If you’d like to see the flaky raspberry rhubarb pie recipe, please scroll down.

Hope everyone had a great long weekend! I would say we had a good and bad one. Bad because Allan got into a car accident, but good because it was a delicious weekend full of food, baking, and cooking. Friday night I went for drinks with one of my girlfriends and had a good, introspective talk. I knew the weekend was going to start out good when we bit into local BC organic peaches that were ridiculously juicy. Head down to Granville Island this week if you get a chance and snag some!

Saturday we played pitch and putt with some friends, then headed down to the New India Curry Buffet to eat all-you-can-eat curry and watch the fireworks with friends.

On Sunday we headed over to my parents’ house and spent the entire morning picking raspberries, boysenberries, blueberries, rhubarb, and herbs.

We were lucky enough to have some of my mom’s amazing creations… homemade waffles with blueberry sauce (berries from the garden!) and a recipe she was testing out for our engagement party in two weeks… homemade waffles cones and gelato from scratch! She’s crazy!

That night we decided to make some amazing beef lasagna with BC heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, bechamel sauce, spanish chorizo, and pancetta. Check out my “best ever” recipe here for this amazing lasagna. You can substitute for all beef (like we did for this one) or vegetarian if you want.

On Monday we walked over to Williams-Sonoma to pick up a gift for a friend and start our wedding registry. Fun!

Oh, and of course we had to stop for Purdy’s ice cream… a must in the summer

Yesterday (on Monday), I also got the chance to bake my first ever pie. It is based on a combination of my grandma’s recipe and a recipe I found in one of my cookbooks. Even though they might not have looked as nice as I would have liked, the crust is perfectly flaky and the filling is tart, fruity, and flavourful. Allan and I both thought it was the best pie we’ve ever had (sorry Grandma! … ), but of course… we’re biased.

PERFECT FLAKY RASPBERRY RHUBARB PIE RECIPE
Makes enough for 2 pies, in approximately 9″ pie plates

Pie Crust Ingredients:
4 cups flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks of very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup of Crisco
4-8 tablespoons of ice cold water
For egg wash: 1 yolk with 1 tablespoon of water, whisked

Raspberry Rhubarb Pie Filling Ingredients:
4 cups of raspberries (and boysenberries if you like)
3 cups of rhubarb cut into half-inch pieces
2.5 cups of sugar (this is for a tart pie, if you like it more sweet, use 3 cups)
6 tablespoons of tapioca flakes
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (I love cinnamon so I put 1 teaspoon, but you can omit this or decrease it)
1/2 teaspoon of squeezed lemon juice

1. Combine 2 cups of flour with the sugar and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut the cold butter into the flour until marble-sized and do the same with the shortening after. Stir in the rest of the flour. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons or so of water.

2. Firmly squeeze the flour against the sides of the bowl until somewhat combined. Pastry should feel quite dry and crumbly. Do not add too much water. Only add drops at a time until there’s enough to just hold it together. Dry crumbs are good — means it will be flaky. Separate dough into four balls and refrigerate. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

3. Now make the filling. In a large bowl mix sugar, flour, tapioca, salt and butter. Now combine with the raspberries and mix them gently into the sugar mixture. Let sit for 10 minutes and then add in the rhubarb and gently combine. Set aside.

4. The key here is to roll out the pastry on top of something you can flip over. A cutting board, pastry mat, or anything similar works. We used a pizza tray lined with floured parchment paper on top. Now roll out one ball of dough gently (rolling in one direction at a time) using plenty of flour until dough is larger than the pie plate edges. Gently flip dough over onto pie plate and then put into fridge. Repeat once more with the other pie plate. Now place both pie plates in oven for about 8-10 minutes until just lightly browned. This keeps the bottom crust still crispy during the later cooking.

5. Now let’s roll out the top crusts. Do the same as step 4 and make sure the crust is big enough to fit over the pie plate. By now you should be able to take the pie plates out of the oven. Fill the bottom crust pie plates with your filling. Now gently flip over the top pie crusts and seal the edges by pressing them. Trim any excess and cut out some cute vents in the top. Brush VERY lightly with egg wash, do not brush the edges, just the middle.

6. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is just golden brown. Do not burn the edges.

7. Let cool for at least 30 minutes. ENJOY!

Serve with something sweet like ice cream or whipped cream and fresh berries. Soooooooooo flaky and GOOD!

It’s been a while since I’ve made a post on the food/dessert I’ve been cooking and making… and I’ve been re-inspired by one of my new friends, Amy, and a long-time uni friend, Sandy… both of whom have been cooking up some delicious concoctions on their blogs. If you’ve missed my other food posts and recipes, just click here to go back and read them!

