Chinese Lettuce Wraps (My version of a San Choy Bow)

Date Published: Feb 15th, 2021 | Last Updated: Feb 15th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: asian, healthy, quick and easy, sides, mains
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

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If you’ve never had a san choy bow (aka Chinese lettuce wraps), you’ve been missing out on life, my friend. It’s a boldly flavourful stir-fry of minced veggies and ground pork served with a bowl of lettuce leaves where you DIY the wraps yourselves. The mince stir-fry is meant to be on the salty side and when paired with the crisp lettuce leaves it balances out the saltiness perfectly. The bold sauce is the heart of the dish – in fact, you can change up whatever veggies you want or substitute the protein for whatever you want (even tofu) and it won’t make too much of a difference as long as the sauce is right. It’s often made with oyster sauce, but I’ve chosen Hoisin sauce as my base because Hoisin is life. You may also see water chestnuts in many recipes for that extra crunch, but I struggle to find it nearby in my grocery stores so I use diced celery instead for the crunch and a little extra flavour. If you’re feeling fancy, you can add in some puffed rice noodles in it as well.

San choy bow is a pretty common dish in Chinese restaurants either served as a side dish or as a main – either way, there’s no neat way to eat it. Be prepared to have sauce drizzle down your hands no matter how careful you are. The first time I had it was at a Chinese restaurant in Brampton as a secondary dish to our peking duck – the first dish was the typical crispy duck skin wraps and the second dish was the meat of the duck stir-fried with Hoisin sauce and served in lettuce wraps. It was heaven. This recipe is my version of a san choy bow and its an homage to the dish I’ve loved for so long.

Not only is this dish delicious, it’s actually also pretty healthy, low-carb, gluten-free, and best of all really easy and quick to make! You can make everything in about 20 minutes and its also easily customizable and a great way to sneak veggies into the diet.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
1 large onion, diced
2 large sticks of celery (or 3 medium ones), finely diced
2 medium sized carrots, finely diced
8 shiitake mushrooms, finely diced (fresh or dehydrated)
500g lean pork mince
Iceberg lettuce for wrapping
Sauce:
- 6 Tbsps Hoisin sauce
- 3 Tbsps soy sauce
- 1.5 Tbsps rice wine vinegar

Directions:

Finely dice all of your veg. Tip: if you’re feeling lazy you can put it in the food processor and pulse it until you get small pieces. If you’re using dehydrated shiitake mushrooms, rehydrate them by soaking them in hot water for 10-15 mins until soft.

In a wok on MED-HIGH heat, add a few tablespoons of oil and sauté the garlic, ginger and onion for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add in the celery and carrots to the wok and continue sautéing for another 2 mins. Put a lid on the wok, turn the heat down to MED and let the veg steam for 5-10mins until they’re soft enough to break with a spatula. Stir occasionally to ensure the veg doesn’t burn. If the veg seems a bit dry or is burning before it softens, add a tablespoon of water and stir it around then put the lid back on to continue steaming.

While the veg is steaming, you can dice your rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, discarding the hard stems and wash the lettuce leaves. You can also trim the lettuce leaves to shape them like cups if you’re feeling fancy. I usually just eat them whole, but will put in the extra effort to trim them if I’m serving it out to friends.

Make the sauce by mixing together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. Set aside.

Once the veg has softened, add in the pork mince and mushrooms to the wok and stir-fry on MED-HIGH heat until the pork is cooked. Then pour in the hoisin sauce mixture and stir until combined. Done! Serve with iceberg lettuce leaves for wrapping and lots of napkins for the inevitable sauce to drip down your hands 😜.

