Sausage Rolls & Mince Pies

Traditionally, at this time of year, I make make a lot of Sausage Rolls and Mince Pies.  Some for gifts and others to take to various gatherings.  This year is no exception, starting with the office.  As these are individual servings quantities are limited.

The mince pies have been dusted with cinnamon sugar.

Merry Christmas holiday and Happy New Year!

Enjoy!

Coral

Cranberry Bliss Bars

The closer to Christmas the busier I become with baking.

There are recipes which are associated with certain times of year and this one will probably be no exception.  Having said that I have made Cranberry Bliss Bars for you to enjoy.

Enjoy!

Coral

Pumpkin Gingerbread Snacking Cake

The cake this week is repeat of the recipe from 15th November due to an excess of pumpkin puree.  The reason for this is the upcoming season of Christmas and the need for extra space in the refrigerator.  This time it has been dusted with cinnamon sugar.

Enjoy!

Coral

Toffee Brownies

I will keep this post very short.

The run up to Christmas is getting very busy but there is always time to bake.

This week I have made Toffee Brownies for your enjoyment.

Enjoy!

Coral

Pumpkin Gingerbread Snacking Cake

The time  is flying by, the temperature is dropping and winter is fast approaching.  With this in mind it is time to bake with the flavours that evoke warmth.  This week I had some pureed pumpkin in the fridge and as it is heading into the season of gingerbread I have made a Pumpkin Gingerbread Snacking Cake.

Enjoy!

Coral

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Halloween was a little slow this year with a total of 50 Trick or Treater's (about 1/2 the usual number).  This meant that we had a number of treats left. I went in search of recipes and although I decided not to use any of the recipes containing the treats as they were for brownies or cookies I did incorporate the M & M's into the baking.

I set about opening all the mini bags of chocolate M & M's and put them into the cake mixture for the Red Velvet Cake that I had decided upon.  Now I know why I had not made Red Velvet cake (the red food colouring stains everything).  Topped with a Cream Cheese Frosting.

Enjoy!

Coral

Halloween Bars

Happy 1st November.

Yesterday was Halloween (a relatively slow one, we only had 50 trick or treaters, due to the wet weather and with some it was difficult to see their costumes) and the baking at this time would traditionally be Witches Fingers but this year I decided to change things up and make Halloween Bars (replacing the chopped pecans with extra chocolate).

Enjoy!

Coral

Apple Cake with Chocolate

Due to travel there was no baking last Friday but there was some on Monday (Chocolate Cherry Cake).

This week I have made Apple Cake with Chocolate Chunks.  Although this cake is supposed to use bittersweet chocolate I have used semi-sweet.

Enjoy!

Coral

Pumpkin Cake

When choosing recipes to bake for the office I usually need to adapt them to a suitable format for easy cutting.  Therefore, most recipes are converted to 9 x 13 (if they are not already not size).

This week's recipe is no exception.  Now that it is October and with this weekend being Thanksgiving I have made Pumpkin Cake (usually baked in a tube pan) but adapted for the 9" x 13".  This cake has a streusel topping and, as is often the case, the chopped nuts (walnuts in this case) have been replaced with Chocolate Chips 'n Chunks.  This often necessitates changing the baking time and sometimes the temperature at which it is baked.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Enjoy!

Coral

Banana Cake with Banana Icing

Due to travel there was no cake last week.

Although October is usually when pumpkin is the main ingredient, it is not the case this week as I had an excess of ripe bananas.  I have, therefore, made the Banana Cake with Banana Icing.

Enjoy!

Coral

Brookie Squares

Over the past few weeks I have been browsing for some new recipes and came across this one.  It is a combination of brownie and cookie.  As a general rule I avoid making brownies as much as possible as it is one of the few things that I am not sure of the texture.

As the recipe only makes enough for a 9" x 9" pan I had to make two.  Having only one pan I bought a second pan.  The recipe contains an awful lot of chocolate (almost 2 lbs).  This recipe is definitely not figure friendly.

Enjoy!

Coral

Glazed Lemon (Bundt) Cake

Due to having a number of lemons I wish to use and the fact that lemon would appear to be a very popular flavour I chose to make a Glazed Lemon Cake this week.  To me lemon is a very fresh flavour.

Before too long it will be autumn and that means cakes using pumpkin, apple and related spices.

Enjoy!

Coral

Chocolate Chip (Bundt) Cake with Vanilla Icing

This week I have three cakes to make, the first being for today.  That being said I have made a Chocolate Chip Cake and topped it with an Vanilla Icing made using whipping cream and thinned slightly with a little milk.

Later today I will make Cinnamon Buns (not technically cake) and the third cake is yet undecided.

Enjoy!

Coral

Vanilla Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

This week I had some trouble deciding on what to bake.  I had some Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting which I had made previously and so I settled on a simple vanilla cake.

Enjoy!

Coral

Blueberry Lemon (Bundt) Cake

After a two week family holiday to the UK, primarily to celebrate my mum's 90th birthday with family, normal service has resumed.

This week I have made a Blueberry Lemon Cake with a Cream Cheese Frosting.

Enjoy!

Coral

Glazed Lemon Cake

This week I had three cakes to bake, one for the office, one for summer camp and one for the hairdressers as I will be going tomorrow and always take cake or cookies.

Fortunately, the temperature yesterday was a little more conducive to baking.  Lemons were plentiful and lemon cakes are extremely popular and so I made one 9" x 13" and two loaves. The glazed used for these cakes does contain a few tablespoons of milk.

Enjoy!

Coral

Jaffa (Orange) Drizzle Cake

A little late filling in the blog this morning as I got caught up doing dishes.