When I was younger, I looked forward to birthdays and special occasions almost solely because of my mom’s tiramisu. Now — this is no normal tiramisu. For those of you hardcore tiramisu lovers who are into the traditional dessert, this is not for you. However, if you’re like me… and you love cheesecake, but you also kinda like tiramisu… this is the recipe for you.

It’s fluffy, rich, cheesy, not-to-sweet, and yes, chocolatey with coffee aromas and flavours. And of course a little booze thrown in for good measure. This is my mom’s secret recipe… she’s been making it for ages, and I’ve gotten her to cough it up a few years ago and have been making it every few months since then. I’ve changed it up a bit by adding more vanilla and different liqueurs.

Mom’s Secret Delicious Best Tiramisu Cheesecake Recipe

2 8-oz packages light/fat free sour cream
2 8-oz packages cream cheese
2/3 cup sugar (I like to put in half of this because I don’t like it too sweet)
3 Tablespoons milk
1-3 teaspoons vanilla (to taste)
1/2 cup strong coffee (preferably freshly brewed, or you can get it from Starbucks or Timmy’s)
2 Tbsp Kahlua
1 Tbsp coffee liqueur (optional, such as Van Gogh Espresso)
1 Tbsp creme de cacao/chocolate liqueur (optional!)
3 boxes of ladyfingers (biscuits, you can find these at Whole Foods or an Italian bakery… some grocery stores carry these, usually in the cookie aisle)
Semi-sweet or bittersweet good quality dark chocolate for shaving

1. Combine the sour cream, cream cheese, sugar, milk, and one teaspoon of vanilla in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high until smooth and airy. Taste the mixture to make sure you like it. Adjust sweetness accordingly.

2. Combine the coffee, Kahlua, coffee/chocolate liqueurs (optional), and 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla (to taste) in a small cup. Have a tiny taste and adjust accordingly. Add more coffee and coffee liqueur if you like more of a coffee flavour. Add more vanilla and chocolate liqueur if you like more of a sweet chocolately flavour.

3. If you have large lady fingers, split them in half. If you have small ones, then simply shave off the non-sugared side with a knife. Layer these in a dish cut-side up. Use a pastry brush or just spoon the coffee mixture on to the ladyfingers.

4. Smooth a third of the cream cheese mixture on top of the ladyfingers, and flatten.

5. Keep repeating until gone, layering the ladyfingers, brushing with coffee mixture, and layering the cream cheese mixture. Typically I end up with three layers of ladyfingers and 3 layers of cream cheese, with the cream cheese mixture at the very top.

6. Using a grater or similar tool, shave the chocolate over generously to cover. Cover with saran wrap, and make sure you refrigerate for at least 12 hours, preferably 24 hours.

ENJOY!

A lot of baking (and cooking) happened over the holidays… and I’m just trying to catch up now with my posts.

Croissants are my favourite item to buy from the bakery. Cheese croissants heated up a little, fresh chocolate croissants… buttery, flaky… so good! I didn’t have a recipe on hand from anyone that I knew, and none of my cookbooks really covered it at all. I did a search online but was pretty unsatisfied. I finally found one that looked like it would work (and altered the steps a bit, added fillings etc), and I set out on a baking mission. I knew it wouldn’t be easy!

Note: You will get dirty. It’s a lot of work. You will need 2 days. Also — you will need a scale for this recipe. I know it seems like a pain, but once you have one you won’t be able to live without it. Baking is a million times more accurate by weight, as the volume of flour and other ingredients changes depending on the season, humidity and your room temperature, etc. You can pick up a scale for $10 at any cooking store, or you can splurge $30-80 on a digital one.

Here’s the recipe and photos of my steps:

Stuffed Golden Flaky Croissant Recipe

350g unsalted butter
50g icing sugar
30g sunflower oil (I buy mine from Gourmet Warehouse/Whole Foods. You can also sub for olive oil here)
7g salt
2 large eggs
42g FRESH yeast (this is important! You can find fresh yeast at most bakeries or at Granville Island)
200mL milk (2%)
500g all-purpose flour
An additional egg yolk to brush the croissants and different fillings such as cheese, chocolate, fruit, etc.

1. Cover your working surface with parchment paper. Knead down the butter by hand until it is relatively flat. Then fold the parchment paper over and use a rolling pin to get the block to be very rectangular. Use a measuring tape or ruler and try to get the butter block to 8.5×6.3 inches and about 1 cm thick. Place the block in the fridge to chill no longer than 30 minutes.

2. Now make the dough. In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in slightly warm milk and then combine with the sugar, eggs, oil, flour and salt. Mix gently and then knead very lightly.