Summarized Recipe:

Chinese Lettuce Wraps (My Version of a San Choy Bow)

Date Published: Feb 15th, 2021 | Last Updated: Feb 15th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: asian, healthy, quick and easy
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
1 large onion, diced
2 large sticks of celery (or 3 medium ones), finely diced
2 medium sized carrots, finely diced
8 shiitake mushrooms, finely diced (fresh or dehydrated)
500g lean pork mince
Iceberg lettuce for wrapping
Sauce:
- 6 Tbsps Hoisin sauce
- 3 Tbsps soy sauce
- 1.5 Tbsps rice wine vinegar

Directions:

Finely dice all of your veg. Tip: if you’re feeling lazy you can put it in the food processor and pulse it until you get small pieces. If you’re using dehydrated shiitake mushrooms, rehydrate them by soaking them in hot water for 10-15 mins until soft.
In a wok on MED-HIGH heat, add a few tablespoons of oil and sauté the garlic, ginger and onion for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add in the celery and carrots to the wok and continue sautéing for another 2 mins. Put a lid on the wok, turn the heat down to MED and let the veg steam for 5-10mins until they’re soft enough to break with a spatula. Stir occasionally to ensure the veg doesn’t burn. If the veg seems a bit dry or is burning before it softens, add a tablespoon of water and stir it around then put the lid back on to continue steaming.
While the veg is steaming, you can dice your rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, discarding the hard stems and wash the lettuce leaves.
- You can also trim the lettuce leaves to shape them like cups if you’re feeling fancy. I usually just eat them whole, but will put in the extra effort to trim them if I’m serving it out to friends.
Make the sauce by mixing together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. Set aside.
Once the veg has softened, add in the pork mince and mushrooms to the wok and stir-fry on MED-HIGH heat until the pork is cooked. Then pour in the hoisin sauce mixture and stir until combined. Done! Serve with iceberg lettuce leaves for wrapping and lots of napkins for the inevitable sauce to drip down your hands 😜.

February 15, 2021February 15, 2021

AbbyLeave a comment

THE Best Mushroom Stuffing

Date Published: Feb 10th, 2021 | Last Updated: Feb 10th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: sides
Serves: 1 large tray | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 1.5 hrs

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Stuffing is definitely in my top 10 favourite things to eat. I could eat it all day everyday – just let me drown in the buttery goodness of the soft bread in aromatic herbs. Warning: this recipe makes quite a big batch for a party, so if you’re scaling down for dinner, feel free the halve the recipe. I always make the full recipe no matter the party size in hopes that there would be leftovers so I could keep eating it for the rest of the week 😜.

Stuffing is a classic side dish to any Thanksgiving dinner. There are many variations out there but the base ingredients are always the same: bread, celery, parsley, and onion cooked in butter and baked in a blend of herbs including poultry seasoning. Poultry seasoning doesn’t seem to exist on the supermarket shelves in Australia (then again, neither does Thanksgiving) so whenever I visit home in Canada I always bring back a bag with me. If you can’t easily access poultry seasoning, there are a few recipes floating online to make your own!

I’ve made this stuffing at least a dozen times over the years and it’s always a talking point. The trick that I learned the hard way is not to add too much liquid to the stuffing. You must mix things quickly and not let any liquids pool at the bottom or let it sit for too long before baking, otherwise the bread becomes too soggy and you end up with a really mushy stuffing and doesn’t bake as nicely. To limit the mushiness, you want your bread cubes to be as dry as possible before starting and you want to add only enough liquid so everything is just slightly wet.

Side story: One year at the food pavilion at the annual CNE in Canada, a food booth made stuffing WAFFLES! It blew my freaking mind. The waffle was made of delicious stuffing and then topped with turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and gravy. It was like the perfect Thanksgiving dinner in waffle form! I’ve always wanted to try and recreate it, but never got around to buying a waffle maker.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1 loaf of sliced plain bread (cheapest one will do) (or 12 cups dry bread cubes)
1 cup (227g) salted butter
1 large (2 cups) yellow onion, finely diced
2 cups celery, finely diced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
500g mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1.5 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Chicken broth as needed (~2-3 cups) (you can use vegetable broth as well to make it vegetarian)
2 eggs, beaten

Directions:

Slice up an entire loaf of white bread into cubes

Tip: You can store the cubes in the bread bag until ready to use

Dehydrate your bread (skip this step if you’re using dry bread cubes): Preheat oven to 180˚C (350F). Slice the entire loaf of bread into cubes. Spread out the cubes evenly in a single layer on a baking tray (you will need to split it up between a few trays so they get evenly toasted) and bake until the cubes are dry and crunchy, flipping over once. This should take about 10mins. Once the bread cubes are dehydrated, set them aside to let cool.

