Traced Elements

Tag: chocolate

Rainy August Day in Pemberton – Make These Cookies!

Torrential rain here in Pemberton today. A good day for baking. These cookies I adapted from a John Bishop recipe from his cookbook At Home. They are great for road trips. I have not had luck with PB cookies lately and have been disappointed with the recipe in the Joy of Cooking (both the original edition and the updated version published about a decade ago). This one is very good! John Bishop’s recipes have good bones…

Not a recipe high in Pemberton ingredients this post except for the Pemberton egg – only the best!

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies (yield: 2 dozen)

½ cup unsalted butter

½ cup natural chunky peanut butter (I used Western Family brand)

1/3 cup white sugar

¾ cup coconut sugar

1 Pemberton egg

½ cup pulverized gluten-free oats (pulverize in Cuisinart until oats are the consistency of flour)

1 cup almond meal

½ tsp baking powder

¾ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

4 oz Lindt 90% dark chocolate, chopped

Cream butter and peanut butter in mixer. Add all other ingredients. Blend well. Stir in chocolate chunks. Use a 1.5 tbs-sized spring-loaded cookie scoop and use it to drop dough onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets (these cookies spread quite a bit). Bake at 375C for 12 minutes. Cool and enjoy!

August 21, 2020
Just a couple of cupcakes!
Monday 25th February was National Cupcake Day. Well, it was for SPCAs and Humane Societies across Canada, who encourage the baking and selling of cupcakes as a way to raise money.

As Qanik was fortunate to have one of his images chosen to be part of the 2019 campaign it seemed only fair that I do my bit too.

So, having chosen the Victoria Humane Society as my nearest participating society, I had to decide on what cupcakes I was going to make and then get people, mostly work colleagues, to purchase them!

I decided on giving potential buyers the option of three different flavours:
The orders started making their way to me and, on Sunday, I spent most of the day baking and icing 89 cupcakes! The flavour that received the most requests was the Dark Chocolate with PB Frosting so here it is for you to make and try for yourself!

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)
- ½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ cup sour cream
For the Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
Directions
1. Make the Cupcakes: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and pre-heat to 350˚ F. (If you are using a non-stick muffin pan, heat the oven to 325˚ F.) Line standard-size muffin pan with baking cup liners.
2. Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a medium heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat the mixture until the butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. (Alternately, you can microwave the mixture at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted.) Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and baking powder.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs then add the sugar, vanilla and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in the sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is fully mixed and thick.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin pan cups. Bake until a skewer inserted into centre of the cupcakes comes out clean, approx. 18 to 20 minutes.
6. Cool cupcakes in the muffin pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the cupcakes and set on wire rack to cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.
1. Make the Peanut Butter Frosting: Place the icing sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high-speed until the mixture is light and smooth.
2. Assemble the Cupcakes: Frost the cupcakes with an offset spatula, or with a decorating tip (I used a Wilton 1M tip and a rose pattern). Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Want to know how to frost in a rose pattern? Check out this quick video tutorial.
My cupcakes were a success and I managed to raise over $300.00 for my chosen charity. Next up are muffins and dog treats for Treat Week for the Sea to Sky BC SPCA!
February 28, 2019
Growth

“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” Forrest Gump

Without a shadow of a doubt I can say this has been one of my most challenging years to date.

Thus, I’ve been quick to say, “Peace out 2018, thanks for nothing!” But really, deep down I’m actually saying, “Thanks for everything. “

Having suffered a bad concussion earlier this spring I was forced to slow down and smell the roses. My garden became my sanity through it all and I re-kindled my love affair with the soil under my nails. (If only the confidence I feel within those walls projected throughout all aspects of my life.)

But if kale can weather harsh conditions and continue to grow then so can I. My roots are strong; I’m just feeling bound. All I need to do is prune back some dead shit, be re-potted and I’ll bloom.

For years I’ve reached for the cheat sheet in a box of chocolates because I wanted to know what I was getting (otherwise known as the Comfort Zone). Bite into something “gross”: no thank you. But life for the most part doesn’t give us something to follow and you just have to be ready to ingest anything.

All of this being said; learning will nourish my new year as I deepen my love for all things horticulture. The second step is sharing it with those who need some inspiration or want to learn more or just need a little nudge.

Here are your first tips:

Grow your own food: it’s the best way to get what you want.

Experiment: maybe you’ll discover that something you thought you hated you actually love.

As we grow in the life we’ve been gifted we begin to learn we love some flavors more then others. Breaking away from the comfort of our favourite flavors is when we will be most rewarded but it’s key to keep some classics in your back pocket.

In the end if we keep sowing our own seeds, growth is inevitable.

December 31, 2018
New puppy = new cake recipe!
I think I mentioned in my first post that I have a love of baking. I don’t get to bake very often though as that would mean eating it all afterwards, but for visits with friends or special occasions I can make an exception. Well, those two things just happened to collide this past weekend.

You see, this week my husband and I drove up to Fort St. John, and back, to collect our new puppy. And yes, before you ask, we do both believe in #adoptdontshop but the breed we love is not regularly found at a shelter and we did research our breeder and were satisfied that they were not a puppy farm. Besides, he is a cutie.

And so, for this occasion, it seemed appropriate to bake a cake to take round our friends house while introducing them all to the new puppy. Plus I wanted another excuse to try my Bundt tin!

I had saved several Bundt cake recipes on Pinterest but this One-Bowl Chocolate Buttermilk Bundt Cake seemed like just the right thing and looked very appetizing in the pictures. I hoped my version would look, and taste, as good.
Ingredients
Cake

3 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp baking soda

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cup low fat buttermilk (or standard will do)

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup boiling hot water

1 tbsp vanilla
Glaze

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

1 tbsp cornstarch (I used 2 tbsp to make the glaze a bit thicker)

1 cup boiling hot water

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup butter
Directions
Cake

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Thoroughly grease a bundt pan and then sift cocoa powder over and set aside.

Add all cake ingredients to a large bowl and mix until well blended using a hand mixer.

Bake for an hour (check at 50 mins) or until the cake springs back when touched lightly with a finger.

Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting.
Glaze

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and hot water.

Cook, stirring often over a medium heat until thickened slightly.

Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and butter, and stir until the butter melts.

Set your cake over a rack with something to catch all the drips and then pour the frosting over the cake.

Let the frosting set a little before adding sprinkles.

Let set for at least an hour before eating and enjoying.

I was very happy with the results. It took minutes to put together and everyone really seemed to enjoy it, even going back for seconds (which is good as it meant less to take back home with me). Oh, and everyone loved the puppy too!
March 28, 2018