3. Form a rectangle with the dough that is double the size of the butter block (approximately 19 inches by 13 inches). Place the chilled butter in the middle and then fold the dough over the butter. Do not stretch. It’s really important that the sides are covered with enough dough, as if it gets to thin, the butter will ooze out when you are doing all the folding. Carefully press the edges together and seal in the butter. Make sure all air as been released by pressing on the dough.

4. Roll the dough package with a rolling pin (dust the outsides with flour), turning the dough over occasionally to keep the edges event. Try not to let the the dough get so thin that the butter squeezes out. Continue until it is very thin, about  1 cm thick or as thin as you can get it.

5. Now start folding the dough. The folds of the dough are what make the croissants so flaky… so the more folds you do, the flakier the croissant is and the more it will puff up! Fold the dough into thirds (like a letter). Now rotate the other way and do the folds again. Now cover with foil or saran wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

6. Do several more folds (I did about 6, but 2 or 3 should suffice) and then cover and chill overnight.

7. The next day, cut the dough in half and roll out to about 3mm thick. Cut in pointed triangles and fill with different stuffings… I used cheese blocks and some nice bittersweet chocolate… don’t put the fillings too close to the edge or they will ooze out while baking.

8. Start forming the croissant crescents by rolling the shortest side up to the tip of the triangle. You will want to roll these VERY tightly. Press together all the sides and make sure they are sticking while together. When placing on the baking sheet covered with parchment paper, make sure to put the tip of the triangle underneath the croissant so that it cannot fold out. If you do not wrap the croissants taut enough, they will unroll while baking (as I learned from experience… it was a disaster). So make sure to stick them well together

9.  Brush the croissants VERY lightly with egg yolk… if you like your croissants darker, brush more egg yolk. Let rise for 15 minutes.

10. Bake in pre-heated oven (355 degrees F) for 15-25 minutes until golden brown.

And that’s it! Here’s a photo of my croissant torn apart while I was eating it so you can see the flakiness They tasted SO good… just as good as bakery if not better, but I wish they looked a bit better. Rolling the dough a bit thinner and rolling the crescents more tightly would fix that next time I think. I also would drizzle chocolate over the chocolate croissants if I had a bit more time!

Cheesy Tomato Basil and Green Onion Savoury Scones Recipe plus Cranberry Breakfast Scones Recipe

I will post the recipe in the comments to save space. These scones were a huge hit on Christmas morning. So savoury! I split the mixture into half to make two different kinds of scones… but in retrospect I would just make the cheese scones again. So good!

Parmesan, cheddar cheese, cherry tomatoes, basil, green onions… mmm! What more could you want in a savoury scone?

Dried cranberries and a little sugar added for some sweeter breakfast scones.

The finished result!

What do you think? Let me know if you have any questions

Yesterday was the Survivor finale… Allan and I had been looking forward to this for a long time. In celebration, I thought it would be a good idea to make a nice dinner to eat while watching the show. (Don’t even get me started on how the Survivor finale turned out. I’m still upset this morning.)

I had been planning to make bread pudding since I tried it for the first time in Kicking Horse. And I thought I’d try to modify my normal risotto recipe but with some new ingredients… since it had been a while since I made risotto (one of my very favourite foods). I will say this in advance: I made a critical error with my selection of saffron. If you try this recipe at home, please read the note about saffron carefully.

A couple people asked for the recipes on Facebook and Twitter, so I’ve made sure to include them inline this time. Apologies for not putting up the recipes on the five-course meal yet. This weekend turned out a little crazier than expected! I’ll try my best to get them up soon.

I am very, very picky about my risotto and spices so I’ve ordered some special risotto and saffron that will arrive this week. I am very much looking forward to posting about it, so I am going to have a more detailed “beginner’s guide” on how to make perfect risotto then. The instructions below are brief.

TOMATO BASIL SAFFRON RISOTTO RECIPE (makes enough for 4 servings… perfect for two people with some leftovers)

1 3/4 cups Carnaroli risotto rice (good quality)
One full box of cherry tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed with a knife or ground
2 large shallots
4 cups chicken stock
4 Tablespoons of salted butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon good quality saffron. Unfortunately I accidentally bought American saffron, which is not actually saffron. Don’t make the mistake I did… read the label carefully and make sure you are buying REAL saffron stigmas from Spain or Italy. Unfortunately the cheap saffron does not have very strong taste or colour.
1/5 cup of dry Italian white wine (we like Masi)
4-5 large Basil leaves, chopped
Grated parmesan (approx 2-4 Tablespoons depending on your preference)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse off the tomatoes and flash boil them in a pot for 30 seconds to loosen the skins. Then skin, seed and slice the tomatoes in half. Mix the fennel in with the tomatoes in a bowl.

