Recipe Test Drive: Delish's Apple Tart

My cooking experiments have been influenced by Almost Makes Perfect before. This time, she baked an apple tart from Delish that looked too pretty to be homemade. Normally, I'm not drawn to complicated or cheffy-looking dishes, but she claimed it was both "easy" and "fun" to make. The ingredient list wasn't intimidating, and we just so happened to have a bag of McIntoshes in the fridge, so I decided to give the recipe a whirl. Two hours later, I had made... something...



Allow me to introduce you to my Apple Monster:

 

Hahahahaha. It certainly isn't winning any beauty pageants.

I hadn't baked a carbon copy of the original pastry. (Clearly!) However, shockingly, it wasn't a complete disaster either!

Missteps: My apples were sliced too thin. The crust came out a lot more ~rustic~ than intended. I left out the apricot glaze because, well, I couldn't be bothered to go out and buy some. Oh, and who knows if that's even the proper dish for baking pies?

Bright sides: The tart wasn't terribly difficult to pull together, and the final product definitely had that signature coziness of apple pie. It tasted so good! Sweet, spicy, buttery, gooey. Bonus: The kitchen smelled incredible.

I'd absolutely make this again -- mostly to work on my presentation lol. Next time, I'll remember to add a big fat scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side ;)

Image credit (top): Delish

Read More

The Best Banana Bread Recipe I Found All Year

In light of the pandemic's recent one-year anniversary (omfg), I am circling back to everyone's favorite pastime from the early days of the end-of-days: baking banana bread. 

Over the many, many months locked at home, I whipped up countless loaves and muffins to varying degree of success. When looking for my next project, my google searches ranged from "fast easy banana bread no eggs" because I didn't have patience or eggs in the fridge, to "banana bread spices nuts rum" when I was feeling *ambitious*, and tons of other queries in between.

To date, one recipe stands out as the very very very best: Ricardo's Ultra Moist Banana Bread. The ingredients are a drop unusual (lime juice and coconut milk?), the prep is quite messy (three bowls!), but the end result is insaaane. Soft, chewy, interesting depth of flavor. Honestly, it tasted like CAKE. We ate the whole thing in under twenty-four hours.

So, did you bake any damn banana bread this year? What recipe(s) do you really love?

Side note: In case you're wondering what to do with the leftover coconut milk, I used mine to make chia pudding.

Read More

Made-In-Montreal Panettone (And What To Do With The Leftovers)

Montreal is home to a big Italian community -- which might explain why, come December, there is no shortage of panetonne in markets and groceries stores. While it's totally acceptable to stan those mass-produced loaves, we're lucky to also have a bevy of special, artisanal options made right here in the city.

Here are some local standouts. A word to the wise: Order yours ahead of time to ensure you're equipped for Christmas :)

 

Left to right:

Arte & Farina (1256 Ontario St. E) FYI, A&F's panettone is also available at Epicerie Conserva.

Automne Boulangerie (6500 Christophe-Colomb) This is a new-to-me bakery and I've heard really good things!

 

Elena (5090 Notre-Dame W) Elena's token baked goods are great. (I longingly remember pistachio amaretti cookies from last summer.) I suspect their latest festive offering won't disappoint.

Hof Kelsten (4524 St. Laurent) I consider theirs the OG trendy artisanal panettone. Hof Kelsten is famous for their takes on traditional recipes. (Hello, chocolate babka!) Plus, the colorful packaging is something out of a Wes Anderson movie. 

*

In my experience, there is always, ALWAYS leftover panettone hanging around after the holidays. It's inevitable. Assuming you can't bring yourself to eat another (now drying) slice of sweet bread, how do you salvage the rest of it? Bread pudding, or french toast, or dipped in your coffee like a biscotti... Basically just revive the rest at breakfast time :)

Image credit: Sous Chef
Image credit (panettone): These images are linked back to their sources

Read More

Kid Snacks That You Still Love Today

I've been told I eat like an unsupervised kindergartener... Multiple times... By different people...

My response: Guilty as charged.

