Vanilla Bean Muffins with Raspberry Jam

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I made these delicious muffins last weekend to bring a very dear friend of mine who just got out of the hospital. My friend is one of the most inspiring women I’ve ever met and I truly admire her courage and perseverance. She is a very strong woman, yet such a soft & kind soul. She is one of those people who works very hard to help others locally and around the world. She is very active as a human rights advocate…and just simply a lovely person. When she was injured in an accident last month, I was truly devastated. My friend and her family have become like my family. I worried that the accident would cause her to lose the zest she had for life. When I visited her this past weekend, I was amazed at how positive she was and looking toward making a full recovery. I am so pleased she is doing so well and continues to see life with such a vibrance. Very inspirational! I hope these little vanilla bean muffins helped her feel better and made her smile :)

Ingredients
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of milk
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of white sugar
  • 2/3 cup of canola oil or vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon of baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup of raspberry jam

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350’F.

2. Heat milk with scraped seeds and pod of the vanilla bean over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes (to infuse the milk with flavour). Remove the vanilla pod and let the milk cool to room temperature.

3. Whisk the sugar, oil and eggs into the cooled milk.

4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, salt and cinnamon. Add the milk mixture and blend just until incorporated. Note: do not over mix the batter.

5. Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full with batter. Spoon one tablespoon of raspberry jam into the centre of each muffin. Top with remaining batter and bake for 35 to 45 minutes; or until the tops are a light golden brown. 

Let the muffins cool in the tin for 15 minutes. Then turn out to cool completely.

Source: Anna Olson’s Sugar

Rich Chocolate Semifreddo with Salted Almonds

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My mom always puts together the best Sunday dinners. But they are always so much work for her; especially on the day that is supposed to be her day to take it easy! This week I decided that it would be nice if I made dinner, so she could relax a bit and be spoiled. I opted to make zucchini ricotta roll-ups baked in homemade marinara sauce for dinner and then a chocolate semifreddo with salted almonds for dessert.

Semifreddo means “half cold” in Italian. In this case, the semifreddo was a chilled creamy, chocolate mousse. The main reason I wanted to make a semifreddo this week for dessert is because “semifreddo” is fun to say. *hah* I was also intrigued by the combination of bittersweet chocolate and salted almonds. Turns out, the combination was “ah-ma-zing” (as my little sister would say). The dessert was rich and creamy with a subtle sweetness. The almonds gave the dessert crunch and the salt heightened the flavour of the chocolate. I think this chocolate semifreddo was my favourite dessert that I’ve made all year. My future brother-in-law agreed! So glad I got to take some leftovers home! :)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of sliced almonds
  • 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
  • dash of salt
  • 7 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate; chopped
  • 1 and 1/3 cups of whipping cream (35%)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup of white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • cocoa powder; for dusting


Method


1. Preheat over to 350’F. On an ungreased baking sheet, toast the almonds for 10 minutes; or until they are a nice light golden brown. Allow them to cool.


2. Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the almonds and salt. Stir mixture together until the almonds are well coated; about 4 minutes. Remove the almonds from the heat and allow them to cool.


3. In a bowl over a pot of slowly simmering water, melt the chocolate. Make sure you stir constantly to avoid having the chocolate burn. Once chocolate is melted, put it aside to cool. Note: you can melt the chocolate in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate at high heat and stir it every 20 seconds to prevent burning.


4. Whip the cream until soft peaks form with an electric mixer. Once whipped, store the whipped cream in the fridge.


5. Whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a metal or glass bowl. Place the bowl over simmering water and whisk the mixture until doubled in volume, and a whisk leaves ribbons when lifted. Remove from heat. Whisk in the melted chocolate. Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes.


6. Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap.


7. Fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture in two additions until evenly incorporated. Fold in the toasted, salted almonds. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan. Freeze it overnight.


8. To slice and serve, invert the loaf onto a plate and remove from the pan & plastic wrap. Dust the semifreddo with cocoa powder. Slice, wiping the knife every cut. Enjoy!


Source: Anna Olson’s Sugar

Broccoli Salad with Feta and Golden Raisins

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Recently, my book club members and I had our annual summer BBQ. My friend Cheryl was kind enough to host our BBQ potluck. All the members brought delicious food! I totally pigged out and probably gained 5 pounds by the end of the evening. *hah* We always joke that we are a food club first & book club second. We always have the best treats at our meetings!
One friend of mine brought a delicious oriental salad to our BBQ. Another friend brought taco dip; one of my weaknesses! We also had Death by Chocolate trifle for dessert (amazing!) and a delicious raspberry square topped with a fluffy marshmallowy topping. Mmmmm!
My friend Kerry brought a broccoli salad that ended up also being absolutely delicious. It had such a nice mix of textures and flavours. There is a creamy dressing, crunchy sunflower seeds, sweet golden raisins and salty feta cheese. A perfect combination! This is a great salad to bring to a BBQ and it definitely impressed at a picnic I attend earlier this week with my parents. Right mom and dad? :) Thanks again for a lovely afternoon!
Hope you are all having a wonderful summer!
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Broccoli Salad with Feta and Golden Raisins

Ingredients

  • 1 large bunch of broccoli; chopped into bite size pieces
  • 1/4 cup of red onion; chopped
  • 1/2 cup of golden raisins
  • 1/2 cup of toasted sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup of feta cheese; crumbled
  • 3/4 cup of low-fat mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup of white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. For the dressing: combine the mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice and vinegar together. Whisk well. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in the chopped red onion.
  2. Put the broccoli in a large salad bowl. Top with the dressing. Add the feta cheese, sunflower seeds, and golden raisins. Mix well and cover. Note: Allow the salad to sit for about 2 hours in the fridge before serving. You want to allow the flavours time to develop.
  3. This salad can be refrigerated overnight and will be good for about 2 days.
Source: my friend Kerry