Vegan Medjool Date Syrup with Pancakes

Breakfast + 454g of medjool dates + awesome friend = breakfast date

This was not just any breakfast, this was a breakfast filled with a special ingredient, natural delights medjool dates. These dates are so fresh and are the perfect way to start the day with a boost of potassium! Now this date wouldn’t be complete without my friend Liz, who created a delicious recipe for savoury and sweet scrambled eggs tossed with medjools. Be sure to pop by her site to see what’s cooking.

To accompany the delicious egg scramble I made a vegan medjool date syrup to top yummy vegan pancakes filled with medjools. The pancakes are super moist and need to cook a little longer on each side, but it is totally worth the wait.

I made my date syrup quite thick because I love the flavour of dates, so it was more like a spread. If you want your syrup to be more liquid just add more water.

The secret to a perfect pancake is a non-stick frying pan, and having the pan heated to a perfect temperature to flip some flapjacks. Once I had placed the batter into the pan I gently put 3 -4 slices of bananas on top. Since the pancakes have to cook longer, the bananas actually caramelized a little to add even more flavour to an already flavourful pancake.

Taking photos for this recipe post was so much fun, especially since I was with Liz, who gives great feedback and positive reinforcement that I am not crazy for moving the spoon 1 mm to the left for the absolutely perfect shot of food. These are a few snaps I took of her in action.

Now what are you waiting for, grab a friend and set a date to cook with delicious medjools!

Thanks so much for stopping by, until next recipe so long!
Anna

xoxoxo

Vegan Walnut Brownie Cookies + The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

I have always loved cookie swaps. It is an excuse to make an extra big batch of cookies only to trade half of them (or more) for an assortment of other delicious cookies. These swaps always inspire me right before my big holiday bake-off! I have hosted a cookie swap in the past with friends which was awesome! But this year I went to the virtual world with the end result being three boxes of different types of fresh baked cookies delivered to my doorstep. Obviously, this is awesome.

I discovered The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap last year but missed the sign-up deadline. I didn’t want to miss it this year so I marked it in my calendar and here we are now, blogging about my experience!

I decided to work on creating a recipe that was vegan, and came up with these sandwich cookies. These cookies are a little on the cakey + delicate side, but really delicious. I used walnuts and ground them into a walnut butter, but feel free to use any nut you like. I chose walnuts because they make me think of Christmas’s spent at my grandpa’s farm where it wasn’t the holiday’s unless there was a bowl of large assorted nuts near a nutcracker.

I tested these cookies a couple times in order to get the recipe I wanted which has a brownie texture that is just sturdy enough to handle. It is also super important to let the dough rest in the freezer over night for 1 or even 2 days. This helps to allow time for the dry and wet ingredients to settle into each other.

One thing I forgot to add in the recipe is that I added some extra chopped walnuts to give the cookies a little extra texture.

The best part of this cookie swap is discovering other amazing food blogs in Canada! I sent a dozen of these cookies to The Tasty Gardner, Cheap Ethnic Eats, and Forever Faith and Food. I received delicious Kris Kringle cookies from Hot Pink Apron, chocolate and vanilla biscotti from Kate’s Plate, and Cardamom Quince Layer Cookies from The Yum Yum Factor. It was a really fun time baking and discovering new blogs! I will definitely be checking out these recipe hubs from now on.

Now it is back to the kitchen to bake, bake, bake, especially now since I am inspired from all these awesome cookie ideas! Good luck with your holiday baking and hope to see you soon!

Much Love,
Anna xoxox

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Whole Wheat Strawberry Scones + Toronto Picnickers

Growing up I spent a lot of time on my grandpa’s farm, also known as Papa Moo’s (he had cows).  In the fall we would pick apples, in August we would pick blueberries and in June we would pick strawberries. It was always my most favourite time of the year when I would be released in a field of fruit and be able to pick and eat as much as my stomach could handle.

Now living in an urban centre I am getting myself out of bed to make the 5am St. Lawrence Farmer’s market on Saturday in the nick of time so I can still make it to work on time. It is a little different, but I could still feel that excitement when I saw the first Ontario strawberries of the season on the fruit benches at the market. Maybe a little tart but totally worth it, especially if feeding people at a picnic.

This time the Toronto Picnickers hit up Dufferin Grove Park. It was the most beautiful day filled with chats, food, drinks, puppy love, and frisbee tossing. To read more about our adventure check out Swallow Daily.

I am happy to say that I had the most lovely visit from one of my followers (Julie) she is from France and saw that I asked people to come to my picnic and asked if she could come. It was the most pleasant surprise as she brought a delicious apple tart. Thanks so much for coming out!

I will put it out there again, if you are in Toronto and interested in food and picnics please contact me at cupcakesalwayswin@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you. I will be promoting the next picnic in July on twitter so stay tuned for that!

The scones were a hit, they were delicious! I brought fresh strawberries to the picnic as well as these Strawberry Cookie Snack Bars. Nobody complained. My awesome friend Liz  brought Sekanjabin and delicious Cucumber Smash.

