Honey and Spice and Puddin'

Dear T,

Here is yet another invention of mine. It happened because I've not gotten over my pumpkin fix for this year. Often I turn to pumpkin pudding to satisfy my craving. I have been toying with how to make pudding healthier -namely replacing the refined sugar and maybe starch- without using those awful no-sugar pudding mixes. Anyways, I've discovered how to swap out the sugar for honey. In the process I inadvertently, er, *intentionally*, created this yummy concoction. It's half way through the process of making pumpkin pudding, but it was so good I wanted to stop there. Think of sugar plum fairies, spice cookies, and Christmas puddings :happy sigh:

Must Make and Much Love,

~Sonia

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Honey Spice Pudding

1/2 c honey
2 tbsp starch
1 1/2c milk
2 egg yolks lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tbsp butter

Put honey and starch in a pot. Mix until well blended. Add milk and stir constantly over heat until boiling. Boil 1 min until thickened. In a seperate bowl beat yolks and then *slowly* add half of the milk mixture stirring constantly to prevent egg yolk from curdling. Then add the egg yolk mixture back into the pot with the rest of the milk mixture. Bring to a boil again for 1 min, stirring constantly. Take off heat and add vanilla, butter, and spices to taste.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin, Naturally

Dear T,

Since I've taken on our meal planning I've been trying to find ways to make family favorites healthier. I've played around with less sugar, sugar subs, and lately -honey. Frankly I'm finding more and more ways to use honey and am very pleased with the results. It makes cookies chewier, desserts healthier, and adds an almost nutty flavor. So far my favorite tinkerings with it have been Honey BBQ sauce, chocolate chip cookies, and now this really wonderful sugar free pumpkin cream cheese pie.

I love pumpkin, but it's hard to avoid using sugar with it. Sugar subs simply taste fake, processed sugar sky rockets the empty calories, and less sugar (more custard-like pumpkin pie) is way too "eggy". So one evening I was determined to come up with something acceptable AND healthy. I eyeballed a few recipes and then faced the mixing bowl. With a slightly haphazard approach, I added and stirred and baked. Then the moment of truth -the taste test. It was amazing! I actually like it BETTER then other traditional pumpkin pies in flavor and texture. Creamy, full of deliciousness, not bland like pumpkin pies can be.

Forgive me if I bask in the excellent outcome of this experiment because they do not always turn out very well. ;) I must say this is definitely a win for the honey team. Go bees!

Anyways,
from my kitchen to yours with much love,

~Sonia

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Better Pumpkin Pie

Pie filling:

12oz can of pumpkin puree
8 oz cream cheese
1 egg
2/3 cup honey
1 tbsp molasses
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp of pumpkin pie spice mix (or just cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger)

Crust:
~1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
(or use gingersnap crumbs and skip the above crust ingredients)
~1/3 cup melted butter (or enough to make crumbs stick together)

Pie filling:

Cream cream cheese until light. Beat in egg until well mixed. Mix in the rest of the pie filling ingredients until smooth.

Crust:
Mix crumbs and spices together. Stir in butter until crumbs want to stick together. Press into the bottom of a greased deep dish pie pan (don't press up the sides). Pour pie filling in. Bake at 400 F for 15 min then reduce to 325 for 45 min more. Pie is done when knife inserted into center comes out clean.

All-Canadian Sweetness

Dear Sonia~

I think it’s about time my Canadian-ness showed its face around here, don’t you?

Mom and I were using up some scraps of pastry today and turned some of it into Butter Tarts.  “Why don’t Americans make butter tarts?” I wondered aloud.  “It’s not like they don’t have access to the necessary ingredients.”

So maybe you as an American can answer that for me.

Yes, these are insanely sweet and sticky and not at all good for you.  But every once in a while we insane Canadians just gotta have ‘em.

~your Canada Goose

*     *     *

1/4 c. butter, melted

1/2 c. brown sugar

pinch salt

1/2 c. corn syrup

1 lightly beaten egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

a few drops lemon extract

1/2 c. raisins

12 tart shells, unbaked

Whisk the first seven ingredients in a small bowl.  Stir in raisins.  Spoon mixture into tart shells, filling each about 2/3 full.  Bake at 350 F for about 20-25 minutes.

*Note: if you bake them in pastry-lined muffin tins the way we do, removing the tarts can be a challenge.  Be sure to do it as soon as they come out of the oven.

Cream Puff Memories

Dear T,

If memories were baked I'm pretty sure they'd turn out like an choux pastry. Light, delicate, and hollow so you could stuff all the good happy feelings inside.