Those questionable nutrition choices most notably extend to snack food. I get unreasonably excited when restaurants do *fancy* takes on classic children's junk food. Crémy bakes versions of Ah Caramel and Joe Louis, McKiernan has their Deep N' Delicious chocolate cake, Epicerie Conserva made Whippets last weekend. Don't even get me started on Claire Saffitz's famous Gourmet Makes series for Bon Appétit!

However, as much as I love elevated junk food, nothing quite replaces the real deal. So, after too much consideration, I somehow narrowed down my top five favorite kid snacks that I still eat today :)

  

5. Teddy Grahams

TBH, I can go years without even thinking about Teddy Grahams, but as soon as they enter my periphery, I will go through a whole box with ease. (Especially if they're chocolate chip.) Graham crackers are kind of underrated -- they're juuust sweet enough that you can't get sick of them.

Side note: I still feel bad when I grab a dismembered and/or beheaded teddy from the batch lol.

4. Twinkie's 

When I was a kid, Twinkie's weren't available in Quebec, thus making them my personal Holy Grail of snack cakes. Look, I know they are basically poison... But THEY TASTE SO GOOD in the most cloying, greasy, delicious way. Original flavor only -- none of this limited edition garbage like pumpkin spice or strawberry cream. 

There's also a really good Gourmet Makes featuring Twinkie's! If you have eleven minutes to spare, check it out. Warning: You might spend your day watching the rest of Claire's videos. (The Cheetos episode is a lot of fun.)

3. Goldfish

My one-year old nephew and I share a passion for these crunchy, tangy treats. I actually contend that Goldfish are a relatively mature cracker. Prove me wrong! Have you ever sprinkled a handful of fishies on top of tomato soup? It's a very classy move.

 

2. Pop Tarts

Only frosted Pop Tarts, though. (Strawberry with sprinkles, specifically.)

1. May West 

The ultimate lunchbox dessert! It's crucial to always go for a large May West -- the cream-to-chocolate ratio is all wrong with the small ones.

*

Obviously, I need to know: Which are your favorite? Were you Gushers and Fruit Roll-Up kinda kid, or did your taste swing closer to Swiss Rolls and Fudgee-Os?

Image credit (top): Food & Wine Magazine

Read More

More Local Pastries To Impress

Ready for more adventures in the Montreal pastry scene? I am, always!

Last month saw cakes and other goodies of the sort. Today, we're talking donuts. The first spot in this list is an old standby. The second, a new-to-me pâtisserie whose treats were calling my name all summer. Both shops are on my side of the mountain, so I apologize for excluding any awesome options in the Sud-Ouest/NDG area. Maybe, once the pandemic is behind us (fingers crossed), I'll venture back to that part of town and stuff my face with all the sweets Léché, Rustique, and the gang have to offer ;)

For now, I'm strolling through Little Italy and Rosemont. On y va! 

TROU DE BEIGNE (156 ST. ZOTIQUE EAST)

Over the years, I've stopped for a Trou de Beigne donut many, many times. In fact, it's my favorite follow-up to a savory brunch at Santa Barbara. Their offerings come in two sizes and usually nine different flavors -- a combination of seasonal confections and perennial crowd-pleasers like maple bacon, cookie dough, and s'mores.

Personally, I'm an oreo gal, but occasionally dabble in the "limited time only" options. (I'm looking at you, mind-blowing peach jelly donut from last summer.)

Okay, fine, the treats at Trou de Beigne are kiiind of greasy -- avoid looking at your napkin when your donut is done. However, their texture is surprisingly light, and the largest size isn't exactly enormous, so I figure everything balances out nicely ;)

CREMY PATISSERIE (2202 MONT ROYAL EAST)

Last week, I schlepped myself to the corner of Mont Royal and Parthenais to finally test drive Crémy. I specifically set out to try their pistachio/cherry jelly creation, which I'd had my eye on for months (literally), and I'm pumped to report that it lived up to the hype!