This week I have made, for  your enjoyment (hopefully) a Jaffa Drizzle Cake.  For those who do not know Jaffa is a type of orange.  This cake has the flavours of Jaffa Cakes (or the closest thing I can describe it to in Canada is Pim's cookies).

Enjoy!

Coral

Glazed Lemon

The Friday cake has returned this week after a one week absence, due to travel.

With the weather being so hot and a lack of air conditioning it was against my better judgement to add extra heat to the house by turning the on the oven but, I did it anyway so that cake could be baked for today.  Having said that, I know how popular lemon is and so I opted to make the Glazed Lemon Cake.

Enjoy!

Coral

Chocolate Chip (Bundt) Cake

This recipe is, as usual, is for a bundt pan.  For the purpose of serving many I have used the 9" x 13" format.

The cake this week is a Chocolate Chip Cake which has been liberally dusted with icing sugar.

Enjoy!

Coral

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

The time is flying by.  This week I had a excess of cream cheese and wanted to use it (but not for icing).  I set about looking at recipes and decided upon Cream Cheese Pound Cake, simply topped with a dusting of icing sugar.

Enjoy!

Coral

Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Whisky, our dog, has been sick this week (which is very unusual for him) so a late evening visit to the vet was in order and keeping a very close eye on him.

That being said, for today I have made a vanilla Cake and topped it with a Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.

Enjoy!

Coral

Glazed Lemon Cake

This week, after much consideration as to what to bake this week, I decided on the ever popular Glazed Lemon Cake.

Enjoy!

Coral

Banana Bread and Blueberry Yogurt Pound Cake

I had some bananas in the kitchen crying out to be baked into Banana Bread (who am I to ignore this plea).  Due to travel there was no baking last Friday so I sent the Banana Bread in on Monday.

For today I have made Blueberry Yogurt Pound Cake and topped it with Banana Icing.

Enjoy!

Coral

Best Banana Cake with Banana Icing

There has been no cake (baked by myself) for the past two weeks due to travel.  This meant that I  had some bananas, absolutely perfect for baking, before they became freezer fodder.

This, of course, determined which cake I would bake for this week. So, Banana Cake with Banana Icing it is.

Enjoy!

Coral

Mocha Five Spice Cake

This week I have made Mocha Five Spice Cake and topped it with Chocolate Buttercream.

It is often a little problematic when adapting a recipe to be bake in a different format to accommodate more mouths.  This was that cake, usually baked in a loaf pan.  I did a little research ended up doubling the recipe and baking in the usual 9 x 13 format.

Enjoy!

Coral

Banana Loaf/Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake

Last week, due to travel, there was no baking.  However, Monday I did send in a Banana Loaf.

As I had both blueberries and lemons, this week is an encore presentation of the Blueberry Lemon Cake, simply dusted with icing sugar, I made two weeks ago.  It would seem that lemon is a very popular flavour and is, therefore, used a lot in my baking.

Enjoy!

Coral

Blueberry Lemon Cake (Bundt)

I know that it does not seem like it, however, according to the calendar, it is officially Spring.  I do not know about everyone else but the view from the family room is still a pile of snow just over half way up the patio door.  Hopefully, a significant amount of it will be washed away with the rain, although I will not hold my breath as there is supposed to be more snow on the way.

This week I have made a Blueberry Lemon Cake and topped it with an icing made from icing sugar, lemon and milk.  The recipe is not the usual one, although the ingredients are very similar.

Enjoy!


Coral

Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Buttercream and Chocolate Malt Balls

This week I thought that I would keep it simple and bake a vanilla cake, top it with chocolate buttercream (as I am unable to find malted milk powder) and crushed malt balls.

Enjoy!

Colral

Chocolate-Coconut Sheet Cake

Whilst browsing my numerous cookbooks and folder I  came across a recipe for Chocolate-Coconut Sheet Cake and decided to give it a try.  I do hope that everyone enjoys coconut as this cake is topped with it.  Feel free to let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

Coral

Cranberry Bliss Bars

Although working off site last Friday meant that I did not need to bake I was on auto pilot and baked anyway.  I also did not need a cake for church.  Despite using a small portion of the cake on Sunday evening for a family dinner of homemade perogies it was enjoyed (hopefully) at work on Monday.

This week I have made Cranberry Bliss Bars (with a little tweak).  I ran out of white chocolate chips and so substituted dark.

Enjoy!

Coral

Mocha Five Spice Loaf and Banana Cake with Banana Icing

For a fortnight (2 weeks) there was no baking due to illness and travel.  Normal service has been resumed this week.

On Monday I sent in a Mocha Five Spice Loaf which I had topped with a brown sugar frosting and for today I have made a Banana Cake with Banana Icing.

Enjoy!

Coral

Vanilla Cake with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting

Time is definitely flying by at a alarming rate.  Hard to believe that January is almost behind us.  That being said normal service has definitely resumed with the baking.

This week I have made a Vanilla Cake and added a Citrus (orange and lemon zest) Cream Cheese Frosting.

Enjoy!

Coral

Glazed Lemon Cake

This week is busy in the kitchen this week with regards to baking, starting the ever popular Glazed Lemon Cake.

Enjoy!

Coral

Cranberry Orange (Bundt) Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

I will start by wishing everyone a "Very Happy New Year" and hope that everyone enjoyed the break.

After a very busy few weeks (as usual) over the Christmas and New Year period in the kitchen things are now back to normal.  This week I have made a Cranberry Orange  Cake and added an Orange Cream Cheese Frosting.

Enjoy!

Coral