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My mom came to Ottawa for Mother’s Day weekend and brought with her a large bushel of fresh rhubarb from her backyard. As such I have spent the last few days plotting how I am going to use such precious cargo. I came across this recipe on foodgawker (surprise surprise) and was instantly taken by the lovely pink color; I just knew I had to make them. Sadly, mine didn’t turn out quite so pink. In fact when I served them to my friends the words “oh boy, butterscotch” may or may not have come out of their mouths. Sigh. That being said they are very yummy and would go well with afternoon tea, as something sweet after a meal, or just because you need something a little cheery on a gloomy day.

Rhubarb Bars

Crust

¾ cup cold butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar
Zest of one lemon

Filling

1 ¾ cup rhubarb compote puree* (see below)
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup sugar
5 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp cornstarch

Powdered sugar for topping

* Rhubarb Puree (make ahead of time)

4 cups of rhubarb, sliced into half-inch slices
3/4 cup sugar
Directions: Mix rhubarb and sugar in saucepan and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Continue simmering for about 8-10 minutes until rhubarb collapses into mushiness. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Blend in blender or use an immersion blender to puree the compote.

1. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13 inch baking dish or pan.

2. In a food processor combine butter, flour, powdered sugar and lemon zest and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into baking dish. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes. While refrigerating, preheat oven to 350. Remove crust from refrigerator and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until crust is just barely starting to brown.
3. While crust is baking, prepare the filling by whisking together rhubarb compote, lemon juice, sugar, eggs and cornstarch. Whisk thoroughly.
4. After you remove crust from oven, reduce heat to 325 and pour filling over the crust. Bake at 325 for about 25 minutes until filling is just set.
5. Remove from oven, cool completely (you can refrigerate to speed this process). Slice into squares and top with powdered sugar.

As I sit ensconced in my office watching the rain beat against the windows and the gloom of the city hover past, I have but one urge; to bake. There is just something about a rainy day that calls to me, makes me yearn to be in a warm kitchen with a sweet fragrance seeping from the oven and perfuming the air around me. It’s spring, and although the tulips appreciate the drink, I find myself craving light & refreshing food to combat the wet and cold weather that seems to have been here for weeks on end.

These cookies are like a little ray of sunshine in your mouth; citrus always seems to have that effect on the palate. They come highly recommended and are simple to make – give ‘em a try!

Makes 18 cookies, after you eat one for quality assurance.

TIP – If you don’t have a juicer – 1. cut the limes in half 2. one at a time take the lime in your left hand and insert a fork into the cut open portion with your right hand 3. squeeze they way you normally would with your left hand but move the fork around at the same time.

Cornmeal Lime Cookies

1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour

¾ cup cornmeal

½ tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

½ cup butter, room temperature

¾  cup sugar

2 tbsp lime zest (from 2 large limes)

½  tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 tbsp lime zest

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice *I used lime*

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using hand beaters), cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the lime zest and vanilla and mix until just combined. Scrape down the bowl. Add the eggs and lime juice and mix to incorporate, about 30 seconds. If your mixture seems to separate at this point, don’t worry. It will come together again when you begin to add the flour.

Slowly add the flour mixture in three stages, mixing to incorporate in between each addition.

Using an ice cream scooper or large tablespoon, scoop out the dough in heaping 1-inch balls and place 2-inches apart on a parchment-lined, greased, or silpat covered baking sheet. Lightly press down on each ball with the palm of your hand, slightly flattening each into a disk shape.

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until no longer soft in the middle and ever-so-slightly golden on the edges.

Meanwhile, make the icing: whisk together the powdered sugar, lime zest, and lemon juice until smooth. Once out of the oven, allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before icing. Spread glaze over the tops of each cookie. Let sit 1 hour to allow glaze to firm up.

If stored in an airtight container, cookies will remain good for up to 3 days.

If you follow my blog on the regular you know by now that I am not a fan of marinades. They take far too much time, they waste food, and I am not convinced that they really make much difference in the majority of cases. Unfortunately I didn’t read this recipe through before I started, so when I got to the bit where it said to marinate for 4-5 hours I was, first, deeply saddened and then found the inner strength to go along my merry way pretending that 5 whole hours had elapsed in the span of a few minutes. In this case I do believe that the “marinate” contributed to the overall taste of the chicken fingers but still firmly believe that 4-5 hours of marinating is just silly.

I really enjoyed this recipe. They were flavourful, crunchy, and beat the crappy ones from the box any day of the week. Next time I may cook them on a wire rack on top of the baking sheet to see if they can get even crispier.

Crunchy Coconut Lime Chicken Strips

2 limes, zested and juiced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped finely
1 tspr salt
4 chicken breasts (About 1 lb) cut into 1-inch wide strips
1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
2/3 cup coconut shreds *unsweetened*
3/4 cup flour
salt and pepper to season flour
2 eggs, beaten with 4 tbsp of water
Oil spray, doesn’t matter what kind

1.  In a bowl, stir together lime juice, zest, olive oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and salt.  Add the chicken strips and stir until they’re completely coated with the marinade.  Set aside while preparing everything else.