Unlike TdB, these donuts are quite hefty. Like, difficult-to-take-a-bite big (not that I'm complaining lol). There's also an impressive choice of inventive options on the menu -- tons of cool flavor combos and fun reinterpretations of classic treats. Plus, on top of the donuts, Crémy makes their version of nostalgic snacks like Joe Louis and Ah Caramel. It took A LOT of self-control to keep myself from ordering one of everything. Which means I have to go back for more, I guess. What a struggle :)

Have you been to either of these shops? I'd love to get your input!

Image credit (top): Happy Shappy

Image credit (donuts): Trou de Beigne, Crémy

Read More

Recipe Test Drive: Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich Cookies

I was recently frozen at the pantry door, searching for snack inspiration, when peanut butter thumbprint cookies came to mind. Sweet and simple. If you've read other Recipe Test Drive posts, then you know my M.O. for baking is 100% lazy convenience. This recipe from Kraft seemed easy and almost all the ingredients were already in my kitchen.

Tweaks:

- Halved the recipe.

- Used applesauce instead of an egg.

- There's something the recipe should highlight in ginormous red letters: The batter requires AN HOUR of chill time in the refrigerator. That's a long wait -- especially when you are a naturally impatient person who should have read the recipe more carefully from the get-go. ANYWAY. By that point, I was already wrist-deep in sticky cookie batter and getting very, very hungry. So, I just put the bowl of dough in the freezer for five minutes and hoped for the best.

End result:

I was craving puffy pillow-like cookies with a well in the middle for holding jam...

But inadvertently made thin squishy discs...

Oops.

Clearly, my cookies totally flattened out as they baked. Probably because the dough was too mushy and warm going into the oven -- it couldn't hold it's shape.

Silver lining: They tasted great! The PB flavor was pretty mellow, the texture was super soft and chewy.

Turns out, my disfigured desserts were actually perfect for making sandwich cookies. I took two, put a small glob of cherry jelly on the flat side of each, then gently sandwiched them together until the filling made its way to the edge. They might still benefit from being chilled (to firm up the jam), but I couldn't tell you for sure because I'm a monster and ate mine immediately. They were GOOD.

Bonus: The batter was amazing. When you replace the egg with applesauce, you can eat it risk-free. I think?

Next time, I might smear a little peanut butter (or almond butter!) in the middle of the sandwich, alongside the jelly. Another tasty touch could be to sprinkle crushed peanuts on the cookies before they start to bake.

What are some of your cooking-related happy accidents? :)

Image credit (top): Food & Wine

Image credit (thumbprint cookies): Little Bitty Bakes

Read More

Recipe Test Drive: Blueberry Buckle

Do you ever buy aspirational groceries? Then eventually realize all your (long forgotten) kale is just wilting away in the fridge? And that buying those greens did NOT change your eating habits one iota?

I do, all the damn time, and last week was no different. Faced with the impending doom of an untouched pint of blueberries, I started looking for ways to transform the fruit into... well...

Into pastry.

Considering my options, I liked the idea of baking a "buckle" because it fell somewhere between what I really wanted (full blown pie) and what I was actually motivated to make (next to nothing). The internet is full of blueberry buckle recipes -- I chose this one because it seemed straightforward and I already had all the ingredients on-hand. 

Intentional substitutions:

Whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose

Oat milk instead of regular

Lemon juice instead of zest

Accidental changes:

I screwed up the streusel by using melted the butter instead of softened/room temp. Mine turned out wet and pasty, the recipe said it should be crumbly.

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS BEAUTY!

The result:

Basically, I made a perfect coffee cake! Thanks to that mess-up with the crumble topping, my blueberry buckle maintained a ton of moisture which, in turn, actually helped keep the cake soft and chewy. Happy accident :)

I would try it again with white flour, traditional milk, and add vanilla extract. Maybe even double the blueberries (or mix in other berries).

SORRY, NOT THE BEST PHOTO, BUT I HAD TO GET THAT CROSS-SECTION SHOT.

Let me know if you give this dessert a try!

Do you have a go-to recipe for when your fruit is about to pass its prime?