I am really excited for our next picnic and I am also really excited because my sister has just come home from a long trip! So i will be baking up a storm for her and you guys will get to see the results visually 🙂

Thanks so much stopping by I love hearing from you! Hope you have the most wonderful day,

Anna xoxoxo

Cocoa Kettle Corn

This is a delicious recipe that is simple and has pretty much been an addictive snack since the 18th century. The only change I made was adding a touch of cocoa. Which made it all the more tastier! Now, not only is it sweet and salty but there is little hint of cocoa.

This is my final recipe contribution (for now) to Live Below the Line Canada. If you missed my other posts, here are the links: Homemade Pasta with Roasted Garlic  and Vegan and Gluten-Free Chickpea Blondies.

If  you haven’t checked out Live Below the Line yet you most definitely should! From April 29-May 3, everyone is being challenged to eat for only $1.75 a day.  It is a wonderful initiative and a great challenge. I will be working to make it a habit to eat for $1.75 once a month so developing these recipes has really helped me realize just how much I have, and how it really isn’t difficult to eat for a little amount as long as you are prepared and plan ahead.

Go team Live Below the Line! Wishing all the participants the most fun in the kitchen, be creative and have fun!

Enjoy the day and thanks for stopping by!

Much Love,

Anna xoxoxoxo

Peanut Butter Chocolate Ginger Muffins

This recipe post was a team effort with my friend Liz from Noms for the Poor. She is super talented and has some really great recipes. I invited her over for some baking and food photo fun. It was a really great time and we hope to hang out again soon to whip up some more delicious treats!

We adapted the recipe from How Sweet it is, and were super happy with the results.

These moist, and dense mini muffins are definitely more of a tea time treat.

On a day like today with flakes of snow falling into place to form heaps of snow, a warm muffin oozing of chocolate does go down quite nicely.

A big thanks goes out to Liz and totally stop by her site to see some more cool ideas and recipes!

Have a wonderful weekend, and thanks for visiting,

Anna xoxoxox

Tahini Dumplings

Sometimes the most unexpected experience is the most wonderful. Like taking a bite out of a Tahini Dumpling… with a large dollop of lemon curd. A little on the unexpected experience side, but mostly just pretty darn tasty!

These are a cinch to make and are an easy way to impress a guest. For an added crunch I put some chopped pecans in the filling as well. The combination of the citrus in the lemon curd just really sits well on the palette. My taste-buds were clearly dancing after enjoying a few of these dumplings…

Winter time calls for comfort foods like these dumplings that will automatically brighten up the day. These little filled and boiled dough pockets mean no funny business when it comes to the happiness of one’s taste-buds.

Stay bright and warm and thanks for stopping by!

Have a great, great, great day!

Anna xoxoxo

Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding

From short-breads to warm cinnamon buns and layered sweet squares I know I have successfully taken pride in satisfying my sweet tooth over the holiday’s and I hope you have too! Now hold up those truffles and buckeyes too for a cheers to the sweet tooth from me to you!

Now it is time to take a second and realize that I have come up with the ultimate treat that just so happens to be vegan! This Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding is dense, moist and oozing with flavour! My first attempt was at a party I hosted, and it went over SO very well!

I take most of my photos outside on a wooden bench in my backyard. However, on this occasion I had to give myself extra time for photos because there was some shoveling to be done (aka. some serious rolling around in the snow).

It is time to enjoy the rest of the wintery weather and spend more time with friends that are visiting! Maybe this vegan treat will come in handy! It really is a snap to make!

Happy Holidays everyone!!! Much Love,

Anna xoxox

Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding

Makes 1 9″ Cake Round – Start by greasing the pan with oil and flour

What you need,

3-4 bananas

3/4 package of dates (I used 3/4 of a 375g package)

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp. molasses

3/4 cup hot water

zest of an orange

1 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

How to prepare,

1. Set oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Mash bananas.

3. Chop dates and add to the mashed bananas.

4. Add the sugar to the banana mixture and beat for about 30 seconds.

5. Add the hot water, orange zest and molasses to the banana mixture.

6. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until blended.

8. Place batter into cake pan and bake for 30-60 minutes. It takes closer to an hour to make. It is also such a moist batter that you may not think it is done when it is done. Look for the cake to pull away from the sides of the pan and test the readiness by inserting a knife to see if it is finished baking. You may need to let it bake a little longer than an hour depending on the oven being used.

9. For a decadent frosted glaze look on top, mix about a quarter of a cup of icing sugar with a couple teaspoons of water and drizzle on top of the cooled cake.

Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

While waiting for the snow to subtly drift through the sky, I find myself occupied in the kitchen baking cookies… or biscotti to be precise.

There is really no losing when Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti is on the menu. The only thing missing is a few friends and a pot full of steaming tea.

The biscotti was really great and did not last more then a minute past the day it was made. The cocoa made the biscotti a little more dense and not as dry because of the higher fat content.

