perfect summertime dessert – it’s simple and doesn’t require a lot of time. You can make it a day or two ahead, as it keeps well in the freezer wrapped properly. You can change this dessert into any filling type you like – maybe with frozen yogurt? or ice cream speckled with fresh fruit between the layers, or with a vanilla cake or even mint ice cream. There are lots of different options – and its so simple! Simply take it out of the freezer a few minutes before cutting, and use a large cake knife slightly warmed under hot water.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer =)

Follow the link for step-by-step picture directions ..

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Hey everyone, guess what!? It’s finally suuuuummerrrrr!! It is Hot! I’m a little dissapointed that It was so cloudy for our Whistler getaway, (which also included a leaky condo, a cracked water pipe and a last minute transfer to the Chateau Fairmont…but that’s another story.) I hope everyone else is also enjoying the beautiful weather outside.

Sometimes the hot weather deters me from wanting to bake. Although I love baking, standing in a hot kitchen all day isn’t exactly what you want to be doing. Instead I’d rather head down to the beach, or walk my dog or just lay out in the backyard working on my tan – which, thanks to the weather, has been quite lack luster. But I still have so many things I keep seeing all over the web that I want to try and bake, or cook. I do cook a lot – and I mean a lot, I just don’t showcase it on here. I think if I had more time, and wasn’t working 6 days a week I might be able to. But I love to cook for my mom and brother, and my boyfriend Adam. I’ll be conquering one of my fears in cooking and baking this wekeend – dough! I’ve been wanting to make it for a while now, and I think I’ll try it with Pizza this weekend! And possibly cinnamon buns. I’ve been putting it off, and it’s been on my top 10 list of things I would like to make. If you have any pizza recipes – or dough recipes please share them!

Anywyas, the pie. I had eaten key lime pie one day after my shift at work, and I was really surprised at how much I liked it. I honestly don’t think I had ever eaten it before, at least not that I had remembered. Which doesn’t say very much about the pie now does it. I had made up my mind that I didn’t like key lime pie, so now I decided to set out and make one myself. I had found several versions online and in baking books but they all varied quite a lot. Some were made with only evaporated milk, some with heavy cream, some with egg yolks and some without, most frozen and some baked and refrigerated. I knew I didn’t want to make one that was frozen, because the one I had eaten was creamy and mousse-like. I decided to mix a few recipes together to create my own take on it. I had found this one originally by A Cooking Bird and it looked quite promising, and then also used Paula Deans as well as a reference and for the crust.

Just a side note, Paula dean now has bakeware at Michaeals! I bought the cutest little cupcake liners, only $1.95 each! Compared to the designer ones which are anywhere form $4-6, and was lucky enough to get a whole bunch of recipe cards and a little recipe holder box for my birthday from Adam :} Which also held an even smaller little blue box inside =)  As well, his mom ( who also bought me all the different sized springform-pans before ) bought me the most perfect birthday present! She bought me something  I had always wanted – a glass cake pedastal with a glass lid! I was so excited when I opened up the large present to see it. It can also be turned upside down to use as a punch bowl! Along with that she also got me a super cute teatowel that has little cupcakes and “cute as a cupcake” on it, and a cook book I had been swooning over - Hello, Cupcake! Perfect for my new endevaur! Now I can tote my creations around in a luxury stand, which is what I’m sure she had in mind for all the confections I may bring over in the future…hehe. Needless to say I was pretty spoiled-sweet =) – not rotten.

Back to the pie, I went to two different market’s, well one and a Thrifty Foods, to find Key Limes but sadly the Florida import hasn’t made its way to the West Coast yet. So I had to make it with regular limes, which I’m sure are pretty much the same but hey, what’s in a name. So this is simply Lime Pie. It’s tart and sweet and deliciously creamy. You could eat it plain, with cream or ice cream even. If you’re still a Key Lime Pie virgin, like I was I suggest darting out and buying some limes, key or regular, to try it out yourself! It’s refreshingly sweet for this hot summer weather.

Key Lime Pie

hey, if you got key limes use ‘em!

Crust:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• loose 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup medium shredded coconut

Filling:

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar. Stir in melted butter. Add coconut and mix. Press the mixture firmly into bottom and up sides of a 10-inch spring form pan. Bake for 8 minutes and let the crust cool completely before spreading the pie filling over it.

Turn oven down to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer at medium speed, beat together the evaporated milk, egg yolks, lime juice, cream and zest until blended. Add in the sugar and continue mixing.

Once it is fully combined, carefully pour the filling into the cooled pie crust. Return the baking pan to the oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly, then transfer to the fridge to cool for at least 4 hours or longer.

Once your ready to eat, you can top it with whipped cream if you like!

When did summer arrive?? It’s been quite an up and down spring here in Vancouver, with ridiculous wind storms, rain and cooler weather the past couple of months but suddenly today I walked outside in a tank top and flip-flops and it felt like summer was here already. I’ve been somewhat lacking in the baking department since I’ve come home, at least as far as posting goes. I have made brownies and cookies which I haven’t put recipes up for or even photographed for that matter. But It’s been a week or two of cleaning up, packing up and unpacking and job searching. Home from University for the summer = job. I got hired last week to work in a restaurant called Browns Social House. I’m nervous and excited, as I’ve never worked in a restaurant before! But I’m sure it will be fun and definitely a different atmosphere than working as a receptionist, which I think I’ll be working part-time as for a bit as well. Of course, I’ll fit in baking on a regular basis!