Alternatively, if you plan ahead you can leave the bread cubes out overnight to air dry instead of baking them – but this may take longer depending on how humid your environment is. I like to store them in the bread bag once cooled.

Tip: This is probably the most time-consuming part of this whole recipe. You can do this step a couple days ahead of time to save time if you’re cooking a big dinner – just keep the bread cubes away from moisture until you’re ready to use.

Preheat oven to 180˚C (350F).

Melt the butter in a pot and cook the onion, celery, mushroom and parsley until they’re soft and break easily with a spoon. Once cooked, turn off the heat.

Place the dried bread cubes into a large bowl and season with poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Spoon the cooked vegetables over the bread without the butter liquid and mix everything together quickly, otherwise the bread will start getting soggy.

Pour in the remaining butter liquid from the pot and continue to mix well. Don’t let liquid sit on bottom of bowl! Add the eggs and ONLY enough chicken broth to MOISTEN the bread crumbs (too much will result in mushy stuffing, ~2-3 cups). Mix well.

Once everything is incorporated, transfer the mixture to a large baking tray and bake uncovered for 30-45mins, flipping and stirring once halfway through. The stuffing is done once it turns a toasty golden brown colour. Serve!

Alternatively, you can also cook this in a slow cooker: cook on High for 45 minutes, then reduce heat to Low, and cook for 4 to 8 hours.

Summarized Recipe:

THE Best Mushroom Stuffing

Date Published: Feb 10th, 2021 | Last Updated: Feb 10th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: sides
Serves: 1 large tray | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 1.5 hrs

Ingredients:

1 loaf of sliced plain bread (cheapest one will do) (or 12 cups dry bread cubes)
1 cup (227g) salted butter
1 large (2 cups) yellow onion, finely diced
2 cups celery, finely diced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
500g mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1.5 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Chicken broth as needed (~2-3 cups) (you can use vegetable broth as well to make it vegetarian)
2 eggs, beaten

Directions:

Dehydrate your bread (skip this step if you’re using dry bread cubes): Preheat oven to 180˚C (350F). Slice the entire loaf of bread into cubes. Spread out the cubes evenly in a single layer on a baking tray (you will need to split it up between a few trays so they get evenly toasted) and bake until the cubes are dry and crunchy, flipping over once. This should take about 10mins. Once the bread cubes are dehydrated, set them aside to let cool (I like to put them back in the bread bag).
Preheat oven to 180˚C (350F).
Melt the butter in a pot and cook the onion, celery, mushroom and parsley until they’re soft and break easily with a spoon. Once cooked, turn off the heat.
Place the dried bread cubes into a large bowl and season with poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Spoon the cooked vegetables over the bread without the butter liquid and mix everything together quickly, otherwise the bread will start getting soggy.
Pour in the remaining butter liquid from the pot and continue to mix well. Don’t let liquid sit on bottom of bowl! Add the eggs and ONLY enough chicken broth to MOISTEN the bread crumbs (too much will result in mushy stuffing, ~2-3 cups). Mix well.
Once everything is incorporated, transfer the mixture to a large baking tray and bake uncovered for 30-45mins, flipping and stirring once halfway through. The stuffing is done once it turns a toasty golden brown colour. Serve!

February 10, 2021March 6, 2021

AbbyLeave a comment

Luxe Banana Bread with Espresso Mascarpone

Date Published: Feb 9th, 2021 | Last Updated: March 26th, 2021
Author: Abby | Category: dessert
Serves: 1 loaf | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 1 hr

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To be honest, I was never a huge fan of banana bread but every time I make this recipe I get rave reviews. I never knew banana bread was loved by so many people! No matter how big the loaf turns out, there’s never any leftovers. Although banana bread has grown on me over the years, the only way I like to eat it is toasted with some salted butter over top or alternatively I’ll add in a couple handfuls of chocolate chips to the batter and get a more decadent chocolate banana bread. If I’m feeling really fancy, I’ll make myself espresso mascarpone to top it off. My favourite part about making this recipe is eating the freshly baked crunchy toasted edges right as it comes out of the oven.

