Carrot Cake

Posted on by

0

I have to tell you something before you scroll down to the intro photo. There was not enough time for me to take a good photo of this cake. We made it Friday night and were so busy once the party got started that I didn’t have a chance to slip away and take nice shots of the cut cake. So… what you see below is all that is left, it is a broken, half-smooshed tiny piece. Also, I too have kitchen issues, I definitely grated my finger in the process (don’t worry, it didn’t get in with the carrots) and have been band-aided for two days. Sigh. In all, I hope you know that this means that this carrot cake was too good for photos. Don’t judge this delicious cake by the photo…

We made some of my dad’s favourite foods for his party and the desserts were no exception. Dad has always loved carrot cake, so of course it was on the menu. We also made Saskatoon Blueberry Pie and Saskatoon Blueberry Plum Apple Pie, so stay tuned for those on Thursday. This carrot cake was a big hit, I had many requests for it to be posted and rightfully so, it is moist, perfectly sweet and everything we’d hoped! Dad would’ve loved it, and that is exactly what we wanted.

Carrot Cake

Cake recipe adapted from here.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsps baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsps ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 3/4 tsp cardamon
  • 1 3/4 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 (14 oz) can pineapple tidbits (or crushed), drained
  • 1 cup walnuts, crushed (optional)

Cream Cheese Icing

  • 1 (250 g) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch pan.
  2. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cardamon, and cinnamon.
  3. Add sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Stir well, mixing until smooth.
  4. Stir in carrots, coconut, and pineapple. (add walnuts now too)
  5. Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes. The centre might sink a bit, it didn’t for me, but don’t fear!
  6. Cool completely before frosting.
  7. To make the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the confectioners sugar and vanilla, beat until creamy and fluffy, add more sugar as needed for the desired texture.
  8. Even better, frost with the mascarpone whipped cream frosting from the Guinness Cupcakes!

The infamous Bacon Jam (or Bacon Marmalade), we don’t fool around when it comes to bacon

Posted on by

6

Bacon Jam! I feel like not much more needs to be said. This is a smoky, savoury, caramelized treat. The appetizer we made from the bacon jam was inspired by a President’s Choice advertisement/recipe based on their Bacon Marmalade product. The appetizer construction was easy and delicious, but truly this bacon jam can be appreciated anywhere, on a sandwich, on crackers, with a spoon, with your fingers.

We made this for the party for Dad yesterday and it was a hit. I’ve been contracted to make a batch for one of our good friends, on the condition that he brings me the pound of bacon needed.

Bacon Jam

Recipe very slightly adapted from Dinner with Julie

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb (one package) good-quality bacon
  • 1 small red onion, chopped
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee (hot or cold)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS

  1. Roughly chop the bacon and cook it in a large pan; transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon, draining off most of the drippings.
  2. Saute the onion and garlic cloves in the remaining drippings for 5 minutes, until soft and starting to turn golden.
  3. Return the bacon to the pan, add the brown sugar, coffee, maple syrup, and vinegar and cook over medium-low heat for half an hour, or until deep golden (mine was more bacon coloured… deep, rich browny red) and thickened to the consistency of jam.
  4. Serve warm on toast, sandwiches, crackers, etc. Or, follow the directions below for a delicious appetizer.
Bacon Jam Appetizers
  • a baguette
  • two pears
  • white cheddar
  • fresh or dried thyme
  • bowl of fresh bacon jam
  1. Slice a baguette and lay the slices out on a baking sheet, drizzle lightly with olive oil.
  2. Toast the slices in an oven set to 350°F for 10 minutes, or until crispy and slightly golden.
  3. Thinly slice your cheddar and place on the baguette slices.
  4. Put the tray back in the oven to melt the cheese and further toast the baguettes.
  5. Dollop some bacon jam on each slice and top with a slice of pear and a sprinkle of thyme.

Step-by-step

  1. Roughly chop the bacon and cook it in a large pan; transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon, draining off most of the drippings.

    Not roughly chopped, so much as evenly chopped.

  2. Saute the onion and garlic cloves in the remaining drippings for 5 minutes, until soft and starting to turn golden.

    Onions, bacon, garlic.

  3. Return the bacon to the pan, add the brown sugar, coffee, maple syrup, and vinegar and cook over medium-low heat for half an hour, or until deep golden (mine was more bacon coloured… deep, rich browny red) and thickened to the consistency of jam.

    Jamming out!

  4. Serve warm on toast, sandwiches, crackers, etc. Or, follow the directions below for a delicious appetizer

    Preliminary bacon jam testing.

Rich Walnut Brownies

Posted on by

0

Another brownie post, I know, I’ve made one before. These are delicious and they are on the road to a flourless cake that I keep meaning to get to. These only have 1/2 cup of flour, and really, could probably have done without any at all, with a few adjustments. We’ve been making a lot of brownies around Mom’s house lately, with a house full of women, chocolate is a necessity. I love walnuts in brownies, I feel they add some awesome texture, but also take away any overdose of sweetness, they balance them out. This recipe is Alton Brown’s. I love that man and his recipes are always great, this one is no exception. These are pretty dark-chocolate tasting, so if that’s not your cup of tea, try the other recipe.

