Kitchen & Garden

Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart from Scratch

January 24, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 6 Comments

A dark chocolate ganache tart makes for a decadent and elegant dessert. Learn how to make this classic French pastry recipe from scratch and be the talk at the dinner table! No one will be able to resist this rich, silky chocolate ganache filling and the crumbly cookie-like crust.

dark chocolate ganache tart with red berries

THIS CHOCOLATE TART IS A BITE OF HEAVEN

If you’ve never had a dark chocolate ganache tart before, you’re in for a treat. It’s not a recipe that’s for the lactose-intolerant, though, that’s for sure!

While I believe it’s important to steer clear of refined sugar as much as possible, I also don’t believe it’s healthy to deprive ourselves from the occasional treat.

That’s why when I do indulge, I make sure it’s something good. This tart is made with the purest ingredients (no vegetable shortening here!) and it will have your dinner guests raving.

So, what on earth makes this classic French dessert taste so darn good?

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Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Dough aka Pâte Sucrée

January 17, 2020 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Sweet shortcrust pastry dough, or, pâte sucrée, is a classic French recipe that is perfect for tarts. Richer than a standard shortcrust pastry, it is sweet, buttery, and good to the last crumb.

FOR THE BEST TARTS, MAKE A SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY DOUGH

The crust, next to the filling, is arguably the most important part of any tart or pie.

A good filling can redeem a bad crust, but why have a sad crust in the first place? They’re not hard to make!

Let me tell you, though, I’m a happy camper whenever I dig into a tart to discover a sweet shortcrust pastry crust.

Pâte sucrée (what I call it at home) is practically a dessert in itself, tasting almost like a cookie.

This makes for one decadent slice that most folks will gobble right up. So? What’s the secret behind it tasting so darn good?

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Sesame Naan Bread: A Cast Iron Skillet Recipe

January 10, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 2 Comments

It’s time to pull out the cast iron skillet and learn how to whip up a batch of this sesame naan bread. It’s the perfect accompaniment for those winter soups and curries!

CAST IRON SKILLET SESAME NAAN BREAD

If you’ve never had naan before, it’s kind of like pita bread that’s found in many Eastern cuisines.

When I think of naan, Indian is the first cuisine that comes to mind, but it’s one of many.

Traditionally, naan is baked in a tandoor oven, but since I don’t have one of those in my kitchen, I always turn to my trusty cast-iron skillet whenever I’m making a batch. This is also the case when I make flour tortillas and breakfast biscuits, so naan bread is a natural fit.

If you’re new to the world of cast iron cooking, you might want to read up on how to use cast-iron cookware, but if you know your way around cast iron, please, continue. Of course.

It’s also possible to use whatever pan you wish, but I hope you give cast iron a shot!

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Fiery Chipotle Chili (a slow cooker recipe)

January 3, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 8 Comments

This fiery chipotle chili hits the spot on the coldest of days. Learn how to prep it, set it, and forget it with this easy slow cooker recipe.

EVERY POT OF CHILI HAS A STORY

My cooking journey began the day I started university.

Prior to that, the extent of my cooking prowess was preparing a pot of Kraft Dinner for my brothers and heating soup.

Left to my own devices and being too frugal for the school cafeteria, I began navigating my way around the kitchen.

One dish I learned how to make was stovetop chilli. I would brown my meat, toss all of the ingredients into a pot, bring it to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.

I would finish it by dousing it with Tabasco sauce because I didn’t know about chipotles in adobo sauce.

The onions were crunchy, but I was proud of myself. Then one day, to my great insult, someone suggested that I sauté my onions.

How dare they!

They were right, of course, and thankfully I took it to heart.

Then several years ago I was gifted a Crock-Pot for Christmas and that changed everything.

Over the years, my spices and core ingredients have stayed consistent with minor tweaks here and there, but slow cooking and the discovery of chipotles in adobo sauce dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s.

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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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How to Make Madeleines: a Classic French Recipe

December 13, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 4 Comments

Madeleines are delightful buttery little cakes with endless flavour possibilities. Learn how to make these classic treats to go with your cup of coffee or to share with a friend.

MADELEINES IN THE TRANSPORTER

Madeleines may have never come across my radar until later in life had I not watched The Transporter back in 2010.

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This action-packed Jason Statham film includes a scene involving these buttery little cakes that are baked in special seashell moulds.

Ever since then, I’ve been obsessed, much to my husband’s (Big Papa’s) confusion. He doesn’t understand how I can be over the moon with something so simple.

That’s what I love about them though.

There’s beauty in simplicity, and often, I find, the simplest recipes are the most delicious. By the way, here’s that Transporter scene I’m talking about:

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