This banana bread recipe makes a beautiful moist loaf every time, packed with banana flavour. It’s the best way to use up over ripe bananas that have been sitting on the counter for a little too long.

This original recipe came from a good friend of mine, Yoke. She used to make banana bread all the time in vet school (and still do). When I was in NYC a couple years ago for a vet externship, I stumbled across a random little Aussie café called Two Hands and went in for a coffee. I saw a “banana bread with espresso mascarpone” on the menu and knew I had to try it. I still didn’t love banana bread at this point, but I do love anything that’s coffee-flavoured and the combination of these two got me excited. When it arrived, it was the most beautiful serving of banana bread I had ever seen. It was a nice thick slice of banana bread with a healthy serving of the espresso mascarpone, drizzled with a bit of maple syrup and sprinkled with puffed buckwheat. This was hands down the single best banana bread I’ve ever had. The different flavours mixed so well together – it blew my mind. I was determined to recreate it when I got back to Australia and who best to ask for a good banana bread recipe than Yoke? That’s when I started making this banana bread. I don’t always make it with the espresso mascarpone because a few of my friends aren’t fans of coffee, including Toby, (sometimes I wonder how we’re still together 😜) but if I’m feeling indulgent I’ll make a small portion for myself (recipe adapted from GoodFood.com). I do like to add in the chocolate chips to jazz it up otherwise.

*I haven’t had a chance to take any photos with the espresso mascarpone yet, but its coming!

Happy cooking!

Edit: I found the recipe for the Two Hands banana bread posted on a website a couple years after I started making my version. I haven’t tried making it their way, but if anyone’s interested, here’s a link to their recipe: https://camillestyles.com/food/two-hands-nyc-banana-walnut-bread-with-espresso-mascarpone/

Ingredients you’ll need:

Banana Bread:

Dry Ingredients:
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsps pure vanilla extract
- 3 large overripe bananas, mashed (= ~ 1.5 cups mashed)
- 1.5 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature (or 1.5 cups milk + 1.5 Tbsp lemon juice, left for 30mins until it starts curdling)
+ optional: 180g chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate
+ optional: chopped walnuts

Espresso mascarpone:

500g mascarpone
2 tsps vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthways, seeds scraped)
pinch cinnamon
100ml espresso coffee
1/4 cup icing sugar
Maple syrup (for drizzling)
Optional: sprinkle with some chopped pecans, walnuts, pine nuts or puffed buckwheat

Directions for Banana Bread:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a loaf pan (9×13 inch).

(If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make it now at this stage by adding milk with lemon juice and letting it sit for 20-30mins until it curdles while you prepare the rest of the recipe.)

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

Peel the overripe bananas and mash them. Set aside.

In another bowl, use a mixer and beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add in the white and brown sugar to the bowl and continue beating until creamed together. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla until combined, then fold in the mashed bananas.

With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, allowing each to be incorporated before adding the next. Do not over mix. The batter will be slightly thick and a few lumps is OK.

Optional: If you want to make chocolate banana bread, you can stir in the chocolate chips at this stage into the batter. OR if you’d like to add walnuts, now is the time to stir it in.

Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. Feel free to sprinkle walnuts over. Bake for 45mins to 1hr (depending on your oven). The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

*Tip: If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil and continue baking.

When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool completely before serving. Serve on its own or follow the instructions for espresso mascarpone below!

Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The cake also freezes well up to 3 months. Just thaw and serve when ready to eat.

Optional: Directions for Espresso marscapone:

Combine all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and use a stand mixer to blend everything together until smooth and creamy. Do not over whip or else it will split. Keep the mascarpone cold at all times. Serve on top of banana bread with a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of puffed buckwheat.

