Super Easy Iced Coffee

 

Hello there beautiful people,

I have a confession to make.

I am a coffee junkie.

I love it. In every form. Cold, hot, blended with ice, over ice, in cookies, in cake, in frosting, in pancakes, I can’t get enough. Its just so freakin delicious!

Today is an amazingly gorgeous day, and what’s perfect on a beautiful, sunny day with a clear blue sky? ICED COFFEE PEOPLE. So here, dear readers, is my favourite way to make it myself, which results in delicious, cold, refreshing, relatively inexpensive, iced coffee that you can have in approximately 2 minutes, none of this cold-press-brewing-letting-it-sit-overnight business. I need instant gratification, there’s no time for that shit, I have things to do and places to go, you know?! :p 

 

Things you’ll need:

– a tumbler with a lid (if you don’t have a tupperware cup with a lid like I happen to, then feel free to use a container of some sort)
– a keurig-type coffee maker with pods (if you don’t have one, don’t worry, I’ll get to that)
– your favourite coffee pod (mine is Van Houtte French Vanilla Light)
– ice
– your favourite coffee creamer (mine is Coffeemate Fat Free French Vanilla)

Lets get started:
– Fill your tumbler with lid with ice, and add in your desired amount of coffee creamer (I like to fill my tupperware cup up until about the 1/3 mark
– If you have a keurig-style coffee maker, set it to brew at the setting 6 (NOT 4), on mine, this is the second lowest setting, not the very lowest, feel free to experiment to get your desired strength of coffee.
– If you don’t have a keurig-style coffee maker, a shot of strong brewed espresso, or very strong brewed coffee will work just fine as well.
– Brew your coffee in the container/cup with ice and creamer, put on the lid, take it over to the sink, and shake, shake, shake to your hearts content (this is my favourite part).
– Add a few (I usually put in 3-4) ice cubes to a glass, pour in your shaken up iced coffee, and drink up !

 

Mmmm…

Apple Cider Bread French Toast

 

 

Happy Monday, Lovers and Friends !

I was in Kingston a couple weekends ago, and had some amazing french toast at a breakfast place there. It was so amazing that I knew I’d have to try recreating it once I got home. It was made with apple cider bread, served with orange slices, and apple cider creme fraiche, with maple syrup on the side if you wanted to use it. Absolutely divine. Luckily, while I was still in town, I picked up a loaf of the amazing apple cider bread to bring back home with me.

My french toast isn’t exactly the same as what I had at the restaurant, but I still loved it ! I think next time I will add more spices to bring out some flavours and compliment others a bit more, and maybe use one egg and one egg white instead of two eggs. I hope you try it out, apple cider bread or not, and love it as much as I did 🙂

 

Apple Cider Bread French Toast
Makes enough for 1 serving

2 thick slices apple cider bread
2 eggs
1/4 cup vanilla soy milk (feel free to use your favourite milk)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

Optional Garnishes:
Fresh Fruit
Yougurt
Maple Syrup
Jam/Jelly
Whipped Cream

Preheat a skillet to medium heat, once it is preheated, put in a tiny bit of butter.

In a shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, spices, and vanilla.

Put your bread slices in the mixture and allow them to soak for a few minutes, turn them over, and allow them to soak on the other side for an additional few minutes.

Place the bread into your pre-heated skillet, and allow the toast to cook until browned on bottom, flip and cook until the other side is nicely browned.

Slide your finished french toast onto a cute donut plate, and top with desired toppings. I topped mine with some strawberry greek yogurt (my new obsession) and fresh strawberries, put a little ramekin of maple syrup on my plate for dipping, and  had a couple of pieces of tempeh on the side.

So delicious.

Quinoa Fried Rice

I LOVE QUINOA.

It’s seriously my favourite food. I’ll eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert..you name it, I’ll find a way to include quinoa. After falling in love with quinoa at whole foods once, I decided to find more ways to make it, which led to amazing breakfast quinoa that I love, and also this quinoa fried rice. Yum.