It is important to not get caught up in the Christmas cheer and to make every moment count! Even if it means really enjoying a good sized portion of fresh Chocolate Pistacho Biscotti. No one is judging here…

Wishing you a time of peace and happiness! I hope to give you a few more recipes for the holiday’s this year. But be sure to check out my recipe list in the above tab for many inspirational recipes for the holiday’s!

Thanks for poppin’ in and hope to see you soon! Much love,

Anna xoxox

Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

Adopted from Martha Stewart

What you need,

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder (dutch processed)

1 tsp. baking soda

dash of salt

6 tbsp. butter (unsalted)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup of pistachios

How to prepare,

1. Set oven to 350 degree F.

2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

3. Mix flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda in separate bowl.

4. Add a little at a time of the flour mixture to the butter/egg mixture.

5. The dough will be really stiff. I usually just use my hands near the end to get all the flour mixed in.

6. Add pistachios to the mixture.

7. Using a parchment lined baking sheet, place the biscotti dough on top. Form a log that is about 12×4 inches.

8. Bake for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and slice biscotti into 1 inch pieces.

9. Lower the oven to 300 degrees F and return the sliced biscotti in the oven for another 10 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Granola

Finding a voice among the many thought threads in my head is sometimes a little difficult. Now normally, a cupcake would win this battle. But every once in a while I need to take a step away from my everyday life to re-charge and find that voice… enter wicked cool tree-house…

 When one like myself goes to a tree-house with friends it only makes sense to bring snacks like granola! It was a weekend filled with fondue on a wood stove, hikes in the snow and late night music sessions. There were loads of cows grazing in the grass nearby to make this story even more nostalgic.

For an added crunch to the day, granola is perfect! I don’t usually use much of a recipe when I am making granola because it depends on what is in my pantry. I just so happened to have almonds, dried cranberries, black currants, and raisins. Share your favourite granola flavours below! I am sure I am not the only tree hugging granola eater out there…

Granola

What you need,

3 cups large flake oats

3/4 cup wheat germ

1 cup raw almonds

1 cup raisins

1/2 cups dried cranberries

1/2 cup black currants

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup brown sugar

dash of cinnamon

dash of salt

How to prepare,

1. Turn oven to 350 degree F.

2. On a parchment lined baking sheet place oats, wheat germ and almonds. Bake for 30 minutes. (This dries out the ingredients to help them to absorb the liquid more)

3. While the baking sheet is baking make the sweet topping: In a small saucepan on very low heat bring your honey and brown sugar to a more fluid or lower viscosity.

4. Once the oats, wheat germ and almonds have finished drying remove from oven and mix in dried fruits. Drizzle the sugar mixture on top and mix with a wooden spoon. With the wooden spoon press the oat mixture into the pan (this provides more crunchy bits…quite possibly the best part).

5. Return the tray into the hot oven and bake for anywhere from 15-30 minutes or until golden brown.

6. Let cool and break apart into pieces. Serve with milk, yogurt or nothing!

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Is October really almost over??? I am so shocked! These last few months have really flown by. It will already be Halloween in less then a week!

These sandwich cookies are perfect for Halloween entertaining because you can cut the dough into ANY shape and sprinkle black and orange sprinkles on top of the cookies before baking. I kept them simple this time since Halloween is still a few days away…

I have recently discovered how much I enjoy rolling out doughs and cutting fun shapes out of them. It looks as though it would be time consuming but once you have a system it is actually quite simple. The results are usually quite elegant as well!

They ended up being VERY similar to what an Oreo cookie tastes like, except homemade!

I hope your weeks have all been well! I look forward to seeing all this years Halloween baking creations! So much fun! 🙂 Have a great one,

Anna xoxo

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cookie Recipe book ‘Chocolate Sandwiches’

[Cookies]

What you need,

1 3/4 cup flour (+more for dusting when rolling out dough)

1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Dutch process)

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

vanilla

[Filling]

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup melted and cooled white chocolate

2 tbsp. whipping cream

2-3 cups icing sugar

How to prepare,

[Cookies]

1. In a bowl mix all of your dry ingredients. (flour, cocoa, baking powder)

2. In a separate bowl cream your butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla.

3. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until blended. It is a pretty firm dough so use your muscles 🙂

4. Form the dough into a small disk and wrap in plastic wrap and let chill in fridge for 1-2 hours.

5. Turn on oven to 325 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

6. Sprinkle some flour on your work area and roll out dough to a 3mm thickness. Use a cookie cutter and cut out desired shapes. The recipe made about 48 cookies or 24 sandwiches. Place cookie on parchment lined cookie tray and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool and fill with white chocolate filling.

[Filling]

1. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add melted and cooled white chocolate and beat until combined. Add about 1 cup of the icing sugar and mix until combined and add the 2 tbsp. of whipping cream. Continue to add the icing sugar until you have a desired consistency/taste.

2. Fill cooled cookies with about 1 tbsp. of filling.