Summarized Recipe:

Luxe Banana Bread with Espresso Mascarpone

Date Published: Feb 9th, 2021 | Last Updated: March 26th, 2021
Author: Abby | Category: dessert
Serves: 1 loaf | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

Banana Bread:

Dry Ingredients:
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsps pure vanilla extract
- 3 large ripe bananas, mashed (= ~ 1.5 cups mashed)
- 1.5 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature (or 1.5 cups milk + 1.5 Tbsp lemon juice, left for 30mins until it starts curdling)
+ optional: 180g chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate
+ optional: chopped walnuts

Espresso Mascarpone:

500g mascarpone
2 tsps vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthways, seeds scraped)
pinch cinnamon
100ml espresso coffee
1/4 cup icing sugar
Maple syrup (for drizzling)
Optional: sprinkle with some chopped pecans, walnuts, pine nuts or puffed buckwheat.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a loaf pan (9×13 inch).
(If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make it now at this stage by adding milk with lemon juice and letting it sit for 20-30mins until it curdles while you prepare the rest of the recipe.)
In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, use a mixer and beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add in the white and brown sugar to the bowl and continue beating until creamed together. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla until combined, then fold in the mashed bananas.
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, allowing each to be incorporated before adding the next. Do not over mix. The batter will be slightly thick and a few lumps is OK.
Optional: If you want to make chocolate banana bread, you can stir in the chocolate chips at this stage into the batter. OR if you’d like to add walnuts, now is the time to stir it in.
Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. Feel free to sprinkle walnuts over. Bake for 45mins to 1hr (depending on your oven). The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- *Tip: If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil and continue baking.
When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool completely before serving. Serve on its own or follow the instructions for espresso mascarpone below!

Storage: Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The cake also freezes well up to 3 months. Just thaw and serve when ready to eat.

Optional: Directions for Espresso marscapone:

Combine all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and use a stand mixer to blend everything together until smooth and creamy. Do not over whip or else it will split. Keep the mascarpone cold at all times. Serve on top of banana bread with a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of puffed buckwheat.

February 9, 2021March 26, 2021

Abby1 Comment

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Date Published: Feb 8th, 2021 | Last Updated: Feb 8th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: dessert
Serves: 24 cupcakes | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

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Pumpkin spice is all the rage back home especially in the autumn season – and for good reason! It’s a mix of warm spices that usually includes cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice that just seems to comfort you on a cold day. In Canada I would often get a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks early in the morning and head out on an autumn hike enjoying the leaves change colour while sipping on my latte – it was the perfect combination. You can put pumpkin spice in just about anything: scones, lattés, whipped cream, cakes, cookies, and….. cupcakes! I’ve even seen them incorporated into dog treats (no idea why). These cupcakes are delicious on their own as a moist fluffy pumpkin cake (similar to a carrot cake) paired with a coffee, or if you’ve got a sweet tooth it’s even better topped with the cinnamon cream cheese frosting. You can choose to bake these as cupcakes in a muffin pan as I have in this recipe or put it in a bundt cake pan or cake pan and bake it as an entire cake and top it with the frosting to make it a little fancier for afternoon tea.

These cupcakes turn out fluffy and moist every time – the secret is using vegetable oil instead of butter!

This recipe is adapted from AllRecipes. I’ve halved the sugar from the original recipe because the cinnamon frosting is quite sweet on its own and is more than enough sweetness when paired together. If you’re making this as a cake on its own without the frosting, feel free to add in a little extra sugar (I’d increase the white sugar from 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup). When I make this recipe, I usually buy the pre-made pumpkin spice mix from Clubhouse but you could just as easily make it yourself in a big batch (see recipe below). Unlike North America, canned pumpkin purée is actually very difficult to find in Australia so if you can’t find any in your local shops, you can make it yourself by baking your pumpkin in the oven with some olive oil until soft, peel it, and mash it up.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Dry Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups (400g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp pumpkin spice
  - If you don’t have pumpkin spice:
    - 1 tsp ground cinnamon
    - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
    - 1/2 tsp ground ginger
    - 1/2 tsp ground cloves
    - 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Wet Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (160g) vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (115g) white sugar
- 1/3 cup (78g) brown sugar (or 1/3 cup white sugar + 1 tsp molasses)
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1.5 cups (420g) pumpkin puree

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 (226g/8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup (57g) butter, softened
- 3 cups (400g) icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

(If you don’t have canned pumpkin puree, cook your pumpkin in the oven and put it in the blender as step #1)

Mix together the dry ingredients: flour, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C).

