Holidays

Maple Bourbon Pumpkin Pie (so good, you won’t want to share)

November 15, 2021 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

This maple bourbon pumpkin pie is naturally sweetened and lightly spiked. It makes for a fun twist on this holiday favourite!

maple bourbon pumpkin pie slice with whipped cream

If you’re a sucker for a good old-fashioned pumpkin pie, then you’re going to love this punched-up version. It’s rich, maple sweet and has just enough spice.

The bourbon takes it to a whole new level; a slight twist of orange livens things up. If the orange sounds weird to you, don’t worry, I was skeptical, too. It works, though, and it helps make this holiday classic top-notch.

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Making Homemade Vanilla Extract (Edible Gifts)

July 3, 2020 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Making vanilla extract from scratch is a reward all on its own. Whether it’s to save a bit of money, to enhance your baking experience, or to make a thoughtful handmade gift, there’s something special about extracting your own vanilla flavour.

MAKING VANILLA EXTRACT FROM SCRATCH

To some, making vanilla extract from scratch seems out of the realm of possibility.

The truth is, it couldn’t be easier to make!

No matter how many different ways you roll the dice, vanilla is expensive.

Taking the DIY approach, however, will save you a few bucks and give you a cool kitchen project.

All you need is a handful of vanilla beans, a half-pint mason jar, 80-proof alcohol, and six month’s worth of patience.

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A Simple Christmas Tale of Rustic Longings

December 24, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 1 Comment

This is a personal reflection on what Christmas was like growing up and how all I ever wanted was a simple Christmas. In a consumer-driven world, getting back to basics is more important than ever…

snowy evergreen trees — `Photo by Jeremy Gallman`

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

First off, it’s December 24th. Usually, I’m in my kitchen, but today I’m in the country, celebrating Christmas in a rustic family cottage. This is the first time in years that the cottage has been opened for Christmas. It’s cold and we’re all bundled up in sweaters and slippers, huddling around a blazing fire. It’ll get colder when we go outside to go to church together, but it always feels warmer coming in from the cold. There’s good food, fine wine, and family all around. This is what it’s all about.

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Eggnog French Toast with Bourbon Maple Syrup (in a cast-iron skillet)

December 20, 2019 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

This eggnog French toast recipe is drizzled with boozy bourbon maple syrup. When the Christmas holidays roll around, breakfast calls for an extra sparkle and this one will put you in a right jolly mood!

The word for french toast in French is “pain perdu” which, translated, means lost bread.

This classic breakfast used to be a means to use up stale bread.

Waste not, want not and such. It’s one of my frugal kitchen rules, not letting stale bread go to waste.

Nevertheless, a truly exceptional french toast recipe begins with the bread.

Unless you have bread that’s past its prime, I recommend a loaf that’s either homemade or from your local bakery.

My favourite picks are a fruit and nut bread, cinnamon raisin, brioche, or a good loaf of sourdough.

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The Best German Christmas Treats

December 10, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 10 Comments

German Christmas treats like lebkuchen and marzipan make excellent stocking stuffers. Served on a platter, they make it especially easy to surprise and delight guests with something special and sweet.

a plate of the best german christmas treats

THE BEST GERMAN CHRISTMAS TREATS: A ROUNDUP

Growing up, Christmas was always a special affair.

Christmas is that time of year where my German heritage really shines with old world traditions being passed on down the generations.

From the decor to the festivities on the 24th, one thing is always a given during the holidays, and that’s the German Christmas treats.

All of these treats are store bought and can be found at almost any German or European delicatessen this time of year.

One of my goals is to learn how to make all of these from scratch, but in the meantime, I will keep enjoying these once-a-year goodies.

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A French Canadian Tourtière Recipe

December 6, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 4 Comments

This French Canadian tourtière is the taste of the holidays for many Quebecers. A flavourful beef and pork filling wrapped in a flaky pâte brisée pie crust, how can anyone go wrong?

There’s a region in Québec that’s a couple of hundred kilometres north of the famous St. Lawrence River, up the Saguenay River, called Lac St-Jean. I have family who live there and if they hear someone call a meat pie that isn’t from Lac St-Jean a tourtière, they are quick to disparage it.

There are tourtière recipes out there that are branded as Lac St-Jean style, but really, everyone’s recipes are so different that it’s hard for me to understand what makes that a tourtière, and my tourtière a meat pie.

By the way, here’s some food history for you. The name tourtière comes from the cooking dish these pies used to be prepared in, and the dish itself is of French origin.

Oh, and just so you know, this is not a tourtière from Lac St-Jean, nor is it in that style. It’s a French Canadian tourtière. The family can flay me later.

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