2. Line a large baking sheet with foil sprayed lightly with oil. Mix the flour, salt and pepper in one bowl, the beaten eggs and water in a second bowl, and the panko and coconut in a third bowl.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

3. Lift up each chicken strip and shake off some of the marinade so it isn’t overly. Coat each chicken strip in flour, knocking off the excess, then dip and coat well in the egg mixture and then dredge it in the panko - dessicated coconut mixture, pressing it onto each strip. Place each chicken strip on the oiled baking sheet and continue until all chicken has been coated.

4.  Lightly spray some oil on the breaded chicken strips, then bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  IMPORTANT – Do not let them sit on the baking sheet once out of the oven.  Transfer them to a rack if not eating within a few minutes, or the bottoms will get soggy.

Original recipe

Cake pops have been all the rage, especially when it comes to weddings, for quite some time now. There are blogs, websites, books, and youtube tutorials dedicated to the making of them. Everything I read told me that they would be easy and all the lovely pictures of perfect little orbs of sugary goodness led me to believe that cake pops were something I not only wanted to try but were something I might like to make on the regular. Not so!

Although the making of cake pops is not difficult it is, on the other hand, very time consuming. There are multiple tricks you should be aware of before you begin:

1. The recipe used below suggests you make the cake a day in advance. (which I did)
2. Don’t make the balls too big or else they are very hard to work with due to their weight.
3. Make sure to roll the balls as tightly as possible. If they are too loose they are more likely to fall apart or off the stick.
4. Don’t let the chocolate, or candy coating, get hard during the dipping process. If you don’t keep it warm and it gets hard it might not melt back down to a useable consistency again.

There are four simple steps to making the cake pops; make the cake and crumble it, mix it with frosting, roll into balls and insert sticks, and cover with chocolate/sprinkles. The steps are simple enough and the end result is both awesome and beautiful but overall I don’t see myself making these again anytime soon. They would be perfect for a special occasion when you want something different and you don’t mind spending the time to make them. They are fun and I will make them again… all I am saying is I won’t be making them anytime soon as a random act of kindness to bring into the office.

Cake

2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

makes two 9-inch round cakes or three 8-inch round cakes

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans, or three 8-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixer bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer for 2 minutes. Mix in boiling water – the batter will be quite thin. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack, then tap the cakes out of the pans.

Once baked let it cool completely on a rack. This is a very moist cake, which is ideal for this recipe. It’s best to let it cool overnight at least. When it is completely cool, break the cake into a large bowl. Crumble it with forks or your fingers until it is in fine crumbs.

Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon milk (or more, as necessary)

In a medium size bowl, whip the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and milk together until smooth.

Making Cake Pops

You will need

Lollipop sticks (found at Michael’s or Bulk Barn)
12 ounces chocolate wafers (Bulk Barn)
12 ounces white chocolate wafers (Bulk Barn)
Colored sugars, candies, and other decorative sprinkles

Pour the frosting into the cake crumbs and mix with a spoon. Make sure the frosting is completely incorporated into the cake and there is no cake left uncovered.

Check to see if the “dough” will roll into a ball. If it needs a little extra moisture, add milk a spoonful at a time.

When the mix forms balls properly, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. You can leave the mix refrigerated for several days at this point.

Prepare two large baking sheets by covering with wax paper or parchment. Take a bit of the cake mixture, about 1 ½ – 2 tbsp, and roll it into a smooth ball. Stick a lollipop stick into the end of each ball, pointing upward, as you put the ball back down on the sheet. Repeat until you’ve used up all the mixture. As each sheet fills up, put it in the freezer so that the balls harden.

Melt chocolate or white chocolate in a double boiler on the stove. Dip each ball into the chocolate until covered. I didn’t have enough chocolate in each bowl to completely cover the balls so I used a spoon to help cover the cake around the lollipop stick. Try not to rotate the ball around in the chocolate or it may either come off the stick or come apart. Once the ball is coated hold the stick in one hand with the ball still over the bowl to let the excess chocolate drip off. Try tapping the stick hand with your other hand to help the chocolate come off better.

Decorate immediately and return the cakepop to the wax paper lined baking sheet or stick into a block of Styrofoam block to harden.

Do not refrigerate the cakepop or the chocolate may weep or melt away.

One of my very favourite salads! I just love meals that include a variety of ingredients and tastes, and if the meal is healthy too… then it’s a keeper.

Cobb Salad

Lettuce

Boiled potatoes, dressed with choice of herbs

Green beans, steamed

Asparagus, steamed

Boiled eggs

Artichoke hearts, marinated

Tomatoes

Red pepper

Blue cheese

Dressing

*I used a simple white balsamic

Arrange the ingredients on a plate and drizzle with dressing. Enjoy!