2. Heat the chicken stock on the stove until it is hot to the touch but not boiling. Meanwhile, dice the shallots.

3. Melt the olive oil and 2 Tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the shallots and cook 3-4 minutes.

4. Add the risotto rice to the pan and sauté about 2-3 minutes. Add the saffron, stir, and then add the wine and cook till absorbed.

5. Keep adding the stock in small amounts until completely absorbed. Use up the rest of the broth and then add the tomatoes.

6. When all the stock is gone and the risotto is creamy, add the parmesan, rest of the butter and the basil just before serving.

STICKY TOFFEE CHOCOLATE BRIOCHE BREAD PUDDING RECIPE

The trick, is to start out with a really nice caramel sauce since it forms a lot of the base for the flavour of the bread pudding, plus you use it to drizzle all over at the end as well. Start out by making the caramel sauce as it will thicken while you are making the bread pudding later.

Vanilla-Bourbon Caramel Sauce:
2 cups sugar (granulated)
1/2 cup purified water
2 cups whipping cream
3/4 stick of butter (unsalted)
1 whole vanilla bean (we like the Madagascar Bourbon vanilla bean)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup of high quality Bourbon (we like Woodford Reserve)

1. Heat sugar and water in a pot on high heat.

2. Split the vanilla bean in half (long way) and gently scrape out the beans into the sugar water. I also like to add the rest of the bean halves into the water as well for flavour. Bring the mixture to a boil and make sure to keep whisking to keep it from sticking to the sides.

3. You’ll see the mixture start to brown and turn a dark caramel colour…remove from heat when it is dark, but be careful not to burn the mixture. Quickly whisk in the whipping cream, butter and the salt and make sure you get all the lumps out with the whisk.

4. Put the pot back on the burner and cook for 10 more minutes or so on low to medium heat until the mixture gets creamy. Turn off the burner and whisk in the bourbon. Let the mixture sit while you make the bread pudding and whisk every once in a while. The mixture should get nice and thick! Enjoy the delicious smell of the vanilla bourbon caramel

Sticky English Toffee Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding Recipe:
1 loaf of regular brioche or brioche with raisins
1 1/2 cups of English toffee broken into chunks (Skor Bars work well in a pinch, but real English toffee is better)
About 12 oz of good bittersweet dark chocolate (70% or so)… Valhrona is nice but other good quality chocolate is great too
2 1/2 cups of whipping cream
3/4 cup of milk
1/2 cup of sugar (granulated)
6 egg yolks
2 eggs
1/2 cup of the caramel sauce above

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cut the brioche into cubes, making sure to remove the crust. Set aside with the toffee pieces mixed in.

3. Chop the bittersweet chocolate a bit and then put into a large bowl. Set aside.

4. Bring 1 1/4 cups of whipping cream to a boil and pour over the bowl of bittersweet chocolate to form your chocolate ganache. Whisk until the chocolate sauce is nice and creamy and smooth. Set aside.

5. Whisk the eggs and egg yolks together. Set aside.

6. Combine milk, sugar and the rest of the cream in a saucepan and bring it just to a boil. Carefully whisky into the egg mixture until smooth… make sure to constantly whisk while you are adding them together otherwise the eggs will cook.

7. Use a fine strainer and strain the egg mixture into the chocolate sauce, whisking constantly. When it is completely blended, pour over the brioche and the toffee pieces. Add the caramel sauce and mix very gently, careful to not squash the bread pieces. Set aside for an hour… the mixture will soak into the bread!

8. Butter a baking pan and place into the fridge. After 1 hour, pour the mixture into the pan and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until done.

9. Cut into pieces and serve with vanilla bean ice cream and drizzle the caramel sauce generously!

It sure is starting to look like Christmas here in Vancouver with a beautiful dusting of snow on the ground already. Like many of you, Christmas is my favourite holiday and it’s no secret that I love winter (although Fall is still my favourite season).

I’m so incredibly backed up on blog posts that I thought I’d give you a little mini preview of what is coming down the pipes on my blog this holiday season, complete with some seasonal photos!

VANCITYALLIE.COM HOLIDAY SEASON 2009 BLOG POST PREVIEW:

Many cooking and baking related blog posts (Christmas cookies hello!), especially as we get closer and closer to Christmas… including *gasp* a fateful attempt at making homemade croissants…

Winter wonderland photos of Vancouver and around our beautiful province…

A gear and gift guide for snowboarding just in time for last minute Christmas shopping… plus lots of snowboarding posts including our upcoming Sun Peaks and Mount Washington trips.

Family, friends, parties for Christmas and New Year’s related posts…

How Allan and I attempted making a 5-course fine dining meal for both our sets of parents when they met for the very first time…

And of course, our last blog post to highlight our time in Kicking Horse and Golden… plus the HD video of the trip!

Hope everyone is enjoying getting ready for Christmas and the holiday season! I know I am!