Rich Walnut Brownies

Adapted from Alton Brown’s.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 1/4 cups cocoa
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup broken walnuts

INGREDIENTS

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 13 x 9-inch pan.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow.
  3. Add both sugars, beat well.
  4. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine, making sure to have a smooth batter (except for the walnuts).
  5. Pour the batter into your pan, smoothing the top.
  6. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Brownies are done when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  7. Let cool before eating.

Whisking by hand and butter for melting.

Two sugars worth of tastiness.

 

Chorizo Tamale Pie

Posted on by

0

I love Maseca, the treated corn flour that is used to make corn tortillas, tamales, and all those delicious South American treats. I have had a bag of this flour in my pantry since I made pupusas (an El Salvadorian specialty… I will make them for NC soon) for Gen and am always looking for new things to make with it. I am not a huge fan of cornbread but the fine texture of Maseca made this twist on tortilla pie an extra treat.

In other exciting news, this is my 90th post, which means I am tantalizingly close to 100! I know, I know, I haven’t been around for a year, but I was pumping out posts like it was going out of style for the first few exhausting months of Not Crocker, so this means I am going to do some sort of giveaway for my 100th posts AND my one-year anniversary post in March! I am still sorting out a plan for both, but stay tuned so I can announce how to win whatever I am planning. In any case, get commenting, let me know if you’ve had Maseca before, or if you need some guidance on where to find it! It is awesome and totally worth a little search.

Chorizo Tamale Pie

Adapted from Scarletta Bakes.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1- large (10-12″ ) flour tortilla
  • six large pork chorizo sausages, casing removed
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 jalapeños, diced (more or less to taste)
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic (3-5 cloves), minced
  • 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 2 cups Maseca (masa harina)
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat oven to 450°F.
  2. Grease a 9-inch pie plate and press the tortilla to the shape of the plate. Set aside.
  3. In a large skillet cook the chorizo, breaking it up with the back of a spoon to create an even texture.
  4. Meanwhile in a large bowl, use your hands to mash/mix together the Maseca, eggs, milk, cream, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, and cheese until as smooth as possible. If it’s still dry, add a little water at a time until a dough forms.
  5. Once the chorizo is cooked set it aside.
  6. Add the onion and jalapeño to the skillet and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for just 1 minute more. Toss the onion mixture with the chorizo.
  7. Spread the chorizo mixture in the pie plate, over the tortilla.
  8. Cover the meat with the Maseca dough, smoothing as best as possible.
  9. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the Maseca top has browned and the meat mixture is bubbling.
  10. Serve immediately.

Maseca, so you know!

Chorizo mixture to the left, Maseca mixture to the top right, tortilla in a pie plate to the bottom right.

Pre-oven.

 

 

Bacon Frittata Muffins

Posted on by

8

Inspired by my friend Caelin and her love of Nom Nom Paleo’s Mini Prosciutto-Wrapped Frittata Muffins, I whipped a batch of my own. They are tasty delights and Genesis and I will be making these again and again. I will make twice as many next time so I can report back on their freezablity. In the meantime these treats are totally Keto-friendly (essentially lacking in many carbs) and Paleo. Cook them up, switch up the veg and enjoy! I marked things that are optional, but really all the veg is totally optional, in that you can option in and out any veg you like.

Bacon Frittata Muffins

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 package (250g) of bacon
  • 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 small zucchinis (or one regular one), chopped into 1/4-slices
  • 4 mini bok choy heads (or a handful of spinach, swiss chard, kale, etc.)
  • 6 pickled artichoke heart quarters (not for everyone, again, go with what you have an what you love), chopped
  • 8 eggs
  • 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper *optional
  • 1/4 tsp paprika *optional

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat oven to 400°F. Have a muffin tin on hand.
  2. Cook bacon flat in a pan. Don’t cook until totally crisp, but just cooked and still pliable. They will crisp up a bit more in the oven. Drain and set aside.
  3. Sauté your onions and garlic in the bacon pan until the onions are translucent. Set aside.
  4. Dice and chop the rest of your vegetables and set aside. Bite sized and smaller chunks are key, these are not fork and knife treats.
  5. In a large bowl whisk together your ricotta, eggs, heavy cream, salt and pepper, and other desired spices.
  6. Whisk in your onions and garlic, veggies and stir until well combined.
  7. Lay your bacon slices into the muffin cups, one slice to go around the edge and chop a piece to cover the bottom.
  8. Spoon your egg mixture into your bacon cups, if you have extra, make it into an omelet!
  9. Bake the muffins until they are no-longer jiggly, about 15-20 minutes.
  10. Devour.