Chocolate Christmas Pudding Cakes

I got the idea for these little dome cakes from pinterest. Christmas pudding is very traditional for us Brits, but I have to admit that I actually don't like it, so these little chocolate puddings were perfect!


¾ cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
6 tbsp. valrhona cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
½ cup black coffee
½ cup buttermilk
1½ tsp. vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt, whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, vegetable oil and egg. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, blend in half of the dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated. Blend in the coffee, buttermilk and vanilla just until smooth. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated. Fill each dome about half way and bake at 350 for 22-24 minutes.

Icing
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
3 cups icing sugar
4 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix together until smooth, pour 1 tablespoon of icing over each dome cake, allowing the icing to run down the sides of the cakes, decorate with red and green jelly candies, to look like holly.

Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

Another christmas cupcake, made using my favourite chocolate cupcake recipe, changed slightly with the addiction of peppermint!


Chocolate Cupcakes
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
6 tbsp. valrhona cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
½ cup black coffee
½ cup buttermilk
½ tsp. peppermint extract

In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt, whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, vegetable oil and egg. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, blend in half of the dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated. Blend in the coffee, buttermilk and peppermint just until smooth. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated. Divide between baking cups and bake at 350 for 22-24 minutes.

Peppermint Swiss Meringue Buttercream
2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 large egg whites
1 cup + 2 tbsp of sugar
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
pinch of salt

To make the frosting, put a few inches of water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Put the egg whites and sugar into a bowl that will fit over the pan of water and whick until it reaches 150 degrees and the sugar has all melted. Transfer mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk on medium speed until the bowl feels cold (this can take up to 10 minutes) add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time, then beat in the peppermint.

Frost cooled cupcakes with the peppermint buttercream, top with Andes peppermint pieces, and a peppermint candy.

Cappuccino Fudge

This recipe was a last minute addition to my Christmas baking. I have been needing to use up a couple of containers of marshmallow fluff that Randal bought last month (for a frosting recipe that I never made), so when I saw this fudge recipe over at Annies Eats, and how quick and easy it looked, I thought I would give it a try.


1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow cream
½ c. sugar
2/3 c. heavy whipping cream
¼ c. butter
1 t. instant coffee (I used 1 packet of Starbucks via)
¼ t. cinnamon
¼ t. salt
1 (12 oz.) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Line an 8” square baking pan with foil. In a pan, combine marshmallow, sugar, cream, butter, coffee, cinnamon and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Let boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Pour into pan. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Cut into squares.

Pizza Hut Pan Pizza

I found this recipe on pinterest a few weeks ago, and ever since I sent Randal the link he has been asking me to make it. It's very easy to make, and we both loved these pizzas. I made Randal pepperoni and green pepper and mine was cheese and pineapple, we will definitely be making these again soon!



1 1/3 cup warm water
1/4 cup dry milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 package dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 ounces butter (1 ounce per pan)

Pizza sauce
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dry basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Put yeast, sugar, salt, and dry milk in a large bowl. Add water and stir to mix, let sit for two minutes. Add oil and flour and stir until dough forms.

Turn out on to a flat surface and knead for 10 minutes. Divide dough into three balls. In three 9" cake pans, put 1 Oz. of melted butter. Roll out each dough ball to a 9" circle and place in pans. Cover and place in a warm area and allow to rise for 1 1/2 hours.

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients and let sit for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450.

For each pizza, use 1/3 cup of sauce, cover sauce with 1oz of cheese (we used mozzarella and provolone) then add toppings, finally cover with 3oz of cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crust is browned and the cheese is bubbling.

Snowflake Cupcakes

I really wanted to make some kind of winter looking cupcake, so I tried my hand at making royal icing snowflakes for the first time, they are not perfect, but it was fun trying something new. I just used my favourite chocolate cupcake and frosting recipes to make these wintery cupcakes.


Chocolate Cupcakes
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
6 tbsp. valrhona cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
½ cup black coffee
½ cup buttermilk
1½ tsp. vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt, whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, vegetable oil and egg. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, blend in half of the dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated. Blend in the coffee, buttermilk and vanilla just until smooth. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated. Divide between baking cups and bake at 350 for 22-24 minutes.

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 large egg whites
1 cup + 2 tbsp of sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

To make the frosting, put a few inches of water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Put the egg whites, sugar and salt into a bowl that will fit over the pan of water and whisk until it reaches 150 degrees and the sugar has all melted. Transfer mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk on medium speed until the bowl feels cold (this can take up to 10 minutes) add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time, finally beat in the vanilla and add blue food colour.

Royal Icing
4 Tablespoons Meringue Powder
4 cups powdered sugar
6 Tablespoons warm water

Beat all ingredients until stiff peaks form. Pipe snowflakes onto wax paper, place dragee in the center of each one and leave to dry overnight.

Frost the cooled cupcakes with the buttercream, decorate with white sprinkles and silver and blue dragees, then top with a royal icing snowflake.

Peppermint Marshmallows

I always thought homemade marshmallows were too difficult for me to make, but this recipe is so easy, and the end result is soft, pepperminty marshmallows.


1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 envelopes unflavoured gelatin
1 1/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
6 crushed peppermint candy canes
1/8 tsp salt

Line a 9x13" pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray

Sift together powdered sugar and cornstarch, take 2 tablesppons of the sugar mixture and coat the foil lined pan with it

In the bowl of your electric mixer place 2/3 cup water and the gelatin and leave to soften for 5 minutes

In a saucepan, heat sugar, corn syrup, candy cane, and salt over medium heat until completely dissolved

Pour into bowl with gelatin mixture and beat on high speed for 10-15 minutes, until light and fluffy

Spread mixture into prepared pan, and sift enough of the powdered sugar mixture to cover the top, leave at room temp for 2 hours

Lift foil from pan, and using a wet knife cut marshmallows into small squares, and dip each square into the remaining powdered sugar mixture.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

I have been wanting to make this recipe which is a copy of those yummy Starbucks cranberry bliss bars for over a year now. I finally got around to it this week, and I am really glad that I did, they are really good, not exactly the same as those Starbucks bars, but close enough!




3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
2 Tbsp. minced crystallized ginger
3/4 cup chopped sweetened dried cranberries
4 oz. white chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped sweetened dried cranberries
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 tsp. lemon juice

Drizzled Icing
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vegetable shortening

Make cake by beating the butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the eggs, ginger, vanilla, and salt and beat well. Gradually mix in the flour and baking powder until smooth. Mix the chopped dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks into the batter by hand. Pour the batter into a buttered 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly across the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is lightly browned on top. Allow the cake to cool.

Make the frosting by combining the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. When the cake has cooled, use a spatula to spread the frosting over the top of the cake.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of chopped dried cranberries over the frosting on the cake.

Make the drizzled icing by whisking together powdered sugar, milk, and shortening. Drizzle this icing over the cranberries.

Cover the cake and let it chill out in the fridge for a couple hours, then slice the cake lengthwise through the middle. Slice the cake across the width three times, making a total of eight rectangular slices. Slice each of those rectangles diagonally creating 16 triangular slices.