I topped mine with Sweet Chili Lime Tofu, and I really liked the combination of the two, I hope you try this quinoa soon and fall as much in love with it as I have :).

Quinoa Fried Rice – Recipe from Peas and Crayons
Makes enough for 2-4 servings

1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 cup of fresh or frozen veggies (I used one of those Green Giant frozen mixed vegetable bags with peas, beans, carrots, and corn)
1 egg
oil for sauteeing
salt and pepper to taste

Put the quinoa into a pot with water and let it come to a boil, then turn the heat down and allow it to simmer until all the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes).

While your quinoa is cooking, start your veggies. Saute the vegetables in a large pan (make sure its large enough to fit your quinoa in later, i made this mistake and regret it). Push the veggies to one side of the hot pan and scramble your egg on the other side.

By now your quinoa should be ready. Add little bit of garlic powder, fluff it with a fork, and throw your quinoa into the pan with the vegetables and egg. Next add the soy sauce. Season with a little salt and pepper and pan fry for a few minutes.

Plate it up and serve on its own or with a little protein.

Delicious.

Brownie Cookie Dough Whoopie Pies

These are so much fun ! I love them, and the friend I made them for did too :). They start off with a brownie-like cookie, and are filled with chocolate chip cookie dough filling. The filling is pretty sweet, but it balances out the intense cocoa flavour of the brownie cookies.

They are fun to make, pretty to look at, and delicious, I hope you try them out :).

Brownie Cookie Dough Whoopie Pies – Recipe inspired from Macaroni and Cheesecake
Makes about 16 large sandwiches

Brownie Cookies:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 salt
1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350F and cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking powder & baking soda.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, reducing the mixer speed to low, add in the eggs one at a time, until each is completely incorporated. Slowly add in the flour mixture just it is until combined.

Shape the dough into 1 1/4 inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheets two inches apart. Flatten the tops of the cookies gently with your palm and bake for approximately 8-10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

While the cookies are cooling, you can begin to prepare your filling 🙂

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Filling:
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 + 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup flour
pinch salt
3 tbsp milk
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

With a mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar, then add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until smooth.

Add in flour and salt until combined, then add milk and vanilla.

Stir in mini chocolate chips.

Assembly:
Pair up your cookies so that similarly sized ones are together.
To fill the cookies you can either use two spoons or a piping bag, whichever you find easiest.
Put about a tablespoon of frosting in the middle of one of each paired cookie, and then gently sandwich the two together.
If you want, you can even use a few extra chocolate chips and push them in around the sides.

Nom.

Valentine’s Day Browned Butter Blondies

These were more of a chocolate chip cookie bar than a blondie, but I really loved them. Not only are they super easy to make (I made 2 batches at the same time) but they are amazing, I brought them to work, and they were devoured in 2 minutes. I can guarantee that whoever you make these for will love them 🙂

I didn’t modify the recipe too much, I kept the coconut in one batch, and in another I added toffee bits instead of coconut, and I really liked the depth of flavour it lent to the blondies. You can easily add in (or take away) any extras, I think these would be great with peanut butter, or with white chocolate chips instead of milk. No matter how you make these, you’ll definitely capture the heart of your valentine, hehe.

Valentine’s Day Blondies Recipe from Six Sisters Stuff
Makes 16-20 pieces (one 9×9 pan)

10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut (or sub in 1/2 cup toffee bits)
1 1/4 cups milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips (use 1 1/2 cups if you’re using the toffee bits)
Pink and Red Smarties or (M&M’s) for the top

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper.

Brown the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to smell nutty (make sure to watch it closely so it doesn’t burn). Let the butter cool for a few minutes, until it is almost at room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter and sugars.

Stir in egg, vanilla and salt, then stir in flour, coconut and chocolate chips until batter is thorougly mixed.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle a few Smarties on top.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Make sure to let the blondies cool before cutting or you’ll have a big ol’ gooey mess on your hands :p.

