Chocolate Raspberry Pudding Cake

This cake is absolutely delicious.

The recipe is here and it is pretty simple, provided you have an electric beater capable of whipping stiff peaks in your egg whites (luckily I do) However, though simple, my cake turned out with a few structural flaws - a crust developed on top, with a large layer of air underneath. In the end, as the cake was cooling, I just peeled the crust off. It was actually quite delicious - like a chocolate meringue, so I served it with the fudgy, pudding-like cake, for textural contrast. Paired with fresh raspberries and a thick chocolate ganache, this might not be the prettiest chocolate-raspberry creation, but it might just be the tastiest!

Canadian Thanksgiving! (l'Action de grâce)

It was Canadian Thanksgiving on Monday the 11th October and we hosted a dinner for friends on the Saturday night prior.

On the menu:

Roast boneless legs of Quebec lamb

marinated in a mixture of garlic, rosemary and lemon

(This was partly a nod to Australia and partly because many of our guests were going to be eating turkey on Sunday or Monday)





Roasted cauliflower

Roasted brussel sprouts with fennel pancetta and hazelnuts

Potatoes cooked in bay-infused milk (thanks for the tip H!)

The potatoes were a highlight for me, mainly because I was a little skeptical of the style of cooking - you saute the potatoes in butter first, then simmer then in milk. It seems counter-intuitive and you think 'why would you simmer something that you have made golden and slightly crisp?', but it really works and they are delicious! I am thinking about other vegetables I could try with this method and what other liquids I could simmer them in (Parsnips in milk, yes! Carrots in orange juice? Maybe....!) 

Braised red cabbage with onions and apples (again, H's tip!)

Fresh herb sauce with mustard, rosemary and mint

(no photos of all the sides unfortunately, everything was go, go, go once the lamb was ready)

and...... the whole reason for hosting the dinner

Pumpkin Pie!

(a silky smooth version from Smitten Kitchen)

Served with maple syrup and whipped cream, oh so delicious!! I made this last year and won a few fans, it is definitely the best version I have tasted. The secret to this pie is that you pass the filling through a sieve, which takes out any coarseness or stringiness left over from the pumpkin. It also means that it actually works better with canned pure pumpkin puree (not the pre-seasoned pumpkin pie filling, not freshly made pumpkin puree), which makes preparation even easier. And though I forgot to take a picture, please know that I baked four of these babies, just because "leftovers are mandatory!"

It was a fantastic night! Though Thanksgiving is not a holiday that I feel a strong connection with (although I guess I am thankful for the harvest, since you can probably tell, I am in it for the food!) it was a lovely reminder of how thankful I am that my life in Montreal is as wonderful as it is!



Rhubarb, apple and strawberry crumble

Autumn/fall is definitely here - the nights are much cooler now and it is no hardship to have the oven on in the evening! At last Sunday's little farmer's market in Verdun I picked up a huge bunch of rhubarb.Not my favourite vegetable but an awesome addition to fruity desserts, especially pies and crumbles! It is only since living in Quebec that I have discovered the deliciousness of adding of strawberries to pies and crumbles (why don't we do this in Australia? My guess, berries are waaay to expensive to "waste" in a crumble!) and so I thought this was a perfect opportunity to test out a rhubarb, apple, strawberry concoction.

You could follow any normal crumble recipe, using your favourite fruits, but here are my hints -

- partially cook the apple and rhubarb in a saucepan, with a bit of water and lemon

- use a shallow dish for optimal crumble to fruit ratio!

- get creative with seasonings for the crumble topping - I love a little bit of ground ginger and even some black pepper, and I always add rolled oats to the flour/sugar/butter mixture

Mmm, and of course, serve with your favourite dairy deliciousness!

Peanut butter and chocolate chip biscuits

A super easy recipe, easily tweaked to your tastes!

Base recipe -

1 cup of peanut butter (any consistency)

1 egg

1 cup of sugar (I used about 3/4 cup of brown)

I added -

a few drops of vanilla

a little bit of flour (all purpose/plain)

roughly chopped 70% chocolate (the amount is up to you - my personal philosophy is something along the lines of more = better)

a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger

Preheat your oven to 180C. Mix everything together with a wooden spoon, roll into balls, place on a lined baking tray, use the tines of your fork to squish them down a little and bake until golden (15-20 min). Cool on trays for a few minute, then cool completely on wire racks. Pour yourself a big glass of milk and try not to eat them all for dinner!

Sites I Like: The Island of Dr Gâteau

http://gateau.gluonporridge.net/

Another friend's site, this one a stunning baking blog. J's blog showcases more permutations of red velvet than anyone dreamed possible, delightfully nerdy cupcake decorations and textural, molecular gastromical delights. I love to bake too but J has taken "baking for the lab meeting" to a whole new level! I just have to find some sodium alginate in Montreal and I will be in business.....