One of my dear "little sisters", you know -I've talked about them before, recently asked for the cream puff recipe that I had made for the blissful New Years we spent together. It was a wonderful time since we hadn't seen them for many months. This recipe is a part of that memory. These little bites of happiness are worthy of their own memory though -talk about yumminess! Just close your eyes to the calories ;) I did :P But it was worth the price for the memories :)

Maybe we can make our own memories with this recipe someday too ;)

Love,

Sonia

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1c water
1/2 butter
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup flour
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line sheet pans with parchment paper, spray lightly. Set aside.

Boil water, butter and salt together in a large saucepan. Turn heat to medium.

Add flour all at once.

On low-medium heat, beat constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball and leaves sides of pan for approximately 3-4 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a high-speed mixer with a stainless steel bowl.

Beat for 2-3 minutes on low speed with paddle attachment. This allows it to cool down while mixing.

Turn mixer to medium and add eggs one at a time, beating after each egg.

The dough is ready when it forms together and comes away from the bowl. This could take up to a total of 10 minutes.

Spoon pastry into large pastry bag or cookie scoop.

Pipe into eclairs or use small, medium or large scoops to make the shape you need, leaving a few inches between.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until the outside is golden brown. Then cut a 1" slit on one side of each pastry. Reduce heat to 375; bake pastries 10 min longer. Turn oven off; cool pastries in oven with door ajar.

Let cool before filling. Store unfilled puffs in a sealed container. These freeze well, making it easy to pop out a few when you need them.

Fill by tubing in pudding or whipped cream.

EAT 8)

A Little More Fall Flavour

Dear Sonia~

Mom and I first made this apple butter waaaay back when I was eight years old.  You know the American Girl dolls?  I’d gotten a box with Felicity paper dolls, craft book and kit, and a cookbook.  So of course I was interested in using my very own cookbook.  Even if I didn’t really like cooking.

Fast forward thirteen years.

I’m scheduled to have a surgery and the doctor says NO dairy and NO fats.

So what’s a girl to have for breakfast?  No yogurt, no milk, no cereal (because I don’t like to eat it dry the way you do, at least not for breakfast), no cheese toast, no bagels with cream cheese… I felt quite lost.

And then I remembered the apple butter we’d made years ago and decided to give it another try.  As I stirred the fragrant mixture on the stove, I knew I’d made the right decision.

I have to admit not all of the apple butter got eaten on toast the way I’d intended.  Many a time did I dip a spoon into the bowlful of apple butter that occupied a space in our fridge for no more than a week or two.  The flavour reminded me of apple pie… only there was no crust in the way.  Perfection.

Love~
T

*     *     *

3 c. sweet apple cider (we just use apple juice)

2 pounds apples (about 6 large apples)

1/4 c. honey

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp allspice

Measure the cider or juice into a large pot.  Bring it to a boil over medium heat and let it boil for 15 minutes.

While the cider is boiling, peel, core, and quarter the apples.  Add to the boiling cider.  Cover the pot and cook the apples over low heat until they are very tender, about an hour.  Stir them often while they cook.

Use a potato masher to mash the apples.  Stir in the honey and spices.  Turn the heat to low and cook the apple mixture uncovered for about 30 minutes, until it thickens.  Stir often.

Turn off the heat and let the apple butter cool for 15 minutes in the pot.  Spoon into jars (about 2 pints) and store in the refrigerator.

Fall...and how to cook it

Dear T,

I have finally accepted Fall. Mostly because I no longer have a camping trip in my near future. Therefore, Fall may arrive. In fact, I'm reveling in thoughts of pumpkin mousse, warm sweaters, hot chai, hearty meals, crisp cool fall air, and crackling fires. It's hard to capture all of Fall in one dish, but I think this recipe come close. So, my dear friend, bake, stir, taste, chop, smell, stew, and enjoy Fall in a crock-pot.

Love,

Sonia
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1 beef roast
1/2 of a sweet red onion, sliced
3 large potatoes in thick chunks
~2 cups of baby carrots, whole

2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 apple sliced

Tenderize roast with a fork. Place roast in roaster or crockpot. Rub with salt and pepper to taste. Brush with olive oil. Drizzle vinegar on top of roast and then pour the water over the roast to dilute vinegar. Add vegetables around sides of meat. Cover and cook at 400 for 30-45 min. Then place apple slices on top of roast and cover again and finish cooking meat (until easily sliced with a knife, about another 30 min).

Chicken Chili

Dear Sonia~

Remember once upon a time I was chatting with you while making chicken chili? This is it. Let me just say that it's waaaaay better than ordinary chili with beef. But that's just my two cents. And remember that that statement comes from a girl who loves chicken and only tolerates beef. So yeah.