Turtle Cheesecake

I know I’m a little late on Thursday’s promised post, but I’ll be back later on today with something else, so maybe having two posts in one day will help to even out my tardiness? Yes? Okay, sounds good to me!

This cheesecake was super easy to make, and I was relatively happy with the way it turned out. I wish the “turtle” component had been more identifiable, so next time maybe I’ll alter it a little, but this is a terrific cheesecake nonetheless.

Turtle Cheesecake
Serves 12-14 people

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp butter, melted
3 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
3 eggs
1/2 cup caramel sauce (either store-bought or homemade)
8-10 Turtle’s chocolates, roughly chopped

Preheat your oven to 325F and begin preparing your crust by combining the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl and pressing the mixture on the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until thoroughly combined, then add the eggs, one at a time, ensuring the first egg is well blended before adding the next.

Pour the cheescake mixture over the crust and bake for 1 hour and 5 to 1 hour and 15 minutes (make sure the centre is almost set).

Allow the cheesecake to cool in the pan for a little while (15-20 minutes or so), then loosen the rim and gently place the cheesecake on the plate you’ll be using to serve it.

Top your cheesecake with caramel sauce and garnish with chopped Turtle’s chocolates. Chill your cheesecake in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight if you can. Take it out a few minutes before serving, and enjoy !

Clean Eating Waffles

I made these one night for myself for dinner, and they were really good. Light and fluffy on the inside, and slightly crispy on the outside. The recipe is for those who follow a “clean” diet, meaning no refined sugars, refined flours, or preservatives.

The only thing that was a little frustrating was that I tried making these without using butter or cooking spray on the waffle iron, and the first batch stuck making it very difficult to get them off of the waffle iron, then I realized, DUH, I’m not follownig a clean eating diet, and sprayed the waffle plates with cooking spray, making things way easier, so if you aren’t following a clean eating diet, I highly reccommend spraying with cooking spray or using a bit of butter :).

Clean Eating Breakfast (or Dinner) Waffles – recipe from The Gracious Pantry
Makes approximately 3 servings

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (i just used regular whole wheat flour and it turned out just fine, if you aren’t eating clean, feel free to use all purpose flour)
2 cups vanilla soy milk (or plain soy milk, or regular milk)
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder

Preheat your waffle maker to medium heat (I put mine at about 325F).

Begin by putting your flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl, add your milk, and stir, then add the egg whites and stir.

Add the vanilla and cinnamon, and whisk your mixture, ensuring there are no lumps.

Lightly spray your waffle iron with cooking spray and pour about 1/2 cup of batter (or however much your waffle iron needs to be covered, mine is pretty big so i needed a lot of batter) and let it cook until golden brown on both sides.

Top your waffles with any of your favourite toppings, and enjoy ! 🙂

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

As promised, here I am with another recipe for this week, red velvet cheesecake brownies 🙂

These are so pretty to look at, and are really yummy too, I think that they’re a fun play on the traditional red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting. I made these for a friend’s birthday and was really happy with how they turned out, I hope you like them too!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies – recipe from Baking Bites
Makes 16-24 brownies

1/2 cup butter
2 oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 small dollops of red gel food colouring (or 1 1/2 tsp red liquid food colouring)
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350F and line a 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, melt the butter and chocolate together, stirring until smooth, set aside to cool slightly.

Next, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla, and red food coloring in a larger bowl. Add in the cooled chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. If the batter isn’t red enough for your taste at this point, feel free to add a bit more food colouring, but be wary of adding too much or it will affect the recipe.

Add the flour and salt into the bowl and stir until everything is combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and spread to ensure the red velvet layer is even.

In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Drop tablespoonfuls onto the red velvet layer in the pan and slowly swirl the two batters with a butter knife.

Bake the cheesecake brownies for 35-40 minutes, a toothpick tester should come out clean and the edges should be slightly browned.

Make sure to cool the brownies in the pan completely before slicing into them, and serve them chilled or at room temperature.

Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes

Hello all !
For those of you who didn’t know, Sunday was World Nutella Day, so in honor of the delicious chocolatey-hazelnut spread that I am obsessed with, I am posting these Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes. They start out with a chocolate-hazelnut cupcake base, continue the deliciousness with a Nutella filling, and are topped with Nutella buttercream frosting and a whole Ferrero Rocher chocolate. They are amazing and delectable and divine and you should make them for someone special today :).

Also, to make up for my blog neglect for the past few months, I will have a different recipe every day this week, just for you ;).

Now stuff your face with these cupcakes…om nom nom.

Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes – loosely adapted from Somewhere Splendid
Makes approximately 22 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp Frangelico hazelnut liqeur (or you could use hazelnut extract if you can find it)
1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup strong brewed espresso with 1/4 cup french vanilla coffee mate

Preheat your oven to 350F and line 2 muffin tins with paper liners.

Start by brewing your espresso and adding the coffee mate, stir and set it aside to cool. Next, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, and set it aside for later as well.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the sour cream, vanilla extract, and Frangelico; set aside for later.

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs one at a time at low speed until combined. Add the dry and wet ingredients alternating by beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Ensure each are properly combined and remember to scrape the sides of the bowl before switching from dry to wet and vice versa. Slowly incorporate your room temperature coffee to the batter and beat until completely combined.

Separate your batter into the prepared muffin tins. The original recipe yielded 24 cupcakes, but I tend to overfill my muffin tins and I only got 22. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out relatively clean (a few crumbs are ok), then set aside to cool.

Once your cupcakes have cooled, using a melon baller or the cone method, cut out a hole in the middle, saving the “hat” to each cupcake. Fill the hollowed out area with Nutella (I scooped some nutella into a plastic sandwich bag and piped it in, feel free to use a piping bag or two spoons, whichever suits your fancy :)) and replace the cupcake’s hat.

Nutella Buttercream:
2 cups Nutella
1/2 cup butter (softened, I like to cut mine into cubes)
1/2 cup shortening (softened, I like to cut mine into cubes)
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 tbsp Frangelico
8 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
Ferrero Rocher chocolates (for garnish)

Cream together the butter, shortening, and Nutella, then add in the confectioner’s sugar, one cup at a time, until well blended.

Add in the Frangelico, vanilla, and a small pinch of salt and mix, then add the heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. If its too runny, add more powdered sugar, if it is too stiff add more Frangelico or heavy cream.

Frost your cupcakes in the way that you desire (I decided to pipe the frosting on to be a bit more fancy :p) and garnish with a half or whole Ferrero Rocher Chocolate.

Enjoy !

Emergency Chocolate Cake

I know its been awhile, and I’m sorry, but I’m back babies ! Without further ado, enjoy my express post on emergency chocolate cake 🙂

Sometimes, you just really need some chocolate cake, not in 2 hours while you prepare the batter, bake it, wait for it to cool, and frost it before you can eat it, but one of those, ineeditrightthissecondorI’lldie kind of dealy. This is perfect. It takes two minutes (literally), you only dirty a mug, a tablespoon measure, and a fork, and SHAZAM, chocolate cake.

Here we go !

1. Grab a mug of your choice
2. Melt 2 tbsp of butter in said mug, then add 2 tbsp of water, 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt and whisk with a fork (or a small whisk if you want to be fancy about it)
3. Add 2 tbsp cocoa powder and whisk again.
4. It will probably look like this
5. Add 4 tbsp of sugar, whisk.
6. Add 4 tbsp of flour, whisk until combined, I also like to add a few semi-sweet chocolate chips for a little extra chocolate-y goodness, but you can leave those out if you want.
7. Now it will look more like cake batter…like this ! Microwave for 60-90 seconds (I microwave mine for 70 and it comes out perfect)
8. Enjoy with some peanut butter or ice cream (or both, if you’re like me ;))

Chocolate cake whenever I want? One word. Dangerous.

Have a great week !