I start work this week, but I had a baking itch that I just needed to satisfy! I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to make, but I wanted it to be something with fruit, and spring-summery! (is that a word? it is now). Also, I didn’t feel like making a big mess (somewhere my mother is gasping) or something that required a lot of work. I flipped through some cookbooks to get some inspiration, and I had almost decided on a new cookie recipe when I came across a delicious looking picture which just screamed summer. I scream, you scream we all scream for Ice Cream of course.

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Alright, so now you get to see what all those delicious blackberries were baked into!! Well, here they are. Incredibly good Blackberry Crumb Bars. Oh-so good blackberries combined with lemon juice and lemon zest sandwiched between two shortbread like layers = Yum. These are just sweet and tart enough without being overly sugary. And super versatile. You could easily substitute in blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, or even peaches! They are even better once refrigerated and cut easily into take-along bars.

It was really easy to make basically four ingredients: berries, flour, sugar and lemon. Perfect for all those end of summer left over berries, or even for the fall. You can definitely freeze all your berries from the summer and use them in the fall to make the dessert. Just note that they will probably be a bit watery once you thaw them. Maybe cut back on the amount of lemon juice, or add a bit more cornstarch.

If you’ve got some berries at home and some flour, I suggest you get baking! I’m going to visit my friend today – who didn’t help pick the berries by the way, but will get to taste the finished product! Lucky friend ; )

Sorry it took a few days … but I went to the island again this weekend – and jumped off a bridge! Yes, I’m crazy. I went bungy jumping in Nanaimo yesterday – and it was scary! But so much fun too! I said I wanted to do lots of exciting new things in my 21st year, and so far since June I’ve gotten a tattoo, gone to Vegas (Just last week! and no, I’m not a millionaire) and now bungy jumping. I think it’s a pretty good list so far! There’s also a few to-dos on my baking list, I better get on that!

Blackberry Crumb Bars
As seen on Smitten Kitchen, Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)
• 1 egg
• Zest and juice of one lemon
• 4-5 cups fresh berries of your choice
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the berries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

These tasted even better once refrigerated, but feel free to dig in while their still warm! Maybe with a scoop of ice cream!

Enjoy!

& Here’s me jumping off a bridge!

I had an idea to make  home-made ice cream poppers, like a small scoop of ice cream covered in chocolate and frozen, sort of resembling a large version of those dippin’ dots or dibs ice cream. Then, I took it one step further. Why not make mini bite-sized banana and ice cream poppers – a tiny ice cream sunday bite!

These are super easy to make and de-licious! You can also make them plain without a banana, or add any other slice underneath like a strawberry, or even a cherry on top! You can cover em in sprinkles too if you like! or crushed nuts!

Two-Bite Ice Cream Sundaes – Recipe by Me!

You will need:

• A chilled cookie tray
• Tooth Picks
• Parchment / Wax paper / Aluminum foil

Ingredients:

• Ice cream – Any flavor you choose
• Bananas – 1 or 2, depending on how many you wish to make
• Good quality Chocolate – 4-5 baking squares, or about 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips ( again depending on how many you are making you will need more/less chocolate for dipping

Cut banana(s) into slices

Scoop ice cream

Place ice cream balls and banana slices into freezer to chill

cut up chocolate and melt over double broiler

Mmm..Melted Chocolate

place ice cream balls onto banana slices and place toothpick into center

dip into chocolate and place back into freezer to chill completely

Directions:

Place baking sheet lined with parchment paper into freezer to chill. I didn’t actually have any so I used aluminum foil, but either one works.

Cut the banana(s) into slices. Make sure they aren’t too thin. Place the slices, in a single layer, on one side of the chilled baking sheet and place back into the freezer for about 20 minutes.

Take the chilled cookie sheet out of the freezer.

Next, using a melon baller or a small ice cream scoop, scoop the ice cream to form a small ball about 1 inch round. You may want to have a glass of warm water to dip the ice cream scoop into so it is easier to form the ball.

Immediately place the ice cream balls onto the other side chilled cookie sheet. Working quickly make the rest of the ice cream balls, as many or as little as you like.

Once you have made all the ice cream balls you want, place the cookie sheet into the freezer for 30 minutes until they are completely set and frozen.

Make sure you put the rest of the ice cream back into the freezer.

Take them out, and place the ice cream ball on top of a banana slice. Place a toothpick through it to keep them together. and place back into freezer for about another 15 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, in a double boiler melt the chocolate on low. If you don’t have a double boiler, use one larger pot and a smaller one placed on top so that the water is not touching the pan. Leave a small opening, you will want some of the steam to escape. Turn the burner on low so the water just starts to simmer. Melt the chocolate thoroughly, and remove from heat. Allow the chocolate to cool down until it is just warm. You can also pour some of the water into a bowl and rest another bowl on top of it with the chocolate in it to keep it warm until you are ready to dip so it doesn’t harden.

Take the frozen ice cream/banana ball out of the freezer and dip them into the chocolate until fully coated. Gently tap off the excess chocolate back into the bowl. Then stick them back onto the frozen cookie sheet. You may want to do a few at a time. You can also add chocolate sprinkles to it.

Repeat until all the ice cream and banana bites are coated and freeze for an additional 20 minutes.

When you are ready to serve, place on a chilled plate and eat immediately. Make sure you freeze any leftovers.

Enjoy!