three

So. I think it would be fair to say that our niece Rylee makes life very, very fun. It feels like the sun shines just a little brighter when you’re near her. More than anything, I just love that the simplest things like doing a puzzle are extraordinary with her. This weekend we celebrated her third birthday.

I love few things more than the excuse to make a celebratory dessert. I think a large part of it is I actually don’t love desserts myself and having people around to eat said dessert is a big bonus. But, even more, I think nothing says Happy Birthday – you are super special and are so loved - quite like a home-baked cake.

This year Rylee was very clear with her request: “Auntie Lissa I have Strawberry Shortcake please”. Now if you know any little people, you know, this does not mean a dense yet delicate biscuit with fresh whipped cream and berries(see here if that’s what you are looking for) but rather a little girl with bright pink hair. So I set out trying to find a fun design to bring a smile to that sweet little face.

This is one of my all time favourite white cake recipes – it is a butter cake and tastes like the rich cookies you eat at Christmas.

Anna Olson’s Swedish Butter Cake

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Prepare cake/ cupcake pan(s) by spreading butter on bottom and sides; dust evenly with flour; tap out excess. Preheat oven to 350degrees F.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and well-blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Alternately add the dry ingredients and milk, beating after each addition, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. Stir in the vanilla extract
Spoon batter into the prepared pans, level the top, then spread the batter slightly toward the pan edges. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes for a cake or 20 to 25 minutes for cupcakes or until the top is golden and a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Frosting
• 1/4 cup 2% Milk
• 1 tablespoon 2% Milk
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• icing sugar, sifted (3-4 cups)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Beat butter with electric beaters until fluffy. Add 2 cups of icing sugar, plus milk and vanilla and beat for 3 minutes on high speed until fluffy. Add remaining 1 to 2 cups icing sugar until frosting is a fluffy, spreadable consistency.

good for you

I’ve been meaning to tell you about this one. Early in the summer, I had an amazing spa day at St. Anne’s in Grafton. St. Anne’s is a glorious place to reconnect with yourself, friends and nature.

We spent the entire day in robes relaxing while waiting to be whisked off for a massage or facial. We went in the eucalyptus steam room, hot tub and pools and enjoyed a very relaxing yoga class. We ate a delicious lunch out on the terrace, enjoyed the grounds and later had a beautiful afternoon tea.

It was difficult to leave but what made it a little bit easier was leaving with this recipe. These are the kind of cookies that are so full of things that are good for you; you really are treating yourself.

St. Anne’s Spa Sesame and Flax Seed Snaps

2/3 cup spelt flour
¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
½ cup sesame seeds
¾ cup flax seeds
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup butter - softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Drop on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes.

summer takes hold

It silently comes in with early sunrises and holds tight into the evening with fuss free meals eaten outside. Although it feels the days are flying by if you stop and feel the warm breeze, jump into the lake where the temperature of the water is not much different from the air, spit cherry pits, crack peas and husk corn you can capture the season before it lets go.

This past week we were at the cottage with an amazing group of friends and were able to completely throw ourselves into the season. We drove with the sunroof open to Mississippi Lake, unpacked and slowly let summer take hold. We swam, read books, played volley ball and badminton, floated around the lake, played cards, watched movies, made smores and watched the sun go down. Even though we are home now I can still feel the warmth of the summer sun on my skin (and Ryan can still feel the itch of all his bug bites!)

This is a recipe that is close to my heart. It really is one of my very favourites. It is simple and quick to make but still full of love. Shortcakes are usually served with strawberries but we’ve been eating them with any berry on hand. This last batch was eaten with tangy raspberries. If you can some homemade whipped cream, sweetened with a little icing sugar cannot be beat. Don’t let summer sneak away without making this one.

Dorie Greenspan’s Tender Shortcakes
From Baking: From My Home to Yours

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. sugar
1 ½ sticks (12 Tbsp.) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 ½ cups cold heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add the butter and, using your fingers, quickly, pinch and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. Some pieces of butter will be about the size of peas, while other will be more like flakes.

Pour the cream over the dry ingredients, and toss and gently turn the ingredients with a fork until you’ve got very soft dough. Mix and gently knead the dough until it’s evenly blended. The dough should be soft and sticky.

Cut the dough into 10 roughly equal portions and put 5 of them on the baking sheet, leaving space between them. Pat each portion down until it’s about 1 inch high. [The shortcakes can be made to this point, wrapped in plastic wrap, and stashed in the freezer. Bake without defrosting – just add 5+ minutes to the baking time.]

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the sheet from front to back midway through, until the shortcakes are puffed and give just a little when poked with a fingertip. Pull the pan from the oven, and carefully transfer the shortcakes to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the baking sheet first.