Image credit (top): Wife Mama Foodie

Read More

Local Pastries To Impress

When you're invited to someone's house for dinner, you shouldn't arrive empty-handed. Wine is obviously the foolproof offering, but sometimes a show-stopping dessert is more fun. Plus, what's better than being known for having excellent taste in treats? That's a pretty dope reputation to have.

When it comes to Montreal's confectionary scene, I consider myself pretty knowledgeable. We are lucky to have so (so so sooo) many places to shop for terrific dessert. Today, I'm going to share two of my absolute favorites.

PATISSERIE RHUBARBE (1479 LAURIER EAST)

Rhubarbe

Rhubarbe truly makes some of the prettiest pastries in town.

Better than being lovely to look at -- they also taste divine! The confections at Rhubarbe are incredibly well-crafted and high quality, but never stuffy or boring. Everything I've tried has been a near-perfect harmony of taste, texture, and lightness. They use fresh and flavorful ingredients to create interesting flavor combinations, and sometimes even make fun plays on conventional desserts.

Rhubarbe's lemon tart in all its glory.

Hands down, my favorite thing on Rhubarbe's menu is the lemon tart. It might be the best one I've tried anywhere, ever. The curd strikes a good balance between sweet and tart. The bottom crust is light, cookie-like, not too sweet. And don't get me started on those dollops of meringue! They are small, plush, sugary pillows. Look, I've tried more than a few lemon tarts in my time, and this one continues to be the one to beat. 

While you're at the counter, you should also grab a few pistachio dacquoises, mille-feuilles, and chocolate pear cakes. Thank me later ;)

BAR A BEURRE (348 NOTRE DAME EAST)

Bar à Beurre

Bar à Beurre is a little spot in Old Montreal, serving the most perfect pastries for people who like their treats very, very sweet. (I say that with all the love in my heart -- after all, I'm the one who named her blog after Betty Crocker.) Their desserts are a lot more playful than what you'd find in a traditional pastry shop. Lots of cute colors and fun flavors. For me, Bar à Beurre's calling card is their buttercream. It's unreal -- thick and creamy and sweet AF, like an upscale version of the old school stuff you find in a jar from the grocery store.

These are butter balls (wish I had one IRL right now).

If you're only ordering one thing, get the boules de beurre (translation: butter balls). They are two domed sugar cookies, fused together with that incredible frosting, then rolled in sugar. Bar à Beurre makes them in a TON of different flavors. Yes, they are ridiculously indulgent and probably so, so bad for you. Yes, you should absolutely eat them anyway.

Their sandwich cookies are also beyond. Imagine two huge scallop-edged sugar cookies that are dense and chewy, never cakey or dry. Sandwiched between them is a generous layer of (you guessed it) the bakery's signature buttercream. The thing literally feels heavy in your hand. Eating one is an intense experience -- one that I've never regretted ;)

*

There are at least a dozen more fabulous pastry shops to tell you about, but I'll just save them for next time. Where does your favorite dessert come from?

Image credit (top): Top With Cinnamon

Image credit (Rhubarb): Oh The Places She'll Go, Burpple

Image credit (Bar à Beurre): Sam's Travels, Mimi's Cake Tour

Read More

Local List: Best Ice Cream Around (Plateau/Villeray)

Happy first-day-of-summer!

Can't think of a better way to ring in the new season than with scoop (or three) of the best ice cream in town.

These are my favorite spots in the neighborhood. Rest assured, I know my freaken ice cream. You're in good hands. Don't forget your lactaid ;)

TRENDY

Kem Coba (60 Fairmount W.): Number One. Frankly, this is the best ice cream on the island. 

Les Givres (334 de Castelnau E.): Creamiest soft serve around. 

L'Armoire A Glaces (6220 St. Hubert): Interesting flavors. Love building an ice cream sandwich.

TRADITIONAL

Ripples (5554 Jeanne Mance): Homemade hard ice cream. PERFECT strawberry, PERFECT mint chocolate chip. They make popsicles, too!

Le Patio (836 Mont Royal E.): When you want a double-scoop of Super Kid but Laura Secord is nowhere near. Also, their scoops are GENEROUS.

DQ (4604 Parc): Sometimes you need to get basic with a blizzard or a chocolate dip.