In a separate large bowl, combine your wet ingredients: vegetable oil, white sugar, and brown sugar. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Stir in the milk and pumpkin puree after the last egg.

Gradually add in the dry ingredients while mixing

Gradually add the dry ingredients into the batter one cup at a time while mixing. Allow the ingredients to mix together before adding the next cup. Once you’ve incorporated all the dry ingredients to the wet, your batter is ready for the oven!

Line your muffin tray with liners, or grease them if you’re not using liners. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle (about 15-20 minutes). Cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting by beating the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add in the vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. Beat in the icing sugar a little at a time until incorporated. Spoon the frosting into piping bags and frost the cupcakes once they’re cooled. Done!

*Tip: If you find your frosting a little running, refrigerate it for 20mins and it should firm up.

Summarized Recipe:

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Date Published: Feb 8th, 2021 | Last Updated: Feb 8th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: dessert
Serves: 24 cupcakes | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups (400g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp pumpkin spice (see recipe above if you don’t have the spice mix)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Wet Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (160g) vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (115g) white sugar
- 1/3 cup (78g) brown sugar (or 1/3 cup white sugar + 1 tsp molasses)
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1.5 cups (420g) pumpkin puree

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 (226g/8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup (57g) butter, softened
- 3 cups (400g) icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Mix together the dry ingredients: flour, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C).
In a separate large bowl, combine your wet ingredients: vegetable oil, white sugar, and brown sugar. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time while mixing, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Stir in the milk and pumpkin puree after the last egg.
Gradually add the dry ingredients into the batter one cup at a time while mixing. Allow the ingredients to mix together before adding the next cup. Once you’ve incorporated all the dry ingredients to the wet, your batter is ready for the oven!
Line your muffin tray with liners, or grease them if you’re not using liners. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle (about 15-20 minutes). Cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting by beating the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add in the vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. Beat in the icing sugar a little at a time until incorporated. Spoon the frosting into piping bags and frost the cupcakes once they’re cooled. Done!
- *Tip: If you find your frosting a little running, refrigerate it for 20mins and it should firm up.

February 8, 2021February 8, 2021

AbbyLeave a comment

Salted Chocolate Caramel Bars (Caramel slice)

Date Published: Feb 1st, 2021 | Last Updated: Feb 1st, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: desserts
Serves: 24 squares | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 30 mins + 1hr of cooling time

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These salted caramel bars are f*cking AMAZING. No lie. I first stumbled upon the original recipe from Nagi from RecipeTinEats about a year ago and have made it at least a dozen times since. I’ve made a few slight adjustments over time but it’s mainly similar to the original. These bars ALWAYS get rave reviews. I like to bring them to work when Toby and I start new jobs at a new clinic to make a good first impression – I should call them “First Day Caramel Bars”, ha!. Our current practice manager called them “DIVINE!” – true story. The recipe is pretty easy and straightforward, but because there are 3 layers involved, it does take a little extra time – but it’s worth it!

I’ve occasionally seen caramel bars sold back home in Canada here and there in cafés and I never thought too much of them, but since moving to Australia, I see them everywhere! They’re pretty much a staple in every Australian bakery. They’re called “caramel slices” here, something I still don’t quite understand since when I think of a slice, I think of something in a triangular form such as pie, cake or pizza, not squares 🤷🏻‍♀️. Some people in America call them “Millionaire’s Shortbread” – maybe because they’re so rich and creamy. Whatever you want to call these – bar, slice, shortbread – just know that they’re delicious AF. I’m not usually a huge fan of the ones in bakeries, but I could eat these all day.

These bars have a delicious crunchy crispy coconut shortbread base with a soft caramel centre made with condensed milk and topped with a layer of salted milk chocolate. Fair warning, they can be pretty sweet so if you’re not a huge fan of sugar, then I’d recommend cutting down the sugar in the caramel layer by a quarter or a half.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Base layer:
- 1 cup (150g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (45g) desiccated coconut
- 1/2 cup (80g) brown sugar, loosely packed (or 1/2 cup white sugar + 1/2 Tbsp molasses)
- 125g unsalted butter, melted
Caramel layer:
- 125g unsalted butter, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup (80g) brown sugar (or 1/2 cup white sugar + 1/2 Tbsp molasses)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 can (395g/14oz) sweetened condensed milk
Chocolate layer:
- 200g dark or milk chocolate, chopped
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- Salt flakes (for sprinkling on top)

Directions:

Make the base: Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F). Combine all the ingredients for the base together in a bowl (flour, coconut, brown sugar, butter). Line a baking tray (20cmx20cm or 8″x8″ – brownie pan size) with baking paper and press down the batter into the pan until evenly spread out. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 180˚C or until the surface is golden brown. Remove to cool.