It was so fun making this. The bright colors in the pot are, as I told Mom, a delight to my soul. It's the perfect meal for a crisp beginning-of-fall day. Just add cornbread :) .

Love,

T

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

• 2 red or green peppers, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 2 c. diced fresh tomatoes
• 1 1/2 c. chicken broth or water
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 c. salsa
• 1 c. canned (and drained) or frozen corn
• 4 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• dash black pepper
• 2 c. cooked cubed chicken
• salt to taste

Saute peppers, garlic, and onion in oil. Add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the chicken and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes until chili is somewhat thickened. Add chicken and simmer another 10 minutes, adding additional water if necessary (I've never had to). Taste the chili and if you think it needs salt, why, just go ahead and a little ;) .

Things are best shared, and I suppose that includes chocolate...

My Dearest Dear T,

This. This is a beautiful thing. Here we writing to each other things near and dear to our hearts. But down to the meat of this little letter to you. Chocolate. It does things to one. Like console our souls. It toasts celebratory occasions. And it truncate our sentence apparently. Simply put, these cookies are glorious. So glorious that I made them a hour ago and had to get recipe to you as soon as I came to after dying and going to chocolate heaven.

So, without further ado, from me to you, enjoy!

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Fudge Drop Cookies

1 1/2 c dark or semisweet chocolate
1 cup butter
3/4 c white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 cup flour
more chocolate chips if wanted

Melt the chocolate chips. Beat butter into chips. Beat egg, salt, vanilla, and sugar into mixture very well. Gradually add flour. Stir in more chocolate chips if wanted. Form bite size balls and bake at 375 for 6-8 min. Can be rolled in powdered sugar.

When You're Out of Plain Ol' Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Dear Sonia,

Yesterday night I felt like baking cookies. Little sis felt like eating cookies. Good match, eh?

"Chocolate chip cookies, no oatmeal," she specified. So I pulled out a recipe that my family LOVES... when they turn out well, that is. Somehow I have trouble getting consistent results, mainly because I'm too careless to soften the butter properly. Yesterday I got the butter exactly right - squishy, but not melty. My dough was absolutely beautiful, soft and light and wonderful to work with.

And then I searched the pantry for chocolate chips. Nothing. On the day that the dough came out perfectly... how nice.

Just a handful of white chocolate chips. Not enough for a batch of cookies. But I dumped them in anyway and wondered what on earth I'd use to make up the difference. In the end I sacrificed some plain milk chocolate from my own stash.

And the cookies... they were good.

Love~

T

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• 1 1/3 c. softened butter
  
• 1 c. brown sugar


• 1 c. white sugar


• 2 eggs


• 2 tsp vanilla


• 3 c. flour


• 2 tsp baking powder


• 2 c. chocolate chips

Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and baking powder, then chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoon on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8-11 minutes at 375 F. Cookies should be barely golden around the edges and barely set in the center - you don't want to overbake these.

What the World Needs Now....

Dear T,

The world definitely needs more Strawberry Lemonade in it. This is a fact. It is a fact because Strawberry Lemonade is a God-gift to human kind. Tangy, sweet, fruity, sunny -besides, what other drink stands up and screams "SUMMER!"

What's that? I'm biased? Just because I like Strawberry Lemonade doesn't mean I flourish it's jeweled existence on earth :halo:

But anyways,

without more (though deserved) waxing eloquent on it's virtues, here's the good recipe I found.

Enjoy!

~Sonia
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• 1 cup Sugar
• ½ cups Water
• 1 pint Strawberries
• 1 cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
• 4 cups Cold Water (to Dilute)
• Ice And Strawberries For Garnish

Add the sugar and water to a saucepan and heat it to dissolve the sugar – do this without stirring. Once the sugar appears dissolved, then swirl to mix. Remove from heat once sugar crystals are completely dissolved (if you’re not sure, then let it simmer for another minute). Pour into a large pitcher.

Pulse the strawberries in the blender, leaving chunks. Add the lemon juice and strawberries to the large pitcher with the simple syrup. Dilute with 4 cups of cold water (or to taste).

Let the whole mixture sit in the fridge for several hours or overnight. You can serve it immediately, but trust me, it tastes a lot better after the strawberries are saturated in the mixture and the flavors have gotten happy together.

To serve, garnish cups with one whole strawberry and ice. Yum!

You may want to double, triple or even quadruple the recipe if you’re having a party, because this stuff will be gone before you can blink.

Enjoy!

Recipe original link