HONORABLE MENTION

Gema (6927 St. Dominique): I recently ordered a chocolate/vanilla twist with cherry topping from their window. It. Was. Excellent! (And expensive.)

Bilboquet (1600 Laurier E.): Their sorbet is incredible. Blood orange, strawberry, and lemon are my flavors of choice. Josh is a big fan of pear.

Ca Lem (4223 St. Dominique): They might have hooked me with the watermelon soft serve. Will have to do more research ;)

Places I still have to visit in the neighborhood: Monsieur Cremeux, Swirl, Unicone.

Here's to a season full of frosty treats! Would love to hear how you are ringing in the new season :)

Image credit (top): Time Out

Image credit (middle): Tastet

Image credit (bottom): Zomato

Read More

Le Flotteur

I tried my first Flotteur (pictured above) from Noble Café last Thursday. Since then, I've had three more. That's four ice cream cocktails in one week.

I'M HOOKED.

The treat is nothing fancy. It's basically a tweaked version of caffè affogato. Instead of pouring hot espresso over a scoop of ice cream, the folks at Noble offer vanilla soft serve in a puddle of unsweetened cold brew.

And it tastes so damn good.

If you don't typically drink black coffee, have no fear! I was also concerned about their cold brew (because I'm a baby) and my first sip was definitely clouded by its strong, intense flavor. However, as your ice cream melts, it actually becomes a rich, super sweet creamer. Genius!

Essentially, we're talking about a highbrow iced capp (in a great way). A small Flotteur costs five-ish dollars and will give you a decent jolt of caffeine :)

Regarding pandemic anxiety, I feel comfortable stopping by Noble when there isn't a big crowd. The staff does a good job following health guidelines -- spacing out the line, serving behind plexiglass, wiping down the debit machine pre- and post-transaction, etc. Customers are served at the window, so you're always outside in fresh air.

Next time you're in the area and need an energy boost (or just jonesing for dessert), consider trying one of these! Maybe I'll even see you there lol.

Image credit: Better Be

Read More

Recipe Test Drive: Ina Garten's Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars

Let's start with what we know: I wish Ina Garten was my friend. The woman is a DELIGHT.

Now that that's been cleared up...

A word of warning: DON'T MAKE THESE unless you're prepared to eat the entire tray within 24 hours. The squares are that good.

In fact, to call them squares doesn't do them justice. You're basically layering peanut butter cookie dough with jelly. It's like a cookie-cobbler hybrid and I'm here for it.

These are the handful of substitutions I made:

- Halved the recipe

- Used cran-apple jelly (and probably not enough, I used up all we had left in the jar)

- Forgot to half the roasted peanuts lol

The result:

Not the most compelling photograph. (Note the paper towel lol.) Who has time to take pictures of their food when it tastes so damn good?

Anyway, the recipe was easy to follow, the ingredient list was pretty basic (you probably them all in your cupboard already), the end result was sweet and gooey and comforting and everything you want from a baked treat, really.

Try them and enjoy them. Thanks Ina!

Image credit (top): Barefoot Contessa

Read More

Recipe Test Drive: Caramel Popcorn

Let's get real about something: Popcorn is NOT high on my list of favorite snacks. All those kernel shards stuck in your teeth, like little razors? I'll pass.

BUT...

Popcorn as a vehicle for homemade caramel? Say no more. I'm down.

My version is loosely based on a recipe I found at random (was looking for something with a short, convenient ingredient list) and made some important changes:

- Pretty sure the recipe calls for twice as much popcorn than what I used. Not sure because I didn't measure. (My bad!)

- I mixed peanuts and almonds into the popcorn, before adding the caramel.

The end result was dangerously tasty, overloaded with buttery caramel, and sooo bad for you. It never fully hardened, so the popcorn got kind of spongey. It was a weird treat. Unless you're allergic, I definitely insist on adding the nuts -- they save the day by giving crunch to the overall gooeyness.

Will totally try the recipe again, probably leaving out the popcorn altogether lol. If anyone out there beats me to it, let me know how it goes! :)

Read More