Combine: flour, coconut, brown sugar, butter

Make the caramel: In a saucepan over LOW-MED heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add in the sugar and vanilla. Whisk until it becomes a homogenous mixture. Continue to stir until it comes to a simmer then add in the can of condensed milk and continue mixing until it’s a thick homogenous mixture. When it comes to a simmer again, turn off the heat and pour the mixture over the base layer. Tilt the pan to spread it evenly. Bake for 10-12mins at 180˚C until the top turns golden brown. (Note: the caramel will bubble in the oven – this is normal.) Take it out of the oven and set aside until the surface is cooled (you can put it in the fridge to help it along).

Melt the butter, then add the brown sugar and vanilla extract.

Make the chocolate: Place the chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl and microwave 30 seconds at a time stirring in between until you get a smooth melted chocolate spread. Pour this over the cooled caramel layer and tilt the pan until evenly spread. Refrigerate for half an hour and sprinkle salt over the top layer when the chocolate is nearly set. Then continue to refrigerate for another half hour or overnight until ready to serve. Cut into squares and enjoy!

*Tip: If you sprinkle the salt too early when the chocolate is still warm or liquid, the salt will dissolve. If you sprinkle the salt too late after the chocolate has set, the salt won’t stick.

Melt and mix the chocolate and coconut oil until smooth

Summarized Recipe:

Salted Chocolate Caramel Bars (Caramel Slice)

Ingredients:

Base layer:
- 125g unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (150g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (45g) desiccated coconut
- 1/2 cup (80g) brown sugar, loosely packed (or 1/2 cup white sugar + 1/2 Tbsp molasses)
Caramel layer:
- 125g unsalted butter, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup (80g) brown sugar (or 1/2 cup white sugar + 1/2 Tbsp molasses)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 can (395g/14oz) sweetened condensed milk
Chocolate layer:
- 200g dark or milk chocolate, chopped
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- Salt flakes (for sprinkling on top)

Directions:

Make the base:
1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F). Mix all the ingredients for the base together in a bowl (melted butter, flour, coconut, brown sugar).
2. Line a baking tray (20cmx20cm or 8″x8″ – brownie pan size) with baking paper and press down the batter into the pan until evenly spread out.
3. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 180˚C or until the surface is golden brown. Remove to cool.
Make the caramel:
1. In a saucepan over LOW-MED heat, melt the butter.
2. Once the butter is melted, add in the sugar and vanilla. Whisk until it becomes a homogenous mixture.
3. Continue to stir until it comes to a simmer then add in the can of condensed milk and continue mixing until it’s a thick homogenous mixture.
4. When it comes to a simmer again, turn off the heat and pour the mixture over the base layer. Tilt the pan to spread it evenly.
5. Bake for 10-12mins at 180˚C until the top turns golden brown. (Note: the caramel will bubble in the oven – this is normal.) Take it out of the oven and set aside until the surface is cooled (you can put it in the fridge to help it along).
Make the chocolate:
1. Place the chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl and microwave 30 seconds at a time stirring in between until you get a smooth melted chocolate spread.
2. Pour this over the cooled caramel layer and tilt the pan until evenly spread.
3. Refrigerate for half an hour and sprinkle salt over the top layer when the chocolate is nearly set. Then continue to refrigerate for another half hour or overnight until ready to serve.
  - *Tip: If you sprinkle the salt too early when the chocolate is still warm or liquid, the salt will dissolve. If you sprinkle the salt too late after the chocolate has set, the salt won’t stick.
4. Cut into squares and enjoy!

February 1, 2021May 5, 2021

Abby3 Comments